John Owen, Of Schism: The True Nature of it Discovered and Vindicated

Tim Cooper (University of Otago)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Domains

Theology

Dates

First circulation or publication 1657

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Treatise

Resources

In 1657 John Owen published a book that defended the Independents from the accusation of schism. The work provoked a response from, among others, Daniel Cawdrey, a Presbyterian minister who had made a name for himself by attacking the Independents in print as early as 1645. Several rounds of fruitless fighting ensued. The exchange is revealing of Owen’s ecclesiology – a badly neglected aspect of his theology.

Round One: Of Schism (1657)

Rather like Melchizedek, Of Schism appeared without genealogy, without mother or father, in that it carried with it no preface, no introduction, and no specific context. William Orme, Owen’s biographer, thought he was prompted to write the book by the …

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3103 words

Citation: Cooper, Tim. "Of Schism: The True Nature of it Discovered and Vindicated". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 September 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=25779, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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