View this entire document as:

‹‹ Back

Author: Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 5416
Title: A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
Date: 1673
Bibliographic name / number: Wing / B1219
Bibliographic name / number: Arber's Term cat. / I 132
No. of pages: [35], 929, [5], 214 p., [1] leaf of plates :
Copy from: British Library
Reel position: Wing / 343:11

A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience 7977Kb

Table Of Contents 117Kb

THE CONTENTS OF THE First TOME: Christian Ethicks.

• The Introduction. page 1, 2.

CHAP. I.

• DIrections to Unconverted graceless sinners for the attainment of saving Grace: §. 1. What is presupposed in the Reader of these Directions. p. 3
• Containing Reasons against Atheism and Ungodliness. §. 2 Twenty Directions. p. 6
• §. 3. Thirty Temptations by which Satan hindereth mens conversion. p. 26
• Ten Temptations by which he would perswade men that their heinous mortal sins which prove them unconverted, are but the pardoned infirmities of the penitent. p. 33

CHAP. II.

• Directions to weak Christians for their establishment and growth. p. 36
• Direct. 1. Against receiving Religion meerly for the Novelty or Reputation of it. ibid.
• Direct. 2. Let Judgement, Zeal and Practice go equally together. p. 38
• Direct. 3. Keep a short Method of Divinity, or a Catechism, still in your memory. p. 39
• Direct. 4. Certain Cautions about Controversies in Religion: Heb. 6. 1. opened. p. 40
• Direct. 5. Think not too highly of your first degrees of Grace or Gifts. Time and diligence are necessary to growth. How the Spirit doth illuminate. The danger of this sin. p 41
• Direct. 6. Let neither difficulties nor oppositions in the beginning discourage you. Reasons. p. 43
• Direct. 7. Value and use a Powerful faithful Mininistry. Reasons: Objections answered. p. 45
• Direct. 8. For Charity, Unity and Catholicism, against Schism: Pretences for Schism confuted. p. 47
• Direct. 9. Let not sufferings make you sin, by passion, or dishonouring authority. p. 49
• Direct. 10. Take heed of running from one extream into another. p. 50
• Direct. 11. Be not too confident in your first apprehensions or opinions, but modestly suspicious of them. p. 51
• Direct. 12. What to do when Controversies divide the Church. Of silencing truth. p. 52
• Direct. 13. What Godliness is: The best life on earth. How Satan would make it seem troublesome and ungrateful, 1. By difficulties. 2. By various Sects. 3. By scrupulosity. 4. By your overdoing in your own inventions. 5. By perplexing fears and sorrows. 6. By unmortified lusts. 7. By actual si[...]s. 8. By ignorance of the Covenant of grace. p. 54
• Direct. 14. Mortifie the flesh, and rule the senses, and the appetite. p. 57
• Direct. 15. Be wary in choosing not only your Teachers, but your Company also. Their Characters. p. 58
• Direct. 16. What Books to prefer and read, and what to reject. P. 60
• Direct. 17. Take not a Doctrine of Libertinism for Free Grace. p. 61
• Direct. 18. Take heed l[...]st Grace degenerate, into Counterfeits, formality, &c. p. 63
• Direct. 19. Reckon not on prosperity or long life, but live as dying. p. 65
• Direct. 20. See that your Religion be purely Divine: That God be your First and Last and All: Man nothing. p. 66

CHAP. III.

• The General Grand Directions for walking with God, in a life of faith and Holiness; Containing the Essentials of Godliness and Christianity. p. 69
• Gr. Dir. 1. Understand well the Nature, Grounds, Reason and Order of Faith and Godliness: Propositions opening somewhat of them. The Reader must note, that here I blotted out the Method and Helps of Faith, having fullier opened them in a Treatise called The Reasons of the Christian Religion, and another of the Unreasonableness of Infidelity.
• Gr. Dir. 2. How to live by Faith on Christ. How to make Use of Christ, in twenty necessities. p. 72
• Gr. Dir. 3. How to Believe in the Holy Ghost, and live by his Grace. His Witness, Seal, Earnest, &c. Q. When good effects are from Means, from our Endeavour, and when from the Spirit? p. 77, 78
• Gr. Dir. 4. For a True, Orderly and Practical Knowledge of God: A Scheme of his Attributes. p. 81, 82
• Gr. Dir. 5. Of self resignation to God as our Owner: Motives, Marks, Means. p. 83
• Gr. Dir. 6. Of subjection to God as our Soveraign King. What it is? How to bring the soul into subjection to God: How to keep up a Ready and Constant Obedience to him. p. 85
• Gr. Dir. 7. To Learn of Christ as our Teacher: How? The Imitation of Christ. p. 90
• Gr. Dr. 8. To obey Christ our Physicion or Saviour in his Repairing, healing work. p. 95
• How each faculty is diseased or depraved? The Intellect: its acts and maladies: The Wi[...]: Q. Whether the Locomotive and sense can move us to sin without the Consent of the Will ([...]r Reason) upon its bare Omission? The sin of the Memory, Imagination, affections, sensitive appetite, exterior parts, which need a Cure. Forty intrinsecal evils in sin which make up its Malignity. The common Aggravations of sin: Special aggravations of the sins of the Regenerate. Directions to get a hatred of sin: How to cure it. p. 95
• Gr. Dir. 9. Of the Christian Warfare under Christ: Who are our Enemies: Of the Devil: The state of the Armies, and of the War between Christ and Satan. The ends, grounds, advantages, auxiliaries, instruments and methods of the Tempter. p. 104
• How Satan keepeth off the forces of Christ, and frustrateth all means. Christs contrary Methods. p. 109
• Tit. 2. Temptations to particular sins, with Directions for preservation and Remedy. 1. How Satan prepareth his baits of Temptation. p. 111
• 2. How he applyeth them. p. 114
• Tit. 3. Temptations to draw us off from duty. p. 124
• Tit. 4. Temptations to frustrate holy duties. p. 126
• Gr. Dir. 10. How to work as servants to Christ our Lord. The true doctrine of Good Works. p. 128
• Directions for our serving Christ in well doing, p. 130. Where are many Rules to know what are good works, and how to do them acceptably and successfully.
• Q. Is doing good, or avoiding sin to be most looked at in the choice of a Calling or Employment of life? p. 133
• Q. May one change his Calling for advantages to do good?
• Q. Who are excused from living in a Calling, or from Work? p. 124
• Q. Must I do a thing as a Good work, while I doubt, whether it be good, indifferent, or sin? p. 134·
• Q. Is it not every mans duty to obey his Conscience? p. 135
• Q. Is it not a sin to go against Conscience?
• Q. Whether the formal cause alone do constitute obedience?
• Q. How sin must be avoided by one that hath an erroneus conscience?
• Q. How can a man lawfully resist or strive against an erring conscience, when he striveth against a supposed truth?
• Q Is not going against conscience, sinning against Knowledge? p. 136
• Q. When the information of conscience requireth a long time, is it not a duty to obey it at the present?
• Q. May one do a Great Good when it cannot be done but by a Little sin (as a Lye)?
• Q Must I not forbear all Good Works, which I cannot do without sin?
• Q Must I forbear a certain great duty (as preaching the Gospel) for fear of a small uncertain sin?
• Q. What shall a man do that is in doubt after all the means that he can use? p. 137
• Sixteen Rules to guide a doubting conscience, and to know among many seeming duties, which is the greatest, and to be preferred, p. 137
• Gr. Dir. 11. To LOVE GOD as our Father and Felicity and End. The Nature of holy Love. God must be Loved as the Universal Infinite Good: Whether Passionately? What of God must be loved? p. 141
• What must be the Motive of our first Love? Whether Gods special Love to us? The sorts of holy Love? Why Love is the highest Grace? p. 143
• The Contraries of holy Love. How God is Hated? The Counterfeits of Love. p. 144
• Directions how to excite and exercise Divine Love. ibid.
• How to see God: Signs of true Love. p 154
• Gr. Dir. 12. Absolutely to Trust God with Soul, Body and all, with full acqui[...]scence: The Nature of Trust (of which see more in my Life of Faith, and Disp. of Saving Faith.) p. 157. The Contraries: The Counterfeits: Q. Of a particular faith? The Uses of Trust. p. 158. Fifteen Directions for a quieting and comforting Trust in God. p. 158
• Gr. Dir. 13. That the temperament of our Religion may be a DELIGHT in God and Holiness. Twenty Directions to procure it: with the Reasons of it. 162
• Gr. Dir. 14. Of THANKFULNESS to God our grand Benefactor. The signs of it. Eighteen Directions how to obtain and exercise it. 167, &c.
• Gr. Dir. 15. For GLORIFYING God. Ten Directions how the Mind must Glorifie God. Ten Directions for Praising God, or Glorifying him with our Tongues. Where are the Reasons for Praising God. Twelve Directions, for Glorifying God by our Lives. p. 172
• Gr. Dir. 16. For Heavenly mindedness; and
• Gr. Dir. 17. For Self-denyal: Only named, as being formerly written of at large. p. 180
• An Appendix of the Reasons and measure of Divine and Self-love. p. 182

CHAP. IV.

• Subordinate Directions, against the Great sins most directly contrary to Godliness.
• Part 1. Directions against Unbelief. Q. Whether it be Unbelief not to believe that our own sins are pardoned, and we elected? Can a man be surer that he believeth, than he is that the thing believed is true? The Article of Remission of sin is to be believed applyingly, p. 196. Thirty six Dir. or helps against Unbelief.
• Q. Why the Prophets were to be believed?
• Part 2. Directions against Hardness of Heart. What it is. The evil and danger of it. p. 204
• Part 3. Directions against Hypocrisie. What it is, and who are Hypocrites. The Helps. p. 210
• Part 4. Directions against Inordinate Man-pleasing, or Idolizing man, or that over-valuing mans favour which is the fruit of Pride and Cause of Hypocrisie. What the sin is, and is not. The difficulty of Man-pleasing. Pleasing God is our business and End. The Motives to it. The signes of it. p. 218, &c.
• Part 5. Directions against Pride and for Humility. What they are. The Inward seemings of Pride that are not Pride. The Outward seemings of Pride that are not it, p. 229. The Counterfeits of Humility, p. 232. Signes of the worst part of Pride, against God. p. 232. Signes of the next degrees of Pride against God. p. 235. Signes of Pride in and about Religious duties. p. 237. Signes of Pride in common converse. p. 239. The dreadful consequents of Pride. A summary of the signs of Humility. p. 247 Many considerations and helps against pride.
• Part 6. Directions against Covetousness, Love of Riches and Worldly Cares. p. 254. What Love of Riches is lawful? what unlawful? and what is Covetousness? The malignity of it? The signes of it. Counterfeits or false signes of one not Covetous, which deceive many. False signes or appearances of Covetousness, that cause many to be falsly accused. Means to destroy it.
• Part 7. Directions against the master sin, Sensuality, Fleshpleasing, or Voluptuousness. p. 264.
• The nature of Flesh-pleasing. What meant by Flesh? and what is mans Corruption. What flesh-pleasing is unlawful, and how far a sin. The malignity of the sin. The Plea or Excuses of Flesh-pleasers, answered. Counterfeits of Mortification or temperance, which deceive many flesh-pleasers. Seemings of sensuality which are not it. The enmity of the flesh. p. 264

CHAP. V.

