Rules to be observed by those who walk in fellowship, and considered to stir up their remembrance in things of mutual duty one towards another
OF SCHISM; THE TRUE NATURE OF IT, DISCOVERED AND CONsidered.
Aggravations of the evil of schism, from the authority of the ancients. Their incompetency to determine in this case, instanced in the sayings of Austin and Jerome. The sayings of Aristides. Judgment of the ancients sub- jected to disquisition. Some men's advantage in charging others with schism. The actors' part privileged. The Romanists' interest therein. The charge of schisin not to be despised. The iniquity of accusers justifies not the accused. Several persons charged with schism on several accounts. The design of this discourse in reference to them. Justification of dif- ferences unpleasant. Attempts for peace and reconciliation considered. Several persuasions hereabouts, and endeavours of men to that end. Their
The nature of schism to be determined from Scripture only. This principle by some opposed. Necessity of abiding in it. Parity of reason allowed. Of the name of schism. Its constant use in Scripture. In things civil and religious. The whole doctrine of sehism in the epistles to the Corinthians. The case of that church proposed to consideration. Schism entirely in one church. Not in the separation of any from a church; nor in subtrac- tion of obedience from governors. Of the second schism in the church of Corinth. Of Clemens's epistle. The state of the church of Corinth in those days: Εκκλησία παροικοῦσα Κόρινθον. Πάροικος who: παροικία what. Пápoxos, paracia.' To whom the epistle of Clemens was precisely written. Corinth not a metropolitical church. Allowance of what by parity of rea son may be deduced from what is of schism affirmed. Things required to make a man guilty of schism. Arbitrary definitions of schism rejected. That of Austin considered: as that also of Basil. The common use and acceptation of it in these days. Separation from any church in its own nature not schism. Aggravations of the evil of schism ungrounded. The evil of it from its proper nature and consequences evinced. Inferences from the whole of this discourse. The church of Rome, if a church, the most schismatical church in the world. Christ; a complete image of the empire. Final acquitment of Protestants from schism on the principle evinced. Peculiarly of them of the late re- formation in England. False notions of schism the ground of sin and disorder
The church of Rome no church of
Objections against the former discourse proposed to consideration. Separa- tion from any church in the Scripture not called schism. Grounds of such separation. Apostacy, irregular walking, sensuality. Of separation on the account of reformation. Of commands for separation. No example of churches departing from the communion of another. Of the common notion of schism, and the use made of it. Schism a breach of union. The union instituted by Christ .... 147
Several acceptations in the Scripture of the name church. Of the church catholic properly so called. Of the church visible. Perpetuity of parti- cular churches. A mistake rectified. The nature of the church catholic evinced: Bellarmine's description of the church catholic. Union of the church catholic, wherein it consists. Union by way of consequence. Unity of faith. Of love. The communion of the catholic church in and with itself. The breach of the union of the church catholic, wherein it consisteth. Not morally possible. Protestants not guilty of it. The papal world out of interest in the church catholic. As partly profane. Miracles no evidence of holiness. Partly ignorant. Self-justitiaries. Idolatrous. Worshippers of the beast
Of the catholic church visible. Of the nature thereof. In what sense the universality of professors is called a church. Amiraldus's judgment in this business. The union of the church in this sense, wherein it consists. Not the same with the union of the church catholic; nor that of a particular instituted church. Not in relation to any one officer, or more, in subordi- nation to one another. Such a subordination not proveable. Tà ágxaïa of the Nicene synod. Of general councils. Union of the church visible not in a general council. The true unity of the universality of professors asserted. Things necessary to this union. Story of a martyr at Bagdat. The apostacy of churches from the unity of the faith. Testimony of Hegesippus vindicated. Papal apostacy. Protestants not guilty of the breach of this unity. The catholic church in the sense insisted on, granted by the ancients. Not a political body
Romanists' charge of schism on the account of separation from the church catholic proposed to consideration. The importance of this plea on both sides. The sum of their charge. The church of Rome not the church catholic: not a church in any sense. Of antichrist in the temple. The catholic church how intrusted with interpretation of Scripture. Of inter- pretation of Scripture by tradition. The interest of the Roman church herein discharged. All necessary truths believed by Protestants. No con- trary principle by them manifested. Profane persons no members of the church catholic. Of the late Roman proselytes. Of the Donatists. Their business reported, and case stated. The present state of things unsuited to those of old. Apostacy from the unity of the church catholic charged on the Romanists. Their claim to be that church sanguinary, false. Their plea to this purpose considered. The blasphemous management of their plea by some of late. The whole dissolved. Their inferences on their plea practically prodigious. Their apostacy proved by instances. Their grand argument in this cause proposed: answered. Consequences of denying the Roman church to be a church of Christ, weighed
