for by the word and prayer is every thing sanctified to its proper purposes in the kingdom of Christ; 1 Tim. iv. 5. And yet, if no ministers, elders, or bishops, are near at hand, nor the ministrations of any such are to be obtained, without sinful compliances, perhaps it may be better that some private member of that congregation, if sufficiently furnished with proper gifts, should be deputed or desired by the church, to perform these solemnities once or twice, than that these institutions of Christ, which are so plain and express, should be omitted for a long time together, merely on account of doubtful disputables. Christ has most expressly commanded this duty; but who shall administer this ordinance, and how ministers should be ordained, is much more obscure. If a congregation want a regular minister, yet the church should assemble for prayer; and exhortation or teaching, by reading or preaching, should not be utterly neglected: Why then should they neglect the Lord's-supper? If a neighbouring minister cannot conveniently be obtained, may not a brother of the congregation, who has competent abilities, be desired to pray, or to read a sermon, or to exhort, rather than the church be without any public worship, or spend their Lord's-day at home, and that for weeks or months together, for a considerable time? And may not a person thus qualified, if no minister be within reach, be deputed or called by the church, to break bread to them; rather than live without obeying the express commands of a dying Saviour.

Now I have ventured so far in giving my opinion here, I may the more confidently add, that this should not be practised on every little common occasion, lest great inconveniences arise thereby And for this reason, every destitute church should furnish themselves, as soon as may be, with a pastor or minister of their own, to go before them, and in a regular manner, celebrate these divine rites of christianity, which ought not to be long neglected. Some other cases might be mentioned, which may fall out in a christian church, wherein we can find no plain direction or example in scripture; and then reason and prudence must direct us: Where revelation is silent, reason is our guide.

SECT. VI.-Christian Churches formed like Civil Societies, upon the plain Nature and Reason of Things.

Permit me here to give a little specimen, by way of similitude, how naturally a christian church is formed, when we suppose there are several christians within the reach and knowledge of one another, in this sinful world. It is raised in the same manner as any other civil society may be formed among men, especially among several natives of one country meeting together in a foreign land: Aud while I am representing their procedure,

you may carry your thoughts of the formation and constitution of a christian church along with you in the simile, and apply it all the way. Suppose three or four Englishmen, who have their residence in a city of China, happen to meet one another, and by conversation, finding that they speak the same language, they make it known to each other, that they are natives of the same country; they all profess allegiance to the same king, George the Second; and though they sojourn for a season in a foreign land, and are engaged in many secular affairs there, yet they declare their resolution to behave as becomes Englishmen, while they are waiting for a call from their sovereign to return home. They hereupon agree to meet once a week, in order to converse about the affairs of their own nation, to learn some tidings from it, to pay some special honours to their absent king, to learn further notices of his will, and to prepare for their return homeward. The day which they appoint for their assembly, is the day of the accession of their king to the throne, in its weekly return: The place is also agreed among them, such as may be convenient for their frequent attendance.

Other Englishmen, who are in that city, hearing of this society, come to their assembly, one after another, and desire acquaintance with their countrymen and brethren: They make it appear, that they are natives of the same land, that they own the same sovereign, that they are doing his will, and preparing to return home at his orders: And, in the mean time, they desire the privilege of being admitted into their society. Upon such a profession, and by the approbation of the society, they are received into this English fellowship with pleasure.

Now it is not be supposed, that every one of them is capable of taking proper care of the best interests of this society, nor of speaking in an instructive and profitable manner concerning the things that relate to their native country, their laws, and rules of conduct; their king, and their commou design of a return. They agree therefore to chuse one person amongst them, who shall devote himself to this work, shall study the laws of their country, the rules of the proper behaviour of Englishmen, and the mind and will of their king: One who shall present their common allegiance to their sovereign, in frequent addresses sent to England, and shall spend a hour or two every week, in setting before them what honours they owe to the king of England, what are the blessings of their native home, what are their duties in a foreign land, what dangers they are exposed to among the heathen Chinese, and how they may best avoid them; what are the enjoyments they expect at their return, and the best methods of preparation for it. This man accepts the office, and by a solemn vow of allegiance to the king, and faithfulness to his countrymen in this trust, he enters upon his office.

Besides this, once in a month, suppose they meet together, according to an appointment of their prince, to eat a morsel of bread, and drink a glass of wine together, in memory of some great benefit which the whole nation of England received by a difficult and bloody enterprize of the king's son, when in former years, he took a voyage from England to China; and they keep up this feast in honour to his name, wherein the provisions, after a short speech, are distributed to every member of the society, by the person whom they have appointed to instruct them in English affairs. Now because this man spends a great part of his time in letters, or dispatches to England, and in the study of English affairs, that he may the better entertain the assembly of his brethren at their solemn weekly meetings, the community agree to release him from the secular businesses of life, and join their liberality to maintain him with honour. But here let it be observed, that though they pay so much respect to the person whom they chuse to be their instructor, and to go before them in the honours due to their king, yet they do not entrust him to invent any new ceremony to testify their allegiance, nor to impose on them any new law or custom, but what he can find prescribed among the laws of their nation, and appointments of the king, or of his ambassadors to China. In these matters indeed, he may require obedience in the name of their king; but in all other things he must act according to the agreement or opinion of the society; which must be testified by the vote of the major part.

