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

Consect. 2 If Christ will build his Church upon this Rock; then it is the bounden duty of Churches to see, so far as they can according to rule, that all whom they receive into Church-fellowship, be visible Believers, such as have been described in the Conclusion above propounded, explained, and proved; lest otherwise they build without a foundation. Particularly; 1. They are to see, so far as in charity they may discern, that they are Believers in Christ; Else, they cannot answer the titles given them in Scripture, 1 Pet. 2.4, 5. nor the praises given unto Peter so confessing Christ, that Christ said, Upon this Rock I will build my Church. 2. They are to see, that they profess their Faith and Holiness in a good conversation, Phil. 1.27. Jam. 3.12, 13. For they that profess they know God, but in their works deny him, are abominable, Tit. 1.16. 3. And in a public confession of their faith before the Church, as Peter did here before Christ and the Apostles, &c. Only, because the Church cannot see the heart immediately, as Christ did Peter's, the confession of faith made ⟨p. 21⟩to men must hold forth the gift of faith, as well as the doctrine of faith. So Calvin understood those words, Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. 1 Pet. 3.15. Calvin's note upon it, is this;^‖ Hope, here, is, by a Synecdoche, put for faith. What he saith, ought to be diligently weighed. For it signifieth, that God approveth only that confession, which proceeds out of the heart: because unless faith reside within, the tongue will babble in vain. Therefore faith must be rooted in us, that afterward it may bring forth the fruit of confession. And, when all this is done, the Brethren are to consent in receiving them, and herein to show forth the gentleness of Christ (who will not break a bruised reed, nor quench smoking flax) in giving due encouragement to the weak in faith, if they see cause to conceive, by rightly ordered charity, that the root of the matter is in them. But, if they see just cause to doubt of that, they have warrant to suspend their acceptance, till better satisfaction be given, from the primitive pattern, in