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
A26981	A paraphrase on the New Testament with notes, doctrinal and practical, by plainess and brevity fitted to the use of religious families, in their daily reading of the Scriptures : and of the younger and poorer sort of scholars and ministers, who want fuller helps : with an advertisement of difficulties in the Revelations / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1685 (1685)	Wing B1338; ESTC R231645	1,057,080	615

variety of Members 21. And the eye cannot say unto the hand I have no need of thee nor again the head to the feet I have no need of you 21. As the principal Members of the Body need the less principal so the Rulers Pastors and wisest Members of the Church need even those weak and inferiour Christians whom surly Censurers and proud or contentious Usurpers will cast out 22. Nay much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary 22. Yea the Parts which are least honoured and feeble have a peculiar necessary Office which none of the rest is able to perform or supply 23. And those members of the body which we think to be less honourable upon these we bestow more abundant honour and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness 23. And those Parts which we account shameful we most carefully clothe and cover to hide either Deformity or Shame and do not reproach neglect or cast away 24. For our comely parts have no need but God hath tempered the body together having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked 25. That there should be no schism in the body but that the members should have the same care one for another 24 25. Our comely Parts need not our care to adorn and cover them from Shame But God hath so contempered the Parts that we should more care to secure from dishonour the Parts that need our care That Unity and Love of the Whole should cause such Love and Care for every Part that the Parts should not envy or strive against or cut off or divide from one another Note 1. O how clean contrary to this are the tearing Canons and Cruelties that cut off all Members that think any of their needless Impositions unlawful 2. And here Paul tells us the true Cause of Schism Not Weakness of Christians but the Butchery of that Clergy that cut off the Weak when they should carefully hide their Dishonour in Love and that revile them whom they should love as themselves 26. And whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members rejoyce with it 26. As all the Body condoleth or rejoiceth with the pain or welfare of every Member even the weakest so is it with the Living Members of Christ Note Therefore they are but Hypocrites like Wooden Legs that have no such sense and trayterous Enemies of Christ that hate and reproach and destroy his true Members 27. Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular 27. Thus must it be with you that are the several Members of Christs Church 28. And God hath set some in the church first apostles secondarily prophets thirdly teachers after that miracles then gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues 28. And God hath set in his Church Diversity and Disparity both in qualifying Gifts and Offices As in the first place are Apostles sent immediately by Christ to be the Chief Witnesses and Recorders of his Works and Words Next them Prophets immediately inspired to reveal his W●ll And next them setled Teachers of his Record●d Word And then Workers of Miracles for convi●cing Infidels and confirming Believers Then extraordinary Gifts of Healing and eminent Helpers of the Churches by Charity and special Care especially for Ministers and the Poor and Governments to arbitrate Differences and keep Order and Languages to spread and confirm the Word 29 30. Are all apostles are all prophets are all teachers are all workers of miracles Have all the gifts of healing do all speak with tongues do all interpret 31. But covet earnestly the best gifts 29 30 31. None of all these Gifts or Offices are common to all But desire most that which is best and most edifying Note That even Apostles are but Chief Members and Peter himself not the Head but one of them 31. And yet shew I unto you a more excellent way 31. Yet true Christian Love excelleth all these Gifts and Offices CHAP. XIII 1. THough I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal 1. Lest you should too much trust to any of these forementioned Gifts which Christ giveth to some that perish you must know that the true Divine Nature proper to Saints consisteth in Charity which is the predominant Love of God and of Saints as Saints and Men as Men as God is in them and served by them And if I be without this could I preach discourse and pray in better Language and Oratory than any mortal Man even as well as Angels what were this Voice to God that is a Spirit and looketh to the Heart but even as the tinkling of a Musical Instrument 2. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have no charity I am nothing 2. And though I could speak by Inspiration as Balaam did of things present or things to come and could understand all the deep and difficult Points in Gods Word and Works and were the most excellent Philosopher and could truly open all the Principles and Compositions in Nature and though I could believe even to the Production of the most miraculous Effects and yet have not this predominant Love of God and of Saints and of Men as to Gods Acceptance and my own Salvation I am as a meer Nothing None of these Shadows will do my Work 3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing 3. And though I give all that I have to the Poor either to be well spoken of or through fear of Hell or a conceit of obliging God by Merit or out of meer natural Pity or any other Cause which includeth not Love it will not profit me to Salvation Yea if for these lower Ends I should forsake Life it self without the predominant Love of God and Man it would be as nothing to me 4. Charity suffereth long and is kind charity envieth not charity vaunteth not it self is not puffed up 4. Love is kind inclining to do good and is patient and can bear much wrong from others as Self-love maketh us bear much more from our selves Love envieth not the Reputation Applause Precedency or Profit of others Love doth not vaunt and lift up a Mans self in his own esteem or desire to be lifted up by others above our Worth and Place but in Honour preferreth others 5. Doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil 5. Love doth not break out into injurious Reflexions or Passions or uncomely Deportment towards others It is not selfish and seeketh not our own inordinately to the injury neglect or greater hurt of others Is not provoked to any uncharitable thought word or deed by

