Ratio Disciplinæ, Or The Constitution of the Congregational Churches

Cotton Mather

Shirley and Hyde, 1829 - Congregational churches - 311 pages

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ORIGIN OF CHURCHES 1 General nature of a church	13

Reasons tending to the introduction of a church state Light of nature in reference to this subject 3	15

Of an objection sometimes made	17

Of man as a religious being	20

Of man as a social being	21

7	22

Social religious worship deduced from the light of nature Of the need of Revelation	23

tament	27

Methods or process of disciplining a minister 136 Further considerations on this subject	170

Advice of Council in the discipline of a pastor	171

Proceedings and results of the Council 139 Of the testimony adduced against a pastor	172

Of the deposed ministers relation to the church 141 Subordinate means of pastoral discipline	173

Duty of neighboring churches in the case of neglecting discipline	174

Further proceedings of such churches in the above case	175

CHAPTER XV	176

144 Acts of communion according to the Syncd of 1662	178

General internal constitution of a church	28

Characteristics of a true church	30

Sentiments of the Primitive and of foreign churches	31

Concluding remarks	32

CHAPTER II	33

No immutable form prescribed to the visible church 15 Varieties of form and sects 16 Foundation or authorities of the Congregational system	35

Fundamental principles of the Congregationalists	36

Remarks on the preceding general principles	39

Facts on the origin of Congregational churches 20 Of the name Independents sometimes given	41

Origin and Import of the name Congregationalists 22 Views of Congregationalists in respect to the primitive churches	43

CHAPTER III	46

GATHERING OF CHURCHES 24 Duty of Christians to enter into a church state	49

Qualifications of church members	51

Testimonies of Congregational writers on this subject	53

Numbers requisite for a church gathering	54

Of articles of belief	56

Of the covenant and grounds of the same	57

Covenants authorized by scripture	58

Of the public religious exercises	64

Forms of church articles and covenants	66

CHAPTER IV	69

Church officers recognized in the scriptures 38 Number of officers in Congregational churches Ruling Elders	72

Further remarks on the office of Ruling Elders	73

Office of Deacons	75

Duties of Deacons	76

Further remarks on the duties of Deacons	77

Induction of Deacons into office	79

Office of Minister or Pastor 45 Distinction of Ministers or Elders into Teaching or Pas toral 46 Duties of a Minister Note On the mode of Preaching	80

Duties of a Pastor further considered 48 Of committees of laymen for religious purposes	87

Duties of the brotherhood	88

CHAPTER V	89

Of the character of those who are to be admitted 51 Claims or right of such to admission	90

Statements of personal religious experience	92

Grounds or reasons of the foregoing practice	94

Punishment of public and known offences NOTE On the duty of pastors in respect to public scandals	96

Examination of persons coming from other churches 55 Of admissions in reference to the right of voting	97

Treatment and right of the excommunicate	98

Restoration of the offender on repentance	99

CHAPTER VI	100

External call or call from the church	101

Church precedence in the call of a pastor and grounds of	102

The precedence of the church in the pastoral call a Natural Right	103

Founded also on scripture authority and example	104

Necessary to the maintenance of purity in the ministry	105

The church has no coercive power over the Parish	106

The concurrent action of the two a matter of agreement	108

Of the support of the minister 67 Form of the call or invitation CHAPTER VII	109

ORDINATION OF THE PASTOR 68 Of the necessity and authority of ordination	111

Of the meaning and comparative importance of ordi nation	112

Remarks on the early practice of the churches	113

Reasons for calling the neighboring churches to the Council	116

Of the admission of laymembers or delegates sent 74 Preparatory proceedings of the Council	117

Further proceedings of the Council	118

Ordaining Prayer 77 Import of the imposition of hands	120

Of the object and manner of the Charge	121

Of giving the Right Hand of Fellowship	123

Spirit of the Hand of Fellowship and closing services 81 Installation of a minister	124