• Further subordinate Directions for the next great duties of Religion, necessary to the right performance of the Grand Duties. p. 274. and first, Directions for Redeeming or well improving Time. What is time here, and what are Opportunities? What Redeeming it is? To what uses, and from what, and by what, Time must be Redeemed. Directions Contemplative, for improving Time. p. 276. Directions contemplative for taking the due season, p 283. Directions Practical for Improving Time, p. 285. Rules to know what Time must he spent in. Thieves or Time-wasters to be watcht against, p. 288. 1. Sloth, 2. Excess of sleep; 3. Inordinate adorning of the body: 4. Pomp and Curiosity in attendance, house, furniture, provision, entertainments, Complement and servitude to the humour of Time-wasters. 5. Needless Feasting, gluttony and tipling. 6. Idle talk. 7. Vain and sinful company. 8. Pastimes, inordinate Recreations, sports, plays. 9. Excess of worldly business and cares. 10. Vain and sinful Thoughts. 11. Reading vain books, Romances, Play books, &c. and vain studies. 12. An ungodly heart which doth all things for a carnal end. Eight sorts especially called to Redeem Time.

CHAP. VI.

• Directions for the Government of the Thoughts. p. 294
• Tit. 1. Directions against evil and idle Thoughts. ibid.
• Tit. 2. Directions to furnish the Mind with good Thoughts. Twenty great Subjects or Promptuaries affording abundant matter for Meditation. p. 298
• Tit. 3. Directions to make Good Thoughts Effectual. 1. General Directions for Meditation or good Thoughts, p. 304. 2. Particular Directions about the work of Meditation. p. 306
• Tit. 4. The difference between a contemplative and an Active Life. Q. 1. What is a contemplative life? Q. 2. Is every man bound to it? Q. 3. Whose duty is it? Q. 4. How far are all men bound to contemplation? Answered in twelve Rules. p. 309
• Tit. 5. Directions to the Melancholy about their Thoughts. Signes of Melancholy. The Causes. Directions for cure. Special truths to be known for preventing causless troubles, &c. p. 312, &c.
• Tit. 6. Twenty Directions for young Students for the most profitable ordering of their studying Thoughts, p. 319. Twenty Instances of extreams to be avoided. p. 323

CHAP. VII.

• Directions for the Government of the Passions.
• Tit. 1. Directions against all sinful Passions in general. p. 327
• Tit. 2. Directions against sinful Love of Creatures. 1. Helps to discover sinful Love. 2. Helps to m[...]rtisie sinful Love. p. 329
• Tit. 3. Directions against sinful Desires and Discontents. p. 332
• Tit. 4. Directions against sinful mirth and pleasure. p. 335
• Tit. 5. Directions against sinful Hopes. p. 338
• Tit. 6. Directions against sinful Hatred, aversation or backwardness towards God and Godliness. p. 339
• Tit. 7. Directions against sinful Anger. 1. Directions Meditative against it, p. 341. Two Directions practical against it. p. 342
• Tit. 8. Directions against sinful fear, 1. Of God. p. 344. 2. Against sinful fear of the Devil, p. 345. 3. Against the sinful fear of men, and of sufferings by them. p. 346
• Tit 9. Directions against sinful Grief and trouble of mind. When sinful---p. 351
• Tit. 10. Directions against sinful [...]espair (and doubting). What it is. When the day of Grace is past. What sin is mortal and what is Infirmity, &c. p. 355, &c.

CHAP. VIII.

• Directions for the Government of the senses.
• Part 1. General Directions to Govern them all by faith, p. 361. Deny not all our senses as the Papists. p. 363
• Part 2. Particular Directions for the Government of the Eyes. p. 366
• Part 3. Directions for the Government of the Ear. p. 368
• Part 4. Directions for the Governing the Taste and Appetite. p. 370
• Tit. 1. Directions against Gluttony, 1. What it is. 2. What are its Causes: 3. The greatness of the sin. 4. Directions and Helps against it. Rules for the Measure of Eating.
• Tit. 2. Against excess of Drink, and drunkenness. 1. What it is, The various degrees. 2. The Causes. 3. The greatness of the sin. 4. The Excuses of it. Q. May we drink when thirsty, &c. Q. May one drink healths? 5. Twenty Questions for the conviction of drunkards. Twelve Questions to prove that it's their wilfulness and not meer disability to forbear. Practical Directions against Tipling, &c. p. 381
• Part 5. Tit. 1. Directions against Fornication and all uncleanness: The Greatness of the sin; Directions for the Cure. p. 394, &c.
• Tit 2. Directions against Inward filthy Lusts. p. 400
• Part 6. Directions against sinful excess of sleep. 1. What is e[...]c[...]ss. 2 The Evil of it. Q. Whether Love of sleep may be a mortal s[...]n. The Cure. p. 404
• Part 7. Directions against sinful D[...]eams. p. 407

CHAP. IX.

• Directions for the Government of the Tongue. p. 408
• Tit. 1. The General Directions. The moment of it. The Duties of the Tongue. Thirty Tongue sins. The Cure. p. 408, &c.
• Tit. 2. Directions against prophane swearing, and using Gods name unreverently and in Vain. p. 414 What is an Oath. What is a lawful Oath. How far the Swearers Intent is necessary to the being of an Oath. How far swearing by Creatures is a sin. Q. Is it Lawful to l[...]y the hand on the Book and kiss it in taking an Oath? p. 416. Q. Is it lawful to give another such an Oath or worse? When Gods name is taken in vain. The greatness of the sin. The Cure.
• Tit. 3. Directions against Lying and dissembling. p 421. What Truth is? How far we are bound to speak truth. Q. Whether to every one that asketh us? Q. 2. Or to every one that I answer to? Q. 3. Are we bound ever to speak the whole Truth? Q. 4. Is all L[...]gical f[...]lshood a sin, (that is, to speak disagreeably to the Matter.) Q 5. Or to speak contrary to our minds? Q 6. Is it a sin when we speak not a known untruth, nor with a [...]se to deceive? Q 7. Or is this a Lye? Q. 8. Must our words be ever true in the proper literal sense? Q 9. Must I speak in the common sense, or in the Hearers sense? Q. 10. Is it lawful to deceive another by true words? Q. 11. Doth Lying c[...]ns[...] in Deceiving, or in speaking falsly as to the Matter, [...]r in speaking contrary to our minds? What a Lye is? How sin is Voluntary? The Intrinsecal Evil of Lying. The Cure. ad p. 428
• Q. 1. Is often Lying a certain sign of a graceless state? Where the question is again fully resolved (because it is of great importance), What sin is Mortal, and what is Mortified?
• Q. 2. Is it not contrary to the light of nature to suffer, e. g. a Parent, a King, my self, my Countrey rather to be destroyed than to save them by a harmless lye? The case of the Midwives in Aegypt and of Rahab opened.
• Q. 3. Is deceit by Action lawful· which seemeth a Practical Lye? And how shall we interpret Christs making as if he would have gone further, Luk. 24. 28. and D[...]vid's feigning himself mad, and common stratagems in War, and doing things purposely to deceive another?
• Q. 4. Is it lawful to tempt a Child or Servant to Lye, meerly to try them?
• Q. 5. Is all equivocation unlawful?
• Q. 6. Is all mental reservation unlawful?
• Q 7. May Children, Servants or Subjects in danger use words which tend to hide their faults?
• Q. 8. May I speak that which I think is true, but am n[...]t sure?
• Q 9. May I believe or speak that of another by way of news, discourse, character, which I hear reported by Godly credible persons, or by many. ad p. 430
• Tit. 4. Directions against Idle talk and ba[...]ling. What is not Idle talk: and what is. The sorts of it. The greatness of the sin, in general, and the special aggravations. The Cure. Who must most carefully watch against this sin. p. 431
• Tit. 5. Directions against filthy ribbald, seurril us talk. p. 437
• Tit. 6. Directions against prophane deriding, s[...]rning or opposing Godliness. p. 438. What the sin is? The greatness of it, and [...]tish impudence, and terrible consequents. The Cure.

CHAP. X.

• Directions for the Government of the Body.
• Part 1. Direction about our Labour and Callings. p. 447
• Tit. 1. Directions for the right choice of our Labours or Callings. Q 1. Is Labour necessary to all? Q. 2. What Labour is necessary? Q. 3. Will Religion excuse us from Labour? Q. 4. Will Riches excuse us? Q. 5. Why Labour is necessary. The good of it. Q. May a man have a Calling consisting of various uncertain works? Q. 2. May one have divers Trades or Callings at once? Directions. p. 447
• Tit. 2. Directions against Sloth and Idleness. What it is, and what not. The aggravations of it. The Signs of Sloth. The Greatness of the sin: Who should be most careful to avoid it. p. 451
• Tit. 3. Directions against Sloth and Laziness in things spiritual, and for Zeal and Diligence. The kinds of false Zeal. The mischiefs of false Zeal. The Signs of holy Zeal. The excellency of Zeal and Diligence. Motives to excite us to it. Other helps. p. 456
• Part 2. Directions against sin in Sports and Recreations. p. 460. What Lawful Recreation is: Eighteen necessary qualifications of it: or eighteen sorts of sinful recreation. Q. Must all wicked men forbear recreations? Q. What to judge of Stageplayes, Gaming, Cards, Dice, &c. The evil of them opened. Twelve convincing Questions to them that use or plead for such pastimes. Seven more Considerations for vain and sportful Youths. Further Directions in the use of Recreations.
• Part 3. Directions about Apparel, and against the sin therein committed. Q. 1. May pride of Gravity and Holiness be seen in apparel? Q. 2. How else it appeareth. Q. 3. May not a deformity be bid by Apparel or painting? Q. 4. May we follow the fashions? Further Directions ad p. 465, &c.

TOME II. Christian Oeconomicks.

CHAP. I.

• DIrections about Marriage for Choice and Contract. p 475
• Whether Marriage be indifferent? Who are called to marry: Who may not marry? Q. What if Parents command it to one that it will be a hurt to? Q. What if I have a corporal necessity, when yet marriage is like to be a great incommodity to my soul? Of Parents prohibition. Q. What if Parents forbid marriage to one that cannot live chastly without it? or when affections are unconquerable? Q. What if the child have promised marriage, and the Parents be against it? Of the sense of Numb. 30. How far such promise must be kept Q. What if the Parties be actually married without Parents consent? Q. May the aged marry that are frigid, impotent, sterile? The incommodities of a married life to be considered by them that need restraint. Especially to Ministers. p. 482. Further Directions. How to cure lustful Love. Several Cases about marrying with an ungodly person.
• Q. 1. What Rule to follow about prohibited degrees of Consanguinity? Whether the Law of Moses, or of Nature, or the Laws of the Land, or Church, &c. p. 486
• Q. 2. What to do if the Law of the Land forbid more degrees than Moses Law. p. 487
• Q. 3. Of the Marriage of Cousin Germanes, before band.
• Q. 4. What such should do after they are married.
• Q 5. What must they after do that are married in the degrees not forbidden by name, Lev. 18. and yet of the same nearness and reason.
• Q. 6. If they marry in a degree forbidden, Lev. 18. may not necessity make it lawful to continue it, as it made lawful the marriage of Adams Sons and Daughters.
• Q. 7. Whether a Vow of Chastity or Celibate may be broken, and in what cases. p. 488

CHAP. II.

• Directions for the choice of 1. Servants, 2. Masters. p. 490

CHAP. III.

