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	spirit_n	1,436	5	5.9872	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40807	Libertas ecclesiastica, or, A discourse vindicating the lawfulness of those things which are chiefly excepted against in the Church of England, especially in its liturgy and worship and manifesting their agreeableness with the doctrine and practice both of ancient and modern churches / by William Falkner.	Falkner, William, d. 1682.	1674 (1674)	Wing F331; ESTC R25390	247,632	577

Children of God Ch. 3.26 27. or by way of distinction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sons of God under great external priviledges of Christian freedom and also inwardly Sons and Heirs of life if they live as becometh the profession of Christianity whilst they who were under the Law were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children under age being in bondage under the Elements of the World Gal. 4.1 3. And since all those who by Baptism do enter upon Christianity are entituled Sons of God which Sonship proceedeth not from their natural Generation but from their entrance into the Covenant of God persons baptized may according to the same sense be hence called regenerate and born again and such expressions also are sufficiently allowed and defended from the Scripture speaking of being born again of Water and of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 and calling Baptism the washing of regeneration Tit. 3.5 9. 4. Concerning baptized persons being called Heirs of Everlasting Salvation we may observe that those Members of the Church visible who shall be cast into outer darkness are yet called Children of the Kingdom Mat. 8.12 And they may well be called Heirs to whom the promise referring to the inheritance is confirmed and who are by Baptism received under the Seal of the Covenant of Grace which alone giveth right of inheriting Gal. 4.30 On this account the Gentile Church and every Member embracing the Christian Faith are called Fellow-Heirs and Members of the same body Eph. 3.6 they also being now by the Gospel grace received to be the Children of the Covenant And S. Peter exhorteth Husbands and Wives embracing Christianity to mind their duties as being Heirs together of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3.7 And when S. Paul exhorteth the Thessalonians to walk worthy of him who hath called them unto his Kingdom and Glory it is manifest that he speaketh to them all and even to them who were most negligent of the Christian life to whom such titles of dignity do belong from their Christian profession and being under the Gospel Grace though the inward priviledges exhibited under those Titles are only the portion of those who do perform the Conditions of the Gospel Covenant And upon the same account that baptized persons may be called the Sons of God they may be also thence concluded Heirs of Salvation 10. 5. On the same manner may Christians by Baptism be acknowledged to be regenerated by the Holy Ghost because the entrance into the body of Christ by Baptism is a priviledge obtained by the Grace of God or by the Holy Spirit For in Baptism the Minister acteth in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and therefore as Calvin asserteth Baptism is to be received as from the hand of God Baptismus accipiendus est quasi ex manu Dei Wherefore in like manner as Baptism which is performed in the name of the Holy Ghost hath been shewed to regenerate persons may be properly said to be therein regenerated by the Holy Spirit to which agreeth that Phrase of being born of Water and of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 And as all gifts and diversities of operations in the Christian Church are derived from the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 11. So particularly this gift or priviledge of being baptized and received into Membership with the body of Christ is acknowledged by the Apostle to flow from the holy Spirit unto whom all benefits of Divine Grace and favour are ascribed For the Apostle saith concerning every visible member of the Church of Corinth as is manifest from the design of that Chapter 1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body to which place Zanchy referring saith Vi Spiritus Sancti baptizamur c. De Trib. Eloh Par. 1. l. 7. c. 5. Sect. 6. By the power of the Holy Ghost we are baptized of the Father into one body of Christ and thereby regenerated as well by the Spirit as by the Father and the Son And again Haec regeneratio seu insitio in Christum fit à patre sed per Spiritum Sanctum And this is agreeable to our Book of Articles Artic. 27. expressing that in Baptism the promise of forgiveness of sins and of adoption to be the Sons of God by the Holy Ghost are visibly signed and sealed 11. Besides these expressions the Scriptures speak of persons baptized being buried with Christ Col. 2.12 and being dead unto sin and buried with Christ by Baptism unto death and being planted together in the likeness of his death Rom. 6.2 4 5. And as Zanchy at large observed Tom. 7. de Persever c. 2. p. 118. 137 138. Notanda est Scripturarum consuetudo c. The usual way of the Scriptures is to be observed they call as many as give up their names to Christ and are baptized into his name persons justified sanctified and the Sons of God And in another place he saith All who are baptized are sealed unto Christ Tom 8. de Relig. Christ Fides De. Baptismo Sect. 1. as being now incorporated into him by the Holy Ghost that they may not be under their own power but under his by whom they are said to be taken into the fellowship of his Covenant and to be made one body with him and all Saints and to be partakers of all spiritual and heavenly good And in his next Paragraph he saith All who are baptized tales esse fieri Sacramentaliter vere dicuntur Sect. 2. are sacramentally and truly said to be such and to be made such 12. But it may be said that according to this sense these expressions of being regenerated born again members of Christ c. have but a low signification not suitable to the excellency and dignity of those names Ans 1. These expressions even as they are used at the Baptism of the adult do enclude a considerable hope and evidence of true spiritual Communion and Membership with Christ and of inward regeneration and a right to Eternal Life which are benefits certainly attained in Baptism by persons duly qualified for the receiving them 2. They declare the very high priviledge of the Christian calling the entrance into which is the way to the Communion with Christ and to the highest enjoyment of the priviledges of the Children and Heirs of God which those persons do enjoy who do neglect the Christian life And the Scriptures usually mention those who are under the tenders of Salvation by terms of great priviledge and dignity not to make them secure in the disregarding true piety but partly to amplify and exalt the Gospel grace and goodness of God whereby so great benefits are set before us partly to manifest our great engagements to exemplary Piety and Obedience from so great encouragements partly to testifie that if we perish by willful neglect of God and disobedience to the Gospel this will be to fall into dreadful misery out of that state which encluded excellent means and great opportunities of obtaining Eternal

