( 3 S 8 ) oval dflinI A mblies for Worfiip, andyet altogether make up the Body ofone Church., and fo fay I, they may, and yet be one Church ftill joyning together in all As of Communion, that are proper and peculiar unto the Church. For as the meetings intended were occafional fo alto was the attendance of the Elders unto them, as they found occafion, for the Edification of the whole Church. It may be the Dr. is not fo well acquainted with the Principles and Prailife of the Congregational way, and therefore thinks that thefe things are contrary unto them. But thole of that way, do maintain that there ought to be in every particular Congregation unto the compleatnefs of it, may Elders or Overfeers ; that the number ofthem ought to be encreafed, as the encreafe ofthe Church makes it neceffary for their Edification, that the members of fucha Church may and ought to meet occafonally in diftinec Afhemblies, efpecially in the time ofPerfecution, for Prayer, Preachingofthe Word and mutual Exhortation ; fo when Peter was in Prifon after the Death of James, many met together in the Houle ofMary to Pray,Aels I2.12.Whichwas not a meet- ing of the whole Church. And that there were fuch private meetings, of the Members of the fame Church in times ofPerfecution, among the Primitive Churches, may be proved by a Multiplication of infrances ; but fill! they continued one Church, and joyned together in all Acts ofChurch Communion properly fo called, efpe- cially if it were poffible every Lords -day, as :uflin Martyr declares that the Church did in his time. For all the Chriftians faith he then, in the City andVillages about, gathered together in one place for the Ends menti- oned.
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