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

4. What the order is, wherein Christ will have these Church-affairs to be acted?] The order is this. First, a company of Believers, being satisfied concerning the spiritual state of one another, and their fitness for Church-fellowship, and thereupon confederating together, to walk together in all the Ordinances of Christ, with mutual watchfulness and submission one to another in the Lord, become a Congregational-Church. They have now the essentials of a Church. 2. Being such, they must look out from among themselves for such Officers as Christ hath given to his Church; these they must choose and ordain, professing their voluntary submission to their Office-Rule, and Authority, in the Lord. Till this be done, they cannot completely act all Church-affairs, in due order. Till they have Teaching-Elders, ⟨p. 95⟩though there be gifted-Brethren among them that may Prophesy, 1 Cor. 14. yet they have none to give themselves continually to Prayer (according to the necessities and occasions of the Church) and to the Ministry of the Word, Act. 6.4. Such attendance being proper to Officers; Rom. 12.7. Nor, 3. to preach the word with authority, as an Officer must. Tit. 2.15. Nor, 4. to administer the Seals, which Christ hath annexed to the official preaching of the Word, Mat. 28.19, 20. Without Ruling-Elders, who shall call the Church together, as the Apostles did, on special weighty occasions, Act. 6.2? Who shall prepare matters for the Church, 1. By examining Officers or Members, before they be received of the Church, Rev. 2.2. 2. By stating and clearing the question and proofs, and trying, whether matters have been carried according to Rule, privately, in the first and second step, before any offence be presented to the Church, which was secret at first, according to