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 institusion, 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 naturé, 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 inconsistent 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.

If any person sins so grossly against the plain rules of the gospel, or the laws of God or Christ, as to appear to renounce the characters of a christian, the church hath power only to renounce such a person, and disclaim all christian fellowship with him, and turn him into the world, which is the kingdom of Satan, till he repent: But they have no authority to hurt his life or limbs; to touch a hair of his head, nor a penny of his money, by way of punishment.

IV. By such sort of churches as these, christianity is more easily maintained in single and secret assemblies, if the powers of this world favour them not; for there is no need of large multitudes assembling together for any ordinances of worship, or for discipline; no need of any such public appearances or transactions, as may give any unnecessary umbrage or suspicion to persecuting enemics: There is no need of councils and synods of ministers of distant cities, to meet together to make laws for the church, or to rectify disorders there: Nor is there any need to travel over large counties or dicceses, to fetch a rightful ordination of a minister for any church: much less to take a journey to Rome, if all the ministers in a nation were dead, or departed from the faith. If the whole society, which was wont to meet together, cannot do it under a persecuting prince, for fear of exposing themselves to public injury, they may assemble in smaller parties, and their preachers may teach, and pray, and administer all ordinances among them, as it was often done in the primitive times, maintaining their christian fellowship by secret meetings: and they may all be called little churches, in the house. By such single congregations, larger or smaller, was the whole church of Christ in the world continued and increased, the first two or three hundred years, whensoever the powers of this world took it into their heads to persecute and destroy the professors of the christian faith.

Perhaps it may be objected here, would it not be a much more substantial and powerful way of maintaining christian churches, if these single congregations, by virtue of their ministers or elders, were combined together in some sacred bond of union, that might make a considerable body of people under such heads or leaders, or under one supreme head, who might better defend them against the invasion of their rites by any secular powers or persecuting princes?

To this I answer, that churches of Christ considered as such, have no secular power in themselves, nor authority to make any efforts against secular powers: But when men become christians, or members of churches, they do not divest themselves of any secular or civil rights or powers which they had before: And therefore when natural or civil liberties are unjustly and cruelly invaded by any of the men of this world, they by the laws of

nature have a just right, as men, to defend themselves; and no ecclesiastical combinations can give them any further right or power than what they have as men: And this belongs to them still, whatsoever religion they profess, whether natural or revealed, whether pagan, mohemetan, or christian. A professor of every religion has a right to be protected by the government as long as he maintains his allegiance to the governors, and does no injury to the state. But if governors will not protect him, but will give him up to the fury of persecutors, he has certainly a civil right to defend himself and his friends against all assaults and injuries.

V. Miscarriages in the government, or conduct of such a church as I have described, are less dangerous to christianity; because they affect but one single congregation, they reach but to one society. Those ecclesiastical governments which include vast numbers and multitudes combined under one or more spiri▾ tual heads or rulers, if there be any misrule and confusion brought in among them, it involves multitudes in the mischief of it, and sometimes, shakes or destroys whole nations. But if a government which is included within one single congregation be never so much divided by contentions, and fall into the greatest confusions, the mischief is not of so large an extent, nor can it have so fatal and dreadful consequences. If the congregation itself should be actually dissolved by these constitutions, the particular members of it may depart and join themselves to other congregations within their reach or neighbourhood, who are nearest of their own opinion, and walk with them in a religious and peaceful fellowship, which they could not well do before, because of such different opinions and divided spirits.

VI. Such single societies or churches so constituted are most happily suited to maintain and carry on the great purposes, and designs of the gospel, for the conversion of sinners, and the edification of true christians. Of this matter see the learned Doctor Owen's Enquiry into the Original of Churches, chapter vi. page 119. See also Sermons at Berry-street, sermon xlix. Upon the whole, whensoever it shall appear that any other form of a christian church is more happily suited to the edification and peace of christians, to the preservation of christian liberty, and to secure the spiritual honours which belong to Christ in his churches, and at the same time appears to have more countenance from the New Testament than this, I shall be glad to relinquish this set of sentiments, and with pleasure exchange it for a better. That is certainly the best form of a christian church, whereby truth, peace, and holiness may be most happily promoted and secured.

SECT. VIII. Of the Power of Churches to appoint Holy Things or Actions.

Question. Whether a christian church may not appoint or determine circumstances and ceremonies of worship and order, which are left undetermined in the New Testament, and require them to be observed?

Answer. In the primitive churches there were extraordinary gifts and powers communicated to them: There were apostles, evangelists, and inspired leaders and guides; but since these extraordinary gifts and powers are ceased, reason and scripture are our only rules. It is upon this foot every christian church, or every single society of christians, receiving one another in the Lord, as St. Paul speaks, Rom. xvi. 2. that is, agreeing to worship and walk together according to the faith and order of the gospel, when it is furnished with its proper officers, that is, a bishop, or bishops and deacons is the highest ecclesiastical power that I know of in this world, which has plain evidence and support in the word of God, or the necessary reason of things. Yet I cannot find that either the light of reason or scripture has given such a church, or its officers, any authority to invent and use, to appoint and command new ceremonies of divine worship in any case: Nor has it a right to impose on the consciences of men any such self-invented modes or circumstances of worship, so as to make them holy things, or to oblige any single christian to comply therewith. But to speak a little more particularly to this matter. We must distinguish between the religious ceremonies of worship, and the mere natural circumstances of the performance of it.

Natural circumstances are such as are necessary, or at least highly expedient, for the performance of acts of worship, considered merely as natural actions, and abstracted from their religious design. Such are time, place, habit, gesture, &c. for no natural action can be put forth but it must be in some time, or in some place, in some posture of body; nor can any transaction in public society be conveniently performed without some sort of garments, without a commodious place and seasonable hours for assembling: These in their own nature are properly no parts of worship or religion, but circumstances belonging to those actions considered merely as natural, and as the actions of natural and sociable creatures. Among these natural circumstances of actions in social worship, some are necessary to be determined one certain way, and others are not so. The circumstances necessary to be determined one certain way, are the time and place, the language, and something of the manner or order of the religious actions, &c.

Now where these are not determined by God himself, it is granted they must be determined by every worshipping society