The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

1. THE Admission and Exclusion of Members. Both these are Acts of Church-Power and Authority, which are to be exercised by the Elders only in a Church that is Organical and ⟨p. 170⟩complete in its Officers. There is that in them both, which is founded in and warranted from the Light and Law of Nature and Rules of Equity. Every Righteous voluntary Society coalescing therein rightfully, upon known Laws, and Rules for the Regulation of it unto certain ends, hath naturally a power inherent in it and inseparable from it, to receive into its incorporation, such as being meet for it, do voluntarily offer themselves thereunto; as also to reject, or withhold the Privileges of the Society, from such as refuse to be Regulated by the Laws of the Society. This power is inherent in the Church essentially considered antecedently unto the enstating of Officers in it: By virtue of their mutual confederation they may receive into the privileges of the Society those that are meet, and withdraw the same privileges from those that are unworthy. But in these actings of the Church, essentially considered, there is no exercise of the Power of the Keys, as unto Authoritative Rule, but what is merely Doctrinal. There is in what it doth a declaration of the Mind of Christ, as unto the State of the Persons whom they do receive or reject. But unto the Church as Organical, as there are Elders or Rulers instated in it according unto the Mind of Christ, there is a peculiar Authority committed for those Acts of the Admission and Exclusion of Members. Unto this end is the Key of Rule committed unto the Elders of the Church, to be applied with the consent of the whole Society, as we shall see afterwards.

1. THE Admission and Exclusion of Members. Both these are Acts of Church-Power and Authority, which are to be exercised by the Elders only in a Church that is Organical and ⟨p. 170⟩compleat in its Officers. There is that in them both, which is founded in and warranted from the Light and Law of Nature and Rules of Equity. Every Righteous voluntary Society coalescing therein rightfully, upon known Laws, and Rules for the Regulation of it unto certain ends, hath naturally a power inherent in it and inseparable from it, to receive into its incorporation, such as being meet for it, do voluntarily offer themselves thereunto; as also to reject, or withhold the Privileges of the Society, from such as refuse to be Regulated by the Laws of the Society. This power is inherent in the Church essentially considered antecedently unto the enstating of Officers in it: By virtue of their mutual confederation they may receive into the privileges of the Society those that are meet, and withdraw the same privileges from those that are unworthy. But in these actings of the Church, essentially considered, there is no exercise of the Power of the Keys, as unto Authoritative Rule, but what is meerly Doctrinal. There is in what it doth a declaration of the Mind of Christ, as unto the State of the Persons whom they do receive or reject. But unto the Church as Organical, as there are Elders or Rulers instated in it according unto the Mind of Christ, there is a peculiar Authority committed for those Acts of the Admission and Exclusion of Members. Unto this end is the Key of Rule committed unto the Elders of the Church, to be applied with the consent of the whole Society, as we shall see afterwards.