Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	ceremony_n	church_n	tradition_n	579	5	10.4369	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86056	The life of the apostle St Paul, written in French by the famous Bishop of Grasse, and now Englished by a person of honour.	Godeau, Antoine, 1605-1672.	1653 (1653)	Wing G923; Thomason E1546_1; ESTC R209455	108,894	368

felicity and an entire plenitude of all things It is he who has formed the body of the first man and by the breath of his mouth infused into him a soule not drawne from his substance or from an universal soule but created of nothing by his omnipotent power to make the most noble composition that was in the world He has ingraved in him his own image making it intelligent as he is intelligent spiritual and immortall as he is a Spirit immortall All men are descended from this one man and God has given them the whole Earth for their habitation dividing it amongst them according to the designes of his providence They cannot excuse themselves who know him not for on which side soever they cast their eyes they behold in every creature the greatness of him that made them It is to that end he has made them for he being a pure spirit corporeal men could not know him but by corporeal things He would if it be lawful to say so that they should touch him as it were with their finger and as blinde men know and discerne those objects by their touch which they see not So likewise by sensible and visible things we arrive to the knowledge of a being invisible and immortal And truly herein we need no forreign Master to instruct us nor any other looking-glass then our selves For if we will attentively consider what we are and what happens in us the wonderful aeconomy of our soul and body the variety of their faculties and operations we shall be inforced to acknowledge that God is not far distant from every one of us What do I say He is in the very Centre of our being which he fills which he conserves which he makes to act so that it is by him we live by him we move and by him we are Your Poets were not ignorant of this verity for one of them has said we are the posterity and race of God If we have so great an honour if we bear the resemblance of our Creatour and Father how is it possible that being more noble not onely in respect of our soule but of our body also then either Gold or Silver we can think that a statue made of those Mettles is a God who is so much elevated above all men How can those of the weakest judgements believe that the most Supream being resembles those extravagant figures which depend upon the invention and conceipts of Gravers How can they admit for a Religious worship that worship which is ridiculous How can they think that Idols which have no eares can heare them The true God has taken pitty of that unhappy ignorance in which all the Nations of the world were involved and in which by his just Judgement he left them untill he thought it fit to discover the truth unto them to the end they might doe pennance and avoid his wrath in that dreadful day where Jesus Christ whom by his order I announce unto you shall judge the living and the dead with as much rigour as justice The Jewes instead of hearing him called him a seducer and in acknowledgement of the miracles he wrought amongst them by curing their sick raising their dead fastned him to the Cross But God his Father raised him again the third day and made him Judge of all men to pronounce that Sovereigne decree of a life eternally happy or of miseries which shall never end In the mean time he will for a while suffer the Devels to triumph and exercise their rage against him They shall oppose his Doctrine by Kings by the People and by the wise of the World by Threats by Promises and by such cruel torments as the Executioners themselves shall have a horror of them But in the end his day shall come and he at once shall reveng e himselfe of all his enemies At the dreadfull sound of a Trumpet all the dead who sleep in their graves shall come forth and appear before the Tribunal of th is terrible Judge and render an accompt of all their actions The Audience taking these last words of the Apostle to be very extravagant interrupted him with great laughter but some amongst them were modest and more discreet told him they would hear him another time speak of this subject so he went out of the Areopage notwithstanding his preaching was not without fruit for one of the most considerable Magistrates called Denis imbraced the Gospel Saint Luke also adds that a Woman called Damaris was also converted and some Fathers say that she was the Wife of this Denis but others hold the contrary The Greekes in their Menology make mention of one Hierotheus whom the Apostle also converted and who was one of the Nine Senators of the Areopage but besides that the number of them is not determined it is not likely also Saint Luke would forget to note the Conversion of so considerable a man whom Saint Denis calls his Master France glories to have Denis for her Apostle and Paris for her first Bishop This tradition is not so constantly received of all the world but that many objections which seem very strong are brought against it the writings which are attributed to him give also great occasion of controversie both in respect of their matter and form for in the stile in the judgements of many learned men corresponds not with the simplicity and plainness of the Ecclesiastical writers of those primitive times And for the matter which concernes the Ceremonies in administration of the Sacraments some are of opinion they are more Modern But I leave this nice dispute and content my self to note the diversity of opinions which are upon this subject as an Historian without interposing my judgement to decide them either in favour or against an ancient tradition which to many seems so venerable The Apostle leaving the Church of Athens under the government of this Denis newly converted went to Corinth There he met with Aquila and Priscilla his Wife whom the Edict of Claudius had driven from Rome They were not onely of the faithful and of the same Nation with him but also of the same trade in making of Tents and Pavilions which he had learnt according to the custome of the Pharisees whose Sect obliged the followers to know and practise some Mechanique Art This was the occasion which drew him to lodge with them nor disdained he to labour with his hands and get his bread by the sweat of his browe to fulfill the first precept which he gave to others That he who would not labour should not eat He might by the right of a spiritual Minister demand of those he instructed things necessary for the entertainment of his life For who is that Souldier as he himself saies that fights at his own cost and does not receive pay of him for whom he exposes his life What Sheepheard lookes to a flock and watches for their preservation that has not right to feed on their Milke and to cloath