139 / 652
SEItRi'.
ixj
WITH ITS DUTIES
AND ADV-ANTAGES.
I25'
that
in
these
things serveth Christ,
is
acceptable
to
Goy,
and approved
of
wen,"
and
therefore
he
should not
be
excluded
from
christian
societies;
Rom.
xiv.
i,
2.,
3, 17,
18.
This
I
say
is
the
general rule
:
But
it
must
be confess-
ed,
that
there are
some
christians
whose
sentiments
are
so
directly
contrary
to
others,
in
matters
of
worship or
discipline,
that it
is
hardly
possible they
should' unite
in
public worship;
as
for
instance,
he
that
believes
pre-
scribed
forms-of prayer
to
be
an unlawful thing, cannot
join
with a society,
who never pray
but
by
prescribed
forms:,
He that
thinks no
man
Gan
be
a
minister,
unless,
he be
ordained
by
the hand
of
a
diocesian.
bishop,
cannot
unite
in
worship
with
a
society whose ministers
never"
had,
nor
desired such an
ordination. But
.let
each take
heed how they
embrace
such limiting
principles,
There
are others
who differ
so
widely
in some.
of the
Most
im
portant
doctrines of christianity,
that
they
cannot
worship
together
with
any tolerable edification
or
comfort,
viz.
Those
who believe
Christ
died
as a
proper
sacrifice
-of
atonement
for
sin,
and
venture their
whole
hope
of
sal
-
vation.upon
it,
and wait for sanctifying influences from:
the
Holy
Spirit,.
cannot comfortably unite
with such
sort
of
christians
as
suppose
Christ
to
b-e
only a
messenger
and
prophet
sent
to
restore
natural
"religion
to men,
and
who
deny any
atoning virtue
to,
his
death, or
any
influ
-`
ences'
from
the
Spirit
to
change their
hearts, and
make'
them.
holy..
These are articles
which
I
take
to
be matters
of
so high
importance
in
the religion
of
the gospel,
that
I
cannot
advise
persons
to
unite
in societies fòr worship,
where they
are
no
better
agreed
in
their
principles
:
The
humble
and
sincere believer
of
the
gospel-
of
Christ, would
find
his devotion and
his
edification continually
inter
rupted
by such
jarring
opinions and contests,
and the
whole work
of
preaching,
prayer
and praise
-would be
very
-
disgustful
to
one
part;
while
it
pleases
the other. " How
is
it
possible
two
should
walk
together, except
they
are
better
agreed
?"
Amos
iii. 3.
They agree indeed
in
the
name
of
christianity,
but
their-
real religion
seems to be
of a
different
kind.
The general
advice
Which
I
would
give as
most con
-
formable to the sentiments
of
the
great
apostle;
is
this,
"
Let
every
person take heed
that
he does
not
too much
VOL,
IXI.
K