Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	know_v	nature_n	revelation_n	1,266	5	9.3823	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90265	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.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1644 (1644)	Wing O741; Thomason E49_6; ESTC R2375	45,909	59

duties for the building of their own soules as though there were no habitable earth betweene the valley I had almost said the pit of Democraticall confusion and the precipitious rock of Hierarchicall tyranny when unskilfull Archers shoot the safest place to avoid the arrow is the white going as neare as God shall direct me to the truth of this matter I hope to avoid the strokes of the combatants on every side And therefore wil not handle it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with opposition to any man or opinion but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} briefly proposing mine owne required judgement the summary result whereof is that the sacred calling may retaine its ancint dignity though the people of God be not deprived of their Christian liberty to cleare which proposall somethings I shall briefly premise CHAP. I. Of the Administration of holy things among the Patriarks before the Law 1. COncerning the ancient Patriachs from these some who would have Judaisme to be but an intercision of christiauity derive the pedigree of christians affirming the diference between us them to be solely in the name not the thing it self Of this thus much at least is true that the Law of Commandements contained in Ordinances did much more diversifie the Administration of the Covenant before and after Christ then those plaine moralities wherewith in their dayes it was cloathed where the assertion is dificient Antiquity hath given its authors sanctuary from farther pursuit their practice then were it cleer can be no president for Christians All light brought to the Gospel in comparison of those full and glorious beames that shine in it selfe is but a Candle set up in the sunne Yet for their sakes who found out the former Unity I will not following the conceit of any nor the comments of many give you such a bare naration as the scripture will supply me withall of their administration of the holy things and practise of their Religion as it seemes Christianity though not so called and doubt you not of divine approbation and institution For all prelacy at least untill Nimrod hunted for preferment was dejure divino I finde then that before the giving of the Law the chief men among the servants of the true God did every one in their owne families with their neighbors adjoyning of the same perswasion performe those things which they knew to be required by the Law of nature tradition or speciall revelation the unwritten word of those times in the service of God instructing their childeren and servants in the knowledge of their creed concerning the nature and goodnesse of God the fall and sin of man the use of sacrifices and the promised seede the summe of their religion and moreover performing {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} things appertaining unto God This we have delivered concerning Seth Enoch Noah Abraham Lot Isaack Iacob Iethro Iob others Now whither they did this as any way peculiarly designed unto it as an Office or rather in obedient duty to the prime Law of Nature in which and to whose performance many of them were instructed and incouraged by divine revelation as seemes most probable is not necessary to be insisted on To me truely it seemes evident that thert were no determiuate Ministers of Divine worship before the Law For where finde we any such Office instituted where the duties of those Officers prescribed or were they of human invention God would never allow that in any regard the wil of the creature should be the measure of his honour worship but the right and exercise of the Priesthood say some was in the first borne but a proofe of this will be for ever wanting Abel was not Adams eldest sonne yet if any thing were peculiar to such an Office it was by him performed that both the Brothers carried their sacrifices to their father is a vaine surmize Who was Priest then when Adam dyed neither can any order of descent be handsomely contrived Noah had three sonnes grant the eldest onely a Priest Were the eldest sonnes of his other sons Priests or no If not how many men feareing God were scattered over the face of the earth utterly deprived of the means of right worship if so there must be a new rule produced beyond the prescript of nature whereby a man may be enabled by generation to convey that to others which he hath not in himselfe I speake not of Melchisedeck and his extraordinary Priesthood why should any speak where the holy ghost is silent if we pretend to know him we overthrow the whole mystery and run crosse to the apostle afirming him to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} without father mother or genealogie for so long time then as the greatest combination of men was in distinct families which sometimes were very great Politickes and Oeconomicks being of the same extent all the way of instruction in the service and knowledge of God was by the way of paternall admonition For the discharge of which duty Abraham is commended Gen. 18. 19. whereunto the instructers had no particular ingagement but only the generall obligation of the law of nature what rule they had for their performances towards God doth not appeare all positive law in every kinde is ordained for the good of community that then being not no such rule was assigned untill God gathered a people and lifted up the standard of circumcision for his subjects to repaire unto the world in the dayes of Abraham beginning generally to incline to Idolatry and polutheisme the first evident inreconcileable division was made betweene his people and the malignants which before lay hid in his decree visible signes and prescript rules were necessary for such a gathered Church This before I conceive to have been supplyed by speciall revelation The law of nature a long time prevailed for the worship of the one true God The manner of this worship the generalty had at first as may be conceived from the vocall instruction of Adam ful of the knowledge of divine things this afterwards their children had from them by tradition helped forward by such who received particular revelations in their generation such as Noah thence called a preacher of righteousnesse so knowledge of Gods will increased untill sinne quite prevailed and all flesh corrupted their wayes all Apostacy for the most part beginnes in the will which is more bruised by the fall then the understanding Nature is more corrupted in respect of the desire of good then the knowledge of truth the knowledge of God would have flourished longer in mens mindes had not sinne banished the love of God out of their hearts The summe is that before the giving of the Law every one in his owne person served God according to that knowledge he had of his Will Publike performances were assigned to none further then the obligation of the law of Nature to their duty in their owne