• Disput. Whether the solemn Worship of God in and by families as such, be of Divine appointment? Aff. proved against the Cavils of the prophane, and some Sectaries. p. 493. What solemn Worship is. What a family. Proof as to Worship in general: Family-advantages for Worship. The Natural obligation on families to worship God. Families must be sanctified societies. Instructing families is a duty. Family discipline is a duty. Solemn prayer and pr[...]ise is a family duty. Objections answered. Of the frequency and seasons of family worship. 1. Whether it should be every day, 2. Whether twice a day, 3. Whether Morning and evening.

CHAP. IV.

• General Directions for the holy Government of famili[...] How to keep up Authority. Of skill in Governing. Of holy Willingness. p. 509

CHAP. V.

• Special Motives to perswade men to the holy Government of their families, p. 512

CHAP. VI.

• Motives for a holy and careful Education of Children. p. 515

CHAP. VII.

• The Mutual Duties of Husbands and Wives towards each other. p. 520. How to maintain due Conjugal Love: Of Adultery. Motives and Means against dissention. Motives and means to further each others salvation. Further duties.

CHAP. VIII.

• The special duties of Husbands to their Wives. p. 529

CHAP. IX.

• The special duty of Wives to their Husbands. p. 531 Q. How far may a Wife give, without her Husbands Consent. Q. Of Wives propriety. Q Is a Wife guilty of her Husbands unlawful getting if she keep it: And is she bound to reveal it, (as in robbing)? Q. May a Wife go hear Sermons when her Husband forbiddeth her? Q. Must a woman proceed to admonish a wicked Husband when it maketh him worse. Q. What she must do in Controverted Cases of Religion, when her judgement and her Husbands differ. p. 534. Q. How long, or in what Cases may Husbands and Wives be distant. p. 535. Q. May the bare Commands of Princes separate Husbands and Wives, (as Ministers, Iudges, Souldiers). Q. May Ministers leave their Wives to go abroad to preach the Gospel. Q. May one leave a Wife to save his life in case of personal persecution or danger? Q. May Husband and Wife part by consent, if they find it to be for the good of both? Q. May they consent to be divorced, and to marry others? Q. Doth Adultery dissolve marriage. Q. Is the injured person bound to divorce the other, or left free? Q. Is it the proper priviledge of the man to put away an adulterous Wife, or is it also in the womans power to depart from an adulterous Husband? Q. May there be putting away, or departing without the Magistrates divorce or license? Q. Is not Sodomy, and Buggery as lawful a reason of divorce as Adultery. Q. What if both parties be adulterous? Q. What if one purposely commit adultery to be separated from the other: Q. Doth Infidelity dissolve the relation? Q. Doth the desertion of one party disoblige the other? Q. Must a woman follow a malignant Husband that goeth from the Means of Grace? Q. Must she follow him, if it be but to poverty or beggary? Q. What to do in case of known intention of one to murder the other? Q. Or if there be a fixed hatred of each other? Q What if a man will not suffer his Wife to hear, read or pray: or do beat her so, as to unfit her for duty: or a woman will rail at the Husband in prayer time, &c. Q. What to do in danger of life by the Pox or Leprosie, &c. Q Who may marry after parting or divorce. p. 539. Q Is it lawful to suffer, yea, or contribute to the known sin materially of Wife, Child, Servant, or other relations: Where is opened what is in our Power to do against sin, and what not. p. 539. Q. If a Gentleman have a great Estate by which he may do much good, and his Wife be so Proud, Prodigal and pievish, that if she may not waste it all in house keeping and pride, she will dye or grow mad, or give him no quietness, What is his duty in so sad a case. p. 542

CHAP. X.

• The Duties of Parents for their Children. Where are twenty special Directions for their Education. p. 543

CHAP. XI.

• The Duties of Children towards their Parents. p. 547

CHAP. XII.

• The special Duties of Children and Youth towards God. p. 552

CHAP. XIII.

• The Duties of Servants to their Masters. p. 554

CHAP. XIV.

• Tit. 1. The Duty of Masters towards their Servants. p. 556
• Tit. 2. The Duty of Masters to Slaves in the Plantations. p. 557
• Q. 1. Is it lawful for a Christian to buy and use a man as a Slave?
• Q. 2. Is it lawful to use a Christian as a Slave? p. 558
• Q. 3. What difference must we make between a Servant and a Slave?
• Q. 4. What if men buy Negro's or other Slaves of such as we may think did steal them, or buy them of Robbers and Tyrants, and not by Consent? p. 559
• Q. 5. May I not sell such again and make my mony of them?
• Q. 6. May I not return them to him that I bought them of?

CHAP. XV.

• The Duties of Children and fellow servants to one another. p. 561

CHAP. XVI.

• Directions for holy Conference of fellow servants and others. p. 562
• Q. May we speak good when the Heart is not affected with it? Q. Is that the fruit of the Spirit which we force our tongues to?

CHAP. XVII.

• Directions for every member of the family how to spend every (ordinary) day of the Week. p. 565

CHAP. XVIII.

• Directions for the holy spending of the Lords Day in families. Whether the whole day should be kept holy? p. 569
• Tit. 2. More particular Directions for the Order of holy duties on that day. p. 572

CHAP. XIX.

• Directions for profitable Hearing Gods Word preached. p. 573
• Tit. 2. Directions for Remembring what you Hear. p. 575
• Tit. 3. Directions for Holy Resolutions and Affections in hearing. p. 576
• Tit. 4. Directions to bring what we hear into practice. p. 577

CHAP. XX.

• Directions for profitable Reading the holy Scriptures. p. 579

CHAP. XXI.

• Directions for Reading other Books. p. 580

CHAP. XXII.

• Directions for right Teaching Children and Servants so as is most likely to have success. The summ of Christian Religion. p. 582

CHAP. XXIII.

• Directions for Prayer in general. p 587
• A Scheme or brief Explication of the Exact Method of the Lords Prayer. p. 590
• Tit. 2. Cases about Prayer. p. 591. Q. 1. Is the Lords Prayer to be used as a form of words, or only as a Directory for Matter and Method? Q. 2. What need is there of any other prayer, if this he perfect? Q. 3. Is it lawful to pray in a set form of words? Q. 4. Are those forms lawful which are prescribed by man, and not by God? Q 5 Is free praying, called extemporate, lawful? Q. 6. Which is the better? Q. 7. Must we ever follow the Method of the Lords Prayer? Q. 8. Must we pray only when the Spirit moveth us, or as Reason guideth us? Q. 9. May be pray for Grace who desireth it not? Q. 10. May he pray that doubteth of his interest in God, and dare not call him Father as his Child? Q. 11. May a wicked man pray, or is he ever accepted? Q. 12. May a wicked man use the Lords Prayer? Q. 13. Is it Idolatry, or sin alwayes to pray to Saints or Angels? Q. 14. Must the same man pray secretly, that hath before prayed in his family? Q. 15. Is it best to keep set hours for prayer? Q 16. May we joyn in family prayers with ungodly persons? Q. 17 What if the Master or speaker be ungodly or a Heretick? Q. 18. May we pray absolutely for outward mercies, or only conditionally? Q. 19. May we pray for all that we may lawfully desire? Q. 20. How may we pray for the salvation of all the world? Q. 21. Or for the Conversion of all Nations? Q. 22. Or that a whole Kingdom may be converted and saved? Q. 23. Or for the destruction of the enemies of Christ, or the Kingdom? Q. 24. What is to be judged of a particular faith? Q. 25. Is every lawful prayer accepted? Q. 26. With what faith must I pray for the souls or bodies of others? Q. 27. With what faith may we pray for the Continuance of the Church or Gospel. Q. 28. How to know when our prayers are heard. Q. 29. How to have fulness and constant supply of matter in our prayers. Q 30. How to keep up fervency in prayer? Q 31. May we look to speed ever the better for any thing in our selves or our prayers? Or may we put any trust in them? Q. 32. How must that person and prayer be qualified which God will accept. to p. 598
• Tit. 3. Special Directions for family prayer. ibid.
• Tit. 4. Special Directions for secret prayer. p. 599

CHAP XXIV.

• Directions f[...]r families about the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. p. 600
• What are the Ends of the Sacrament? What are the Parts of it? Q. 1. Should not the Sacrament have [...] preparation than the other parts of worship? Q 2. How oft should it be administred? Q. 3. Must all members of the visible Church communicate? Q. 4. May any man receive it, that knoweth himself unsanctified? Q. 5. May an ungodly man receive it, that knoweth not himself to be ungodly? Q. 6. Must a Christian receive who doubteth of his sincerity? Q. 7. What if Superiours compell a doubting Christian to receive it, by excommunication or imprisonment? What should be choose? Q. 8. Is not the case of an hypocrite that knoweth not himself to be an hypocrite, and of the sincere who knoweth not himself to be sincere, all one, as to communicating? Q. 9. Wherein lyeth the sin of an ung[...]dly person if he receive? Q. 10. Doth all unworthy receiving make one lyable to damnation? or what? Q 11. What is the particular preparation needful to a fit Communicant? p. 653. Marks of sincerity. ibid. Preparing duties. Q 1. May we receive from an ungodly Minister? Q 2. May we communicate with unworthy persons in an undisciplined Church? Q. 3. What if I cannot communicate unless I conform to an imposed gesture, as sitting, standing or kneeling? Q. 4. What if I cannot receive it, but as administered by the Common Prayer? Q. 5. If my conscience be not satisfied, may I come doubting? Obj. Is it not a duty to follow conscience as Gods Officer? What to do in the time of administration? 1. What Graces must be exercised. 2. On what objects? 3. The Season and Order of Sacramental duties. ad p. 610

CHAP. XXV.

• Directions for fearful troubled Christians who are perplexed with doubts of their sincerity and justification? Causes and Cure. p. 612

CHAP. XXVI.

• Directions for declining back-sliding Christians, about perseverance. p. 616
• The way of falling into Sects, and Heresies, and Errors. And of declining in Heart and Life. Signs of declining. Signs of a graceless state. Dangerous signs of impenitency. False signs of declining. Motives against declining. Directions against it. p. 616
• Tit. 2. Directions for perseverance, or to prevent back-sliding. p. 618
• Antidotes against those doctrines of presumption which would binder our perseverance. p. 623

CHAP. XXVII.

• Directions for the poor. The Temptations of the poor. The special Duties of the poor. p. 627

CHAP. XXVIII.

• Directions for the Rich. p. 632

CHAP. XXIX.

• Directions for the weak and aged. p. 634

CHAP. XXX.

• Directions for the sick. p. 637
• Tit. 1. Directions for a safe death, to secure salvation. I. For the unconverted in their sickness. (A sad case): 1. For Examination, 2. For Repentance, 3. For faith in Christ, 4. For a new heart, love to God, and resolution for obedience. Q. Will [...]ate Repentance serve the turn, in such a case? II. Directions to the G[...]dly for a safe departure. Their Temptations to be resisted. p. 637
• Tit. 2. How to profit by our sickness. p 642
• Tit. 3. Directions for a comfortable or peaceable Death. p. 644. Directions for resisting the Temptations of Satan in time of sickness. p. 648
• Tit. 4. Directions for doing good to others in our sickness. p. 651

CHAP. XXXI.

• Directions to the friends of the sick that are about them. p. 653
• Q. Can Physick lengthen mens lives? Q. Is it meet to make known to the sick their danger of death? Q Must we tell bad men of their sin and misery when it may exasperate the disease by troubling them? Q. What can be done in so short a time? Q. What to do in doubtful cases? Q. What order should be observed in counselling the ignorant and ungodly when time is so short? Helps against excessive sorrow for the death of friends; Yea, of the worst.
• A Form of Exhortation to be read in Sickness to the Ungodly, or those that we justly fear are such. p. 657
• A Form of Exhortation to the Godly in Sickness; For their comfort. Their dying groans and joyes. p. 662

TOME III. Christian Ecclesiasticks.

