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ON JOHN OWEN
LEE, FRANCIS NIGEL
John Owen Represbyterianized
This book chronicles John Owen's
thought as he matured and ultimately re-embraced the Presbyterianism of his
youth. However, it is also much more
-- being a fine introduction to biblical
Presbyterianism!
In a fascinating manner John Owen Represbyterianized begins
tracing Presbyterianism from the Heavenly Session
in the Trinity. It continues by moving
from the Presbyterianism of the antediluvian Patriarchs to a survey of
Presbyterian church government as it is revealed throughout the Old Testament.
It then demonstrates how the "Older Testament Presbyterianism continues as
Christian Presbyterianism" in the New Testament (all the while providing
an excellent historical overview and summary of Presbyterianism as it is found
throughout the complete inspired record of Scripture).
Dr. Lee also provides many
exegetical proofs for Presbyterianism while furnishing numerous insights into
how the original languages of the Bible set forth the Presbyterian system of
church government.
This is all accomplished in an
easy-reading format which even a young Christian should be able to understand
-- while, at the same time, offering profound divine truths that will be much
appreciated by those more skilled and mature in the use of their biblical
swords.
Dr. Lee writes,
The
purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that Britain's great Puritan
Theologian... John Owen, was essentially not a Congregationalist but a
Presbyterian. He first pastored a Presbyterian Church. On his deathbed, he
re-affirmed Presbyterianism.
The
depresbyterianized Owen later re-embraced Presbyterianism... Dr. Owen, 1616-83,
was quite the greatest alleged Congregationalist and certainly one of the most
thorough Theologians Britain has ever produced. Educated at Oxford, he first
pastored a Presbyterian Church -- in 1643, the year the Westminster Assembly
itself was convened. After reading a book by the American John Cotton, Owen
inwardly embraced Congregationalism.
In his next parish,
he seceded from Presbyterianism... the system many in the Puritan Parliament
and most at the presbyterianizing Westminster Assembly were then trying to
promote in the wake of The Solemn League and Covenant -- for Reformation and
Defence of Religion; the Honour and Happiness of the King; and the Peace and
Safety of the three Kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland -- taken and subscribed several times by King Charles
and by all ranks in the said three kingdoms.
At the termination
of the Monarchy and the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1649, Cromwell the
Congregationalist appointed Owen Vice-Chancellor at Oxford. He became the chief
architect of the Cromwellian State Church, and helped compose the
congregationalistic Savoy Declaration of Faith in 1658 (intended to replace the presbyterial Westminster
Confession of Faith and its chapter
31:1-5). Subsequent to the termination of the Commonwealth and the Restoration
of the Monarchy in 1660, Owen was ejected from Oxford.
After
congregationalistically pastoring a 'gathered church' in his own home and
elsewhere for the next two decades -- at the end of
his life he certainly moved back toward and seems actually to have re-embraced
Presbyterianism. How could it be otherwise -- with Owen constantly
improving his own infant baptism, in the Name of the Triune God (Who is Himself
a Presbytery)? See Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. & A. 167! Thus the proto-Presbyterian... John
Owen -- after a lapse into Congregationalism -- thereafter increasingly
re-presbyterianized...
The Final Represbyterianization of... John Owen
Presbyterian Baxter
was so impressed by words like these in Owen's Catechism, that he wrote to him... proposing union between the
Congregationalists and the Presbyterians. To that, Dr. Owen himself replied
(I:cix-cxxi)...
"I judge your
proposals worthy of great consideration.... I see no reason why all the true
disciples of Christ might not, upon these and the like principles, condescend
in love unto the practical concord and agreement -- which not one of them dare
deny to be their duty to aim at."
Owen
himself (Works XVI:2) told several men that he could readily join with
Presbytery the way it was exercised in Scotland. Moreover, historian Wodrow in his own [1716] Analecta (1842 ed. 2:263 & 2:309) records:
"Blackwell
tells...he had this account of Owen at his death from persons who were with
him... that he expressed himself very much in favour of Presbyterian
Government, and said he was persuaded that Presbytery was the way to God....
"Redpath told
me...he visited Dr. Owen on his deathbed, and Presbytery and Episcopacy came to
be discoursed of.... The Doctor said how he had
seen his mistake as to the Independent way, and declared to him a day or two
before his death that after his utmost search into the Scriptures and
antiquity, he was now satisfied that Presbytery was the way Christ had appointed
in His New Testament Church."
Owen died in 1683.
