A90265:104
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.
1. Lawful things must be done lawfully, if any unlawful circumstance, attends the performance of a lawful action, it vitiates the whole work, for Bonum oritur ex integris; for instance, to reprove an offender, is a Christian duty, but for a private man to do it, in the public congregation, whilst the Minister is preaching, were instead of a good act, a soul crime, being a notorious disturbance of Church decency and Order.
1. Lawfull things must be done lawfully, if any unlawfull circumstance, attends the performance of a lawfull action, it vitiates the whole worke, for Bonum oritur ex integris; for instance, to reprove an offender, is a Christian duty, but for a private man to do it, in the publicke congregation, whilest the Minister is preaching, were instead of a good act, a soule crime, being a notorious disturbance of Church decency and Order.
2. That for a public, formal, Ministerial teaching, two things are required in the Teacher: First, gifts from God: Secondly, authority from the Church (and I speak now of ordinary cases) he that wants either, is no true Pastor: For the first, God sends none upon an employment, but whom he fills with gifts for it: 1. not one command in the Scripture made to Teachers 2. Not one rule for their direction: 3. Not one promise to their endeavours, 4. Not any end of their unemployment; 5. not one encouragement to their duty, 6. Not one reproof for their negligence, 7. Not the ⟨p. 47⟩least intimation of their reward, but cuts off ungifted: Idol pastors, from any true interest in the calling: And for the other, that want authority from the Church, neither ought they to undertake any formal act, properly belonging to the Ministry, such as is, solemn teaching of the word; For, 1. they are none of Christs officers, Ephes. 4. 11. 2. They are expressly forbidden it, Jer. 23. 21.