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
B20736	The vvay of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The vvay of churches walking in brotherly equalitie, or co-ordination, without subjection of one church to another measured and examined bythe golden reed of the sanctuary, containing a full declaration of the church-way in all particulars / by Mr. J. Cotton ...	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.	1645 (1645)	Wing C6471; ESTC R209858	96,219	122

speaketh of may be rulers in the family as Parents are rulers to children husbands to wives Masters to servants Answ The Church and family are two distinct bodies the Apostle speaketh here not of the members of the families as such nor of the functions and duties of family-members but of the family of the Church and of their functions and duties one towards another His words are plain vers 4 5. As we saith he have many members in one body and all the members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another One body in Christ is not one family in Scripture phrase but one Church and of this body of the Church the members they be whom Paul directeth to the due dispensing of their severall functions and gifts namely the publique officers of the Church Teachers Pastors Deacons and Elders to attend upon their proper work teaching exhorting giving ruling vers 6 7 8. and all the rest of the members to walk in such duties of love and purenesse brotherly kindnesse and modesty diligence and fervency c. as are requisite for every Christian vers 9. to the end of the Chapter Object 2. But Paul speaketh not of lay Elders ruling in the Church but of Rulers Answ Neither do we acknowledge ruling Elders in the Church to be lay Elders properly for to say nothing of the distinction between the Clergie and Laity which is of a later edition then Apostolique times the ruling Elders being ordained to the Office by the election of the people and imposition of hands as well as the preaching Elders they are no more lay men or private Christians then the Teachers or Pastors are lay Ministers and though the Pastor Teacher be either of them Church-rulers yet the Ruler is here distinguished from them as a distinct member attending to his action of rule as his proper function Object 3. Paul speaketh of severall gifts not of publike offices in the Churches for he speaketh of the severall powers and action of all the members of the body of Christ now the officers of the Church they alone are not the body of Christ but all the multitude of believers which of all these gifts in those times was not common as well to the people as to the Ministers and to women as well as to men Answ 1. Paul speaketh as well of publike officers as of particular gifts as hath been shewed by three reasons above out of the words of the Text. It is true indeed hee speaketh of particular gifts also not peculiar to any office but common to all believers from verse 9. to the end but gifts are not the members of the body of Christ but the persons indued with those spirituall gifts neither can it be said that all the members of the Church have all these gifts without manifest contradiction to the words of the Text for then all the members had the same power to do all of them the same actions which the Apostle expresly denieth vers 4. all the members saith he have not the same action which is translated office whence it is that when hee speaketh of different offices he divideth them by particles of partition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 7 8. and he injoyneth each office to attend his own function but when he cometh to speak of the private members and of the gifts common to them all he neither maketh any partition of them into severall sorts nor bindeth them to attendance on the imployment or exercise of any speciall gift as he doth the former But that as every truth so every ordinance of God may be confirmed by two or three witnesses there be other Texts of Scriptures which bear witnesse to For ruling Elders In 1 Cor. 12.28 the Apostle telleth the Corinthians that God hath set in his Church severall members as first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that miracles then gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues Where government is expresly reckoned amongst these offices which God hath set in his Church for the government thereof long before it injoyed civill Magistracy and therefore he meaneth spirituall government or Church rulers Object 1. But these governments are spirituall gifts not spirituall offices or administrations Answ That they were gifts we willingly acknowledge because all the offices and officers of the Church were given to the Church as well as the spirituall gifts and graces whereby they do execute those offices for so saith the Apostle When Christ ascended up on high hee gave gifts to men What gifts some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and Teachers Eph. 4.8.11 but yet governments and all the rest there mentioned are spirituall offices as well as spirituall gifts as will appeare from the context for the Apostle in this Chapter putteth a manifest difference between spirituall 1. Gifts and Graces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making the holy Ghost the giver of them vers 6. 2. Administrations or Ministers or Officers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making the Lord Jesus the giver and institutor of them vers 5. as he doth also Ephes 4.8.11 3. Operations efficacies or successees of their administrations making the Father the foundation of all power the giver of them vers 6. Now having spoken of the end for which spirituall gifts are given vers 7. hee reckoneth up nine of those severall spirituall gifts vers 8 9 10. hee declareth them to be given to severall members of the Church not all to any one that so every member might stand in need of the help and gifts one of another and thus having discoursed of the variety of spirituall gifts and their use he cometh in vers 28. to 31. to declare the variety of spirituall administrations that is Ministeries or offices which God hath set in his Church and reckoneth up eight First Apostles secondarily Prophets under whom your Euangelists are comprehended as being of equall rank with them thirdly Teachers under whom he includeth Pastors also the office of both whom was to teach or practise in the Church after that miracles or as the word in the originall is powers to wit to cast out Devils or to do the like works then gifts of healing helps opitulations that is Deacons governments who else can they be but governing Elders for we heare of teaching Elders before lastly the gifts of tongues true it is indeed the Apostle reckoned up three of these before for spirituall gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 9 10. Miracles or powers gifts of healing kinds of tongues but here he reckoneth them not as spirituall gifts and graces for that were a tautology and unsutable to the method of his discourse but speaketh of them as severall functions or offices wherein these gifts were exercised Object 2. But if these Governments were Officers or functions they were extraordinary and so are now ceased as gifts of tongues and healing and miracles be Answ Not so for no offices are