One of his most important tracts, The True Nature of a Gospel Church and its
Government, was published
posthumously six years later in 1689. Rightly, the later congregationalistic
editor W.H. Goold admitted in his own 'Prefatory Note' thereto (VXI:2) that
because "of some statements in the following treatise...it has been
gravely argued that the author returned to the Presbyterianism of his early
days before he died." Those statements are found especially in Owen's
chapter on 'the Communion of Churches.'
Let us summarize
Owen's final conclusions in his own words. In his essay Duty of Pastors and
People Distinguished (XIII:39), he
wrote:
"The
principles and rules of that church government from which...I desire not to
wander, are...called presbyterial or synodical -- in opposition to prelatical
or diocesan on the one side, and that which is commonly called independent or
congregational on the other."
And another little taste of Dr. Lee's
findings,
...the above-mentioned
text Acts 15:2-6 records the beginning of the deliberations of the General
Assembly in Jerusalem, in answer to its receipt of the reference from the
Presbytery of Antioch. This is to be found just prior to its formulation of
binding decrees to be kept by "the Churches" in all of "the
cities" of Antioch and Cilicia and Syria where Congregations had been
established. Acts 13:1f; 14:23-27; 15:1-41; 16:4-5.
Owen states
(XV:530) "it follows that in case any Church [singular]...do give offence
unto other Churches [plural], those other Churches may require an account from
them; admonish them of their faults; and withhold communion from them in case
they persist in the error of their way.... Hence also it follows that those
that are rightly and justly censured ... in any Church [singular]... ought to
be rejected by all Churches [plural] whatever...because of their mutual
communion.... In case there had been any difficulty or doubt in the procedure
of the Church [singular], they would have taken the advice of these Churches
[plural] with whom they were obliged to consult."
Don't miss this one, it
will save you hours of study and research while also providing many valuable
insights (on church government) that would be otherwise unavailable to those
who do not read the original biblical languages. Furthermore, the
story of John Owen's return to Presbyterianism is extremely interesting and
very well documented and easily worth the price of this book alone!
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OWEN, JOHN
The Chamber of Imagery in the Church of Rome Laid Open; or,
An Antidote Against Popery
A
veritable masterpiece, not only as literature and thought, but as an antidote
to the puerile and shallow conceptions of worship that abound today (in Romanism
and among all forms of sectarianism). Independents, Anglicans, Baptists,
Charismatics, and even sadly many so-called "Reformed" churches today
need the strong spiritual tonic dished out by Owen, to free themselves (by
God's grace) from their present Babylonian captivity. The pretensions of
worldly splendor, sensual experience, mystical "movings of the
spirit," and the corruption of fleshly minds (that is always ready to
burst forth from the cesspools of novelty) is laid low by Owen as he brings Biblical
standards to bear against the beggarly elements of imagery, idolatry and
innovation. Demonstrating
the odiousness of the shadowy abominations "portrayed on the walls of the
Chamber of Imagery," Owen shows the futility of "ceremonies,
vestments, gestures, ornaments, music, altars, images, paintings and bodily
veneration," as proceeding from the will of man, and not God, in His own
worship! A real spiritual feast defending the Reformation's
regulative principle of worship;
don't miss it! 43 pages.
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The Chamber of Imagery is now also
available on two cassettes (for $US7.96), as read by Bill
Mencarow.
Free
MP3 audio of this work, under the title "Antichrist's
(Rome's) Idolatry Rebuked,"
is also available at:
Antichrist's (Rome's) Idolatry Rebuked 1/2
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=9801162332
Antichrist's (Rome's) Idolatry Rebuked 2/2
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=980116119
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ
This book "is a polemical work, designed to show, among other things, that
the doctrine of universal redemption is unscriptural and destructive of the
gospel... Owen's treatise is offered, in the belief that it will help us in one
of the most urgent tasks facing Evangelical Christendom today, the recovery of
the gospel. It is safe to say that no comparable exposition of the work of
redemption as planned and executed by the triune Jehovah has ever been done
since Owen published his in 1648... Nobody has a right to dismiss the doctrine
of the limitedness of the atonement as a monstrosity of Calvinistic logic until
he has refuted Owen's proof that it is part of the uniform biblical
presentation of redemption, clearly taught in plain text after plain text. And
nobody has done that yet" (back cover).