priviledge of the common people of Christianity in sacred things and first in cases extraordinary in which perhaps it may be affirmed that every one of those I meane before named is so farre a Minister of the Gospell as to teach and declare the faith to others although he have no outward calling thereunto and yet in this case every one for such an undertaking must have a Warrant by an immediate cal from God and when God calls there must be no opposition the thing it selfe he sends us upon becomes lawfull by his mission what God hath cleansed that call not thou common Act. 10. 13. never feare the equity of what Cod sets thee upon no excuses of disability or any other impediment ought to take place the Lord can and will supply all such defects This was Moses case Exod. 10. 14. Oh Lord saith hee I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant but of a slow speech and a slow tongue And the Lord said unto him who hath made mans mouth have not I the Lord So also was it with the Prophet Jeremy when God told him that hee had ordained him a Prophet unto the Nations he replyes Ah Lord God behold I cannot speake for I am a Child But the Lord saith hee said unto me say not I am a Child for thou shalt goe to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak Jer. 1. 6. Nothing can excuse any from going on his message who can perfect his praise out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings This the Prophet Amos rested upon when he was questioned although he were unfit for that heavenly employment either by education or course of life I was no Prophet neither was I a prophets sonne but I was an heardman and a gatherer of Sycamore fruit and the Lord tooke me as I followed the flock and said unto me go Prophecy to my people Israel Amos 7. 14 15. So on the contrary St. Paul a man of strong parts great learning and endowments of indefatigable industry and large abilities yet affirmes of himselfe that when God called him to preach his word he conferred not with flesh and bloud but went on presently with his work Gal. 1. 16 17. CAP. V. Of the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the teaching of others the first way NOw three wayes may a man receive and be assured that hee hath received this divine mission or know that he is called of God to the preaching of the Word I meane not that perswasion of divine concurrence which is necessary also for them ●hat are partakers of an ordinary vocation but which is required in extraordinary cases to them in whom all outward calling is wanting 1. By immediate Revelation 2. By a concurrence of Scripture rules directory for such occasions 3. By some outward acts of providence necessitating him thereunto For the first not to speak of light Propheticall whither it consists in a habit or rather in a transient irradiating motion nor to discourse of the Species whereby supernaturall things are conveyed to the naturall facultie with the severall wayes of divine Revelation for St. Paul affirmeth it to have been {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as well as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with the sundry appellations it received from the manner whereby it came I shall onely shew what assurance such a one as is thus called may have in himselfe that he is so called and how he may manifest it unto others That men receiving any revelation from God had alwayes an assurance that such it was to me seemes most certain Neither could I ever approve the note of Gregory on the 1. of Ezek. viz. That Prophets being accustomed to Prophecying did oftentimes speake of their own spirit supposing that it proceeded from the spirit of Prophesie What is this but to question the truth of all propheticall revelations and to shake the faith that is built upon it Surely the Prophet Jeremiah had an infallible assurance of the author of his message when he pleaded for himself before the Princes of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speake all these words in your eares Chap. 26. 15. And Abraham certainly had neede of a good assurance whence that motion did proceed which made him addresse himselfe to the sacrificing the son of promise And that all other Prophets had the like evidence of knowledge concerning the divine verity of their revelations is unquestionable hence are those allusions in the Scripture whereby it is compared unto things whereof we may be most certaine by the assurance of sense So Amos 3. 8. The Lyon hath roared who will not feare The Lord God hath spoken who can but Prophecy And Jerem. 20. 9. His word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones things sensible enough Happily Satan may so far delude false Prophets as to make them suppose their lying vanities are from above whence they are said to be Prophets of the deceit of their owne hear Jerem. 23. 26. being deceived as well deceivers thinking in themselves as well as speaking unto others he saith vers. 31. but that any true Prophets should not know a true Revelation from a motion of their owne hearts wants not much of blasphemy The Lord surely supposes that assurance of discerning when he gives that command the Prophet that hath a Dreame let him tell a Dreame and he that hath my Word let him speake my Word faithfully what is the chaffe to the wheate Ierem. 23. 28. He must be both blind and mad that shall mistake wheat for chaffe and on the contrary what some men speak of an hidden instinct from God moving the mindes of men yet so as they know not wither it be from him or no may better serve to illustrate Plutarchs discourse of Socrates Daemon then any passage in holy Writ St. Austin saies his Mother would affirme that though she could not expresse it yet she could discern the difference between Gods Revelation and her own Dreames In which relation I doubt not but the learned Father tooke advantage from the good old womans words of what she could do to declare what might be done of every one that had such immediate revelations Briefly then the spirit of God never so extraordinarily moveth the minde of man to apprehend any thing of this kinde whereof we speake but it also illustrateth it with a knowledge and assurance that it is divinely moved to this apprehension Now because it is agreed on all sides that light Propheticall is no permanent habit in the minde of the Prophets but a transient impression of it selfe not apt to give any such assurance it may be questioned from what other principle it doth proceed But not to pry into things perhaps not fully revealed and seeing St. Paul shewes us that in such heavenly raptures there are some things unutterable of them and incomprehensible

