A53704:383
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 6: Congregational Churches alone suited unto the ends of Christ in the Institution of his…
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.
Their Communion among themselves (whereof afterwards) is built upon their common [Greek or Hebrew], or Profession of the same Faith. This therefore it is their Duty, and was always their practice to look after, that it was preserved entire. For a change in the Faith of any of them, they knew would be the dissolution of their Communion. Wherefore when any thing of that nature fell out, as it did in the Church of Antioch upon the Preaching of the necessity of Circumcision, and keeping of the Law, whereby the Souls of many of the Disciples were subverted, the Church at Jerusalem on the notice and knowledge of it, helped them with their Advice and Counsel. And Eusebius tells us, that upon the first promulgation of the Heresies and Frenzies of Montanus, the Faithful, or Churches in Asia, met frequently in sundry places, to examine his Pretences, and condemn his Errors; whereby the Churches in Phrygia were preserved, Hist. Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 14. So the same was done afterwards in the case of Samosatenus at Antioch, whereby that Church was delivered from the ⟨p. 128⟩infection of his pernicious Heresy, lib. 7. cap. 26, 28, 29. And this care is still incumbent on every particular Church, if it would approve itself to be the Ground and Pillar of Truth. And in like manner Epiphanius giving an account of the Original of the Heresy of Noetus, a Patropassian, affirms, that the Holy Presbyters of the Church called him, and enquired of his Opinion several times; whereon being convicted before the Presbytery of enormous Errors, he was cast out of the Church. [Greek or Hebrew] (when he began to disperse his Errors) [Greek or Hebrew]. Epiphanius, Haeres. cont. Noet. Haer. 38. Sec. 57.
Their Communion among themselves (whereof afterwards) is built upon their common 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, or Profession of the same Faith. This therefore it is their Duty, and was always their practice to look after, that it was preserved entire. For a change in the Faith of any of them, they knew would be the dissolution of their Communion. Wherefore when any thing of that nature fell out, as it did in the Church of Antioch upon the Preaching of the necessity of Circumcision, and keeping of the Law, whereby the Souls of many of the Disciples were subverted, the Church at Hierusalem on the notice and knowledge of it, helped them with their Advice and Counsel. And Eusebius tells us, that upon the first promulgation of the Heresies and Phrensies of Montanus, the Faithful, or Churches in Asia, met frequently in sundry places, to examine his Pretences, and condemn his Errours; whereby the Churches in Phrygia were preserved, Hist. Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 14. So the same was done afterwards in the case of Samosatenus at Antioch, whereby that Church was delivered from the