The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

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.

THIS could originally be no otherwise done, but by their own actual, express, voluntary consent. There are sundry things which concurr 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.