Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	gift_n	lord_n	operation_n	869	5	8.9503	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82528	A friendly debate on a weighty subject: or, a conference by writing betwixt Mr Samuel Eaton and Mr John Knowles concerning the divinity of Iesus Christ: for the beating out, and further clearing up of truth.	Eaton, Samuel, 1596?-1665.; Knowles, John, fl. 1646-1668.	1650 (1650)	Wing E121; Thomason E609_16; ESTC R205964	49,997	66

personally and yet be one in essence with him To this distinction hear what a learned and godly man speaks His words are these As for this wretched distinctions to omit the mention of the Fathers is not onely unheard of in Scripture but is also disclaimed by Reason For 1. it is impossible for any man if he would but endevour to conceive the thing and not delude both himself and others with empty terms and words without understanding to distinguish the person from the essence of God and not to frame two beings or things in his minde and consequently two Gods Secondly if the Person be distinct from the Essence of God then it is either something or nothing If nothing how can it be distinguished seeing nothing hath no accidents If something then either some finite or infinite thing if finite then there will be something finite in God and consequently since by the confession of the Adversaries themselves every thing in God is God God will be finite which the Adversaries themselves will confess to be absurd If infinite then there will be two infinites in God to wit the Person and the Essence of God and consequently two Gods which is more absurd then the former Thirdly to talk of God taken onely essentially is ridiculous not onely because there is no example thereof in Scripture but because God is the name of a Person and signifieth him that ruleth over others and when it is put for the most High God it denoteth him who with soveraign and absolute authority ruleth over all but none but a Person can rule over others all actions being proper to persons wherefore to take God otherwise then personally is to take him otherwise then he is and indeed to mistake him Thus much for the Major The Minor which is That whole Christ is distinct from God is now to be prov'd The Scripture being full and frequent in the demonstration of this I shall speak but a few words to it First Christ himself doth confess it John 8.42 Jesus said unto them to wit the Jews if God were your Father yee would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me In this Text we may note these few things 1. That God is a Person and that Father is his name If God were your Father ye would love me c. 2. That Christ doth plainly distinguish himself from God If God were your Father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God c. Yea he affirms that of himself which denies him to be God to wit change of place I proceeded saith he and came forth from God And subjection to God I came not of my self but he that is God sent me Christ also distinguisheth himself from God Lu. 18.18 19. And a certain ruler asked him saying Good Master what shall I doe to inherit eternall life Jesus answered and said Why callest thou me good none is good save one that is GOD. Here Christ affirmeth that there is but one God to wit by way of eminency and excludes himself from being this one God Why callest thou me Good there is but one good even God Were Jesus Christ the most High GOD and were this a fundamentall as you assert it is imaginable that Jesus Christ who came not to condemn but to save the world should never say it and should in this place so much cloud it Secondly now let us hear some testimonies that the Apostles who were to speak nothing but what their Lord and Master Jesus Christ did command them have given to the thing in hand Let Paul as Peter was wont to doe speak for the rest In 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. He tels us That there are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of administrations but the same Lord and there are diver sity of operations but 't is the same God which worketh all in all Here the Apostle doth distinguish the Spirit and the Lord from GOD and shews that those gifts which were distributed to men by the Spirit that they might be fitted for severall ministrations in the Kingdome of the Lord Christ did all of them proceed from God The same Apostle in the same Epistle Chap. 8.5 6. doth as one designing the thing distinguish the Lord Jesus from God For though there be saith he that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth as there be Gods many and Lords many but unte us there is one GOD even the Father of whom are all things and we unto him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Here we have the Apostles and Primitive Christians Creed They beleeve that there is but one GOD in way of eminency to wit the Father of whom as the first cause are all things and unto whom as the ultimate end Saints are and so all things and that there is but one Lord in way of eminency amongst all made Lords even Iesus by whom as the great instrument of God are all things and we by him See Ephes 4.4 5 6. where a plain distinction is made betwixt the Spirit the Lord and GOD But enough of this Obj. But Christ doth say that he is one with the Father John 10.30 Sol. 'T is true Christ doth say that he and the Father are one But one what one Person that none will assert But are they one God one Essence Yea that 's the thing which many will subscribe to as Christs meaning here But did Christ intend to signifie that Doubtless no which appears not only from the absurdity of the thing but also evidently from Christs vindication of himself from the accusation of the Pharisees who misconstruing of this did mis-inferre from this saying of his I and my Father are one In this vindication we may observe First that Christ denies the Premise of their conclusion They concluded that he spake blasphemy and therefore went about to stone him because as they understood he made himself God to wit the most High God and so made more Gods then one Verse 33. This Christ denies affirming that his saying did amount to no more then this The sonne of God verse 36. that is Gods representative Secondly Christ asserts the lawfulness of his saying by an argument drawn à minori ad majus from the less to the greater If they to whom the Word of GOD came to wit the Judges of the great Synedrion who received a commandement from God to judge the people of Israel were without blasphemy called Gods then he whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world to have dominion over all mankinde may without blasphemy be called God or the Son of God But they to whom the word of God came were called Gods This Christ proves from Psalm 82.6 Jesus answered and said Is it not written in your Law I said ye are Gods verse 34. Therefore he that the Father hath sanctified and