VIII. The light of reason further teaches us, that persons who are set apart for these religious services, and whose time and thoughts are much to be employed in them, that they may render public worship useful and entertaining to the people, and who have a charge to take care of the conversation of others as well as of their own, will not have much time to spare among the cares and businesses of this world, to provide themselves with necessary food and raiment, a comfortable subsistence, and the conveniences of life: and yet it is proper they should be honoured and supported above the very lowest ranks of the people, lest their ministrations be brought into contempt by their poverty: And, upon this account, in all ages and in all nations, the very light of reason has directed mankind to support and maintain their priests, or those that minister to them in things sacred.

And does not the New Testament and the authority of our Saviour, by his apostles, decree and maintain the same thing; I Cor. ix. 13, 14. "Do ye not know that they who minister about holy things, live of the things of the temple," and that both in Jewish and Gentile nations? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar; even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."

But let it be observed also, that though christian ministers should be so supported in temporal things, that they may not labour under perpetual cares and daily anxieties, how to get bread and raiment for themselves and their families, and that they may maintain their proper authority in preaching, reproving and exhorting, and live above the fear or shame that may arise from poverty and dishonourable dependencies, yet there is no rule nor example in scripture that should raise them so far above the peo⚫ple in riches or grandeur, as to become lords of God's heritage, or tempt them to assume sovereign dominion over their conscience, faith or practice.

IX. With regard to the poor that happen to be joined to any religious societies whatsoever, reason and humanity dictate to us, that they ought to be maintained by certain contributions of their neighbours, or the towns and cities wherein they dwell; for this is a matter of civil concernment, and a sort of natural duty to our fellows, as man is a sociable

creature.

But if the civil society or place where they dwell, does not take care to maintain them, and especially if they are neglected, because they do not profess the established or national religion, reason tells us, it is then certainly the duty of those who are combined in 'that special religious society, to take care of their support. For what pretence can a man make to serious religion towards God, if he will not shew his love to his neighbour, and

especially to one who loves the same God also? 1 John iii. 17, 18. Now that this provision for the poor may be managed with regularity, prudence, and success, the light of nature teaches us, that one or more persons of the society should be chosen, to collect such charitable contributions from the assembly, and to distribute it with equity, prudence and goodness, for the support of the poor.

And does not the New Testament give a plain command, when the care of the poor of the church at Jerusalem was too burdensome for the apostles, or ministers of that congregation, to chuse out persons for this purpose, who were afterwards called deacons? Acts vi. 1-6. When some of the widows were neglected in the daily ministrations, or charitable supply, then the twelve apostles said to the multitude of the disciples, it is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.— Wherefore, brethren, look you out among you-men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. And when they had chosen them, they set them before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. There are also particular directions given, what sort of persons should be chosen to this office of deacons; their characters are written down at large; 1 Tim. iii. 8-13. Because it was designed to be a standing office in the christian church through all ages.

As the deacons are persons appointed by the New Testament, to take care of the money collected by the church for the supply of the table of the poor, so the same persons are very naturally and properly employed in christian churches, to take care also of all other contributions of the society, for the supply of the table of the minister, and of the Lord's-table at the holy communion. With them also are entrusted other necessary expences and outward accommodations that belong to public worship.

X. I add yet further, the light of nature and reason teach us, that all the management of religious affairs in a society

It is granted that the deacons then chosen at Jerusalem had extraordinary gifts. Stephen was a noble speaker, and might occasionally teach the gospel; Philip also was either a preacher then, or might use the office of a deacon well, and so grow up to an evangelist; Acts vi. 3, 8. and viii. 5-13. 26-36. and thus have power to baptize, verse 38. as is intimated in 1 Tim. iii. 13. But these powers or gifts did not arise from their office as deacons. Some of them had these gifts before, in common with multitudes of converts in the primitive times: And these gifts might perhaps fit them the better to discern, who were proper persons to be supported out of the churches' stock, and to give a word in season occasionally to the poor, of whom they had the care. But the mere office of deacons, which consists in assisting the ministers to take care of feeding the poor, and of laying out the public money continues, when these extraordinary gifts are ceased, and the characters of persons, fit to be chosen do not necessarily include public preaching: Nor do we find didaxlix or "aptness to teach," mentioned among the characters of a deacon.

should be performed with a decency and dignity becoming the things of God; and with due regularity and order; for he is a God of order; with gentleness also and condescension, peace and love, for quarrels and fightings destroy religion, and break all the bonds of religious society. And are we not taught the same things in the New Testament? Are not christians continually called upon to put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness; Coloss. iii. 14. to do all things without disputings and murmurings; Phil. ii. 14. to do all their things with charity; 1 Cor. xvi. 14. And that all things should be done with decency and in order; 1 Cor. xiv. 40. And that as they ought to keep peace at home and in the church of Christ, they should give no offence, neither to Jews nor Gentiles, but as far as possible live peaceably with all men; 1 Cor. x. 32. Rom. xii. 18.

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In the last place, the light of nature and reason also acquaints us, that when persons who belong to one religious society travel to distant places, they should have some recommendations by epistles to other societies, which are built upon the same religious principles, that they may be received into their assemblies, and enjoy all the parts and privileges of worship and friendly society together with them. This is called occasional communion, to distinguish it from that fixed aud constant communion, which the agreed members of the same religious society constantly enjoy.

