A64811:265
Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians
Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians : I. Babes, II. Little children, III. Young men, IV. Fathers : with their several characteristical differences and attainments : also the doctrines proper to be taught to each of them : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning.Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians : I. Babes, II. Little children, III. Young men, IV. Fathers : with their several characteristical differences and attainments : also the doctrines proper to be taught to each of them : being the substance of many sermons preach'd many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning.
London: printed for John Hancock, 1675
Class 1 › Part 3 › Section 2: II. Of their being as Carnal and walking as men.
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.
1. They were as carnal in this, that there was among them, envy, strife, and division or faction, Vers. 3. and because of this which was undeniable, the Apostle appeals to them and makes them Judges, whether they were not carnal and walked as men, viz. in the flesh, or according to men and not according to God, as Grotius expresseth it: Are ye not carnal? ye cannot deny it, 'tis undeniable; You cannot deny that ye are envious, &c. it witnesseth (and is not only witnessed by others) to your faces, and therefore you cannot deny but you are carnal; for such things are the ⟨p. 186⟩works of the flesh, Gal. 5.19,—21. and it comes from below, not only from earth and men, but from Hell and the Devil (who worketh these things in the children of disobedience, and in you who are herein disobedient children) if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth, for this wisdom descendeth not from above, but is sensual, earthly and devilish, Jam. 3.14, 15. 'Tis such as a spiritually and heavenly wise man would be ashamed of. Whoever then be found such as these Corinthians are, but Babes and as carnal, how high soever they may carry it, and how great soever their name may be: the same thing that denominates them Babes, will denominate any or all others so, where ever 'tis found. Only this is to be noted, that this is not ascribed • them from any particular act (for who liveth and sinneth not, in many things we offend all) but 'tis from a kind of habitual frequency and continuance, for so the word walking doth import. A Christian should excel the best of men in all morality and Ingenuity, but to be like the worst of men (envious ones, the Devils pictures) is very carnal indeed. But let us inquire a little into the occasion and rise of this.
The occasion not given but taken was from Paul and Apollo, who planted and watered them; from hence they grow into more than emulations, for they were envious for their sakes (as Joshua was for Moses) and puffed up for one against another, Chap. 4.6. one was for Paul,