Accountability of delegates and ministers to the churches	125

Of the members of a Council substituting others in their stead	126

Of inviting others to sit as members who are not cho sen by the churches	127

CHAPTER VIII	128

Of ordaining for distant churches at the invitation of the same	129

Ordination of Missionaries to the heathen	130

Certain early instances of missionary ordination	131

This practice a security to the heathen themselves 90 Its consistency with the churchs right of election	132

Historical facts illustrative of the practice	133

Formation of the Council 93 Councils proceedings and Religious exercises	134

CHAPTER IX	135

Design or object of church censures	136

Of suspension and excommunication when the offence is private	137

Of refusing to attend the sacrament with scandalous persons	141

Form of suspension from Mathers Disciplinæ	142

Form of excommunication from the same	143

CHAPTER X	145

Of sinful and of doubtful cases of departure 107 Just or sufficient reasons of removal	146

Persons dismissed are to receive Letters of Dismissal	147

Of letters of recommendation without dismissing	148

CHAPTER XI	149

Objects of pastoral associations	151

General or State associations 113 Objects and religious exercises of General associations	152

114 Relation of clerical associations to the rights of the churches	153

CHAPTER XII	154

Imperfect arrangements on this subject 117 Associations authorized to license preachers	155

Of the examination previous to licensing 119 Length of time for which licenses are granted	157

Form of the license 121 Of annulling or revoking licenses	158

CHAPTER XIII	159

Treatises or authorities on this subject	160

Of the calling and the nature of the Council 130 Proceedings of the Dismissing Council	164

Recommendation of pastors regularly dismisse d	165

The minister amenable to his church	167

Evidence of such accountability from the scriptures	168

Ancient testimonies on this subject	179

Of those who have the right of calling Councils 149 Obligation of the churches to regard Letters Missive	180

Of the feelings with which Councils should be sum moned	181

Principles on which Councils are to decide 152 Of the weight due to the Advice of Councils	182

Advice of Councils in matters merely prudential 154 Advice in matters of Conscience	184

CHAPTER XVI	185

Mutual councils representative of all the churches 158 Mutual councils are ultimate tribunals	187

Of the authority or powers of consociations	188

Administration of baptisim in private	189

Historical remarks on consociations	190

Objections to permanent or consociated councils	191

Objections to councils which are not permanent	192

Of the progress and improvement of the Congregational system	193

CHAPTER XVII	194

Duty of the churches summoned to an Exparte council	195

An Exparte allowable only on the refusal of a Mutual council	196

Proceedings of Exparte councils 170 Further proceedings of the same 171 Proceedings of the Exparte council in relation to the church	197

Object and necessity of Exparte councils	199

The necessity of them superseded by consociations	200

CHAPTER XVIII	201

Of the members of synods and the calling of the same	202

Historical notices of synods NOTE On the authorship of the Cambridge Platform	203

Synodical decisions persuasive or advisory CHAPTER XIX	205

DISCIPLINE OF WHOLE CHURCHES	206

Congregational churches may dicipline each other 180 Method of discipline laid down in the Platform	207

CHAPTER XX	208

Significancy and subjects of baptism 183 Method of proceeding at baptisms	209

Mode of applying water in baptism	210

Administration of adult baptism	211

Relation of adult baptism to church membership 187 Of the agent or administrator in baptism	212

Infant baptism	215

Relation of baptized children to the church	217

Of the baptism of adopted children	218

Duties of particular churches to their baptized children	219

Custom in respect to ministerial exchanges	220

CHAPTER XXI	221

Origin of the practice of halfway covenanting 196 Further remarks on the same subject	223

Early opposition to the system of halfway covenanting 198 Doings of the synod of 1662 on this subject	225

Views of the objectors to the synods articles	227

Prevalence results and abandonment of the system	228

CHAPTER XXII	229

Qualifications of those to be admitted	230

Admission to the eucharist compared with admission to baptism	231

Mode of administering the Lords supper	232

Right of a pastor to administer it in other churches 206 Frequency of this ordinance 207 Duty of the church to those who refuse to attend the Lords s...	235

