The power of Congregational churches asserted and vindicated in answer to a treatise of…

3. What the Church-Affairs are, and what the acting them imports.] The Church-affairs are the Ordinances of Christ, called here the Keys, in a large-sense, the word of the Covenant, and the seals of the Covenant, and the Censures. These the Church may be said to act, by opening and shutting. 1. They open the doors of the Church subordinately, when they admit only such, and all such, to fellowship, whom Christ receiveth, Rom. 14.1, 3. 2. The doors of office in the Church they do open in the Church subordinately, when they elect and ordain such unto Offices, as Christ hath prepared and called thereunto, according to the rule in 1 Tim. 3.1-14. and then only to such Offices as Christ hath set in his Church: which are only four, Rev. 4.6, 7, 8. For Widows are included in Deacons. These are reduced to two general heads, in Phil. 1.1. and so are their functions, in Rom. 12.6, 7. and yield unto them all, and only that power which Christ hath annexed to their Office, and particularly unto Teaching and Ruling Officers, that subjection and honour which the word calls for, Heb. 13.17. 1 Tim. 5.17, 18. 3. They shut the Doors of the Church, and bind men from Church—Ordinances, ⟨p. 94⟩and Privileges; 1. By not admitting those to Church-fellowship, against whom they have just exceptions, Act. 9.26. 2. By judging and censuring scandalous members, whether Brethren or Officers, according to Christs Rules, Mat. 18.17, 18. and 1 Cor. 5. 3