Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	faith_n	peace_n	unity_n	538	5	10.6349	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40772	The faithfull pastor his sad lamentation over, heart-rending challenge and dreadfull thunders against, sharp reproof of, and seasonnable warning to his apostat-flock. In a letter written by a French minister to those over whom the Holy Ghost had made him an overseer upon their wofull defection, renouncing the faith, and joyning in idolatrous worship. Now carefully translated. Together with a word to mourners in Zion who by grace have kept the faith, to sleepers under the storm, and to the almost Christian; Sad lamentation over, heart-rending challenge and dreadfull thunders against, sharp reproof of, and seasonnable warning to his apostat-flock.		1687 (1687)	Wing F279; ESTC R216409	68,644	59

Iren. advers Haeres lib. 4. c. 62. Irenaeus Whatever good be pretended to Come by SCHISM it cannot counterballance the evil of SCHISM which saith (f) Apud Gratian. caus 24. quest 3. c. Inter. Jerome cannot long continue without Heresy and (a) Optat. de Schis Donatist lib. 1. Optatus Milevitanus is not affraid to say that Schism is the chief of evils and judicious (b) Ames de Conscient cas lib. 5. c. 12. D. Ames durst call it Peccatum Gravissimum a most grievous sin but Optatus goes on telling us that it is a greater sin then Homicid or Idolatry and (c) August de Baptis contra donat lib. 1. c. 8. Austin comes not short of him while he saith having his eye as I suppose on what our Lord saith to Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23. v. 15. if any be converted by Schismaticks from Idolatry and infidelity they are not gained but desperatly hurt by the wound of Schism and Denis of Alexandria in his Epistle to the famous Church divider NOVATVS (d) Apud Euseb hist Eccl. lib. 5. cap. ult speaketh to the same purpose thou shouldst saith he rather have suffered any thing then suffered the Church to be divided it is a glorious nay I count it a more glorious Martyrdom that the Church may not be divided then to be kept from sacrificing to an Idol not as if these judicious fathers would compare Schism with Idolatry and infidelity as to the immediat object or ultimat end as if the glory of God were as directly and immediatly concerned in Schism as in Idolatry but they considered the consequents and good of the Church because as Denis tells us a multitude is concerned in the michief from Schism they lookt upon it as so pernicious an evil and thus (e) 2. 2 Quest 39. Art. 2. Aquinas doubted not to affirm that no sin against the second table was so great as Schism and that in some respect it was greater then the sin of infidells and if we would (f) Ibid. quaest 37. art 2. quaest 37. art 2. consult that Author we will find its geneologie and parentage as also its daughters and ofspring to be very dishonourable As for the properties of Schismaticks and separatists the Apostle tells us that 1. they are carnall and walk as men not as saints 1 Cor. 3. v. 3. 2. that they are deceitfull creeping in to houses and by good words and fair speeches seek to deceive the hearts of the simple 2 Tim. 3. v 6. 3 that they have a form of godliness but deny the power of it and are such as should be avoided and marked ibid. v. 5. and Rom. 26 v. 17 18. 4. that whatever they pretend yet they are sensuall not having the spirit and cannot in that mischievous work serve the Lord Jesus tho saith (g) Par. in Rom. 16. v. 17. D. Pareus divisions may be in the Church yet they are the Divels work We may not stay to discover those divisive principles ye must disclaim these divisive passions and affections ye must abandon and those divisive practises ye ought to guard against and beware of but for a discovery of these with their proper remedies let me remit you to M. Burroughs his golden IRENICVM but O if Schismaticks would but consider that the Lord accounteth the injury don to his Church as offered to himself that they who touch it touch the apple of his ey now if the touch be so smarting as thus to cut rend and divide how must he be concerned we have not saith the Apostle Heb. 4. v. 15. an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our sores and infirmities how neerly then must he be touched with such a wound as thus teareth and divideth his body is not the Church his body Eph. 1. v. 23. and are not we Members thereof and of his flesh and bones Eph. 5. v. 30. will he not then reckon Schismaticks amongst the piercers of his body and esteem the violence thus offered to the Church as if to himself and Ah must he not have the heart