Q. efR1STIAN CHURCH. for themselves; for they must agree what hour tomeet togethep, 'what place to meet in, what language* shall be used in the wor- ship, whether theyshall begin or end the worship with the Lord's supper, or with a psalm or song, who shall minister in holy things.; whether there shall be any responses of the congrega- tion to the words of him that officiates inprayer, or whether amen shall be pronounced aloud, or whether a silent assent be sufficient. Where God bath not determined these things, I do not find that Ile bath ever given authority to any person to determine these for other persons, orany society of men to determine them for other societies ; but they must be determined by an agreement or vote of every society for itself. As in several of these things there mustbe aconcurrence or agreement to make any solemn and constantmeetings and transactions of a civil society, peaceful and useful, regular and orderly, so are the same things needful to be agreed upon in a christian church to render the worship of every single society practicable and edifying, harmonious, agreeable, and decent. And since these things are necessary to be determined one way, if some few persons in the society will not consent to the agreement of the major part of them, they must depart and join themselves to some other society which is more for their conve- niency. Such are the varioustempers, engagements, sentiments, inclinations and conveniences of different persons, that there would be agreat bar putupon the frequent meetings of any large society for any civil or religious purposes, if they must not meet and transact any affairs till every single person be perfectly pleased. If therefore the minor part cannot, or will not consent to what the bulk of the society agree upon, here is no imposition upon their consciences, while they are allowed to join themselves with other societies, civil or religious, where these necessary and disputed circumstances are agreed and practised more according to their mind. The circumstances which are not necessary to be determined one way, are the postures or gestures of the body, the garments of the preacher, or of him that prays, of singers or hearers, &c: and these 'every person may determine for himself : Some may Lave a blue garment, while others have red or brown, black or white ; some may wear a long coat, others a short one ; some may stand in prayer, others kneel if they will ; some may chose to stand ití singing or preaching, while others may chose to sit in the same society. I must confess there seems to be something of a natural decency in the uniformity of some of these circum- s Always excepting thoseprimitive times, when various languages were used as an extraordinary confirmation of the gospel of Christ. But in ordinary seasons of worship the assembly 'most know and agree beforehand, that it must be peifsrmed in a language which they understand.
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