PART. I.

CHAP. I.

• OF the Worship of God in General. The Nature and Reasons of it, and Directions for it. How to know right Ends in worship, &c. p. 673

CHAP. II.

• Directions about the Manner of worship, to avoid all corruptions, and false unacceptable worshipping of God. p. 680. The disadvantages of ungodly men in judging of holy worship. Q. How far the Scriptures are the Rule or Law of Worship and Discipline, and how far not? Instances of things undetermined in Scripture. What Commands of Scripture are not universal or perpetual? May danger excuse from duty, and when? Rules for the right manner.

CHAP. III.

• Directions about the Christian Covenant with God, and Baptism. p. 688. The Covenant, what? The Parties, Matter, Terms, Forms, necessary Modes, Fruits, &c. External Baptism, what? Compleat Baptism, what? Of Renewing the Covenant.

CHAP. IV.

• Directions about the Profession of our Religion to others. The greatness of the duty of open Profession. VVhen and how it must be made. p. 692

CHAP. V.

• Directions about Vows and particular Covenants with God. p. 694
• VVhat a Vow is. The sorts of Vows. The use, the obligation. VVhether any things be indifferent: and such may be Vowed? As Marrying, &c. May we Vow things Indifferent in themselves, though not in their circumstances? In what Cases we may not Vow. VVhat if Rulers command it? VVhat if I doubt whether the Matter imposed be lawful? Of Vowing with a doubting Conscience.
• Tit. 2. Directions against Perjury and Perfidiousness: and for keeping Vows and Oaths: The heinousness of Perjury: Thirty six Rules about the obligation of a Vow, to shew when and how far it is obligatory; useful in an age stigmatized with open Perjury. (Mostly out of Dr. Sanderson). VVhat is the Nullity of an Oath? Cases in which Vows must not be kept. p. 700
• How far Rulers may Nullifie a Vow? Numb. 30. opened. Of the Accidental Evil of a Vow. Of Scandal. Q. Doth an error de persona caused by that person disoblige me? ibid.

CHAP. VI.

• Directions to the people concerning their Internal and private duty to their Pastors, and their profiting by the Ministerial Office and Gifts. p. 714
• The Ministerial Office opened in fifteen particulars: The Reasons of it. The true old Episcopacy. Special duties to your own Pastors above others. Of the Calling, Power, and Succession of Pastors. The best to be preferred. The Order of Minirial Teaching, and the Resolution of faith. How far Humane faith conduceth to Divine. Of Tradition: VVhat use to make of your Pastors. to p. 724

CHAP. VII.

• Directions for the discovery of Truth among Contenders, and how to escape Heresie and deceit. Cautions for avoiding deceit in Disputations. p. 725

CHAP. VIII.

• Directions for the Union and Communion of Saints, and for avoiding unpeaceableness and Schism. p. 731
• VVherein our Unity consisteth? VVhat diversity will be in the Churches. VVhat Schism is? VVhat Heresie? VVhat Apostasie? VVho are Schismaticks? The degrees and progress of it. VVhat Separation is a duty: Q. Is any one form of Church Government of Divine appointment? May man make new Church Officers: The Benefits of Christian Concord; to themselves, and to Insidels. The mischiefs of Schism? VVhether Papists or Protestants are Schismaticks? The aggravations of Division. Two hinderances of our true apprehension of the evil of Schism. Direrections against it. Of imposing defective Liturgies. The Testimonies of antiquity against the bloody and Cruel way of Curing Schism. Their Character of Ithacian Prelates.

CHAP. IX.

• Twenty Directions how to worship God in the Church Assemblies. p. 755

CHAP. X.

• Directions about our Communion with holy souls departed, now with Christ. p. 758

CHAP. XI.

• Directions about our Communion with the holy Angels. p. 763

The Contents of the Ecclesiastical Cases of Conscience added to the Third Part.

