A53704:906
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.
M. Cotton affirms, that the lineaments of the Congregational Discipline are found in that Church; that there is therein a just Representation of an Episcopal Church; that is I presume Diocesan, because that alone is unto his purpose. It is not lawful to make any Church after the time of the Apostles the Rule of all Church State and Order; nor yet to be absolutely determined in these things, by the Authority of any man not divinely inspired, And yet I cannot but wish, that all the three parties dissenting about Church Order, Rule and Worship, would attempt an agreement between themselves, upon the Representation made of the state of the Church of Carthage in the days of Cyprian, (which all of them lay some claim unto) although it will be an Abridgement of some of their pretensions. It might bring them all nearer together, and it may be all of them in some things nearer to the Truth; for it is Certain,
M. Cotton affirms, that the lineaments of the Congregational Discipline are found in that Church; that there is therein a just Representation of an Episcopal Church; that is I presume Diocesan, because that alone is unto his purpose. It is not lawful to make any Church after the time of the Apostles the Rule of all Church State and Order; nor yet to be absolutely determined in these things, by the Authority of any man not divinely inspired, And yet I cannot but wish, that all the three parties dissenting about Church Order, Rule and Worship, would attempt an agreement between themselves, upon the Representation made of the state of the Church of Carthage in the dayes of Cyprian, (which all of them lay some claim unto) although it will be an Abridgement of some of their pretensions. It might bring them all nearer together, and it may be all of them in some things nearer to the Truth; for it is Certain,
1. That the Church of Carthage was at that time a particular Church; There was no more Church but one in that City. Many occasional Meetings and Assemblies in several places for Divine Exercises, and Worship there were. But stated Churches with Officers of their own, Members peculiarly belonging unto them, Discipline among them, such as our Reverend Author doth afterwards affirm and describe our Parochial Churches to be, there were none, nor is it pretended that there were.