PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 16
John Owen · 342,880 words · 351 reading sections
Section 121
But I have done, and shall leave it imto others to declare what mischiefs do ensue on these proceedings on civil accounts, and what an inroad is made by them on the govei'nment of the kingdom ; for a new tenure is erected by them, whereon all men must hold their birthright privileges, especially that which is the root …
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(2.) Because of the consequents of them. Disadvantage to the gospel, prejudice to the ways of Christ, and the utter impairing the authority of all church-censures, must needs ensue, if there be no way to rectify such mistakes, or if they are left unrectified ; as may easily be manifested. 2. This is also necessary on …
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(4.) That we must here be content with such arguments and tes- timonies as we act upon in other ordinances and things belonging to the worship and order of the churches; such as the distribution of elders into teachiug and ruling, the administration of the sacraments by officers only, gesture in the sacrament of the su…
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II. The way and order laid down is directed unto, warranted, and confirmed, by general rules of the Scripture. 1. On the part of the church supposed to err in its administrations. There are sundry general rules Avhich declare it to be their duty to give an account unto other churches of their proceedings therein, and …
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230 OF THE ADMINISTRATION 2. On the part of other churches. A church may, either cause- lessly or with just cause, cast out or withdraw communion from such a number of their members as, bearing themselves on their own in- nocency and right, may continue in a society, and plead that the power, authority, and privilege …
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Some things are, or may be, objected unto this course of proceed- ing amongst the churches of Christ; which shall therefore be briefly considered and answered. Objection 1. This way of proceeding will abridge the liberty and 232 OF THE ADMINISTRATION destroy the privileges of particular churclies, which ought to be …
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(1.) It is granted that all church power and authority, for the ad- ministration of all the ordinances and institutions of the gospel, is intrusted with a particular congregation. (2.) That there is no judicature, no church assembly, vested with church power and authority, without, above, or beyond a particular church…
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4. The address being but once to be made, this is the only way to bind the guilty person, and that without delay, and to give him a sense of his sin, which it is supposed that before he had not. 5. It is our duty not to cast even persons that are excommunicated under new temptations. Now, he that is aggrieved with the…
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AN ANSWEK UNTO TWO QUESTIONS: WITH TWELVE ARGUMENTS AGAINST ANY CONFORMITY TO WORSHIP NOT OF DIVINE INSTITUTION. Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets? — Zfch. vii. 7. Happy Is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.— Rom. xiv. 22. 11. OF MARRYING AFT…
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2, It is contrary unto that great ride, " Whatsoever is not of faith is sin," Rom. xiv. 23 ; for that any thing which a man doth in the worship of God may be of faith, it is necessary that he be convinced or persuaded that it is his duty so to do, Matt, xxviii. 20; Isa. i. 12; Deut. iv. 2, It is no rule in the worship…
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5. It is inconsistent with that sincerity in profession that is re- quired of us. Our public conjunction with others in acts and duties of religious worship is a part of that profession which we make ; and our whole profession is nothing but the declaration of the subjection of our souls unto the authority of Christ, a…
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QUESTION II. A second inquiry is, Whether the persons before mentioned and described may lawfully, and in a consistency luith, or without a re- nunciation of, their former principles and practice, go to and receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper in the 2^arish churches, under their present constitution and adminis…
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4, The posture of kneeling in the receiving of this sacrament is a pecidiar act of religious adoration, tvhich hath no divine institution or warranty ; and is therefore at best an act of will-worship, not to be complied withal. It is said that " kneeling is required not as an act of worship or re- ligious adoration, b…
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1. There is nothing accidental in the worship of God; everything that belongs to it is part of it. Matt, xxiii. 23. Some things are of more use, weight, and importance, than others, but all things that duly belong unto it are parts of it, or of its substance. Outward circumstances are natural and occasional, not accide…
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Fifth Argument.— That which is a means humanly invented for the attaining of an end in divine worship which Christ hath ordained a means for, unto the exclusion of the means so appointed by Christ, is false worship, and not to be complied withal. The end intended is the edification of the church in the adminis- tratio…