• Q. 1. HOw to know which is the true Church among all pretenders, that a Christians Conscience may be quiet in his Relation and communion? p. 771
• Q. 2. Whether we must esteem the Church of Rome a true Church? And in what sence some Protestant Divines affirm it, and some deny it? p. 774
• Q. 3. Whether we must take the Romish Clergie for a true Ministry? p. 775
• Q. 4. Whether it be necessary to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist? p. 777
• Q. 5. Whether we must hold that a Papist may be saved? p. 778
• Q. 6. Whether those that are in the Church of Rome are bound to separate from it? And whether it be lawful to go to their Mass or other worship? p. 779
• Q. 7. Whether the true calling of the Minister· by Ordination or Election be necessary to the essence of the Church? ibid
• Q. 8. Whether sincere faith and Godliness be necessary to the being of the Ministry? And whether it be lawful to hear a wicked man, or take the Sacrament from him, or take him for a Minister? p. 780
• Q. 9. Whether the people are bound to receive or consent to an ungodly intolerable heretical Pastor, (yea or one far less fit and worthy than a competitor) if the Magistrate command it, or the Bishop impose him? p. 781
• Q. 10. What if the Magistrate command the people to receive one Pastor; and the Bishop or Ordainers another, which of them must be obeyed? p. 787
• Q. 11. Whether an uninterrupted succession either of right Ordination or of conveyance by jurisdiction, be necessary to the being of the Ministry, or of a true Church? p. 787
• Q. 12. Whether there be or ever was such a thing in the world, as one Catholick Church constituted by any head besides or under Christ? p. 789
• Q 13. Whether there be such a thing as a visible Catholick Church, and what it is? ibid.
• Q. 14. What is it that maketh a visible member of the universal Church, and who are to be accounted such? p. 790
• Q. 15. Whether besides the profession of Christianity, either testimony or evidence of conversion or practical Godliness be necessary to prove a man a member of the Universal visible Church? ibid.
• Q. 16. What is necessary to a mans reception into membership in a particular Church, over and above this foresaid title? Whether any other tryals, or Covenant or What? p. 791
• Q. 17. Wherein doth the Ministerial office Essentially consist? p. 792
• Q. 18. Whether the peoples choice or consent is necessary to the office [...]f a Minister in his first work, as he is to convert Insidels and Baptize them? And whether this be a work of office, and what call is necessary to it? p. 793
• Q. 19. Wherein consisteth the power and nature of Ordination? and To whom doth it belong? and Is it an act of jurisdiction? and Is imposition of hands necessary in it? p, 794
• Q. 20. Is ordination necessary to make a man a Pastor of a particular Church as such? and Is he to be made a General Minister, and a particular Church-Elder or Pastor at once, and at one Ordination? p. 795
• Q. 21. May a man be oft, or twice ordained? p. 796
• Q. 22. How many ordainers are necessary to the validity of Ordination by Christs Institution, Whether one or more? p. 798
• Q. 23. What if one Bishop Ordain a Minister and three or many or all the rest protest against it, and declare him no Minister or degrade him, is he to be received as a true Minister or not? ibid.
• Q. 24. Hath a Bishop power by divine right to ordain, degrade or govern, excommunicate or absolve in another Diocess or Church, either by his consent, or against it? And doth a Minister that officiateth in anothers Church, act as a Pastor; and their Pastor; or as a private man? And doth his Ministerial office cease when a man removeth from his flock? p. 799
• Q. 25. Whether Canons Be Laws, and Pastors have a Legislative power? p. 800
• Q. 26. Whether Church-canons or Pastors directive determinations of matters pertinent to their Office, do bind the Conscience, and what accidents will disoblige the people; you may gather before in the same case about Magistrates Laws, in the Political Directions: As also by an impartial transferring the case to the precepts of Parents and School-masters to Children without respect to their power of the Rod (or supposing that they had none such?) p. 802
• Q. 27. What are Christs appointed means of the Unity and Concord of the Universal Church, and consequently of its preservation, if there be no humane Universal Head and Governour of it upon Earth? And if Christ hath instituted none such, whether prudence and the Law of Nature oblige not the Church to set up and maintain an universal Ecclesiastical Monarchy or Aristocracy; seeing that which is every mans work, is no mans, and omitted by all? p. 802
• Q. 28. Who is the Iudge of controversies in the Church? 1. About the Exposition of the Scriptures and Doctrinal points in themselves. 2. About either Heresies or wicked practices, as they are charged on the persons who are accused of them: That is, 1. Antecedently to our practice, by way of regulation. 2. Or consequently by judicial sentence (and execution) on [...]ffenders? p. 803
• Q. 29. Whether a Parents power over his Children, or a Pastors or many Pastors or Bishops over the same Children as parts of their stocks, be greater, or more obliging in matters of Religion and publick Worship? p. 804
• Q. 30. May an office Teacher or Pastor be at once in the stated relation of a Pastor, and a Disciple to some other Pastor? ibid.
• Q. 31. Who hath the power of making Church-Canons? p. 805
• Q. 32. Doth Baptism as such enter the Baptized into the Universal Church; or into a particular Church, or both? and is Baptism the particular-Church-Covenant as such? ibid.
• Q. 33. Whether Infants should be Baptized, I have answered long ago in a Treatise on that Subject?
  • Q. What Infants should be Baptized? And who have right to Sacraments? And whether Hypocrites are univocally or equiv[...]cally Christians and Church-members, I have resolved in my disput. of Right to Sacraments. p. 806
• Q. 34. Whether an unbaptized person who yet maketh a publick profession of Christianity be a member of the visible Church? And so of the Infants of believers unbaptized? ibid.
• Q. 35. Is it cértain by the word of God, that all Infants baptized, and dying before actual sin are undoubtedly saved, or what Infants may we say so of? p. 807
• Q. 36. What is meant by this speech, that Believers and their seed are in the Covenant of God; which giveth them right to Baptism? p. 812
• Q. 37. Are believers Children certainly in Covenant before their Baptism; and thereby in a state of salvation; or not till they are baptized. p. 813
• Q. 38. Is Infants title to Baptism and the Covenant benefits given them by God in his Promises upon any proper moral condition, or only upon the condition of their natural relation: that they be the seed of the faithful? ibid.
• Q. 39. What is the true meaning of Sponsors, (Patrimi) or God Fathers, as we call them; and Is it lawful to make use of them? p. 814
• Q. 40. On whose account or right is it that the Infant hath title to Baptism and its benefits? Is it on the Parents, Ancestors, Sponsors, the Churches, the Ministers, the Magistrates, or his own? p. 815
• Q. 41. Are they really baptized who are Baptized according to the English Liturgie and Canons, where the Parent seemeth excluded, and those to consent for the Infant who have no power to do it? p. 817
• Q. 42. But the great question is How the Holy Ghost is given to Infants in Baptism, and whether all the Children of true Christians have inward sanctifying grace? Or whether they can be said to be justified and to be in a state of salvation, that are not inherently sanctified? and whether any fall from this Infant state of salvation? p. 817
• Q. 43. Is the right of the Baptized (Infants or adult) to the sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost now Absolute? or suspended on further conditions? And are the Parents further duty for their Children such conditions of their Childrens reception of the actual assistances of the spirit? or Are Childrens own actions such conditions? and May Apostate Parents forfeit the C[...]venant benefits to their baptized Infants or not? p. 821
• Q. 44. Doth Baptism always oblige us at the present, and give grace at the present, and is the grace which is not given till long after, given by baptism, or an effect of baptism? p. 823
• Q. 45. What is a proper violation of our Baptismal Covenant? p. 824
• Q 46. May not baptism in some cases be repeated, And when? ibid.
• Quest. 47. Is baptism by Lay men or women lawful in cases of necessity? or are they nullities, and the person to be rebaptized. p. 825
• Q. 48. May Anabaptists that have no other errour, be permitted in Church Communion? p. 826
• Q. 49. May one offer his Child to be baptized, with the sign of the Cross, or the use of Chrisms, the white garment, milk and honey or Ex[...]rcisms as among the Lutherans, who taketh these to be unlawful things? ibid.
• Q. 50. Whence came the antient universal Custome of Anointing at baptism, and putting on a white garment and tasting milk and honey; and Whether they are lawful to us? p. 827
• Q 51. Whether it be necessary that they that are baptized in infancy, do solemnly at age review and own their baptismal Covenant before they have right to the state and priviledges of Adult members? and if they do not, Whether they are to be numbred with Christians or Apostates? p. 827
• Q. 52. Whether the Universal Church consist only of particular Churches and their members? p. 828
• Q. 53. Must the Pastor first call the Church, and aggregate them to himself, or the Church first Congregate themselves and then choose the Pastor? p. 829
• Q. 54. Wherein doth a particular Church of Christ differ from a consociation of many Churches? ibid.
• Q. 55. Whether a particular Church may consist of more Assemblies than one? or must needs meet all in one place? ibid.
• Q. 56. Is any form of Church-Government of Divine Institution? p. 830
• Q. 57. Whether any formes of Churches and Church-Government or any new Church-officers may lawfully be invented and made by ma[...]? p. 832
• Q 58. Whether any part of the proper Pastoral or Episcopal power may be given or deputed to a Lay man, or to one of any other office; or their proper work may be performed by such? p. 839
• Q. 59. May a Lay man Preach or expound the Scriptures? or what of this is proper to the Pastors office? p. 840
• Q 60. What is the true sense of the distinction of Pastoral power in foro interiore & exteriore, rightly used? ibid.
• Q. 61. In what sense is it true that some say that the Magistrate only hath the external Government of the Church, and the Pastor the Internal. p 841
• Q. 62. Is the tryal, judgement, or consent of the Laity necessary to the admittance of a member into the universal or particular Church? ibid.
• Q. 63. What power have the people in Church Censures and Excommunication? p. 842
• Q. 64 What is the peoples remedy in case of the Pastors male-administration? ibid.
• Q. 65. May one be a Pastor or a member of a particular Church who liveth so far from it, as to be uncapable of personal communion with them. p. 843
• Q. 66. If a man be injuriously suspended or Excommunicated by the Pastor or people, which way shall he have remedy? ibid.
• Q. 67. Doth presence always make us guilty of the [...]vils or faults of the Pastor in Gods Worship, or of the Church? or In what cases are we guilty? ibid.
• Q. 68. Is it lawful to communicate in the Sacrament with wicked men? p. 844
• Q. 69. Have all the members of the Church right to the Lords Table, and is suspension Lawful? ibid.
• Q. 70. Is there any such thing in the Church, as a rank or Classis or species of Church-members at age who are not to be admitted to the Lords Table but only to the hearing the Word, and Prayer, between Infant members and adult-confirmed ones? p. 845
• Q. 71. Whether a form of Prayer be lawful? p. 847
• Q. 72. Are formes of prayer or Preaching in the Church Lawful? ibid.
• Q. 73. Are publick forms of mans devising or composing Lawful? ibid.
• Q. 74. Is it lawful to Impose forms on the Congregation or the people in publick Worship? p. 848
• Q. 75. Is it Lawful to use forms composed by man and imposed not only on the people, but on the Pastors of the Churches? ibid.
• Q. 76. Doth not the calling of a Minister so consist in the exercise of his own ministerial gifts, that he may not officiate without them, nor make use of other mens gifts instead of them? p. 849
• Q. Is it lawful to read a Prayer in the Church? p. 850
• Q. 77. Is it Lawful to Pray in the Church without a prescribed or premeditated form of words? ibid.
• Q. 78. Whether are set forms of words, or free praying without them the better way; and what are the Commodities, and Incommodities of each way? p. 851
• Q. 79. Is it Lawful to forbear the Preaching of some truths, upon mans prohibition that I may have liberty to Preach the rest? yea and to promise to forbear them, or to do it for the Churches peace? p. 853
• Q. 80. May or must a Minister silenced, or forbid to Preach the G[...]spel, go on still to Preach it against the Law? p. 854
• Q. 81. May we lawfully keep the Lords day as a fast? p. 855
• Q. 82. How should the Lords day be spent in the main? ibid.
• Q. 83. May the people bear a vocal part in Worship, or do any more than say, Amen. p. 856
• Q. 84. Is it not a sin for our Clerks to make themselves the mouth of the people, who are not ordained Ministers of Christ? p. 857
• Q. 85. Are repetitions of the same words in Churchpra[...]ers, lawful? p. 858
• Q. 86. Is it lawful to bow at the name of Iesus? ibid.
• Q. 87. Is it Lawful to stand up at the Gospel as we are appointed? ibid.
• Q. 88. Is it lawful to kneel when the De[...]alogue is read? p. 859
• Q 89. What Gestures are fittest in all the publick Worship? ibid.
• Q. 90. What if the Pastor and Church cannot agree, about singing Psalms, or what Version or Translation to use, or time or place of meeting, &c. ibid.
• Q. 91. What if the Pastor excommunicate a man, and the people will not forbear his Communion, as thinking him unjustly excommunicated? p. 860
• Q. 92. May a whole Church, or the greater part be excommunicated? ibid.
• Q. 93. What if a Church have two Pastors, and one excommunicate a man and the other absolve him, what shall the Church and the Dissenter do? p. 861
• Q. 94. For what sins may a man be denyed Communion or Excommunicated; Whether for impenitence in every little sin; Or For great sin without impenitence? ibid.
• Q. 95. Must the Pastor examine the people before the Sacrament? ibid.
• Q. 96. Is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper a Converting Ordinance? p. 862
• Q. 97. Must no man come to the Sacrament that is uncertain or doubtful of the sincerity of his faith and repentance? ibid.
• Q. 98. Is it Lawful or a duty to joyn oblations to the Sacrament and how? p. 863
• Q. 99. How many Sacraments are there appointed by Christ? ibid.
• Q. 100. How far is it lawful, needful or unlawful for a man to afflict himself by external penances for sin? p. 864
• Q. 101. Is it lawful to observe stated times of fasting imposed by others, without extraordinary occasions; And particularly, Lent? p. 865
• Q. 102. May we continue in a Church where some one Ordinance of Christ is wanting; as Discipline, Prayer, Preaching or Sacraments, though we have all the rest? p. 866
• Q 103. Must the Pastors remove from one Church to another, when ever the Magistrate commandeth us, though the Bishops contradict it, and the Church consent not to dismiss us? And so of other cases of disagreement? p. 867
• Q. 104. Is a Pastor [...]bliged to his flock for life; or is it Lawful so to oblige himself; And may he remove without their Consent? And so also of a Chuch member, the same questions are put. p. 868
• Q. 105. When many men pretend at once to be the true Pastors of a particular Church, against each others title, through differences between the Magistrates, the Ordainers and the flocks, what should the people do, and whom should they adhere to? p. 869
• Q. 106. To whom doth it belong to Reform a Corrupted Church; To the Magistrates, Pastors, or People? p 869
• Q. 107. Who is to call Synods; Princes, Pastors or People? ibid.
• Q. 108. To whom doth it belong to appoint dayes and Assemblies for publick Humiliation and Thanksgiving? p. 870
• Q. 109. May we omit Church Assemblies on the Lords day, if the Magistrate forbid them? ibid.
• Q. 110. Must we obey the Magistrate if he only forbid us Worshipping God, in such a place, or Countrey, or in such numbers, or the like circumstances? p. 871
• Q. 111. Must Subjects or Servants forbear weekly Lectures, Reading, or such helps, above the Lords days worship, if Princes or Masters do forbid them? p. 871
• Q. 112. Whether Religious Worship may be given to a Creature and what? p. 872
• Q. 113. What Images, and what use of Images, is Lawful or Unlawful. p. 873
• Q. 114 Whether Stage-plays where the virtuous and vitious are personated be lawful? p. 877
• Q. 115. Is it ever unlawful to use the known Symbols and badges of Idolatry? p. 878
• Q. 116. Is it unlawful to use the Badge or Symbol of any errour or sect in the Worship of God? p. 879
• Q. 117. Are all Indifferent things made unlawful to us, which shall be abused to Idolatr[...]us Worship? p. 879
• Q. 118. May we use the names of week dayes which Idolat[...]rs honoured their Idols with, [...]s Sunday, Munday, Saturday, and the rest; And so the Months? p. 880
• Q. 119. Is it lawful to pray secretly when we come first into the Church, especially when the Church is otherwise employed? ibid.
• Q. 120. May a Preacher kneel down in the Pulpit and use his private prayers when he is in the Assembly? p. 881
• Q. 121. May a Minister pray publickly in his own name singly, for himself or others; or only in the Churches name, as their mouth to God? ibid.
• Q. 122. May the name Priests, Sacrifice, and Altar be lawfully now used instead of Christs Ministers, Worship, and the Holy Table? p. 882
• Q. 123. May the Communion Table be turned Altarwise and Railed in, And is it lawful to come up to the Rails to communicate? p. 882
• Q. 124. Is it lawful to use David's Psalms in our Assemblies? p. 883
• Q. 125. May Psalms be used as prayers, and praises and Thanksgivings? or only as Instructive; Even the Reading as well as the singing of them? ibid.
• Q. 126. Are our Church-Tunes Lawful being of mans invention? p. 884
• Q. 127. Is Church Musick by Organs or such Instruments Lawful? ibid.
• Q. 128. Is the Lords day a Sabbath, and so to be called and kept, and that of Divine institution, And is the seventh day Sabbath abrogated, &c? p. 885
• Q. 129. Is it Lawful to appoint humane Holy dayes, and observe them? ibid.
• Q. 130. How far is the holy Scriptures a Law and perfect Rule to us? p. 886
• Q. 131. What Additions or humane Inventions in or about Religion not commanded in Scripture, are Lawful or Unlawful? p. 887
• Q. 132. I[...] it unlawful to obey in all th[...]se cases, where it is unlawful to impose and command, or in what cases; And how far Pastors must be believed and obeyed? p. 888
• Q. 133. What are the additions or inventions of m[...]n, which are not f[...]rbidden by the Word of God (whether by Rulers or by private men invented)? p. 889
• Q 134. What are the mischiefs of unlawful Additions in Religion? p. 891
• Q. 135. What are the mischiefs of mens errour on the other extream, who pretend that Scripture is a Rule where it is not, and deny the aforesaid lawful things, on pretence that Scripture is a perfect Rule (say some for all things)? p. 892
• Q. 136. How shall we know what parts of Scripture precept or example were intended for universal constant obligation, and what were but for the time and persons that they were then directed to? p. 893
• Q. 137. How much of the Scripture is necessary to salvation to be believed and understood? p. 894
• Q. 138. How may we know the Fundamentals, Essentials, or what parts are necessary to salvation? And is the Papists way allowable that (some of them) deny that distinction, and make the difference to be only in the degrees of mans opportunities of knowledge? p 895
• Q 139. What is the use and Authority of the Creed; And is it of the Apostles framing or not; And is it the Word of God, or not? p 896
• Q 140. What is the use of Catechisms? p. 897
• Q. 141. Could any of us have known by the Scriptures alone the Essentials of Religion from the rest, if tradition had not given them to us in the Creed as from Apostolical Collection? ibid.
• Q. 142. What is the best method of a true Catechism or sum of Theologie? p. 898
• Q. 143. What is the use of various Church-Confessions or Articles of faith? ibid.
• Q. 144. May not the subscribing of the whole Scriptures serve turn for all the foresaid ends without Creeds Catechisms or Confessions? ibid.
• Q. 145. May a man be saved that believeth all the Essentials of Religion as coming to him by verbal Tradition, and not as c[...]ntained in the Holy Scriptures, which perhaps, he never knew? p. 899
• Q 146. Is the Scripture fit for all Christians, to read, being so obscure? ibid.
• Q. 147. How far is Tradition and mens words and Ministry to be used or tru[...]ed in, in the exercise of faith? p. 900
• Q 148. How kn[...]w we the true Canon of Scripture from Apocrypha? ibid.
• Q. 149. Is the publick Reading of the Scripture the proper w[...]rk of the Minister; or may a Lay man ordinarily do it, or another officer? p. 901
• Q 150. Is it Lawful to Read the Apocrypha, or any good Books besides the Scriptures to the Church; as [...]omili[...]s, &c? ibid.
• Q 151. May Church Assemblies be held, where there is no Minister? or what publick Worship may be so performed by L[...]y men (As among In[...]idels or Papists where persecuti[...]n ha[...]h killed, imprisoned or expelled the Ministry)? p. 902
• Q. 152. Is it Lawful to subscribe or profess full assent and consent to any religious Books besides the Scriptures, seeing all men are fallible? ibid.
• Q. 153. May we lawfully Swear obedience in all things lawful and honest, either to Usurpers, or to our Lawful Pastors? ibid.
• Q. 154. Must all our Preaching be upon some Text of Scripture? p. 904
• Q. 155. Is not the Law of Moses abrogated? and the wh[...]le Old Testament out of date, and therefore not to be Read publickly and Preached? ibid.
• Q. 156. Must we believe that Moses Law did ever bind other Nations, or that any other parts of the Scripture bound them or belonged to them? or that the Iews were all Gods visible Church on earth? p. 905
• Q. 157. Must we think accordingly of the Christian Churches n[...]w, that they are only advanced above the rest of the World as the Iews were, but not the only people that are saved? p. 906
• Q. 158. Should not Christians take up with Scripture wisdom only, without studying Philosophy or other Heathens humane Learning? p. 907
• Q. 159. If we think that Scripture and the Law of Nature are in any point contradictory to each other, Which must be the standard by which the other must be tryed? p. 908
• Q. 160. May we not look that God should yet give us more Revelations of his will, than there are already made in Scripture? ibid.
• Q. 161. I[...] not a third Rule of the Holy Ghost, or perfecter Kingdom of Love to be expected, as different from the Reign of the Creator and Redeemer? p. 909
• Q. 162. May we not look for Miracles hereafter? p. 910
• Q. 163. Is the Scripture to be tryed by the spirit, or the Spirit by the Scripture? and which of them is to be preferred? ibid.
• Q. 164. How is a pretended Prophet, or Revelation to be tryed? p. 911
• Q. 165, May one be saved who believeth that the Scripture hath any mistake or errours, and believeth it not all? ibid.
• Q. 166. Who be they that give too little to the Scriptures, and who too much, and what is the danger of each extream? p. 912
• Q. 167. How far do good men now Preach and pray by the spirit? p. 913
• Q. 168. Are not our own Reasons, studies, memory, strivings, Books, Forms, Methods, and Ministry needless? yea a hurtful quenching or preventing of the Spirit, and setting up our own instead of the spirits operations? p. 914
• Q. 169. How doth the Holy Ghost set Bishops over the Churches? p. 914
• Q. 170. Are Temples, Fonts, Utensils, Church-Lands, much more the Ministry, holy? and What reverence is due to them as holy? p. 915
• Q. 171. What is Sacriledge, and what not? p. 916
• Q. 172. Are all Religious private-meetings, forbidden by Rulers, unlawful Conventicles, or are any such necessary? p. 916
• Q. 173. What particular Directions for Order of Studies and Books should be observed by young Students who intend the Sacred Ministry? p. 917
• Q. 174. What Books should a poor man choose that for want of money or Time can have or read but few. There are three Catalogues set down (but somewhat disorderly as they came into my memory.)
• 1. The smallest or Poorest Library.
• 2. A poor Library, that hath considerable Additions to the former.
• 3. Some more Additions to them, for them that can go higher, With some additional Notes. p. 921

