A90265:121
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.
Or must a master of a family, cease praying in his family, and instructing his children, and servants in the ways of the Lord, for fear of being counted a Preacher in a Tub? things were scarcely carried with an equal hand, for the Kingdom of Christ, when orders came forth on the one side, to give liberty to the profane multitude to assemble themselves at heathenish sports, with bestial exclamations, on the Lords own day, and on the other, to punish them, who durst gather themselves together for prayer, or the singing ⟨p. 53⟩of Psalms; but I hope, through Gods blessing, we shall be for ever quit of all such Ecclesiastical discipline, as must be exercised according to the interest of idle drones, whom it concerneth to see that there be none to try or examine their doctrine, or of superstitious innovators, who desire to obtrude their fancies, upon the unwary people; whence comes it that we have such an innumerable multitude of ignorant stupid souls, unacquainted with the very principles of Religion? but from the discountenancing of these means of increasing knowledge; by men who would not labour to do it themselves; oh that we could see the many swearers, and drunkards, & Sabbath-breakers, &c. in this nation, guilty only of this crime; would the Kingdom were so happy, the Church so holy!
Or must a master of a family, cease praying in his family, and instructing his children, and servants in the wayes of the Lord, for feare of being counted a Preacher in a Tub? things were scarcely carried with an equall hand, for the Kingdom of Christ, when orders came forth on the one side, to give liberty to the profane multitude to assemble themselves at heathenish sports, with bestiall exclamations, on the Lords own day, and on the other, to punish them, who durst gather themselves together for prayer, or the singing ⟨p. 53⟩of Psalmes; but I hope, through Gods blessing, we shall be for ever quit of all such Ecclesiasticall discipline, as must be exercised according to the interest of idle drones, whom it concerneth to see that there be none to try or examine their doctrine, or of superstitious innovators, who desire to obtrude their fancies, upon the unwary people; whence comes it that we have such an innumerable multitude of ignorant stupid soules, unacquainted with the very principles of Religion? but from the discountenancing of these means of increasing knowledge; by men who would not labour todo it themselves; oh that we could see the many swearers, and drunkards, & Sabbath-breakers, &c. in this nation, guilty onely of this crime; would the Kingdom were so happy, the Church so holy!