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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 Act_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. Act_13:1 f; 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!