A53704:780
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.
1. In times of Decay, the declining times of Churches or states, it cannot be, but that some will be uneasy in their Minds, although they know not how to remedy what is amiss, nor it may be fix on the particulars which are the right and true Causes of the state which they find troublesome unto them. And whilst it is so with them, it is not to be admired at, that some Persons do fall into irregular Attempts for the redressing of what is amiss. ⟨p. 307⟩The Church, where the instances insisted on happened, was falling into a Mysterious Decay from its original Institution, Order and Rule, which afterwards increased more and more continually. But all being equally involved in the same Declension, the Remedies which they proposed who were uneasy either in themselves or in the manner of their Application, were worse then the Disease; which yet lying uncured and continually increasing, proved in the issue the Ruin of them all. But here lay the Original of the Differences and Schisms which fell out in the 3d, 4th, and 5th Centuries; that having all in some Measure departed from the Original Institution, Rule and Order of Evangelical Churches, in sundry things, and cast themselves into new forms and Orders, their Differences and Quarrels related all unto them, and could have had no such occasion, had they kept themselves unto their Primitive Constitution. Wherefore those Schisms which were said to be made by them that continued sound in the Faith, as those of the Andeans, and Meletians as by some is pretended, and Johannites at Constantinople, with sundry other, seeing they deserted not any Order of Divine Institution, but another which the Churches were insensibly fallen into; No Judgement can be made upon a mere Separation, whether of the Parties at Difference were to blame; I am sure enough that sometimes neither of them could be excused. Whether the Causes, Reasons, Ends, Designs, and ways of the Management of those Differences that were between them, on which Schisms in their present Order did ensue, were just, regular, according to the Mind of Christ, proceeding from Faith and Love, is that whose Determination must fix aright the Guilt of the Divisions that were among them.
1. In times of Decay, the declining times of Churches or states, it cannot be, but that some will be uneasie in their Minds, although they know not how to remedy what is amiss, nor it may be fix on the particulars which are the right and true Causes of the state which they find troublesome unto them. And whilst it is so with them, it is not to be admired at, that some Persons do fall into irregular Attempts for the redressing of what is amiss.