A90265:97
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.
And thus have I declared, what I conceive, concerning extraordinary calling to the public teaching of the word; in what cases only it useth to take place, whence I conclude, that whosoever pretends unto it, not warranted by an evidence of one of those three ways, that God taketh in such proceedings, is but a pretender, an impostor, and ought accordingly to be rejected of all Gods people in other cases, not to disuse what outward ordinary occasion from them who are entrusted by commission ⟨p. 42⟩from God, with that power, doth confer upon persons so called, we must needs grant it a negative voice, in the admission of any to the public Preaching of the Gospel, if they come not in at that door, they do climb over the wall, if they make any entrance at all: It remains then, to shut up all, that it be declared, What private Christians, living in a pure, Orthodox, well ordered Church may do, and how far they may interest themselves, in holy soul concerning affairs, both in respect of their own particular, and of their brethren in the midst of whom they live: in which determination, because it concerneth men of low degree, and those that comparatively may be said to be unlearned, I shall labour to express the conceivings of my mind, in as familiar plain observations as I can; only thus much I desire may be premised, that the principles and rules of that Church government, from which, in the following assertions I desire not to wander, is of that (to which I do, and always in my poor judgement have adhered, since by Gods assistance, I had engaged my self to the study of his word) which commonly is called Presbyterial, or Synodical, in opposition to Prelatical, or Diocesan on the one side; and that which is commonly called Independent, or Congregational on the other.
ANd thus have I declared, what I conceive, concerning extraordinary calling to the publick teaching of the word; in what cases onely it useth to take place, whence I conclude, that whosoever pretends unto it, not warranted by an evidence of one of those three wayes, that God taketh in such proceedings, is but a pretender, an impostor, and ought accordingly to be rejected of all Gods people in other cases, not to disuse what outward ordinary occasion from them who are intrusted by commission ⟨p. 42⟩from God, with that power, doth conferre upon persons so called, we must needs grant it a negative voyce, in the admission of any to the publick Preaching of the Gospell, if they come not in at that doore, they do climbe over the wall, if they make any entrance at all: It remaines then, to shut up all, that it be declared, What private Christians, living in a pure, Orthodoxe, well ordered Church may doe, and how far they may interest themselves, in holy souleconcerning affaires, both in respect of their owne particular, and of their brethren in the midst of whom they live: in which determination, because it concerneth men of low degree, and those that comparatively may be said to be unlearned, I shall labour to expresse the conceivings of my minde, in as familiar plaine observations as I can; onely thus much I desire may be premised, that the principles and rules of that Church governement, from which, in the following assertions I desire not to wander, is of that (to which I doe, and alwayes in my poore judgement have adhered, since by Gods assistance, I had engaged my selfe to the study of his word) which commonly is called Presbyteriall, or Synodicall, in opposition to Prelaticall, or Diocesan on the one side; and that which is commonly called Independant, or Congregationall on the other.