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.

CHAP. 7.

The second way whereby a man may be called extraordinarily.

SEcondly, a man may be extraordinarily called to the preach∣ing and publishing of Gods word by a concurrence of Scrip∣ture rules, directory for such occasions, occurrences, and oppor∣tunities of time, place, and persons, as he liveth in, and under. Rules in this kinde, may be drawn either from expresse precept, or approved practise: Some of these I shall intimate, and leave it to the indifferent Reader, to judge, whether or no they hold in the application; and all that in this kinde I shall propose, I did with submission to better judgements.

Consider then,

1. That of our Saviour to Saint Peter, Luke 22. 32. When thou art converted, strengthen the Brethren, which containing nothing but an application of one of the prime dictates of the Law of na∣ture, cannot, ought not to be restrained unto men of any peculiar calling as such: not to multiply many of this kinde, (whereof in the Scripture is plenty) adde only that of Saint James, Brethren, if any of you do erre from the truth, and one convert him, let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soule from death, &c. from these and the like places it appeares to me, that

1. There is a generall obligation on all Christians, to promote the conversion and instruction of sinners, and man erring from the right way:

Againe, consider that of our Saviour, Mat. 5. 15. Men d•…•… not light a Candle and put it under a Rushell, but on a Candle∣sticke, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house: to which adde that of the Apostle, If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace, 1 Cor. 14. 30. which words, although primarily they intend extraordinary immediate revela∣tions, yet I see no reason why in their equity and extent, they may not be directory for the use of things revealed unto us by Scrip∣ture light; at least we may deduce from them, by the way of Ana∣logie, that

2. Whatsoever necessary truth is revealed to any out of the word of God, not before known, he ought to have an uncontradicted liberty of declaring that truth, provided that he use such regulated wayes for that his declaration, as the Church wherein he liveth (if a right Church) doth allow.

Further see Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared, who will not feare? The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesie? And Jer. 20. 9. Then said I, I will not make mention of his name, but his word was in mine heart, as a burning fire shut up in my bones, I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay: With the answer of Peter and John, to the Rulers of the Jews, Acts 14. 19, 20. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God, judge yee, for we cannot but speake the things that we have seen and heard.

Whence it appeares, that

3. Truth revealed unto any, carries along with it an unmove∣able perswasion of Conscience (which is powerfully obligatory) that it ought to be published and spoken to others.

That none may take advantage of this to introduce confusion into our Congregations, I gave a sufficient caution in the second Rule.

Many other observations giving light to the businesse in hand, might be taken from the common dictates of nature, concurring with the many generall precepts we have in the Scripture, but o∣mitting them, the next thing I propose is the practise, &c.

1. Of our Saviour Christ himselfe, who did not only pose the Doctors when he was but twelve years old, Luke 2. 46. but also afterwards preached in the Synagogue of Nazareth, Luke 4. 18.

being neither Doctor, nor Scribe, nor Levite, but of the Tribe of Juda (concerning which Tribe it is evident that Moses spake no∣thing concerning the priesthood.)

2. Againe, in the eight of the Acts, great persecution arising against the Church, after the death of Stephen, they were all scat∣tered abroad from Jerusalem, ver. 1. that is, all the faithfull mem∣bers of the Church, who being thus dispersed, went every where, preaching the word, ver. 4. and to this their publishing of the Gospell (having no warrant, but the generall engagement of all Christians, to further the propagation of Christs Kingdome) occa∣sioned by their own persecution, the Lord gave such a blessing, that they were thereby the first planters of a setled Congregation a∣mong the Gentiles, they, and their converts being the first that were honoured by the name of Christians, Acts 11. 21. and 26. Neither 3. is the example of Saint Paul altogether impertinent, who with his companions repaired into the Synagogues of the Jews, taught them publikely, yea, upon their own request, Acts 13. 15. Apollos also spake boldly, and preached fervently, when he knew only the baptisme of John, and needed himselfe further instruction, Acts 18. 24. it should seeme then, in that juncture of time, he that was instructed in any truth, not ordinarily known, might publikely acquaint others with it, though he himselfe were ignorant in other points of high concernment; yet perhaps now it is not possible that any occurrences should require a precise imi∣tation, of what was not only lawfull, but also expedient, in that dawning towards the cleare day of the last unchangeable revelati∣on of Gods will. Now in these and the like, there is so much va∣riety, such severall grounds, and circumstances, that no direct rule can from them be drawn, only they may give strength to what from the former shall be concluded.

