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
A91721	The Racovian catechisme vvherein you have the substance of the confession of those churches, which in the kingdom of Poland, and great dukedome of Lithuania, and other provinces appertaining to that kingdom, do affirm, that no other save the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is that one God of Israel, and that the man Jesus of Nazareth, who was born of the Virgin, and no other besides, or before him, is the onely begotten Sonne of God.; Racovian catechism. English. 1652.	Smalcius, Valentin, 1572-1622.; Socinus, Faustus, 1539-1604.	1652 (1652)	Wing R121; Thomason E1320_1; ESTC R200387	94,429	183

one we must needs be distracted in mind not knowing who hath prescribed that way to us And therefore the Scripture frequently admonisheth us of this thing as you may see in Moses Deut. 6. 4. which passage is cited by Christ himself Mark 12. 29. Hearken Israel thy Lord the God is one Lord. And again in Moses Deut. 32. 39. See that I alone am He and there is no God besides me Esay 44. 6. 8. Esay 45. 5. 14. 21. Esay 46. 9. 1 Cor. 8. 4 5 6. Gal. 3. 20. Eph. 4. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Q. How the third A. Unlesse we believe God to be eternall how can we hope for eternall life from him and so attain the end to which this way doth lead Q. How the fourth A. To believe that God is perfectly just is necessary unto Salvation first that we may perswade our selves that God will make good his Promises to us though we be unworthy Next that we may acknowledge all those trialls to be just which being entred into this way we must of necessity undergo in that they are permitted by God Q. How the fifth A. This is therefore necessary to be known to the end we might not doubt that even our very heart then which nothing is harder to be searched out and from which the chiefest estimate of our obedience is taken lieth alwaies open unto God Q. How the sixth A. Because we could not expect eternall life from the hands of God as the prime Author were we not perswaded that his power is circumscribed with no bounds and limits Againe who would endure so many adversities as are incident to all those that make profession of the Christian Religion were not this perswasion deeply fastned in his heart that all things are in the hands of God and afflictions happen not without his will neither is any thing either in heaven or on earth able to hinder his divine power from accomplishing what he hath promised and we expect from him Q. You have unfolded what things are necessary to be known touching the Essence of God and therefore I pray you now discover what things are very conducible thereunto A. It is very conducible hereunto to know that in the essence of God there is but one Person Q. Demonstrate this I pray you A. Inasmuch as the Essence of God is but one in number there cannot be so many persons therein since a person is nothing but an individuall intelligent Essence Q. Who is this one divine Person A. That one God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Q. How prove you that A. By the most evident testimonies of the Scripture thus Christ himself Iohn 17. 3. saith This is life eternall that they may know thee Father the onely true God And the Apostle Paul 1 Corinth 8. 6. saith To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all the things we for him And Ephes 4. 6. There is one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in you all Q. But Christians commonly hold that not onely the Father but also the Son and the Holy Spirit are persons in one and the same Deitie A. I know it well but they are grievously mistaken producing arguments for it out of the Scriptures ill understood Q. What are their arguments wherewith they endeavour to prove their opinion A. The chief are these First they say that the Scripture calleth not only the Father but also the Son and the Holy Spirit God And forasmuch as the same Scripture affirmeth that there is but one God hence they gather that these Three are that one God Q. How must this Argument be solved A. I will first make answer concerning the Son and then concerning the Holy Spirit Q. What answer will you make concerning the Son A. The word GOD is two wayes chiefly used in the Scripture The first is when it denoteth him who both in the heavens and on the earth doth so rule and exercise dominion over all that he acknowledgeth no superior and is so the Author and Principall of all things as that he dependeth on none The other is when it designeth him who hath some sublime dominion from that one God and so is in some sort partaker of his Deïty Hence is it that the Scripture calleth that one God the God of Gods or most high God Psal 50. 1. Heb. 7. 1. And in the latter signification the Son of God is in certain places of the Scripture dignified with the title of a God Q. How prove you that the Son of God is in this latter signification dignified with the title of a God A. From the very words of the Son himself John 10. 35. If he call them Gods to whom the Word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God By this speech Christ doth clearly intimate both that the word GOD is somtime attributed unto them in the Scripture who are far inferiour to that one God as also that he called himself the Son of God and consequently a God for no greater reason then because he had been sanctified by the Father and sent into the world Q. But what answer give you concerning the Holy Spirit A. The Holy Spirit is no where in the Scripture expresly called God and though in some places the things of God are attributed to him yet doth it not thereupon follow that he is either God or a person of the Deity since this happeneth for another cause as you shall hear in in its place Q. VVhat is the second argument wherewith they go about to prove the three Persons in one Deity A. It is taken from those places wherein mention is made of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Q. VVhich are those places A. The first is that where Jesus commandeth his Aposties to make all Nations Disciples baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Mat. 28. 19. The second is that where the Apostle writeth in this manner There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit And diversities of Ministeries but the same Lord. And diversities of Operations but the same God that operateth all the things in all 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6. And afterwards in the eleventh verse of the same chapter he saith But all these things operateth one and the same Spirit distributing to every one as he will The third is in John 1 Epist 5. 7. There are three that hear witnesse in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit and these three are one Q. What are we to think of these Quotations A. In generall I answer that these Quotations onely shew that there is a Father Sonne and Holy Spirit which we not only acknowledge but constantly assert so that we pronounce him to be no Christian who is either ignorant thereof or doth not