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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	church_n	commit_v	key_n	3,050	5	10.0985	5	false

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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

55. 14. and all this with much more of the same nature at their meetings either occasionall or for that purpose indicted Alwayes provided that they abstained from fingring the Arke or medling with those things which were appropriated to the office of the Priests And concerning them hitherto CHAP. 3. Containing a digression concerning the name of Priests the right of Christians thereunto by their interest in the Priesthood of Christ with the presumption of any particularly appropriating it to themselves ANd now the transaction of these things in the Christian Church presents it selfe to our consideration in handling whereof I shall not at all discourse concerning the severall Church Officers instituted by Christ and his Apostles for the edification of his body nor concerning the difference between them who were partakers at first of an extraordinary vocation and those who since have been called to the same work in an ordinary manner divinely appointed for the direction of the Church neither yet doth that diversity of the administration of government in the Churches then when they were under the plenitude of Apostolicall power and now when they follow rules prescribed for their reiglement come in my way Further Who are the subject of the keyes in whom all that secondary ecclesiasticall power which is committed to men doth reside after the determination of so many learned men by cleere Scripture light shall not by me be called in question All these though conducing to the businesse in hand would require a large discussion and such a Scholasticall handling as would make it an inconsutilous piece of this popular discourse my intent being only to shew that seeing there are as all acknowledge some under the New Testament as well as the old peculiarly set apart by Gods own appointment for the administration of Christs ordinances especially teaching of others by preaching of the Gospell in the way of office and duty what remaineth for the rest of Gods people to doe for their own and others edification But here before I enter directly upon the matter I must remove one stone of offence concerning the common apellation of those who are set apart for the preaching of the Gospell that which is most frequently used for them in the New Testament is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} so 1 Cor. 3. 5. 2 Cor. 3. 6. and Chap. 6. 4. and 11. 15 23. 1 Tim. 4. 6. and in divers other places to which adde {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Cor. 41. a word though of another originall yet of the same signification with the former both rightly translated Ministers the names of Ambassadours Stewards and the like wherewith they are often honoured are figurative given unto them by allusion only that the former belonged unto them and were proper for them none ever denied but some Rabshakes of Antichrist another name there is which some have assumed unto themselves as an honour and others have imposed the same upon them for a reproch viz. that of Priest which to the takers seemed to import a more mysterious imployment a greater advancement above the rest of their brethren a neerer approach unto God in the performances of their office then that of Ministers wherefore they embraced it either voluntarily alluding to the service of God and the administration thereof amongst his antient people the Jewes or thought that they ought necessarily to undergoe it as belonging properly to them who are to celebrate those mysteries and offer those sacrifices which they imagined were to them prescribed the imposers on the contrary pretend divers reasons why now that name can signifie none but men rejected from Gods work and given up to superstitious vanities attending in their minds the old Priests of Baal and the now shavelings of Antichrist it was a new Etimologie of this name which that learned man cleaved unto who unhappily was ingaged into the defence of such errours as he could not but see and did often confesse To which also he he had an entrance made by an Arch-bishop to wit that it was but an abbreviation of Presbyters knowing full well not only that the signification of these words is divers amongst them to whom belongs jus norma loquendi but also that they are widely different in holy writ Yea farther that those who first dignified themselves with this title never called themselves Presbyters by way of distinction from the people but only to have a note of distance among themselvs there being more then one sort of them that were sacrificers and which eo nomine accounted themselves Priests setting aside then all such evasions and distinctions as the people of God are not bound to take notice of and taking the word in its ordinary acceptation I shall briefly declare what I conceive of the use thereof in respect of them who are Ministers of the Gospell which I shall labour to cleare by these following observations 1. All faithfull Ministers of the Gospell in as much as they are ingrafted into Christ and are true believers may as all other true Christians be called Priests but this inasmuch as they are members of Christ not Ministers of the Gospell it respecteth their persons not their function or not them as such now I conceive it may give some light to this discourse if we consider the grounds and reasons of this metaphoricall appellation in divers places of the Gospell ascribed to the worshippers of Christ and how the analogie which the present dispensation holds with what was established under the administration of the Old Testament may take place for there we find the Lord thus bespeaking his people ye shall be unto me a kingdome of Priests an holy nation Exod. 19. 6. so that it should seeme that there was then a twofold Priesthood a rituall Priesthood conferred upon the tribe of Levi and a royall Priesthood belonging to the whole people the first is quite abrogated and swallowed up in the Priesthood of Christ the other is put over unto us under the Gospell being ascribed to them and us and every one in covenant with God not directly and properly as denoting the function peculiarly so ca●led but comparatively with reference had to them that are without for as those who were properly called Priests had a neerer accesse unto God then the rest of the people especially in his solemne worship so all the people that are in covenant with God have such an approximatiō unto him by vertue thereof in comparison of them that are without that in respect thereof they are said to be Prists now the outward covenant made with them who were the children of Abraham after the flesh was representative of the Covenant of grace made with the children of Promise and that whole people typified the hidden elect people of God so that of both there is the same reason Thus as the Priests the sons of Levi are said to come neere unto God Deut. 21. 5. and God tels them

