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	majesty_n	parliament_n	1,684	5	7.0996	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69202	Generall demands concerning the late covenant propounded by the ministers and professors of divinitie in Aberdene, to some reverend brethren, who came thither to recommend the late covenant to them, and to those who are committed to their charge. Together with the answers of those reverend brethren to the said demands. As also the replyes of the foresaid ministers and professors to their answers.	Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.; Forbes, John, 1593-1648.; Hamilton, James Hamilton, Duke of, 1606-1649.	1638 (1638)	STC 66; ESTC S100396	26,442	56

acknowledge the truth of that which we affirmed there 2. VVe have already shown That the oath which ye require of us importeth more than the forbearance of the practice of Pearth articles for a time 3. The forbearance of some of them seemeth to us to be meerly unlawfull and contrary to that pastorall duty we owe to our flock 4. The forbearance of any of them considered with a relation to the authority enjoyning them in our judgement is plain disobedience THE VII DEMAND WHether it be agreeable to charity or piety to require us to abjure these rites as Popish which in the sincerity of our hearts following the light of our conscience whereof we take God to witnesse we have hitherto practised as lawfull and laudably following the same light do yet practise them But suppose this might be required of us by any Quaeritur Whether or no it becometh them so peremptorily and upon such a suddenty to urge us to this who these by-gone twenty years have desired earnestly to enjoy the freedome of their consciences in their Ministerie even in denying obedience to these things and standing laws for them and when they were urged to obedience did so often protest and earnestly request That they might have a time to be well enformed and maturely advised of the matter which to the most part of them was most graciously granted Let them therefore look to that naturall Maxime Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris and to our Saviours precept of the same sense and almost of the same words Mat. 7. vers 12. ANSWER WE hope that such a forbearance of the practise will prejudge the liberty of no mans conscience REPLY IT would much prejudge our consciences to swear and subscribe the negative confession taking it according to your conception and meaning who require our oath 2 How can we swear to labour by all means lawfull as ye require in your covenant to expell those things whereof we hold some to be necessary and all the rest to be lawfull and laudable THE VIII DEMAND WHether it be fitting to swear to defend the Kings Person and Authoritie with this limitation In the defence and preservation of the true Religion laws and liberties of this Kingdome As if their persons ought not to be defended against all enemies although as yet they embraced not the truth or having before embraced it yet have fallen from it or as if their royall Authority were not to be acknowledged although commanding things unlawfull and as if we were not subject thereto in yeelding to suffer under them when we give not active obedience to them ANSWER 1. THe answer of the first Demand may give satisfaction here 2. The Specification of the defending the Kings Person and Authority in the defence of the true religion laws and liberties of the Kingdome is warranted by the Confession ratified in Parliament by other acts of Parliament by the other Confession and by the generall band joyned with it 3 No man will with-hold his Subscription from the Covenant because it doth not as it intendeth not to expresse every duty we owe to the Kings Majestie as if the not naming were a denying of the duty REPLY WHat ye have replyed in your Answer to our first Demand we have examined in our confutation of your Answer 2. If ye consider well all the circumstances of the making of your Covenant ye will finde that it had not been amisse at this time to have expressed more fully the loyaltie of your intentions to maintain the Kings person and honour Next it is necessary to expresse it yet more fully for our cause whom ye require to swear and subscribe your Covenant lest we do any thing in this matter with a doubting conscience which is a grievous sin that is Doubting whether or no we are tyed by our oath to maintain the Kings authority only in so far as it is employed in the defence of the foresaid true Religion or at least as it is not employed against it For it seemeth to us unlawfull to swear the maintenance of the Kings authoritie with this limitation precisely And if ye be of a contrary minde we are most willing to confer with you of this point THE IX DEMAND WHether or no we can sincerely swear to maintain the Authoritie truely and properly monarchicall of the King and withall swear also disobedience to these articles which are authorized by his standing laws and to maintain the meanest of his subjects against him in their disobedience of his laws as yet standing in vigour concerning these things ANSWER 1. THe answer to the first Demand is usefull here also 2. Forbearance of practise for a time in such a case is rather obedience than disobedience for example Kneeling was thought convenient because all memorie of superstition was past should it not therefore be forborn because superstition is now revived and flagrant They who practise keep the letter of the law but they who forbear keep the life and reason thereof REPLY YOur Covenant requireth more of us than the forbearance of the practise of Pearth articles as we have often times declared 2 We have also shown That the forbearance of obedience to standing laws without license of Superiours and contrary to their commandment especially if it be done by deliberation and if men tye themselves by an oath to do so is manifest disobedience 3 The article of Pearth anent kneeling was not grounded only nor yet principally upon that narrative which ye mention but rather upon the conveniencie and decencie of the gesture of kneeling in the receiving of the holy Sacrament which reason doth yet continue as also the other reason which ye mention holdeth yet for the body of the people of this Church were never papists and consequently have no memorie of popish superstition as those who lived in time of reformation 4 We cannot see nor conceive how a vow and band of maintaining the meanest subject of this Kingdome against all persons whatsoever and consequently against the King himself as we have shown in our second Reply in disobedience of his laws can consist with that love reverence and subjection which we owe to our King Neither have ye brought any thing in your Answer to satisfie us in this point And because ye alledge as we hear that ye are mistaken in this point and do vindicate your selves by those words of the Covenant wherein ye promise to maintain the Kings authoritie we pray you to expresse your minde more fully concerning it and to show us 1 What ye mean by maintaining the Kings authoritie in that part of your Covenant wherein ye expresse your loyall intention To maintain the Kings person and authoritie and in speciall Whether or no the maintaining of the Kings authoritie be taken by you as it excludeth all resisting of his Authoritie by force of arms even although he should command things unlawfull and contrarie to the truth For so we think it should be

