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

However, the Officers must propound it to the Brethren, to declare, whether they are so far satisfied with what they have ⟨p. 22⟩heard, that they do consent that such shall be received into their fellowship; as Peter put a like question to the Brethren that went with him from Joppa, concerning the Baptizing of Cornelius and those with him, upon whom the Holy Ghost fell visibly, Act. 10.44, 45, 46. &c.

Consect. 3 3. Cons. If upon this Rock [Christ believed on, and publicly confessed, by grown persons] the Church of Christ is to be built; then the Children of the Church, who were Baptized in their infancy, when they come to be of ripe age, must hold forth publicly their personal confession of Faith, that they may be admitted to the Lords Table, and fellowship in Voting and in Elections and Censures, in their own personal right. But, if they be found grossly ignorant, or profane, or professing a false faith, or denying the true Faith, or contemners of Church-fellowship, and the Ordinances of Christ, or do not, according to this clause of the Charter, publicly profess their faith, and crave Church-fellowship, they may not be owned for Members, by their admission unto the Lord's Table, and unto other privileges of Church-communion, in their own right, but are to be declared non-members. In Jacobs posterity, ⟨p. 23⟩when the Lord brought them to Canaan, that standing Ordinance of presenting unto the Lord, before the Priest, their first fruits, every year, with such a solemn confession made by all grown Israelites, as is appointed in Deut. 26.2 to 16. was a visible profession of their Faith and Obedience, suited to the condition of that Church and time, in performance whereof, they avouched the Lord to be their God, and to walk in his ways, and keep his Statutes, and his Commandments, and his Judgments, and to hearken unto his Voice: and the Lord avouched them to be his peculiar People, &c. v. 16, 17, 18. And the like, if not greater, care was had of the profession and conversation of the Sons of strangers, the Children of such Proselytes, as were admitted into the Church of Israel,