Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	miracle_n	prophet_n	teacher_n	445	5	9.3257	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27497	The penitent death of a woefull sinner, or, The penitent death of John Atherton, late Bishop of Waterford in Ireland who was executed at Dublin the 5. of December, 1640 : with some annotations upon severall passages in it : as also the sermon, with some further enlargements, preached at his burial / by Nicolas Barnard ...	Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1642 (1642)	Wing B2015; ESTC R3687	79,120	190

Apostles Commission you see here is Preaching which we shall according to the Text consider First in it selfe And then its severall parts First in the Generall from the Summe of the Apostles Message observe this viz That Preaching and converting the soules of men of all the Acts of the Ministry is the most APOSTOLICALL For further proofe see 1 Tim. 2.7 both put together I am ordained a Preacher and an Apostle ● Teacher of the Gentiles c. The very same words againe 2 Tim. 1.11 in both see how the Apostleship is supported on each side with this imployment 'T is preferr'd before the Administration of Sacraments 1 Cor. 1.17 Christ sent mee not i. e. not so much to baptize but to preach the Gospell Nay above Miracles gifts of tongues government c. See 1 Cor. 12.28 29. God hath set in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that miracles then gifts of healing Government Diversities of Toungs c Now wherin hath it so offended that lately it should be compelled to take the lowest roome 'T is a speech of Gregory We account those to beare the Image of the Apostles who are Preachers And if so why heare we no more of it from him who boasts his Sea to be only Apostolicall who hath not bin known so farre to disparage himselfe these many hundred years The more we draw back in it the nearer we shall draw to him There were some in the Church of Ephesus that said they were Apostles and were not Let this one thing be their tryall which if admitted the former would bee found a lyar Now if preaching be the most Apostolicall certainly this conclusion following must be undeniable viz. Then the most Episcopall whose Successours they are For which who knows not that in the 1 Tim. 3. which S. Hierome well cals Speculum Sacerdotij the prime quality of a Bishop is to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. not only able and fit but apt and ready to it The like Tit. 1.9 Thomas Aquinas could say that preaching was the most principall and proper act of a Bishop and accordingly applies eight Titles to them that imply that labour Nay so proper to a Bishop that before S. Augustine● time it was not usuall for a Presbiter to preach in the presence of a Bishop at least it was against the custome of the Africk Church We reade Valerius than Bishop of Hippo was much censured by other neighbouring Bishops that he should permit S. Austine being then but a Presbiter to preach so often before him and not to do it himself and yet there was some reason for it Valerius being a Graecian was not so perfect in the language as S. Austine was And from his example it began first that Presbiters got the honour to preach the word of God in the Bishops presence Which former custome howsoever S. Hierome from another ground pleads much against as inferring that the Bishop should delight to heare such of his own Election to perform their office Yet he acknowledgeth it to have been the custome then also But to return to S. Augustine when he was made a Bishop did he then give it over No then 't is said he preached much more then he did before whersoever he came whensoever asked The like of S. Ambrose by whose frequent Preaching St. Austin himself was converted the introduction into whose first Sermon after his Election was the affirming this to be his proper and necessary function St. Chrysostome cals preaching Omnium bonorum summa and according to his own practice would have a Bishop preach every day with whom ye have often cras heri as if he were rather a daily Preacher than a weekly S. Hieroms speech a Bishop should be for the Church as t is said of Moses and Aaron for the Tabernacle they departed not from it always either preaching or studying for it either with Peter and Andrew fishing or with James and John amending their nets Well me thinks when I reade of Saint Pauls charge for this particular to Timothy the first Bishop of Ephesus and not Parochiall neither 1 Tim. 4.1 and a sickly man too and in what high terms he gives it J charge thee before God and the LORD JESUS CHRIST who shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and in his Kingdome Preach the Word be instant c. It should make many a mans eare to tingle that hath wholly neglected it the like you have again Tim. 6.13 For Excuses if a not being bound to any particular charge be pretended let them consider S. Pauls free preaching which he so much glories in 1 Cor. 9.19 though he were free from all yet had voluntarily made himselfe serviceable to some 'T is possible for some urgent cause the maintenance out of one place may be imployed for the upholding Gods service in another Like S. Paul 2. Cor. 11.8 who saith he had robbed other Churches taking wages of them to do the Corinthians service for it but to be wholy idle in all places is robbery indeed If imployment in government be alleadged for an exemption let them again think of what S. Paul saith of himself Vpon whom came daily the care of all the Churches 1 Corinth 9.16 Yet necessity is laid upon me and wee unto me if I preach not the Gospell and Paul aged too If disputing and writing c. be produced as the best for a dispensation let them still remember it was S. Pauls work also as writing not a little So disputing daily with the Jews and Greeks Apollo's and Barnabas did the like with the false Apostles S. Peter with the false teachers S. Iohn confutes Antichristian Doctrine and for convincing gain-sayers none are freed from See but what is recorded of Saint Augustine how many Hereticks he had a daily contention with Arrians Manichees Pelagians Donatists one of which was converted onely by a digression in his Sermon against whom and of divers other subjects he wrote so much that if all were extant he that writes his life saith The greatest student would have his fill in reading of them only Yet notwithstanding how did he labour in a constant preaching to his last and the like might be related of divers others So that no pretence whatsoever can excuse them from the performance of this function to what dignity soever advanc'd what burthen soever travelling under I have often wondred at that in Iothams Parable that when some of the Trees were desired to rule over the rest saith the Olive why should I leave my fatnesse wherwith by me they honour God and Man c. saith the Fig-tree Why should I leave my sweetnesse and my good fruit c. and goe to be promoted over the Trees Why should promotion over Others make men barren in themselvs Could they not beare rule and beare Fruit