404 The Birth-Friviledge and Covenant_holine e C,h.44. ces of meeting by the ufuall common name of Churches ;as oo et all theirs by the common name of Synagogues ; nöthing can be faid to cendemne the ufe of the word Church for our place of meeting, but the rite-may be laid to condemne the like ufe of the word sy- nagogue for their place of meeting. The Scriptures therefore cal. ling theirs Synagogues, Lulle 7.5: Aè7s .1'8. 7. We may therefore fitly call ours Churches. That which is objeaed againa the word Church, is, that Church lignifies not a houle of wood or ftone,but a iòciety or fellowfbip of men _profeßîng faith in Jefus Chrift; fo the word Synagogue lignifies not a building, but fuch an affembly or fociety I ikewiie; In the ordinary lignification (faith Sp nhemitzs) Synagogue lignifies the afemtly, not the place. where they affimble, hut in the New Tefiaraent it u fornetimes put Jr o the place of af- f mbling, Luke 7. 5. Aets 13. 7. Synagogue, and Church, are one and the fame, both lignifie the afiembly met ; as the one, fo alfo the other may be applied by an ufuall figure to the place of meet- ing, and therefore where it is faid, the Centurion loveth our illation, and path built ta a Synagogue,Luke 7.5. the lait Annotations have it,a Church; fo that they that would reforme this language, wiich, calls our places of meeting a Church, they muff reforme the lan- guage of Scripture,which calls the like places by a name of the fame lignification. Thirdly, it is a pious work to ere thefe Churches, or publike meeting places for advancement of the knowledge and wor íhip of God, as may be evinced from that Narrative of the Cen- turion, Lake 7. and the trantac`tions between Chrifl and him: r. There are feveral evidences of piety in the man. r. He is tender- ly affected with his fervants.fickneífe. 24 He fends to Chrift for , -cure, makes to him as LMary for Lazarus. 3. He evidences a mighty faith in Chrilt ,' beleeves that Chrifis word without his pretence will work for his fervants recovery. q. Makes this good by an argument from the leffe to the greater, I my fife ama man und hr authority, and have men under rrre, if my word ftands,who am an inferiourperfon,how much more then thine ?. 5. The Lord, Chrï%fpeaks by way of commendation and admiration of his faith, ver, n, 2. There are evidences of the warranty of his faci. I. The Eldertof the jewess take notice of it, and upon this ac- count commend him to Chrift to have his requeft gratified, Lord he is, worthy for- 'whom thewfhouldeff do. thin For he lovetb -our Nation,
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