3. Some may live in times of doubting, distraction, and confusion, and not know what church ordinarily to join with, and may providently go promiscuously to many, and keep in an unfixed state for a time. 4. Some may be wives, children, or servants, who may be violently hindered. 5. Some may live where no particular churches are; as merchants and ambassadors among Mahometans and heathens. [303] Acts viii. 37, &c.; ix. 17-20, 26-28. Quest. LIII. _Must the pastor first call the church, and aggregate them to himself, or the church first congregate themselves, and then choose the pastor?_ _Answ._ 1. The pastors are in order of nature, if not in time, first ministers of Christ in general, before they are related to a particular charge. 2. As such ministers, they first make men fit to be congregate, and tell them their duty therein. 3. But it is a matter variable and indifferent, whether the minister first say, All that will join with me, and submit to me as their pastor, shall be my particular charge; or the people before congregated do call a man to be their pastor. Quest. LIV. _Wherein doth a particular church of Christ's institution differ from a consociation of many churches?_ _Answ._ 1. In that such particular church is a company of christians associated for personal immediate communion in God's worship and in holy living; whereas consociations of churches are combined for mediate distinct communion, or by delegates, or representatives (as in synods).[304] 2. Such a particular church is constituted of one or more pastors with the people, officiating in the sacred ministry among them, in doctrine, worship, and discipline, in order to the said personal communion. But a consociation of churches hath no particular head as such, of divine institution, to constitute and govern them as one. In Ignatius's time every particular church was characterized or known by two marks of unity: 1. One altar (that is, one place of assembling for holy communion). 2. One bishop with the presbyters and deacons: and two altars and two bishops proved two churches. 3. A particular church under one bishop or the same pastors, is a political, holy society; but a combination of many churches consociate, is not so, but only, 1. Either a community agreeing to live in concord, as neighbour kingdoms may. 2. Or else a human policy or society, and not of divine immediate institution. So that if this consociation of churches be called a church, it must be either equivocally or in a human sense. [304] Acts ii. 1, 24, 44, 46; iv. 32; v. 12; 1 Thess. v. 12, 13; 1 Cor. xiv. 19, 23, 24, 28, 35; Acts xiv. 23; Titus i. 5; Acts xi. 26; James ii. 2. Quest. LV. _Whether a particular church may consist of more assemblies than one? or must needs meet all in one place?_