PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 14
John Owen · 294,695 words · 278 reading sections
Section 241
_ You tell us in your " Fiat" that the "Pagans defamed the Chris- tians for the worship of an ass's head;" and you give this reason of it, " Because the Jews had defamed our Lord Jesus Christ, whose head and half-portraiture Christians used upon their altars, even as they do at this day, of his great simplicity and ign…
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ANCIENT WORSHIP OF JEWS AND CHRISTIANS. 479 had the villain given it unto his picture; for neither he nor any man else knows what it should mean. He knew well enough what Ononychites sig^ified, and laughed at it. It is but Asinungulus; which, it may be, comes nearer their vmderstanding. I confess some would read it On…
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Even were it conceded that the stories of Titus Gates were altogether unworthy of credit, it was no groundless panic that now agitated the nation. Charles, however desti- tute of any fixed principles, had betrayed leanings in the direction of Rome. He was under the influence of the French monarch, who was doing his utm…
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THE CHUECH OF ROME NO SAFE GUIDE. The foundation of the small ensuing discourse shall be laid in a position wherein, as I suppose, persons of all sorts who are concerned in the things treated about are agreed, — namely, that it is the duty of every man who taketli care of his own eternal salvation, to betake himself …
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CAUSES OF DIFFERENCE IN RELIGION. 487 Hence it is, that those who have a strong indination to oppress and destroy other men, which their interest prompts them unto, do endeavour to make every the least dissent from themselves, on one pretence or other, by sophistical arguments and strained conse- quences, to be a fund…
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THE CLAIM OF THE CHURCH OF ROME. 489 Wherefore, this clami of theirs consists of these three parts, or may be reduced unto these three heads: — 1. That they, and they alone, are the church of Christ; all others who are called Christians in the world are heretics and schismatics, who belong not unto it, nor have any i…
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4. On these su])positions, there neither is nor can be more required of us, in order unto our eternal salvation, but that we understand ' Sec the " I'cason of Faith," vol. iv. THE CLAIM OF THE llOMISH CnUllClI EEFUTED. 491 aright, firmly believe, and yield obedience %into, the revelation of the mind and tuill of God …
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2. Because of the strange ways they have lately taken to put this pretence into use and practice, and to take us all under their con- duct. Pretending unto the guidance of our souls in the things of God, they have attempted to take us into their power as unto our lives, liberties, laws, and all other our concernments i…
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3. Secular interests and advantages, accommodated unto all sorts of persons, are another means of their prevalenc}^ There are no sorts of persons, from the highest to the lowest, that come within their walk and compass, or unto whom they can have access with the least probability of success, unto whom they have not in …
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2. We may consider what use they onake of these secular advan- tages and revenues, which they have obtained merely by virtue of this pretence. And it may be said with modesty that these things were never forced to be wickedly serviceable unto the lusts of men among the heathens themselves more than they are and have be…
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The holy apostles succeeded unto the personal ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, as unto this conduct of the souls of men. Such power was committed unto them by him who sent them, " even as the Father sent him." Such assurance was there in their conduct, through infallible inspiration, and the presence of the Holy Ghos…
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(2.) In no one place, either in express words or by direct conse- quence, are believers or the disciples of Christ directed in this case to betake themselves unto such a guidance of the church of Rome, They are not so in any one place where these divisions are foretold, where properly such directions should be expected…
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But to preserve their interest, they tell us that these precepts and promises are given unto the church, and not unto individual believers ; as though the church were any thing materially but individual be- lievers, and formally but a disposition of them into a sacred order for their edification. " Man was not made for…
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Unto such as these come persons in the name and on the behalf of this pretended guide; and a compass of plausible words they will use, fit to distract and amuse weak and unstable minds. But the plain sense of what they say in this case is, " Cast away this Bible, this book; it doth but perplex you and disturb your mind…
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4. The last thing I shall instance in of this kind is the adoration or luorship of images. God says concerning it expressly, " Thou shalt 606 THE CHUECH OF ROME NO SAFE GUIDE. not make unto thyself any graven images; thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them." They say contrary, " Thou shalt make unto thyself…
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These are some of the proposals which this pretended guide makes unto all them who give up themselves unto its conduct, to be be- lieved with a suitable practice, on the pain of eternal damnation. But yet evident it is that they are all of them contrary unto the com- mon sense, reason, and experience of all Christians,…
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There are other things yet, if it be possible, of a higher abomina- tion, to deter all sober persons from touching with this guide, than those already insisted on. And such they are as the present contri- vances and practices of our adversaries do unavoidably compel us to plead in this cause, and are in themselves suff…
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Wherefore, although it seem good unto this church to assume imto itself the sole conduct of the souls of all men, in the matters of reli- gion, which hath thrived in its hands unto an incredible grandeur, in dominion, power, and wealth ; yet other men of an ordinary wisdom and capacity, who are not yet taken alive by t…
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. It is but reasonable, therefore, for any man, before he make choice of this guide, to ask of himself or others thesB few questions : — Is there any thing in the gospel which gives countenance unto this way of imposing a giiide in religion on the minds and consciences of men ? Was there any thing like it in the practi…
