76 A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. QUEST. V.When a Per. erson is once joined to a Particular Church, whether he may never worship with other Churches occasionally, or change his fixed Communion to another Church? I answer, That this agreement of worshipping together is not so strictly to be understood, as if none of these persons should ever worship any where else; for there are various occa- sions in the course of life, that may lead the members of one churchnow and then to worship with another. Since we all hold the same faith and worship in the essentials of it, weare to esteem ourselves in general communion with .:Ae whole visible church of Christ; and sometimes we join in worship with others, merely to testify our charity and christian fellowship with those that in the circumstantials of religion differ from us ; sometimes to ac- company a particular friend; to hear a particular minister; to attend on some special occasion of prayer, or preaching, on such occasions we may very reasonably worship with various assem- blies : Or perhaps we may be called to travel from home, and to spendmany seasons of worship absent from our own particular community, and then we join with those churches where provi- dence may cast us. When christians travel where they are unknown, or make any considerable stay in distant places, they should carry with them a,letter of recommendation from the officers or members of their own church, to any churches of Christ, where they may come ; such are the letters that St. Paul speaks of, 2 Col. iii. 1. Do we need letters of recommendation to you, or from you? And thus he himself recommends christians to distant churches, ai Rom. xvi. 1, 2. I commend neto you, Phabe, our sister, who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea, that ye receive her in the Lord as beconeth saints, that is, that ye receive her to the participation of christian ordinances, as well as assist her in any civil afiäirs. This agreement or church covenant, therefore, only obliges persons, as far as they can with tolerable conveniency of affairs and spiritual edification, to make that church, of which they aremembers, the usual place of their worship, and especi ally their participation of the Lord's-supper, whereby special communion is maintained. The question concerning the changing of our fixed commu- nion from one church to another, may be thus determined. All church fellowship is appointed for the public honour of God, for our mutual assistance and edification in spiritual things, and for the support of the interest and kingdom of Christ among men. 11'heusoever therefore any member cannot attain those ends in the particular church he belongs to, after solemn consideration and prayer to God for counsel, lie may desire adismission to some Other church, and upon these reasons the church-ought to give it.
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