A53704:608
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.
Wherefore to allow Church Rulers, or such as pretend so to be, a Liberty and Power, to appoint a Rule of Communion, comprising Institutions and Commands of sundry things, to be constantly observed in the whole Worship and Discipline of the Church, not warranted in themselves by divine Authority, and then to charge Believers, abiding firm in the Doctrine of the Faith with Schism, for a Non-compliance with such Commands and Appointments, is that which neither in the Scripture nor in Primitive Antiquity, hath either Instance, Example, President, Testimony, Rumour or Report to give Countenance unto it: The Pedigree of this Practise cannot be derived one step higher than the fact of Victor the Bishop of Rome, in the Excommunication of the Churches and Christians of Asia, which was solemnly condemned as an Entrenchment on Christian Liberty.
Wherefore to allow Church Rulers, or such as pretend so to be, a Liberty and Power, to appoint a Rule of Communion, comprizing Institutions and Commands of sundry things, to be constantly observed in the whole Worship and Discipline of the Church, not warranted in themselves by divine Authority, and then to charge Beleivers, abiding firm in the Doctrine of the Faith with Schisme, for a Non-compliance with such Commands and Appointments, is that which neither in the Scripture nor in Primitive Antiquity, hath either Instance, Example, President, Testimony, Rumour or Report to give Countenance unto it: The Pedigree of this Practise cannot be derived one step higher than the fact of Victor the Bishop of Rome, in the Excommunication of the Churches and Christians of Asia, which was solemnly condemned as an Entrenchment on Christian Liberty.
3. After these things the Notion of Schism began to be managed variously, according unto the Interest of ⟨p. 237⟩them who seemed to have the most Advantage in the Application of it, unto those who dissented from them. It were an endless thing to express the Rise and declare the Progress of these Apprehensions. But after many loose and declamatory Discourses about it, they are generally issued in two Heads. The first is, that any kind of Dissent from the Pope and Church of Rome, is Schism, all the Schism that is or can be in the World. The other is, that a causeless Separation from a true Church, is Schism, and this only is so. But whereas in this pretended Definition, there is no mention of any of its internal Causes, nor of its formal Reason, but a bare Description of it by an outward Effect, it serves only for a weapon in every mans hand to perpetuate digladiations about it. For every Church esteems itself true, and every one that separates himself, esteems himself to have just Cause so to do.