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
A94296	Of religious assemblies, and the publick service of God a discourse according to apostolicall rule and practice. / By Herbert Thorndike.	Thorndike, Herbert, 1598-1672.	1642 (1642)	Wing T1054; Thomason E1098_1; ESTC R22419	207,469	444

have publick Ministeries no lesse then those that have miraculous Graces both being for the common benefit of the body which is the Church But the Apostle having enlarged this comparison to the full in this place to shew to whom he speaketh as members of publick places proceedeth vers 28. to particularize all to whom his Exhortation belongeth Apostles Prophets and the rest among whom he reckoneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Helps and Governments which our English rendereth Helps in Governments which whether they mean miraculous Graces such as the Apostle calleth The Manifestation of the Spirit or Ministeries of publick Service in the Church I referre to further consideration afterwards In the mean time observing that the Apostle writing to the Romanes for the same purpose hath reckoned more particulars of the same nature not necessarily proceeding from miraculous Graces though his discourse there xii 6. compriseth those also when he saith Having severall Gifts according to the Grace that is given to us For the present we may see what this whole discourse of the Apostle aymeth at by the conclusion of the Chapter where he saith Covet earnestly the best Gifts and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way For this Exhortation it is that tyeth all that hath passed with that which followeth The Syriack readeth it thus If ye be zealous of the best Graces I will yet shew you a more excellent way Theodoret and Oecumenius make a question of it thus Are ye zealous of the most eminent Graces I will yet shew you a way beyond them all But whether the meaning be to exhort them to pursue the most usefull Graces or to suppose that they did it thus much for certain his intent is to give the ground and reason why all members of publick Service in the Church are not to seek the eminence of their persons but the common benefit because there is a thing called The common Charity of Christians more available towards the esteem of all mens persons be they never so private in the Church with God then all those Gifts of the Holy Ghost that appear so marvellous to common sense This is the occasion of that comparison which followeth throughout the thirteenth Chapter between the common Charity of Christians and their particular miraculous Graces which being dispatched there in good time doth the Apostle proceed to resume that which he had proposed afore and upon this occasion intermitted concerning zeal and study for the most excellent Graces which he tyeth up with that Charity which hitherto he hath preferred to them all in that proposition which he openeth the fourteenth Chapter with Follow after Charity and desire spirituall Gifts but rather that ye may Prophesie For when he preferreth Prophesying before other spirituall Gifts it is plain enough what he meant when he said before Be zealous of the best Graces a thing in which there can be no doubt because it is the subject of what is behind in this Discourse Now let me lay down the words of the Apostle wherein he reckoneth in particular the Graces and Ministeries of the Church 1. Cor. xii 28. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then gifts of Healing Helps in Governments diversities of Tongues whereunto we may adde out of vers 29. Interpreting of Tongues And herewith compare the Catalogue of the same which he compriseth under the name of Gifts and Graces Rom. xii 6 7 8. Having then gifis differing according to the grace that is given to us whether Prophesie let us Prophesie according to the proportion of faith Or Ministery let us wait on our Ministring Or he that Teacheth on Teaching Or he that Exhorteth on Exhortation He that Giveth let him do it with simplicity He that Ruleth with diligence He that sheweth Mercy with chearfulnesse That which followeth concerneth the particular virtues of Christians and the works of them as Love Hope Patience and the like such as are also those that went afore of giving and shewing mercie which the Apostle hath ranked among those Graces which tend to the generall good of the Church it seemeth because they also respect the benefit of others Last of all adde unto these the Ministeries which the Grace of Christ upon his Asscension poured out upon the Church appointeth according to the same Apostle Ephes iiii 11 12. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ By which words as well as by the particulars which he putteth down and which he leaveth out of those which he reckoneth in the other places it appeareth that he intended according to the purpose of his speech there to comprise none but those Graces and Ministeries which tend to the edification of the whole Church in matter of doctrine But writing to the Corinthians his intent was to set down all manner of Graces and Ministeries tending to the common benefit of the whole Church either in spirituall or corporall necessities in working miracles and the like none whereof he mentioneth to the Romanes neither the Graces of Apostles and Evangelists it seemeth because they are Graces and Offices not confined to one Church in particular These Catalogues are here compared for the ease and direction of them that desire to judge of such particulars as seem not yet out of doubt in the Ministeries appointed by the Apostles To which purpose we must resume what hath been elsewhere observed That nothing hindereth divers of the Graces specified to meet in the same person For though we suppose as the Apostle seemeth to suppose all Ministeries to be accompanied with the Graces which the discharge of them requireth as the Elders of Israel Num. xi 25. received part of Moses his spirit and though all Graces inferre Ministeries as he that is indued with any of the Graces specified to the Corinthians ministreth the effect of his grace to the benefit of others yet there is a difference between Ministeries of publick office in the Church whether to cease or continue and Graces which inable either a publick person to a publick or private persons to a particular work as that of Miracles Severall Ministeries of publick place in the Church must belong to severall persons but publick persons are capable as well of the Graces which private persons have as of those that belong to their publick charge including perhaps the Graces of inferiour Ministeries And the instance of the first in the Catalogue shall put this out of doubt that is of Apostles For nothing hindereth an Apostle to be a Prophet to speak strange languages to work miracles or the like The Commentaries under S. Ambrose his name Quamvis sint Apostoli Prophetae quia primus gradus reliquos subjectos habet Though saith he Apostles also are Prophets because the chief degree hath the