The duty of Pastors and People distingushed OR A BRIEFE DISCOVRSE 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 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 at the gilded Lion in Pauls Church-yard 1644. TO THE TRVLY NOBLE and my ever honoured friend Sir EDWARD SCOT of Scots-Hall in Kent Knight of the honourable Order of the BATH SIR HAving of late been deprived of the happinesse to see you I make bold to send to visite you and because that the times are troublesome I have made choise of this messenger who having obtained a license to passe feares no searching he brings no newes at least to you but that which was from the beginning and must continue unto the end which you have heard and which for some part thereof you have practised out of the word of God He hath no secret messages prejudiciall to the state of Church or Common-wealth neither I hope will he entertain any such comments by the way considering from whom he comes and to whom he goes of whom the one would disclaime him and the other punish him Ambitious I am not of any entertainment for these few sheetes neither care much what successe they find in their travel setting them out meerly in my own defence to be freed from the continued solicitations of some honest judicious men who were acquainted with their contents being nothing but an houres Country-discourse resolved from the ordinary pulpit method into its own principles when I first thought of sending it to you I made ful account to use the benefit of the advantage in recounting of and returning thanks for some of those many undeserved favours which I have received from you But addressing my self to the performance I fainted in the very entrance finding their score so large that I know not where to begin neither should I know how to end only one I cannot suffer to lye hid in the croud though other engagements hindred me from embracing it viz. your free proffer of an Ecclesiastical preferment then vacant and in your donation Yet truly all received courtesies have no power to oblige me unto you in comparison of that abundant worth which by experience I have found to be dwelling in you Twise by Gods providence have I been with you when your County hath been in great danger to be ruined once by the horrid insurrection of a rude godlesse multitude and againe by the invasion of a potent enemy prevailing in the neighbor County at both which times besides the generall calamity justly feared particular threatnings were daily brought unto you under which sad dispensations I must crave leave to say only to put you in mind of your selfe if it should please God againe to reduce you to the like straights that I never saw more resolved constancy more cheerfull unmoved Christian courage in any man Such a valiant heart in a weak body such a directing head where the hand was but feeble such unwearied endevours under the pressures of a painful infirmity so well advised resolves in the midst of imminent danger did I then behold as I know not where to parallel Neither can I say lesse in her kind of your vertuous Lady whose known goodnesse to al and particular indulgences to me make her as she is in her self very precious in my thoughts and remembrance whom having named I desire to take the advantage thankfully to mention her worthy son my noble and very deare friend C. Westrow whose judgement to discerne the differences of these times and his valour in prosecuting what he is resolved to be just and lawfull places him among the number of those very few to whom it is given to know aright the causes of things and vigorously to execute holy and laudible designes But further of him I choose to say nothing because if I would I cannot but say too little Neither will longer detain you from the ensuing Discourse which I desire to commend to your favourable acceptance and with my hearty prayers that the Lord would meet you and yours in all those wayes of mercy and grace which are necessary to carry you along through all your engagements untill you arrive at the haven of everlasting glory where you would be I rest Your most obliged Servaent in Iesus Christ our common Master JOHN OVVEN THE PREFACE TO the ensuing Discourse THE glasse of our lives seemes to runne and keep pace with the extremity of time the end of those ends of the world a which began with the Gospell is doubtlesse comming upon us hee that was instructed what should bee till time should be no more said it was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the last houre in his time much sand cannot be behind and Christ shakes the glasse many minutes of that houre cannot remaine the next measure we are to evpect is but a moment the twinkling of an eye wherein we shall all be changed now as if the Horoscope of the decaying age had some secret influence into the wils of men to comply with the decrepit world they generally delight to run into extreames not that I would have the fate of the times to beare the faults of men like him who cried {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to free himself intitling God and fate to his sins but only to shew how the All-disposing providence of the most Hign works such a complyance of times and persons as may joyntly drive at his glorious aymes causing men to set out in such seasons as are fittest for their travell This Epidemicall disease of the aged world is the cause why in that great diversity of contrary opinions wherewith mens heads and hearts are now replenished the truth pretended to be sought with so much earnestnesse may be often gathered up quite neglected between the parties litigant medio tulissimus is a sure rule but that fiery spirits pyrout Eocus Aethon quartusque Phlegon will be mounting In the matter concerning which I propose my weake Essay some would have all Christians to be almost Ministers others none but Ministers to be Gods Clergie those would give the people the keys these use them to lock them out of the Church the one ascribing to them primarily al Ecclesiasticall power for the ruling of the Congregation the other abridging them of the performance of spirituall