The Divine Institution of Congregational Churches, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of Gathering a Goſpel Viſible Church.
Christ firſt in Gathering a Church: The Means of Grace by Converſion, and Good Men exciting, Inſtruments: How a People thus moved come into a Body: How Incorporated orderly, without confuſion: What ordinary Chriſtian Prudence is to be uſed, and Queſtions put: An Eſſential Church a true Church as to being, but not as to well-being: A Perſon excepted againſt to defer for that time.
§. 1. AViſible Goſpel-Church is made by gathering divers ſelect Perſons unto Jeſus Chriſt in a ſpiritual Body, and relation to him as their Political Head aEze. 34.11, 12. 2 Theſ. 2.1, and it is Chriſt himſelf the great Shepherd that firſt gathers them, ſeeketh his Sheep, and brings them to his Fold and Paſture bJohn 10.9.14, 16., perfecting them in every good Work to do his Will through the Blood of the Everlaſting Covenant cHeb. 13.20, 21..
§. 2. Chriſt, as he is our Peace aEph. 2.14, ſo he cometh and preacheth Peace by the Miniſtry of the Everlaſting Goſpel bib. v. 17., and accompanying it with his Spirit, bleſſeth it to the turning Men from Darkneſs to Light cAct 26.18., working Faith and Love in Sinners Hearts d1 Tim. 1.14., whereby they come to embrace the Bleſſings of Abraham's Covenant, and profeſs the ſame eAct 15.11..
§. 3. When God hath called ſome thus through his Grace aGal. 1.15 Acts 2.40.in any place, and they have taſted that the Lord is gracious b1 Pet. 2.3, they begin to ſee and behold, how richly Chriſt's Glory and all the Myſteries thereof are diſplayed in the Churches cEph. 3.9, 10.his Golden Candleſticks dRev. 1.20. 1 Pet. 2.5., and therefore ſeek after all ways and means provided by Chriſt, for their coming as lively Stones to Chriſt the Corner-Stone eEph. 2.21, 22., and of becoming a ſpiritual Houſe, or Habitation of God by his Spirit, that they may offer unto God ſpiritual acceptable Sacrifices in and through Jeſus Chriſt, call upon, and encourage one another, ſaying, come let us go up to the Houſe of the Lord fIſa. 2.3. and he will teach us his ways; and ſome that are eminent in Faith and Holineſs excite and ſtir up others to their Duty, and claim of their Priviledges in Chriſt, as Barnabas did at Antioch gActs 11.23., when he ſaw the Grace of God in the new Converts, made through the Miniſtry of the Diſciples ſcattered by the Perſecution from the Church at Jeruſalem, he exhorts them to cleave to the Lord with full purpoſe of heart hIbid.. i.e. by an explicite Church-Covenant, for he ſaw as to the inward heart-work, it was already done: Which they did accordingly, and became a Church by a viſible Conſtitution, and profeſſed Subjection to the Goſpel of Chriſt, in all its holy Appointments, in which Church Paul and Barnabas Preached a whole Year iActs 11.26., and to which Elders were Ordained kib. 14.23.
§. 4. Hence ſuch a People thus moved by the Grace of God, and having by mutual converſe one with another in their Neighbourhood and Society in ſome holy Duties, ſpeaking often ſolemnly and ſeriouſly among themſelves of the things of God and their Souls aMal. 3.16., diſcerning the Grace of God bAct. 11.23., and love to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, his Houſe and Members in each other, and finding good and ſufficient matter to build with c1 Pet. 2.5., counting the coſt of their profeſſed undertaking dLuke 14.28., in the fear of God eActs 9.31, ſtrength of Chriſt, and aſſiſtance of the Spirit fEph. 3.16, having frequently and ſolemnly waited upon God on this account together and apart gCol. 3.17 Phil. 4.6., as alſo adviſed with the neighbouring Churches of Chriſt and Elders thereof hProv. 11 14. 1 Theſ. 1.6. & 2.14, and finding their way made clear before them, by the footſteps of other Flocks of that Nature iCant. 1.8, they proceed with their Faces Zion-ward kJer. 50.5, to the moſt ſolemn attending this great matter, in framing a Goſpel-Temple with Faſting and Prayer, and manage it in ſuch a manner as becomes ſo ſacred and weighty a buſineſs, without any thing of confuſion l1 Cor. 14 33, 40..