And here also the New Testament very happily concurs with the dictates of reason and common prudence: For when primitive christians were called by providence to a distance from their own dwelling, and from that church with which they usually worshipped, they were recommended by letters unto other christian churches in the world, that they might be received by them into all the parts of christian-fellowship. Such epistles St. Paul speaks of 2 Cor. iii. 1. he needed them not, though others stood in need of them: And such a recommendation had Phebe, a member of the church at Cenchrea, when she travelled to Rome; Rom. xvi. 1, 2. "I recommend unto you Phebe our sister, who is a servant of the church of Cenchrea, that you receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints." And such a recommendatory letter was written by the brethren of Ephesus, to commend Apollos to be received by the churches of Achaia, Acts xviii. 27. "The brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him."

SECT. V. Where Revelation is silent, Reason must direct.

Thus we have seen a variety of instances, wherein the rules of christianity and scripture, so far as relates to social religion, correspond with those which the light of reason and

prudence would dictate to wise and sober men, engaged in a religious society. Some of these are represented to us in the New Testament, as express commands; others we may draw by easy reasonings from the examples of the apostles and the pri mitive churches, as well as from the circumstances which are contained, either in the matters of fact, or in the exhortations that relate to them.

And here I would observe, that though right reason might guide us into most of the same practices, yet it is a vast advantage to us that we have so many of these things prescribed, intimated or approved by the inspired writings of the New Testament: For so imperfect is our understanding, and so weak. our judgment, that the reasonings of men, even of a single congregation, or their humours which go for reason, would not easily agree in the same methods and forms of management, and there would probably be a far greater variety of opinions, and greater difficulties in the conduct of church affairs, than now there are; though even now there are so many, that render the christian world a theatre of perpetual contest: But it must still be acknowledged that one main spring of the controversy is, because the passions and pride and interests of men, will not suffer them to hearken either to reason or scripture.

Though scripture hath determined so many particulars in a perfect conformity to right reason, yet it must be confessed there are other things which relate to christian worship and order, which are past over in silence, or at least, are not mentioned and prescribed with such plainness and evidence in the word of God, as is sufficient to direct every single punctilio of our practice. It is the pretence of finding out in scripture every lesser particular piece of conduct in a christian church, even such as belongs to all religious societies, that has tempted men to run to the Old Testament, and enquire of Moses and Aaron for advice, where they could not find it expressly written in the New, and strangely to warp and pervert many texts of the New Testament from their native and proper meaning.

Let it be granted then, that scripture is silent in some little particulars about social religion: But even here we are not left without any direction, nor are we sent to uncertain traditions to make up for the silence of scripture, but we are naturally remitted to the common reason of things and human prudence as our guide*. Yet always, as I said before, keeping our eye

*The "sufficiency and perspicuity of the scripture in things necessary to salvation," is not at all impeached by this concession; for 1. The determinations of some lesser affairs, relating to public worship, or the conduct of christian societies, are not things necessary to the salvation of any particular person, or to the essence or being of a christian church, though they may be needful to its well

pointed toward the New Testament, and forming our reasonings as far as possible on the same principle which seem to run through the social religion of the primitive times, so far as it did not depend on those extraordinary inspirations. Let us give also some instances of these:

1. Scripture does not tell us how many persons go to make up a christian church: But reason will help us to answer this question, if we consider that the word "ecclesia" or church, properly signifies an assembly of people, and so it is used in the New Testament, where it has no relation to a christian society, as among the heathens at Ephesus; Acts xix. 32, 39, 40. A very few therefore may be called an assembly, and may be sufficient to join together in christian-fellowship, that they may partake of the Lord's supper, and carry on the face of public religion, when there are no other christians in the place where they dwell. And on the other hand, there should usually be no more in a church than can meet together in one place, can act as one assembly, and join in social worship, in prayers and praises; for the apostle, writing to the Corinthians, speaks twice of the whole church coming together in one place; 1 Cor. v. 4. xi, 20. and xiv. 23. And the church of Antioch which was large, met all together; Acts xiv. 27. Perhaps those words Rom. XV. 6. that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, may limit the number of a church usually to so many as can join in attention and suitable meditation, while one mouth speaks in a way of instruction, prayer or praise. Such probably were the churches of Asia and Galatia, and in several towns and cities of which the New Testament gives an account*. But

being and its comfortable and regular subsistence.-2. When scripture is said to be "sufficiently full and clear in all things necessary to salvation," this doth not mean to exclude the common exercise of the reason and prudence of men, in order to apply the general directions of scripture to particular cases which occur, even in things which are necessary to salvation. As for instance: Scripture bids us "do good and relieve the poor:" But it doth not tell us how many poor we must relieve, whether two, or twenty, or two hundred, nor whether for one day or many, &c. This must be determined by the particular circumstances of every christian, and by the exercise of his reason and prudence, upon the special occasions and objects which appear. Again, scripture requires of us" to deny ourselves and to mortify our appetites and passions:" But it leaves it to the reason and prudence of every christian, in what things, at what seasons, in what manner, and in what degree this must be done, and how far we must go in mortifying all passion and appetite, or in acting self-denial, since it is certain we are not called to root out every passion, to resist every appetite, nor to deny every natural inclination. Thus the honour of scripture is still secured, both as to its "perfection and its perspicuity in things necessary to salvation," though in many lesser particulars, and in the application of general rules to actual practice, we are forced to recur to the exercise of human reason and common prudence, both in things of greater and lesser importance in the christian life. The scripture supposes us to be rational creatures, when it teaches us to be christians.

There was a sort of union even of all the Jewish national church in one place three times a year, by the congress of all the males who were representatives of the nation at Jerusalem; and perhaps they might join in the solemnity