of a tiger who in a day of such distress dare thus wound the afflicted and can he call himself a friend who while enemies are seeking to destroy it dare divide rent and cut it in pieces Schism being as * Par. in 1 Cor. 11. v. 18. D. Pareus speaketh as great a destruction to the Church as the cutting of the hands or feet or the dividing of the head in two is to the body Now let us shut up this direction with the words of great Austin to whom † Aug. de Baptis contra donat lib. 2. c. 5. saith he will God reveale his truth but to those who walk in the way of peace O remember we are men and to mistake and erre is a tentation common to men but to love our own judgment so as to break the unity of the Church in pressing it is devilish presumption to erre in nothing is the Angels perfection and wanting the perfection of Angels let us not run upon the presumption of Devils hence 17. Let us not be easily provoked nor think evil of our Bretheren because they differ from us in some points far removed from the foundation having no direct influence on holyness and perhaps not so clearly revealed which may be are among the more sober and judicious amicably debated according to the analogy of faith for while we know but in part and see but through a glass Darkly it is not supposable but there will be different apprehensions and judgments concerning such matters and questions in order to which the exhortation hath place and when will we be so wise and selfdenied as to hearken to it hast thou faith have to thy self befor God. Rom. 14. v. 22. and is not the rule clear Philip. 3. v. 15 16. Wherto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule and if in other things there be diversity of sentiments let us forbear one another till God reveale his mind to us Concerning these Ah there being a sweet harmony and unity in the faith will we not come or continue under the bond of peace and with all lowliness and meekness forbear one another in love Eph. 4. v 2 3. Oh who reflecting on the seven divine cords and bonds of love and unity held forth in the 4 5 6. following verses could imagine that a saint indeed could cast these of hence 18. Let me obtest you not to mistake nor put a wrong gloss on the Commands to seperat Come out from among to have no fellowship with yea not to eat or drink with such and such sinfull persons 2 Cor. 6. v. 15 17. 1 Thess 3. v. 14. 1 Gor. 5. v. 11 c. else you may cast your selves into a Labyrinth of intolerable miscarriages errours and inconveniences and be tempted to cast of these bonds the light of nature morality and reason have laid on and may

Schismaticks have been very signall and remarkable as appeareth if we begin at the first noted Schismaticks Korah and his company and follow the History from the first Christian Churches to this day especially since the reformation happily begun by Zwinglius and Luther we may not stay on a Historicall account from Sleidens commentaries or Osiander his Ecclesiastical History but for a brief view of Gods judgments on such we now only referre to D. Hoornbeck his sum contravers P. 739. seqq M. Baily his disuasive from the errours of the time P. 13. seqque and his vindication of that disuasive P. 5. seqque And how zealous the truly zealous have been against Schism and division as being so pernicious to the Church and dishonourable to Christ might at large be made appear from their writtings But we may not stay on citations else whom could we passe over who have written on that head Yea thee brethren of the congregationall way tho they went too great a length towards separation yet pretend to joyn with us in our testimony against separation Firmin Burronghs Norton have written large treatises against it the five dissentig Bretheren in their Apologeticall narration speak to the same purpose nay so odious is that imputation that they who are most guilty are ashamed to be branded therewith and will be ready to cry out against it so that Schismaticks bear that black mark of obstinat Hereticks Tit. 3. v. 11. they are self-condemned But what judicious sober Christian will not joyn with that cloud of witnesses the Reverend * Ius Div. Minist Epist to the reader Ministers of the provinciall Assembly at London in their commendation of zealous Bucer While he protesteth that he would gladly purchase with the lose of his life the removing of the great scandall by the division of Christians and with Luther while in a good moode professing thrt he was as desirous to embrace peace and eoncord as he wat desirous to have the Lord Jesus propitious to him and with them while they joyn with the Bretheren of the