Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	apostle_n	church_n	teacher_n	555	5	9.5793	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13202	A defence of the Holy Scriptures, worship, and ministerie, used in the Christian Churches separated from Antichrist Against the challenges, cavils and contradiction of M. Smyth: in his book intituled The differences of the Churches of the Separation. Hereunto are annexed a few observations upon some of M. Smythes censures; in his answer made to M. Bernard. By Henry Ainsworth, teacher of the English exiled Church in Amsterdam.	Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?	1609 (1609)	STC 235; ESTC S117973	115,496	140

be honoured for wise government but much more for their painful teaching confirmeth not his doctrine by any circumstances of this scripture but citeth others saying Answer That this is so see Tit. 1. 9. and 1 Thes. 5. 2. 1 3. with 1 Tim. 3. 1. 4. In Timothee the Apostle sayth every Bishop must be didacticos and proistamenos and therefore that some Elders are onely didacticoi and not proistamenoi is contrarie to the Apostles intent Further in Titus the Apostle expoundeth didacticos to be able to exhort with wholsom doctrine and to convince the gainsayers how then shal some of the Elders be rulers onely Replie That al Bishops must be didacticoi that is apt and ready for to teach reprove c. I grant yet that they must therfore hav al one office Ideney For Apost prophets Evangelists c. were al didacticoi yet differed in office But how then shal some of the Elders be rulers onely I answer even Ruling Elders are to be didacticoi and yet have the office of ruling onely For every one set over others to teach or inform them in faith or māners must have aptnes to teach the things perteyning to their office and convince the contrarie or els they are unfit for the place But have they not then the teachers office No for this aptnes to teach is common to al offices of government but in several sorts according to every mans function For example an Apostle must be apt to teach as an Apostle and though a man have aptnes to teach as a pastor yet hath he not therefore aptnes as an Apostle For the office is greater and requireth greater gifts So a ruling Elder must be apt to teach as a ruler yet hath he not therfore aptnes to teach as a pastor in whom greater skil is required Let us see this in Israel Aptnes to teach was to be in al the Governours in the whole tribe of Levi generally Deut. 33. 10. in the preists of Levi more specially Mal. 2. 7. Deut. 24. 8. in the judges of Israel also according to their office Deut. 1 13 16. with Exod. 18. 15 16 21 22. For this cause God gave the 70. Elders the spirit of prophesie Num. 11. 17. 25. And in the reformation by K. Iehoshaphat we find not onely preists and Levites but other Princes of the king sent for to teach the people 2 Chr. 17 7 8. 9. These al were didacticoi apt to teach but in several respects and measures and in several offices Otherweise if one wil understand aptnes to teach strictly as in the pastors office then are Pauls words to be taken figuratively the whol for a part or general for a particular as a Bishop that is a teac●hing Bishop must be didacticos And thus the scripture som●●me speaketh as Deut. 33. 8. 10. of the whol tribe of Levi it is sayd they shal teach they shall put incense c. when as though al were to teach yet all were not to burn incense but the Preists onely Also in Deut. 10. 8. of the Tribe of Levi in general it is sayd God separated them to bear the ark to stand before the Lord to minister unto him and to blesse in his name Yet were there special things about blessing bearing the ark and other ministration which belonged to the Preists of the Levits in particular Even so Paul writing to Timothee and Titus of the Eldership in general may note some things which more specially perteyn to some onely in particular Touching the word Proistamenos Provost or Ruler although I wil not deney but every Elder may be so called in a large sense yet specially it is the title of Ruling Elders onely And it is an oversight in M. Smyth to write that th'Apostle sayth Every Bishop must be proistamenos for that word hath relation to the ruling of his owne howse which every Bishop must be able wel to do but in relation to the Church the governing elders onely are called proistamenoi and it is their peculiar titie even as Pastors and Teachers are peculiar titles to others and the name BISHOP and ELDER common to them all In the last place M. Sm. repeateth his former reason from Ephes. 4. how the Apostle sayth not some Pastors some Teachers but Pastors Teachers copulatively But that is before answered and the playne meaning of Paul manifested to be some Pastors and some Teachers as the ancient Syriak speaketh and other reasons from that and the like scriptures do confirm The 2 obiection 1 Cor. 12. 5. 8. 28. The Apostle sayth ther are diversities of ministeries namely one that hath the word of wisdom another that hath the word of knowledge another that hath government vers 28. Therefore the Eldership consisteth of three sort of Elders c. Mr Smythes answer First it is granted that there are diversities of ministeries as Ephe. 4. 11. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 8. Phil. 1. 1. namely Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Deacons Yet it foloweth not hereupon that elders are of divers sorts as is pleaded see vers 28. Agayn the word diaconia signifyeth sometime any spiritual work proceeding from any member or officer of the Church as 2 Cor. 8. 4. almes is caled diaconia 1 Pet. 4. 10. diaconein signifieth any work that proceedeth from any gift So it may signify here and all the works that follow almost may be referred thither Onely there are certaine energemata mentioned in vers 10. Replie I perceive though the light shineth in darknes yet the darknes comprehendeth it not especially when men doe wink with their eyes least they should see The sun shineth not clearer at noon then the truth shineth out of this scripture with M. S. seeks to darken with a clowd of deceit The Apostle teacheth first that one and the same spirit of God bestoweth on the Church diversities of gifts to one the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge c. Secondly that one and the same Lord Iesus Christ giveth to his Church diversities of ministeries or offices that so the divers gifts may be ministred to the people doctrine by the teacher exhortation by the exhorter or pastor government by the ruler c. Thirdly that one and the same God the father of whom are all things worketh or effecteth diversities of effects or operations in the Church by those divers gifts and divers ministeries For example as Christ is given for Prophet Preist and King of the Church a Prophet to work upon the knowledge of men that they may discern syn and righteousnes a Preist to work upon the will and affections killing them as sacrifices that a new and reasonable creature may be given up to GOD asking that the things taught by prophesie and applied by preisthood may be orderly practised in life preserved from all adverse power and in the end perfected even so in his Church besides extraordinarie

