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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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22507	A commentarie vpon the fourth booke of Moses, called Numbers Containing, the foundation of the church and common-wealth of the Israelites, while they walked and wandered in the vvildernesse. Laying before vs the vnchangeable loue of God promised and exhibited to this people ... Heerein also the reader shall finde more then fiue hundred theologicall questions, decided and determined by William Attersoll, minister of the word.	Attersoll, William, d. 1640.; Attersoll, William, d. 1640. Pathway to Canaan.; Attersoll, William, d. 1640. Continuation of the exposition of the booke of Numbers.	1618 (1618)	STC 893; ESTC S106852	2,762,938	1,336

seruice in detecting and disclosing the conspiracie intended against him Hamans wife and his wise-men sayde vnto him Ester chap. 6. verse 13. If Mordecai bee of the seede of the Iewes before whom thou hast begunne to fal thou shalt not preuaile against him but shall surely fall before him And heereunto also come the words of the Moabites Midianites to Balaam Numb 22. verses 5 6. Behold there is a people come out of Egypt which couer the face of the earth they are stronger then we So that they ioyned together because they feared the multitudes of Israel lest they should lose their Dominions and their ancient glory through their conquest Reason 2 Againe they hate the people of God and their Religion Although the Church bee weake and want humane strength so that the enemies neede not feare it yet still they plot and bring forth new deuices the children of Belial are alwayes packing and contriuing mischiefe against the Church For as true faith and loue of religion vniteth hearts together that wee may with one mouth glorify God the Father so contrarywise where hatred of the true Religion reigneth there can be no loue to the Professors thereof No maruell therefore if such ioyne in league against Gods people As wee see when the Rulers and Gouernours could not finde any fault in Daniel in regard of his faithfulnesse concerning the kingdome enuying his honour and promotion They picked a quarrell against him in matters of the pure worship of the true God So then whether we consider that the wicked feare theyr owne fall and hate the faithfull with a deadly hatred in both respects we may conclude this as a most certain trueth that notwithstanding the bandings and brawlings of the wicked and vngodly among themselues yet they can consent and consort themselues together to impugne and slander the Church of God and the doctrine of Christ Vse 1 The Vses now remaining to be handled are these First this teacheth that seeing sundry sects dissenting and varying greatly one from another do many times ioyne together in one vnity is not alwayes a note of the Church except it be conioyned with veritie For as dissention is sometimes in the church so agreement is oftentimes out of the Church among the enemies of Christ There was an vnity betweene the Moabites and the Midianites betweene the builders of Babel betweene the Priests of Baal between the Scribes and Pharisies betweene the Rulers and the people There is an vnity betweene theeues conspirators murtherers and malefactours there is an vnity betweene the Turkes against the Christians betweene Antichrist and his adherents betweene sathan and his members yea betweene the diuels themselues al vsing the same meanes all ayming at one end all conspiring consenting against the kingdome of Christ Howbeit the agreement of euill men is not truly to be tearmed an vnity but rather rightly to be called a conspiracie Wherefore they are greatly deceiued that make all agreement and vnity an essential and vnseparable note of the Church What a● notes an● ma●ke 〈◊〉 Church If we would know what are the proper markes and euident notes of the Church agreeing to euerie Church alwayes and onely they are the powerfull preaching of sound doctrine the right administration of the holy Sacraments the spirituall worshippe of the true God and holynesse of life and conuersation Where these are not found it cannot bee that there should be the true Church This the Euangelist Saint Luke testifieth in the second of the Acts verses 41 42 46 47 They that gladly receyued the word were baptized and the same day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules and they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowshippe and breaking of bread and prayers So Christ calleth and accounteth those as his Brethren Mother and Sisters that heare his word and keepe it and those his Disciples that abide in his word and his Friends if they do whatsoeuer he commādeth them as Luke chap. 8. verse 21. and chap 11. verse 28. Iohn chap. 8. v●●se 31 and ch 15. ver 14. These are the notes that are peculiar and proper to the Church by these we shall finde the true Church and learne to ioyne our selues vnto it wh●n we haue found it and descry the false signes of the Romish Synagogue where neither the gospell is truely preached nor the Sacraments rightly administred nor the pure worship