conregationall way in new England protesting they can truly say that it is far from them so to attest the disciplin of Christ as to detest the disciples of Christ so to contend for the seamless coat of Christ as to crucifie the Living Members of Christ so to divide our selves about Church communion as through breaches to open a wide gape for a deludge of Anihichristian and Profan malignity to swallow up both Church and civil state Ah what tongue is able to express the mischiefe that hath come to the Church by firy contention and Division And who can produce so much as one Instance of any good that any where or any time came thereby So that we may well conclud that in a true † In vera reformata Ecclesia nullum malum est tantum ecclesiae tam perniciosum ac malum Schismatis vid. Aquin. loc citand reformed Church there is no evil so great and so Pernicious as the evil of Schism which alienats the hearts of Bretheren begetteth rancour and malice and often new errours and strange opinions more dangerous then what at first was complained of for schismaticks being sensible how odious their schism is must pretend some great matter and finding nothing that can be a just plea for their course they must start now questions not formerly moved pick new quarrells and if nothing can be found manifest truths must be called intolerable Errors Apostacy and defection must be objected tho the matter in controversy neither Concern faith nor holiness And thus obstructeth remedies and hopes both of union and reformation thence M. Norton thus pithily laments that evil Alas Alas saith he is there no medium bettween a BONIFACE and MORELLIVS betiveen papacy and Anarchy if there be a mystery of iniquitie in the one is there not an university of iniquity in the other Ah how sad is it to hear the magistrat as a faithfull nursing father upbraid the Ministers of Christ for betraying their trust in destroying the Church with their indiscreet debates and schismatick practises That while he laboured to increase and preserve it they sought to break it in pieces and ruin it thus the † The two Philips Father and Son having no time to do much service to the Church being so quickly cut off by Decius his conspiracy yet both are said not only to have embraced the faith but to have been martyrs for it uterque autem Decii opera interfectus est ob susceptum baptismum professionem Christiani nominis Carion Chron. lib. 3. first famous Christian Emperour Great Constantine challenged severall Bishops in his time while he writeth to these conveened in a Council at Tyre how is it (a) Nescio quid tot couventibus emolimini nisi ut veritas subruatur non advertitis quid domino placeat sed quomodo proximos opprimatis Barbari per me Christum colunt vos illius cultu neglecto contentionibus odiis deseruitis quae ad humanigeneris tendere videntur interitum Massaeus Chron. lib. 10. pag. 138. saith he that ye doe not inquire what is pleasing to God but study to oppress one another And what is the fruit of your debates The Barbarians by me have been brought to worship Christ and ye mak his worship to be neglected by your Contentions which tend to the destruction of mankind in another Epistle (b) Vestra discordia emergente Sacra Misteria contemnuntur c. ibidem pag. 135. he tells them how great his griefe was because of these and obtesteth them to pity him and to allow him some tranquillity of mind by seing them live as Brethren in unity upbraiding them with the Carriage of Philosophers as we may now our Bretheren with Papists among whom tho there be great diversity of opinions yet they conspired together for the profession and their own safety in the unity of one body But saith he by your discord the holy Mysteries are contemned the Church despised and the people rent asunder in factions and parties and with what indignation at the 1. generall Nicen council did he cast their defamatory libells into the fire As for primitive Christians they so abhorred schism that without scripture warrant as Jerome supposeth they set up a Bishop tho not a Lord prelat above his Bretheren to prevent and remedy it which afterwards was judged to be an improper remedy as often feeding rather then Curing that malady however thus their zeal against Schism was hereby manifested But let us add some few other testimones he who departeth said (c) Eunod apud Eprbes instruct Hist lib. 14. c. 1. Eunodius from the unity of the Church offereth a fat sacrifice to the Devil And saith (d) Apud Gratian. caus 24. quest 1. c. alienus Cyprian he Cannot have God to be his father who will not cleave to the Church as to his Mother and saith (e)