A90265:44
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.
2. We have an interest in this appellation of Priests, by virtue of our union with Christ, being one with our high Priest, we also are Priests: there is a twofold union between Christ & us: the one, by his taking upon him our nature, the other, by bestowing on us his Spirit: for as in his Incarnation he took upon him our flesh and blood by the work of the Spirit, so in our regeneration he ⟨p. 21⟩bestoweth on us his flesh and blood, by the operation of the same spirit: yea so strict is this latter union, which we have with Christ, that as the former is truly said to be a union of two natures into one person, so this, of many persons into one nature; for by it, we are made partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. becoming members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, Ephes. 5. 30. we are so parts of him, of his mystical body, that we and he become thereby as it were one Christ; for as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body, so is Christ, 1 Cor. 12. 12. and the ground of this is, because the same spirit is in him and us; in him indeed dwelleth the fullness of it, when it is bestowed upon us, only by measure: but yet it is still the same spirit; and so makes us, according to his own prayer, one with him: as the soul of man being one, makes the whole body with it, to be but one man; two men cannot be one, because they have two souls; no more could we be one with Christ, were it not the same spirit in him and us: now let a man be never so big or tall, that his feet rest upon the earth, and his head reach to heaven, yet having but one soul, he is still but one man: now though Christ for the present, in respect of our nature assumed, be never so far remote and distant from us in heaven, yet by the effectual energy, and inhabitation of the same spirit, he is still the head of that one body, whereof we are members, still but one with us. Hence ariseth to us a twofold right to the title of Priests;
2. We have an interest in this appellation of Priests, by vertue of our union with Christ, being one with our high Priest, we also are Priests: there is a twofold union between Christ & us: the one, by his taking upon him our nature, the other, by bestowing on us his Spirit: for as in his Incarnation he took upon him our flesh and bloud by the work of the Spirit, so in our regeneration he