that in his judgement the words of the Apostle are not generall to affirm that no man could call Jesus LORD but by the Holy Ghost but relate to the particular whereof he speaketh to tell us that such as pretended to speak by the Holy Ghost if they glorified our Lord Christ then were they what they pretended to be otherwise not As who should say That it was not in them to persist in their counterfeiting when it was required of them to confesse Christ For we know that in the Primitive times at the naming of JESUS unclean spirits forsook the possessed And thus S. Chrysostome answereth That she which had the unclean spirit Acts xvi 16. confessed Christ indeed but unwillingly and so as she was discovered by it For being a thing evident that men did and might counterfeit themselves Christians and call Jesus LORD with a tongue rather moved by the evil spirit it seemeth an inconvenience to grant that all men in confessing Christ speak by the Holy Ghost in regard of the truth which they confesse But it is reasonable to conceive that God suffered not those that pretended to spirituall Graces of whom the Apostle propoundeth there to speak in particular being moved indeed by the evil spirit This sense I embrace because the same mark is laid down so plainly by another Apostle to the same purpose 1. John iiii 1. Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false-prophets are gone out into the world Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God Spirits the Apostle here calleth Inspirations as in S. Paul 1. Cor. xii 10. discerning of SPIRITS that is Inspirations And 1 Cor. xiv 12. because ye are zealous of SPIRITS that is of spirituall Graces And the difference between his mark to try them by and S. Paul's is but this according to the one He that acknowledgeth Jesus the Messias to be come in the flesh according to the other He that acknowledgeth Jesus that is come in the flesh to be the Lord he it is that speaketh by the Holy Ghost The same is the meaning of the Apostle 1. Thess v. 19 20. according to the same S. Chrysostome where having said Quench not the Spirit despise not Prophesying he addeth immediately Try all things hold fast that which is good instructing them in the particular in hand to examine all that pretended to these spirituall Graces by the Gift of discerning spirits which God then allowed the Church for that purpose and to make use of such as proved that which they professed The Proposition of this Discourse of the Apostle then concerneth those Graces of the Holy Ghost that consisted in speaking whereof therefore there might be use in publick Assemblies which his purpose is to order by such Rules as we shall see him propound in the end of the fourteenth Chapter of this Epistle But this to do he fetcheth a compasse about and lancheth into a generall discourse of all manner of Graces all manner of Ministeries all manner of works that have relation to the publick body of the Church to shew that all were given and intended not for the eminence of those persons on whom they were bestowed but for the publick benefit This is the point to which he proceedeth vers 4. Now there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord. And there are diversities of Operations but it is the same God that worketh all in all But the Administration of the Spirit is given every man to profit withall It concerneth not the purpose of my discourse here to be nice in inquiring the difference between Graces and Ministeries and Operations remembred here by the Apostle It is enough to observe that the name of MINISTERIES is sometimes particular for those that are called Deacons from the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they ministred to the Apostles to the Bishop and Presbyters for discharge of their Office sometimes generall for all kind of Service in regard of him to whom it addresseth For as concerning the force of the word as the Apostle saith here There are differences of Ministeries but the same Lord so generally that which is done in service to any person that person is the Lord and those services in his regard are Ministeries Indeed the Apostle when he saith in the next words The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall manifestly proceedeth to speak of none but miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost demonstrating the presence thereof in the Church Though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is generall in its own nature signifying all manner of Gifts proceeding from Favour and Grace as it is translated in the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Gifts Whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Operations seemeth particularly to relate to such Graces as tended to miraculous works and is therefore rendred in the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Powerfull Operations Thus it is true which S. Chrysostome writeth upon this Chapter in the beginning Because those that were converted from Idoles knew not the Old Testament and the Holy Ghost is invisible God gave in these Graces a sensible evidence of the operation of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this saith he manifested to those that were without the Church that the Holy Ghost is in him that speaketh Therefore so he calleth it saying BUT TO EVERY ONE IS GIVEN THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT TO PROFIT VVITH calling Gifts the manifestation of the Spirit And Oecumenius according to him Though this be true yet the Processe of the Apostles discourse from vers 12. intendeth not onely to comprise miraculous Graces but all Ministeries ordained for the publick Service of the Church whether depending on miraculous Graces or not as appeareth both by the reason whereupon he proceedeth and by the catalogue wherein from vers 8. he recapitulateth and reckoneth the particulars of all that can be reduced under those heads of Graces of Ministeries of Operations For the reason wherewith the Apostle pursueth this point proposed that all these are intended not to make the persons eminent in whom they are but for publick benefit is the comparison of a naturall body and the members of it whereof there is none that envieth or despiseth another to teach private persons not to grudge at them upon whom publick Graces or Places are bestowed and them not to despise private persons This comparison the Apostle setteth on foot also in his Epistle to the Romanes but slighteth it over more in brief there because as S. Chrysostome thinketh it seemeth the abuse against which he writeth as it was also there so was it more rife among the Corinthians This reason it is plain concerneth those that