10 A CHRISTIAN CHI;RCH. necessary, for the support of any religion, in the world ; and without such an agreement as to time and place, a company of men cannot meet for any purpose whatsoever, either in things civil or religious*. If there be any precise time, and any particular place ap- pointed for this purpose by divine revelation, reason immediately determines that we must meet at that time and that place : But where there is not any such divine direction, there the place and time must be concerted and agreed by those who are united in such à society ; nor has any one person power to impose his will or humour upon the rest. The acts of religion most be all free and voluntary. Now what saith the New Testament in this case ? The union, for mutual agreement among particular christians for this purpose, which is the bond of their society, is expressed by St. Paul, or, at least, it is included in that phrase of receiving one another, as Christ has received us; Rom. xv. 7. that with one mouth we mqy glorify God. It is a mutual receiving one ano- ther in the Lord; Rom. xvi. 2. The word is used to the same purpose ; Rom. xiv. 1. and in other scriptures. If this agree- ment be not expressed so plainly in scripture as some persons might expect, it is because the very nature of things, and the reason of man, makes this mutual consent and agreement so necessary to keep up any public religion, that it was not needful for the scriptures to be more express or particular in the ap- pointment of it. As for the place of worship there is none made sacred, or divinely appointed, under the New Testa- ment; John iv. 21-24. Neither in this mountain, Gerizim, nor at Jerusalem, shall they worship the Father; but the hour cometh, and now is at hand, when, without regard to any par- ticular place, they shall be accounted true worshippers, who worship God in spirit and truth. And therefore, some convenient place must be agreedupon by the society, since the NewTesta- ment determines none. As to the time, it is confessed that we christians have not so express . and particular prescriptions of the seasons of worship as the Jews enjoyed, neither as to their weekly sabbath, or any other of their festivals : but there is sufficient evidence from sacred history, that thefirst day of the week was theusual sea- son of public christian worship in the apostles' times and in the following ages ; and the day was known among christiansby the honourable title of the Lord's -day, so far, that the observation * Where the magistrate takes upon him, whether with or without order from heaven, to appoint all the forms, times, and places of worship, and the people willingly consent to it, and obey the magistrate herein, this is an inn. plicitagreement among themselves, and attains the same end, iu some mea- sure, though it may happen to infringe christian liperty.
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