emboldned to go on in Sin supposing that now God pardoneth all Thus Satan hath turned Christs Sacred Ordinance against himself and the Peace of the Church and the Comfort of some and the Reformation of others and carrieth on these most horrid Depravations with such odious Success that without Wonders of gracious Providence there appeareth no probability of Deliverance from these heavy Effects of Sacrament-distraction CHAP. XII 1. NOw concerning spiritual gifts brethren I would not have you ignorant 2. Ye know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb idols even as ye were led 1 2. As to your case of discerning Spirits and Spiritual Gifts it is of great importance that you should not be ignorant lest you should take evil Spirits for the Spirit of God or not distinguish the various Gifts of Gods own Spirit in Believers In your Heathen state you were carried away with Idol Oracles and Worship 3. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 3. First in general you may be sure that none of those Idol Oracles or Blasphemers that speak against Christ and Anathematize him as Infidels do do speak by the Spirit of God For God's Spirit bore uncontrolable witness to Christ by Prophesie Resurrection Miracles and Holiness And on the contrary side he that believeth and confesseth that Jesus is the Lord the true Son of God and our Mediator hath surely learnt this of the holy Ghost his outward testimony in the foresaid evidence and his inward teaching For do but truly believe the truth of Christ himself and the truth of all his Doctrine will undeniably follow 4. Now there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit 5. And there are differences of administrations but the same Lord. 6. And there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all 4 5 6. And as Gifts are ascribed to the Holy Ghost and Administrations to the Son and Operations to the Father Almighty so in all these there is great diversities both of kinds and of degrees 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall 7. But all the gifts of the Spirit are given for the Churches edification or to do good with Though some of them are found in unholy Men who perish in their sin 8. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit 8. The same Spirit maketh one eminently wise and prudent in applying sacred Truth to the Case of the Hearers and it giveth another an eminent knowledge of sacred Mysteries 9. To another faith by the same Spirit to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit 9. Another he maketh eminently strong in Faith for extraordinary Effects and another hath the Gift of miraculous Healing of the Sick when the Spirit will have it done 10. To another the working of miracles to another prophesie to another discerning of Spirits to another divers kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues 10. To another other sorts of powerful Miracles to another to speak by immediate Inspiration either Predictions or powerful Explications and Applications of Gods Word to another a quick and sure Discerning whether Men pretending to the Spirit speak from God or not to another the speaking of divers Languages to another the Interpretation of those Languages to them that understand them not 11. But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will 11. And though these are very various and greatly d●fference Man from Man yet it is the same Spirit that worketh them all diversifying as he freely and wisely pleaseth 12. For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ 12. For here One and Many well consist As the Natural Body is but One Body but made of Many Members differing in number excellency and office so is Christ and his Church 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 13. F●r as Sacramentally all visible Members are baptized into one Universal Church of professed Christian and drink the Cap of holy Union and Communion in the Lords Supper so all true living saved Members are baptized by one Spirit into one Universal Church of true spiritual Christians and drink the true uniting Spirit of Communion 14 15 16 17. For the body is not one member but many If the foot shall say Because I am not the hand I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body And if the ear shall say Because I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing if the whole were hearing where were the smelling 14 15 16 17. The Body is not one Member as to Number Kind or Office but many united And so in Christs Body the Church If a mistaken Christian himself should say Because I am low in place Grace or Gifts I am none of the Church this will not prove or make him none Much less if others by false Censure or Church-tyranny say he is none or excommunicate him for dissenting from their vain Appendages or Opinions If all were of one Office Stature Complexion or degree of Grace or Knowledge who would be Rulers and who Subjects who Teachers and who Learners How many Offices of Piety and Charity would be unperformed God hath not a Church on Earth where all Members are so wise as besides the Essentials of Christianity to know all the Integrals much less to know the numerous little Accidents of Forms and Ceremonies and all that is really or pretendedly Indifferent and Lawful which Domineerers can invent to be so indeed and so to be all united in such things indifferent 18. But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him 19. And if they were all one member where were the body 20. But now are they many members yet but one body 18 19 20. But as the Wise Creator in Nature so as our Redeemer Governor and Regenerator by Grace God hath chosen great diversity of Members as to Office and Gifts and he himself as it pleased him hath set them in his Church And who are they that presume against him to censure or cast out the meanest of such Were they all numerically or in Office or degree of Knowledge and Grace but one or equal the Church would not be such a thing as God hath made it But now God that freely delighteth in the variety of his Works hath made it one Body of Christ composed of

