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
A75417	An answer to an impertinent pamphlet lately set forth by Iohn Spencer. Wherein is refuted the arguments brought for the justification of the lawfulnesse, and universall exercise of every mans gift, publike and private. By a Well-wisher to the reformation.	Well-wisher to the reformation.	1642 (1642)	Wing A3352; Thomason E135_29; ESTC R12234	28,632	35

braine and at length produces many exorbitant and giddy deviations from the sobriety and analogy of true Religion M. Bolton as a Learned Divine speakes this is that zeale which requires just censure and sound conviction What shall I say I onely wish that the God of heaven who hath all power in his hands and knowes the hearts of all men would bridle the outragiousnesse of his enemies and cure the errors of his owne people that we might all with one heait and one soule willingly submit to the Scepter of his deare Sonne endeavouring to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace c. AN ANSVVER TO A BOOK LATELY SET forth by IOHN SPENCER SPENCER THat there is no private gifts nor private Christians that we reade of in Scripture ANSVVER THat this is otherwise may easily appeare for some actions are private and some are also publique and againe some persons are private and some are publique and so it followeth that some actions proceeding from men as private their actions are private also private actions have reference to private men and men are private in respect of their conditions and callings God hath set them in and private men may sometimes performe publique actions being by authority called thereunto and this may not only hold in the Civill State but in the Ecclesiastique for Jesus Christ hath lest Offices and Officers in his Church and those designed to particular places This appeares manifestly as may bee seene in Scripture To set downe one instance in Acts 6. ver 1 2. The Grecians complaining that their Widdowes were neglected the Apostles to remedy it called the multitude together and wished them to looke out so many men full of the holy Glasts to be apponted for this businesse Now there is no man will deny but that this act was divine if so and that none could performe these actions but those who were publiquely ordained to that purpose then it follows That those men who were full of the holy Ghrst by a divine ordinance were appointed to doe such Offices in the Church not onely as they were Christians and so had a spirituall sufficiency to performs those duties but beene private men were now publikely ordained to execute that which they were called to But it is worth while to consider what you understand by pivate Christians and private Spirits for if you meane that every Christians gifts are not for private use but publike and in that respect to doe service to the whole and so generally to be assistant according to those gifts given him then your speech is true and so there is no Christian whatsoever that is a true member of Jesus Christ but hath a duty lying upon them to help to edifie the body in his place but if by private Christians and private gifts you understand that there are none such because that every one that hath gifts from the head may doe and performe 〈◊〉 Office in the Church which is onely properly and peculiatly attributed to some and so not to be differenced out of any particular Office from him that is specially called to a certaine Office then your speech is untrue and tends the high-way to Anabaptisme besides your selfe tells us that in respect of Congregated bodies the more part are out of office now if the more part in this respect be out of office then they that are out of office cannot performe the duties of them that are in office for what doth the word Office import but onely a calling to and a performing of certaine duties that pertain either to the civill State or the Church and none can perform these duties but only those that are designed thereunto and if there be these differences in those that are in office and those that are out of office I would know of you upon what ground you can affirme that there are no private gifts nor private Christians if in the first sense you acknowledge it it is granted to you if in the second sence which you must assent to or else you do but dally then shew us better proofes then these or else coase to be so universall in your conclusions untill the premisses be better for every member that is out of office may be sayd to have private gifts and private spirits because they are not to execute and performe those actions in a publike way which others may but in private as Vrsinus writes Furthermore in things pertaining to the Church and as every member stands in relation one to another and are members of that head from whom they receive life so there is distinctions of these members in their severall operations The Apostle in 1 Cor. 12.4 sayes that there are diversities of gifts flowing from one and the same spirit and although he doth diffuse severall gifts to those members for a mutuall benefit and to profit withall vers 7. yet these gifts that are thus given and the persons to whom they are given are to be differenced in their proper operations for the gifts make the members and not the members the gifts and to this purpose the Apostle speakes very pertinently are all Apostles are all Prophets have all the gift of tongues doe all prophesie c. Hence then it followes that as some gifts consist in the performance of some things and some of other things so also those persons in whom those gifts are are to be differenced likewise and this the Apostle doth clearely intimate in 1 Cor. 12. for speaking of the gifts of the Spirit and their diversities of operations vers 6. he proceeds by way of comparison that as in naturall bodies one member cannot performe the office of another and the distinctions of their operations in the body so also Christ Jesus being the head of the spirituall body hee hath communicated severall gifts to severall members and hath designed certaine peculiar offices to some of those members now not onely the severall gifts but also the severall functions in the body Ecclesiastick proceed from Jesus Christ and therefore the Apostle sayes vers 28. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers c. and although in the generall the gifts may concurre in one man yet there are some particulars affirmed of one which cannot be spoken of another and therefore the Apostle againe vers 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c. but you say these (a) For as a man a beast being both living things are severed one from another by their several properties and speciall differences as they be called of the Logicians even so Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Doctors being all Preachers of the Gospell are severed by that wherein they differ one from another and as he can be no man which have none of these differences wherby a man is severed from living things so he cannot be Prophet or Apostle which hath nothing whereby hee may differ from a Pastor Doctor or