Among this community, some happen to be aged, or sick, or disabled for work; or they are fallen into poverty, and their circumstances are sunk in the world, notwithstanding their diligenee and labour: These are not capable of maintaining themselves; the society therefore chearfully contribute toward their support: And they entrust two or three persons with this money, and desire them to take care that the table of the poor be supplied. They entrust also with these persons what money they collect for the honourable maintenance of their teacher; and desire them to take care, that every thing necessary toward their weekly meetings at a certain time, and at a convenient place, be provided at their public charge. They go on in this manner with much comfort and mutual assistance, in every thing that relates to their welfare in a foreign land; and rejoice in their hope to meet one day in England. And as they are ever adding to their society by admitting new members, upon their credible profession and appearance to be true Britons, in the room of such as are yearly called home; so if any among them prove to be false and insincere, and are guilty of crimes highly disgraceful to their profession of being natives of England, and their allegiance to their king, they have no other punishment for them besides that they are cut off from the society, and forbid to enjoy the privileges thereof any longer.

Now it is so very easy to apply these transactions of Englishmen in China to the affairs of a christian church, that I hardly need display the parallel. Christians profess to be natives of heaven, to be born from above: They sojourn for a season in the world as in a foreign land, till their Father and King summon them home. They speak the language of the gospel, or of the kingdom of heaven, and understand it; and they know each other hereby They agree to meet together to worship their king, and pay allegiance to him; to learn more of his will, and seek his favour. The day of their solemn assemblies is the day of the resurrection of Christ, the Son of God, and their Lord. When they do special honours to him, they eat bread and drink wine, to solemnize the memory of their deliverance from sin and hell, when he was sent into the world to die for them. Then, by calling away their hearts from this world, and conversing about heavenly things, they are continually preparing for their return home. They chuse one or more teachers, pastors, or bishops, to instruct them in their duty, and to offer up their common addresses to God, in the name of Christ; to put them in mind of the things of heaven, and to walk before them in exemplary holiness. They chuse deacons to relieve the poor, out of their public liberality, as well as to take care that their pastors or teachers be maintained. They receive in new members who are worthy, upon their profession; and they cast out those that are dishonourable. They walk onward in this way toward the heavenly state; and wait the summons from on high, to call them thither by death and the resurrection.

SECT. VII. The several Advantages of such a Church, or Christian Society.

So natural a scheme of social religion as this, does not need long and express forms of institution, after the great doctrines and duties of the christian faith and life are plainly revealed and received. All that is found in the New Testament relating to christian churches, so happily corresponds with these dictates of the light of nature, and the affairs of the civil life, that it has made these rules much more plain, and easy, and practicable, than those of the Jewish religion, or perhaps of any other religion, that pretends to divine revelation. This scheme is built on the eternal reasons and relations of things, as well as the word of God. The particular positive prescriptions relating to christian churches are but few, while the general duties of christian fellowship are such as the light of nature and reason seem to dictate to all societies whatsoever. It is the evil mixture of the needless and fanciful inventions of men, together with the plain and common dictates of nature and scripture, and the impositions of these inventions on conscience, which hath done so much injury to christianity, defaced its beauty, and tarnished its honours,

II. This scheme is perfectly consistent with every form and kind of civil government, whether it be a kingdom, a senate, or a republic. As it does not mingle itself with the interests of this world, nor assume to itself any civil or coercive power, so it can make no head against the governors of the country; for its power is of another kind, and reaches but to one single society of christians: Nor are they combined by any law of Christ, in such united multitudes, under one common visible head, as to make themselves dangerous to any state. Whatsoever hath been done in the world by men professing christianity, in a way of resistance to lawful governors, or rebellions against them, hath never been done by them as churches of Christ formed upon the model I have laid down.

III. This form of a christian church allows to all its members the most perfect liberty of men and christians. It is incon-. sistent with persecution for conscience sake; for it leaves all civil rewards and preferments, penalties and punishments, to kingdoms, and states, and the governors of this world. It pretends to no power over conscience, to compel men to obedience; no prisons, no axes, fire, nor sword. It gives its ministers power and authority to command nothing but what is found in the bible: All other things must be determined by the consent of the people, who are supposed to be led by common prudence, by the necessary reason of things, and by a vote of the major part of the society. But if in any of these things, particular persons, after all proper enquiries, cannot agree with the major part, they may make their remonstrances, and be dismissed, if they cannot continue there with tolerable satisfaction; or they may withdraw to another congregation, if they are aggrieved, and the society refuse to dismiss them. I confess, those christians who differ from the major part of the congregation should seriously examine themselves, whether their disagreement doth not arise from any pique, or prejudice, or worldly interest, or humour, or obstinate self-will; and, in some particulars, they should deny themselves, rather then divide themselves, from a society whose communion they have long enjoyed: More especially, they should take heed of this in the country, where they have not conveniency of holding communion with other christian societies. And even where they have such opportunities and conveniences, persons should not indulge a fickle humour, nor run wandering about from place to place, and fluttering from one church to another, upon every little difference. But after all, it must be acknowledged, there may be several just and reasonable grounds for particular christians to separate from a society, from which they differ in some sentiments or transactions, though they still continue to acknowledge them to be a true church of Christ. Such a liberty as this must be still maintained; for christian churches must have all voluntary members, and not be turned into prisons.