of God is spiritually instituted nor holynesse of life is sincerely practised As for vnity vniuersality antiquity succession of Byshoppes multitude of beleeuers the title of Catholicke the working of myracles the glory of victories obedience to the Pope and such like Pelde 〈◊〉 lib. 4 ca● Hosius 〈◊〉 hum cap. which the aduersaries of the grace of GOD make notes of the Church which is an assembly of Antichrist they are not proper onely nor alwayes nor vnto all Churches for this is indeede to be proper Purpyr 〈◊〉 cap de 〈◊〉 as all know that haue tasted the first rudiments of Logicke Besides these supposed signes are subiect vnto the outward senses are open and visible vnto the eyes not matters of fayth which are to bee beleeued They are as obscure darke and hard to bee knowne as to know which is the the Church they may bee claymed and challenged by euery hereticall congregation Wherefore as Hilary in one place teacheth The name of peace is beautifull Hilar c●● Auxent the opinion of vnity is f●ire Notwithstanding far better is a diue●s●ty in iudgement then an vnity in falshood The Apostle Paul commending concord and consent to the Church addeth that all our vnity must bee in Christ Ro. 15 5.6 The God of patience and consolation giue you that ye be like-minded one toward another according to Iesus Christ that yee with one minde and one mouth may praise God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Let vs therefore seeke for vnity in verity and honor it as the greatest comfort of our hearts otherwise a iust warre is farre better then an vniust and an vnhonest peace The true and Christian vnity is when the sheepe of Christ heare the voice of the sheepheard and follow him and that our Sheepheard is Iesus Christ by whom alone wee enter into the sheepefold Vse 2 Secondly seeing diuers men at great variance within themselues yet are content to ioyne together in wicked amity and vnity against the Church of Christ wee must confesse that the saluation and safe keeping of the Church is onely of God If men of all lewd deuices of different opinions men at mortall hatred and deadly warre amongst themselues cloase together and plot against the Church how shall they bee able to stand of themselues being few in number weake in strength destitute of friends and lying open to so many and mighty enemies For the Church albeit it be the house of God the mother of the faithfull the body of Christ and the pillar of the trueth yet it is

Tabernacle of the Congregation shall be the Tabernacle and the tent the couering thereof and the hanging for the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation 26 And the hangings of the Court and the Curtaine for the doore of the Court which is by the Tabernacle and by the altar round about and the cordes of it for all the seruice thereof We haue seene already the numbring vp of the sons of Leui in generall and then in particular such as come immediately of his sonnes whose posterity are farther set forth vnto vs in this diuision and afterward according to the three chiefe and principall families Of all obserue in generall thus much touching the order that there are fiue points set downe by Moses First the families are numbred that came of them Secondly the particular number of the persons is described Thirdly their place of abode is limited and appointed Fourthly the chiefe ouerseer or superintendent of the house is named Fiftly their office and charge is assigned to euery one as it were a field in which they ought to labour and as a garden in which they ought to plant The trueth of these things shall farther be opened vnto vs in each of them in the families of the Gershonites and in the families of the Kohathites and in the families of the Merarites Touching the Gershonites they are described vnto vs in these words from the 21. verse to the 27. The families descended of Gershon are two the Libnites and the Shimeites in the 21. The persons amount in the whole to seuen thousand and fiue hundred in the 22. their mansion was behinde the Tabernacle Westward in the 23. the chiefe captaine of them was Eliasaph the sonne of Lael in the 24. Lastly their order and office was to carry the couering and the hangings of the Tabernacle in the 25. verse Thus we see that things were not shuffled and confounded together but euery one of them knew their station All things were not confusedly committed to all but euery one had his peculiar office and charge which was as it were the vineyard that they were to dresse We learne from hence ●octrine 1. ●ery one the Church ●th his pro●r and pecu●r office that euery one in the Church both Minister and People haue their proper and peculiar charge different frō other The Lord did by precept distinguish not only betweene the calling of the Leuites and the people but between Leuite Leuite For the Leuites were either called Priests or by the common name of Leuites which were not Priests The Priests were either the high Priest as Aaron the father and Eleazar his sonne after him c. or such as were vnder him ouer the rest as Eliasaph the ouerseer of the Gershonites or Elizaphan the ouerseer of the Kohathites or