The Reasonableness of Personal Reformation, Table of contents 1 – Treatise 1
THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST PART.
CHAP. I. Containing the Introduction, and State of the Case, in Twelve Sections.
Sect. I. REason is Man's Dignity and Excellency. And what its proper Province. Page 1.
Sect. II. Reason darkened by the Fall. p. 3.
Sect. III. Reason further corrupted …y the cunning Applications of Lusts to the Affections. ibid.
Sect. IV. Inbred Principles of Reason and Conscience not wholly to be eradicated in the vilest. p. 4.
Sect. V. To these the Scriptur…s often appeal. p. 5.
Sect. VI. Appeals to these in Atheistical Times, an hopeful way. p. 6.
Sect. VII. How Reasonable that Men should attend to their own Reasons and Consciences. p. 7.
Sect. VIII. Light of Reason and Conscience assisted by the general Light of the Gospel. p. 9.
Sect. IX. What these two faithful Guides, Reason and Conscience, assure all Men with respect to themselves. p. 10.
Sect. X. What with respect to the Community they belong to. p. 13.
Sect. XI. Reformation of prophane men this way, not absolutely impossible. p 15.
Sect. XII. What the Government may, and ought to do in order to it, and what benefit would accrue to them thereby. p. 16.
CAAP. II. Producing one Dictate or Maxim of Right Reason, generally allowed, in Seven Sections.
Sect. I. DEgenerate Nature affects Liberty, and is captivated by Sensual Pleasures. p. 19.
Sect. II. Reason may recover men from this Captivity. p. 20.
Sect. III. The Self-evident Dictates of Reason propounded. p. 21.
Sect. IV. That good is to be chosen, and evil avoided, and that there are degrees of Goodness found in Pleasures and Delights. p. 22.
Sect. V. The Wisdom and Goodness of God admired in leaving Principles of Reason, and Notices of Conscience in men after the Fall. p. 24.
Sect. VI. The Wickedness of violating and abusing these Notices and Principles. p. 26.
Sect. VII. How reasonable it is that men should consult their Reasons and Consciences. p. 29.
CAAP. III. Giving the true censure of Reason and Conscience, upon Prophane, Swearing, in Nine Sections.
Sect. I. TWO Ends for which God bestowed the noble Faculty of Speech upon man. p. 31.
Sect. II. The Nature and Grounds of Lawful Oaths. p. 33.
Sect. III. The Contumely and Malignity of Prophane Oaths. p. 34.
Sect. IV. What a dreadful provocation to God, and hazard to the Community, contumelious Blasphemy is. p. 37.
Sect. V. Till Publick Justice lay hold on Offenders, the force of Reason tried upon them. p. 39.
Sect. VI. The Swearer's first Plea from the Lepor and Ornament that Oaths give to his Language, weighed and rejected by Reason. p. 41.
Sect. VII. His second Plea from provocations by men, bafled by Reason. p. 43.
Sect. VIII. His Third Plea, That Swearing is modish, and a Badge of Gentility, confuted and overthrown by Six Reasons. p. 44.
Sect. IX. The Last Plea for Swearing from Custom, cast over the Bar of Reason. p. 53.
CHAP. IV. Reason and Conscience again consulted about the Sin of Drunkenness, in Five Sections.
Sect. I. THE intimate and admirable love of Souls to their Bodies. p. 57.
Sect. II. The Prudence of the Soul manifested in its government of the Body. p. 59.
Sect. III. The dethroning of Reason by Drunkenness, the highest exaltation of folly. p. 61.
Sect. IV. The Moans and Laments of a Drunkard's Body to his Soul, represented in a pathetical Prosopopaea. p. 63.
Sect. V. The Drunkards First Plea, from his Natural Ability. p. 65.
His Second Excuse from the relief of his anxious Cares. p. 70.
His Third Excuse, from his Delight and Pleasure in Wine, &c. p. 72.
His Fourth Excuse, from alluring Company and Business. p. 75.
His Fifth Excuse, from pretended Loyalty to the King, p. 77.
His Sixth Excuse, from his plentiful Estate. p. 78.
CHAP. V. Containing the Determination of Reason and Conscience about the Sin of Uncleanness, in Eight Sections.
Sect. I. GOD hath made more abundant Provision for the delight of Rational, than of Brutal Beings, within the Pale of his Laws. p. 81.
Sect. II. Corrupt Nature hates God's Confinements. p. 82.
Sect. III. God's Choice better than our own, in Five Respects. p. 84.
Sect. IV. What should induce men to break out of God's Inclosure. p. 87.
Sect. V. The First Inducement from the Examples of Great Ones, bafled by Reason. p. 88.
Sect. VI. The Second Inducement from pretended Necessity, cashier'd by Reason. p. 89.
Sect. VII. The Third Inducement from the absence of lawful Remedies, rejected by Reason. p. 92.
Sect. VIII. The Fourth Inducement from the Commonness of it, wholly shamm'd and bafled by Reason, p. 93.
CHAP. VI. The Last Debate with Reason and Conscience, about the bitter enmity and spirit of Persecution among professed Protestants, in Six Sections.
Sect. I. Man naturally a sociable Creature, p. 96
Sect. II. The Interest of States and Churches, to make every Individual as useful as may be to the whole, p. 98
Sect. III. The folly and misery of the feuds and animosities in the same Civil and Religious Societies, ibid.
Sect. IV. These Feuds presages of National Misery, p. 100
Sect. V. The true Rise and Cause of this fixed Hatred, p. 101
Sect. VI. This true cause politickly suppressed, and silenced. Hypocrisy pretended, and the Pretence hafled, p. 102
The Second Pretence of their Sedition and Rebellion, bafled by Reason five ways,‖ p. 106
The CONTENTS of the SECOND PART.
Of the Possibility, Nature and Necessity of Conversion to God, in Ten Sections.
Sect. I. Conviction supposed, and Grace therein admired, p. 121
Sect. II. The Conversion of the vilest sinner possible, demonstrated three ways, p. 125
Sect. III. The Conversion of prophane Persons more probable than others, fixed on their own Righteousness, p. 129
Sect. IV. True Conversion frequently and fatally mistken, p. 132
Sect. V. The Nature of true Conversion to God opened, p. 135
Sect. VI. Opening one great hazard attending Conversion, p. 136
Sect. VII. Demonstrating the absolute Necessisy of thorough Conversion, p. 138
Sect. VIII. Men may do more than they do towards their own Conversion. And what these things are, p. 140
Sect. IX. Discouragements removed out of the way of Conversion, and the Sinners way prepared to Christ, p. 142
Sect. X. Powerful Motives perswading to Conversion, p. 144