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	prophet_n	teacher_n	630	5	9.4590	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30892	The anarchy of the Ranters and other libertines, the hierarchy of the Romanists, and other pretended churches, equally refused and refuted in a two-fold apology for the church and people of God called in derision Quakers : wherein they are vindicated from those that accuse them of disorder and confusion on the one hand, and from such as calumniate them with tyranny and imposition on the other ... / by Robert Barclay.	Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690.	1676 (1676)	Wing B718; ESTC R10444	60,765	91

and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 14 For the Body is not one Member but many 15 If the Foot shall say because I am not the Hand I am not of the Body is it therefore not of the Body 16 And if the Ear shall say because I am not the Eye I am not of the Body is it not therefore of the Body 17 If the whole Body were an Eye where were the Hearing If the whole were Hearing where were the Smelling 18 But now hath God set the Members every one of them in the Body as it hath pleased him 19 And if they were all one Member where were the Body 20 But now are they many Members yet but one Body 21 And the Eye cannot say unto the Hand I have no need of thee nor again the Head to the Feet I have no need of you 22 Nay much more those Members of the Body which seem to be more feeble are necessary 23 And those Members of the Body which we think to be less honourable upon these we bestow more abundant Honour and our uncomely Parts have more abundant Comliness 24 For our comely Parts have no Need but God hath tempered the Body together having given more abundant Honour to that Part which lacked 25 That there should be no Schism in the Body but that the Members should have the same Care one of another 26 And whether one Member suffer all the Members suffer with i● or one Member be honoured all the Members rejoyce with it 27 Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular 28 And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then Gifts of Healing Helps Governments Diversities for Tongues 29 Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Are all Teachers Are all Workers of Miracles 30 Have all the Gifts of Healing Do all speak with Tongues Do all interpret Which I would not have set down at large but that there be some of careless especially in Matters they like not that they will scarce be at the pains seriously to read over a Citation only named and that also this being presented before the Reader in the Current of the Discourse will fix the Nature of my Application the more in his Understanding for the Apostle shews here the Variety of the Operations of the divers Members of the Body of Christ working to one and the same End as the divers Members of a Man's Body towards the Maintaining and upholding of the whole Now these are not placed in contrary Workings for so they would destroy one another and so the Apostle in the ordering of them in three several kinds proves this First Diversities of Gifts Secondly Differences of Administrations Thirdly Diversities of Operations and that which is the Bond that keeps the Oneness here he also mentions to wit The same Spirit the sam Lord the same God the Apostle names nothing of Contrariety or Opposition but lest any should be so critical as to bring in here the School Distinction of contrarium oppositum and contradictorium I shall not deny but Contrariety or Opposition in the Sense it is sometimes taken may be found in the Body without Schism as the comely Parts may be said to be opposite or contrary to the uncomely or the left Hand contrary to the right or the Foot opposite to the Head as the uppermost Part to the undermost or the Doing a Thing is contrary to the Forbearing of it but as for that which is acknowledged to be Propositiones or Termini contradictorij that is contradictory Propositions which are in themselves irreconciliable whereof one must be still wrong and that still destroy one another and work contrary Effects they are not at all admitted nor supposed to be in the Body of Christ as I shall give in one Instance ver 8. To one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit First here are two different Gifts but not contrary Secondly There may something like Contrariety in the Sense afore-mentioned be here supposed as some may want this Gift of Wisdom and Knowledge and so to have is contrary to want though as to these two none may be absolutely said to want them yet all have them not in the same Degree as a special Gift though as to some Gifts there may be an absolute want as that of Miracles and Interpretation of Tongues but should I suppose such a Cont●●●●●y or more properly a Contradiction as to Wisdom to oppose Folly and to Knowledge Vtter Ignorance this were an Opposition not to be admitted of in the Body because it were false to suppose that to proceed from the same Spirit and such Contrarieties or Diversities as cannot justly be supposed to proceed from the same Spirit of God which is the Bond that links together cannot be mutually entertained in the Body So the Differences and Diversities which the Apostle admits of while he speaks largely in this Matter is that none ought to be offended at his Brother that he hath not the same Work and Office in the Body that he hath but that every one keep in his own Place as God hath appointed them that neither them that are set in a higher Place despise them that are set in a lower nor them that are set in a lower grudge and repine at such as are set higher but all work in their proper Place towards the Edification of the whole and that the Apostle intends this is manifest where he draws to a Conclusion ver 27. Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular and God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets c. and then he subsumes Are all Apostles c. which the same Paul again confirms Ephes. 4. 8 11. to the 17th which was the second Place I intended and shall only mention for Brevity sake leaving the Reader to consider of it at his Leisure This is also held forth by the Beloved Disciple John in his Threefold Distinction 1 John 2. 12 13. Of Fathers Young Men and little Children and by Peter 1 Pet. 5. 1 5. in that of Elders and Younger The true Liberty then in the Church of Christ is exercised whenas one judgeth not another in these different Places but live in Love together all minding the Unity and general good of the Body and to work their own Work in their own Place also the Forbearance of the Saints is exercised whenas they judge not one another for being found in the different appearance either of Doing or Forbearing which may be peculiar to their several Places and Stations in the Body for that there is may be Diversities of Works there is excellently well expressed by the Apostle Rom. 12. 3. For I say through the Grace given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly then he ought to think but to think soberly

