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

the manner of their offering themselves to Church-fellowship, visibly at such a time, when such visible confession of Christ was with manifest hazard to their lives, gave good ground to the Apostles and the Brethren, of conceiving charitably, that they were all of them in a state of Salvation, and such as the Lord himself added to the Church. In these places and times, where Church-fellowship is an honour, and draws after it sundry outward and worldly advantages, it will be necessary, that the Church be satisfied, as by sufficient testimony concerning their good conversation, so by their holding forth their confession of faith, both quae creditur, and quâ creditur, of the Doctrine of Faith, and of the Gift of Faith, how it was wrought, and how it works in them. As Mr. Rogers, in his Treatise of Faith, saith it may be known of men by those ⟨p. 18⟩trials. And this care suits the nature of Church-power, which is delegate and stewardly. For, as the faithfulness of a Steward bindeth him to receive none into his Lords family, but according to his Lords mind and appointment; so the faithfulness of the Church unto Christ obligeth them to receive such into this holy fellowship, as they may, in charitable discretion, conceive, the Lord receiveth and addeth thereunto.

the manner of their offering themselves to Church-fellowship, visibly at such a time, when such visible confession of Christ was with manifest hazzard to their lives, gave good ground to the Apostles and the Brethren, of conceiving charitably, that they were all of them in a state of Salvation, and such as the Lord himself added to the Church. In these places and times, where Church-fellowship is an honour, and drawes after it sundry outward and worldly advantages, it will be necessary, that the Church be satisfied, as by sufficient testimony concerning their good conversation, so by their holding forth their confession of faith, both quae creditur, and quâ creditur, of the Doctrine of Faith, and of the Gift of Faith, how it was wrought, and how it works in them. As Mr. Rogers, in his Treatise of Faith, saith it may be known of men by those ⟨p. 18⟩tryals. And this care suits the nature of Church-power, which is delegate and stewardly. For, as the faithfulness of a Steward bindeth him to receive none into his Lords family, but according to his Lords mind and appointment; so the faithfulness of the Church unto Christ obligeth them to receive such into this holy fellowship, as they may, in charitable discretion, conceive, the Lord receiveth and addeth thereunto.