Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	act_n	believe_v	faith_n	1,015	5	5.7119	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65896	The way of life and perfection livingly demonstrated in some serious animadversions or remarks and answers upon the book entituled The middle way of perfection, with indifferency between the orthodox and the Quaker, herein considered, and the naked truth as it is in Christ Jesus, opened in real love to the souls of men / by George Whitehead.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1676 (1676)	Wing W1973; ESTC R20758	42,882	60

of the Condition of the Covenant of Grace can consist with Let a Man's Sins be what th●y will which Words have a Tendence to an Evil Liberty for a justified State is plainly opposed as contrary to that of the Unrighteous in this 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. Object It 's further added Though we fail in our Duty we fulfil the Condition page 18. Animad How can that be if the Covenant of Grace or Law of Faith be the Condition which we are to observe and obey as our Duty so far as it concerns us both as enjoyned and assisted by Christ Jesus our Life and Righteousness Is it not our Duty to fulfil the Condition and do we yet fail in our Duty whilest we fulfil it No sure As to David's Heart being perfect and that he kept God's Commandments or Precepts 1st This of his Heart being perfect respects what was sincere and uprght in David as a Spirit without Guile a sincere Desire Intention and Resolution of Heart towards God though for a Time he had Failings and was bes●t with Temptations yet the Lord had Regard to his Uprightness c. 2 dly David's keeping God's Commandments or Precepts was when he was really clear and actually obedient walking in the Wayes of God and not as consistant with his sinning in the Matter of Uriah c. for which he underwent great Judgment and deep Affliction often imploring Mercy and Pardon praying for Cleansing Washing c. 3dly As he was a Man after God's own Heart he was according to and in God's Choice and Promise he stood in the Election The Lord hath sought him a Man after his own Heart 1 Sam. 13. 14. I have found David the Son of Jesse a Man after mine own Heart which shall fulfil all my Will this being fulfilled he was in a precious State not guilty nor condemnable for after God's own Heart was both ●is Sincerity Perfection and Purity Surely being a Man after God's own Heart and fulfilling all his Will could not concern David's worst but his best State Object But to answer that Complaint That his Sins were more then the Hairs upon his Head this Writer saith There are Sins consistant with Sincerity and inconsistant with it Animad Though I would as favourably construe his Words as I can yet this Phrase Sins consistant with Sincerity I can neither own to be sound scriptural or of a good Tendence but tending to gratifie both the sin-pleasing Professors unrighteous Imputarians and loose Antinomians of our Times for though I do gra●t ●hat a sincere-minded Man may possibly be overtaken with a Fault through some great Temptation or Tryal yet not loose his Sincerity though it be clouded but retain his Integrity as Job did his until he be fully recovered restored and delivered wherein he differs from him that wilfully or designedly sins or is obstinate or wittingly dissembles and playes the Hypocrite yet no Sin or Neglect of Duty is consistant with the Sincerity it self which God hath begotten in the Creature but there is a daily or constant Travail and Warring in the sincere Mind and Soul until the Sin be overcome and really done away as it was with Paul when with his Mind he served the Law of God had travailed in Spirit for Deliverance from that Law of Sin which did embondage or captivate his Members in which low Estate of warring God hath an Eye to the upright and sincere Mind that waits upon him and subjects to his inward Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and by his Spirit of Adoption doth help his Creature 's Infirmities until all that offends be subdued and the Soul becomes more then a Conquerer And so as for his Distinction between the Breach of our Duty and the Condition while he discourseth for Failing of the first and yet a Fu●filling the latter I cannot reconcile him herein nor own such Distinctions either as necessary or consistant with the real Experience of a Justified State wherein the Law of the Spirit of Life or Law of Faith in Christ is answered and followed and the Effect thereof experienced in them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and in them the Righteousness Morality Good Order and Duty both respecting the Law and Gospel Nature and Grace is fulfilled by Christ Jesus and performed through his spiritual Assistance It 's true there is a Sin unto Death as he saith and a Sin not unto Death and no better then sinning unto Death can I look ●pon Men's Continuance in any known Sin or Unrighteousness all their Life Time against the holy and just Law of God in the Conscience the Sin of Impenitence as well as of Unbelief