ceased but such as had their chiefe use not for beleevers in the Church but unbeleevers out of the Church but governments are of perpetuall necessary use in the Church even as teachers and helpers unlesse wee shall say that Anarchy were fitter for a setled Church-government Object 3. But why may not these Governours be the Pastors in the church who have received an ordinary power of Government in the Church Answ The order in which the Apostle reckoneth these governments will not suffer that for here the Apostle reckoneth five severall rankes the former expresly precedent in order before the other God saith he hath set in his Church First Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles which is a fourth ranke then in the fift place gifts of healing and helpes governments diversities of tongues Now if by Government had been meant Pastors he would not have reckoned them in a lower order so farre after Teachers seeing they are of the same rank with them Object Why but here helpes or Deacons are set before Governments which argueth the Apostle did not regard to rank them in due order Answ It is evident by the words of order which the Apostle useth that he intendeth to reckon the foure first sorts in their due order and the fift sort of them all in a latter order after the former though in a promiscuous manner without respect of order amongst themselves for so he saith First Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after them Miracles then gifts of healing helpes Governments diversitie of tongues As Apostles are before Prophets so are Prophets before ordinary teachers the teachers before workers of Miracles the Miracles before them that have the gifts of healing for the gifts of healing follow after works of miracles with a note of order Then But all those last foure gifts of healing helpes Governments diversities of tongues are reckoned without respect of order amongst themselves What order is due to them is not expressed in this Scripture though it be in some other at least for some of them but cleare it is all these last foure sorts are reckoned in order after the first foure sorts Object 4. But it may be the Church in which the Apostle saith all these members are set is not meant every particular Church but the Catholick Church for every particular Church had not Apostles and Prophets Answ It is true every particular Church had not severall Apostles apart by themselves nor was it needfull they should after that Churches were once planted but every particular Church had need of his own Governours within it selfe or else wee shall make one Church subordinate to the Government of another which is incompatible to the Church of the new Testament The Lord having instituted and ordained no particular Church but the Church of a Congregation for the administration of his Ordinance unto which Congregationall Church he hath also appointed the same sort of Officers without preferment of one before another Object 5. For humane wisdome is pregnant and full of objections and exceptions against the ways and Ordinances of God may be say some these Governours are no other but Arbitrators which the Apostle biddeth the Corinthians set up in the Church for the deciding of differences amongst brethren 1. Cor. 6.4 But now since God hath set up Christian Magistrates there is no more need of such Arbiters to be chosen by each Church to compound their difference Answ These Arbiters in the Church had not place or office of Government but of Counsell onely to direct brethren in the judgement of right and wrong equitie and inequitie nor was such a power of such Arbitration any speciall gift for the Apostle thinketh every member of the Church even the least capable enough of it and sufficient for it Nor is it well said since God hath set up Christian Magistrates there need no Arbiter to be set up in the Church nor Church Governours For it is plaine the Apostle maketh it a fault or defect in the Church of Corinth that any of their members went to law at all for such suites as the least member of the Church if he were called to heare the case might arbitrate and determine and he maketh it a further fault that they goe to law under Infidels Now therefore saith he there is utterly a fault among you that brother goeth to law with brother and that under Infidels ver 6 7. The former is a defect of brotherly love the latter is a neglect of the honour of Christ and of his Church and before Infidels If brother goes to law with brother before Christian Magistrates the latter of these faults is avoyded but not the former Neither may it be thought as some have done that the benefit of Christian Magistracy taketh off the necessitie of Church-Government For the government of the Church is as the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world but spirituall and heavenly The power of the keys is far distant from the power of the sword and though one of them may need the helpe of the other when they goe astray yet when they are rightly ordered and administred the one of them doth not intercept but establish the execution of the other A third witnesse to the office of ruling Elders in the Church is that well knowne and much agitated Text in Timothy 1 Tim. 5.17 The Elders who rule well are worthy of double honour especially they who labour in Word and Doctrine This text though it have been much vext and rackt to looke and speake another way yet when all is done it still giveth a cleare and stedfast evidence to this office The most learned Adversaries of this Ordinance would fasten foure other interpretations of the place and each of them as they pretend more pertinent to the scope and sense of the Apostles words then this of ruling Elders 1. Say they by ruling Elders may be meant Deacons for the Apostle giving Timothy to understand what manner of persons they be with whose maintenance the Church is to be charged having before informed him of widowes now telleth him the Deacons also are to be maintained yea and with a double portion above them and either the Deacons are not to be maintained at all at the Churches charge or else the Apostle provideth for their maintenance in this place or no where Answ 1. There is no man to be maintained at the Churches charges but either in respect of his present poverty and necessity or in respect of his office which calleth him off from the attendance to the maintenance of his private family unto the publike service of the Church In the former case if it fall out that the Deacons be in necessity they may be supplied with some maintenance from the Church as well as any other of the poore brethren and so though this Text sayth nothing concerning them yet other Scriptures take care for them for the Deacons by the very institution of their office were to