Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	gift_n	miracle_n	teacher_n	556	5	9.5967	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16145	The perpetual gouernement of Christes Church Wherein are handled; the fatherly superioritie which God first established in the patriarkes for the guiding of his Church, and after continued in the tribe of Leui and the prophetes; and lastlie confirmed in the New Testament to the Apostles and their successours: as also the points in question at this day; touching the Iewish Synedrion: the true kingdome of Christ: the Apostles commission: the laie presbyterie: the distinction of bishops from presbyters, and their succcssion [sic] from the Apostles times and hands: the calling and moderating of prouinciall synodes by primates and metropolitanes: the alloting of diœceses, and the popular electing of such as must feed and watch the flocke: and diuers other points concerning the pastorall regiment of the house of God; by Tho. Bilson Warden of Winchester Colledge. Perused and allowed publike authoritie.	Bilson, Thomas, 1546 or 7-1616.	1593 (1593)	STC 3065; ESTC S101959	380,429	522

Thou beginnest to account thy brother as a Publicane thou doest binde him on earth When thou doest correct and make agreement with thy brother thou hast loosed him on earth and when thou loosest him on earth hee shall be loosed in heauen Which of these twaine be preferred I force not so the first be not impugned as disagreeing from the Text. Some thinke our Sauior would not prescribe how the Iewes should proceede in their priuat suits and quarels that care belonging rather to Counsellers at the law then to Preachers of y ● word I conclude then there can be no proportion nor imitation neither of the higher nor of the meaner Synedrion amongst the Iewes expected or admitted in the Church of Christ and as for the words of Christ in the 18. of Mathew whereon some new writers build the foundation of their laie-Presbyterie they be free farre from any such construction or conclusion and the Catholike fathers expounding that place be further from the mention or motion of any such regiment CHAP. V. The Apostolicall preheminence and authoritie before and after Christes ascention ALbeit the sonne of God assembled no Churches whiles he liued on earth nor setled the Iewes Synedrion to remaine amongst the faithfull for ought that we find by the sacred Scriptures yet least the house of God should be vnfinished and his haruest vngathered in his own person whiles he walked here he called and authorized from and aboue the rest certaine workemen and stewards to take the chiefe charge care and ouersight after his departure of Gods building husbandrie for which cause he made when as yet hee was conuerfant with men a plaine distinction betwixt his disciples choosing Twelue of them to be his Apostles and appointing other 70. to goe before him into euery Citie and place whither he should come and to preach the kingdom of God giuing those Twelue larger Commission perfecter instruction higher authoritie and greater gifts of his holy spirite then the rest of his disciples which hee made labourers also in his haruest and messengers of his kingdome The Twelue not the 70. were the continuall and domesticall hearers of all his sermons and beholders of all his wonders as chosen to witnesse his doctrine doings and suffrings to the world the Twelue and no more were present when he did institute his last supper and they alone heard and had those heauenly praiers and promises which then he made To the Eleuen apart from the rest was giuen in mount Oliuet the Commission to teach all Nations and looke how God sent his sonne so sent he them as Apostles that is Ambassadours from his side not onely to preach the trueth and plant the Church throughout the world but in his name to commaund those that beleeued in all cases of faith good maners to set an order amongst them in all things needfull for the gouernement continuance peace and vnitie of the Church sharply to rebuke and reiect from the societie of the faithfull such as resisted or disobeied to commit the Churches to sound and sincere Teachers and ouerseers to stop the mouthes of those that taught things they should not for filthie lucres sake and to deliuer them to Satan that persisted in their impieties or blasphemies As for the gifts of Gods spirite they were so great in his Apostles that they both preaching and writing deliuered infallible trueth to the Churches of God and that in all languages of the world and euen the shadowes and the napkins that had touched their bodies did heale the sicke and cast out deuils these miraculous workings of the holy Ghost not onely themselues had in greater measure then any others but they gaue them vnto others by laying their hands on them When Philip had conuerted and baptised the people of