For the better clearing of this Scripture, it is needful, that we attend the scope of the Apostle, who coming now to another branch of the things this Church had written unto him about, Chap. 7. 1. & 8. 1. & 12. 1. and this about spiritual gifts, wherein they abounded, Chap. 1. 7. being the occasion of all their contentions and disorders, Chap. 1. 12, 13. hence he is studious the more to re-unite them again, Chap. 12. 13. and to direct them how to improve their gifts orderly to edification, Chap. 14. and in this Chapter he persuades their minds to unity who were divided, partly through pride in their own gifts; partly, by disdain of ⟨p. 96⟩others not so gifted; hence he puts them in mind; 1 What once they were following dumb idols. 2 That all gifts are from the free dispensation of God, and that one God, one Lord, one Spirit. 3 That God in his wisdom hath dispensed great variety of gifts, operations and administrations. 4 That all are given to profit withal, and these things he illustrates by a simile taken from a natural body, which having largely presented and applied to this Church, vers. 27. he concludes with the variety of administrations in such things wherein they so much differed, Chap. 1. 12, 13. God hath set, saith he, in the Church not only Apostles, or Prophets, or tongues, &c. but all these; are all Apostles? are all Prophets, &c? no, but the wisdom of God hath given you variety of these gifts and administrations; and therefore, Chap. 3. to quiet them, he saith, Paul an Apostle, Apollos an Evangelist, &c. all are yours; and as this is the scope of the Apostle, so we see nothing in the Chapter but is appliable to Corinth in particular, yea, applied unto them by the Apostle, as what he spake vers. 22. of one body, he applies to them, vers. 27. what he spake, vers. 28. of Apostles, and other gifts set in the Church, he applies also to them, Chap. 14. whereas he speaks of the exercise of divers gifts in that Church, when the whole Church came together, vers. 23, so he speaks the same of himself an Apostle, vers. 6. When I come, &c▪ We take notice of divers reasons alleged from the Chapter, that he spake of the Catholic church, but they do not enforce it; for grant such things are true of the Catholic church in a sense, viz. that in it God works all in all, in it are diversities of gifts, &c.
For the better clearing of this Scripture, it is needfull, that we attend the scope of the Apostle, who comming now to another branch of the things this Church had written unto him about, Chap. 7. 1. & 8. 1. & 12. 1. and this about spirituall gifts, wherein they abounded, Chap. 1. 7. being the occasion of all their contentions and disorders, Chap. 1. 12, 13. hence he is studious the more to re-unite them again, Chap. 12. 13. and to direct them how to improve their gifts orderly to edification, Chap. 14. and in this Chapter he perswades their minds to unity who were divided, partly through pride in their own gifts; partly, by disdain of ⟨p. 96⟩others not so gifted; hence he puts them in minde; 1 What once they were following dumb idols. 2 That all gifts are from the free dispensation of God, and that one God, one Lord, one Spirit. 3 That God in his wisdom hath dispensed great variety of gifts, operations and administrations. 4 That all are given to profit withal, and these things he illustrates by a simile taken from a naturall body, which having largely presented and applyed to this Church, vers. 27. he concludes with the variety of administrations in such things wherein they so much differed, Chap. 1. 12, 13. God hath set, saith he, in the Church not onely Apostles, or Prophets, or tongues, &c. but all these; are all Apostles? are all Prophets, &c? no, but the wisdom of God hath given you variety of these gifts and administrations; and therefore, Chap. 3. to quiet them, he saith, Paul an Apostle, Apollos an Evangelist, &c. all are yours; and as this is the scope of the Apostle, so we see nothing in the Chapter but is appliable to Corinth in particular, yea, applyed unto them by the Apostle, as what he spake vers. 22. of one body, he applyes to them, vers. 27. what he spake, vers. 28. of Apostles, and other gifts set in the Church, he applyes also to them, Chap. 14. whereas he speaks of the exercise of divers gifts in that Church, when the whole Church came together, vers. 23, so he speaks the same of himself an Apostle, vers. 6. When I come, &c▪ We take notice of divers reasons alledged from the Chapter, that he spake of the Catholick church, but they doe not inforce it; for grant such things are true of the Catholick church in a sense, viz. that in it God works all in all, in it are diversities of gifts, &c.
