Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	according_a	law_n	nature_n	1,115	5	5.3946	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48734	A sermon preached in Lent-assizes, holden for the county of Bucks, at Alesbury, March 8th 1671/2 being Ash-Wednesday by Ad. Littleton ...	Littleton, Adam, 1627-1694.	1671 (1671)	Wing L2570; ESTC R21353	20,489	39

of the Divine Law as things without which no Society can subsist insomuch that Rebels and Thieves though they be unjust to others yet are forced upon this principle to practice a kind of justice amongst themselves that they may keep their party together upon fair and equitable terms This is the Law of Nature then and truly would we live up to the direction of That we should not need any other Law But upon the fall of man Nature it self being universally as it was corrupted as well as weakned and the Notions of Original Righteousness through prevailing wickedness which has increased all along proportionably with mankind it self being in a manner wholly defaced and obliterated it was necessary that Law should be recovered and re-imprinted upon the memory of men that even vulgar understandings should have their duties plainly laid out before them and this to be done by Positive Laws which being founded as near as might be upon those of Nature as being the productions of reason and convenience together might accommodate general Rules to particular Instances according to circumstances of time and place and the exigencies of the state of things for the security of government and the safety of the people to be governed This God himself provided for in the Israelitish Common-wealth by prescribing them Rules not only for their Moral behaviour for these were of perpetual universal obligation to all mankind and this was that Law written in the heart before it was engraven upon stone but for their Civil affairs also and even to the very Ceremonies in his publick worship The first of these namely the Moral Law as I said obligeth all men whatsoever and no less if not more now since Christ is come then before but as to the two latter the Judicial and the Ceremonial Laws God has left particular States and Churches to the liberty of their own determinations so to order both Political and Ecclesiastical jurisdiction as may be most expedient provided they command nothing contrary to that law which he himself hath given us I mean the Moral Law To give two or three Instances Theft is forbidden in the eighth precept and by the Judicial Law was to be punished amongst the Jews only with a fourfold restitution of the thing stoln in kind or of the value of it But in most Christian States upon tryal or possibly mistrust that that punishment would not prove a sufficient restraint the penalty is altered and the Thief dies for it nor is any allowed to claim the benefit of the Judicial Law when he breaks the Moral but is justly sentenced by the Law of his own Country that Law having been made only for the Jews and every Nation now being to be governed by Laws of its own Again for the Church The seventh day from the Creation which is commanded in the fourth precept to be kept holy was a thing ceremonial but the keeping of one day in seven or some such proportion of time was perhaps a Moral duty The Christian Church therefore has both laid aside the Ceremony and preserved the Morality by changing the day On the other hand the Worship of God is a duty the very Law of Nature requires of men in Society Now for Forms and Habits and the Ceremonies of Worship since God cannot be woshipt otherwise I mean without some Form and Ceremony or other these are to be ordered by the Churches appointment and every Member of that Church I speak of a National Church is obliged unless he can be sure such appointments are against Gods Law to obey and comply with her Orders But what some say that in Civil concerns indeed we are tied up to the Laws but in Church affairs we are left to our own choice and liberty is no more vain and frivolous than 't is absurd and irrational For a man may upon as good reason demand to fashion the Laws to his own mind by which he means to Live as to shape his Religion to his own fancy and Interest since he is alike accountable to the Government for both and separations in Church may prove of as dangerous a consequence to the Publick as divisions in State For he that has made himself his own God 't is an expression of a late Author against Atheism will by his good will be his own King too And it may very well be suspected that those who grumble at Church-Orders would not if they could help it be very well satisfied with the Civil Laws neither they both having their Rise from the same Authority At this pass were things in Israel when every man did that which was right in his own eyes and then 't is said they did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. And so it was always when there was no King in Israel Wherefore to prevent such disorders and to deliver them from those distresses their disorders brought upon them God often raised them up Judges the last whereof was Samuel here a Priest and a Judge And Samuel judged Israel c. In which words consider we him 1. In his station or Residence as a Judge upon the Bench he judged Israel all the days of his life and that at Ramah where his house was as it follows v. 17. 2. In his Journey and Circuit as a Justice in Eyre he went from year to year in Circuit to Bethel and Gilgal c. Thus like the standing and moving foot of a pair of Compasses his fixed and setled judicature was at Ramah and the occasional exercise of it from year to year at other places also I. As to his constant Residence wherein four things are to be taken notice of 1. His Person Samuel 2. His Office to judge Israel 3. His Patent all the days of his Life 4. His Seat out of the next verse Ramah I. First for the character and qualification of the Person Samuel was Prophet and Priest as well as Judge Right Reverend in all his capacities in all his functions Nor was it any objection against him from the people that he was a Church-man and so unfit to serve his Country in a secular charge Nor was it to him any scruple of Conscience within his own breast that he intangled himself with civil affairs or took upon him more imployments than one man could well go thorough 'T is true he was devoted by his Mother in his long coats to the Churches service I have lent him says she to the Lord as long as he lives Chap. 1. vers 28. and accordingly he after Eli's death succeeded him in the Priesthood Again all Israel the Text tells us from Dan even to Bersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a Prophet of the Lord Chap. 3. vers 20. And not only so a Prophet himself but a trainer up of young Prophets the President of a Colledge at Naioth in Ramah Chap. 19. vers 20. And here 't is said he judged Israel all the days of his life These were three