thing of that nature but by such a fair and legall way as shall satisfie all his subjects And thence we do collect that which we affirmed before to wit That there is no such extraordinary or extreme case as might give occasion to subjects to make such a band as is directly forbidden by the foresaid act of parliament and to contraveen it in such a manner as may seeme to import a resisting of Authority by force of armes THE IIII. DEMAND COncerning that interpretation of the negative confession which is urged upon us and wherein the articles of Pearth and Episcopacie are declared to be abjured as well as all the points of Poperie which are therein expresly and distinctly mentioned Quaeritur Who are the interpreters of that confession that is Whether all the subscribers or only those Ministers conveened in Edinburgh in the end of February who set it down If all the subscribers then what reason have we to receive an interpretation of that confession from la●cks ignorant people and children If only those Ministers conveened then in Edinburgh then seeing no man should take an honour to himself but he who is called of God as Aaron Heb. 5.4 what power and authority had they over their brethren to give out a judiciall interpretation of these articles of faith and to inforce their interpretation of these articles upon them ANSWER THe subscribers are here mis-interpreted in two points very materiall One is that they presume upon power or authority which they have to give out a judicial interpretation of the articles of the confession and to enforce the same upon others whereas they only intended to make known their own meaning according to the minde of our Reformers and in charity to propound and recommend the same to others who might be made willing to embrace it Although it be true also that very great numbers of Ministers were conveened and testified their consent as that time And although the private judgment of those who are called laicks ought not to be mis-regarded For it is confessed That an interpretation which is private ratione personae may be more than private ratione medii The other which being observed will answer diverse of the following demands That the articles of Pearth and of Episcopall government are declared to be abjured as points of Poperie or as Popish novations where as the words of the Covenant put a difference betwixt two sorts of novations one is of such as are already introduced in the worship of God and concerning those whatsoever be the judgement of the subscribers which to every one is left free by the words of the Covenant they are onely bound to forbear the practise of them by reason of the present exigence of the Kirk till they be tried and allowed in a free Generall assembly The other sort is of such novations as are particularly supplicated against and complained upon as the Service book and Canons c. which are abjured as containing points of Poperie And this we avouch from our certain knowledge to be the true meaning of the controverted words of the Covenant And therefore humbly intreat That no man any more upon this scruple with-hold his testimony REPLY AS for the first of these two mistakings If you have not given out that interpretation of the negative confession judicially but only have made known your own meaning according to the minde of the Reformers as you alledge then first your interpretation hath no obligatory power over others and consequently you ought not to obtrude your interpretation upon us more then we doe our interpretation thereof upon you Neither ought any man to be molested or threatned for not receiving your interpretation chiefly seeing all who are of your confederation have so solemnly vowed and promised to be good examples to others of all godlinesse sobernesse and righteousnesse and of every duety which you owe to God and man Secondly As for the minde or judgement of our Reformers we know no evidence of it having publick authority to oblige the subjects of this Kingdome except that which is expressed in our nationall confession of faith ratified in Parliament twenty years before the negative confession was penned wherein we finde no warrant or ground of such interpretation as you bring Thirdly The interpretation of the negative confession set down in your covenant as it is not publick ratione personae so also not ratione medii for it hath no warrant for ought we could ever perceive either from the word of God or from the testimony of the ancient Church or from the consent of other reformed Churches or from our nationall confession registrated in Parliament As for the second mistaking or mis-interpretation of the words of the late covenant first we marvell that a generall Covenant appointed to be subscribed by all learned and unlearned should have been set down by you in such ambiguous termes For truly all men here even the most judicious do so take your words as if the articles of Pearth were in them abjured 2. We have again more attentively examined the words of the late Covenant and do evidently perceive by them That in the said Covenant the articles of Pearth and Episcopacie are condemned and abjured as erroneous and damnable corruptions For where you professe and before God and his angels and the world solemnly declare That you shall labour by all means lawfull to recover the libertie and puritie of the Gospel as it was established and professed before the foresaid novations We ask you what is that period of time to which your words have reference when you promise to labour to recover the puritie and libertie of the Gospel as it was professed and established before the foresaid novatitions If you mean that period of time when the Service book and Book of Canons were urged upon you to wit the last year by-past in Summer then you acknowledge That all that time you enjoyed the puritie and libertie of the Gospel and consequently That you yet enjoy it for no new thing hath since that time been publickly received and practised in this Church If you mean as undoubtedly we think you do the time praeceding the bringing in of Episcopacie and the acts of Pearth then you comprehend both Episcopacie and the acts of Pearth under these novations for the removing whereof you promise to labour according to your power and consequently do dis-allow and condemne them even before they be tried in a free assembly and before they be heard who maintain and approve them as lawfull 3. We may evidently demonstrate this argumento ad hominem as we say in the schools For those rites and ceremonies which are abjured in the negative confession are also abjured in your late Covenant which as you say is all one with the negative confession or with the Covenant made 1581. But the rites and ceremonies which were concluded in Pearth assembly are abjured as you say in the Covenant made 1581. and therefore they