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CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP,
(SEAM. IX.
.91
enlarge, nor too
much
narrow the principles
of
christia-
nity,
that
he does
not make
any article
of
faith
or
prac-
tice
more or less
necessary than
scripture
has made it,
and that
he
does
not
raise needless scruples in
his own
breast, nor
in
the
hearts of
others,
by
too great
a
separa-
tion
from such
as
our
common
Lord
has received."
I
proceed
now to
consider
"
how
great the number
of
persons should
be, which
may
properly
form such
a chris-
tian
society
;"
and
in answer to this
question,
I must
say,
it
is
left
very
much
to
the
liberty and prudence
of
men.
In
general there
should
be
so
many
as
to
give
it
the
name
of
a
public
assembly
:
And
yet
if
there are
but
a
few
Christians within
the reach of one another,
who
can
con-
veniently meet once a
week
at
the
same time and the
same place for religious purposes,
I
think these
may
join
themselves in christian fellowship, and the promise
of
our
Saviour belongs to them,
"
Where
two
or three
of
you
are met together
in
my
name,
there
am
I
in
the midst
of
them
;"
Mat.
xviii.
CO.
We
might
also
observe,
that
no
more should usually
join
together
in one society,
than
can
frequently meet
together
in one place
at
one time,
and
be edified by
the
mouth of
one preacher, or lift up
their
joint
prayers
and
praises to
God
by
the lips
of
one
minister
:
And perhaps
the
very
words
of
my
text
may
include
that
meaning,
"
Receive one
another,
that
with one mind
and
one
mouth
you may glorify
God
the
Father." The Corin-
thian
church met together
in one
place
;
1
Cor.
xiv.
23.
And
while
one spoke in prayer,
prophecy or exhorta-
tion, the
others
were
called to silence and
attention,
verse
Si..
Now a
company
of
christians thus agreeing in the
most
important
articles
of
faith and practice, and con-
senting
to
unite together
to
worship
God
through Jesus
Christ
in all
his
ordinances,
and
to
keep up the christian
interest
in
the
world,
are
properly a
church
of
Christ.
Such
was
the church
of Corinth, such
the church
at
Philippi,
such the several churches
of Galatia, and
the
churches
of
Asia,
of
which
mention
is
made in the New
Testament*
;
and their agreement to worship and
walk
It
is
granted the scripture
sometimes speaks
of
a
church
in
the
house,
which
is
smaller
than that
of
á
public
assembly, unless
it
mean
that
the