For a further light to this discourse, consider what desolate e∣state the Church of God, hath been, may be, and at this present, in divers places is reduced to: Her silver may become drosse, and her wine be mixt with water, the faithfull City becomming an Harlot, her Shepheards may be turned into dumb sleeping dogs, and devouring wolves, her watchmen may be turned smiters, her prophets to prophesie falsely, and her priests to beare rule by lies, the Commandements of God being made void by the traditions

of men, superstition, humane inventions, will-worship, may defile and contaminate the service of God;* 1.1 yea, and greater abominati∣ons may men possessing Moses Chaire by succession doe: Now that the Temple of God hath been thus made a den of theeves, that the abomination of desolation hath been set up in the holy place, is e∣vident from the Jewish and Christian Church: for in the one it was clearly so, when the government of it was devolved to the Scribes and Pharisees, and in the other, when the man of sin had exalted himselfe in the midst thereof. Now suppose a man, living in the midst and height of such a sad Apostacy, when an universall darknesse had spread it selfe over the face of the Church, if the Lord be pleased to reveale unto him out of his word some points of faith, then either not at all known, or generally disbelieved, yet a right beliefe whereof is necessary to salvation; and further out of the same word shall discover unto him the wickednesse of that Apostacy, and the meanes to remove it, I demand, Whether that man without expecting any call from the fomenters and main∣tainers of those errors, with which the Church at that time, is only not destroyed, may not preach, publish, and publikely declare the said truths to others (the knowledge of them being so necessary for the good of their soules) and conclude himselfe thereunto cal∣led of God, by vertue of the forenamed, and other the like Rules? Truly for my part (under correction) I conceive he may, nay he ought, neither is any other outward call requisite to constitute him a Preacher of the Gospell, then the consent of Gods people to be instructed by him; for instance, suppose that God should reveale the truth of the Gospel, to a meere lay man (as they say) in Italy, so that he be fully convinced thereof; what shall he now do? ab∣staine from publishing it, though he be perswaded in conscience, that a great doore of utterance might be granted unto him, onely because some hereticall, symonaicall, wicked Antichristian Prelate, hath not ordained him Minister; who yet would not do it, unlesse he will subscribe to those errors and heresies which he is perswa∣ded to be such: truly I think by so abstaining, he should sin against the law of charity, in seeing (not the Oxe or Asse of his brother falling into the pit, but) their precious soules, sinking to everla∣sting damnation, and not preventing it, when he might? and were he indeed truly angry with his whole Nation, he might have the advantage of an Italian revenge.

Moreover, he should sin against the precept of Christ, by hiding his light under a bushell▪ and napkining up his talent, an increase whereof will be required of him at the last day: Now with this I was alwayes so well satisfied, that I ever deemed all curious disqui∣sition after the outward vocation of our first reformers, Luther, Calvin, &c. altogether needlesse; the case in their dayes being ex∣actly that, which I have laid downe.

Come we now to the third and last way,* 1.2 whereby men not par∣takers of any outward ordinary vocation, may yet receive a suffi∣cient warrant for the preaching and publishing of the Gospell, and that by some outward act of providence guiding them thereunto; For example, put case a Christian man, should by any chance of providence, be cast by shipwrack or otherwise, upon the Country of some barbarous people, that never heard of the name of Christ, and there by hs goodnesse that brought him thither, be received amongst them, into civill humane society; may he not, nay, ought he not to preach Christ unto them? and if God give a blessing to his endeavours, may hee not become a Pastor to the converted soules? none I hope makes any doubt of it; and in the Primitive times, nothing was more frequent then such examples; thus were the Indians and the Moores turned to the faith, as you may see in Eusebius: yea great was the liberty which in the first Church was used in this kinde, presently after the supernaturall gift of tongues ceased amongst men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ezek. 22. 27, 28. &c. 8. 13.
• * 1.2

  The third way.