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	faith_n	grace_n	1,049	5	5.6323	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30138	Differences in judgment about vvater-baptism, no bar to communion, or, To communicate with saints, as saints, proved lawful in answer to a book written by the Baptists, and published by Mr. T.P. and Mr. W.K. entituled, Some serious reflections on that part of Mr. Bunyan's confession of faith, touching church-communion with unbaptized believers : wherein, their objections and arguments are answered, and the doctrine of communion still asserted and vindicated : here is also Mr. Henry's Jesse's judgment in the case, fully declaring the doctrine I have asserted / by John Bunyan.	Bunyan, John, 1628-1688.; Jessey, Henry, 1603-1663.	1673 (1673)	Wing B5509; ESTC R21419	60,966	126

should they not only receive such as were weak within into mutual Affection but such as were without both to mutual Affection and to Church-fellowship Or else such weak ones as were without had been excluded by the Text. Oh! how is the heart of God the Father and the Son set upon this to have his Children in his House and in one anothers hearts as they are in his and are born upon the shoulders and breasts of his Son their High-Priest and as if all this will not do it but the Devil will divide them still whose work it properly is But the God of Peace will come in shortly and bruise Satan under their feet as in Rom. 16. 20. And they will agree to be in one House when they are more of one Heart in the mean time pray as in Chap. 15. 5. Now the God of Patience and Consolation grant that we be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus I shall endeavour the answering of some Objections and leave it unto Consideration Obj. Some say this bearing or receiving were but in things indifferent Answ. That eating or forbearing upon a civil account are things indifferent is true But not when done upon the account of Worship as keeping of Dayes and establishing Jewish observations about Meats which by the Death of Christ are taken away and it is not fairly to be imagined the same Church at Rome look'd so upon them as indifferent nor that the Lord doth That it were all alike to him to hold up Jewish Observations or to keep Days or no Days right Days or wrong Days as indifferent things which is a great mistake and no less than to make God's Grace little in receiving such For if it were but in things wherein they had not sinned it were no great matter for the Lord to receive and it would have been as good an Argument or Motive to the Church to say the things were indifferent as to say the Lord had received them Whereas the Text is to set out the Riches of Grace to the Vessels of Mercy as Rom. 9. 15. That as at first he did freely chuse and accept them so when they sail and miscarry in many things yea about his Worship also although he be most injured thereby yet he is first in passing it by and perswading others to do the like That as the good Samaritan did in the Old Testament so our good Samaritan doth in the New when Priest and Levite pass'd by Pastor and People pass by yet he will not but pours in Oyl and carries them to his Inn and calls for receiving and setting it upon his account Object That this bearing with and receiving such as are weak in the Faith must be limited to Meats and Dayes and such like things that had been old Jewish Observations but not unto the being ignorant in or doubting of any New-Testament-Institution Answ. Where the Lord puts no limitation men should be wary how they do it for they must have a Command or Example before they can limit this Command for although the Lord took this occasion from their difference about Meats and Dayes to give this Command yet the Command is not limited there no more than Mat. 12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. That when they made use of his good Law rigorously in the Letter he presently published an Act of Grace in the 7th verse and tells them Had they known what this meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice they would not have condemned the guiltless as also Mat. 9. 13. Go learn what this meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice which is not to be limited unto what was the present occasion of publishing the Command but observed as a general Rule upon all occasions wherein Mercy and Sacrifice comes in competition to shew the Lord will rather have a Duty omitted that is due to him then Mercy to his Creatures omitted by them So in the Text when some would not receive such as were weak in the Faith as to matters of Practice the Lord was pleased to publish this ACT of Grace Him that is weak in the Faith receive you but not to doubtful disputation Now unless it be proved that no Saint can be weak in the Faith in any thing but Meats and Days or in some Old-Testament-Observation and that he ought not to be judged a Saint that is weak in the Faith as it relates to Gospel-Institutions in matters of practice you cannot limit the Text and you must also prove his weakness SUCH as that the Lord will not receive him else the Command in the first verse and the Reason or Motive in the third verse will both be in force upon you to wit Him that is weak in the Faith receive you or unto you for God hath received him Object But some may object from 1 Cor. 12. