A53704:603
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.
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.
2. The Effect of this Schism was, that the Body of the Church, or Multitudes of the Members, by the Instigation of some few disorderly Persons, had deposed their Elders and Rulers from their Offices, and probably had ⟨p. 234⟩chosen others in their places, though that be not mentioned expressly in the Epistle.
2. The Effect of this Schisme was, that the Body of the Church, or Multitudes of the Members, by the Instigation of some few disorderly Persons, had deposed their Elders and Rulers from their Offices, and probably had ⟨p. 234⟩chosen others in their places, though that be not mentioned expresly in the Epistle.
3. That the Church itself is not blamed, for assuming a Power unto themselves to depose their Elders; much less that they had done it without the Consent, Advice, or Authority of any Bishop, or other Church; but only that they had dealt unjustly with those whom they had deposed, who in the Judgement of the Church of Rome, unto which they had written for Advice, were esteemed not only innocent, but such as had laudably and profitably, discharged their Office, whereon the whole blame is cast on those who had instigated the Church unto this Procedure.
3. That the Church itself is not blamed, for assuming a Power unto themselves to depose their Elders; much less that they had done it without the Consent, Advice, or Authority of any Bishop, or other Church; but only that they had dealt unjustly with those whom they had deposed, who in the Judgement of the Church of Rome, unto which they had written for Advice, were esteemed not only innocent, but such as had laudably and profitably, discharged their Office, whereon the whole blame is cast on those who had instigated the Church unto this Proceedure.