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CIfRISTI.I.N gELiyowSSI1Y,
[s$RM.
IX.
who profess the religion
of Christ
to agree together, and
form themselves
into.partiçular
societies."
The
first
reason
is
this,
That
`°
without
such
an agree-
ment
to
unite together
-in
the
practice of
christianity,
there
can
..he -no
such thing-as public worship regularly
maintained among christians,
nor
public honours paid to
God
in
the
name
of Jesus." Now
the
worship
of God
in
public
assemblies
is
so
necessary for
his
honour
in all ages,
and
under all dispensations, and
was so
carefully prac-
tised among
the
primitive christians
by
the authority
of
Christ
and
his
apostles,
that
we
cannot
be excused from
it,
if
we
profess ourselves
to-
believe
-in
Christ. This has
been made
sufficiently
evident in
a former
discourse.
And if
there
be
such a thing
as
public worship main-
tained,
the
light of
nature
shews us
there
must
be some
certain
time,
and
some
certain
place
appointed
by
agree-
ment
.among such worshippers, since no one christian
that I
know
of
has any
authority
given
hy,
the-scripture
to
appoint
precisely.
the
times
and
places,
and
magiste-
I.íally
to. impose
tLi
upon
bis
brethren.
As
.for the
place
under
the
Jewish
dispel sation,
God
l
i
aself :appointed the
tabernacle
in
the
days
of
Moses,
,an<d
the
temple
in the
time
of
Solomon as
sacred
places
for public
sacrifices,
and
some
peculiar
solemnities
of
worship
;
but
the
sacredness
of
place
is
now
at.an
end;
As
our Lord
informs
us
;
John
iv.
01,
4:
and
even
dur-
ing
that
dispensation,
the
synagogues
throughout
the
land
vhere
God
was weekly worshipped
.by
the
people, were
built
and frequented
by
the
agreement or consent of the
Teeple,
as
the
light;
of
nature directed
;
and the
worship
of
christian churches
is
more
a
-kin
to
that of
the
syna-
gogues than
that of
the
temple.
As
for the
time,
the first day
of the
week is..the
christian
day
of
worship
by
apostolic appointment
:
But
:
ehristiansm
ust
agree
together
upon
the
.hour,
.
as well.as
the
day,
in
order to
unite
in
thew:several
parts
of
worship.
Without
such_an
agreement of
christians among
them-
selves,
there
could
be
no
celebration of public ordinances
in
a:
becoming
.Manner,
no
united prayers
and.
praises
could_ascend
to
heaven,
there would
be
no
social attend
-
ance upon the word preached,
no
participation of
the
-great
ordinance
of
the`Lord's
supper,
which
is
a
part
of
social
reli
ion,'
;
a. 5aered
feast.or representation
of
the
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