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Answer to prefaceTHEODVLIA: OR, A JUST DEFENCE Of HEARING the SERMONS And other Teaching of the present Ministers of…
Section 1S…ct. 1. Of the worship of God, and how hearing is worship of him.
Section 2Sect. 2. Of hearing, how instituted worship, and to be devolved on the Scriptures of the New Testament.
Section 3Sect. 3. Hearing not a meer positive or ceremonial worship.
Section 4Sect. 4. The judgment of the Antients, not useless in this controversie.
Section 5Sect. 5. No approved practice of the Saints, afore the Law, Countenanceth separation from the present…
Section 6Sect. 6. Jewish Laws admitted some dispensation and addition.
Section 7Sect. 7. The election or ordination of Levites, is no rule for election or ordination of Ministers now.
Section 8Sect. 8. The Texts enjoyning the observation of things appointed, prove not that some things undetermined…
Section 9Sect. 9. The defection of the Jews to Idolatrous inventions of men, is of a more hainous degree than use of…
Section 10Sect. 10. Such testimony as the Prophets gave against the Jewish defection, is not now to be given against…
Section 11Sect. 11. The conformist not chargeable, as the false Prophets of the Jewes.
Section 12S…ct. 12. Invectives against teachers and worship now, may be from another spirit than that of the Prophets.
Section 13Sect. 13. The forsaking of false Prophets and worship among the Jewes, is no justification of separation,…
Section 14Sect. 14. The arguing by analogy in positive rites not rational.
Section 15Sect. 15. The first Querie about a National Instituted Church answered.
Section 16Sect. 16. National Ministers may be Ministers of Christ, and National Churches true Churches.
Section 17Sect. 17. Mr. Parker's arguments, that the form of Churches is of Divine Institution, are answered.
Section 18Sect. 18. The Ministry of the Gospel is a true Ministry of Christ.
Section 19Sect. 19. A true Gospel Ministry may be in a false Church so deemed.
Section 20Sect. 20. Gods love to us is not less, in not determining the whole of his Worship to us, as to the Jews.
Section 21Sect 21. Christ designs Officers and Offices for his Church (not as were in the Jewish) which are the same,…
Section 22Sect. 22. The solemn deputation of Ministers, is not the peculiar priviledge of Saints.
Section 23Sect. 23. Corruptions in non-fundamentals un-church not.
Section 24Sect. 24. Every error makes not a false Prophet.
Section 25Sect. 25. Separation by reason of some corruptions unwarrantable.
Section 26Sect. 26. It is prudence to joyn in worship, and hearing where some errours and corruptions remain.
Chapter 1CHAP. 1. ARG. I.
Section 1Sect. 1. Some scruples of conscience are of ill consequence.
Section 2Sect. 2. There is warrant in Scripture to hear the present Ministers of England.
Section 3Sect. 3. Accidentals of Instituted Worship warranted without command in Scripture.
Section 4Sect. 4. Prejudice is no argument, nor personal motives good proof.
Chapter 2CHAP. 2. ARG. 2.
Section 1Sect. 1. Preachers may be heard, as teaching Truth.
Section 2Sect. 2. They may be heard as Ministers of the Gospel, who are not rightly called.
Section 3Sect. 3. Preachers may be Ministers of the Gospel, who are not chosen by a particular Instituted Church.
Section 4Sect. 4. The present Ministers may be heard as Gifted Brethren.
Section 5Sect. 5. Tender Consciences may call the Bishops Reverend Fathers.
Section 6Sect 6. It is not proved that the best of the present Ministers are to be separated from, as walking…
Chapter 3CHAP. 3. ARG. 3.
Section 1Sect. 1. That which is by some termed Antichristian, is not alwayes unlawful.
Section 2Sect. 2. The names given to the Ministers of England, prove not their Office not to be from Christ.
Section 3Sect. 3. The term Priest proves not symbolizing with the Popish Order of Priests.
Section 4Sect. 4. The parallel particulars prove not the English Ministers symbolizing in office with Popish Priests.
Section 5Sect. 5. The Office of Bishops is not proved to be Antichristian, but may be found in Scripture.
Section 6Sect. 6. The office of Lord Bishops is not contrary to express precepts of Christ in the Scripture.
Section 7Sect. 7. The Office of Lord-Bishops not from the Papacy.
