THE act of uniting with a church is not with the idea of being changed or made better, in ourselves, but to be placed in the right relation. The man who is a christian ought to be united with other christians in a congregation where he can worship according to the Scriptures. It is one thing to become a christian, and another thing to find and unite with a congregation of christians where the ordinances are kept and the authority of Christ is maintained.
It is one thing to become a member of the body of Christ, or, which is the same, enter into the kingdom of God, and another thing for a person to unite with a local congregation. The Ethiopian officer became a christian, or entered into the kingdom of God, or the body of Christ, in obeying the gospel; but this did not make him a member of any particular local congregation, where he would meet with other christians and worship. This required an additional step. By faith, repentance and baptism he entered into Christ, or in the body of Christ, or became a christian. But if he has thus come into the general body, or thus become a christian, and then united with the Baptist church, or any other church, where he can not worship according to the Scriptures; where they do not commemorate the sufferings and death of Jesus regularly on the first day of the week, as the first christians did; where they have an unauthorized name, a human creed and other things contrary to Scripture; he has a right, and more, he ought to seek a gospel church where he can worship according to Scripture.