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OF MARRYING AETER DIVORCE IN CASE OF ADULTERY. It is confessed by all that adultery is a just and sufficient cause of a divorce betwixt married persons. This divorce, say some, consists in a dissolution " vinculi matri- monialis," and so removes the marriage relation as that the inno- cent person divorcing or procuri…
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Secondly, If the innocent party npon a divorce be not set at liberty, then, — 1. He is deprived of his right by the sin of another; which is against the law of nature; — and so every wicked woman hath it in her power to deprive her husband of his natural right. 2. The divorce in case of adultery, pointed by our Savio…
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This is the constant doctrine of all protestant churches in tire world ; and it hath had place in the government of these nations, for Queen Elizabeth was born during the life of Queen Katharine, from whom her father was divorced. VOL. XVL 1 7 or INFANT BAPTISM AND DIPPING. OF INFANT BAPTISM. I. The question is not…
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260 OF INFANT BAPTISM. 1. Infants are made for and are capable of eternal glory or misery, and must fall, dying infants, into one of these estates for ever. 2. All infants are born in a state of sin, wherein they are spiritu- ally dead and under the curse. 3. Unless they are regenerated or born again, they must all …
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2. He was sent, or was God's messenger, to perform and accom- plish the covenant and oath made with Abraliam, Luke i. 72, 73. 3. The end of his message and of his coming was, that those to whom he was sent might be " blessed with faithful Abraham," or that 262 OF INFANT BAPTISM. " the blessing of Abraham," promised …
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Lib. 1. cap. XVIU. ; 'Offoi yap iiei rccxirrig Trjg yvcJo/j.rjs /^varayuyol, roeaurai xa! tt'ToXvTpuiffiie. "On /ih dg s^dpvrisiv rou ^arr-'iGiMarog Trig f'S &^(>v ' See also Dr Owen on the Hebrews, toI. i. Excrcitation the sixth, and vol. ii. p. 256 ; in which place he gives further light into this truth of infant b…
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5. The example of Christ is mentioned as one outward means of the regeneration of them who were capable of its use and improve- ment. Of his being an example of baptism nothing is spoken. Nor was Christ in his own person an example of regeneration unto any; for as he was not baptized in all ages, so he was never regene…
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Stephanus is another, and he expressly, in sundry places, assigns "lavo" and "abluo" to be also the sense of it. Aquinas is for dipping of children, provided it be done three times, in honour of the Trinity; but he maintains pouring or sprinkling to be lawful also, affirming that Laurentius, who lived about the time 2…
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While he was vice-chancellor of Oxford, a story was raised against Owen, that he had spoken contemptuously of the Lord's Prayer, and that he had put on his hat when it was on some occasion repeated at the close of the services in Christ Church. The slander was widely propagated, and Owen published a denial of the story…
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REFLECTIONS ON A SLANDEROUS LIBEL. 273 Magnus, an honest Capuchin friar, being so dealt withal by a Jesuit, made not any defence of his own innocency any further than by ad- joining unto all the instances of his charge, " Mentiris impudentis- sime"! And this you will immediately find to be the substance of that answer…
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REFLECTIONS ON A SLANDEROUS LIBEL. 275 or whether ever he gave him his consent to use his name publicly for a countenance unto such a defamatory libel. It were endless and useless to cull out the remaining instances of the same kind, whereof I think there is scarce a page free in his book, unless it be taken up with q…
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But if all these attempts prove successless, there is that yet behind which shall justify the whole charge, or at least the author, in filling up his bill with so many prodigious falsities ; and this is my " bias- REFLECTIONS OiS^ A SLANDEROUS LIBEL. 277 pheming the Lord's prayer," which is exaggerated with many trag…
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II. His last attempt is upon some sayings which he calls my " prin- ciples •'' in the representation whereof whether he hath dealt with any greater regard to truth and honesty than are the things we have already passed through shall be briefly considered. The first, as laid down in the contents prefixed to this sorry …
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J. O. OF THE DIVINE OEIGINAL, AUTHORITY, SELF-EVIDENCING LIGHT, AND POWER OF THE SCRIPTURES; WITH AN ANSWER TO THAT INQUIRY, HOW WE KNOW THE SCRIPTURES TO BE THE WORD OF GOD, ALSO, A VINDICATION OF THE PURITY AND INTEGRITY OF THE HEBREW AND GREEK TEXTS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT; IN SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON THE P…
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Many there have been, and are, who, through the craft of Satan and the preju- dice of their own hearts, lying under the power of corrupt and carnal interest, have engaged themselves to decry and disparage that excellency of the Scripture which is proper and peculiar unto it. The several sorts of them are too many parti…
