Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	church_n	opinion_n	unity_n	457	5	9.4677	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05770	A toile for tvvo-legged foxes Wherein their noisome properties; their hunting and vnkenelling, with the duties of the principall hunters and guardians of the spirituall vineyard is liuelie discouered, for the comfort of all her Highnes trustie and true-hearted subiects, and their encouragement against all popish practises. By I. B. preacher of the word of God.	Baxter, J.	1600 (1600)	STC 1596; ESTC S112228	88,347	250

to proue it from the scriptures for antiquitie so cannot they their transubstantiation purgatory inuocation of Saints prayer for the dead or any such pelting trash But as for their Masse it is like a beggars cloake made of a thousand patches The Masse like a beggars cloake one patch being fiue-hundred an other foure-hundred an other three-hundred yeare old The vine which the Lord transported out of Egypt hath been a long time in the hand not of vineyarders but destroyers from whom it now being taken restored and husbanded by the seruants of the eternall the enemies cry out with full mouth that all is new which is against their corruption We here then doe protest that in the times of our fathers there was a Church that is to say a number of the children of God as it were secret and shut vp as may be proued by writings from age to age that there were some who opposed themselues against those superstitions and idolatries which by little and little gat the vpper hand in the West Babilon called three hundred yeares agoe by one of their owne Poets a temple of heresie in the which the Lord for this suffered not that baptisme should be vtterly taken away and abolished We protest further that in our time in which it hath pleased God to display the banner of his truth there doth sti● remaine some of the elect buried as 〈◊〉 were in the middest of this Babilon who in respect of the eternall counse● of God appertaine at this present vnt● the true Church but by little and litt●● as it pleaseth God to draw them out 〈◊〉 this gulfe are actually made membe● of the same Lastly we protest that tho●● great personages which the Lord of h●● goodnes of latter yeares hath raised vp haue not built vs a new Church as the falsely call it but haue gathered together the poore sheepe who were scattered amongst the Wolues Vnitie falsely pretended a marke of th● Romish Church The Lord Iesus speaking of himselfe sayeth that he came not to sen● peace vpon the earth Math. 10.34 but rather diuision which diuision is the foyling o● Sathan the breach of his peace and th● ouerthrow of his kingdome 1. Cor. 11.16 Saint Pa●● saith that heresies must be but yet f●● the benefit of the beleeuers The d●sciples followed Christ but yet the people euen then were diuided into Pharisies Sadduces Herodians Essenians Nazarites and Samaritans Therefore if the aduersaries meane to finde out a Church where there should be no diuision nor diuersitie of opinion let them say where it is If they say it is theirs it is a lowd lie what vnitie is that when the black-fryers are against the grayfryers and the crouchet against them both and all for their browes what vnitie is it when Canus is against Caietan and Bellarmine against them both what vnitie is it Non tànta nobiscum quam secum est contentio when some amongst them for their sects are called Thomists and othersome Scotists c. Truth it is the catholiks would faine haue vnitie amongst themselues and therefore they Dealings of papists to maintaine their vnitie if there be any thing that condemnes any poynt of their Popish opinion in the bookes of their writers they blot it quite out as their dealing is to bee seene in the writings of Ferus one of their honestest To be short betwixt the iarres of the Romaine catholikes and ours this is a difference worthie your diligent obseruation that ours are pettie iarres in matters of discipline all of vs houlding the foundation which is Christ crucified Theirs are capitall concerning saluation it selfe like vnto Herods and Pilats wherein both were against Christ or like vnto those of the Stoickes and Epicures wherein both were against Paul Apostolicall traditions made a masking weede for popish vnwritten verities The aduersaries to gaine some credit for their owne speculations ring out as lowd as they can this word of Apostolicall traditions whereo● they produce diuers examples scattered here and there throughout Sain● Paules epistles as of the vaile of women of the order of speaking the word of God in the assemblie of collections gatherings for the poore and almes To giue directiō for this point it is on● thing to make lawes to tie mens consciences to as to say this you must beleeue and not beleeue do and not do vpon paine of condemnation and an other thing to haue respect vnto ●hat which is requisite for vse and pra●tise as well of the doctrine as of the dis●ipline which God the onely lawgiuer ●ath ordained requisite I say accor●ing to time place and persons which ●eing subiect to varietie yea to con●rarietie somtimes the Lord of the new ●ouenant if I may say so could make ●o certaine nor perpetuall ordinances ●eeing this pollicie is accidental and not ●f the substance either of doctrine or gouernment of the Church Wherefore ●t pleased him in respect of this to giue generall commandement that what●oeuer he ordained should be executed ●rderly Contrariwise the Scribes and ●harisies not contented to sit in Moses ●haire that is to deliuer the doctrine ●nd discipline taught by the ministerie ●f Moses would needs make lawes for ●he consciences of men and so adde ●omething of their owne vnto the ser●ice of God whereupon the Lord had ●ather scandalize and offend them then ●ubiect his disciples vnto them shew●ng that he accounted not the vsage of ●uch traditions indifferent but called them the abolishing of the diuine ordinances and a leauen to be taken heed of I speake concerning the new couenant because vnder the old the Church being enclosed within the limits of one people of one countrie of one holy place the Lord not only set downe the doctrine of the seruice and gouernement of the Church as touching the substance but particularized the ordinances according to persons times and places inuiolately to be obserued without adding to or clipping from le● this suffice concerning the soueraignti● of him who hath written in his thighes the King of Kings and Lord of Lords All which if it be true as it cannot b● denied then those Apostolicall traditions and goodly vnwritten verities which the new vpstart Moter Mouns●● Allablaster or any other birds of his fether shal whisper into the eares of the●● followers are but so many sacrilegiou● degradations from the royall or prophetical state of our Sauiour Christ an● a tyrannicall vsurpation ouer the port●on and heritage of the Lord seruing th● head of the Church as Sampsons companions serued him against the expresse commission deliuered vnto the Apostles against the expresse example of Saint Paul and therefore their new ordinances vnwritten verities Apostolicall traditions in lieu of being obeyed are to be held accursed and had in execration by the ordinances of God Deut. 18.20 Galath 18. though they should be taught by the Angels of heauen themselues Deut. 18.20 Gal. 1.8 Hitherto for the preseruing of the vnlearned sort from the

