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
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

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 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 soule-concerning 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 1. Then a diligent searching of the Scriptures with fervent prayers to Almighty God for the taking away that vaile of ignorance which by nature is before their eyes that they may come to a saving knowledge in and a right understanding of them is not only lawfull and convenient for all men professing the name of Christ but also absolutly necessary because commanded yea indeed commanded because the end so to be attained is absolutely necessarie to salvation to confirme this I need not multiply precepts out of the old or new Testament such as that of Isa. 8. 20. To the law and to the testimony and that of Joh 5. 39. Search the Scriptures which are inumerable nor yet heap up motives unto it such as are the discription of the heavenly countrey whither we are going in them is cōtained Joh. 14. 2. 2 Cor. 5. 1. Revel 22. 1. c. the way by which we are to travaile laid down Iohn 5. 39. and 14. 5 6. Jesus Christ whom we must labour to be like painted out Gal. 3. 1. and the back-parts of God discovered Deut. 29. 29. by them onely true spirituall wisdom is conveied to our souls Iere. 8. 9. whereby we may become even wiser then our teachers Psa. 119. in them all comfort and consolation is to be had in the time of danger and trouble Psa. 119. 54. and 71 72. in briefe the knowledge of Christ which is life eternall Ioh. 17. 3. yea all that can be said in this kinde comes infinitely short of those treasures of wisdom riches goodnes which are contained in them the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Psa. 19. 7. but this duty of the people is cleere and confessed the objections of the Papists against it being for the most part so many blasphemies against the holy word of God they accuse it of difficulty which God affirmes to make wise the simple of obscurity which openeth the eyes of the blinde to be a dead letter a nose of wax which is quicke and powerfull pearcing to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit to be weake and insufficient which is able to make the man of God perfect and wise unto salvation yea that word which the Apostle affirmeth to be profitable for reproofe is not in any thing more full then in reproving of this blasphemy 2. They may not onely as before search the Scriptures but also examine and try by them the doctrine that publikely is taught unto them the people of God must not be like children tossed too and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive Ephes. 4. 14. all is not presently Gospell that is spoken in the Pulpit it is not long since that Altar-worship Arminianisme Popery Superstition c. were freely preached in this Kingdom now what shall the people of God do in such a case yeild to every breath to every puffe of false doctrine or rather try it by the word of God and if it be not agreeable thereunto cast it out like salt that hath lost its savour must not the people take care that they be not seduced must they not beware of false Prophets which come unto them in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are ravening wolves and how shall they do this what way remaines but a trying their doctrine by the rule in these evill dayes wherein we live I heare many daily complaining That there is such difference and contrariety among preachers they know not what to doe nor scarce what to believe my answer is Do but your own duty and this trouble is at an end is there any contrarity in the book of God pin not your faith upon mens opinions the Bible is the touchstone that there is such diversity amongst teachers is their fault who should thinke all the same thing but that this is so troublesome to you is your own fault for neglecting your duty of trying all things by the word Alas you are in a miserable condition if you have all this while relied on the authority of men in heavenly things he that builds his faith upon preachers though they preach nothing but truth and he pretend to believe it hath indeed no faith at all but a wavering opinion built upon a rotten foundation what ever then is taught you you must go with it to the law and to the testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isaiah 8. 20. yea the Bereans are highly extolled for searching whether the Doctrine concerning our Saviour preached by St. Paul were so or no Acts 17. 11. agreeably to the precept of the same Preacher 1 Thes. 5. 21. Make triall of all things and hold fast that which is good as also to that of St. John 1 Epist. 4. 1. Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God because many false spirits ar● gone out into the world prophets then must be tried before they be trusted now the reason of this holds still There are many false teachers abroad in the world