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Sundry other branches there are of the abominations of these men besides those enumerated, all which may be reduced to these three corrupt and bloody foun- tains : — I. That the Scriptui'e at best, as given out from God, and as it is to us con- tinued, was and is but a partial revelation of the will of God, the other …
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Here that most stupendous fabric that was ever raised by ink and paper, termed well by a learned man, " Magnificentissimum illud, quod post homines natos in lucem prodiit unquam, opus biblicum,"' — I mean the Parisian Bibles, — is prefaced by a discourse of its erector, Michael Le Jay, wherein he denies the Hebrew text…
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288 THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. for the restoration of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. But the work principally prospered in the hands of the first reformers, as they were all of them generally skilled in the Hebrew, — some of them, as Capito, Bibliander, Fagius, Munster, to that height and usefulness that they may well be …
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Now, together with the knoAvledge of the tongues, the use of that knowledge in critical observations did also increase. The excellent use of this study and employment, with the fruits of it in the explanation of sundry difficulties, with many other advantages, cannot be easily expressed. But as the best things are apt …
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THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 291 2. But in case this course fail, and no relief be afforded this wa_y, then the transposition of letters offers its assistance. Those who know any thing of this language know what alteration in the sense of words may be made by such a way of procedure ; frequently words of contrary senses, d…
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And thus have I given you a brief account how, by the subtlety of Satan, there are principles crept in even amongst Protestants, undermining the authority of the " Hebrew verity," as it was called of old, wherein Jerusalem hath justified Samaria, and cleared the Papists in their reproaching of the Word of God. Of the N…
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1 have no more to add, but only begging I may have the continuance of your prayers and assistance in your several stations for the carrying on the work of our Lord and ^Master in this place committed unto us, that I may give in my ac- count with joy and not with grief to Him that stands at the door, I conmiend you to t…
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That the whole authority of the Scripture in itself depends solely on its divine original, is confessed by all who acknowledge its autho- rity. The evincing and declaration of that authority being the thing at present aimed at, the discovery of its divine spring and rise is, in the first place, necessarily to be premis…
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This is variously expressed. Generally, it is said n^n la"! " the word was " to this or that prophet, which we have rendered " the word came" unto them. Ezek. i. 3 : "i31 T\\7\ n\n, it " came expressly;" " essendo fuit " — it had a subsistence given unto it, or an effectual in-being, by the Spirit's entering into him. …
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' Hebijioa voluniina uec in una dictione corrupta invenies. Sant. Pag. l^Ta Sv r, filot xtpaia oh fih ^Ta^tX^ji. (Matt. V. 18.) VAEIOUS HEADINGS OF HEBREW TEXT. 301 apostles and evangelists; but the ccTroypafa, or "copies" wliicli we have contain every iota that was in them. There is no doubt but that in the copies …
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1 Proleg. ad Bibl. Polyglot. 2 Satis ergo est quod eadem salutaris doctrina quje fuit k Mose, prophetis, apos- tolis et evangelistis in suis a.lro'ypa(poit primum literis consignata, eadem omnino pariter in textibus Gr?eco et Hebraeo, et in translationibus cum veteribus, turn recentibus, clare certo et sufficienter in…
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That this is so indeed, as before asserted, and to give a reason why this is to be received as a principle, he adds, (verse 21,) Ov yap ^iXrifx^art avdpu'xou ^vsy^&rj 'TTori ■TT/'opjjrs/a. That word of prophecy which we have written, is not idlag sTiXussMg — " of private conception" — " for it came not at any time by t…
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CHAPTER II. The main question proposed to consideration — How we may know assuredly the Scrip, ture to be tlie word of God— The Scripture to be received by divine faith — The authority of God the foundation — The way whereby that authoiity is evidenced or made linown — Tlie various ways of God's revealing himself and …
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308 THE DIVINE OEIGINAL OF SCRIPTUEE. and unto us — is from itself, as the Word of God ; and tlie eviction of that authority imto us, is by itself. When the authority of the Scripture is inquired after, strictly its 'power to command and require obedience, in the name of God, is intended. To ask, then, whence it hath…
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There are three ways whereby God, in several degrees, revealetli himself, his properties, his mind, and will, to the sons of men. 1. He doth it by his luorks, both of creation and providence. "All thy works praise thee." (Ps. cxlv. 10, &c.) "The heavens declare the glory of God ; and the firmament showeth his handy- w…