the fishermans eies marres his aime and escapeth the daunger Which sithens it is so the greater the care ought to be that there be such godly wisedome and cunning in hunting them such toiles such nets as are fit for such seruice that there be such ministers as are able to handle the sword of gods word with both hāds that is to say be able to confirme the established Great need of good Foxe-hunters to reclaime the back-sliders to confute the aduersarie and if the will of God be to transforme the Foxes into sheepe such magistrates as haue a zeale to fence and hedge in the vineyard of the Lord of hostes from the subtill inuasions and vnderminings of these noysome vermine such toyles as are able to hold both the great and little Foxes For where blinde guides are placed in the watch towre and the basest liues are in the highest roomes there Foxes indaunger the flocke and many times finde more fauour then stands with the preseruation of the sheepe or safe continuing state of the best affected subiectes Pursiuants Parators In this place fit occasion is offered to speake neither may I passe it ouer with silence of a couple of terriers appointed for the hunting and vnkenelling of these Foxes whose true and hot hunting of them as it is rightly to be commended where it is to be found so the contrary doth breed great corruption in the Church and is much to be lamēted For the better redressing of these deformities which are too manifest bringing of these terriers into good hūting it would be carefullie respected of them that haue power to reforme it that they buy not their places for this is an approued truth that they will sell deare in the retaile which they bought in the grosse that is will sucke profit out of the vilest things cut mens garments off by the skirts for desire of gain hereby haue rushed horrible incōueniences both into church cōmonwealth Againe the Foxe hath many wiles wherby to make these Foxe-hounds at a fault or to hunt counter especially he hath a mixture made of cogworth broad way Vox populi penimate together with a few ratle flowers called goold maries or mary-goolds which being steeped in a little diuels milke cast into their eies makes them starke blind stops their sents hence it commeth to passe that popery beareth such swindge because papists can pay wel that adultery fornication scape without punishment because wantons haue money I say no more let this be a watch-word to them whom it especially concerneth CHAPTER 8. The principall reasons why God suffereth home-bred enemies to be in the bosome of his Church fit to be considered of such as are not throughly perswaded in this point IF the Christian Church be impugned by open enemies as Iewes Turkes Tartarians and such as haue opēly renounced the person of the great sonne of God and are cut off as rotten members men not greatly regard it But when such as are bred and nourished in the bosome of the Church seeke to vndermine and supplant it those household conflicts home-bred battailes are they which trouble many in these daies Household conflictes trouble many weake Christians O say they here is so much arguing and disputing such diuisions and diuersities of opinions that a man knowes not which way to turne himselfe To helpe such as without any good cause are thus put to a gaze They must first vnderstand that it is the will of God that his Church shall not be free from these inward offences and secondarily know the principall reasons why he will haue it so Although our God as he is the God of order and not of confusion commendeth and deliuereth vnto vs his discipline yet notwithstanding he suffereth the hypocrites for a time to haue their being amongst the faithfull vntill the full restoring and reforming of his kingdome in the last day The Church shall not be free from offences Math. 13. Which thing is taught by that of our Lord Iesus Christ where he resembleth the kingdome of heauen to a net cast into the sea and gathering all kind of fishes c. to a field wherin whilest the good husbandman soweth his wheat the enuious came and scattered his teares The Apostles also haue foretold the same that the Church of God shall be pestered with pestilent enemies and that they shall come with an efficacy of errour This know saith saint Paul that in the latter daies some shall depart from the faith 1. Tim. 4.1.2.3 and shall giue heed vnto spirits of error and doctrines of deuils which speake lies through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned off with a hot yron c. But there were false prophets saith Saint Peter 2. Pet. 2.1.2.3 also among the people euen as there shall bee false teachers among you Which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them and bring vpon themselues swift damnation The mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles time 1. Iohn 4.1.2 Thus the misterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles times as appeareth in Col. 2. Galath 1. Therefore Saint Iohn exhorteth not to beleeue euerie spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world And why should this trouble you so much Doe you not see that the cockle the corn growe both in one field the lillie and the thorne both on one ground the blossome and the blast both on one tree the flowre and the weed both in one garden the sheepe and the goates doe feed both in one pasture know you not that in one arke were beasts cleane and vncleane and that the Apostle saith that in one house be vessels of honour and vessels of dishonour then wonder not to see the good and the bad mingled together but consider the reasons giue God the glorie and take heed to thy faith There be two principall reasons why the Lord suffereth these houshold enemies to be in the midst of his vineyard the first is for the probation and trial of his seruants whether they be vnfainedly coupled vnto him in the spirituall bond of faith and of loue Deut. 13. If there arise amongst you saith Moses a Prophet or c. Thou shalt not harkē vnto the words of that Prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreams For the Lord your God proueth you to know whether you loue the Lord your God with al your heart with all your soule And indeed it is necassarie that we be kept in continual exercise of faith and praier of patience and constancie and therefore is it said that the Lord would not cast out before his people of Israel any of the natiōs which Iosua left when he died that through them he might proue Israell whether they would keepe his waies to walke therein or no And to this effect Saint Paul