CONGREGATION

In its largest sense, this word includes the whole body of Christian people, considered as a embled, not locally, but in some act of fellowship, as when it is said, “Let the congregation of saints praise Him :” but the word is more commonly used for the worshippers, being members of the true Church a embled in a particular place; a sense in which the word is plainly used in the prayer for the Church militant, where an especial distinction is made between all God’s people, or the congregation of the saints, and the particular congregation present when the prayer is used: “To all Thy people give Thy heavenly grace, and especially to this congregation here present.” The word congregation follows therefore the use of the word Church ; we use “ The Church” for the whole body of Christ’s people, and “ a Church,” or “ this Church,” for a particular portion of them. And as a Church is the immediate bond of union to each individual with the Church, so is a congregation the immediate company with which the individual joins, and the immediate sign of his adherence to the congregation of saints. Thus, in the Order of Confirmation, the preface declares that before the Church children should ratify their baptismal vow, and they are consequently asked by the bishop whether they do this “in the presence of God and of this congregation .” Congregation and Church are considered by our translators convertible terms: e.g. Psal. xxii. 22, “In the midst of the congregation ” is rendered in Heb. ii. 12, “In the midst of the Church .”