urch of Christ should consist of new creatures and
sincere-hearted believers, because they only can and will answer and
prosecute the foresaid, and such like holy ends of God, in and by his
Church. They are fitted and framed, moulded and polished, by the Holy
Ghost, for their growing up into a holy temple in the Lord; and so, by
the constant and promised guidance and conduct of their living head
Jesus Christ, with their spiritual qualifications, they are enabled to
answer and perform the great ends of God, in erecting and building them
up in a church state. But unregenerate persons cannot do this, because
they are strangers in heart to Jesus Christ, and to the power of
godliness; nor would they if they could, because they have not the
saving knowledge of Christ in them, but are full of obstinacy against
God.

V. Because all the laws, ordinances, and works of church members are
holy, spiritual, and heavenly. They are such as the natural man
understands not, and cannot discern what they are, because they are
spiritual and holy; and therefore they that are not taught of God
savingly to form a proper judgment of them, do think and judge of them
carnally and vainly. But believers have them written in their hearts
beforehand. Yet they have them not without book, I mean they have the
same laws of Christ written in the books of their hearts which they find
in the Bible, by which they are in some measure enabled to understand,
receive, love, and rightly to obey, the laws and ordinances of Christ
without. Their laws are holy and spiritual, and their works in a church
state are so likewise. They have a holy God, who is a Spirit, to serve
and worship; a spiritual Head to believe in and obey; holy and spiritual
work to do; and therefore they need to be holy and spiritual persons,
not only externally in profession, but also internally, in truth. Almost
all the laws and ordinances of Christ are committed unto them, and God
expects his principal and choicest worship from his Church; and these
are all above and beyond the reach of carnal minds.

VI. The Church ought to be composed of believers and regenerated
persons, because they are called to continue and stand fast in all
storms and tempests; and to hold out unto the end, as being built upon
the rock Jesus Christ. For whatever church is built upon the sand, and
not upon the Lord Jesus, and by the authority of his word and Spirit,
will not stand long, because it wants a foundation to