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles Some there are that affirm this to be meant of Water-baptism and that particular Churches are formed thereby and all persons are to be admitted and joyned unto such Churches by Water-baptism Answ. That the Baptism intended in the Text is the Spirits-baptism and not Water-baptism and that the Body the Text intends is not principally the Church of Corinth but all Believers both Jews and Gentiles being baptized into one Mystical Body as Ephes. 4. 4. There is one Body and one Spirit wherein there is set out the Uniter and the United therefore in the third verse they are exhorted to keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace The United are all the Faithful in one Body into whom in the fifth verse in one Lord Jesus Christ by what one Faith one Baptism which CANNOT be meant of Water-baptism for Water-baptism doth not unite all this Body for some of them never had Water-baptism and are yet of this Body and by the Spirit gathered into one Lord Jesus Christ Ephes. 1. 10. both which are in Heaven and in Earth Jew and Gentile Ephes. 2. 16. that he might reconcile both unto God in one Body by his Cross the Instrument you have in vers 18. by one Spirit Ephes. 3. 6. That the Gentiles should be Fellow-Heirs of the same Body vers 15. of whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named And the Reasons of their keeping the Unity of the Spirit in Eph. 4. 3. is said down in v. 4 5. being one Body one Spirit having one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism whether they were Jews or Gentiles such as were in Heaven or in Earth which CANNOT be meant of Water-baptism for in that sense they had not all one Baptism nor admitted and united thereby So in 1 Cor. 12. 13. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body whether Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free we having been all made to drink into one Spirit which CANNOT be meant of Water-baptism in regard all

you unanswered and standing by my Argument conclude That if Laws and Ordinances of old have been broken and the breach of them born with when yet the Observation of outward things was more strictly Commanded than now if the Profit and Edification of the Church come in competition how much more may not we have Communion Church-Communion when no Law of God is transgressed thereby And note That all this while I plead not as you for Persons unprepared but godly and such as walk with God We come now to my seventh Argument for Communion with the Godly though unbaptized Persons which you say is Love pag. 29. My Argument is this Therefore I am for Communion thus because Love which above all things we are Commanded to put on is of much more worth than to break about Baptism And let the Reader note That of this Argument you deny not so much as one syllable but run to another story but I will follow you I add further That Love is more discovered when we receive for the sake of Christ than when we refuse his Children for want of Water And tell you again That this Exhortation to Love is grounded not upon Baptism but the putting on of the new Creature which hath swallowed up all distinctions Col. 3. 9 -14 Yea there are ten Arguments in this one which you have not so much as touched but thus object That man that makes Affection the Rule of his walking rather than judgment it is no wonder if he go out of the way Answ. Love to them we are perswaded that God hath received is Love that is guided by Judgment and to receive them that are such because God hath bidden us Rom. 14. is Judgment guided by Rule My Argument therefore hath forestalled all your noise and standeth still on its legs against you As to the Duties of Piety and Charity you boast of pag. 30. found not a Trumpet tell not your left hand of it we are talking now of Communion of Saints Church-Communion and I plead that to Love and hold together as such is better than to break in pieces for want of Water-baptism My Reason is because we are exhorted in all things to put on Love the Love of Church-Communion contrariwise you oppose Above all things put on Water For the best Saint under Heaven that hath not that with him you refuse Communion Thus you make Baptism though no Church-Ordinance a bar to shut out the Godly and a Trap-door to let the unprepared into Churches to the Lord's-Supper and other solemn Appointments pag. 29. But you object Must our Love to the unbaptized indulge them in an act of disobedience Cannot we love their Persons Parts Graces but we must love their Sins pag. 30. Answ. We plead not for indulging But are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God 2 Chron. 28. 