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truth_n according_a church_n word_n 2,678 5 4.0797 3 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A53684 A discourse concerning liturgies, and their imposition Owen, John, 1616-1683. 1662 (1662) Wing O737; ESTC R234401 53,130 67

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and useful place that is like to obtain in the Worship of God which having its Rise in the Authority of man is framed by the Rule of the wisdome of man and so wholly resolved into his Will I may say will be one day judged and determined but that it is so already sufficiently in the Word of Truth CHAP. IX Argument Second Necessary use of the Liturgy exclusive of the use of the means appointed by Christ for the Edification of his Church WE proceed to some further Considerations upon the state of the Question before laid down and shall insist on some other Argument against the Imposition pleaded for We have spoken to the Authority Imposing our next Argument is taken from the Thing or Matter Imposed and the End of that Imposition An Humane Provision of means for the accomplishing of any End or Ends in the Worship of God for which Jesus Christ himself hath made and doth continue to make Provision to the exclusion of that Provision so by him made is not allowable About this Assertion I suppose we shall have no Contention To assert the Lawfulness of such Provisions is in the first instance to exalt the Wisdome and Authority of men above that of Christ and that in his own house This men will not nakedly and openly do though by just consequence it be done every day But we have secured our Proposition by the plainness of its terms against which no Exception can lye It remaineth then that we shew that the things mentioned in it and rejected as disallowable are directly applicable to the Imposition of Liturgies contended about That the Prescription of the Liturgy to be used as prescribed is the Provision of a means for the accomplishing of some Ends in the Worship of God the Judgement and the Practise of those who Contend for it do sufficiently declare Those Ends or this End to sum them up all in one is That the Ordinances and Institutions of Christ may be quickly administred and solemnized in the Church with decency and order unto the Edification of the Assemblies wherein it is used I suppose none will deny this to be the end intended in its Imposition it is so pleaded continually nor is there uny other that I know of assigned Now of the things mentioned it is the last that is the principal end namely the Edification of the Church which is aimed at for its own sake and so regulates the whole Procedure of meer mediums and those that are so mediums as also to be estemed subordinate ends Such are Decency and Order or Uniformity These have not their worth from themselves nor do they influence the intention of the Liturgists for their own sakes but as they tend unto Edification And this the Apostolical Rule expresly requireth 1 Cor. 14. The Prescription then of a Liturgy is a Provision for the right Administration of the Ordinances of the Gospel uno the Edification of the Church This is its general nature and in the Administration of the Ordinances of the Gospel consists the chief and main work of the Ministry That this Provision is Humane hath been before declared It was not made by Christ nor his Apostles but of men and by men was it made and Imposed on the Disciples of Christ. It remaineth then that we Consider whether Jesus Christ have not made provision for the same end and purpose namely that the Ordinances and Institutions of the Gospel may be administred to the edification of the Church Now this the Apostle expresly affirms Ephes. 4. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men He gave some Pastors and Teachers for the perfection of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all came in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a p●rfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. The Lord Jesus who hath appointed the Office of the Ministry hath also provided sufficient furniture for the Persons called according to his mind to the discharge of that Office and the whole Duty of it That the administration of the Ordinances of the Gospel is the work of the Ministry I suppose will not be denied Now that this work of the Ministry may be discharged to the edification of his Body and that to the end of the World until all his People in every Generation are brought unto the Measure of Grace assigned unto them in this life is expresly affirmed He hath given Gifts for this end and purpose namely that the work of the Ministry may be performed to the edification of his Body To say that the Provision he hath made is not every way sufficient for the attaining of the End for which it was made by him or that he continueth not to make the same Provision that he did formerly are equally false equally blasphemous the one injurious to his Wisdome the other to his Truth both to his Love and Care of his Church For Decency and Uniformity in all his Churches the Lord Jesus also hath provided The Administration of the same specifical Ordinances in the Assemblies of his Disciples conveened according to his mind according to the same Rule of his Word by vertue of the same specifical Gifts of the Spirit by him bestowed on the Administrators of them constitutes the Uniformity that he requires and is acceptable unto him This was the Uniformity of the Apostolical Churches walking by the same Rule of Faith and Obedience and no other And this is all the Uniformity that is among the true Churches of Christ that are this day in the World To imagine that there should be an Uniformity in Words and Phrases of Speech and the like is an unpracticable Figment which never was obtained nor ever will be to the end of the World And when men by the invention of Rites and Orders began to depart from this Uniformity how far they were from falling into any other is notorious from that Discourse of Socrates on this matter lib. 5. cap. 21. For these then the Lord Christ hath made provision And where there is this Uniformity unto Edification let those things be attended unto which are requisite for the nature of Assembles meeting for such ends as Assemblies and all the Decency and Order which Christ requireth will ensue I suppose it will not be safe for any man to derogate from the sufficiency of this provision If any shall say That we see and find by experience that men called to be Ministers are not so enabled to the Work of the Ministry as by vertue of the Gifts they have received to admidister the Ordinancer of the Gospel unto the edification of the Church I shall desire them to Consider whether indeed such persons be