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	teacher_n	528	5	9.4074	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87158	The weary traveller his eternal rest being a discourse of that blessed rest here, which leads to endless rest hereafter. By H. H. D. D. Rector of Snaylwell, and Canon of Ely.	Harrison, Henry, 1610 or 11-1690.	1681 (1681)	Wing H893A; ESTC R215784	80,142	276

ordain'd and placed in the Church for the spiritual Government of Mens Souls in order to Gods service here and Mans eternal Rest and Salvation hereafter And these gifts Saint Paul in the first to the Corinthians 12.28 reckons up to be eight in number First Apostles Secondarily Prophets Thirdly Teachers After Miracles then gifts of healing helps Governments diversities of Tongues Whereof five were needful only at first and so to continue but for a time But those that were to abide for ever are reduced to Three Teachers Helps Governments Priests or Presbyters to teach Deacons to help Bishops both to teach help and govern These all the Church had from the beginning and our Church blessed be God still hath them These the Synod of Carthage calls the Three degrees of the Clergy and we find frequent mention of them in all the Monuments and Records of the Church whether Provincial Synods or general Councels Publick Liturgies or private Writers Historians or Fathers Canons made for their several Offices and Administrations bounding and limiting each from other in their proper works and operations That of Presbyters and Deacons hath been less questioned but that of Bishops more disputed in late times yet who can question or doubt of their being placed in the Church by the Apostles themselves that hath with any impartial Eye read and considered either the Scripture or the ancient expositers of Scripture Timothy at Ephesus and Titus at Creet have their Episcopal Office and duty plainly described and order'd in Scripture by St. Paul The Seven Stars in Christs hand Rev. 1.20 are the Seven Angels of the Seven Churches saith Christ himself And he that considers what these Churches were of how numerous Christians of what large circuit containing several Cities and Countries can hardly doubt of what the Ancients have said That the Angels of these Churches were not only Bishops but Metropolitan Arch-Bishops Sure we are that Church Writers and Historians set down the very particular names of these Seven Angels or Bishops and not only so but their Successors for several Ages The first general Counsel of Nice from which the Nicene Creed hath its name consisted of Three Hundred and Eighteen Bishops as many as Abraham had in his Army against the Kings in the story of Genesis as St. Ambrose wittily alludes And the first general Synod calls the Government by Bishops Arch-Bishops or Metropolitans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the antient guise So ancient it was that the ancient writers we have and some we have of the next Age after the Apostles mention it as universally spread over the Church and from no other at first derived than from the Apostles Nor could it indeed have been so early or so generally diffused from any less authority than theirs These are they whom St. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving them power of ordination and of Government Rulers and Presidents Ignatius every where distinguisheth them from Presbyters and Deacons as being above them and calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governours So doth St. Cyprian Origen Eusebius Epiphanius and who not attributing to them not only the chief place but the highest authority and power of Government Hierom himself though but a Presbyter and a zealous defender of Presbyters dignity derives the difference of degrees no lower than from the times of the Apostles for so are his words When they began to say I am of Paul I of Appollo I of Cephas then were Bishops every where placed to prevent Schism And that we may know that these Apostolical traditions are taken from the Old Testament what Aaron and his Sons and the Levites were in the Jewish Temple that Bishops Presbyters and Deacons were in the Christian Church And therefore if we will not make so learned and so religious a Person plainly contrary to himself he must be so understood in his other sayings as not to deny what he plainly affirms That Episcopal Government came from the Apostles But this hath been so fully discussed of late years in this Nation and particularly by a Person of great worth and learning at a Visitation in Cambridge to which I refer you that I shall no longer insist upon it only remind you that differences there are of Administrations that is of Offices in the Church as well as diversities of gifts and all these different Administrations high and low as well Bishops as Priests and Deacons are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper term of the lowest of the three the Deacons which we translate Administrations but might as well be rendred Ministeries or Services But why are they so called Surely to teach the highest of them both diligence and humility in their Office Every honour hath its burthen answerable to it and the higher the Office of Government if it be truly and conscienciously discharged the pain-fuller is its work and service 'T is an old saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Master in a great house is the greatest Servant while all they serve him in their several places he is fain to serve them all study and watch to provide for all to govern all In no house is this so true as that of the Church For whose cares studies dangers watchfulness are so great so various so perpetual as theirs if they do their duty And whose Condemnation is so great if they do it not Bishops are Generals in this Spiritual Army and yet faith St. Paul fellow Souldiers accountable to our Common Lord Christ Jesus not only for their own Souls but for others too nor is the meanest Common Souldier by the hundreth part obliged to so many cares and pains exposed to so many dangers and troubles as these Generals Rulers they are in Gods House but their ruling is for Gods service and Mans Salvation And what a load of cares and pains doth this ruling lay upon them Fathers they are in place and dignity but Brethren in love and humility they must be Stars and Angels they are called but how do the Stars run their course day and night for the service of this inferior World How do the Angels condescend to be ministring Spirits to the poorest of Gods Family Read but what our Saviour saith Matt. 20.27 Whosoever will be chief amongst you must be your Servant even as the Son of Man came to Minister and to give his life a ransom for many Read what Saint Paul saith 2 Cor. 11.23 to the 30. and you will surely confess that the highest Offices in Gods Church are the most painful dangerous services Ministeries truly so called so truly that the Ancient Bishops entering that Office might truly say nolo Episcopari But the more painful their service is the greater ought to be their honour both of inward respect and outward maintenance All that are under these Ministeries or Administrations ought to take heed of despising them for this reason because they are Ministeries but rather honour them because they are over you in the Lord. The higher