TOME IV. Christian Politicks.

CHAP. I.

• GEneral Directions for an Upright Life. p. 1
• The most passed by on necessary reasons.

CHAP. II.

• A few brief Memoranda to Rulers, for the interest of Christ, the Church and mens salvation. p. 5

CHAP. III.

• Directions to Subjects concerning their duty to Rulers. p. 9. Of the Nature and Causes of Government. Mr. Richard Hookers Ecclesiastical Policy as it is for Popularity, examined and confuted. Directions for obedience. Duty to Rulers. Q. Is the Magistrate Iudge in Controversies of faith or worship? p. 20. Q. 2. May the Oath of Supremacy be lawfully taken, in which the King is pronounced Supream Governour, in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil? p. 20. Q. 3. Doth not this give the Pastors power to the Magistrate? Q. 4. Hath the King power of Church Discipline and Excommunication? Q. 5. If Kings and Bishops differ, which must be obeyed? Q. Is he obliged to suffer, who is not obliged to obey? p. 25. Of admonition of Rulers. Q. 1. Whether the sound Authors of Politicks be against Monarchy? Q. 2. Whether Civilians be against it? Q. 3. Are Historians against it? Greek, Roman, or Christian? Q. 4. Whether Athens, Rome, Aristotle, Philosophers, Academies be against it? Q. 5. Are Divines and Church discipline against it? Q. 6. Is Scripture and Christianity against it? Objections answered. Q. Are Papists, Prelatists and Puritans against it? Bilson and Andrews Vindication of the Puritans: Christianity is the greatest help to Government: Further Directions.
• Tit. 2. Q. Whether mans Laws bind the Conscience?
• Q. Is it a sin to break every Law of man? More fully answered. p. 36, 37

CHAP. IV.

• Directions to Lawyers about their Duty to God. p. 39

CHAP. V.

• The Duty of Physicions. p. 43

CHAP. VI.

• Directions to Sch[...]olmasters about their duties for Childrens souls. p. 44

CHAP. VII.

• Directions for Souldiers about their duty in point of Conscience. (Princes, Nobles, Iudges and Iustices, are past by, lest they take Counsel for injury). p. 46

CHAP. VIII.

• Advice against Murder. p. 50. The Causes of it. Wars, Tyranny, malignant persecuting fury. Unrighteous judgement, oppression and uncharitableness, Robbery, Wrath, Guilt and Shame, Malice and Revenge, wicked Impatience, Covetousness, Ambition, &c. The Greatness of the sin. The Consequents.
• Tit. 2. Advice against Self-murder. The Causes to be avoided. Melancholy, worldly trouble, discontent, passion, &c. p. 54. Besides Gluttony, Tipling and Idleness, the great Murderers.

CHHP. IX.

• Directions for the forgiving of injuries and enemies, Against wrath, malice, revenge and persecution. Practical Directions. Curing Considerations, Twenty, p. 56

CHAP. X.

• Cases resolved about forgiving wrongs, and debts, and about self defence, and seeking [...]ur Right, by Law or otherwise. p. 61
• Q. What injuries are we bound to forgive, Neg. and Affir. resolved.
• Q. 2. What is the meaning of Matth. 5. 38, &c. Resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee, &c. p. 63
• Q. 3. Am I bound to forgive another if he ask me not forgiveness? Luke 17. 3, &c. p. 64
• Q. 4. Is it lawful to sue another at Law? 1 Cor. 6. 7.
• Q. 5. Is it lawful to defend our lives or estates against a Robber, Murderer, or unjust Invader by force of Arms?
• Q. 6. Is it lawful to take away anothers life in defending my purse or estate only? p. 65
• Q. 7. May we kill or wound another in defence or vindication of our honour or good name? p. 66

CHAP. XI.

• Special Directions to escape the guilt of persecution: Determining much of the Case about Liberty in matters of Religion. p 67. What is persecution. The several kinds of it. The greatness of the sin. Understand the Case of Christs interest in the world. Q. Whether particular Churches should require more of their members as Conditions of Communion, than the Catholick Church? and What? Penalties to be chosen that hinder the Gospel least. More Directions, to the number of forty one.

CHAP. XII.

• Directions against Scandal as Given. p. 80. What Scandal is, and what not? The sorts of scandalizing. The Scripture sense of it. Twenty Directions.

CHAP. XIII.

• Directions against Scandal taken, or an aptness to receive hurt by the words or deeds of others: Especially quarrelling with Godliness. p. 88. or taking encouragement to sin. Practical Directions against taking hurt by others. p. 90.

CHAP. XIV.

• Directions against soul-murder and partaking of other mens sins. p. 92
• The several wayes of destroying souls. How we are not guilty of other mens sin and ruine.

CHAP. XV.

• General Directions for furthering the salvation of others. p. 95

CHAP. XVI.

• Special Directions for holy Conference, Exhortation and Reproof.
• Tit. 1. Motives to holy Conference and Exhortation. p 97
• Tit. 2. Directions to Christian edifying discourse. p. 100
• Tit. 3. Special Directions for Exhortations and Reproofs. p. 101

CHAP. XVII.

• Directions for keeping Peace with all men. How the Proud do hinder Peace. Many more Causes and Cures opened. p. 103

CHAP. XVIII.

• Directions against all Theft, fraud or injurious getting, keeping or desiring that which is anothers. p. 107
• Tit. 2. Cases of Conscience about Theft and such injuries? Q. 1. Is it sin to steal to save ones life? Q. 2. May I take that which another is bound to give me, and will not? Q. 3. May I take my own from an unjust borrower or possessor, if I cannot otherwise get it? Q. 4. May I recover my own by force from him that taketh it by force from me? Q. 5. May we take from the Rich to relieve the poor? Q. 6. If he have so much as that he will not miss it, may I take some? Q. 7. May not one pluck ears of Corn or an Apple from a Tree, &c. Q. 8. May a Wife, Child, or Servant take more than a Cruel Husband, Parent, or Master doth all[...]w? (May Children forsake their Parents for such Cruelty). Q. 9. May I take what a man forfeiteth penally? Q. 10. What if I resolve when I take a thing in necessity to make satisfaction if ever I be able. Q. 11. What if I know not whether the Owner would consent? Q. 12. May I take in jeast from a friend, with a purpose to restore it. Q 13. May I not take from another to prevent his hurting himself. Q. 14. May I take away Cards, Dice, Play-books, Papist-books by which he would hurt his soul. Q 15. May not a Magistrate take the Subjects goods when it is necessary to their own preservation? Q 16. May I take from another for a holy use? p. 109, &c.

CHAP. XIX.