Zuriel of the Merarites Their office was publikely to teach to pray to offer sacrifice and to keep the vessels of the Sanctuary The office of the other Leuites was to minister and serue the Priests in all things belonging to the discharge of their necessary duties Thus God alotted to euery one his seuerall office to bee as his standing place in the army out of which he should not step forth one foote either to the right hand or to the left This appeareth most notably in the first booke of the Chronicles where Dauid setteth a particular order among the families of this tribe ● Chro. 24 1. ●nd 25.1 and ●6 1 and sorteth out to euery one his speciall charge both for the Priests Leuites who should be singers who should be porters who should haue the charge of the treasures and who should be appointed officers and Iudges This appeareth more plainely in the new Testament as 1 Cor. 12.28.29 God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers after that miracles then giftes of healings helpes in gouernment diuersities of tongues Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all teachers c. All haue not one office all haue not one gift but as he noteth in the beginning of that chapter there are diuersities of gifts diuersities of administrations diuersities of operations and afterward Vers 8 9 10. To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit and to another the working of miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of spirits c. This he sheweth also expresly in the Epistle to the Romanes chap. 12.6 Seeing we haue gifts that are diuers according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether we haue Prophesie let vs Prophesie c. or Ministry let vs wait on our Ministring c. 1 Pet. 4 14. The Apostle Peter hath a generall sentence tending to this purpose As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Lastly we reade in the Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 4.7.11 Vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ who gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists some Pastors and Teachers Thus God hath appointed that euery one should haue his proper function and office For as it is in the naturall body so is it in Reason 1 the mysticall body of Christ which is the Church But in our naturall body euery part hath his office and knoweth his place and dischargeth his duty without intermedling and incroaching vpon the right of another So should it be among the faithful we haue diuers and distinct giftes for the good of the Church This is the reason of comparison vsed by the Apostle in sundry places as Rom. 12.4 5. As we haue many members in one body and all members haue not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and euery one members one of another Where he teacheth that as we haue in our naturall body many members so we haue in one Church many members as all members in the natural body haue not one office so all the members of the Church haue not one office as the many members in the naturall body haue one head wherin they are so many members in the mysticall body haue one wherein they are and last of all as in the naturall body euery member is anothers so in the Church euery member is not his owne onely but anothers and is set in the body for the benefite of the whole The same similitude to the same purpose is vsed in the former Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 12.12.14 As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ c. for the body is not one member but many For if they were all one member where were the body but now there are many members yet but one body therefore also there must bee many members in the body of the Church Againe such as

the duty the profite more then the labour Some are cruell and sauage wolues not sparing to deuoure the flocke by open violence Some are cunning and crafty Foxes vndermining the faith of the faithfull Many vnstable people that are euer learning and neuer attaining to the knowledge of the truth are greatly offended because of the vanity and variety that is in mens opinions and heereupon they cry out they know not what way to take they know not what doctrine to receiue they do not know in such diuersities what to beleeue This scandall is hereby remoued and this obiection answered For seeing we learne that the end of wolues and seducers is to be occupied about Gods people to ruine them it followeth that the Church of Christ vpon earth shall alwayes haue some of these wolues and false Teachers carrying a shew of lawfull Pastors but indeed are rauening wolues Wolues shall alwayes be in the Church of one sort or other such as teach false doctrine or persecute Gods seruants or louing the hyre more then the sweate or heate of the day and the wages better then the worke and the gaines rather then the paines and labour Christ our Sauiour whē the Pharisies had spoken against him Iohn 7 47. and 8 13. and 9 16 24 and sought both by perswasion and excommunication to leade away the people to make the faithfull wise against their practises declareth his office and person in a Parable Iohn 10 14 30. wherein he compareth Gods chosen