A90287:148
A review of the true nature of schism, with a vindication of the Congregational…A review of the true nature of schisme, with a vindication of the Congregationall…
A review of the true nature of schism, with a vindication of the Congregational churches in England, from the imputation thereof unjustly charged on them by Mr D. Cawdrey, preacher of the Word at Billing in Northampton-shire. / By John Owen D.D.A review of the true nature of schisme, with a vindication of the Congregationall churches in England, from the imputation thereof unjustly charged on them by Mr D. Cawdrey, preacher of the Word at Billing in Northampton-shire. / By John Owen D.D.
Oxford: printed by Henry Hall printer to the University for Thomas Robinson, 1657
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.
My last task is to look back to the ⟨p. 165⟩beginning of this last chapter, and to gather up in our passage, what may seem to respect the business in hand, and so the whole matter will be dismissed. The plea insisted on for immunity from the charge of Schism, with reference to the Episcopal Government of the Church of England, and the constitution which under it, it is pretended to have had, he passes over; though on sundry accounts his concernments lie as deeply in it as in any thing pleaded In that treatise. The things he is pleased to take notice of, as far as they tend in the least to the issue of the debate between us, shall be reviewed. Considering the several senses wherein that expression, the church of England, may be taken, I manifest in my treatise, in which of them, and how far, we acknowledge our selves to have been, and to continue members of the Church of England. The first is as it comprises the elect believers in England: what the unity of the Church in this sense is, was before evinced; our desire to be found members of this Church, with our endeavour to keep the unity of ⟨p. 166⟩it in the bond of peace, was declared. I am grieved to repeat our Reverend Authors exceptions to this declaration; says he, unless he think, there are no members of this church in England, but those that are of his formed particular churches, I fear he will be found to break the union that ought to be between them: And why so I pray? The union of the members of the church in this sense, consists in their joint union to & with Christ their head by one spirit. What hath the Reverend Author to charge upon me with reference thereunto? Let him speak out to the utmost; yea I have some reason to think that he will scarce spare, where he can strike; God forbid that I should think all the members of the Catholic Church in England to be comprised either jointly or severally in their Churches or ours, seeing it cannot be avoided but you will keep up those notes of division. I doubt not but there be many thousands of them who walk neither with you nor us. He adds, that by gathering saints of the first magnitude we do what lies in us, to make ⟨p. 167⟩the Invisible Church visible: It is confessed, we do so; yea we know that that church which is invisible in some respect, and under one formal consideration, is visible as to its profession, which it makes unto salvation.