PRINCIPAL TOPICS IN THE VOLUME.
Admissions to the church at Jerusalem, 41; to Congregational
churches, 171; to Episcopal, 221; to Presbyterian, 236.
Advantages of Congregationalism, 201; See Congregationalism,
Advantages.
Agreement of Congregationalists, ancient and modern, in funda-
mentals, 27.
Antioch, church in, congregational, 54; send missionaries to the
Gentiles, ib; seek council of a sister church, 114.
Apostles, what? 71; foundation of their authority, 73; called on
the churches to elect their own officers, 57-61; to discipline
offenders, 63-65; their office incommunicable, 75.
Apostolic Fathers, their testimony in favor of Congregationalism,
121-36. Succession, 71; Dr. Barrow's views, 75; church-
es our models, 31-37.
Archbishops, English, 206; their Ecclesiastical courts, 209; year-
ly revenue, 212.
Archdeacons, 206; their ecclesiastical courts, 210.
Arminianism, and Unitarianism, how introduced into our Church-
es, 250.
Associations of ministers, 195. Churches, 197.
Authority of pastors, over the Churches what? 278-80.
Baptismal Regeneration, taught in the Common Prayer Book,
223.
Baptist, Calvinistic churches, Congregationalists, 239. Free-
will, essentially Congregationalists, ib.
Benefices, in Church of England, 213.
Bishops, English income of, 212-13. Arbitrary power of A-
merican Episcopal, 229.
Book of Common Prayer, of P. E. Church in U. S., wherein it
differs from the B. C. P. Church of England, 215-227; Po-
pish origin of, 225.
Business Meetings of a Church, 168, 170, 286.
Call of Church to a pastor-elect, 260.
Canons, or Prebendaries, in Church of England, 206; see Deans.
Chapter, in English Hierarchy, what? 207.
Christian Church, characteristics of, 19.
Christian Connection, their churches independent, 239.
Church and State, influence of the union under Constantine, 147;
on the Reformers, 20.
Church, its organization in different ages, 17. Patriarchal, ib.
Levitical, 18. Constitution and worship of the first Christian
church, 20. No visible, organized church recognized in New
Test, larger than a single congregation, 50–56. See Index No.
2; also Ecc. History. Of England, diversity of sentiments in,
253; symbolizing with Popery, ib. P. Episcopal in U. S. not
harmonious, 228-9, 254. Scotch Presbyterian, controversies
and divisions in, 235, 237. Presbyterian in U. S., division
and errors in, 237, 238, 254. Eng. Presbyterian, Arianism and
Unitarianism of, 254. Officers elected by the people, 57: see
Election and Officers. A voluntary association, 37. Organi
zation of, 161. Discipline of, 177–81.
Churches should be composed of visible saints only, 38, 41—43.
Thirty-five distinct churches mentioned in New Test., 49.
Communion of churches how exercised, 116.
Confession of Faith, adopted by Congregational churches, 1680,
Appendix, No. 16.
Conferences, county, 196; state, 197; Methodist, 231.
Confirmation, Episcopal, objected to, 224.
Congregational, the title, probably, given our churches by John
Cotton, 185.
CONGREGATIONALISM, Analysis of this Work.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The subject, how regarded by the fa-
thers of New England, 22; by their modern descendants, ib.;
decline of, 23; causes: (1) Union of Congregationalists with
other denominations in benevolent enterprises, 23. (2) Influ-
ence of Theol. Seminaries, 24. (3) Impression that the sys
tem required no defence, 25. (4) Consequent neglect of pas-
tors to preach on the subject, and authors to write, 25. (5)
False notion that the system was ill-defined, and its principles
unsettled, 26; standard writers, ancient and modern, entire
agreement of, in the most essential particulars, 27.
I. PRINCIPLES. The System defined, 29. (1) The Scriptures
are an infallible guide to church order, 30-37. (2) A church
is an association of Christians, bound by a covenant, for reli-
gious purposes, 37-47. (3) A church should consist of a
single congregation only, 47-55. (4) All ecclesiastical pow-
er is in the hands of the church, 56–69.
II. DOCTRINES. The term defined, 69. (1) Elders and Dea
cons are the only permanent officers of a church, 69-102.
(2) Mutual and ex parte councils are allowable helps in the
administration of church government, 103-11. (3) An ex
parte council should not be called, until a mutual one has been
refused, 111-15. (4) Cong. churches are subject to the watch
and discipline of sister churches, 116-17. Why our fathers
so loved and cherished this system, 117-18.
III. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. Its testimony in favor of this
system of church government, 121. (1) The primitive church-
es were single congregations. (2) Their government was es-
sentially democratical-they adopted their own creeds, etc.,
elected their officers, disciplined offenders, etc. etc. (3) Their
permanent officers were only Presbyters, or Elders, and Dea-
cons. (4) The churches were all equal and independent.
Some one, or all of these positions sustained by the following
authorities Clemens Romanus, 121-27; Polycarp, 127-28;
Ignatius, 129-34; Barnabas, 135; Hermas, 135-36; Justin
Martyr, 136-39; Cyprian, 139-41; Mosheim, 141-47;
Lord King, Zuinglius, Neander, Campbell, Augusti, Barrow,
Beza, Waddington, English Reformers, Milner, Gieseler,
Magdeburg Centuriators, Father Paul (Fra. Paulo Sarpi), Dr.
John Owen, 141-59.
IV. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. (1) In organizing churches,
161-63. (2) Choosing and consecrating church officers, 163
-67. (3) Management of church meetings, 168-70; Man-
ual for, 286-89. (4) Admission of members, 171–73. (5)
Dismission of members, 173-75. (6) Dismission of a pastor,
175-77. (7) Church Discipline, 177-81, and 281-86. (8)
Discipline of pastors, 181-84, and 268-81. (9) Who shall
complain of offenders? 184. (10) Discipline of sister church-
es, 185-87. (11) Miscellaneous matters-Method of raising a
minister's salary, 188-90. Continuance of the pastoral con
nection, 191. Solemnization of marriages, ib. Funerals, 193.
Public worship, ib. Associations of ministers, 195. County
Conferences, 196. General meetings, 197. Licensure of
ministers, 198.
V. ADVANTAGES of the system, 201. (1) It is the most scriptural,
202; compared with Episcopacy, 204; Church of England,
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