A53704:169
An enquiry into the original, nature, institution, power, order and communion of evangelical churches.…
An enquiry into the original, nature, institution, power, order and communion of evangelical churches. The first part with an answer to the discourse of the unreasonableness of separation written by Dr. Edward Stillingfleet, Dean of Pauls, and in defence of the vindication of non-conformists from the guilt of schism / by John Owen.An enquiry into the original, nature, institution, power, order and communion of evangelical churches. The first part with an answer to the discourse of the unreasonableness of separation written by Dr. Edward Stillingfleet, Dean of Pauls, and in defence of the vindication of non-conformists from the guilt of schisme / by John Owen.
London: printed by J. Richardson for Nath. Ponder, 1681
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Chapter 2: The Especial Original of the Evangelical Church-State.
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.
CHAP. II. The Especial Original of the Evangelical Church-State.
OUR principal Concernment at present, is in the Evangelical Church-State; or the State of Churches under the New Testament: For this is that about which there are many great and fierce Contests amongst Christians, and those attended with pernicious Consequents and Effects. What is the Original, what is the Nature, what is the Use and Power, what is the End of the Churches, or any Church, what is the Duty of men, in it and towards it, is the subject of various contests, and the principal occasion of all the Distractions that are at this day in the Christian World: For the greatest part of those who judge themselves obliged to take Care and Order about these things, having interwoven their own secular Interests and Advantages, into such a Church-State, as is meet and suited to preserve and promote them; supposing [Greek or Hebrew], or that Religion may be made a Trade for outward Advantage; they do openly seek the Destruction of all those, who will not comply with that Church, Form and Order, that they have framed unto themselves. Moreover from mens various conceptions and suitable practices, about this Church-State, is Advantage and Occasion taken to charge each other with Schism, and all sorts of Evils which are supposed to ensue thereon. Wherefore ⟨p. 14⟩although I design all possible brevity, and only to declare those Principles of Truth, wherein we may safely repose our Faith and practice, avoiding as much as much as possibly I can, and the subject will allow, the handling of those things in a way of Controversy with others; yet somewhat more than ordinary diligence, is required unto the true stating of this important Concernment of our Religion. And that which we shall first enquire into, is the Special Original and Authoritative Constitution of this Church-State: Wherefore,