Quest. XVI. What is necessary to a man's reception into membership in a particular church, over and above this foresaid title? whether any other trials, or covenant, or what?
1. A particular church is a regular part of the universal, as a city of a kingdom, or a troop of an army.
2. Every man that is a member of the particular church, is a member of the universal; but every one that is a member of the universal church, is not a member of a particular.
3. Every particular church hath its own particular pastor, (one or more,) and its own particular place or bounds of habitation or residence; therefore he that will be a member of a particular church, 1. Must cohabit, or live in a proximity capable of communion. 2. And must consent to be a member of that particular church, and to be under the guidance of its particular pastor, in their office work. For he cannot be made a member without his own consent and will; nor can he be a member, that subjecteth not himself to the governor or guide.
4. He therefore that will intrude into their communion and privileges without expressing his consent beforehand to be a member, and to submit to the pastoral oversight, is to be taken for an invader.
5. But no other personal qualification is to be exacted of him as necessary, but that he be a member of the church universal. As he is not to be baptized again, so neither to give again all that account of his faith and repentance particularly which he gave at baptism; much less any higher proofs of his sincerity; but if he continue in the covenant and church state which he was baptized into, he is capable thereby of reception into any particular church upon particular consent. Nor is there any Scripture proof of any new examinations about their conversion or sincerity, at their removals or entrance into a particular church.
6. But yet because he is not now looked on only as a covenant maker, as he was at baptism, but also as a covenant keeper or performer, therefore if any can prove that he is false to his baptismal covenant, by apostasy, heresy, or a wicked life, he is to be refused till he be absolved upon his renewed repentance.
7. He that oft professeth to repent, and by oft revolting into mortal sin, (that is, sin which showeth a state of death,) doth show that he was not sincere, must afterward show his repentance by actual amendment, before he can say, it is his due to be believed.
8. Whether you will call this consent to particular church relation and duty, by the name of a covenant or not, is but lis de nomine: it is more than mutual consent that is necessary to be expressed; and mutual consent expressed may be called a covenant.
9. Ad melius esse, the more express the consent or covenant is, the better: for in so great matters men should know what they do, and deal above-board: especially when experience telleth us, that ignorance and imagery is ready to eat out the heart of religion in almost all the churches in the world. But yet ad esse churches must see that they feign or make no more covenants necessary than God hath made; because human, unnecessary inventions have so long distracted and laid waste the churches of Christ.