he place so much Weight upon the Judgment of the Church as to make the refusing of hearing it to draw so deep a Censure after it which he will not have to follow the refusing to hear one or two apart though the Matter be one and the same and so as to the Substantial and Intrinsick Truth of the Thing there lies the same Obligation upon the Transgressor to hear that one as well as all for that one adviseth him to that whi●h is right and good as well as the whole and they do but homologate or confirm that which that one hath already asserted yet Jesus Christ who is the Author of Order and not of Confusion will not have a Brother cut off or reputed a publican for refusing to hear one or two but for refusing to hear the Chucrch And if it be objected that the Church of Rome and all other false Churches makes use of this Scripture and cover their Persecutiton and Cruelty and Oppression by it and thou sayes no more then they say I answer I suppose no man will be so unreasonable as to affirm that the Church of Rome abusing this Scripture will make it false in it self but how we differ in ours Application of this Scripture shall be spoken of hereafter I am not now claiming Right to this Power as due to us that is reserved for another Place but this I say is that which I now aver to be manifest from the Scripture Testimony and to be in it self an unquestionable Truth That Jesus Christ intended there should be Order and Government in his Church which is the Thing at present in hand to be proved which if it be so really true as it cannot be denyed then I hope it will also necessarily follow that such who really and truely are the Church of Christ have Right to exercise this Order and Government Secondly That the Apostles and primitive Christians did practise Order and Government we need but to read the History of the Acts of which I shall mention a few pregnant and undeniable Testimonies as we may observe in the very first Chapter of the Acts from Verse 13 to the End where at the very first Meeting the Apostles and B●ethren held together after the Ascension of Christ they began orderly to appoint one to fulfil the Place of Judas it may be thought this was a needless Ceremony yet we see how the Lord countenanced it hope none will say that the Apostles appointing of these two Men or of him upon whom the Lot did not fall contradicted their inward Freedom or imposed upon it but both agreed very well together the one in the Will and Movings of God in appointing and the other in the same in submitting to their Appointment Moreover after they had received the holy Ghost you may read Acts 6. so soon as there was an Opport unity how they wisely gave Order concerning the Distribution of the Poor and appointed some men for that Purpose So here was Order and Government according to the present Necessity of the Case and the Lord God was well pleased with it and the Word of God encreased and the Number of the Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly Might they not have said then as some say now we will give our Charity to whom we see Cause and we will take no Notice of your Appointments and Orders Whether would God have approved of such yea or nay Thirdly When that the Business of Circumcision fell in whether it was fit or not to circumcise the Gentiles we see the Apostles saw not meet to suffer every one to follow their own Minds and Wills They did not judge as one confusedly supposeth that this Difference in an ●●tward Exercise would commend the Vnity of the true Faith nay they took another Method It is said expresly Acts 15. 6. And the Apostles and Elders came together to consider of this Matter and after there had been much disputing about it no doubt then there was here Diversities of Opinions and Judgments the Apostles and Elders told their Judgments and came also to a positive Conclusion sure some behoved to submit else they should never have agreed So those that were the Elders gave a positive Judgment and they were bold to say That it pleased not only them but the Holy Ghost by all which it doth undeniably appear that the Apostles and primitive Saints practised a Holy Order and Government among themselves and I hope none will be so bold as to say they did these Things without the Leadings of the Spirit of God and his Power and Authority concurring and going along with them And that these Things were not only singular Practices but that they held it doctrinally that is to say it was a Doctrine which they preached that there ought to be Order and Government in the Church is manifest from these following Testimonies 1 Cor. 4. 15 16 17. 15 For though you have ten Thousand Instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 16. Wherefore I beseech you be ye Followers of me 17 For this Cause have I sent unto you Timotheus who is my beloved Son and faithful in the Lord who shall bring you into Remembrance of my Wayes which be in Christ as I teach every where in every Church Here the Apostle Paul is very absolute First In that he desires them to be Followers of him Secondly In that he sends a Teacher yea a Minister and Eminent Bishop or Overseer of the Church for to put them in mind of his Wayes which be in Christ as he taught in every Church No doubt there were Apostates and Dissenting Spirits in the Church of Corinth that gave Paul Occasion thus to write as he testifies in the Beginning of the Chapter How he was judged by some of them he shews how they were grown high ver 8. Now ye are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us c. Might not these Dissenters of the Church of Corinth have reasoned thus against Paul Did not this Paul teach us at first to mind the Measure of Grace in our selves and follow that for no doubt that was Paul's Doctrine but now he begins to Lord over us and tells us we must be Followers of him might not they have judged the Beloved Timothy to be far out of his Place might they not have said it seems it is not God that moved thee and sent thee here by his Spirit but Lordly Paul that seeks Dominion over our Faith it seems thou comes not here to preach Christ and with us to be Followers of him and of his Grace in our Hearts but to mind us to follow Paul's Wayes and take Notice how he teaches in every Church we are not concerned with him nor with his M●ssenger nor with none of your Orders and so sorth Doth not this run very plausible I question not but there was such a Reasoning among