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	miracle_n	teacher_n	556	5	9.5967	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17086	A treatise, how by the Worde of God, Christian mens almose ought to be distributed; De regno Christi. Selections. English	Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551.	1557 (1557)	STC 3965; ESTC S116198	11,983	30

and taught good Artes that euerie one accordyng to his portion may bryng forth somwhat to profet the comen welthe and to declare hymself to others a true and profetable membre off Christ An addition Ther be that denye not the office off the Deaconrie in the Churche of Christ to be ordeyned by God but saye suche office is not of necessitie For ther be som Congregations where al men be welthie and ther is no Pouertie and so no neade of the Deaconrie That it pleaseth theim so genttely to graunt thoffice of the Deaconrie to be the ordenaunce of God they deserue no thākes For if they shulde denye it they muste other confesse Seynt Paule erreth or seynt Paule wolde saye they erre For besydes he teacheth what men ought to be called to be Deacōs in the Churche of Christ he saieth playnelye that God ordeyned and constituted in his Churche first Apostels secōdarilie Prophetes thirdlie Teachers then those that do myracles after that those that haue the giftes of healing helpers gouernours and diuersitie of tongues Vnder wich name of Helpers as a general word for al men that may do good in the Churche of Christ thoffice of the Deacons according as the interpretours on that place agreablye do testifie as it is in the Actes mencioned is conteyned Now where they saie ther may be a Churche without poore and so no neade of Deacons so may it be said ther may be a Congregation wherin all may bee lerned in Goddes worde and therfore no neade of preachers and teachers But what a fonde kynde of argument is it to reason of thinges that maye be as though they were to alledge thinges that be onelie in Vtopia as if they wer commen in euerie Contrey to magnifie their owne uncerteyn Sophistrie and to neglect the certeyn doctrine of God who forseyng all thinges aswel to come as present saied ye shall haue alweis poore emong you and therfore ordeyned this mynysterie in his Churche of necessitie not for a tyme but for euer to contynue to haue the ouersight and care off the poore because ther shal be poore for euer And albeit God in som particular congregation dothe so bestowe his benefites as many be ritche and fewe poore yet wil he not that they shal haue their respecte onelie to the poore in the same Congregation but also to such as be in other Congregations as appeareth by those of Macedonia Achaia and Corinthus Who accordyng to the doctrine off seynt Paule and their duetie sent their charitie to Hierusalem for the relief of the sayntes and poore Brethern there Some ayen saie why may not euery man appoint his owne Al mener or Chamberer to distribute his Almose so the poore be prouided for it forceth not how or by whom it be don Albeit this obiection be before sufficientlie confounded by Master D. Bucer yet it may be added that such obiections procede off affection and pryuat gaigne which maye doo moche with worldlie men and not of a zeale to aduaunce Goddes glorie For Christian men that seeke to serue god their lorde and Master and not their owne commoditie and affections when thei knowe his will pleasure and ordenaunce serche no further but as good subiectes and seruauntes by all meanes labour to do and fulfil the same They dispute not why God hathe ordeyned or commaunded this or that nor thynke this myght be other wise don then God hathe deuysed or that he hathe don is not off necessitie They knowe his wil and pleasure declared by his worde is an unchaungeable lawe wherunto nothyng maye be added or dymynysshed but ought to be obeied off all his seruauntes that he hathe made nothyng in uayne but as he is the uery wisedom it self and forseeth what is best for his so hathe he most wiselie and most necessarilie ordeyned this mynysterie off the Deaconrie in his Churche Yea they be most certeyn that as ther be in mans bodie diuers mēbers not all of one sorte but som more profetable then some and yet al requysite and necessarie to make a parfet bodie so in the Churche of Christ ther be dyuers membres mynysteries and uocations preachours teachours elders deacons c. Who albeit they be not off like Authorite and degree yet be they all requysite and necessarie to the edifiyng off a godlie and parfet Churche off Christe Neither will any of Christes seruauntes thrust hymself not beyng lefully called into any mynysterie or seake to come into it by the wyndowe as Theues and murderers do but wil tary til he may enter by the doore til he be ordinarilie called by the Churche off Christ as Stephen and the rest off the Deacons in the prymytiue Churche were For all good men wil feare lest when thei either do any thing contrarie to Goddes ordenaunce or medle with that wherunto they be not ordynarilie called the plage off God will fal on them as it dyd uppō the like by iuste iudgement in tyme past Nadah and Abiu the children of Aaron toke thier Censers put a straunge fier therin and offred to God but because thei dyd it cōtrarie to the ordinaunce of god the fier cam from the lorde and destroid them Vsa because he set his hande to staie up tharke of the lorde that it should not fal albeit the deede symplie considered was good yet because he medled with that office wherunto he was not ordynarilie called and appoynted God plaged him with death Kynge Ozias because he wolde be busie in other mens uocation offryng incense to the Lordes which perteined to the ministerie of the Children off Aaron and not to his was stroken with the Leprie The wiseman saith in the prouerbes Ther is a waie that seameth to a man iust and right but th ende bryngeth to deathe When men leaue the waies of God and occupie their busie braynes about thinges besides or cōtrarie to Goddes worde they fal at length clene from God and become Godlesse Therfore Men ought to take heade and to leaue their uncerteyn phantasies and cleaue unto the certeyn worde of God wherūto whosoeuer leaneth can not stumble whosoeuer foloweth it cannot erre and he that walketh therin shal at length come to the eternal Kingdō which is prepared for all such as loue and folowe God Remembre the poore and God wil remēber you Forget the poore and God will not forget you