Samaria in the name of the Lord Iesus yet none of them receiued the gifts of the holy Ghost vntill two of the Apostles came downe to them praied for them and laid hands on them and then was the holy Ghost giuen them through laying on of the Apostles hands Philip though he preached and baptized the beleeuers as well as the Apostles did yet could he not bestow on them the gifts of the holy Ghost that was reserued to the Apostles as to persons of an higher calling in the Church of Christ then Philip was and yet was he one of the seuen deacons also an Euangelist as S. Luke witnesseth and wel appeareth by his dispensing the word Sacraments Whē Paul laid his hands on the 12. disciples at Ephesus they straight way spake with diuers tongues and prophesied So that our Sauiour as well liuing on earth as ascending on high kept a differēce betwixt his Apostles the rest of his disciples that were preachers both in hauing them alwayes with him the better to acquaint them with the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen and in leauing vnto them at his departure the conuerting and instructing of all nations and in powring on them after his ascension a greater aboundance of his holy spirite then on the rest for the better execution of the charge committed vnto them For the plainer proofe whereof we may remember that when our Lord and Master elected 12. Apostles to be with him other 70. disciples to goe before him at the first gathering of his Church hee did imitate the choice which God made in the wildernesse of twelue chiefe Princes and seuentie Elders to guide and gouerne the people of Israel by their two seuerall numbers distinguishing their two seuerall degrees and when Iudas by transgression fell from his Apostleship an other was taken out of the 70. to supplie his roome which needed not if the 70. had had before equall place and calling with the Apostles Ierome saieth Qui prouehitur de minore ad mai●s prouehitur hee that is promoted is promoted from the lesse to the greater Now that Iudas successor was taken out of the 70. and not out of the Laitie appeareth by this that euery Apostle was to haue his calling from Christ as the 70. had and not from men and on Matthias the Apostles imposed no hands which argued that hee was called before by Christ himselfe amongst the 70. And so saieth Ierome Matthias being one of the 70. was chosen into the order of the eleuen in the place of Iudas the traitour And Epiphanius Christ sent 72. to preach of whose number was Matthias which in Iudas place was numbred amongst the Apostles Eusebius also confirmeth the same report that Matthias which was chosen to be an Apostle in the place of Iudas the traitor had before that the calling of one of the 70. Paul numbring the diuersities of gifts and administrations in the Church saieth God hath ordained in the Church first Apostles next Prophets thirdly Teachers then those that do miracles after that the gifts of healing helping gouerning c. reckoning

saieth Peter and not euerie Pastour or Deacon hath receiued the gift of Gods grace and not an office by mans choice so minister the same one to another for the benefite of each other If any man speake let him speake to comfort and edifie as the wordes of God if any man minister that is doe good not in wordes but in deeds to an other let it be according to the abilitie that God hath giuen him not according to the contributiōs he hath receiued of other men that in all things euen in all our words deeds God may be glorified S. Paul with alonger circuit of words expresseth the same sense As all the parts of our bodies haue diuers actions tending all to the vse and profite not of themselues but of others so euery man saieth hee and not onely Teachers and Elders according to the grace giuen by Gods spirite and not by mans election should be soberly content with their measure and vse to the good of others whether it were prophesie teaching and exhorting which consist in woordes or gouerning and seruing with diligence relieuing and helping with cheerefulnesse which consist in deedes for all the members of Christes bodie though they can not teache exhorte and guide yet may they serue relieue and shewe mercie and these are the giftes of Gods Spirite not so miraculous but as precious in his sight as the former and proceed from the most excellent gift of Gods spirite passing all gifts which is vnfained loue and charitie The Text may more kindly and currantly be referred to the publike offices of the Church First then you must point vs foorth seuen such offices for here are seuen diuers parres Next you must prooue that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these gifts of the spirite belong to the officers of the Church onely and not to the rest of the faithfull Thirdly we must know whether these offices must be diuided or may be combined