The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

THE Churches mentioned in the New Testament, planted or gathered by the Apostles, were Particular Churches, as hath been proved. These Churches did consist each of them of many Members, who were so Members of one of them, as that they were not Members of another. The Saints of the Church of Corinth, were not Members of the Church at Philippi. And the Enquiry is, How those Believers in one place and the other became to be a Church, and that distinct from all others? The Scripture affirms in general, that they gave up themselves unto the Lord and unto the Apostles, who guided them in these Affairs, by the will of God, 2 Cor. 8.5. and that other Believers were added unto the Church, Act. 2.

THAT it is the Will and Command of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all his Disciples should be joined in such Societies, for the ⟨p. 21⟩Duties and Ends of them prescribed and limited by himself, hath been proved sufficiently before. All that are Discipled by the Word, are to be taught to do and observe all his Commands, Matth. 28.20.

THIS could originally be no otherwise done, but by their own actual, express, voluntary consent. There are sundry things which concur as remote causes, or prerequisite conditions unto this conjunction of Believers in a Particular Church, and without which it cannot be. Such are Baptism, Profession of the Christian Faith, convenient Cohabitation, resorting to the Preaching of the Word in the same place. But neither any of these distinctly or separately, nor all of them in Conjunction, are or can be the constitutive Form of a Particular Church. For it is evident that they may all be, and yet no such Church State ensue. They cannot altogether engage unto those Duties, nor communicate those Powers, which appertain unto this State.