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
A93709	Sparkles of glory, or Some beams of the morning-star. Wherein are many discoveries as to truth, and peace. To the establishment, and pure enlargement of a Christian in spirit and truth. / By John Saltmarsh. Preacher of the Gospell.	Saltmarsh, John, d. 1647.	1647 (1647)	Wing S504; Thomason E1114_1; ESTC R208461	88,386	372

his body is a Spirituall one and fashioning like his glorious one by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body The Baptism of Christ is that whereby we are compleat in him now we are compleat in him onely by being one with him in Spirit and Nature He being made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification c. and thus we are said to be circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and buried with him in baptism wherein also we are risen with him through faith or Spirit so as we are Baptized in him as we are Circumcised in him that is we are all in him and as the Circumcision is without hands so is the Baptism it being the Apostles whole business in this Chapter to take us and the Colossians up higher then rudiments which perish with using The Baptism of Christ is that true spirituall washing and clensing wherein all his are baptized not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ and this is the Baptism which is said in this place to save us as Noahs Ark did those eight persons in figure therefore saith the Apostle the like figure whereunto Baptism doth now save us The Divers Ministery with the Ministery of Christ in his Saints UNder the Law there was a Priest-hood the administration of the Law and Sacrifices being gathered up into one Tribe that of Levi none was to take this Office but he that was called of God as was Aaron Under the Law there were Prophets as Moses Samuel Elijah Isaiah Ezekiel c. the Interpretation of the Law and the more spirituall Revelation of the Will of God were administred by the Prophets or some few to whom the Word of the Lord came Both Priests and Prophets were Types and Figures of Jesus Christ to come the the great high Priest and Prophet of his people as well as in ministery to the people In the more cleer Revelation of the Gospell the administration of Christ was committed to a few or certain Disciples in distinction of Gifts and Office twelve of whom were called Apostles and seventy Disciples When Jesus Christ went out of flesh into spirit or ascended he confirmed and setled this ministration by powring out gifts of Spirit for the more glorious and visible quickning and spiritualizing this Ministration he ascended up on high and gave gifts unto men he gave some Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastors some Teachers for the work of the Ministery c. During the Ministration of Iesus Christ in the Church in this distinction and diversity of gifts there were such as were spiritually visibly gifted accordingly so as the Apostles and Evangelists and Prophets and Pastors were known to be such both by the Saints or people of God to whom they did according to their gifts administer and to themselves they administring in the knowledge of such gifts of Spirit as were in them During this Ministration of Iesus Christ by Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors c. the Disciples that were not in the distinction or number of such but were onely called Disciples yet did Preach and administer as they had received Antichrist or the Mystery of Iniquity came in upon this Ministration by gifts and Ordinances and the glory of the Spirit and power of gifts went off from the visible Church as the glory of God from the Temple to the threshold til it was wholy departed this was the falling away prophesied on by Paul and by Iohn in his Epistles and in the Revelation in the vision of the Churches of Asia and of the Beast and false Prophet All things in the visible Churches of the Nations were and are in the absence of the Spirit and of gifts administred by Arts and Sciences Grammatical knowledge of tongues and languages and according to some spiritual measure received in some to whom these things are in some degree sanctified and spiritualized All knowledge and understanding of the Original all Interpretation of Scriptures is according to the outward and inward administration of both through Arts Sciences and tongues acquired and through such a measure of spirituall understanding as each have received There is no restauration of these gifts of Spirit which were in the first ministration of the Church as of Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors Teachers according to the first institution that is so as the gifts of all these Offices are cleerly to be seen and discerned in Spirit to be the very unction and gift either of Prophet or Pastor or Teacher as in the first Ministration which will more cleerly appear in singling that pure gift of Spirit that is in each from the habits of Arts and Sciences and Languages acquired and from that Spirituall understanding which is in all the Saints according to that work of the Spirit or regenerate part in them which is one and the same for nature and substance of regeneration with all so as no super-added or proper or distinguishing gifts appear upon any other account but either a naturall or artificiall or purely Spirituall account not upon any account of distinction of gifts and Office as at first when the Spirit was poured out and this will appear yet more in comparing times and persons and gifts our times with the first our Pastors even of all Churches with the first and the gifts of al now with the gifts then then the Spirit of God was poured out in gifts and the Disciples were taught of God and Prophesied and Preached from the meer gift and spirit received but now Prophets and Pastors are taught from another account viz. upon a more Artificial and industrious and humane account and their regenerate Nature then they ministred and spake as the Oracles of God then they spake as the Spirit onely gave them utterance The Ministery that is raised up to destroy Antichrist or the man of sin which prevailed against the first ministry and gifts is to be more glorious and powerful and mighty as the Ministry of gifts was more excellent then that of the Law and so destroyed that power of Apostacy that had prevailed upon the Priesthood and Law then so the Ministry that is to destroy that mystery of iniquity which prevailed upon the Gospel Ministry of gifts must be more excellent and glorious and powerful then that and this is Jesus Christ himself called the Prophet whom we are to hear and that GOD of whom we shal all be taught Ye shal be all taught of God and he that shal destroy Antichrist by the brightness of his coming and that Angel with the everlasting Gospel prophesied on by John preaching and enlightning the earth with his glory this is the day of Iesus Christ whose coming is prepared as the morning The Ministry of Iesus Christ this Angel of the Covenant is through his