Jew sayth he nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male and female that is nor female where and coupleth in the last place male and female not as of one kind but divers and meaneth the same that nor did before The very like phrase and elegancie useth he here Eph. 4. 11. as any that favoureth the language and purpose of the Apostle may perceive and this is plainly confirmed by the Syriak which speaketh of the two last as of the former saying and some Pastors and some Teachers It is also manifested by Paul himself elswher distinguishing these two offices as 1 Cor. 12 8. to one is given the word of wisdom and to another the word of knowledge and Rom. 12. 7. 8. or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation And if in one place he putteth a difference we should not think that in another he takes it away And there is no playn doctrine set down in scripture but may be corrupted by such violent expositions as Mr. Smyth maketh of this place Lastly sayth he if al the Elders have the pastors gifts and the works of the pastor and the pastors ordination then they have al the pastors office But al the Elders have the pastors gifts viz. the word of wisdome or the gift of exhortation Tit. 1. 9. and therefore the pastors work as Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 5. 2. which is feeding or exhorting and so the same ordination Act. 14. 23. Therfore al the Elders have the same office of the Pastor and so are al of one sort The second part of this reason is deceitful for though in some sort and common mesure al the Elders have the pastors gifts ordination and doe the pastors work being al Bishops that is careful lookers to and feeders of the flock yet in special manner measure they differ in al. Otherweise we may also confound other offices as Apostles and Evangelists the Evangelists and the Pastors For Paul an Apostle sayth of Timothee an Evangelist he worketh the work of the Lord even as I. Had these two therfore one office Agayn Timothee and Titus Evangelists and the other pastors of the churches had the same gifts namely the word of wisdom to exhort 1 Tim. 6 2. Tit. 2 15. with Rom. 12 8. and therefore the same work as these scriptures alleged shew and the same ordination by imposition of hands of the Apostle and Eldership 2 Tim. 1. 6. 1 Tim. 4. 14. with Act. 14. 23. Wil M. Sm. hereupon conclude therfore al pastors have the same office with the Evangelists If he acknovvledge an error in that so may he doe in this For it is the special excellencie of the gifts of exhorting teaching ruling which causeth the pastors teachers rulers to be designed unto several works and offices For it were vanitie to suppose that the teachers mought be without the word of wisdom at all or Pastors without the word of knowledge or rulers without both Everie Levites lips were to preserve knovvledge for the people to seek the lavv at his mouth as at the preists Deut. 33. 8. 10. Mal. 2. 7. yet vvas ther difference in the office So in Christs Church vvhere gifts are bestovved in varietie he that excelleth in the vvord of vvisdome and exhortation more then doctrine is being lavvfully caled thereto a pastor and he that excelleth in doctrine more then in exhortation is a teacher and they that excel other brethren in discretion gravitie c. though they have not meet gifts for pastors or teachers are being caled thereunto Elders or governours to assist the other in guiding the vvayes of the church And needful are they unto the same for one man may vvel teach an hundred but tvvo men vvil scarse govern half so many in peace and order so great a difference there is betvveen the knovvledge of the truth and the due vvalking and practise of the same Whereas therfore M. S. gives al the Elders the word of wisdome and so the pastors office meaning strictly and properly he contraryeth the Apostle vvho sayth there are diversities of gifts and to one is given the word of wisdom and to another the word of knowledge and agayn speaking of office he mentioneth distinctly teaching exhorting ruling not in one person but in sundry Although sometime speaking of the Eldership in general he ascribeth the same vvork in general thereto as in Tit. 1. Act. 20. and other like places Of the ordination Act. 14. vve spake before Novv after al these reasons M. Sm. thus concludeth Hence this con●ectorie sayth he ariseth that the Eldership consisting of three sorts of Elders is the invention of man having both an antichristian ministerie and goverment in it And therfore when the popish prelacie was supprest and the triformed presbyterie substituted one antichrist was put down and another was set up in his place c. vvith other like contumelies But the falshood and vanitie of his reasons having been manifested al these reproches do turn into his ovvn bosome and in him is fulfilled the word of the Prophet whiles like the raging sea he thus casteth up mire and dirt For God having given to his church diversities of giftes diversities of administratiōs or offices and diversities of operations some for to teach some to exhort some for to rule and having evidently distinguished between Teachers and Governours between those Elders that rule wel and those that labour in the word doctrine it must needs be the spirit of Antichrist and of Satan that thus despiteth Christs holy ordinances which this adversarie himself sometime acknowledged and walked in and now hath forsaken without ground of truth But he hath more yet to say in answering the obiections for 3. sorts of Elders which he thus layeth down The first objection 1 Tim. 5. 17. In this place the Apostle maketh two sorts of Elders 1. those that rule onely 2. and those that teach and rule And Ephe. 4. 11. he maketh 2. kindes of those that teach Pastors and Doctors Therefore there are 3. kindes of Elders formally differing each from other Mr Smythes answer The Apostle to Timothee teacheth that Elders are to be honoured for 2. workes wel ruling and laborious or painful teaching and the place dooth not import a distribution of Officers but a commendation of several workes of one office and the specialty consisteth not in the workes of ruling teaching which are common to all Elders but in the qualitie of the works viz. wel ruling and painful teaching as if th' Apostle should say Elders are to be had in double honour for wise government but much more are they to be honoured for their laborious and painful teaching Replie If emptie words mought cary away matters it were woe with the truth of religion for ech spirit of error would bear it down A doctrin most playn set forth in evident words is here turned aside with a