John Owen: Federal Visionist — NOT!

The lead Federal Visionist recently declared, “I don’t believe, just as John Owen didn’t believe, that denial of it [Imputation of Active Obedience of Christ] amounts to a denial of the gospel.”

From what I can tell, he made his declaration based upon this post, which he claimed “demolishes” the assumption that Owen held IAOC as “a sine qua non of Reformed orthodoxy concerning justification.”

But if you read the post, you’ll see that the author lifted 166 words from one of Owen’s massive, small-print volumes and asserted — ex cathedra — that Owen softened his view of IAOC as he grew older, and since Owen didn’t contend for it in that sound bite taken from later in his life, “he’s saying it doesn’t delimit Reformed orthodoxy.” Now that’s a stretch even by FV standards. Failure to argue a point is not tantamount to affirming its opposite. I think. Furthermore, I noticed that the author imputed context to Owen’s quote that quite simply isn’t there, i.e. that Owen had sat down to delineate the sine qua non of Reformed orthodoxy concerning justification.

This brings us to Pastor Danny Hyde, who recently posted an extended citation from a letter written by Owen vigorously contending for IAOC. Common sense forces me to conclude that since John Owen defended IAOC, he held it. But you’ll notice that Pastor Hyde didn’t jump to ridiculous conclusions based upon one citation. It speaks for itself.

Finally, I want to leave with a word of wisdom for Dr. R. Scott Clark, who recently advanced a compelling argument for the non-existence for air:

I renounce air. I don’t believe in it. I mean, c’mon, who has ever actually seen air? Sure I’m breathing but so what? What does that prove? I choose not to believe in air because, hey, I don’t have to and you can’t make me. Nah nah nah nah boo boo!

Dr. Clark, please, with all due respect, don’t hold your breath.

Thank you.