This sacrament administered to members of other sects	236

CHAPTER XXIII	237

Early views of Congregationalists on Conferences	240

Cottons plan or proposition for conferences	241

Recent attempts to establish Conferences	243

Method of organizing Conferences	244

Meetings and religious exercises	245

CHAPTER XXIV	246

Form and ceremonies of worship	247

Of private religious meetings	249

Of the custom of renewing covenant	250

Form of the renewal of covenant	251

PART SECOND CONFESSION OF FAITH	253

Of the holy Scripture	259

Of God and of the Holy Trinity	262

Of Gods Eternal Decree	264

Of Creation	265

Of Providence	266

Of the fall of man of sin and of the punishment thereof	268

Of Gods covenant with man	269

Of Christ the Mediator	270

Of FreeWill	272

Of Effectual Calling	273

Of Justification	274

Of Adoption XIII Of Sanctification	276

Of Saving Faith	277

Of Repentance unto life and salvation	278

Of Good Works	279

Of the Perseverance of the Saints	281

Of the Assurance of grace and salvation	282

Of the Law of God	284

Of the Gospel and of the extent of the grace thereof	286

Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience	287

Of Religious Worship and of the Sabbath Day	288

Of lawful oaths and vows	290

Of the Civil Magistrate	292

Of Marriage XXVI Of the Church	293

Of the Communion of Saints	295

Of the Sacraments	296

Of Baptism	297

Of the Lords Supper	298

Of the state of man after death and of the resurrection of the dead	300

Of the Last Judgment	301

I	303

Saybrook Articles	311

Legal Rights of Churches and Parishes	317

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Common terms and phrases

according Acts admitted Apostle appointed assembled Association authority baptism baptized body brethren called Cambridge Platform Chap CHAPTER character Christian church members Churches of Christ communion Conference Confession Congregational churches Congregational polity Congregationalism Congregationalists Connecticut considered Consociations constitution Cotton Cotton Mather covenant deacons declare delegates doctrine doth duty ecclesiastical Elders England evidence Ex-parte Councils exercise express faith fellowship give Gospel grace half-way covenanting hath History of Connecticut holy Increase Mather Letter Missive liberty light of nature Lord Jesus Christ Lord's Supper MAGNALIA Mather's matter meet ment minister ministry missionary Mutual Councils necessary neighboring churches object occasion offender ordination parish particular church pastor persons Platform practice prayer preach principles proceedings RATIO DISCIPLINE reason religion religious remarks removal repentance respect sacrament Saviour says scandal Scriptures sect sins solemn Spirit suitable Synod testimony things tion unto vote word worship

Popular passages

Page 26 - himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord ; whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the‎

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Page 82 - And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason, that we should leave the word‎

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Page 82 - you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and‎

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Page 29 - no more strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, growcth‎

Appears in 740 books from 1805-2007

Page 286 - 3. Man by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation, so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto. 4. When‎

Appears in 253 books from 1584-2006

Page 18 - the law, are a law unto themselves, which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one another.‎

Appears in 817 books from 1747-2007

Page iii - the times therein mentioned;" and also to an act, entitled " An Act supplementary to an act, entitled An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and book-, to the authors and proprietors of such‎

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Page 314 - into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life ; which ordinance is by Christ's own appointment to be continued in his church, until the end of the world. 2. The outward element to be used in this‎

Appears in 168 books from 1584-2007

Page 284 - 5. The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of God, and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.‎

Appears in 144 books from 1765-2006

Page 29 - of God, and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, growcth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in whom‎

Appears in 310 books from 1710-2007

Bibliographic information

Title	Ratio Disciplinæ, Or The Constitution of the Congregational Churches
Author	Cotton Mather
Publisher	Shirley and Hyde, 1829
Original from	the New York Public Library
Digitized	13 Sep 2006
Length	311 pages

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