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Nmthly, The insupportable yoke that this guide puts on kings and sovereign princes, on pretence of its divine right of a universal guid- ance of them and all their subjects, deserves the consideration of them that are concerned, before they give up themselves unto it. It is true, that by and since the Reformation, as t…
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Our author, on the other hand, shows in this tract that in reality the Church of England — dreaded at the Court of Eome, and respected by Picfonned Churches abroad, as the representative of British Protestantism — was not confined within the pale of the Established Church, but consisted of " the body of Christian peopl…
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6. There is a threefold form of such a church at present contended for. The first is Papal, the second Episcopal, and the third Presby- terian. 7. The first form of an authoritative national church-state amongst us, as in other places, was papal ; and the sole use of it here in Eng- land was, to embroil our kings in t…
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9. The evils and inconveniences of this constitution of an autho- ritative national church-state have been greatly increased and pro- pagated in this nation, as unto the heightening of divisions among Protestants, by the endeavours that have been [made] to confirm and continue this state in an extraordinary way. Such w…
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524 SOME CONSIDEKATIONS ABOUT and interest in England, without any recourse unto sucli a churcli- power as fills all with divisions. This, I say, is that church of Eng- land which is the principal bulwark of the protestaut religion and interest in Europe, — namely, a protestant king, a protestant parlia- ment, protest…
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13. Nor is it a matter of art or difficulty to declare a way for the security of the protestant religion, with the rights of the government and liberties of the subjects, with the due freedom of conscience, without any such church-state; but it is what the principles of reli- gion, common prudence, and the honest inter…
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ITS PUBLIC NATIONAL PROFESSION. BY A PROTESTANT. M.Dc.LXXxrr. VOL. XIV. 34 PEEFATOKY NOTE. Whether we regard tlie deep sagacity pervading tliis treatise; the calm and nervous dignity of its reasonings ; tlie statesman-like view it gives of the condition and prospects of tlie Protestant caiise ; or the noble strai…
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532 THE STATE AND FATE OF issue of tlae present contest? This is that which the ensuing leaves are designed unto ; and it is hoped they may be of use unto some, to extricate their minds from involved, fruitless thoughts, to direct them in their duty, and to bring them unto an acquiescency in the will of God. The prot…
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Secondly, As the name Protestant is distinctive with respect unto some other pretended profession of Christian religion, so it derives this denomination from them who in all ages, after the apostasy of the church of Rome came to be expressly antichristian, departed from the communion of it, opposed it, reformed themsel…
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536 THE STATE AND FATE OF in men, is j^alpable unto all that are not wilfully blind. But this protestant religion, so introduced, stated the interest of Christian re- ligion in a way and design utterly inconsistent herewith, and destruc- tive of it; and this was to give all glory and honour to God and Christ alone, an…
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538 THE STATE AND FATE OF also did in instances innumerable. But since so many nations fell off from all dependence on him and subjection to him, by the light and profession of the protestant religion, there is a balance of power against him, and an awe upon him in his presumptions, lest he should be dealt withal by o…
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I shall not speak any thing of the present state of this protestant religion as unto its political interests in the world. It is in general kno^vn to most, -and hath been particularly inquired into by many. I shall only briefly consider something of its weakness, its danger, and what is like to be the issue of it, as u…
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It will be said that these things are past and gone ; the po})es have now no such power as formerly; and the kings that are of the Roman church do live as free from impositions on them by the pretensions of papal power as any kings on the earth. But supposing such a change, and that the king of France, as gTeat as he i…
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544 THE STATE AND FATE OF ences, which every wise man may easily foresee. But the force of law, interest, and inclination is hardly to be withstood. (3.) The danger of defection from the profession of the protestant religion in the people must be measured from the preparations for it that are found amongst them, and …
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itself From the very beginning of the Reformation there have been various attempts for a composition of the differences between the church of Rome and those who were departed from it. Councils of princes conventions of divines, imperial edicts, sedate consultations VOL. XIV. ^^ 54:6 THE STATE AND FATE OF of learned…
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There is no small prevalency in the world of an atheistical princi- ple lately advanced, — namely, of resolving all respect unto the public profession of religion into the wills and laws of men in supreme power. It is supposed herein that men may be in their own minds of what religion they please, and be as religious a…
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These are some of the reasons which make it evident that there may be no small danger unto the public profession of the protestant religion (the thing inquired after), from the present design of not a few, to make a reconciliation of the two religions, and to bring all men into a coalescency in faith, worship, and rule…
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Upon the whole matter, the reconciliation, designed on the most plausible terms that have ever yet been proposed, is nothing but a hood'svinked defection to Rome, accumulated with a charge, on the consciences of them who shall comply therewith, of the guilt of all the miseries and blood of them by whom it will be refus…
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And unto all these things v/e may add the fatal miscarriages and miserable ends of such apostates from the true religion as have not been contented to ruin their own souls alone, but have been active and instrumental, in their capacities, to draw or drive others into the 5o4t THE STATE AND FATE OF same perdition. Exa…
764 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1850–1870); OCR text from Internet Archive. OCR may contain scanning/transcription errors. Verify quotations against page images when precision matters.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.