Section 8Sect. 8. The Ordination of Bishops, is also of Presbyters.
Chapter 4CHAP. 4. ARG. 4.
Section 1Sect. 1. They that deny not Christs Offices Doctrinally, may be heard
Section 2Sect 2. Every not hearkning to Christs Order, is not a denial of his Office.
Section 3Sect. 3. It is not proved, that Christs Soveraign Authority is rejected by the present Ministers.
Section 4Sect. 4. Ministers oppose not the Will of Christ by not joyning in the Separation pleaded for.
Section 5Sect. 5. Election and Excommunication by the Church is not Christs Institution.
Section 6Sect. 6. No contempt of the authority of Christ is in the Church of England by setting up Officers and…
Section 7Sect. 7. Election of Ministers by the Common Suffrage of the Church is not proved to be Christs appointment.
Section 8Sect. 8. Prophesying is not opposed by the Ministers.
Section 9Sect 9. Ministers service may be Divine and Spiritual, in the use of the Liturgy.
Section 10Sect. 10. Things objected against the Ministers, are not such as justifie Separation.
Chapter 5
Section 1Sect. 1. All owning of Orders different from, or contrary to Christs, proves not a denial of his Offices.
Section 2Sect. 2. Ministers submitting to Canons is unjustly censured.
Section 3Sect. 3. Making Canons in things undetermined, and subjection to them, agrees with Scripture.
Section 4Sect. 4. It's no derogation from Scripture, or Christ, that such Canons are made and obeyed.
Section 5Sect. 5 All particularities of Decency and Order in things sacred, are not determined in Scripture.
Section 6Sect. 6. It's not proved, that the Ministers of England, own Constitutions contrary to the revelation of…
Section 7Sect. 7. A prescript Form of words in Prayer devised by man, is not contrary to Rom. 8.26. 1 Cor. 14.15.
Section 8Sect 8. The admission of vitious persons to Communion, justifies not separation.
Section 9Sect. 9. Receiving the Lords Supper kneeling, is not directly opposite to Christs practice or precept, of…
Section 10Sect. 10. Forbidding to marry or eat flesh at certain times, are not characters of Apostates, as 1 Tim.…
Section 11Sect. 11. No such Headship is owned by the present Ministers, as is a denial of Christs Offices.
Section 12Sect. 12. Conformity to Laws opposite to Christ's, proves not owning another King coordinate to him.
Section 13Sect. 13. Headship of the Church under Christ, is not monstrous.
Section 14Sect. 14. The Kings Supremacy is such as was allowed the Kings of Israel.
Chapter 6CHAP. 6. ARG. 5.
Section 1Sect. 1. False doctrine only makes a false Prophet not to be heard.
Section 2Sect. 2. The Ministers not false Prophets, because not sent, as Jer. 23.21. Rom. 10.15. is meant.
Section 3Sect. 3. The Ministers not proved to commit Adultery, and walk in lyes, as Jer. 23.14. is meant.
Section 4Sect. 4. The Ministers are not proved to strengthen the hands of evil doers, as Jer. 23.14. is meant.
Section 5Sect. 5. The Ministers are not proved such daubers as those, Ezek. 22.28.
Section 6Sect. 6. Ministers changing of places, sadning some mens hearts, not characters of a false Prophet.
Section 7Sect. 7. Pressing rigid Conformity no proof of the Ministers being false Prophets.
Section 8Sect. 8 The charge Ezek. 22.26. reacheth not the Ministers of England.
Section 9Sect. 9. The Ministers are not the false Shepherds meant, Ezek. 34.4.
Section 10Sect. 10. The Ministers of England are not the second Beast foretold. Revel. 13.11.
Chapter 7CHAP. 7. ARG. 6.
Section 1Sect. 1. All Idolatry is, by exhibiting Divine Worship to a Creature.
Section 2Sect. 2. All Will-worship of God is not Idolatry.
Section 3Sect. 3. This Authors Argument as well proves himself an Idolater as the Conformist.
Section 4Sect. 4. Prayer in a stinted form may be worship of God of his appointment.
Section 5Sect. 5. Common-Prayer-Book worship shuts not out of doors the exercise of the gift of Prayer.
Section 6Sect. 6. Common-Prayer Book Worship is not of pure humane invention.
Section 7Sect. 7. Common-Prayer Book worship is the same with the Worship of the Reformed Churches.
