Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	apostle_n	church_n	word_n	1,664	5	4.2322	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96865	Church-members set in joynt. Or, A discovery of the unwarrantable and disorderly practice of private Christians, in usurping the peculiar office and work of Christs own pastours, namely publike preaching. In way of answer to a book printed under the name of Lieutenant Edmund Chillenden (but indeed none of his) entituled Preaching without ordination. Wherein all the arguments by him produced, are fully answered and disproved, the truth of the contrary evidenced, and the office forementioned, thereby returned into the hands of the right owners. / By Filodexter Transilvanus.	Woodbridge, Benjamin, 1622-1684.	1648 (1648)	Wing W3423; Thomason E422_3; ESTC R204785	29,729	41

prevoking one another to love and to good works Heb. 10. 24. a comforting one another with good conference 1 Thes 4. 18. c. 2 Some conceive and that not without ground that it is a precept peculiarly directed to Church officers There is but one word in the text that seemes to make against it and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle would have them minister to one another which word seems to extend the Apostles exhortation to all in generall But for my part I see no reason why the word should not be englished in in own native and proper signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad suos to his own that is to those that are related to him and the neerer the relation is which any man has to others the more strictly is he bound to communicate the guift he has received from God to them for their good As neighbours to neighbours Masters to their families Parents to their children Pastors to their people and generally every man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad suos as the word is used John 20. 10. and the like in Mark 5. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad tuos to thine owne Then the meaning of the Apostle here is this That all Church-officers should be ready to communicate the guifts they have received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those over whom God hath set them which is the same advise which the same Apostle gives them cap. 5. 2. Feed the flock of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is amongst you And for my part I am the rather inclined to this interpretation because the Apostle having said in the verse next before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hospitall one towards another here presently he changes the word thereby intimating some change of sense and bids them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to one another but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his own But 3. whether this be so or no the place is cleere against the preaching of private unordained persons For though the Apostle should speake here generally to all Christians that they should communicate their gifts each to other for mutuall edification yet he doth as it were purposely except a communication of gifts in a way of Preaching making that a peculiar priviledge to him whose office and work it is to Preach by vertue of his calling ver 11 Let him that speaketh that i● he whose Office and work it is to Preach let him speak as the Oracles of God For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place is he that preacheth as also 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. The generall Rule then is this as if the Apostle had said I will that all men generally improve the gifts they have received to the benefit of others as much as they may Specially let the Past●ur or preacher the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him play the good Steward with his gift in preaching and the Deacon with his in Ministring c. thereby intimating that when he spake to Christians in generall in the former verse advising them to ministration of their gifts he did not meane they should do it in a way of Preac●ing and so usurpe the Office of the Pastour no more then he doth allow those who might be gifted for the Deaconry to turne the Deacon out of his Office and play the Deacon themselves when he saith in the words following let him that ministers that is the deacon let him doe it as of the ability which God giveth Arg. 6 We are now come to the last of Chillendens Arguments wherin we doubt not but to find him as unsuccessefull as in all the rest Chill 1 Cor. 12. 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall Answ I take the scope of this whole chapter to be this namely to declare the wisedome of God in constituting and ordering his Church the mysticall body of Christ Iesus and proportionating one member of it to another so geometrically as that it abides in a wholesome crasis and symmetrie without schisme and deformity as from the order of the members in the body naturall each to other ariseth the unity consistency and beauty of the whole ver 15. 23. 25. 26. c. And this order in the Church is nothing else but a due correspondency and aequipoysing of inferiors and superiors ver 27 28. 29. I should therefore much wonder if this chapter should afford any argument for Chillendens confounding error As to those words ver 7. the manifestation of the spirit c. the meaning is that though there be diversities of gifts administrations and operations in the Church ver 4 5 6. yet the manifestation of the spirit that is the spirit manifesting it selfe in those extraordinary gifts in what man soever it be is given for this one end namely the Churches edification though the gifts be many yet their end is but one quid hoc ad Rhombum Chill 1 Cor. 14. 1. The Apostle writing to the whole Church of Corinth saith thus follow after charity and desire spirituall gifts but rather that you may prophesy Answ We deny that the Apostles exhortation is directed to the whole Church nay Chillenden himselfe denyes it and sayes expressely that the Apostle speakes of prophesying by those who were enabled with sufficient gifts in this very place and that indeed is his scope from the 28. and 29. ver of the 12. Chapter even to give directions to gifted persons in the Church of Corinth and his directions are two that they doe all in love chap. 13. without which knowledge puffeth up chap. 8. 2 That of all spirituall gifts they should affect prophesy But what is this to the whole Church But the Apostle sayes you may all prophesy ver 13. Answ Not all the whole Church for he had said before chap. 12 29. are all prophets The Church is the finall object for whose edification prophesy is Chap. 14. 12. not the efficient cause But the Apostles meaning is that all that were Prophets might prophesy For after he had given direction to those that spake with tongues ver 22. 23. he comes to give direction to the Prophets for their number ver 29. and for their order ver 30. and therefore of them is to be understood that which follows you may all Prophesy Now these Prophets were not private gifted Christians but men of eminency and authority in the Church of Corinth and extraordinarily inspired with a spirit of prophesy as I shall now prove onely I cannot but take notice how Chillenden fayles in the maine foundation of this his Argument viz. that these Prophets were ordinary gifted believers which I can no way assent unto for these reasons following 1. It is most evident that the Prophets spoken of throughout this whole Chapter are persons contradistinguished from private gifted Christians For saith the Apostle vers 37. If any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual c. Who are