Of a particular church; its nature. Frequently mentioned in Scripture. Particular congregations acknowledged the only churches of the first insti-
tution. What ensued on the multiplication of churches. Some things pre- mised to clear the unity of the churches in this sense. Every believer ordinarily obliged to join himself to some particular church. Many things in instituted worship answering a natural principle. Perpetuity of the church in this sense. True churches at first planted in England. How they ceased so to be. How churches may be again re-erected. Of the union of a particular church in itself. Foundaion of that union twofold. The union itself. Of the communion of particular churches one with another. Our concernment in this union
Of the church of England. The charge of schism in the name thereof pro- posed and considered. Several considerations of the church of England. In what sense we were members of it. Of anabaptism. The subjection due to bishops. Their power examined. Its original in this nation. Of the ministerial power of bishops. Its present continuance. Of the church of England, what it is. Its description. Form peculiar and constitutive. Answer to the charge of schism, on separation from it, in its episcopal constitution. How and by what means it was taken away. Things neces- sary to the constitution of such a church proposed, and offered to proof. The second way of constituting a national church, considered. Principles agreed on and consented unto between the parties at variance on this ac- count. Judgment of Amiraldus in this case. Inferences from the com- mon principles before consented unto. The case of schism in reference to a national church in the last sense, debated. Of particular churches, and separation from them. On what accounts justifiable. No necessity of joining to this or that. Separation from some so called, required. Of the church of Corinth. The duty of its members. Austin's judgment of the practice of Elijah. The last objection waved. Inferences upon the whole. 223
A VINDICATION OF THE TREATISE ABOUT THE TRUE NATURE OF SCHISM.
AN ANSWER TO A LATE TREATISE OF MR. CAWDREY, ABOUT THE NATURE OF SCHISM......
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE POWER OF THE SUPREME MAGISTRATE ABOUT RELIGION, PROPOSED AND RESOLVed .
A DISCOURSE CONCERNING LITURGIES.
The state of the Judaical church. The liberty given by Christ, 1. From the arbitrary impositions of men; 2. From the observances and rites insti- tuted by Moses. The continuance of their observation in the patience and forbearance of God. Difference about them stated. Legal righteousness and legal ceremonies contended for together, the reason of it ......... 397
The disciples of Christ taken into his own disposal. General things to be ob- served about gospel institutions. Their number small. Excess of men's inventions. Things instituted brought into a religious relation by the au- thority of Christ. That authority is none other. Suitableness to the matter of institutions to be designed to their proper significancy. That discover able only by infinite wisdom. Abilities given by Christ for the adminis- tration of all his institutions. The way whereby it was done, Eph. iv. 7,8. 11-16. Several postulata laid down. The sum of the whole state of our question in general ...
Of the Lord's Prayer, and what may be concluded from thence, as to the in- vention and imposition of liturgies in the public worship of God. The liberty whereunto Christ vindicated, and wherein he left his disciples
Of the worship of God by the apostles. No liturgies used by them, nor in the churches of their plantation. Argument from their practice. Reasons pleaded for the use of liturgies. Disabilities of church officers for gospel administration to the edification of the church. Uniformity in the worship of God. The practice of the apostles as to those pretences considered. Of other impositions. The rule given by the apostles. Of the liturgies falsely ascribed unto some of them
The practice of the churches in the first three centuries as to forms of public worship. No set forms of liturgies used by them. The silence of the first writers concerning them. Some testimonies against them
The pretended antiquity of liturgies disproved. The most ancient. Their variety. Canons of councils about forms of church administrations. The reason pleaded in the justification of the first invention of liturgies an- swered. Their progress and end
The question stated. First argument against the composing and imposing of liturgies. Arbitrary additions to the worship of God rejected. Li- turgies not appointed by God. Made necessary in their imposition: and a part of the worship of God. Of circumstances of worship. Instituted adjuncts of worship not circumstances. Circumstances of actions, as such, not circumstances of worship. Circumstances commanded made parts of worship. Prohibitions of additions produced, considered, applied
Of the authority needful for the constituting and ordering of any thing that is to have relation to God and his worship. Of the power and authority of civil magistrates. The power imposing the Liturgy. The formal reason of religious obedience. Use of the Liturgy an act of civil and religious obedience; Matt. xxviii. 20. No rule to judge of what is meet in the worship of God, but his word
Argument second. Necessary use of the Liturgy exclusive of the use of the means appointed by Christ for the edification of his church
Other considerations about the imposition of liturgies
A SHORT CATECHISM: WITH AN EXPLICATION UPON THE SAME
A BRIEF VINDICATION OF THE NONCONFORMISTS FROM THE CHARGE OF SCHISM
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