A53704:348
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 5: The Sate of the First Churches after the Apostles to the end of the Second Century.
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. He proceeds to declare the nature of their Church-meetings or Assemblies, with the Duties and Worship of them. And he tells us first, that they had frequent meetings among themselves: they that have any wealth, saith he, do help the poor; [Greek or Hebrew], and we are continually together, that is, in the lesser occasional Assemblies of the Brethren; for so in the next place he adds immediately, [Greek or Hebrew]. On the day called Sunday, there is a meeting of all that dwell in the Towns, and Fields, or Villages about. This was the State, the Order, the proceeding of the Church in the days of Justin; whence it is undeniably evident, that he knew no other Church-state or Order, but that of a particular Congregation, whose Members living in any Town or City, or Fields adjacent, did constantly all of them meet together in one place, the first day of the week, for the celebration of Divine Worship.
4. He proceeds to declare the nature of their Church-meetings or Assemblies, with the Duties and Worship of them. And he tells us first, that they had frequent meetings among themselves: they that have any wealth, saith he, do help the poor; 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, and we are continually together, that is, in the lesser occasional Assemblies of the Brethren; for so in the next place he adds immediately, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. On the day called Sunday, there is a meeting of all that dwell in the Towns, and Fields, or Villages about. This was the State, the Order, the proceeding of the Church in the days of Justin; whence it is undeniably evident, that he knew no other Church-state or Order, but that of a particular Congregation, whose Members living in any Town or City, or Fields adjacent, did constantly all of them meet together in one place, the first day of the week, for the celebration of Divine Worship.
5. In this Church he mentions only two sorts of Officers, ⟨p. 109⟩