10. But why can you indulge the Baptists in many acts of disobedience For to come unprepared into the Church is an act of disobedience To come unprepared to the Supper is an act of disobedience and to come so also to other solemn Appointments are acts of disobedience But for these things you say you do not cast nor keep any out of the Church Answ. But what acts of disobedience do we indulge them in In the Sin of Infant-baptism Answ. We indulge them not but being Commanded to bear with the Infirmities of each other suffer it it being indeed in our eyes such but in theirs they say a duty till God shall otherwise perswade them If you be without infirmity do you first throw a stone at them They keep their Faith in that to themselves and trouble not their Brethren therewith we believe that God hath received them they do not want to us a proof of their Sonship with God neither hath he made Water a Wall of Division between us and therefore we do receive them Obj. I take it to be the highest act of friendship to be faithful to these Professors and to tell them they want this one thing in Gospel-order which ought not to be left undon pag 30. Answ. If it be the highest piece of Friendship to preach Water-baptism to unbaptized Believers the lowest act thereof must needs be very low But contrariwise I count it so far off from being any act of Friendship to press Baptism in our Notion on those that cannot bear it that it is a great abuse of the Peace of my Brother the Law of Love the Law of Christ or the Society of the Faithful Love suffereth long and is kind is not easily provoked Let us therefore follow after the things that make for Peace and things wherewith one may edifie another Let every one of us please his Neighbour for his good to Edification Bear you one anothers burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ. 1 Cor. 13. Rom. 14. 19. Chap. 15. 2. Gal. 6. 2. But say you I doubt when this comes to be weighed in God's ballance it will be found no less than flattery for which you will be reproved pag. 31. Answ. It seems you do but doubt it wherefore the Principle from which you doubt it of that methinks you should not be certain but this is of little weight to me for he that will presume to appropriate the Epistles to himself and fellows for the sake of Baptism and that will condemn all the Churches of Christ in the Land for want of Baptism and that will account his Brother as prophane Esau pag. 20. and rejected as Idolatrous Ephraim pag. 32. because he wanteth his way of Water-baptism he acts out of his wonted way of rigidness when he doth but doubt and not affirm his Brother to be a flatterer I leave therefore this your Doubt to be resolved at the Day of Judgment and in the mean time trample upon your harsh and unchristian surmises As to our Love to Christians in other cases I hope we shall also endeavour to follow the Law of the Lord but because it respects not the matter in hand it concerns us not now to treat thereof My Argument treateth of Church-Communion in the prosecution of which I prove 1. That Love is grounded upon the new Creature Col. 3. 9 c. 2. Upon our fellowship with the Father and Son 1 Joh. 1. 2 3. 3. That with respect to this it is the fulfilling of the Royal Law Jam. 4. 11. Rom. 14. 21. 4. That it shews it self in acts of forbearing rather than in publishing some Truths Communicating only what is profitable forbearing to publishing what cannot be born 1 Cor. 3. 1 2. Acts 20. 18 19 20. Joh. 16. 17. 5. I shew further That to have fellowship for to make that the ground of or to receive one another chiefly upon the account of an outward Circumstance to make Baptism the including and excluding Charter the Bounds Bar Rule of Communion when by the Word of the everlasting Testament there is no Word for it to speak charitably

may be lost or omitted and is it to be supposed the Lord would suffer any of his Ordinances to be lost or omitted in the Old or New-Testament or the right use of them and yet own such for true Churches and what reason can there be for it Answ. The Lord hath suffered some Ordinances to be omitted and lost in the Old-Testament and yet owned the Church Though Circumcision were omitted in the Wilderness yet he owned them to be his Church Acts 7. 38. and many of the Ordinances were lost in the Captivity See Ainsworth upon Exod. 28. 30 c. which shewed what the High-Priest was to put on and were not to be omitted upon pain of death as the Urim and Thummim yet being lost and several other Ordinances the Ark with the Mercy-Seat and Cherubims the Fire from Heaven the Majesty and Divine Presence c. yet he owns the Second Temple though short of the First and filled it with his Glory and honoured it with his Son being a Member and a Minister therein Mal. 3. 1. The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his Temple So in the New-Testament since their Wilderness condition and great and long Captivity there is some darkness and doubts and want of Light in the best of the Lord's People in many of his Ordinances and that for several Ages and yet how hath the Lord owned them for his Churches wherein he is to have Glory and Praise throughout all Ages Eph. 3. 