in one person if they bee distinct no Prophet may teach or exhort no Teacher may exhort or prophesie if they may meete and agree in one subiect then are they no offices but graces and he that hath one may haue all and so are you further from your purpose then you were be fore Lastly make them euen ecclesiasticall functions if you list how then can you chalenge them or any one of them to laie persons Clergie men may not gouerne the Church You must leaue that error for your credites sake as crossing the Scriptures which maketh Pastours to be Shepeheards Watchmen Ouerseers Rulers and Guiders of the flocke and infringeth your owne positions who say that Pastours doe rule and gouerne the Church If he that ruleth must do it with diligence the Pastours by these words are appointed to bee watchfull as those that shall answere for the soules of their flocke and not the laie Elders If it be a priuate gift to whom doeth it appertaine To euery man that hath charge or familie The father with diligence is to guide his children the master his seruants the husband his wife He that hath cast away the care of his household is worse then an Infidel To feed them and not to rule them and traine them in the feare of the Lord is grossely to neglect them He that ruleth not well his owne house by S. Pauls prescription must not bee trusted with the Church of God It is therefore a speciall vertue and grace of Gods spirite to rule well the persons committed to our charge Let it be gift or office priuate or publike it maketh nothing for laie Presbyters There remaineth yet one place where Gouernours are named amongst ecclesiasticall officers and that is 1. Cor. 12. The answere is soone made if we bee not contentious Teachers are there expressed but Pastours omitted and therefore well might Gouernours be mentioned in stead of Pastours If this content you not I then denie they be all ecclesiasticall functions that are there specified Powers gifts of healing kindes of tongues what functions shall we call them in the Church of Christ They were ornaments to the Pastorall and Propheticall calling And so was gouernement To gouerne is a duetie and no gift To gouerne wiselie is a great gift of the holy Ghost more needfull for the Church then tongues healing or miracles To the gouerning of the Church belonged more then censuring of maners or examining of witnesses wisedome to preuent dangers to direct doubtful cases to discerne spirites to calme strifes many other weightie graces were requisite for the gouerning of the Church This is therefore a principall gift of the holy Ghost but not a different office from those that goe before The Apostles Prophets Teachers in the Church had they not power to doe miracles to cure the sicke to speake with tongues if these three be no diuers offices but graces and all three found in euery Apostle in many Prophetes and Teachers why should not gouernement being reckoned in the midst of them be a gift likewise of the holy Ghost bestowed on such Prophets Pastours and Teachers as pleased the spirit of trueth and grace to vouchsafe that honour To make vs vnderstand that we must not confound the functions in the Church with the gifts of the spirite much lesse mistake the one for the other let vs number the gifts of the spirite that are noted in this one Chapter and see whether the publike functions of the Church can any way be proportioned to them To one saieth S. Paul is giuen by the spirite the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another faith to another the gifts of healing to another the operation of great workes to another prophesie to another discerning of spirits to another diuersities of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues Here are nine gifts of the holy Ghost numbred in the ende of this very chapter are named two more helping and gouerning that were not reckoned before To the Romanes are fiue different frō these rehearsed in all sixteene I trust there were not so many distinct offices in the Church The Apostle euen in this chapter setting downe eight degrees and dignities of spirituall gifts and placing them as it werein order cleane smitteth Pastors Deacons as being rather standing offices in the Church then miraculous gifts Many Pastours and Doctors were furnished with many of them the Apostles had them all and that in greater measure then any other which in offices could not be in gift might bee These were therefore neither vsuall nor perpetuall functions in the Church as Pastours and Deacons must bee but miraculous and extraordinarie gifts and graces during onely for a time and giuen in what measure and to what persons it best liked the holy Ghost for the ouerthrowing of Satans kingdome and gathering of the Saints together at the first planting of the Church What were Gouernours then in the Primitiue Church for my part I am not