XVII.

RISE OF THE CIVIL WARS.

Charles a martyr to his own insincerity and crimes. Attempts to

impose a Liturgy upon Scotland. Uproar in St. Giles'. Solemn

League and Covenant. The Episcopal War. Charles forced to

call a Parliament. Laud impeached. Divine right of Episco-

pacy discussed.
Smectymnuus. Irish Massacre. Appeal to

Bishop of Connecticut on the Rule of Faith. "The Scriptures as in-

terpreted by the first two centuries." Dr. Jarvis extends it to five

centuries; others to seven; to nine; to eighteen. Who to fix

the limit? Who to declare the interpretation? Absurdity of the

rule. No stable ground between Puritanism and Popery. The

Prayer-Book as the interpretation of an interpretation. Impos-

sible to fix the standard of the first two centuries. Episcopalians,

on their principles, bound to fix the canons of the Fathers, and

to give them to the people. Doctrine of the Bishop of Connec-

ticut contrasted with the doctrine of the Scriptures. The Bible

alone the religion of Protestants,

244

XIX.

ON THE ALLEGED Right to IMPOSE LITURGIES AND CEREMONIES.

Illustrated by the Doctrines of Holy Alliance. Enormities in prac-

tice. Necessarily a system of usurpation and persecution. Na-

tural rights of Christian congregations. Plea of uniformity. The

question not of the expediency of a Liturgy, but of the right to

impose one. Canons of American Episcopacy. Limits of Church

power,

258

XX.

ON SCHISM.

Examination of the grounds on which the Puritan Churches are

charged as schismatical. The Prelatical Doctrine of Schism test-

ed by Scripture. Singular scheme for restoring a visible Unity.

Scriptural view of Schism,

270

XXI.

THE CHURCH.

No NATIONAL, PROVINCIAL OR DIOCESAN CHURCH RECOGNIZED IN THE

NEW TESTAMENT.

The

The Church invisible; partly on earth, partly in heaven.

Church on earth, composed of all Christ's people, in all com-

munions; its members known only to God. The Church as com-

posed of visible organizations. No National, Provincial, or Dio-

cesan organization or authority, recognized in the New Testa-

Slater's argument concerning the Churches of Antioch

and Jerusalem, answered by Scripture,

ment.

281

XXII.

MATERIALS, STRUCTURE AND DISCIPLINE OF A CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

Scriptural authority. The arrangements of Prelacy contrary to

Scripture,

289

XXIII.

THE CHURCH, AS TO EARTHLY rule, a RepuBLIC, AND NOT A MONARCHY.

Observation of distinguished Civilians. Inseparable connection be-

tween doctrine and the genius of government. Prelacy incom-

patible with Christ's injunctions. Claim of Bishops to be irre-

sponsible sovereigns. Republican principles recognized by the

Apostles. Popular elections. Mistake with regard to the word

Ordain,

XXIV.

OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH.

Evan-

Extraordinary functions. Men called to a special work

gelists. Deacons. Bishops. Presbyters, or Pastors. Singular

error of the Prayer-Book. Apostles; their office; requisite en-

dowments,

299

308

XXV.

APOSTLES NO SUCCESSORS.

Argument from the name. Epaphroditus, Andronicus, Junia. Ar-

gument from the powers exercised. Bishop Onderdonk's argu-

ment examined. Laying on of the hands of the Presbytery,

315

XXVI.

DIOCESAN BISHOPS.

Timothy not Diocesan of Ephesus. The Angels of the Churches

were no Diocesan Bishops. No change of official designation

from Apostle to Bishop,

326

INFERENTIAL PRESUMPTIONS.

High Priests. Priests and Levites. Three Orders. The Apostolic

Commission. Claims of Diocesans to be Vicegerents of Jesus

Christ,

333

350

XXIX.

EPISCOPAL EXCLUSIVENESS—ITS BASIS SUPERSTITION,

. 359

XXX.

APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION, CORRUPT AS A DOCTRINE, FALSE IN FACT,

XXXI.

ECONOMY OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT.

Ordination. Headship of the Church. Episcopacy and Republi-

canism. Episcopacy in the American Revolution. Reproaches

against the Puritans. The tables turned. Comparative tenden-

cies of Puritanism and Prelacy. Conclusion,

APPENDIX,

391

421

L

PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS.

Importance of this discussion at the present day. Misconceptions concerning the Puritans. Views of Hume. Principles not to be measured by the occasion which calls them into debate. Principles of the Puritans not to be appreciated without some knowledge of their times. Plan of this work. England before the times of Wickliffe.

THE PURITANS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES -the permanent importance of those Principles to Freedom, to true Religion, to the present and the eternal interests of Mankind! To those who dwell amid the graves of a Puritan ancestry, these are subjects which can never be devoid of interest. Nor can I feel-believing as I do that to the principles and labors of these ancestors, under God, we owe our dearest privileges-that the memory of such fathers ought ever to go to decay among their children. I would that no one of our sons or daughters might ever be able to visit our ancient burying grounds, without feeling the blood of the Puritans coursing through their veins with honest exultation; and their souls rising to God with heartfelt gratitude for the heritage bestowed upon them, through the faith and toils of such an ancestry. Such a discussion is the more important at the present day, when so many seem scarcely to know what freedom is; and so many more seem not to know what freedom cost; and still more, as if unconscious of the principles from which freedom sprung, are ready to think lightly of the motives and wisdom of that noble race of men, by whom, amid so many perils, the civil and religious rights of mankind were so nobly asserted and maintained.

There is further occasion for such a discussion at the present day, when the character of the Puritans is, in certain quarters, so studiously misrepresented, and their principles so perseveringly assailed-while a system of doctrine, in all essential respects identical with that of Popery, is so fast rising and spreading in certain quarters of the Protestant world; and while the system of Prelacy which, for a thousand years, and on so broad a scale, has proved itself so uncongenial to the pure Gospel and to reli