contrary to Christianity and the Cause of Divisions in the Church And by these the carnal persecuting Seed especially when they invade the Sacred Office are differenced from true Christians as Wolves from Sheep even when as the false Prophets they pretend the Cause and Name of Christ 3. That all this is for want of Christian Love and the Dominion of carnal Self-love and Love to God and to others as our selves must be the proper Cure 3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace 3. This Love and forbearance must specially be exercised to preserve the Unity of the Christian Church which all must endeavour faithfully to keep And this Unity inwardly consisteth in being all possess'd and governed by One Holy Spirit as all the Parts of the Body are by one Soul and outwardly by living peaceably towards each other especially in our Church-Communion 4 5 6. There is one body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all 4 5 6. More particularly in these seven Respects our Unity doth consist 1. The Church which is as the Body of Christ is one Universal Church 2. The Spirit of God which as it were animateth it is One and the same Spirit 3. The Grace and Heavenly Glory which is the Hope of Believers which they seek and for which they forsake the World is One. 4. The Head Lord and Saviour of the Church is One and the same to all 5. The Essentials of the Christian Faith or Creed are One and the same 6. The Baptismal Vow and Covenant and Profession in which we are devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and united Sacramentally to Christ his Church is One and the same to all in the Essentials 7. And all have One God and Father in Christ who is 1. Transcendently and absolutely above and over all 2. And unconceivably penetrateth all And 3. and is in his Essence most intimately in you all and is All in all things Note That in these seven things that Unity of the Church consisteth which is Gods prescribed and conferred Qualification for Christian Communion in Love and Peace And that as Satan useth to undo by overdoing and the Pharisees had more Laws Traditions and strictness therein as needful to Communion than Christ had who would have Mercy rather than Sacrifice So it is by adding a multitude of Ensnaring Canons Customs and Opinions as necessary to Communion that he hath corrupted and torn the visible Church and turned Love and Communion into Wrath and Persecution And yet this Vnity must be kept in Peace and therefore both Persecuting and Contumeli●us Turbulent Vnpeaceableness against those that own these Seven Points of Vnion should be avoided by Christians and restrained by Magistrates who must keep the Peace And whenever God in mercy will heal the lacerated Church it will be on these terms 7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ 7. But though we have all One Spirit and are One in all the foresaid Essentials of our Religion yet this Unity is found in very great diversity of degrees of Grace and both degrees and kind of G●fts S●e 1 Cor. 12. as it pleaseth Christ to distribute them 8. Wherefore he saith When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men 8. As it is said in Psal 68.18 When c. So when Christ ascended he triumphed over Satan Death and Hell and sent down from Heaven the Gifts of his Spirit 9. Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth 10. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things 9 10. And when it is said that he ascended it implieth that he first descended into this lower World into a low Condition and into the Grave And therefore it is the same Jesus who was here humbled in his Descent who is exalted by his Ascent f●r above all Heavens which Man doth see or know that thence is the Sun by the influence of its Heat and Light and Motion filleth all below acccording to the rec●pti●e Capacity of each so our glorified Lord by h●s administring Influx might fill all with common or special Grace according to their various receptivity 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers 12. For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ 11 12. And he gave by Qualification and Mission some Apostles sent by his own Mouth to be the most eminent Attesters of his Miracles Doctrine and Resurrection and Founders of the Churches some Prophets by Revelation and Inspiration to confirm the Christian Faith some Evangelists whose Work was as eminently qualified to go abroad to preach the Gospel and gather Churches or confirm them without being fixed to a special Place or Flock and some Pastors and Teachers called also Bishops and Elders who were set over the particular Churches as their Guides and Instructers as being their special Flocks and Charge And all these Gifts and Offices are given for that Ministerial Work which God who worketh by Means will use to bring on all his Saints towards the Perfection of themselves and of the Church and by the Increase Concord and Sanctity of the Members to edifie or build up this Body of Christ 13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ 13. Till by this increase of Number and Holiness and Concord we all Jews and Gentiles make up that Church which in the Vnity of Faith and Knowledge and Acknowledgment of Christ attaineth to that degree of perfection in which consisteth the measure of Grace and fulness of Stature which Christ wi●l bring his Church unto which is that maturity which imitateth our natural growth from Infancie to full Manhood 14. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive 14. That being by Gods blessing by such a Ministry brought up to Manhood we may no longer be like Children who through weakness cannot stand in the Wind but are carried about by it so childish Christians are by every Wind of Plausible Doctrine by the slight subtilty and craft of Men that by pretences of Knowledge Holiness Power or Love lay snares and lie in wait to deceive the weak 15. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ 15. But though we know but in part