§. 5. And therefore, that it may be ſo performed, ſomething of ordinary Chriſtian-Prudence is neceſſary aProv. 13.16., under Chriſt's General Rules, that all things ſhould be done in and about Churches and God's Service without confuſion b1 Cor. 14 33., and to edification cib. v. 26. For which reaſon, on a ſolemn Day, ſet apart for this end, they ought in Faith and dependance on him dHeb. 12.28. James 1.6, to depute one of their number, for that time at leaſt, to go before the reſt in the concerns of that Day, and preſide in matters of Order e1 Cor. 14.40., which being done, all of them, and each perſon, he or ſhe (by her ſelf, if baſhfulneſs hinder not, if it doth, by delivering in Writing what ſhould be ſpoken) are to give an account of what God hath done for each, and of the hope they have, with meekneſs and reverence f1 Pet. 3.15., which when all have done, Two Queſtions are to be put by the ſaid preſiding perſon:
1. Whether they be all and every one fully ſatisfied with each others declared and profeſſed grounds of Hope gPhil. 2.2, 3, 4, 5., ſo far as to be willing cordially to receive one another in the Lord gRo. 15.7. & 16.2.? Which being anſwered in the Affirmative by Suffrage, (or word of Mouth, which is beſt in this Caſe:) The next Queſtion ought to be,
2. Whether they all and every one do freely, ſolemnly and unanimouſly give up themſelves and their Seed to the Lord hRo. 12.1 Matt. 19.14, 15. Acts 2.39.and join themſelves to one another in Church-Fellowſhip iib. 41, 42, promiſing ſubjection to Chriſt their Political Head, in the Faith and Order of the Goſpel k2 Cor. 9.13., and to walk accordingly in diſcharge of their Duties to God and one another, as becometh Church-Members lCol. 2.5, 6 Phil. 1.27., through the Grace of God helping and aſſiſting, and accordingly give to each other the right hand of fellowſhip m2 Cor. 4 15.?
Which Queſtion anſwered in the Affirmative, the ſaid deputed perſon, doth in the Name of the Lord Jeſus declare them a Church of Chriſt. As likewiſe the Elders and Brethren of other Churches there preſent (as they ought to be, if they can be had, to behold their Faith and Order nCol. 2.5.) ſhould alſo declare that they own and acknowledge them a Church of Chriſt, to their great ſatisfaction and rejoicing o2 Theſ. 1.3, 4. 1 Theſ. 2.13,. Then laſtly, to continue the Work of the Day with ſome Word of Exhortation, and earneſt Supplication, that God would be pleaſed to bleſs this Flock, and cauſe it to grow, as alſo, that God would give them a faithful Paſtor pJer. 3.15 Mat. 9.38., with other Miniſterial Officers, giving thanks to God for this ſo hopeful a beginning, and what he hath graciouſly done for them qPhil. 4.6..
§. 6. A Church thus conſtituted is a true Church, and a Body of Chriſt; and tho its not yet organized with Miniſterial Officers, yet it wants nothing of the Eſſence of a Church of Chriſt a1 Cor. 12 27. Rev. 1.20, for if a Church ceaſeth not to be a Church when it hath loſt all its Miniſterial Officers, and reduced to this ſtate, then this Church is an eſſential Church. Beſides, a Church muſt be before a Paſtor can be, becauſe that Relation muſt ariſe out of the Church, and cannot ariſe from elſewhere, a Church being a Corporation by Charter from Chriſt; but yet though it be a true Church as to its Eſſence and Being, yet it is not compleat as to its well-being bTitus 1.5, in that it is not furniſhed with all its Priviledges that Chriſt hath purchaſed and provided for it, having not due inſtruments for the adminiſtration of all Ordinances, or execution of the Power committed to it, in the moſt orderly and regular manner cEph. 4.11, 12..
§. 7. Hence the firſt ſubject of the Keys is a Church eſſential; for its impowered by Commiſſion from Chriſt to chooſe its own Miniſterial Officers aAct. 14.23., and if they be one or more belonging to other Churches, or non-Members, they can receive them Members bAct 6.3.. Likewiſe they can admit other Members that deſire to join with them. Laſtly, it hath power to admoniſh or reject any ſcandalous, or any offending Member, and that before ſuch a Church hath Elders or Deacons c1 Cor. 5.7. Theſe are plain from the nature of a Body Corporate.
§. 8. To conclude, If in the Gathering a Church any Perſon offering to join a Member, be on any account excepted againſt, his admiſſion ought to be deferred for the preſent, and his Caſe to have a due hearing and conſideration afterward, and not to interrupt the further Proceedings of that day aPhil. 2.2.3. Eph. 4.3..