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	prophet_n	teacher_n	471	5	9.2767	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26577	A treatise of the confession of sinne, and chiefly as it is made unto the priests and ministers of the Gospel together with the power of the keys, and of absolution.	Ailesbury, Thomas, fl. 1622-1659.	1657 (1657)	Wing A802; ESTC R17160	356,287	368

with God of this writeth thus St James in those words would have us to understand that detecting our infirmities one to another we should aid our selves with mutual counsel and consolation where Counsel and Consolation is the scope of this confession and that end one who is not of the Clergy may afford Calvin is thought of some to be too precise and rigid in his Tenets let a moderate man speak Cassander who delivers it as a conclusion agreed upon by the Protestants of Germany for that many sinners in doubtful cases have need of counsel Multi propter ambiguos casus opus habent consilio ideò hortandi sunt homines ut addant enum ration●m ut juvari consilio atque excitari magis ad poenitentiam de multis rebus admoneri possint Cassand consult art 11. de Confes Equidem credo hac de re controversiam nullam fuisse futuram si non salutaris haec consitendi medicina ab imperitis importunis Medicis multis inutilibus traditiunculis insecta contaminata suiss●t quibus conscientiis quas extricare levare debebant laqu●or injecerunt tanquam tormentis quibusdam excarnisicarunt huic rei occurretur si pii tantùm ac prudentes viri huic u●●ssimo sanctissimo audiendae confessionis absolutionis impartiendae Ministerio praeficiantur Id. ib. therefore men are to be exhorted to number out their sins in confession that they may be relieved by counsel be the more excited to repentance and admonished of many matters The same prudent Divine was of opinion that there had been no controversie about this point if this healing medicine of Confession had not been by many unskilful and unseasonable Physicians infected and defiled with many and those unprofitable traditions whereby they have cast snares upon the Consciences and much tortured the same which they ought to have eased and freed from such intanglings and tells us that the onely help and redress of this abuse is if Godly and wise men were substituted to this most holy and profitable ministery of hearing Confessions and granting absolutions I shall make up this point with the testimony of a domestick Divine Dr Willet Willet Synops controv 14. Qu. 6. Sect. 2. of auric Confession p. 645. who hath these words Confession of sins such at the Scripture alloweth we acknowledge There are private Confessions either to God alone as Daniel confesseth 9.4 or for the easing of our Consciences to man also as to him whom we have offended Matth. 5.24 or to any other faithful man the Minister or some other that we may be holpen and comforted by our mutual prayers thus he And surely this detection of sins is so evident an introduction for a remedy and case against them that even natural men with half an eye have discerned it Plutarch by name Thou sayest unto a vitious man Tu dicis vitioso homini cum vitiis tuis te abde morbumque insanabilem pestilentem p●rser celaque invidiam vel superstitionem veluti palpitationes quasdam tradere te eis qui docere vel sanare possunt cave At vero Prisci aegrotos suos in publico proponebant ut praetereuntium quivis si quid vel ipse in ●odem morbo conflictatus vel similiter laboranti opitulatus medelae nosceret id aegrotanti significaret aiuntque artem hoc modo experien●ia ●ijuvante crevisse hoc modo etiam vitae vitia animique prav●s affectiones expediebat detegere ut cuivis liceret iis inspectis consideratis dicere iratus es hoc cave rivalitate vexaris istud facito amas ipse quoque aliquando amavi sed resipui Nam dum vitia sua negant occultant velant penitùs ea in sese defigunt Plut. de occultè vivend Xyland Interp. p. 116. hide thy self with thy vices indure thy pestilent and dangerous disease conceal the envy and superstition as certain pantings and beware thou give not thy self to such as can instruct and heal thee But the Ancients exposed their sick men to open view that such as passed by and had been sick of the same disease or had given ease and help thereunto might signifie so much unto the sick man and they affirm that the art it self improved by such experience to have been much better'd thereby and increased In like manner it may seem expedient to lay open the sins of our life and the evil affections of the mind that it may be lawful for any man beholding and considering the same to say Art thou angry take heed of this Art thou vexed with jealousie do this Art thou in love I my self was so but have repented Now whiles some men hide their vices deny and conceal them what do they but fasten them more thoroughly and surely to themselves CHAP. VI. The Contents Divers offices and administrations in the Church The peoples confession unto John at Jordan wherein they were particular The Confession of the Believers at Ephesus to Saint Paul Proofs from the Fathers for Confession to the Priests of the Gospel Such Confession withdraweth not from God but leadeth to him Testimonies of the worthiest Divines of the Church of England for confession seconded with Divines of the Reformation from the Churches beyond the Seas 1 Cor. 12.4 5. GODS Church is a body consisting of divers members so necessary as none can be missed so distinct as none can be confounded so decent as none can be vilified so useful as none can be spared and so subordinate as none can be translated all of them distinguished in their places functions and offices and enabled with gifts for administrations and with administrations for operations In this holy calling there is 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God inabling whom he calleth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. the administration he calleth to Minister unto for every vocation is an office and imployment 3. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 works and uses for this office is not idle but laborious Now all of these are diverse in themselves but not in their Author The gifts are not alike yet from the same Spirit the ministrations are different yet from the same Lord the operations are distinct yet from the same God that worketh all in all Amongst which the Lords Officers are divers In S. ordine dis●rimen gradu potestate He hath set in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers fourthly helps and governments fiftly diversities of Tongues The Ministery is a function distinct from other offices in kind and in it self in degree also and the end whereof the common good of the Church Quorsum depluere de coelo jussit varia haec donorum genera benignissimum Num●n nisi hum●n● generis utilitati com●●ique saluti consuleret quorsum ●ae●o pedes claudo ●●ul● nisi ut commodet ille oculos commodet ille Pedes Canalicul●m te s●cit ille qu● secit non cisternam Columb Nox pag. 13. Jos Hall Rever Epis