2$ A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. prudence would dictate' to wise and sober men, engaged in a re- ligious society. Some of these are represented to us in the New Testament, as express commands ; others we may draw by easy' reasonings from the examples of the apostles and the pri- mitive churches, as well as from the circumstanceswhich are con- tained, either in the matters of fact, or in the exhortations that relate to them. And here I would observe, that though right reason might guide us into most of the same practices, yet it is a vast advaíi- tage to us that we have so many of these thingsprescribed, in- timated or approved by the inspired writings of the New Tes- tament : For so imperfect is our understanding, and so weak our judgment, that the reasonings of men, even of a single congregation,. or their humourswhich go for reason, would not easily agree in the same methods and forms of management, and there would probably he a far greater variety of opinions, and greater difficulties in the conduct of church affairs, than now there are ; though even now there are so many, that render the christian world a theatre of perpetual contest: But it must still be acknowledged that one main spring. of the controversy is,- because the passions and pride and in- terests of men, will not suffer them to hearken either to reason or scripture. Though scripture bath determined so many particulars in a perfect conformity to right reason, yet it most be confessed there are other things which relate to christian worship and order, which are past over in silence, or at least, are not mentioned and prescribed with such Plainness and evidence in the word of God, as is sufficient to direct every single punctilio Of our practice. It is the pretence of finding out ill scripture every lesser particular pieceof conduct in a Christian church, even such as belongs to all religious societies, that has tempted men to run to the Old Testament, and enquire of Moses and Aaron for advice, where they could not find it expressly written in the New, and strangely towarp and pervert many texts ofthe New Testament from their native and proper meaning. Let it be granted then, that scripture is silent in some little particulars about social religion : But even here we are not left -without any direction, nor are we sent to uncertain traditions to make up for the silence of scripture, but we are naturally re- mitted to thecommon reason of things and human prudence as our guide*. Yet always, as I said before, keeping our eye s The « sufficiency and perspicuity of the scripture in things necessary to salvation," is not at all impeached by this concession; for t. The determinations of some lesser affairs, relating to public worship, or the conduct of christian socie- ties, a,re not things necessary to the salvation of any particular person, or to the essence of being of a chnstian church, though they may be needful to its well-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=