his as they are in Christ not in such or such an outward way or form There remaineth two or three choice Scriptures to open concerning this and they are these And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith c. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that miracles then gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you to the end of the world From all these Scriptures these Conclusions are made 1. That there is a Ministry of gifts of teaching and ordinances 2. That this is for the perfecting of the Saints 3. That this is to last to the end of the world Now these Scriptures are much mistaken according to such results and conclusions The Scripture to the Ephesians Eph. 4. shews only that there was such a Ministry of gifts and offices but not any such continuance of them to the end of the world For where it is said for the perfecting of the Saints c. till we all come c. that hath relation to the tenth verse or to Christ ascended that he might fill all things and this of the perfecting of the Saints c. is only an exposition or clearer interpretation of that tenth verse how he fills all things viz. by perfecting his Saints in the work of the Ministry or that glorious and spiritual administration of himself upon his to bring them all into the unity of the faith so as he may be one in them and they in him the Lord one and his name one which is that unity of the faith Nor can this Scripture intend any other thing then this viz. to shew first how the Lord fills all things as in verse the tenth and how he set up a ministration of gifts in the first discovery of Gospel-glory he gave some Apostles and how he himself perfects the saints by being their fulness and so edifies or builds up his body and brings forth that unity of the faith or one glorious evidence and revelation of himself in the whole body Nor can any other thing bear the weight of such expressions but Christ himself Who can perfect the Saints but Christ Who can edifie the body or build it up but Christ Who can bring forth unity of faith but Christ For no gifts either of Apostle or Prophet or c. can perfect the saints Though I have the gift of Prophesie and understand all mysteries and all knowledg and though I have all faith and have not love or Christ who is the love of the Father it profiteth me nothing But suppose it were so that the Ministration of gifts and offices there spoken on were for the perfecting of the saints till the unity of the faith be what doth this prove to the present Ministration of gifts and offices now or since the falling away amongst us for we have none of them in the pure gifts of the Holy Ghost or Unction and we must either have all or none there is no taking these gifts and offices in pieces and parts as they do generally distinguishing them into extraordinary and ordiary the extraordinary they say are Apostles Evangelists Prophets and these they say are ceased but Pastors and Teachers they say are ordinary and remain But where is this distinction to be found in the Word are not all gifts of the same spirit Doth not the Scripture reckon them all equally necessary in the Church Doth it anywhere speak of Apostles Evangelists Prophets only for the first Age and Pastors and Teachers for the Ages after Doth not the Scripture say expresly he hath set some in his Church 1 Cor. 12. 28. and so reckons according to some order in the excellency of gifts and office not according to the expiration of some and the life and continuance of the rest saying Apostles Evangelists Prophets are to cease only Pastors and Teachers remain but he saith plainly he hath set all these in his Church not excepting one sort more then another nay a Pastor or Teacher in the true and proper gift and office was as spiritual as the other viz. of the pure anointing or the holy Ghost but Pastor and Teacher hath been considered in a lower capacity and industry art natural parts and learning have been taken in in after times to the composition of a Pastor and Teacher and upon this account those offices have been thought ordinary which were upon the meer and pure account of the holy Ghost so as if they will have Pastors and Teachers only remain where is the Scripture for excepting the rest and where are the very same gifts And pure anointing of Spirit for watching feeding and teaching And if they will have these Scriptures to hold forth such a continued Ministry of necessity to the perfecting of the Saints where are all the rest viz. Apostles Evangelists c. for all are reckoned both in Eph. 4. ● Co. 12. 28. and where are those very gifts of pure anointing And why so many hundred years without these What hath become of the Saints since the first great falling away How have they been perfected If all these were for that very work and yet not visibly extant for so many years Nay the pure gifts of the anointing of the Holy Ghost not appearing in any of the most glorious Reformers as Luther who had much darkness as in that of Consubstantiation and in his passions to King Henry and in many other particulars of his c. and so of the rest save only they shone forth in the more glory because of the darknesse of that Generation For that other Scripture in Mathew 28. Go teach and baptize and lo I am with you it is only as I take it and meerly in application to the Apostles and Disciples of that Age and Ministration whom the Lord bid go and teach what he had commanded them and baptize into the name or mystery of God which word baptize is a figure Christ uses to express the depth of a spiritual mystery as in that can ye be baptized with the Baptism that I am baptized with And he shal baptize you with the Holy Ghost c. And that phrase to the end of the world is if more clearly translated to the finishing of the Age or that Age of Ministration Some of these things are scatteringly spoken on in other places of my Book but here more perfectly and clearly Magistracy a Power ordained of God THe Magistrate is a power ordained of God an Image of