(Large Softcover) $22.95-22%=$17.90 (US funds)
This book is also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 20 (CD
SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
OWEN, JOHN
A Discourse Concerning Liturgies and their Imposition
First
published anonymously in 1662, this edition is from the mid nineteenth-century
printing. This discourse by John Owen contains the
judgement of our author in regard to measures which gave rise to the most
important events in the ecclesiastical history of England. Owen
argues against the liturgy, the imposition of which caused (to the astonishment
of the Prelatical hierarchy) nearly two thousand Puritan ministers of the
Church of England to resign from their pulpits -- rather than sacrifice a clear
conscience concerning the commanded worship of God. These men sacrificed
their livelihood, families, and even their own lives rather than offend God by
practising the false worship propagated by the idolatrous prelates of their
day.
In
conjunction with this, Girardeau, in his Instrumental Music in the Public
Worship of the Church (pp. 24-25) notes,
"The words of the great theologian, John Owen
'and the British Isles have produced no greater' are solemn and deserve to be
seriously pondered: 'The principle that the church hath power to institute any
thing or ceremony belonging to the worship of God, either as to matter or
manner, beyond the observance of such circumstances as necessarily attend such
ordinances as Christ Himself hath instituted, lies at the bottom of all the
horrible superstition and idolatry, of all the confusion, blood, persecution,
and wars, that have for so long a season spread themselves over the face of the
Christian world.'"
Worship
is a life and death matter -- eternal life and eternal death, and the
regulative principle of worship (as it is based on the second commandment) is
ultimately at the heart of any biblically faithful discussion of the questions
Owen deals with here. Bannerman concurs (in his two volume set The Church of
Christ), when he summarizes this book
by Owen as "giving the Scriptural argument
against the imposition of liturgies as well as of other humanely devised
elements in Divine worship, with
great clearness and force" (p. 435).
Furthermore,
the Westminster Theological Journal
(55, 1993, p. 322, 3n) notes, "Owen discusses
the true nature of NT worship, especially focusing on the challenge made to it
by the Church of England. His discourse regarding the imposition of liturgies
is one of the most thorough and forceful arguments for the regulative principle
of worship as the only principle which safely guards the Christian conscience
from the abuse of church power."
All
this shows that Owen clearly understood that the regulative principle of
worship (sometimes called the Scriptural law of worship) was foundational to
all true Reformation. Anyone who publicly opposes
the regulative principle of worship is not only an idolater (who encourages
others to violate the second commandment), but a deceiver also -- and in some
cases, this may be evidence of an unregenerate heart. Moreover, Scripture and
history clearly demonstrate that Satan always fights with all his might to
overthrow this foundational biblical truth concerning worship. 55
pages.
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For
more on this topic see "Reformation History,"
FREE at: http://www.swrb.com/newslett/FREEBOOK/RefHist.htm
A Display of Arminianism: Being A Discovery of the Old Pelagian Idol of
Free Will, With the New Goddess Contingency Advancing Themselves Into the
Throne of the God of Heaven, to the Prejudice of His Grace, Providence, and
Supreme Dominion Over the Children of Men...
This was Owen's first publication (1642) and immediately brought him into
notice. It contains numerous useful charts contrasting Arminian doctrines, from
some of their major teachers, with those of Scripture (Calvinism) in a
side-by-side format. Owen leaves no room for compromise with Arminianism as he
shows why this is, when sincerely believed, a dangerous, devilish and damnable
heresy! This position is simply in keeping with Luther, as C.H. Spurgeon points
out, "... and I will go as far as Martin Luther, in that strong assertion
of his, where he says, 'If any man doth ascribe of salvation, even the very
least, to the free will of man, he knoweth nothing of grace, and he hath not
learnt Jesus Christ aright.' It may seem a harsh sentiment; but he who in his
soul believes that man does, of his own free will turn to God, cannot have been
taught of God, for that is one of the first principles taught us when God
begins with us, that we have neither will nor power, but that He gives both;
that he is 'Alpha and Omega' in the salvation of men." (from the sermon
'Free Will A Slave,' 1855, also see Luther's Reformation classic, The
Bondage of the Will,
http://www.swrb.com/catalog/L.htm ).
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OWEN, JOHN
The Doctrine of Justification
By Faith, and Evidences of the Faith of God's Elect (1862 American edition)
The discerning reader, as he examines the apologetical endeavors of ancient
and modern Roman Catholics, will become increasingly aware that he is dealing
with indefatigable masters of sophistry.