are in no lesse distresse now then at that time and in some congregations the ministers are so oppressed that publikely they dare not in others so corrupted that they will not pray for the prosperity of Jerusalem Now truly it were a disconsolate thing for any one of Gods servants to say during all these streights I never joyned with any of Gods children in the pouring out of my prayer in the behalfe of his Church neither can I see how this can possibly be prevented but by the former meanes to which adde the councell of St. Paul speaking to themselves in Psalmes and hymnes and Spirituall songs making melody in their hearts unto the Lord Eph. 5. 19. Secondly they may exercise the gifts of wisdom knowledge and understanding in the wayes of the Lord comforting strengthening and incouraging each other with the same consolations and promises which by the benefit of the publicke Ministry they have received from the word thus in time of distresse the Prophet Malachi tels us that they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard c. Chap. 3. 16. comforting as it appeares one another in the promises of God made unto his Church against the flourishing of the wicked and overflowing of ungodlinesse the persecution of Tyrants and impurity of transgressors Thirdly they may make use of the tongue of the learned if given unto them to speake a word in season to him that is weary Isa. 50. 4. for being commanded to confesse their faults one to another James 5. 16. they have power also to apply to them that are penitent the promises of mercy We should never be commanded to open our wounds to them who have no balme to powre into them he shall have cold comfort who seekes for Councell from a dumbe man so that in this the like cases they may apply unto and instruct one another in the word of God doing it as a charitable duty and not as out of necessary function even as Aquila and Priscilla expounded unto Apollos the word of God more perfectly then he knew it before Act. 18. 23. in summe and not to inlarge this discourse with any more particulars the people of God are allowed all quiet and peaceable meanes whereby they may help each other forward in the knowledge of godlinesse and the way towards heaven now for the close of this discourse I will remove some objections that I have heard godly men and men not unlearned lay against it out of a zeale not unlike that of Joshua for Moses sake the constitute Pastors sake to whom though I might briefly answer with Moses I would to God all the Lords people were prophets I heartily wish that every one of them had such a plentifull measure of spirituall endowments that they might become wise unto salvation above many of their Teachers in which vote I make no doubt but every one will concurre with me who have the least experimentall knowledge what a burthen upon the shoulders what a griefe unto the soule of a Minister knowing and desiring to discharge his duty is an ignorant congregation of which thanks to our Prelates Pluralists non-Residents Homilies Service-Book and Ceremonies we have too toomany in this Kingdom the many also of our ministers in this Church taking for their directory the laws and penalties of men informing what they should not do if they would avoid their panishment and not the precepts of God what they should as their duty do if they meant to please him and knowing there was no Stature whereon they might be sued for pardon the expression the dilapidation of soules so their owne houses were ceiled they cared not at all though the Church of God lay wast I say though I might thus answer with opening my desire for the increasing of knowledge among the people of which I take this to be an effectuall means yet I will give briefe answers to the severall objections Then this seemes to favour an allowance of licentious Conventicles which in all laces the Lawes have condemned learned men in all ages have abhorted as the seminaries of faction and schisme in the Church of God That under correction I conceive that the Law layeth hold of none as peccant in such a kinde but onely those who have predeclared themselves to be opposers of the worship of God in the publique Assemblies of that Church wherein they live Now the patronage of any such I before re●●cted neither doe I conceive that they ought at all to be allowed the benefit of private meetings who wilfully abstaine from the publique Congregations so long as the true worship of God is held forth in them Yea how averse I have ever beene from that kinde of confused licentiousnesse in any Church I have somewhile since declared in an Answer drawne up for my owne and some private friends satisfactions to the arguments of the Remonstrants in their Apologie and replies to Vedelius with other Treatises for such a liberty of prophecying as they terme it If then the Law account onely such assemblies to be conventicles wherein the assemblers contemne and despise the service of God in publique I have not spoken one word in favour of them and for that Canon which was mounted against them whether intentionally in the first institution of it it was moulded and framed against Anapabtists or no I cannot tell but this I am sure that in the discharge of it it did execution oftentimes upon such as had Christs precept and promise to warrant their assembling Mat. 18. 19 20. Not to contend about words would to God that which is good might not be persecuted into odious appellations and called evill when it is otherwise so to oppose it to the tyrannicall oppression of the enemies of the Gospell The thing it selfe rightly understood can scarce be condemned of any who envies not the salvation of soules They that would banish the Gospell from our houses would not much care if it were gone from our hearts from our houses I say for it is all one whether these duties be performed in one family or a collection of more some one is bigger then ten other shall their assembling to performe what is lawfull for that one be condemned for a Conventicle Where is the law for that or what is there in all this more then God required of his ancient people as I shewed before 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 of Psalmes but I hope through Gods