A Defense of the Principles of Love, Table of contents – Postscript
THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST PART.
A Preface to those Readers who are of the Excepters mind, and are offended at my Book, called The Cure of Church-Divisions, Expostulating with them that have made my perswasions to Love and Communion, the occasion of their displeasure, backbitings and slanders; and proveing the necessity of Union among all real Christians, and in particular between the Non-conformists and Conformists.
1. The General Part, or Introduction.
Chap. 1. A Narrative of those late Actions which have occasioned mens displeasure of both sides against me: The Reasons of my omitting the Narration of those former Actions, which Mr. Durel and many others have reported falsly, because they wrote of that which they knew not: The Reasons of my earnest displeasing endeavours with the Bishops for Reconciling and Uniting terms in 1660. Our Common Profession about a Liturgie at that time, and about this Liturgie, and my practiee ever since. How the Non-conformists must be united among themselves. Of our judgement about Communion in the Liturgie and Sacrament with the Parish Churches in a…. 1663. My ends in opening this. 27. Reasons for the writing and publishing my Book called The Cure of Church-Divisions. A word of the Debatemaker. Of the filse reports that have been vented of my Book a…d me, and of some Inferences to be noted by the Reporters.
Chap. 2. The state of the Controversie which I specialy managed in that Book, with th…se that I called Di…iders.
Chap. 3. Objections and Questions about this subject.
Quest. 1. Doth not the second Commandment and Gods oft expressed jealousie in the matters of his Worship, make it a sin to communicate in the Liturgie?
Quest. 2. Doth not the Covenant make it now unlawfull?
Quest. 3. Whether the case be not much altered since the Old Non-c…nformists wrote against separation, then called Brownisme? And whether we have not greater Light into these Controversies, than they had?
Quest. 4▪ Is it not a shameful receding from our Reformation, now to use an unreformed Liturgie? and a pulling down what we have been building?
Quest. 5. Will it not strengthen and encourage the adversaries of Reformation?
Quest. 6. Will it not divide us among our selves, while one goeth to the Parish Churches, and another doth not?
Quest. 7. Shall we not countenance Church Tyranny, and harden Prelates in their usurpations, and invite them to go further, and make more burdens of Ceremonies or Forms to lay upon the Churches? The manifold danger of feigning the Scripture to be a particular Rule, where it is none.
The Contents of the Answer to the Exceptions.
Except. 1. False Worship distinguished and opened: Whether I speak very little against persecution?
Exc. 2. Whether I was as guilty as any one whatsoever in stirring up and fomenting the War. Whether it be unbecoming a Minister to blame the sin which he hath been guilty of? or to blame the Effects, if he encouraged the Cause? Whether nothing of the late Military Actions, be to be openly repented of? Whether I never mention the prophane, but with honour?
Exc. 3. Of partial tenderness as to Reproof? Whether my prayer was jesting? &c.
Exc. 4. Of the supposed Expressions of my Pride.
Exc. 5. More of the Excepters mistakes.
Exc. 6. What separation Scripture calleth us to, and what not?
Exc. 7. Of the Corruptions in the primitive Churches, and of Imposing.
Exc. 8. Whether I be a Revealer of mens secrets?
Exc. 9. Whether the Universality of Christians ever took the Pope for their Head? Of my Dispute with Mr. Johnson (alias, Terret) on that point. Whether all History be uncertain? Whether it be intolerable to say, that the Papists understand not that answer which is Christian sense and reason.
Exc. 10. Of Local Communion: of separating from the particular Churches which we were never members of.
Exc. 11. Of Censurers requitals. Whether a Papist can go beyond a Reprobate?
Exc. 12. Of Scandal; and of Pauls case; 1 Cor. 8. explained.
Exc. 13. More of my revealing secrets, and other of the Excepters mistakes.
Exc. 14. Whether by Separatists, I meant the Independents as such?
Exc. 15. Whether I speak slightly of Prayer in comparison of Study? Whether it be a slighting of Christ, to say that he increased in wisdom? which is opened. Whether Christ needed not prayer, but as a pattern to us? &c.
Exc. 16. Of expounding Scripture by the Impressions set upon our minds, in Melancholy. How the Spirit cureth our fears, and giveth us comfort, by twelve acts.
Exc. 17. Whether my saying, that God hateth neither extemporate prayers nor forms, be as if I could never speak meanly enough of prayer? Whether I be a Trifler, that neither believe the Scripture or my self, for saying that in Christs time, both Liturgies by forms, and prayers by habit were used, and that Christ yet made no question about them? Seldens words upon the Iews Liturgies.
Exc. 18. Whether I did ill in disswading men from jeering and jesting at other true Christians manner of Worship? And whether I purposely justifie persecution?
Exc. 19. Whether all be Idolatry which is used in the Worship of God without a Command of God to make it lawful. The unhappy consequents of making so many Christians and Churches Idolatrous.
Exc. 20. More of the Excepters mistakes.
Exc. 21. Whether our presence at the prayers of every Church, be a professing of consent to all that is faulty in those prayers?
Exc. 22. Of not silencing any truth for peace.
Exc. 23. Of imprudent speeches to superiours.
Exc. 24. Whether there …e any weak, ignorant and injudicious Christians; and whether they hereby have been any cause of our divisions? And whether these be vile Epithets, not to be given to Christians, but instead of them all Christians are to be told, that they have the anointing and know all things? Twenty proofs of such ignorance: And the greatness of their sin (especially Ministers) that would hide it or deny it, at this time, manifested in forty aggravations.
Exc. 25. Whether any hearers use to be more moved with the affectionate delivery of meaner than with a colder delivery of more excellent things? Of my forsaking the Lords work.
Exc. 26. Whether there be any Article necessary to salvation unknown to the universal Church? Whether in points of difficult speculation, one clear judicious well studied Divine be not to be more hearkened to, than the Major Vote? Whether the perfection and plainness of the Scriptures prove all Christians to be of equal understanding, or to need no others help?
Exc. 27. Whether honest people be not in danger of following others into error and sin? And whether to say so, be enough to make people afraid of being honest?
Exc. 28. Whether it be new or intolerable, to advise men not to imitate Religious people in the sins which they are most prone to? What it is to flatter Professors of Religion; and what it is in them to expect it.
Exc. 29. Of the name of a Sect.
Exc. 30. Whether we must avoid that good which is owned by bad men?
Exc. 31. Of his accusations of my unsetledness in the point of Church Government, and suspectedness in the point of Iustification.
Exc. 32. Whether we can speak bad enough of corrupted Nature. Twenty instances of speaking too bad of it. Whether I understand by the [flesh] only the sensitive Appetive? Whether I be strongly inclined to deny Original sin? Of free-will.
Exc. 33. & 34. Of other mistakes of the Excepter.
Exc. 35. Whether no persecution may consist with love?
Exc. 36. & 37. Of the fewness of believers, &c.
Exc. 38. More of his mistakes.
Exc. 39. Whether the same Spirit may not now use the ancient Prayers and Responses which first brought them in, or used them?
Exc. 40. Of my comparing Ol. Cromwell to Maximus, and whether I dedicated a flattering Book to his Son?
Exc. 41. Of his imputation of levity. The Conclusion, with some advice to the Excepter, and a lamentation for the decay of Love.
A POSTSCRIPT.
SHewing how far, as Mr. Jacob and the old Independents, so the New England Pastors and Elders (and Magistrates) are from approving of the Principles of Separation. Reasons why I am against the new terms of Church-membership, and the approaches of some Independents toward Separation. Reasons why the Independent Churches should as much fear the principles of Separation as any.