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And thus is it with those things. Now, the Psalmist says unto God, (Ps. cxxxviii. 2,) "Thou hast magaified"^^^? ^9*^'"^|"^J; "over all thy name, thy Word " [which] thou hast spoken. The name of God is all that whereby he makes himself known. Over all this God magnifies his Word. It all lies in a subserviency thereunto.…
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In both these cases the testimony of the Scripture is pleaded, and is to be received, or cannot with any pretence of reason be refused. In the fonner, upon the account of the acknowledged authority and veracity of the witness, though speaking in its own case ; in the latter, upon the account of that self-evidence which…
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But that he had and hath done so, he declares, (Jer. xxiii. 26-29,) " How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy 816 THE DIVINE OEIGINAL OF SCRIPTURE. lies ? that are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams, which they tell eve…
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Could we hear a voice from heaven, accompanied with such a divine power as to evidence itself to be from God, should we not rest in it as such ? I suppose men think they would. Can we think that any man should withdraw his assent, and say, Yea, but I must have some testimony that this is from God? All such evasions are…
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There are, then, two things that are accompanied with a self- evidencing excellency; and every other thing doth so, so far as it is partaker of their nature, and no otherwise. jSTow, these are — Is^, Light; 2d, Power, for or in operation. 1. Light manifests itself Whatever is light doth so; that is, it doth whatever i…
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Nor doth it in the least impair this self-evidencing efficacy of the Scripture, that it is a moral and spiritual, not a natural light. The proposition is universal to all kinds of light ; yea, more fully appli- cable to the former than the latter. Light, I confess, of itself, will not renaove the defect of the visive f…
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For the proof, then, of the divine authority of the Scriptures unto him or them who, as yet, on no account whatever do acknowledge SCRIPTURE THE POWER OF GOD. 323 it — I shall only suijpose that, by the providence of God, the book itself be so brought unto him or them, as that he or they he engaged to the considerati…
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These are briefly the foundations of the answer returned to the inquiry formerly laid doAvn, which might abundantly be enlarged — How know we that the Scripture is the word of God ; how may others come to be assured thereof? The Scripture, say we, bears TESTIMONY OF THE SPIRIT. 325 testimony to itself that it is the …
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' Morin. Exercit. de Ilcb. Text. Siiicer., Exercit. i. cap. 1. TESTIMONY OF THE SPIRIT. 327 Holy Ghost ; which work of his illumination is commonly by others spoken unto, and by me also in another place.^ 2. The Holy Ghost, together with and by his work of illumination, takmg off the perverse disposition of mind tha…
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Thus far, then, have we proceeded: The Scripture, the written PRE'i'ENCES AND ALLEGATIONS. 329 Word, hath its infallible truth in itself: 'O "koycg 6 ahg dXrjdsid san. (John xvii. 17.) From whence it hath its verity, thence it hath its authority; for its whole authority is foiuided in its truth. Its authority in itse…
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TESTIMONY OF TRADITION. S31 have, for the most part, so utterly lost the remembrance of what themselves are, whence they came, or whither they are to go — that I can give very little credit to what I have nothing but their authority to rely upon for, without any evidence from the nature of the thing itself Abstractin…
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But yet suppose that this also were granted, and that men might be allowed to speak in their own name and authority, giving testi- mony to themselves — which, upon the hjrpothesis under consideration, God himself is not allowed to do — I shall desire to know whether, when the church declares the Scriptures to be the wo…
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Before the committing of the Scriptures to writing, God had given the world an experiment what keepers men were of this revelation by tradition. Within some hundreds of years after the flood, all knowledge of him, through the craft of Satan and the vanity of the minds of men, which is imspeakable, was so lost, that not…
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I suppose it will not be denied but that it was the mind and will of God that those to whom his Word should come should own it and receive it as his; if not, it were no sin in them to reject it unto whom it doth so come. If it were, then either he hath given those characters unto it, and left upon it that impression of…
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That all mankind are perplexed and entangled with and about these considerations — ^that all men ever were so, without exception, more or less, and continue so to be to this day — that of themselves they miserably grope up and down in the dark, and are never able to come to any satisfaction, neither as to what is prese…
902 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.