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	wisdom_n	word_n	799	5	4.9140	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49441	A treatise of the nature of a minister in all its offices to which is annexed an answer to Doctor Forbes concerning the necessity of bishops to ordain, which is an answer to a question, proposed in these late unhappy times, to the author, What is a minister?	Lucy, William, 1594-1677.	1670 (1670)	Wing L3455; ESTC R11702	218,889	312

thence draw Arguments in Questions of Religion but from the rest which he expounds not the Arguments will be but probable so here I may say Mr. Hookers Argument is weak because members have diverse offices in the natural body and St. Paul saith we are a body and one anothers members like the other so far but leaving out the rest and diverse Offices distinct might I not say that this doth not enforce it But let us go on I will not say so for although I think this Text doth not enforce it yet I think it true Doctrine That there are diverse Offices in the body of the Church like diverse members in the body Anselm H. Rabanus Maurus with others have paralelled them in their Comments on this Text. Let us now go on Although it be true Doctrine that as in the body many members have distinct offices and abilities to perform their dutyes which are not competible to other so it is in the Church there are diverse Member● which have distinct Offices and those Offices assisted with diverse Graces peculiar to them and not to others yet this Text goes not to discourse of the distinction of Officers but of the Manage of them It never parallels that and all Members have not the same Office but only that we are one body and one anothers Members SECT V. Diverse Gifts and Offices HAving then c. I will stand upon no Criticism here to talk of an Hebraism without necessity methinks the Text is full having then diverse Gifts mark diverse Gifts there are many Organical members which have besides their Offices Abilities and Gifts as beauty strength and the like which are powerfull Assistants ad benè operandum to do their Office more dexterously and commendably Now then as we find amongst us there are diverse Officers and diverse Gifts amongst these Officers Abilities of utterance of knowledge and the like so may in these men here spoken of but indeed the very Authority is a Gift of God to do these things of God and these Authorities or Gifts whatsoever are distinguished by the Grace of God that is given us not our own Merits but his Favour and Grace both gives the Gift and the Difference but since it is a Gift of a Member therefore it must be used to the good of the Members and not for our own private ends and here the Apostle doth not make that division of Gifts so contradistinct that they cannot come together but saith that whatsoever Gift any man ●ath of doing good as he must acknowledge it the Gift of God so he must use it to the good of his Neighbour whether Prophesy or Ministry that this is the sense appears out of that clause in the Similitude not parallel'd So we see it doth by this Instance made by the Apostle where is no opposition in the persons but only a difference in Gifts which may well be in the same Office without any inconsistency or reluctancy If any man will see this Discourse more fully let him read the same Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 4. There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit then go to verse 9 10. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom c. Let any man peruse them all and see whether they were Offices or Gifts and the same word is used for those Gifts there as here which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the 12. verse to make these places meet he deduceth the same Simile out of these premisses of these Gifts as in this Text he deduceth the Condition or Scope of the Gifts from that Simile so that then I conclude some of these Gifts being the same are used there the word the same that is used there and it is impossible to force those to Offices therefore it should be a violence to force these let us come to the particulars whether Prophesy c. Whether this be an Office or no is hard to determine I am sure it is mentioned amongst those were no Offices 1 Cor. 12. 10. But let us conceive what it is It is possible that it was the Gift of Prophesy to foretell the will of God concerning things to come of which there were diverse in the first Age of the Church or else by Prophesy may be meant preaching which expounds the will of God revealed in Scripture of both which I may justly affirm that of St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. 3. He that prophesyeth speaketh unto men to Edification and to Exhortation and Comfort SECT VI. A Conceit of some Commentators refuted NOw see here the Conceit of Beza Tolet the Jesuit I know not which had i● from the other Cornelius à Lapide with other late Writers upon this place of my Text in hand see how vain their Conceits are who make Prophesy here a Genus of Teaching and Exhortation because they would make them two sorts of Officers and Prophesy only a general name predicated of them when St. Paul makes Edification which is the same with Teaching and Exhortation to be Gifts or qualities of a Propher both belonging to the same Offices Concerning Prophesy Prophesy if you will is a Gift sometimes as well as an Office every Office is a Gift but not every Gift an Office but whether Prophesy be taken for a Gift or an Office it is not a Genus to the other two but the other are rather Integral parts or qualifications belonging to it and therefore I wonder at these men that they expound this Text to such an impossible Sense Hooker gives this reason because saith he if these Prophesie he means Ministry were several functions then there should be seven what if there were seventeen If there be so many what is that to the purpose this he speaks Chap. 1. of his second Book p. 10. Well but what saith the Apostle He saith not this is a distinct Office as the Eye in the body but drives at the main that we are one anothers members that this man must not think too highly but follow his businesse let him prophesy according to the proportion of Faith what that is I will not examine it is something for the good of others who are his fellow Members Concerning Ministry The second is Or Ministry let us wait on our Ministry Hath a man received the Gift of Ministry Here a man might have looked for a Deacon for the very word is put but because the word is not to his sense he lets that slip and takes his sense without his word And it is worth any mans marking that in his treating of the Office of a Deacon which begins Chap. 1. page 32. he first sets down the Acceptation of the Word and page 33. he explains the word strictly as it concerns our purpose but shews not one place where this word is used to his Sense and indeed he cannot he had shewed Phrases in the Scripture for the other but not for this but in this very place the Word is used according to his