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John Owen on Liturgies and Laziness

Posted on 08. Sep, 2009 by Danny Hyde in John Owen

In his Discourse Concerning Liturgies, and Their Imposition (Works 15, 1–55), written just before the Act of Uniformity in 1662, John Owen (1616–1683) made a major point of using Ephesians 4. In fact, in all my reading of Owen and his liturgical writings, Ephesians 4 serves as a recurring passage. What Owen drew out of this passage is the fact that the ascended Jesus Christ by his Holy Spirit has promised to equip his ministers to edify his people. Against the argument of the Angllican prelates, who argued that liturgies were necessary because of their ministers’ lack of ability to pray extemporaneously, Owen retorted with a conundrum: this either is blasphemy because what it says is that Jesus no longer gifts his Church as he did in the days of the apostles as he promised or those in the ministry without such gifts were negligent and careless in not improving whatever gifts they did have. Because of the lack of improvement of gifts, Owen said, “I wish, then, we might, in the fear of the Lord, consider whether the remedy [i.e., composing liturgies] were well suited unto the disease [i.e., negligent and ungifted ministers].”

Throughout this Discourse Owen argued in a typically dispassionate, cogently argued manner, but his experimental theology bursted forth in a passionate way, when he said:

I suppose all impartial men will grant that there ought to have been a return unto Him endeavoured from whom that were gone astray . . . Finding themselves at the loss wherein they were, should they not have searched their hearts and ways, to consider wherefore it was that the presence of Christ was so withdrawn from them, that they were so left without the assistance which other ministering in their places before them had received? Should not they have pulled out their single talent, and fallen to trading with it, that it might have increased under their care? Was not this the remedy and cure of the breach made by them, that God and man expected from them? Was it just, then, and according to the mind of Christ, that, instead of an humble returnal unto a holy, evangelical dependence on himself, they should invent an expedient to support them in the condition wherein they were, and so make all such returnal for hereafter needless? (Works 15, 27–28)

What use are Owen’s words for us today? To my brothers in the ministry and those preparing for the ministry, stir up the gifts that your Lord Jesus Christ has placed within you by the power of his Holy Spirit! Fan your flame (2 Tim. 1:6). Work hard at preaching the law with force and work hard at applying the tender words of the gospel to your people’s souls. And exert yourselves in praying as men standing between God and man, heaven and earth. Administer the sacraments with passion as they are a foretaste of heaven.

Tags: liturgy, ministry, Owen, worship