A53701:78
A guide to church-fellowship and order according to the gospel-institution
A guide to church-fellowship and order according to the gospel-institution wherein these following particulars are distinctly handled, I. The necessity of believers to join themselves in church-order, II. The subject matter of the church, III. The continuation of a church-state, and of the administration of evangelical ordinances of worship, briefly vindicated, IV. What sort of churches the disciples of Christ may and ought to join themselves unto as unto entire communion / by ... John Owen ...A guide to church-fellowship and order according to the gospel-institution wherein these following particulars are distinctly handled, I. The necessity of believers to joyn themselves in church-order, II. The subject matter of the church, III. The continuation of a church-state, and of the administration of evangelical ordinances of worship, briefly vindicated, IV. What sort of churches the disciples of Christ may and ought to joyn themselves unto as unto entire communion / by ... John Owen ...
London: printed for William Marshall, 1692
Chapter 3: The Continuation of a Church-state▪ and of the Administration of Evangelical Ordinances…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. Do they cease, because they have been all of them corrupted, abused, and defiled in the Apostasy which fell out among all the Churches in the latter Ages, as it was fully foretold in the Scripture. For (1.) This supposition would make the whole Kingdom of Christ in the world to depend on the corrupt Lusts and wills of men, which have got by any m••ns, the outward possession of the Administration of his Laws and Ordinances. This is all one as if we should say, that if a pack of wicked Judges should for a season pervert Justice, Righteousness and Judgment, that the being of the Kingdom is so overthrown thereby, as that it can never be restored. (2.) It would make all the d• •ies and all the privileges of all true Believers to depend on the wills of wicked Apostates. For if they may not make use of what they have abused, they can never yield Obedience to the commands of ⟨p. 50⟩Christ, nor enjoy the privileges which he hath annexed unto his Church and Worship. (3.) On this supposition, all Reformation of an Apostatized Church, is utterly impossible. But it is our duty to heal even Babylon it self▪ by a reduction of all things unto their first Institution, if it would be healed, Jerem. 51.9. and if not, we are to forsake her, and reform our selves, Rev. 18.4.
4. Do they cease, because they have been all of them corrupted, abused, and defiled in the Apostacy which fell out among all the Ch•rches in the latter Ages, as it was fully foretold in the Scripture. For (1.) This supposition would make the whole Kingdom of Christ in the world to depend on the corrupt Lusts and wills of men, which have got by any m••ns, the outward possession of the Administration of his Laws and Ordinances. This is all one as if we should say, that if a pack of wicked Judges should for a season p•rvert Justice, Righteousness and Judgment, that the being of the Kingdom is so overthrown thereby, as that it can never be restored. (2.) It would make all the d ies and all the priviledges of all true Believers to depend on the wills of wicked Apostares. For if they may not make use of what they hrve abused, they can never yield Obedience to the cmmands of