A defence of the principles of love, which are necessary to the unity and…

So that they provide for the reception of all meet persons. But the chief thing observable is that in Propos. 5. Where the Qualifications or Description of a just entitling Profession is laid down, as consisting in no more than these four things, 1. Understanding the doctrine of Faith. 2. The public Profession of Assent thereto. 3. Not to be scandalous in life. 4. And solemnly owning the Covenant before the Church, wherein they give up themselves and their children before the Lord. They require no other proofs of Regeneration; no• any particular account ⟨p. 162⟩how they were converted; nor what further signs of it they can show.

So that they provide for the reception of all meet persons. But the chief thing observable is that in Propos. 5. Where the Qualifications or Description of a just entitleing Profession is laid down, as consisting in no more than these four things, 1. Understanding the doctrine of Faith. 2. The publick Profession of Assent thereto. 3. Not to be scandalous in life. 4. And solemnly owning the Covenant before the Church, wherein they give up themselves and their children before the Lord. They require no other proofs of Regeneration; no• any particular account ⟨p. 162⟩how they were converted; nor what further signs of it they can shew.

And, for my own part, I never dissented from those called Congregational, in England, in the two great points from which their Churches are denominated, viz. 1. That regularly they should consist but of so many as are capable of Personal Communion, which they call a Congregation. 2. And that this Congregation is not jure Divino under the spiritual Government of any superior Church, as Metropolitan, Patriarchal, &c. But my chief dissent from them hath been, in their going beyond Independency, and too many of them coming too near to Separation, 1. By making other terms of mens title to Churchmember-ship, than these here recited by the New-England Synod, and then the understanding, sober profession of Assent and Consent to the Baptismal Covenant is. 2. And for their gathering new Churches in the several Parishes, as if there had been no Churches there before, and the members not gathered by them, were not the subjects of any Church-Discipline; neither the Children nor Adult.