being persisted in incurs Death as it 's granted that David in the M●t●er wherein he sinned in that present State could not have been saved if he had dyed but surely if the Condition of true Faith and Repentance be performed and the Nature there of be experienced the other Acts of Duty and Obedience will follow for is there any Sin or Neglect of Duty that 's not to be repented of and ceas'd from or can a true Believer see any Sin or Failing without believing or exercising Faith in his Warring against it till he overcome and he hath out grown it No sure he attains to the Accomplishment of his Warfare through valiantly fighting the Good Fight of Faith he reacheth unto the End of his Race by unwearied travailing on without Fainting Sect. X. To his saying Behold here a Kind of Heaven opened unto you who are the Children of God and fear his Name where all your Sins and Iniquities are removed and where every one of you are righteous and perfect and sin not for this is the Benefit and Fruit of Christ's Death and Redemption that he hath delivered you from that Law which you break Animad 1st That Heaven where all Sins and Iniquities are removed and where the Children of God are perfect and sin not is not of this Man's or any of their opening who oppose perfection of Duty and argue for Sin 's continuance in God's Children whilest in this Life for that Heaven wherein dwells Righteousness and they are all Righteous and sin not admits not of Sin to have any Place in it the Will of God being perfectly done therein 2 dly That 's the old Heaven and old Earth wherein dwells Unrighteousness and these must ●e shaken and removed for the New to take Place 3 dly Christ is the End of the Law for Righteousness and not to indulge Transgression or any Breach of that Law which is Holy Just and Good fulfilled and not destroyed in the New Creature and Covenant 4 thly 'T is true as he saith That Christ hath brought us under a New Law the Law of Grace which requires nothing of us but what sub Ratione Conditions we do keep for he gives his holy Spirit to enable us to the

Performance so that not only our Sins are done away and not imputed but forgiven as the Iniquities of Judah shall be sought for and not fou●d but this Covenant hath nothing to lay to our Charge to which I would add as we are Children of God redeemed by Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity mark that And further Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven and whose Sin is covered bless●d is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is No Guile Psa. 32. 1 2. Observe In whose Spirit is NO Guile And further the holy Spirit in this New Covenant enables them that walk in it to the perfect Performance of their Duty therein required and the Reconciliation that was wrought in the Body of his Flesh through Death for such as were sometimes alienated as the Apostle saith I was to present them Holy unreproveable in his Sight if they continue in the Faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel this unreproveable State in his Sight and Duty of Continuance in the Faith is the Perfection and Justification that we aim at As for his granting a Perfection which Divines call Evangelical to the Quaker that is an Integrity of Heart and Life which the Gospel requires of every man that shall be saved pag. 20. We accept of this Grant as rightly understood and experienced in the Evangelical and New Covenant State and are satisfied that where this Integrity of Heart and Life which the Gospel requires is thus experienced there will not be a Falling short of Duty especially since neither the Knowledge thereof nor yet divine Assistance will be wanting to such as possess this Integrity of Heart and Life As for this Man's Supposition If these Friends meaning the Qu●kers will have more then they must come to that our Divines call legal Righteousness c. page 20. I do not understand that a legal Righteousness or Righteousness of the Law can be more or higher then an Evangelical Perfection or Righteousness which the Gospel requires nor Moses's House more beautiful then Christ's though we do not propose the Righteousness of the Law or the keeping the Law in the outward Part of it nor impose it as in the Letter and Shaddow as either the Condition of Salvation or necessary thereto but True Faith in Christ which worketh by Love and as the Apo●stle said I though the Law am dead to the Law that I might liv● unto God I am crucifi●d with Christ c. Gal. 2. 