This volume in an unedited reprint of Vindiciae Evangelicae (1655), as reprinted in Volume XII of The Works of John Owen, D.D. (ed. William H. Goold, Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1862) This work, written by order of the Council of State, is a lengthy refutation of the unitarian ("Socinian") theology of John Bidle (Biddle) (1615-1662). (Some works of Bidle are available here. John Owen (1616-1683) was an English Nonconformist divine. He was born at Stadham in Oxfordshire in 1616, and was educated at Queen's College, Oxford. (B.A. 1632, M.A. 1635) He served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, as a minister, and was prolific controversial and theological writer, famous for his attacks on Catholicism, unitarianism, and Arminianism.
John Owen was an English Nonconformist church leader, theologian, and academic administrator at the University of Oxford. He was chosen to preach to parliament on the day after the execution of King Charles I, and succeeded in fulfilling his task without directly mentioning that event. Another sermon, a plea for sincerity of religion in high places, won not only the thanks of parliament but the friendship of Oliver Cromwell, who took Owen to Ireland as his chaplain, that he might regulate the affairs of Trinity College, Dublin. He pleaded with the House of Commons for the religious needs of Ireland as some years earlier he had pleaded for those of Wales. In March 1651, Cromwell, as Chancellor of Oxford University, gave him the deanery of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, and made him Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in September 1652. During his eight years of official Oxford life Owen showed himself a firm disciplinarian, thorough in his methods, though, as John Locke testifies, the Aristotelian traditions in education underwent no change. While little encouragement was given to a spirit of free inquiry, Puritanism at Oxford was not simply an attempt to force education and culture into "the leaden moulds of Calvinistic theology." Owen, unlike many of his contemporaries, was more interested in the New Testament than in the Old. During his Oxford years he wrote Justitia Divina (1653), an exposition of the dogma that God cannot forgive sin without an atonement; Communion with God (1657), Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance (1654), his final attack on Arminianism; Vindiciae Evangelicae, a treatise written by order of the Council of State against Socinianism as expounded by John Biddle; On the Mortification of Sin in Believers (1656), an introspective and analytic work; Schism (1657), one of the most readable of all his writings; Of Temptation (1658), an attempt to recall Puritanism to its cardinal spiritual attitude from the jarring anarchy of sectarianism and the pharisaism which had followed on popularity and threatened to destroy the early simplicity.
John Owen is considered one of the sharpest theological minds of the seventeenth century and a significant theologian in his own right, particularly in terms of his contributions to pneumatology, christology, and ecclesiology. Carl Trueman presents a major study of the key elements of John Owen's writings and his theology. Presenting his theology in its historical context, Trueman explores the significance of Owen's work in ongoing debates on seventeenth century theology, and examines the contexts within which Owen's theology was formulated and the shape of his mind in relation to the intellectual culture of his day - particularly in contemporary philosophy, literature and theology. Examining Owen's theology from pneumatological, political and eschatological perspectives, Trueman highlights the trinitarian structure of his theology and how his theological work informed his understanding of practical Christianity. With the current resurgence of interest in seventeenth century Reformed theology amongst intellectual historians, and the burgeoning research in systematic theology, this book presents an invaluable study of a leading mind in the Reformation and the historical underpinnings for new systematic theology.
Paul C. H. Lim offers an insightful examination of the polemical debates about the doctrine of the Trinity in seventeenth-century England, showing that this philosophical and theological re-configuration significantly impacted the politics of religion in the early modern period. Through analysis of these heated polemics, Lim shows how Trinitarian God-Talk became untenable in many ecclesiastical and philosophical circles, which led to the emergence of Unitarianism. He also demonstrates that those who continued to embrace Trinitarian doctrine articulated their piety and theological perspectives in an increasingly secularized culture of discourse. Drawing on both unexplored manuscripts and well-known treatises of Continental and English provenance, he unearths the complex layers of the polemic: from biblical exegesis to reception history of patristic authorities, from popular religious radicalism during the Civil War to Puritan spirituality, from Continental Socinians to English anti-trinitarians who avowed their relative independent theological identity, from the notion of the Platonic captivity of primitive Christianity to that of Plato as "Moses Atticus." Among this book's surprising conclusions are the findings that Anti-Trinitarian sentiment arose from a Puritan ambience, in which Biblical literalism overcame rationalistic presuppositions, and that theology and philosophy were not as unconnected during this period as previously thought. Mystery Unveiled will fill a significant lacuna in early modern English intellectual history.
Excerpt from Vindiciae Evangelicae, or the Mystery of the Gospel Vindicated, and Socinianisme Examined: In the Consideration, and Confutation of a Catechisme, Called a Scripture Catechisme, Written by J. Biddle, M. An., And the Catechisme of Valentinus Smalcius, Commonly Called the Racovian Catechisme Thofe Cateehtfwct, was fufiiciently neceiiary. That it i' by Providence fallen upon the hand of one, more un meet then many others in this place for the perfor humee of this Work and Duty, I doubt n0t bur you contented withalls and am hold to hope that neither the Truth, nor your own efieeme, will too much y my engagement herein. Yea, give me leave. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
There is a growing body of historical literature on the importance of John Owen. Ryan M. McGraw seeks to reassess Owen's theology in light of the way in which he connected his trinitarian piety to his views of public worship. McGraw argues that Owen ́s teaching on communion with God as triune was the foundation of his views of public worship and that he regarded public worship as the highest expression of communion with the triune God. These themes not only highlight Owen's context as a Reformed orthodox theologian, but the distinctive influence of English Puritanism on his theological emphases. The connection between his practical trinitarianism and public worship runs through the course of his writings and every major area of his theology. These include the nature of theology, the knowledge of God, the doctrine of the Trinity, public worship, spiritual affections, apostasy, covenant theology, ecclesiology, and Christology. This work treats these themes in Owen's thought and shows how they intersect and are intertwined with the Trinity and public worship. In addition, this book provides a detailed exposition of the parts of Reformed worship. While other works have treated the centrality of his trinitarianism in his theology, few have acknowledged the importance of public worship in his thinking. This research concludes that communion with God in public worship was integral to Owen's practical trinitarian theology.
