3. They are to be such as visibly ansiuer the description given of
14 TRUE NATUEE OF A GOSPEL CIIURCTI.
gospel cliurclies in the Scripture, so as the titles assigned therein unto the members of such churches may on good grounds be appro- priated unto them. To compose churches of such persons as do not visibly answer the character given of what they were of old, and what they were always to be by virtue of the law of Christ or gospel constitution, is not church edification but destruction. And those who look on the things spoken of all church-members of old, as that they were saints by calling, lively stones in the house of God, justi- fied and sanctified, separated from the world, etc., as those which were in them, and did indeed belong unto them, but even deride the ne- cessity of the same things in present church-members, or the appli- cation of them unto those who are so, are themselves no small part of that woful degeneracy which Christian religion is fallen under. Let it then be considered what is spoken of the church of the Jews in their dedication unto God, as unto their typical holiness, with the application of it unto Christian churches in real holiness, 1 Pet. ii, 5, 9, with the description given of them constantly in the Scrip- ture, as faithful, holy, believing, as the house of God, as his temple wherein he dwells by his Spirit, as the body of Chi'ist united and compacted by the communication of the Spirit unto them, as also what is said concerning their ways, walkings, and duties, and it will be uncontrollably evident of what sort our church-members ought to be. Nor are those of any other sort able to discharge the duties which are incumbent on all church-members, nor to use the pri- vileges they are intrusted withal. Wherefore, I say, to suppose churches regularly to consist of such persons, for the greater part of them, as no way answer the description given of church-members in their original institution, nor capable to discharge the duties pre- scribed unto them, but giving evidence of habits and actions incon- sistent therewithal, is not only to disturb all church-order, but utterly to overthrow the ends and being of churches. Nor is there any thing more scandalous unto Christian religion than what Bellarmine affirms to be the judgment of the Papists, in opposition unto all others, namely, " Tliat no internal virtue or grace is required unto the constitution of a church in its members," De Eccles. lib. iii. cap. ii.
4. They must be such as do make an open profession of the sub- jection of their souls and consciences unto the authority of Christ in the gospel, and their readiness to yield obedience unto all his commands, Rom. x. 10; 2 Cor. viii. 5, ix. 13; Matt. x. 32, 33; Luke ix. 26; 2 Tim. ii. 12; Rom. xv. 9; John xii. 42; 1 John iv. 2, 3, 15. This, I suppose, will not be denied; for not only doth the Scripture make this profession necessary unto the participation of any benefit or privilege of the gospel, but the nature of the things themselves requires indispensably that so it should be: for nothing can be
THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF THE CHURCH. 1 5
more unreasonable than that men should be taken into the pri- vileges attending obedience unto the laws and commands of Christ, without avowing or professing that obedience. Wherefore our inquiry is only [about] what is required unto such a profession as may render men meet to be members of a church, and give them a right there- unto ; for to suppose such a confession of Christian religion to be compliant with the gospel which is made by many who openly live in sin, " being disobedient, and unto every good work repro- bate," is to renounce the gospel itself Christ is not the high priest of such a profession. I shall therefore declare briefly what is neces- sary unto this profession, that all may know what it is which is required unto the entrance of any into our churches, wherein our practice hath been sufficiently traduced: —
(1.) There is required unto it a competeyit knoiuledge of the doc- trines and mystery of the gospel, especially concerning the person and offices of Christ. The confession hereof was the ground whereon he granted the keys of the kingdom of heaven, or all church-power, unto believers. Matt. xvi. 15-19. The first instruction which he gave unto his apostles was that they should teach men, by the preaching of the gospel, in the knowledge of the truth revealed by him. The knowledge required in the members of the Judaical church, that they might be translated into the Christian, was principally, if not solely, that of his person, and the acknowledgment of him to be the true Messiah, the Son of God ; for as on their unbelief thereof their eternal ruin did depend, as he told them, " If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins," so the confession of him was sufficient on their part unto their admission into the gospel church- state. And the reasons of it are apparent. With others, an instruc- tion in all the mysteries of religion, especially in those that are fundamental, is necessary unto the profession we inquire after. So Justin Martyr tells us what pains they took in those primitive times to in.struct those in the mysteries of religion who, upon a general conviction of its truth, were willing to adhere unto the profession of it. And what was their judgment herein is sufficiently known from the keeping a multitude in the state of catechumens before they would admit them into the fellowship of the church. They are not therefore to be blamed, they do but discharge their duty, who refuse to receive into church-communion such as are ignorant of the funda- mental doctrines and mysteries of the gospel, or if they have learned any thing of them from a form of Avords, yet really understand no- thing of them. The promiscuous driving of all sorts of persons who have been baptized in their infancy unto a participation of all chui'ch- privileges is a profanation of the holy institutions of Christ. This knowledge, therefore, belonging unto profession is itself to be pro- fessed.