A90265:102
The duty of pastors and people distinguished [sic]. Or A brief discourse, touching the…The duty of pastors and people distingushed [sic]. Or A briefe discourse, touching the…
The duty of pastors and people distinguished [sic]. Or A brief discourse, touching the administration of things commanded in religion. Especially concerning the means to be used by the people of God (distinct from church-officers) for the increasing of divine knowledge in themselves and others. Wherein bounds are prescribed to their performances, their liberty is enlarged to the utmost extent of the dictates of nature and rules of charity: their duty laid down in directions, drawn from Scripture-precepts, and the practise of Gods people in all ages. Together with the several ways of extraordinary calling to the office of public teaching, with what assurance such teachers may have of their calling, and what evidence they can give of it, unto others. / By John Owen, M.A. of Q. Col. O.The duty of pastors and people distingushed [sic]. Or A briefe discourse, touching the administration of things commanded in religion. Especially concerning the means to be used by the people of God (distinct from church-officers) for the increasing of divine knowledge in themselves and others. Wherein bounds are prescribed to their peformances, their liberty is enlarged to the utmost extent of the dictates of nature and rules of charity: their duty laid downe in directions, drawn from Scripture-precepts, and the practise of Gods people in all ages. Together with the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the office of publike teaching, with what assurance such teachers may have of their calling, and what evidence they can give of it, unto others. / By John Ovven, M.A. of Q. Col. O.
London: printed by L. N. for Philemon Stephens, 1644
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now surely this is very far from that gentleness, meekness, and aptness to teach, which St. Paul requireth in a man of God, a minister of the Gospel: Secondly, the negligence of the people also, might here come under a just reproof, who have not laboured, to discern the voice of the hireling, from that of the true shepherd, but have promiscuously followed, the new fanglednesse, & heretical errors, of every time serving starver of souls. Whence proceedeth all that misery, the land now groaneth under, but that we have had a people, willing to be led by a corrupted Clergy, freely drinking in the poison, wherewith they were tainted: the Prophets prophesied falsely, the Priests bare rule, by their means, the people loved to have it so, but what shall we now do in the end thereof; who could ever have thought, that the people of England, would have yielded a willing ear, to so many Popish errors, and an obedient shoulder, to such a heavy burden of Superstitions, as in a few years, 1were instilled into them, and laid upon them: voluntarily by their own sinful neglect, ensnaring their consciences, by the omission of this duty we insist upon, of examining by the word what is taught unto them; but this is no place for complaints, and this is a second thing, which the people distinct from their Pastors may do for their own edification. now whether they do this privately, every one apart, or by assembling more together, is altogether indifferent. And that this was observed by private Christians, in ⟨p. 46⟩the Primitive times is very apparent.
Now surely this is very far from that gentlenesse, meeknesse, and aptnesse to teach, which St. Paul requireth in a man of God, a minister of the Gospel: Secondly, the negligence of the people also, might here come under a just reproofe, who have not laboured, to discerne the voice of the hireling, from that of the true shepheard, but have promiscuously followed, the new fanglednesse, & hereticall errours, of every time serving starver of souls. Whence proceedeth all that misery, the land now groaneth under, but that we have had a people, willing to be led by a corrupted Clergy, freely drinking in the poison, wherewith they were tainted: the Prophets prophesied falsely, the Priests bare rule, by their meanes, the people loved to have it so, but what shall we now doe in the end thereof; who could ever have thought, that the people of England, would have yeilded a willing eare, to so many Popish errours, and an obedient shoulder, to such a heavy burden of Superstitions, as in a few years,