SECTIOlV Y. 27 should be performed with á 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 areWe not taught the same things in the New 'Testament? Are not chrisfians con- tinually called upon to put on charity, which is the bond' of perfectness; Coloss. iii: 14. to do all thingswithout disputings and murmurings ; Pbil. 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 .Tews nor Gentiles, but as far as possible live peaceably with all men ; 1 Cor. x. 32. Rom. xii. 18. In the last . place, the light of nature and reason also ac- quaints 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 samere- ligious 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 com- munion, to distinguish it from that fixed and constant commu- nion, '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 commonprudence: For when Primitive christiäns were called by providence to a distance from their own dwelling, and from that church with which they usually worshipped, they were recommended by litters untó other Christian churches in the world, that they might be re- ceived by them into all the parts of Christian-fellowship. Such epistles St. Paul speaks of 2 Cor. 'iii. 1. heneeded them not, though others stood. in need of them : And such a recom- mendation had. Phebe, a member of the church at Cenchrea, when she travelled to Rome ; Rom. xvi. 1, 2. a I recommend unto you Phebe our sister, who is a servant of the church of Cen- chrea, thatyou receive her in theLord, as becometh saints. "' And sue!' 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 dis- ciples 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 relatis to social religion, correspond with those which the light of reason and
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