From Bellarmine in the 1500's to Scott Hahn, Gerry Matatics, and Karl Keating
and Catholic Answers in the 1990's, the Papal purveyors spare no
efforts in their excruciating distortions of the Scriptures to fit the mold of
their apostasy. Indeed, equivocation and deception
are quintessential to Roman Catholicism, and their proponents may rightly be
denominated theological and linguistic thaumaturgists. No less
miraculous and no less blasphemous than their "transformation" of the
bread and wine into the "real" body and blood of Christ, are their
transubstantiations of truth into error, grace into legalism, worship into
idolatry, the creature into God, and God into the creature. Soberly and sagely, then, did R.L. Dabney speak
when he referred to "the doctrine of Rome [as] a masterpiece of cunning
and plausible error."
Though true of Romanism in its totality (to a greater or lesser degree),
these words of Dabney had reference to the Romish view of justification. It is
in this vital arena especially where their skill in sophistry is at times
almost breath-taking -- at once marvelous, unbelievable in audacity and cruelty
to souls, and exasperating in its relentless efforts to pervert and subvert the
clear gospel of Jesus Christ. Little wonder is it that Luther would assert that
"Justification is the article on which the Church stands or falls."
But even as the mystery of iniquity (2 Thess. 2:7) worked itself out with
increasing clarity and consistency in the Roman Church throughout the
centuries, so did the Lord Jesus raise up men, like Luther, who were more than
conquerors of this and Rome's other heresies. Eminent among these was the
exceedingly learned and pious Puritan, Dr. John Owen.
Owen's work on justification has long been
considered one of the classic Protestant treatments. We are thus
confident his writing will, by the blessing of the blessed Spirit of grace, be
an effectual antidote to the poisonous perversions of the Man of Sin (2 Thes.
2:3) -- while also helping to obliterate the specious distinctions and definitions
invented by the Papists to adumbrate the plain truths of Scripture concerning
justification. More than for historical or polemical purposes however, Owen's
treatise should capture the attention and careful study of the faithful because it is written for them: the lovers of Christ
and His truths. His chief aim was not to address those who opposed
the truth (though in handling the subject he overwhelmingly vanquishes them).
Rather, Owen writes,
I shall assure them that, in the handling of it,
from first to last, I have had no other design but only to inquire diligently
into the divine revelation of that way, and those means, with the causes of
them, whereby the conscience of a distressed sinner may attain assured peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I lay more weight on the steady
direction of one soul in this inquiry, than on disappointing [i.e., refuting]
the objections of twenty wrangling or fiery disputers.... To declare and
vindicate the truth, unto the instruction and edification of such as love it in
sincerity, to extricate their minds from those difficulties (in this particular
instance) which some endeavour to cast on all gospel mysteries, to direct the
consciences of them that inquire after abiding peace with God, and to establish
the minds of them that do believe, are the things I have aimed at.
Taste then, and see the goodness of the Lord through His servant, as he
masterfully deals with the following subjects: the nature of justifying faith;
the use of faith in justification; the proper sense of the words
"justification" and "to justify;" distinction of a first
and second justification (taught by the Roman Catholic Church); the nature and
use of evangelical personal righteousness; imputation and the nature of it;
imputation of sin unto Christ; principal controversies about justification;
nature of the obedience or righteousness required unto justification;
imputation of Christ's righteousness to us; the differences between the two
covenants stated; all works whatsoever expressly excluded from any interest in
our justification before God; objections against the doctrine of justification
by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ; seeming difference -- but no
real contradiction -- between the apostles Paul and James, concerning justification;
and more! Sure to be a balm to the soul, and to put a song of praise into
the heart of God's children as they draw closer thereby to their God, who is
their righteousness (Jer. 23:6)! 457 pages.
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OWEN, JOHN
The Forgiveness of Sin
Focusing on God's forgiveness of sin, this volume is a favorite
among Owen's works for many Christians.
Includes 19 chapters of practical exposition on Psalm 130. Some have called this the best commentary ever written on
this Psalm. Enlarged print. 429 pages.
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OWEN, JOHN
Hebrews Commentary
(7 volumes)
Richard Muller considers this
the best commentary on Hebrews.
Out of scores of
commendations of this colossal work we select but one. Dr. Chalmers pronounced
it "a work of gigantic strength as well as
gigantic size; and he who has mastered it is very little short, both in respect
to the doctrinal and practical of Christianity, of being an erudite and
accomplished theologian" (Spurgeon in Commenting and
Commentaries, p. 171)
A classic Puritan work of almost 4000 pages!
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Indwelling Sin in Believers
A detailed work about the battle for holiness against the remaining indwelling
corruption in believers.
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