Joseph Hill on the Ancient Church having no public worship spaces

[Seeking_Thy_Kingdom]

But what needs Mr. Mede to make such a stir about Clemens's [...], when the Scripture hath determined, that God under the Gospel is to be worshipped every where, as Malachy 1.11. From the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same. And our Saviour himself signifies as much, John 4.20, 21, 22, 23. where he declares who are the true Worshippers of God under the Gospel, without any reference to place, in opposition to the worshipping him, in this or that place; whether on the Mount where the Patriarchs worshipped him of old, or at Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped him afterwards. As Gorran observes, localitatem excludit: He excludes appropriation to any place, as necessary to Gods worship; and adds, non determinat locum orationis alienbi, sed ubique; determines not the place of prayer to any particular place, but enlarges it to every place. To every private House, Acts 9.11, to the top of an House, 10.9. to the Sea shore, 21.5. so the Apostle, 1 Cor. 1, 2. In every place call on the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord; and 1 Tim. 2.8. I will, that men pray every where. And undoubtedly Clement could not be ignorant of this, considering the persecuting times wherein he lived, when the Churches of God were driven from place to place, and constrained to meet as they could, with most safety.


Hill, Joseph, 1625-1707., 2009,
Dissertation concerning the antiquity of churches wherein is shewn, that the Christians in the two first centuries, had no such publick separate places for worship, as the papists generally, and some Protestants also presume, and plead for., Oxford Text Archive,
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12024/A43790.