to sheepe and himselfe to a Shepheard by this occasion he aduertiseth them of three sorts of Teachers which meddle with the flocke of God the first is a Shepheard the second an hyreling the third a theefe and a robber Christ also testifieth that there shall bee false Christs and false Prophets in the Church that shall deceiue if it were possible the elect of God Math. 24 24. So then we are not to wonder at it as at a strange thing when we see diuersity of iudgements and contrariety of opinions nor by by to say A notable subtilty of the diuell to seduce men Alasse what shall we doe that are simple There are great Doctors of one side and as great Doctors of the other side I will neuer be setled in religion till all be agreed This is a notable illusion of the diuell and a subtle delusion whereby vnder a great shew of wisedom he draweth many to destruction For these men thinke they speake discreetly and wisely and yet they speak most ignorantly and foolishly For wilt thou not resolue of thy religion vntill there be a generall agreement and a full accord of all parts Then thou wilt neuer be setled nor resolued thou wilt neuer bee of any religion inasmuch as thou shalt neuer see that perfect concord which thou supposest surmisest Where the good husbandmā soweth his good seed the enuious will sowe his darnell Math. 13 25. Hence it commeth to passe that in the Church there haue alwayes beene Teachers against Teachers Prophets against Prophets Apostles against Apostles Preachers against Preachers For as God raysed vp his Prophets so hath the diuell his false Prophets as Christ chose his Apostles so the diuell called his false Apostles as God hath his Church so the diuell hath his chappell and as God hath two or three gathered together in his Name the diuell will haue twenty gathered together in his name When God sent Moses and Aaron to worke myracles in the sight of Pharaoh to warrant his calling and to bring his people out of the Land of Egypt the diuell had his two ministers Iannes and Iambres that withstood Moses and Aaron deluding the Egyptians and hardening Pharaoh in his euill When Ieremy had in the Name of God denounced captiuity to be brought vpon the people and determined the time to be seuenty years the diuell prouoked Hananiah a false Prophet to speake in the presence of all the people that within two yeares the vesselles of the Lords house shall be restored the yoke of Nebucadnezzar broken such as were carried away be deliuered out of captiuity Ierem. 28 3 11. When Micaiah prophesied the ouerthrow of Ahab and the scattering of Israel vpon the Mountaines as sheep that had no Shepheard 2 Kings 22 17 22 the diuell bestirred himselfe went out as a false spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Heere we see Prophets teaching against Prophets and the seruants of God set against the seruants of the diuell This is it which the Apostle Peter witnesseth 2. Pet. 2 1 2. There were false Prophets 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 c. True it is it is a great tentation when wee behold such difference and opposition Moses and Aaron saw the enchanters counterfet the signes and myracles which they wrought by the finger of God yet did they not distrust their calling nor cry out against God A man would thinke Moses and the Magitians to be of equall power and authority and one to bee esteemed as much as the other Thus the vngodly shall alwayes finde something to delude them and to hold them in blindnes Such as will not beleeue the truth shall be fed with dreames and be deceiued with lyes 2 Thes 2 10. Notwithstanding as the rod of Moses deuoured the charmers rod so the truth shall ouercome errors and the light of the Sunne shall abolish the darknesse of the night This the Apostle Paul alledgeth to comfort Timothy and in his person encourageth all the seruants of GOD and Ministers of his word shewing That he will prouide that his truth shall not alwayes be oppressed though it be suppressed for a season yet in the end it shall preuaile 2 Tim. 3 3 8. God will make it to be receiued and entertained when Satan and his instruments shall be confounded Albeit Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses and resisted the truth yet their madnes was made manifest to all Thus then we haue two manner of comforts when we see the truth not receiued Two cōforts when we see the truth of God gainsaid but resisted not beleeued but contradicted First because the Lord vseth vs no otherwise then he hath vsed his Church at all times and in all ages Moses and the Prophets had continuall warre made against them CHRIST and his Apostles were gaine-sayed and withstood therefore let vs take it patiently at this day if we suffer and sustaine the like measure at the hands of wicked and vngodly men For we must not looke that our condition should bee better then of Moses and the Prophets or what reason haue we to expect a priuiledge or prerogatiue aboue them Secondly the end shall alwayes be good the yssue blessed though it greeue vs to fight and the truth sometimes seeme to be in danger yea to be vtterly abolished let vs waite Gods leysure and consider that howsoeuer