19 20. As for this Man's or any others sleighting the Perfection we plead for tearming it a legal Righteousness we value not such insinuations seeing that to live without Sin according to the Royal Law of Love is both what the Law and Gospel requires and he hath confessed it our Duty and possib●e for us to attain to it through the Assistance of God's ●pirit It is granted that the Disciples did call God Father and so they must be in some Degree called and adopted to be his Sons while they did ask Forgiveness for th●ir Tresp●ss●s or D●bts as they for●gave others yet I do not grant this to be their highest State or Attainments in this Life for they did not only obtain Forgiven●ss but also the Blood of Christ cleansed them from all Sin and if they were heard in saying Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven as doubtless they were then what Sin or Trespass could alwayes be continued by them or persisted in which was not perfectly done away in this Life I further confess that true Believers may be called the Children of God and under two Considerations or Degrees 1 st As called and adopted to be his Sons being begotten into the Faith w●ile yet they are weak and have Infirmities which the Spirit of Adoption doth help they are Children as to their Weakness little Children Children in Understanding yet in a Degree 〈◊〉 Faith Sincerity and Innocency having their Sins forgiven I have writ unto you little Children because your Sins are forgiven you 2dly Children and Sons of God in a higher Degree and State perfectly born not only of Water but also of the Spirit even of the incorruptible Seed that liveth and abideth forever Partakers of and naturallized into the Divine Nature and Image and such are they that cannot sin in whom the Seed remains and whom the Wicked one cannot touch c. And if he cannot touch them muchless lead or drive them into sin or Neglect of Duty further the Forgiveness that any true Believer had daily need of for a time was obtained and experienced even by little Children Touching that Article of that Prayer Forgive us our Trespasses c. The Man seems undeservedly to reflect by saying yet they think they may scratch it out of their Bibles because they leave it unsaid page 21. I suppose he meaneth the Quakers herein having a little before insinuated something against them touching Perfection which I cannot own as fair Dealing for we think no such Thing but do really own that Prayer both as to the Matter and seasonableness of it and as to the Fulfilling of it with Respect to the several Condition concerned therein Sect. XI To his saying page 21. That the constant stream of God's Word runs thus that we are sinners that we must all repent that we must alwayes be renewing our Repentance in making our Prayers Confessions Supplications doing our Alms c. Animad He appears herein much declined from the first Part of his Book and the Perfection and universal Justification therein consented to as our Duty and Possibillity of Attainment through Divine Grace or Assistance Now he seems to be fallen into the Ditch of the Imputarians of the Times who are daily pretending Repentance Humiliation Confessions and Supplications which are never attended with a real forsaking of Sin but they are sinning still in their best Dutyes none of them so just or good as to do good without sinning in doing good while they have Forgveness to crave for the Iniquities of their best Dutyes at which Rate they may be every Day praying feigning a Penitency and Humility and even therein still adding more Sin and making themselves more Work Both this pretended Repentance Voluntary and feigned Humility is to be repented of if the true Nature of Repentance Praying Asking and Receiving were experienced through the Spirit it would cut off all this strugling for Sin which must have no Place in Christ's Kingdom Upon that Scripture If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father who is the Propitiation for our Sins and also for the Sins of the whole World upon this he is pleased to pataphrase thus viz. There is our Sins St. John's Sins that need Advocate as well as the World page 21. Animad I must need confess this allows St. John very little Preeminence the Comparison is somewhat mean for our

these he calls Divines he pleads viz. It is but the same Doctrine of God's abounding free Grace Mercy and Forgiveness through Christ to poor sinners that our Divines do bring against the Doctrine of Perfection setting the unsound sense of Imputed Righteousness aside which Paul preached and pleaded against those who would bring in the Work● of the Law for their Justification Animad This will neither cure the Disease of those Divines nor free them from our Charge nor yet reconcile their Doctrine herein to the Apostle Paul's for Paul did not preach the abounding of free Grace c. against the Doctrine of Perfection nor against the Saints living without Sin but the plain contrary as appe●rs Rom. 6. Even so we should also walk in Newness of Life ver 4. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him c. ver 6. And shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid ver 15. See the Chapter throughout 't is very full to our Purpose See also Rom. 5. 