A90287:52
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.
A Review of the chargers Preface.
His first chapter consists for the most part, in a repetition of my words, or so much of the discourse of my first Chapter as he could wrest, by cutting off one, and another parcel of it from its coherence in the whole, with the interposure of glosses of his own, to serve him to make biting reflections upon them with whom he hath to deal. How unbecoming such a course of procedure is, for a person of his worth, gravity and profession, perhaps his [Greek or Hebrew], have by this time convinced him. If men have a mind to perpetuate controversies unto an endless, fruitless reciprocation of words and cavils, if to provoke to easy and facile retorsions, if to heighten and aggravate differences beyond any hope of reconciliation, they may do well to deal after this manner with the writings of one another. Mr. C. knows how easy it were to make ⟨p. 47⟩his own words, dress him up in all those ornaments wherein he labours to make me appear in the world, by such glosses, inversions, additions, and interpositions, as he is pleased to make use of; but meliora speramus. Some particulars that seem to be of any importance to our business in hand, may be remarked as we pass through it: pag. 1. He tells us the Donatists had two principles: 1. that they were the only Church of Christ in a corner of Afric, and left no Church in the world but their own. 2. That none were truly baptized, or entered members of the Church of Christ, but by some Minister of their party. These Principles, he says, are again improved by men of another party: whom though yet he name not, yet it is evident whom he intends: and pag: 3. he requires my judgement of those principles.
HIs first chapter consists for the most part, in a repetition of my words, or so much of the discourse of my first Chapter as he could wrest, by cutting off one, and another parcell of it from its coherence in the whole, with the interposure of glosses of his own, to serve him to make biting reflexions upō them with whom he hath to deale. How unbecoming such a course of procedure is, for a person of his worth, gravity and profession, perhaps his 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, have by this time convinced him. If men have a mind to perpetuate controversies unto an endlesse, fruitlesse reciprocation of words and cavils, if to provoke to easie and facile retorsions, if to heighten and aggravate differences beyond any hope of reconciliation, they may do wel to deale after this manner with the writings of one another. Mr. C. knowes how easie it were to make