Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	body_n	gift_n	operation_n	454	5	9.5544	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41067	A touch-stone, or, A perfect tryal by the Scriptures, of all the priests, bishops, and ministers, who have called themselves, the ministers of the Gospel whose time and day hath been in the last ages past, or rather in the night of apostacy : they are tried and weighed by the Scriptures of truth, and are found out of the life and power of the scriptures, and out of the spirit and doctrine of them that gave them forth, and quite contrary to their principle and practice, both Papists and Protestants : unto which is annexed, Womens speaking justified, &c.	Fox, Margaret Askew Fell, 1614-1702.	1667 (1667)	Wing F639; ESTC R7178	82,431	96

the face of Jesus Christ For we have this Treasury in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us For we are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed always bearing about in our body the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ that the Life of Christ might be manifested in our body for we who live are alwayes delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh so that death worketh in us but life in you Thus the Apostles laboured in the work of the Ministry even under cruel sufferings which Gospel it may well be said hath been hid for the Gospel that hath been preached since the Apostacy hath laid Oppressions and Sufferings upon others and they themselves have Ruled and Lorded over Peoples Consciences but the Apostle Paul said I Paul am made a Minister of the Gospel that is preached to every Creature under heaven now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his Bodies sake which is the Church whereof I am made a Minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfil the Word of God Col. 1. But this Ministry and Ministration hath been lost and the Church for which the Apostle suffered hath been in the Wilderness and if there was any small Appearance or Testimony of Jesus Christ in any such have suffered Oppressions and Hardships and much Detriment from such as were the Professed Ministry So these Scriptures with many more which might be mentioned shew the contrariety between the Ministers of the Gospel in the Apostles Dayes and the Professed Ministry that hath been since the Apostles Dayes in the Apostacy And as the Supremacy and Superiority hath been contrary to the Apostles Way and Manner and Order in laying Oppressions and Burthens upon the People so also they have been contrary and opposite to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine Practice and Example in not preaching Liberty and Freedom to the Spirits in Prison for Christ Jesus who is the Anointing of God Preacheth Glad Tidings to the Poor Liberty to Captives his Commission that he gave to his Disciples was to Preach the Gospel to all Nations to every Creature And he said to those that believed in him If ye continue in the Truth the Truth will make you free John 8. And the Apostle confesseth That the Law of the Spirit of Life had made him free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8. And the Apostle saith when he was speaking of the Ministration of the Law and the Gospel When Moses is read the Vail is over the Heart Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the Vail shall be taken away Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3. And so this is that Substance the Apostle Preacheth from and Preached to the Spirit of the Lord that takes away the Vail and giveth Liberty and Redeemeth from under the Power of Darkness and from the Bondage of Corruption and therefore they did not set themselves to Rule over mens Faith or to lord over their Consciences but they endeavour still to be made manifest unto every ones Conscience in the sight of God But we have saith the Apostle Renounced the hidden things of Dishonesty not walking in Craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by Manifestation of the Truth commending our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. Knowing therefore the Terrours of the Lord we perswade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your Consciences So here the Apostle preached to Gods Witness in Peoples Consciences and that answered to them again and they were made manifest to that and therefore did the Apostle John say That they needed not any man to Teach them but as the same Anointing teacheth them which is Truth and is no Lye And so this is unlimited neither doth the Apostle limit this when they were gathered into the Eternal Spirit and all drank into one Spirit and all baptized into one Body by one Spirit he told them they might all prophesie one by one and that though they were many Members yet they were one Bread and one Body and every Member of the Body had its several Office the Head did not say to the Feet I have no need of you Now concerning Spiritual Gifts Brethren I would not have you ignorant there are diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal For to one is given by the same Spirit the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gift of Healing by the same Spirit to another the working of Miracles by the same Spirit to another Prophesie to another Discerning of Spirits to another divers kinds of Tongues to another interpretation of Tongues But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ For by one Spirit we are all Baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit for the Body is not one Member but many 1 Cor. 12. And so the Apostle goes on to the end of the Chapter discoursing of the several Gifts all given by one Spirit So here is no binding nor limiting nor Supremacy one over another not to sit Judges one of another but every one to wait in their several Gifts of the Spirit given unto them to profit withal For I say saith the Apostle through the Grace of God 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 according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith For as we are many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being mary are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Having then Gifts differing according to the Grace that is given us whether Prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of Faith or Ministy let us wait in our ministring or he that teacheth on Teaching or he that exhorteth on Exhortation he that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth Mercy with chearfulness let Love be be