• General Directions, and particular Cases of Conscience, [...]bo[...]t Contracts in general, and about Buying and selling, borrowing and lending, and Usury in particular. p. 113
• Tit. 1. General Directions against injurious bargaining and contracts, ibid.
• Tit. 2. Cases about Iustice in Contracts. p. 114.
• Q. 1. Must I in all Cases do as I would be done by?
• Q. 2. Is a Son bound by the Contracts which Parents or Guardians made for him in his Infancy?
• Q 3. Is one obliged by a Contract made in ignorance or mistake of the matter?
• Q. 4. Doth the contract of a man drunk, or in passion or melancholy bind him?
• Q 5. May another hold such a one to his contract, or if he give or play away his money?
• Q. 6. Am I obliged by Covenanting words without a Covenanting intent?
• Q. 7. May I promise a Robber money to save my life, or to save a greater commodity?
• Q. 8. May I give money to a Iudge or Magistrate to hire him to do me justice, and not to wrong me, or not to persecute me?
• Q. 9. If I make such a contract, may the Magigistrate take it of me?
• Q 10. If I promise money to an Officer or Robber under a force, am I bound to pay it when the necessity is over? So of other constrained promises.
• Q. 11. May I promise a Thief or Bribe-taker to conceal him, and must I keep that promise?
• Q. 12. Must I keep a promise which I was drawn into by deceit?
• Q 13. Is it a Covenant when neither of the contracting parties understand each other?
• Q. 14. Must I stand to a bargain made for me by a friend or servant, to my injury?
• Q. 15. If I say I will give one this or that, am I bound to give it him?
• Q 16. Doth a mental promise not uttered oblige?
• Q. 17. May I promise to do a thing simply unlawful, without a purpose to perform it, to save my life?
• Q. 18. May any thing otherwise unlawful become a duty upon a promise to do it?
• Q. 19. May he that promised for a reward to promote anothers sin, take the reward when he hath done it?
• Q. 20. Am I bound by a contract without witness or legal form?
• Q 21. May an Office in a Court of Iustice be bought for money?
• Q. 22. May a place of Magistracy or Iudicature be bought?
• Q. 23. May one sell a Church Benefice or Orders?
• Q. 24 May one buy Orders or a Benefice?
• Q. 25. May I give money to Servants or Officers to assist my Suit?
• Q. 26. May I after give by way of gratitude to the Bishop, Patron? &c.
• Q. 27. May a Bishop or Pastor take money for Sermons, Sacraments, or other Offices?
• Q. 28. May I disoblige another of his promise made to me?
• Q. 29. What if it be sec[...]nded by an Oath?
• Q. 30. Doth a promise bind, when the cause or reason proveth a mistake?
• Q 31. What if a following accident make it more to my hurt than could be foreseen?
• Q. 32. Or if it make it injurious to a third person?
• Q. 33. Or if a f[...]llowing accident make the perf[...]rmance a sin?
• Q. 34. Am I bound to him that breaketh Covenant with me?
• Q. 35. May I contract to do that, which I foresee like to become impossible, before the time of performance?
• Tit. 3. Cases about Iustice in Buying and Selling. p. 120
• Q 1. Am I bound to endeavour the gain of him that I bargain with as well as my own?
• Q. 2. May I take more for my labour or goods than the worth, if I can get it?
• Q. 3. May I ask more in the Market than the worth?
• Q. 4. How shall the worth of a Commodity be judged of?
• Q. 5. May I conceal the faults, or make a thing seem better than it is, by setting the best side outward, adorning, &c.
• Q. 6. If I was deceived, or gave more than the worth, may I do so to repair my loss?
• Q. 7. If I foresee a cheapness of my Commodity (as by coming in of Ships, &c.) must I tell the buyer of it that knoweth it not?
• Q. 8. May I keep my Commodity if I foresee a dearth?
• Q. 9. May one use many words in buying and selling?
• Q. 10. May I buy as cheap as I can, or below the worth?
• Q. 11. May I sell dearer for anothers necessity? (Cases instanced in).
• Q. 12. May I take advantage of the buyers ignorance?
• Q. 13. May I strive to get a good bargain before another?
• Q. 14. May I buy a thing, or hire a servant, which another is first about, or call away his Chapman?
• Q. 15. May I dispraise anothers Commodity, to draw the buyer to my own?
• Q. 16. What to do in cases of doubtful equity?
• Q. 17. What if the buyer lose the thing bought before the payment? (as, a Horse dye, &c.)
• Q. 18. If the thing bought (as Amber-Chryse, Iewels, &c.) prove of much more worth than either party expected, must more be after payed?
• Q. 19. What if the title prove bad which was before unknown?
• Q. 20. If a change of powers overthrow a title speedily, who must bear the l[...]ss? p. 120
• Tit. 4. Cases about Lending and B[...]rrowing.
• Q 1. May one borrow money, who seeth no probability that he shall be able to repay it?
• Q 2. May one drive a Trade with borrowed money, when success and repayment is uncertain?
• Q. 3. May be that cannot pay his debts, retain any thing for his food and rayment?
• Q. 4. May one that breaketh, secure that to his Wife and Children, which on Marriage he promised, before he was in debt?
• Q. 5. May one that breaketh retain somewhat to set up again, by compounding with his Creditors?
• Q. 6. May I in necessity break my day of payment?
• Q. 7. May I borrow of one to keep day with another?
• Q. 8. May one that hath no probability of paying the last man, borrow of one to pay another?
• Q. 9. Is it lawful to take pledges, pawns or mortgages for security?
• Q. 10. May a fo[...]feiture, pledge or mortgage be kept, on Covenant breaking?
• Q. 11. May I take the promise or bond of a third person as security for my money?
• Q. 12. Is it lawful to lend upon usury, interest or increase?
• Q. 13. Whom are we bound to lend to?
• Q. 14. Is it lawful to take money on usury, in such cases as the Lender sinneth in?
• Q 15. Doth not contracting for a certain summ make usury the more unlawful? p. 124
• Tit. 5. Cases about Lusory Contracts.
• Q. 1. Is it lawful to lay wagers about the truth of our discourses?
• Q. 2. Is it lawful to lay wagers about Horse-races, Dogs, Hawks, &c.
• Q. 3. May one give money to see Games or Activities, Bear-baitings, Playes, &c.
• Q 4. Is it lawful to play for money at Cards, Dice, Lottery, &c.
• Q. 5. Or at Games, of Activity, as Bowling, Shooting, Running, &c.
• Q. 6. If the looser prove angry and unwilling to pay, may I get it of him by Law? p. 129
• Tit. 6. Cases about losing and finding.
• Q. 1. Must we seek out the loser to restore what we find?
• Q. 2. May I take a reward as my due, for restoring what I found?
• Q. 3. May I wish to find any thing in my way, or be glad that I find it?
• Q. 4. May I not keep it, if no owner be found.
• Q. 5. If others be present when I find it, may I not conceal, or keep it to my self?
• Q 6. Who must stand to the loss of goods trusted to another? p. 130
• Tit. 7. Directions to Merchants, Factors, Travellers, Chaplains, that live among Heathens, Infidels or Papists? p. 131
• Q. 1. Is it lawful to put ones self or servants, specially young unsetled Apprentices, into the temptations of an Infidel, or Popish Countrey, meerly to get Riches as Merchants do? p. 131
• Q. 2. May a Merchant or Embassadour leave his Wife, to live abroad? p. 132
• Q. 3. Is it lawful for young Gentlemen to travail into other Kingdoms, as part of their education? The danger of Common Traveling. p. 133
• Directions for all these Travellers in their abode abroad. p. 135

CHAP. XX.

• Motives and Directions against Oppression. The sorts of it. The greatness of the sin of Oppression. The Cure. p. 137
• Tit. 2. Cases about Oppression, especially of Tenants. p. 140
• Q. 1. Is it lawful to buy land of a liberal Landlord, when the buyer must needs set it dearer than the S[...]l[...]er did?
• Q. 2. May one take as much for his Land as it is worth?
• Q. 3. May he raise his Rents?
• Q. 4. How much below the full worth must a Landlord set his Land?
• Q. 5. May not a Landlord that is in debt, or hath a payment to pay, raise his Rents to pay it?
• Q. 6. If I cannot relieve the honest poor, without raising the Rent of Tenants that are worthy of less charity, may I do it?
• Q. 7. May I penally raise a Tenants Rent, or turn him out, because he is a bad man?
• Q. 8. May one take house or Land while another is in possession of it?
• Q. 9. May a rich man put out his Tenants to lay the Lands to his own d[...]mesnes?
• Q. 10. May one Tenant have divers Tenements?
• Q. 11. May one have divers Trades?
• Q. 12. Or keep shops in several Market Towns.

CHAP. XXI.

• Cases and Directions about Prodigality and sinful waste.
• What it is? p. 143. Wayes of sinful waste.
• Q. 1. Are all men bound to fare alike? Or what is excess?
• Q. 2. What cost on visits and entertainments is lawful? (Whether the greatest good is still to be preferred?)
• Q. 3. What is excess in buildings?
• Q. 4. May we not in building, dyet, &c. be at some charge for our Delight, as well as for Necessity?
• Q. 5. When are Recreations too costly?
• Q. 6. When is Apparel too costly?
• Q. 7. When is Retinue, Furniture and other pomp too costly?
• Q. 8. When is House-keeping too costly?
• Q. 9. When are Childrens Portions too great?
• Q. 10. How far is frugality in small matters a duty?
• Q. 11. Must all labour in a Calling?
• Q. 12. May one desire to increase and grow rich?
• Q. 13. Can one be prodigal in giving to the Church?
• Q. 14. May one give too much to the poor?
• Q. 15. May the Rich lay out on conveniences, pomp or pleasure, when multitudes are in deep necessities?
• Directions against Prodigality. p. 143, &c.

CHAP. XXII.

• Cases and Directions against injurious Law suits, witnessing and judgement. p. 148
• Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about Law suits and proceedings.
• Q. 1. When is it Lawful to go to Law?
• Q. 2. May I Sue a poor man for a Debt or Trespass?
• Q. 3. May I Sue a Surety whose interest was not concerned in the debt?
• Q. 4. May I Sue for the Use of Money?
• Q. 5. May Law Suits be used to vex and humble an insolent bad man?
• Q. 6. May a rich man use his friends and purse to bear down a poor man that hath a bad cause?
• Q. 7. May one use such forms in Law Suits (Declarations, Answers, &c.) as are false, according to the proper sense of the words?
• Q. 8. May a guilty person plead Not guilty?
• Q. 9. Is a man bound to accuse himself, and offer himself to justice?
• Q. 10. May a witness voluntarily speak that truth, which he knoweth will be ill used?
• Q. 11. May a witness conceal part of the truth?
• Q. 12. Must a Iudge or Iury proceed secundum allegata & probata, when they know the witness to be false or the Cause bad, but cannot evince it?
• Tit 2. Directions against these sins. p. 150. The evil of unjust Suits. The evil of false witness. The evil of unjust judgements. The Cure. p. 150

CHAP. XXIII.

• Cases of Conscience and Directions against backbiting, Slandering and Evil speaking. p. 152
• Tit. 1. Q. 1. May we not speak evil of that which is evil?
• Q. 2. May not the contrary be sinful silence and befriending mens sins?
• Q. 3. What if Religious credible persons report it?
• Q. 4. If I may not speak it, may I not believe them?
• Q. 5. May we not speak ill of open persecutors or enemies of Godliness?
• Q. 6. What if it be one whose reputation countenanceth his ill Cause, and his defamation would disable him?
• Q. 7. If I may not make a true Narrative of matters of fact, how may we write true Histories for posterity?
• Q. 8. What if it be one that hath been of[...] admonished?
• Q. 9. Or one that I cannot speak to, face to face.
• Q. 10. In what Cases may we open anothers faults?
• Q. 11. What if I hear men praise the wicked, or their sins?
• Tit 2. Directions against back-biting, slandering and evil speaking. p. 154
• Tit. 3. The great evil of these sins. p. 155

CHAP. XXIV.