21. And so should we own them unless we will condemn the Generation of the Just It must be confessed That if exact Practice be required and clearness in Gospel-Institutions before Communion who dare be so bold as to say his hands are clean and that he hath done all the Lord Commands as to Institutions in his Worship and must not confess the Change of Times doth necessitate some Variation if not Alteration either in the matter or manner of things according to Primitive Practice yet owned for true Churches and received as visible Saints though ignorant either wholly or in great measure in laying on of hands singing washing of feet and anointing with oyl in the Gifts of the Spirit which is the Urim and Thummim of the Gospel and it cannot be proved that the Churches were so ignorant in the Primitive times nor yet that such were received into Fellowship yet now herein it is thought meet there should be bearing and why not in Baptism especially in such as own it for an Ordinance though in some things miss it and do yet shew their love unto it and unto the Lord and unto his Law therein that they could be willing to die for it rather than to deny it and to be baptized in their blood which sheweth they hold it in Conscience their duty while they have further Light from above and are willing o hear and obey as far as they know though weak in the Faith as to clearness in Gospel-Institutions surely the Text is on their side or else it will exclude all the former Him that is weak in the Faith receive you but not to doubtful disputations Rom. 14. 5. Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind and such the Lord hath received As to the Query What reason is there why the Lord should suffer any of his Ordinances to be lost Answ. If there were no Reason to be shown it should teach us silence for he doth nothing without the highest Reason and there doth appear some Reasons in the Old Testament why those Ordinances of Urim and Thummim c. were suffered to be lost in the Captivity that they might long and look for the Lord Jesus the Priest that was to stand up with Urim and Thummim Ezra 2. 63. Neh. 7. 65. which the Lord by this puts them upon the hoping for and to be in the expectation of so great a mercy which was the promise of the Old Testament and all the Churches losses in the New Testament By all the dark night of ignorance she hath been in and long captivity she hath been under and in her wandering wilderness-state wherein she hath rather been fed with Manna from Heaven than by men upon Earth and after all her crosses and losses the Lord lets Light break in by degrees and deliverance by little and little and she is coming out of the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved and the Lord hath given the Valley of Achor for a Door of Hope that e're long she may receive the Promise of the Gospel richly by the Spirit to be poured upon us from on High Isa. 32. 15. and the Wilderness be a fruitful Field and the fruitful Field become a Forrest and then the Lord will take away the covering cast over all people Isa. 25. 7. and the Vail that is spread over all Nations Isa. 11. 9. For the Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea vers 13. Then Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim Thus will the God of Peace bruise Satan under-foot shortly and one Reason why the Lord may suffer all this Darkness and Differences that have been and yet are is that we might long and look for this blessed Promise of the Gospel the pourings out of the Spirit Object But many Authors do judge that the weak and strong were all in Church-fellowship before and that the receiving Rom. 14. 1. was but into mutual affection Answ. It ought to be seriously weighed how any differ from so many worthy Authors is confessed to whom the World is so much beholding for their help in many things but it would be of dangerous consequence to take all for granted they say and unlike the noble Bereans Acts 17. 11. Though they had some infallible Teachers yet they took not their Words or Doctrine upon trust and there may be more ground to question Expositors on this Text in regard their Principles necessitate them to judge that the sense for if it be in their Judgments a Duty to compel all to come in and to receive all and their Children they must needs judge by that Text they were all of the Church and in Fellowship before their scrupling Meats and Dayes because that is an Act of grown persons at years of discretion and therefore the receiving is judged by them to be onely into mutual affection for it is impossible for them to hold their Opinion and judge otherwise of the Text for in Baptism they judge Infants should be received into Church-fellowship and then scrupling Meats and Dayes must needs be after joyning Their Judgements might as well be taken that it is a Duty to baptize Infants as that they can judge of this Text rightly and hold their practice Object But no uncircumcised Person was to eat the Passeover Exod. 12. And doth not the Lord as well require the sign of Baptism now as of Cirumcision then and is there not like reason for it Answ. The Lord in the