Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	church_n	gift_n	operation_n	494	5	9.1844	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77293	Gospel advice to godly builders: for the pulling down of Babel, and the building up of Sion. For the most part written in three letters, to be communicated to the Reverend Assembly of Ministers in Westminster. By the unworthiest of all the Gospel ministers, John Brayne.	Brayne, John.	1648 (1648)	Wing B4325; Thomason E475_37; ESTC R205459	16,503	25

out of the book of life and 〈◊〉 of the holy City and from the things written in this b●●k yea in this is a taking away from the letter and from the sence of the Scripture which is all the taking away there meant as I conceive 2. In this all the Church Elders are reduced to one That so we may set up a government in the Church of our own by one and pull down Jesus Christs which is by a combination of Church Ministery by Evangelists Pastors Teachers 3. In particular the Pasto●● the El●●● you invest wholly and alone with this ministeriall office 〈◊〉 by the expresse words of the Scripture one Church Minister i● not more interessed in it then another but all joyntly and equally 4. The work cannot ●●do●● singly in a Gospel way the sick is commanded to send for more then one and more then one are commanded to pray for him The p●omise it annex●● to a duty when done onely according to Gods w●y and in obedience ●o his command if we fall and that wil●●ully of our part we dep●● o●● selves wholly of the comfort of th● ordinance and the grace o● God added thereunto faith being not able to move an hair beyond the help it hath from the Word of God inabling him O●ject We have but one Elder that is the Pastor Resp Where is the Church then to which the sick are sent of God for this comfort in which are to be Elders in a Church combination Teaching the people in health and praying for them in sicknes To this next is considerable that in the Propositions it is said that to the Pastors Prayer especially is promised a blessing The Scripture saith Let them pray and after the prayer of faith shall save the sick that is their prayer made in faith I think it to be beyond the power of man to make a blessing thus promised to the whole Church Ministery or many ordinarily to belong to one nor do I think that ordinance as done by one to be done in a Church way or according to the rule of the Gospel in this place Object We intend the Teacher also to be here meant though the Pastor be onely named 1. Resp If that be granted I suppose you yet come short of the truth the word in the text for Elders and the verb for let them pray being both formed in the plurall and not in the duall number compared with the generall scope of the other Scriptures proves a plurality of Elders to be in the Church and not a duality 2. If the Doctor had been understood by you to be interessed herein you would have cited this Scripture of James in his Section as well as the Pastors and applyed the duty to him as you did 1 Tit. 9. Eph. 4.11 quoted and applyed by you to both Pastor and Teacher in both Sect. 3. I suppose you would not have so particularly invested the Pastor with it as your expressions used imply you to have done saying the Elder that is the Pastor And so the Pastor as if all but he had nothing to do with the duty but were excluded The Conclusion of this second Epistle was this God is my witnesse I write these things unto you onely as moved thereunto by love and fear fear towards God and love to you and the Gospel and not of contention for who am I that I should contend with the Learning Ability and Parts of the Assembly but in obedience to Gods command Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him and in what wi●e can it be more Christianly done then in private writing which I desire may be as Christianly taken that Christ Jesus in all may be glorified and the truth come to be discovered to the edifying of the Church in love and I shall gladly wait to do you all the servi●● I can in Christ and rest Yours John Brayne Sept. 5. 1648. We c●me 〈◊〉 the third G●n●rall and the Particulars of the third Letter 1. I desire you to consider where Catech●●ng as by you applyed to Hebr. 5. ●2 and placed 〈◊〉 the Pa●●ors Section be not the Teachers proper ministeriall work teaching the beginnings of Christ which together with Baptisme I suppose is that proper work which solely doth constitute th● Teacher in the Church he being the first and the beginner of the Ministery Catech●sing by Q●●stion and Answer was exercised without the Church among the Catecumeni onely but the preaching the beginnings of Christ in the Church to the ●●fants as in this Hebr. 5.12 was onely the Dr. ministry 1. This appears in the Scriptures holding out the whole Gospel Administrators Ephes 4.11 beginning with the Apostles he is last beginning in the Minister 〈◊〉 is first 2 Tim. 3.16 Scripture is profitable for doctrine and reproof c. So that he begins with doctrine and ends with perfection As a man is first a childe and after a man so first the doctrine for children and then for men 2. Scripture 2 Col. 7. rooted built up in him and established in these are held out the divers of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 there is a diversity of gifts there is the spirits part In this again is intimated the diversity of ministrings ver 5. which the Lord Christ instituted in the Church and then the diversity of operations which God by these severall Ministers worketh v. 6. The first of which is Rooting which is done by preaching fu●dament 〈◊〉 children in grace and not age onely Much more may be p●●secuted you concerning this But tha● of Rom. 2.20 clear● it where the Apostle cals the Teacher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is understood onely and done in a carnall manner ●●●ng us and not according ●o Christ For Anti●uity I now on●ly trouble you with that of Ambrose on Ephes 1.1 who appreh●●●ing a necessity ●o have all the Gospel Ministry in 〈◊〉 Church ●●ould have in some way though never so corrup● which cannot be by 〈◊〉 means done ●y us saith of the Doctor Magis●● 〈…〉 ist● qi●●●●o●●● 〈◊〉 ●●mpos●●nt verberant inqui●●● which is 〈…〉 Teach●●●●re Exorcists because they quiet 〈…〉 ●ye● But after to be●●●● purpose Sive hi qui lectionibus imbuendi infantes solebant imbuere sicut mos Judeorum est quorum traditio transitum fecit ad nos quae per negligentiam obsolevit Or those saith he who were wont to initiate children initiated by reading as the custome of the Jews is whose tradition he hath caused to be passed over to us Gentiles which by negligence is grown out of use 1. This could not be meant of the Catechist that was not out of use in his time nor after 2. If the Doctors Ministry in Ambrose time were antiquated who can shew in whose time since it was restored to the Church again 4. Passing by the other lesser things in your Propositions I shall now onely trouble you with two generall Positions