The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

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.

WERE there no other Order in Particular Churches, no other Discipline to be exercised in them, nor Rule over them, no other Duties, no other Ends assigned unto them, but what are generally owned and practised in Parochial Assemblies, the Preaching of the Word within such a precinct of Cohabitation, determined by Civil Authority, might constitute a Church. But if a Church be such a Society as is entrusted in it self with sundry Powers and Privileges depending on sundry Duties prescribed unto it, if it constitute new Relations between Persons, that neither naturally nor morally were before so related, as Marriage doth between Husband and Wife; if it require new mutual Duties, and give new mutual Rights among themselves, not required of them either as unto their matter, or as unto their manner before; it is vain to imagine that this State can arise from, or have any other Formal Cause, but the joint consent and virtual confederation of those concerned, unto these ends: For there is none of them can have any other Foundation; they are all of them resolved into the Wills of Men, bringing themselves under an obligation unto them by their voluntary consent. I say unto the Wills of Men, as their Formal Cause; the supreme efficient cause of them all being