17 20 21. What 's more evident then that the Doctrine of the Apostle and the Nature of the Grace of God are against the continuance of Sin in any of those that come to dye with Christ and to live under Grace and to partake of the abounding of Grace toward and in them There are tow Things particularly our Divines teach The one is that notwithstanding Grace be imperfect in this life there is no Man may sin for all that in any the least Thing whatsoever that is though our Holiness be imperfect yet is it our Duty to be perfect and we are still to be pressed to go on to Perfection The other is That a State of Grace will not stand with any Sin in Dominion that is that whosoever doth willingly and wilfully live in any known sin without Repentance unto Death he cannot be saved An. No doubt but this Person hath here made the best he can of a bad Cause as we have Reason to deem it but is far enough from clearing those Divines from the Charge that 's laid against their Doctrine as Sin pleasing or soothing and bolstering up Men in their Sins c. For though it 's true they seem to preach down every Sin and to preach up perfect Obedience as our Duty and to press Men to go on to Perfection yea and that a State of Grace will not stand with any Sin in Dominion What Encouragement can they hereby minister for such Duty and Pressing on to Perfection when they perswade People that what they preach and press them unto it not attainable as to tell them 't is their Duty to be perfect and not to sin at all but 't is impossible to attain that State Grace is imperfect in this Life c. this is not Yea and Amen if they were real and preach'd the word of Faith they durst never put such faithless Thoughts into the Minds of People like as to put them upon a War without an Enemy but first disarm them with such an Unbelie● or Dispair of a Conquest whereas if they faithfully preached perfect Obedience c. and believed what they preached they would sincerely endeavour their Eucouragement by exciting them to believe in and depend upon the Grace and Power of God in Christ which is stronger then the Devil that they might experience That greater is he that is in us then he that is in the World and not tell them that Grace and Holiness are imperfect in this Life and no Men but that he sins so long as he lives no not the best of God's Children yet a state of Grace will not stand with any sin in Domini●● Why then must Sin have any Place of Continuance shall God's Children by the Grace either have Dominion or Power over Sin and yet suffer Sin alwayes to have any Being or Prevalency in them can this either consist with a State of Grace or their Sincerity No sure The Matter is sufficiently answered before shall we have Dominion over such an Enemy so far as that he is conquered slain and ca●●ut and yet after●a●ds suffer him to rise again and lead us captive in any Thing all our Dayes God's Children and People who have been throughly experienced in the Lamb's War have otherwise obtained the Conquest and Dominion at that dear Rate then so easily to part with it or give their Power or Service to such a conquered Enemy as the Devil who is the Author of all Sin It is true as the Man saith page 29. That there are many practical Books of those called Divines wherein Vniversal Obedience is both press●d and given as the chiefe●● Note of an Vpright Man and of that Faith which is saving This is true and no doubt but in former Times this Universal Obedience was preached and urged with more Faith and Sincerity then is now in many that pretend to preach it but do it in that overly and faithless Manner that it hath no lively Impression upon the Hearers Consciences as to evidence them truly to believe endeavour or expect such an Universal Obedience to all God's Requirings in the Covenant of Grace but rather many do spoile and marr their preaching Obedience by their preaching up Imperfection and Sin Term of Life and such preaching hath more abounded yea been too much upheld in this Nation of late years in despite against the Quakers and in Contempt against the Doctrine of Perfection The Presbyter Priests and some others have filled the Nation with their Doctrine of the Impossibility of Perfection or a sinless State to render it not attainable wherein though they have done it the more eagerly to shame and odifie the Quakers in the Peoples ●yes their Doctrine tends to debase many to Hell having hardened Men in Sin and strengthned the Hands of Evil doers and made many Hypocrites for which they have a sad Account to give in the great Day of God Almighty Object Will it not indeed suffice that a Man is uprights before God in his Desires and Endeavours after Perfection that is the having Respect to all his Commandments unless he also be perfect and his Works overtake his Will what then shall become of the Generàtion of the most just An. 1st The Des●●● and Endeavours only of the Upright Man do not suffice 〈◊〉 but his receiving the Answer or Thing desired and endeave●● after 2 dly Doth the ●●ght Man sincerely desire and endeavour after such a Perfe●●n as that of Universal Obedience to all Christ's Commands and yet still his Works fall short of his Desire or not overtake his Will how should that be doth not God hear the Prayers and grant the Requests of the Upright Yea sure they shall not want for any good thing who walk in their Uprightness and Integrity before him I cannot yet apprehend that the great Inconvenience which hath been charged as the Consequence of their Doctrine who preach up the Continuance of