matter to bless God for But now that God hath given to Men a measure of good things and hath temper'd their gifts with many defects they may easily see they are both indebted to God for all they have and depending on God for all they want And so this dividing Gods gifts should teach us to think humbly of our Selves and thankfully of God and to set up our Rest in those gifts and graces which his bounty hath so freely conferred upon us Not inwardly to repine and envy nor outwardly to disturb and pervert that order which God hath made but to let God alone with his wise and gracious dealing with us and to rest satisfied with our own portion and to prize and esteem the gifts of others acknowledging their due worth and value where ever we find them for if the holy Spirit of God divide his gifts as he will and his will is always gracious and wise then either to deny or envy or debase them is no better than to thwart God in one especial work of his wisdom and goodness Some Men indeed would have greater gifts and most Men would have greater callings and places in the Church and State all secretly grudging against God and envying one another and if it were not the mercy of God to over rule such secret swellings they would burst out to the overthrow of peace and order and would prove no less destructive to our temporal quiet and Rest here than to our eternal Rest hereafter 'T was good Counsel which Joseph gave to his Brethren when they were returning with their Sacks of Corn to their Father in Canaan See ye fall not out by the way We are all Travellers returning to our Fathers house the Heavenly Canaan in which are many mansions enough certainly for all the Sons of Adam and God hath given to every Man such gifts and graces such guides and assistances for their conduct that were they not wanting to themselves they need not doubt their safe arrival But such are our fallings out by the way such our jarrings and dissentions our lingrings delays and backslidings that we may have cause to fear the greater part of these Travellers will fall short of these mansions and never take up their Rest in their Fathers house It is an ancient and true saying Unum quodque est propter operationem suam God hath made all that he made ordered all things that he ordained and there is nothing but what he made and set in order for that work and operation to which its nature place and faculties are fitted The work and operation therefore is the first in order of intention or design though the last in order of execution and accomplishment But nothing can operate or work aright except it be gifted or endued with some faculty or hability to that work And that this faculty or hability may produce its work in due order it must have its due place and office appointed by him who orders all things Now as this is true and certain in the universal body of the World and in the particular natural body of all Men so it is chiefly to be observed in the Spiritual body of Christ's Church First there are gifts to enable Men to perform the work for which God hath appointed them Then there are Offices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or administrations to authorize them and give them Commission in their several places to exercise those gifts with which they are endued and perform those works for which they are gifted and authorized Then there are works which must be performed by Men endued with those gifts and those Commissions This is the wise method and order which he that hath made all things in number measure and weight hath prescribed and observed himself in all his works and prescribed us in his word to observe Gifts are first mentioned because they are first necessary for the qualifying of the Person both for his office and his work What ever we have what ever we are by nature or grace in our worldly condition or in our spiritual is a gift For what are or what have we in any respect if good it be that we have not received from that God who is the only self-subsisting all-sufficient fountain and fulness of all being and life For in him we live and move and have our being From him and through him and to him are all things He spake the word Let it be thus and thus by that eternal word his only Son and it was so His Spirit moved upon the Waters and all things that he pleased to have done through this word by this Spirit were produced for by the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the host of them by this Spirit or word of his mouth All then is his gift Ab unissimo Deo manant multiformia ab aeterno temporalia All diversity comes from Unity all times and temporal things from the eternity of this Trinity It is God alone that hath made and order'd the dull Earth and the active Sun distinguished the World into such diversity of Creatures in order to serve one another the Elements for the mixt bodies herbs and grass for the living unreasonable Creatures those for Man and Man for his own service and glory If God had made but one Creature that one had proved him an infinite God as to his power for nothing but an Almighty power can bring forth any thing though but an Atom or dust or sand out of nothing But now that he hath made and appointed so many Creatures in such a just and excellent order this makes the riches of his wisdom and bounty clearly appear to the Eye of reason and then he demands of Man who hath this reason in all humility and thankfulness that he adore and revere that God who hath made so many divers Creatures to serve him that he may learn thereby to serve and love his Creator and gracious benefactor and so at last come to enjoy him whom he hath thus served and loved in eternal joy and rest If any one should ask why was I made a liveless Element a senseless Plant an unreasonable though a living Creature but a reasonable Man above all these able to see and consider what I see and know to the honour of God There can no account or reason be given but the free bounty of his gift who thus distinguisht and ordered all things And so also amongst Men why one is noble another obscure one rich another poor one beautiful witty and strong another weak dull or less comely what account can any one give but that there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit Lord God who thus orders them And this must teach us contentedness without envying Superiors and Charity without despising or neglecting inferiors But besides these gifts these Offices and administrations which God hath placed in the World for its Temporal Government there are gifts supernatural and spiritual which God hath