A30242:252
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgess ...The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgesse ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for T.U., 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
A third thing in Division is, When men do not keep to their proper places, to their Offices. If the foot will be the eye; if the hand will be the head; here is a monster, not a comely body. The Apostle Paul is very large in this, and oh that this age would observe it! To teach every member in the body to keep to its own Office, and to its own Calling, not to take one another's operations, but to convey their mutual nourishment one to another in their proper way. In what a blessed Unity, and comely Order would the Church of God be, if every member would do its proper work? The Apostle calling so much for humility and modesty, and not to think of our selves above what we ought to do, fore-saw how hard a matter it would be for Christians to keep up Unity and Concord among themselves.
A third thing in Division is, When men do not keep to their proper places, to their Offices. If the foot will be the eye; if the hand will be the head; here is a monster, not a comely body. The Apostle Paul is very large in this, and oh that this age would observe it! To teach every member in the body to keep to its own Office, and to its own Calling, not to take one anothers operations, but to convey their mutual nourishment one to another in their proper way. In what a blessed Unity, and comely Order would the Church of God be, if every member would do its proper work? The Apostle calling so much for humility and modesty, and not to think of our selves above what we ought to do, fore-saw how hard a matter it would be for Christians to keep up Unity and Concord among themselves.
Fourthly, Thus it's division and faction, when the affections and passions of men are scured and embittered with any carnal dist•mpers; so that this sin doth affect the heart and spirit of a man, and then it breaks out into actions. Though men should be in a good way, and are for the truth and glory of God, yet if they do this in anger, and passion, and frowardness of heart, here is a sinful division upon them, though for the matter and way it self they be right: Gods righteousness and truth needeth not our passions. So that all these, or any of these, is enough to make the divisions in the Text here forbidden.