Section 8Sect. 8. No Particularity instituted is a meer Circumstance, yet Particularities undetermined are.
Section 9Sect. 9. Praying in a Form, may be praying in the Spirit.
Section 10Sect 10. The Forms of Prayer imposed, are not made necessary essential parts of Wo…ship.
Section 11Sect. 11. Acting in the holy things of God, by an Office-power and modes of Idolaters, may be without…
Section 12Sect. 12. The English Ministers opp…s… P…pish Idolatry, as other Protestants.
Section 13Sect. 13. The Ministers of England act not by vertue of an Office-power from Idolaters.
Section 14Sect. 14. The Common-Prayer Book worship was not abused to Idolatry.
Section 15Sect. 15. Kneeling in receiving the Sacramental elements, is not Idolatry.
Section 16Sect. 16. The Crimination of the Ministers, as Idolaters, is not excusable.
Section 17Sect. 17. The Martyrs are unjustly made Idolaters by this Author.
Chapter 8CHAP. 8. ARG. 7th. and 8th.
Section 1Sect. 1. Every Offence of others, makes not sinful, that which otherwise is lawful.
Section 2Sect. 2. Hearing the present Ministers may be the Saints duty▪
Section 8Sect. 8. Sinful scandalizing is not by hearing the present Ministers.
Section 4Sect. 4. It is not Scandal given but when the offensive action is done blameably.
Section 5Sect. 5. Offending some sincere Christians, by hearing the present Ministers, is not the scandalizing…
Section 6Sect. 6. The Separatists give more just cause of Offence to godly sober Christians, than the Conformists do…
Section 7Sect. 7. Hearing the present Ministers, may be without participation with them in sin.
Chapter 9CHAP. 9. ARG. 9.
Section 1Sect. 1. Separation of some, from other Christians, is no institution of Christ.
Section 2Sect. 2. Meeting of separated Christians, as a distinct body, is not Christs institution.
Section 3Sect. 3. Separated Congregational Churches, in opposition to National, are not of Christs institution.
Section 4Sect. 4. To attend only on the ministry of Ministers of Congregational Churches, is not of Christs…
Section 5Sect. 5. Hearing the present Ministers casts no contempt on Christs Institutions.
Section 6Sect. 6. Hearing the present Ministers, hardens none in sin.
Section 7Sect. 7. Gods people are not called out of the temples in England, as places of false worship.
Section 8Sect. 8. There is ground to expect a blessing in hearing the present Ministers.
Section 9Sect. 9. Hearing the present Ministers, is no step to Apostacy.
Section 10Sect. 10. A pollution in one part, makes not the whole worship polluted.
Chapter 10CHAP. 10. Fifty Arguments for hearing the present Ministers.
Section 1Sect. 1. Christs direction Matth. 23.2, 3. warrants hearing the present Ministers.
Section 2Sect. 2. The Scribes and Pharisees sate in Moses his chair as Teachers, not as Magistrates.
Section 3Sect. 3. The Pharisees were not Church-officers of Gods appointment.
Section 4Sect. 4. Christ allows hearing the Pharisees while they taught the Law of Moses.
Section 5Sect. 5. Hearing Pharisees teaching Moses law, not attendance on their Ministry, as Pastors is allowed by…
Section 6Sect. 6. Christs and his Apostles going to the Jewish meetings, is opposite to the Separatists opinion and…
Section 7Sect. 7. Pauls rejoycing at the preaching Christ, of contention, warrants hearing the present Ministers.
Section 8Sect. 8. The truth Ministers teach, warrants the hearing of them.
Section 9Sect. 9. Evil persons may be heard as true Ministers.
Section 10Sect. 10. It is a sin not to encourage good men in their Ministry.
Section 11Sect. 11. The example of the learned godly Nonconformists is some inducement to hear the present Ministers.
Section 12Sect. 12. The Magistrates command to hear, the present Mininisters is to be obeyed.
Section 13Sect. 13. Conformists Ministry hath been instrumental to Convert Souls.
Section 14Sect. 14. To the observation of the Lords day, hearing the present Ministers as the case now is, may be…
Section 15Sect. 15. An Appendix, containing fourty additional Reasons against denying the lawfulness of hearing the…
Section 16Sect. 16. Some passages in the writings of Mr. John Goodwin opposite to th… Book Intituled, Prelatical…
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Errata
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