CONTENTS

THE FIFTH VOLUME.

CHRISTIAN ECCLESIASTICS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

Of the Worship of God in general. The Nature and Reasons

of it, and Directions for it. How to know right Ends in

Worship, &c. .........................

CHAPTER II.

Directions about the manner of Worship, to avoid all corrup-

tions, and false, unacceptable Worshipping of God. The

disadvantages of ungodly men in judging of Holy Worship.

How far the Scriptures are the Rule or Law of Worship

and Discipline, and how far not? Instances of things un-

determined in Scripture. What Commands of Scripture

are not universal and perpetual? May danger excuse from

Duty, and when ? Rules for the right manner .......

VOL. V..

18
CHAPTER III.

PAGE

Directions about the Christian Covenant with God, and Bap-

tism. The Covenant, what? The Parties, Matter, Terms,

Forms, necessary Modes, Fruits, &c. External Baptism,

what ? Complete Baptism, what? Of renewing the Co-

venant .............................. 39

CHAPTER IV.

Directions about the Profession of our Religion to others.

The greatness of the Duty of open Profession. When and

how it must be made? ....................

49

CHAPTER V.

Directions about Vows and particular Covenants with God.. 54

Tit. 1. Directions for the right making such Vows and Co-

venants. What a Vow is ? The sorts of Vows. The use and

obligation. Whether any things be indifferent; and such

may be Vowed ? As Marrying, &c. Maywe Vow things in-

different in themselves, though not in their circumstances ?

In what cases we may not Vow. What if Rulers command

it? What if I doubt whether the matter imposed be law-

ful? Of Vowing with a doubting conscience . ....... ibid.

Tit. 2. Directions against Perjury and Perfidiousness; and

for keeping Vows and Oaths. The heinousness of Perjury.

Thirty-six Rules about the obligation of a Vow, to shew

when and how far it is obligatory; useful in an age stig-

matized with open Perjury. (Mostly out of Dr. Sanderson.)

What is the Nullity of an Oath? Cases in which Vows

must not be kept ....................... 69

How far Rulers may Nullify a Vow ? Num. xxx. opened.

Of the accidental evil of a Vow. Of Scandal. Q. Doth

an error ' de persona' caused by that person disoblige me? 76

CHAPTÉR VI.

107

PAGE

Directions to the People concerning their internal and private

Duty to their Pastors, and their profiting by the Ministerial

office and gifts . .....

The Ministerial Office opened in fifteen particulars .....: 108

The Reasons of it........

'............. 111

The true old Episcopacy ..................... ibid.

Special Duties to your own Pastors above others. ....... 112

Of the Calling, Power, and Succession of Pastors ...... 115

The best to be preferred ..................... 118

The order of Ministerial teaching, and the resolution of faith 120

How far Human faith conduceth to Divine .......... 127

Of Tradition. ...........................

130

What use to make of your Pastors. ...............

131

CHAPTER VII.

Directions for the discovery of Truth among contenders, and

how to escape Heresy and Deceit. Cautions for avoiding

Deceit in Disputations ....................

CHAPTER VIII.

Directions for the Union and Communion of Saints, and for

avoiding Unpeaceableness and Schism . ........... 151

Wherein our Unity consisteth ................. 152

What Diversity will be in the Churches. What Schism is ?..

What Heresy? What Apostacy? Who are Schismatics ?
The degrees and progress of it. What Separation is a
Duty? ..............iiurovirr...... 168

Q. Is anyone form of Church-government of Divine appoint-

ment? May man make new Church-officers ?........ 163

The benefits of Christian concord; to themselves, and to in-

fidels. , , .er .........:...... ..... 170

The mischiefs, of Schism .....................

175

PAGE

Whether Papists or Protestants are Schismatics ........ 175

The aggravations of Division .................. 179

Two hindrances of our true apprehension of the evil of Schism 185

Directions against it ....................... 186

Of imposing defective Liturgies ................ 188

The testimonies of antiquity against the bloody and cruel way

of curing Schism. Their character of Ithacian Prelates.. 208

CHAPTER IX.

Twenty Directions how to worship God in the Church-as-

semblies. ............................

215

CHAPTER X.

Directions about our Communion with holy souls departed,

now with Christ ....................:.:.223

CHAPTER XI.

Directions about our Communion with the holy angels ....

235

ECCLESIASTICAL CASES OF CONSCIENCE.

Q. 1. How to know which is the true Church among all pre-

tenders, that a Christian's conscience may be quiet in his

Relation and Communion ................ .. 247

Q. 2. Whether we must esteem the Church of Rome a true

Church ? and in what sense some Protestant divines affirm

it, and some deny it? ..................... 254
PAGE

Q. 3. Whether we must take the Romish clergy for a true

ministry? ..........................., 256

Q. 4. Whether it be necessary to believe that the Pope is the

Antichrist? ........................... 262

Q. 5. Whether we must hold that a Papist may be saved ? . 263

Q. 6. Whether those - that are in the Church of Rome are

· bound to separate from it? And whether it be lawful to go

to their mass or other worship?............... 265

Q. 7. Whether the true calling of the Minister by Ordination

or Election be necessary to the essence of the church ? .. 266

Q. 8. Whether sincere faith and godliness be necessary to the

being of the ministry? And whether it be lawful to hear

a wicked man, or take the sacrament from him, or take

him for a minister? ...............ii..... 268

Q. 9. Whether the people are bound to receive or consent

to an ungodly, intolerable, heretical pastor, (yea or one far

less fit and worthy than a competitor) if the magistrate

command it, or the bishop impose him ?. .......... 270

Q. 10. What if the magistrate command the people to receive

one pastor, and the bishop or ordainers another, which of

them must be, obeyed ? .................... 275

Q. 11. Whether an uninterrupted succession either of right

ordination or of conveyance by jurisdiction, be necessary to

the being of the ministry, or of a true church ? ....... 376

Q. 12. Whether there be or ever was such a thing in the world

as one Catholic church, constituted by any head besides or

under Christ?......................... 280

Q. 13. Whether there be such a thing as a visible Catholic

church, and what it is? .................... 281

Q. 14. What is it that maketh a visible member of the univer-

sal church, and who are to be accounted such ? ...... 282

Q. 15. Whether besides the profession of Christianity, either

testimony or evidence of conversion or practical godliness

be necessary to prove a man a member of the universal,

visible church ?. ........................ ibid.

Q. 16. What is necessary to a man's reception into member-

ship in a particular church, over and above this aforesaid

title? Whether any other trials, or covenant, or what? .. 285

Q. 17. Wherein doth the ministerial office essentially consist? 287

Q. 18. Whether the people's choice or consent is necessary

to the office of a minister in his first work, as he is to con-

vert infidels and baptize them? And whether this be a

work of office, and what call is necessary to it? ....... 289