of corrupt minds who have by this means drawn Disciples after them For besides the consideration of Papists and other Sectaries abroad where multitudes of their followers have really believed their errors and with a misguided zeal opposed the truth as S. Paul did while he continued in Judaism we have also sufficient evidence hereof at home in our former times of licentiousness Saints Rest Part. 1. Ch. 7. Sect. 14. Insomuch that Mr. Baxter then complained that professors of Religion did oppose and deride almost all that worship of God out of Conscience which must then be grolly depraved and corrupted which others did out of prophaneness And the provincial Assembly as it was called at London then declared That there was scarce any truth of Christ but was charged in those unhappy times Jus div Min. Evangel Pas 2. c. 3. so they called them as Antichristians and that the Doctrine of the Trinity of Christ being equal with the Father of the immortality of the Soul of repentance humilitation sanctification and good works out of obedience to Gods commands with other Doctrines were condemned as Antichristian and also that the places where they met together to worship God the worship they there performed their Church-Government and Ministry was also say they called Antichristian Now if amongst other things opposed and condemned the most essential Doctrines of Christian Religion have not escaped these vehement and unjust censures it cannot be expected that the best Constitutions of the Church should be generally entertained without all scruple and suspition especially so long as through the itch of of dispute things ordered in the Church are thought blameable for being significant that is useful for all insignificant things are here useless and for being enjoined that is recommended by the highest authority which God hath set in and over 〈◊〉 Church 9. Assert 3. As all Ecclesiastical Constitutions must be in themselves certainly lawful not needlesly burdensom and such as the Governours of the Church judge to be unquestionably useful and expedient so where they are such their lawfulness would not be so much contended against as it is by them who are concerned to obey provided they humbly and calmly made use of the best rules to direct their own practice which rules are here the same which must be received in other practical controversies of Religion viz. First That he who hath sufficient capacity of understanding to judge clearly and solidly of the things questioned and of the strength of the arguments produced should without any prejudice or passion embrace and entertain what appeareth manifestly allowable and such an understanding so proceeding can neither condemn the right way nor embrace the wrong because truth only can be clearly evidenced to an unbyassed and able judgment and for such a man to follow any authority whatsoever against this manifest evidence of truth is to put himself under the blind Leaders of the blind Secondly Men ought to be so humble as not to account their own judgments sufficient rationally to decide any matters of dispute or determine the force of any argument when they really are not and this will direct men of mean capacities not over-forwardly to engage in controversies above their reach nor violently to espouse what may be wrong or oppose what may be right but humbly to desire and seek for clearer apprehensions or the best directions and informations Thirdly That in these matters those whose own weakness of understanding is not able to conduct them through the mists of dispute ought to make use of the best and safest guides to direct and lead them and should follow their counsel and advice Aug. de Vtilit credendi c. 12. c. For it is manifestly the case of great multitudes of adult Christians in the World as hath been long observed that their judgments are not so strong and clear but that especially in divers matters of dispute which are no part of the Christian Creed they must and do follow the guidance of others and are led by their judgment direction and authority where themselves have not capacities to judge of the evidence of proofs But here as the man who chooseth an ill guide for his way or an ignorant Physician to advise for his health or an unskilful Lawyer for his Estate so he that followeth a bad Leader in matters concerning Religion must bear in some respects the consequents of his own bad choice 10. And whereas some would have persons to forbear practising in matters of dispute until themselves be able by the capacities of their own judgments throughly to solve the difficulties objected they ought to have considered that in most practical disputes as concerning Infant Baptism the observing rules of order and keeping Communion with a particular Church and obeying the commands of Rulers to forbear practising what ought to be performed is to yield to sin and with choice to act against a duty and to require this is also to proceed upon a principle which will leave such mens Consciences under inextricable difficulties For instance if men were taught that none ought to bring their Infant-Children to be baptized until they were able themselves judiciously to answer all that is urged to the contrary by the Anabaptists this if practised would tend to make considerable numbers of weak Christians whose heads are not capable of managing disputes to neglect their ●●ry herein and in practice to close 〈…〉 ●abaptists But if again they were taught which must needs be as reasonable as the other that they may not safely chuse to forbear the bringing their Infants to Baptism because even that choice is a moral action unless they could clearly refute all those great arguments which prove this to be their duty it will be manifest that in this case there can be no way to disentangle the Consciences of such men of mean capacities but only by following the directions above given And the like may be said concerning other instances 11. But that such persons who cannot themselves search into disputes may not be dangerously misguided two rules are to be observed V. Aue. cont Crescon l. ● c. 33. First That for them to be directed by the general judgment principles and practices of the primitive Church where that can be evidently and without contradiction discovered by skilful and faithful relaters thereof is a more safe course in any matter of dispute which themselves cannot fathom than to be led meerly by the judgment and authority of any men or company of men who oppose the same because the greater authority is to be preferred before the less and by this rule many errours of Papists and Sectaries may be rejected Secondly That where such persons of weak judgments cannot clearly understand either the grounds of truth under present debate or the judgment and practice of the ancient Church whether through defect or diversity of information it is their best and surest way ordinarily to be directed and led by