• Cases of, and Directions against Censoriousness, and sinful judging. p. 157
• Tit. 1. Cases. Q. 1. Am I not bound to judge truly of every one as he is?
• Q. 2. How far may we judge ill of one by outward appearance, as face, gesture, &c.
• Q. 3. How far may we censure on the report of others?
• Q. 4. Doth not the fifth Command bind us to judge better of Parents and Princes than their lives declare them to be?
• Q. 5. Whom must we judge sincere and holy Christians?
• Q. 6. Is it not a sin to err, and take a man for better than he is?
• Q. 7. Whom must I take for a visible Church member?
• Q. 8. Whom must I judge a true Worshipper of God?
• Q. 9. Which must I take for a true Church?
• Q. 10. Whom must we judge true Prophets, and true Pastors of the Church? p. 157
• Tit. 2. Directions for the Cure of sinful Censoriousness. p. 159
• Tit. 3. The evil of the sin of Censoriousness. p. 160
• Tit. 4. Directions for those that are rashly censured by others? p. 162

CHAP. XXV.

• Cases and Directions about Trusts and Secrets? p. 163
• Tit. 3. The Cases. Q. 1. How must we not put our Trust in man?
• Q. 2. Whom to choose for a Trust?
• Q. 3. When may I commit a secret to another?
• Q. 4. Must I keep a secret when I am trusted with it, but promise it not?
• Q. 5. What if a secret be revealed to me, without desire to conceal it?
• Q. 6. What if it be against the King or State?
• Q. 7. What if it be against the good of a third person?
• Q. 8. What if a man in Debt do trust his Estate with me to defraud his Creditors?
• Q. 9. What if a delinquent intrust his Person or Estate with me to secure it from penalty?
• Q. 10. What if a friend entrust his Estate with me, to secure it from some great Taxes to the King?
• Q. 11. What if a man that suffereth for Religion commit his person or Estate to my trust?
• Q. 12. If a Papist or erroneous person entrust me to Educate his Children in his errour when he is dead, I being of his mind, must I perform it when I am better informed?
• Q. 13. What if one turn Papist, &c. after another hath committed his Children to him?
• Q. 14. Must I wrong my Estate to satisfie a dying friend in taking a trust?
• Q. 15. What if after, the trust prove more to my hurt than I could foresee?
• Q. 16. What if he cast the trust on me, without my promise to accept it?
• Q 17. May I not ease my self of a trust of Orphanes, by casting it on the surviving kindred, if they calumniate me as unfaithful?
• Tit. 2. Directions about Trusts and Secrets? p. 166

CHAP. XXVI.

• Directions against SELFISHNESS as it is contrary to the love of our Neighbour. The nature and evil of the sin; and the Cure. ibid.

CHAP. XXVII.

• Cases and Directions for Loving our Neighbours as our selves. p. 168
• Tit. 1. The Cases. Q 1. How must I Love another as my self, in degree, or kind, or only reality?
• Q. 2. What is the true nature of Love to my self and others?
• Q. 3. If none must be Loved above their worth, how doth God love sinners?
• Q. 4. Must I love all in degree as much as my self?
• Q. 5. Must I love any more than my self?
• Q. 6. Must I love other mens Wife, Children, &c. better than my own, when they are better?
• Q. 7. Who is that Neighbour whom I must love as my self?
• Q. 8. Must we Love and pray for Antichrist, and those that sin against the Holy Ghost?
• Q. 9. Must we not hate Gods enemies?
• Q. 10. May I not wish hurt to another more than to my self? p. 168
• Tit. 2. Directions to Love our Neighbours as our selves. p. 171
• Tit. 3. The Reasons and Motives of Love to our Neighbour. ibid.

CHAP. XXVIII.

• Cases of and Directions for the Love of Godly persons as such. p. 173
• Tit. The Cases. Q. 1. How can we love the Godly, when none can know another to be sincere?
• Q. 2. Must we Love them as Godly that give no account of the time, manner, or means of their Conversion?
• Q. 3. What if they are so ignorant that they know not what faith, repentance, conversion, &c. are?
• Q. 4. Must I take the Visible members of the Church for truly Godly?
• Q. 5. Must we take all visible members equally to be Godly and Lovely?
• Q. 6. Must we love all equally, strong and weak, that seem sincere?
• Q. 7. Must we love those better that have much grace and little useful gifts, or those that have less grace and more profitable gifts for the Church?
• Q. 8. Must we love him as Godly who liveth in any heinous sin?
• Q. 9. Must an Excommunicate person be Loved as Godly, or not?
• Q. 10. Can an unsanctified man truly Love a Godly man?
• Q. 11. Can he love him because he is Godly?
• Q. 12. May he love a Godly man because he would make him Godly?
• Q. 13. Doth any such love the Godly more than others?
• Q. 14. Do all true Christians love all the Godly that wrong them, or differ from them?
• Q. 15. What is that love of the Godly which proveth our sincerity, and which no Hypocrite can reach to?
• Tit. 2. Directions for true Loving the Children of God. p. 176
• Tit. 3. Motives or Meditative helps to Love the Godly? p. 177
• Tit. 4. The hind[...]rances and enemies of Christian Lo[...]. p. 178
• Tit. 5. The Counterfeits of Christian Love. p. 179
• Tit. 6. [...]ases and Directions for Intimate special friends. p. 180
• Q. 1. Is it lawful to have an earnest desire to be loved by others: Especially by some one above all others?
• Q. 2. Is it lawful, meet or desirable, to entertain that extraordinary affection to any, which is called sp[...]cial Friendship? or to have one endeared intimate friend, whom we prefer before all others?
• Q. 3. Is it meet to have more bosome friends than [...]e?
• Q. 4. Is it meet for him to choose any other bosome friend, that hath a pious Wife? and is any so fit for this friendship as a Wife?
• Q. 5. Is it meet to Love a friend for our own commodity? Must I or my friend be the chief end of my Love or friendship?
• Q. 6. May we keep any secret from such a friend? or have any suspicion of him, or suppose that he may prove unfaithful?
• Q. 7. May we change an old bosome friend for a n[...]w one?
• Q. 8. What Love is due to a Minister that hath been the means of my Conversion?
• Q. 9. What is the sin and danger of Loving another too much?
• Q. 10. What must be the Qualifications of a bosome friend?
• Twenty things necessary to such friendship; so rare as prove it rare:
• Directions for the right use of special friendship. p. 184

CHAP. XXIX.

• Cases and Directions for Loving Enemies and doing them good (beside what is said before Chap. 9. of forgiving them.) p. 189
• Tit. 1. Q. 1. Whom must I account and Love as an Enemy.
• Q. 2. Why and how must an Enemy be loved?
• Q. 3. Must I d[...]sire God to forgive him while he repenteth not?
• Q. 4. What if he be my Enemy for Religion, and so an Enemy to God?
• Q. 5. What if my benefits enable and embolden him to do hurt?
• Q. 6. May I not hurt an Enemy in my own Defence, and wish him as much hurt as I may do him?
• Q. 7. Must Kings and States Love their Enemies? How then shall they make Wa[...]?
• Tit. 2. Motives to Love and do good to Enemies? p. 187
• Tit. 3. Directions for the practice. p. 188

CHAP. XXX.

• Cases and Directions about works of Charity. p. 189
• Tit. 1. The Cases. Q. 1. What are the Grounds and Motives of good works?
• Q. 2. What is a good work which God hath promised to reward?
• Q. 3. What particular good works should one choose at this time, that would best improve his masters stock?
• Q. 4. In what order must we do good works, and who must be preferred?
• Q. 5. Is it better to give in life time or at death?
• Q. 6. and 7. Must we devote a certain proportion of our incomes? and what proportion? A Letter to Mr. Gouge on that question. p. [...]92
• Tit. 2. Directions for works of Charity (besides those Tom. 1. Ch. 3.) p. 199

CHAP. XXXI.

• Cases and Directions about Confessing sins and injuries to others. Tit. 1. The Cases. p. 201
• Q. 1. When must we confess wrongs to those that we have wronged?
• Q. 2. What will excuse us from such Confessions?
• Q. 3. Must I confess a purpose of injury which was never executed?
• Q. 4. When must sins against God be confessed to men?
• Tit. 2. The Directions for just confessing sin to others. p. 202

CHAP. XXXII.

• Cases and Directions about satisfaction and Restitution. p. 203
• Tit. 1. The Cases. Q. 1. What is Satisfaction, what Restitution, and when a duty? Q. Why did they restore fourfold by the Law of Moses?
• Q. 2. How far is Satisfaction and Restitution necessary?
• Q. 3. Who are bound to make it?
• Q. 4. To whom must it be made?
• Q. 5. What Restitution is to be made for dishonouring Rulers or Parents?
• Q. 6· How must Satisfaction be made for Slanders and Lyes?
• Q. 7. And for tempting others to sin, and hurting their souls?
• Q. 8. And for Murder or Man-slaughter?
• Q. 9. I[...] a Murderer bound to offer himself to justice?
• Q. 10. Or to do execution on himself?
• Q. 11. What Satisfaction is to be made by a Fornicator or Adulterer?
• Q. 12. In what cases is a man excused from Satisfaction and Restitution?
• Q. 13. What if Restitution will cost the Restorer more than the thing is worth?
• Q. 14. What if confessing a fault will turn the rage of the injured person against me to my ruine? p. 203
• Tit. 2. The Directions for Practice. p. 206

CHAP. XXXIII.

• Cases and Directions about our obtaining pardon from God. p. 206
• Tit. 1. The Cases. Q 1. Is there Pardon to be had for all sin without exception?
• Q. 2. What if one oft commit the same heinous sin?
• Q. 3. Is the day of Grace and Pardon ever past in this life?
• Q. 4. May we be sure that we are pardoned?
• Q. 5. Can any man pardon sins against God, and how far?
• Q. 6. Is sin forgiven before it be committed?
• Q. 7. Are the Elect Pardoned and Iustified before Repentance?
• Q. 8. Is Pardon or Iustification perfect before Death?
• Q. 9. Is our pardon perfect as to all sins past?
• Q. 10. May Pardon or Iustification be lost or reversed?
• Q. 11. Is the pardon of my own sin to be Believed [...]ide Divina? and is it the meaning of that Article of the Creed?
• Q. 12. May one in any kind Trust to his own Faith and Repentance for his Pardon?
• Q. 13. What are the Causes and Conditions of Pardon? p. 208
• Tit. 2. Directions for obtaining Pardon from God? p. 209

CHAP. XXXIV.

• Cases and Directions about self-judging. p. 210
• Tit. 1. The Cases. Q. 1. What are the Reasons, Vses and Motives of Self-judging?
• Q. 2. What should ignorant persons do whose capacity will not reach to so high a work as true self-examination and self-judging?
• Q. 3. How far may a weak Christian take the judgement of his Pastor or others about his sincerity and justification?
• Tit. 2. Directions for judging of our Actions. p. 211
• Tit. 3. Directions for judging of our estates, to know whether we are Iustified and in a state of life? p. 212, &c