and of Christ I am he he said unto her That the hour cometh and now is that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for such the Father seeketh to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth John 4. And why is not this Spirit waited in and for in the Worship that is generally performed and allowed of in our Nation since that the Apostle saith We are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and have no confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3. 3. And why is the Worship which is generally performed among people and their Doctrines taught from and by the Commandments of men seeing they profess themselves to be Christians being Christ complained of this Worship And saith In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of men this people draweth near to me with their mouthes and honoureth me with their lips but their hearts are far from me And he said Let them alone they are Blind Leaders of the Blind and if the Blind lead the Blind both shall fall into the Ditch Matth. 15. 8 9 14. Ninthly And why is not the Worship of God performed among those that profess themselves to be Christians and Gospel Ministers in the Unity of the Spirit since the Apostle saith When he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto the perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes 4. 13. And why is there such Difference in Religion and Opinions as there hath been between Papists and Protestants and many others even to the Killing and Slaying one of another since that all profess themselves to be Christians and the Spirit of Christ is but one and the Apostle exhorts them here To endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit and the Bond of Peace And if they have received those Gifts from on High which are for the Work of the Ministry then why are there such Differences among them Tenthly Why is there not that Liberty and Order in their Meetings and Assemblies who profess themselves to be Christians as was in and among the Apostles and their Churches For the Apostle saith If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace for ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted And the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets for God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace as in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14. So if this was the Order of the Churches of the Saints how is it that always one man is set up to Speak to all the rest of the People it may be for many years together since that the Apostle saith That there is diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all but the Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 12. 4. Since that the Spirit is given to every man how is it that poor people have had one man set up to teach them it may be thirty or forty years together and whatsoever was revealed to him that sat by they were not permitted to speak but they might be haled before Magistrates and it may be stockt or whipt for doing that which the Scripture alloweth of and here are Christ words fulfilled where he saith Ye shall be haled before Magistrates and persecuted for my Name sake for a testimony against them and they that kill you think they do God good service John 16. 2. And these few Queries are for all the Clergy in the Christian World to answer whether they be Papists or Protestants Lancaster Castle the 7th moneth 1666. M. F. Post-script IT hath been an Old Proverb and Maxime among men No Bishop no King this is but a supposition that is got into the minds of people in these late times which hath proceeded and risen from among those of that Function and their Adherents being that their power standeth onely by the Kingly Power for it might rather be said No King no Bishop But to add to their Strength and Assistance they have added this and have got it into the minds of people that if there be No Bishop no King but it is otherwise for it is by experience known and that by Scripture Example For in the Reigns of all the Kings of Israel we do not read that there was a Bishops Power nor Ecclesiastical nor Spiritual Courts neither Nebuchadnezzar the great neither Cyrus unto whom the Lord said Thou art mine Anointed whose right hand I have upholden to subdue Nations I will loose the Loyns of Kings to open before thee the Leaved Gates I will give thee the Treasures of darkness and the hidden Riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I the Lord which calleth thee by thy name am the God of Israel Isa 45. Neither Darius who set over his Kingdom one hundred and thirty Princes and over these were three Presidents of whom Daniel was the first and by the voice and word of Daniel the man of God who was greatly beloved of God these Kingdoms of the Medes and Persians were swayed and governed by the Word of the Lord through Daniel as may be read in the Book of Daniel but we never heard of Bishops or Spiritual Courts among them It is true we read that among the Jews there was High-Priests and Chief-Priests that ruled and governed amongst them when their Kings were Heathens as Herod and Tiberius Cesar In the dayes of Herod Christ was born who sent his wise men to seek for the Child and made all the young Children be killed from two years old and under and the Angel made Jesus be carried into Egypt till Herod was dead Then there was Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee which beheaded John Baptist this Herod and Pilate were made Friends the same day that Christ was under Examination for before they had been at enmity And Ananias and Caiaphas being high Priests they sought how they might kill Jesus And the Band of Souldiers led Jesus away to Annas first for he was Father-in-law to Caiaphas which was the high Priest the same year Now Caiaphas was he which gave counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people John 18. 13 14. And when Pilate had called together the chief Priests and the Rulers and said unto them Ye brought this man unto me as one that perverted the people and I have examined him before you and have found no fault in him