40 A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. for by the word and prayer is every thing sanctlfied to its proper purposes in the kingdom of Christ ; 1 Tim. iv. 5. And yet, if no ministers, elders, or bishops, are near at hand, nur the ministrations of any such are to be obtained, without sinful com- pliances, perhaps it may be better that some private member of that congregation, if sufficiently furnished with proper gifts, should be deputed or desired by the church, to perform these solemnities once or twice, than that these institutionsof Christ, which are so plain and express, should be omitted for a long time together, merely on account of doubtful disputables. Christ has most expressly commanded this duty ; but who shall administer this ordinance, and how ministers should, be or- dained, is much more obscure. If a congregation want a regular minister, yet the church should assemble for prayer and exhortation or teaching, by reading or preaching, should not be utterly neglected : Why then should they neglect the Lord's- supper ? If a neighbouring minister cannot conveniently be obtained, may not a brother of the congregation, who has competent abilities, bedesired to pray, or to read a sermon, or to exhort, rather than the church be without any public worship, or spend their Lord's-day at home, and that for weeks or months together, for a considerable time ? And may not a person thus qualified, if no minister be within reach, be deputed or called by the church, to break bread to them; rather than live without obeying the express commands of a dying Saviour. Now I have ventured so far in giving my opinion here, I may the more confidently add, that this should not be practised on every little common occasion, lest great inconveniences arise thereby : And for this reason, every destitute church should furnish themselves, as soon as may be, with a pastor or minister of their oivn, to go before them, and in a regular manner, cele- brate these divine rites of christianity, which ought not to be long neglected. Some other cases might be mentioned, which may fall out in a christian church, wherein we can find Iio plain 'direction or example in scripture ; and then reason and prudence must direct us : Where revelation is silent, reason is our gù`íde. Sect. VI.Christian Churches formed like Civil Societies, upon the plain Nature and Reason of Things. Permit me here to give a little specimen, by way of simili- tude, how naturally a christian church is formed, when we sup- lose there are several christians within the reach and knowledge of ode another, in this sinful world. It is raised in the same ',banner as any other civil society may be formed among men, especiallyamong several natives of one country meeting together iu a foreign laud: And while I am representing their procedure,-
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