Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	action_n	law_n	moral_a	1,065	5	9.0930	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34668	A censure of that reverend and learned man of God, Mr. John Cotton, lately of New-England, upon the way of Mr. Henden of Bennenden in Kent, expressed in some animadversions of his upon a letter of Mr. Henden's sometimes sent to Mr. Elmeston (2) a brief and solid exercitation concerning the coercive power of the magistrate in matters of religion, by a reverend and learned minister, Mr. Geo[r]ge Petter ... (3) Mr. Henden's animadversions on Mr. Elmestons's epistle revised and chastized.	Elmeston, John.; Cotton, John, 1584-1652. Censure ... upon the way of Mr. Henden.; Petter, George. Brief and solid exercitation concerning the coercive power of the magistrate in matters of religion.	1656 (1656)	Wing C6415; ESTC R20949	43,719	60

the Mag●strate is by you wittingly dissembled and concealed to make their doctrine the more harsh and to set the fairer glosse upon your large discourse concerning the order of the Gospels working therefore to deale fairly you should have let them know that we doe not say that the Magistrate's command should goe out alone to force subjection to it but that there should goe with it all along the preaching of the Word and all good meanes of instruction to reclaime from ●●rour and instruct in the truth and perswade to the obedience of it It is their minde that men should be dealt with as reasonable creatures and led by reason and perswasion and not as bruit creatures onely forced with goads and whips 2. This course is far from opposing the Gospel's way as that it directly tends to further the working of it that the Lord thereby according to his Covenant may write his lawes in his peoples hearts The end of it as was said above is to bring men to the hearing of the Gospel and attend upon it without which it can never work either to the illightening of their understanding or the perswading of their wills Moreover for the Covenant which is That God will write his lawes in the heart this writing no doubt is meant of the whole Law that of the second table as well as that of the first What then may not Magistrates make Lawes to regulate mens actions in duties of the second Table as against the foule sins against it because Gods Covenant is to write these in the hearts of his people And if this writing such lawes in mens hearts evacuate not the Magistrates legislative power about such duties why should it take away the Magistrates power to make lawes about Religion and the duties thereof The like may be said concerning the Gospels illightening the minde and perswading the will which concernes not onely the mysteries of the Gospel and matters of Religion but the works and duties of the second Table to the right peformance whereof there is need of the illightening of the minde and perswading of the will about ordering which yet power is granted to the Magistrate Farther Why goe you not on to urge this farther with Familists and Seekers and the like against preaching the Word and such other meanes of edification as vaine and uselesse since God doth promise to write his lawes in his chosens hearts and mindes without mentioning any such external helps yea addeth that they shall no more teach one another saying Know the Lord for they shall know every one the Lord from the greatest unto the least of them Jer. 31. 33. 34. Obj. This was the method he Apostle followed 2 Corinth 3. 22. Answ. Here is a plaine change of the Question For the question is not what method the Apostles and Ministers may and ought to use for inward conversion but what course Magistrates may follow in outward matters of Religion Aliud est sceptrum as he said aliud est plectrum It is one thing to sway a Scepter and to carry the temporal Sword which cutteth the fl●sh and another thing to manage onely the sword of the Spirit viz. the Word and Church-discipline which onely medleth with mens spirits Another manner of power for making Lawes and assigning Punishments i● annexed to the temporall sword than to t●e spirituall 2. What answer hath been given to the former Arguments may serve here namely that this course doth not thwart the Apostles method but doth promote it 3. That that writing mentioned by the Apostle which was by the Spirit and in the fl●shly tables of the heart doth concern the duties of the second table about which the Apostle makes many exhortations in this and his other Ep●stles as well as dutyes in Religion wherefore the Apostles method excludeth the Magistrates power no more from medling with matters of the first Table than of the second and permitteth him equall power in them both Obj. You endeavour by a contrary course to constraine the body to what the heart opposeth And then if whatsoever be not of Faith is Sin your course is contrary to the Gospel-order and destructive to mens soules Answ. This Argument seemes not to be your Helena as you call an Argument of mine but your Achilles as a strong Argument is sometimes called Achilleum argumentum as which in this Question seemeth to be of the most force and strength But I answer that it is not contrary to the order of the Gospel nor destructive to mens soules by civil lawes instruction going along and being also used to restraine men from Idolatry and publishing Heresies or to command them to the necessary and naturall duties of Gods worship though it be against their minde and perswasions For first The Gospel doth not allow that mens erroneous consciences and perswasions should be their rule or guide in Religion or any other way but onely the Word of God 2. The Gospel doth no where allow unto men the practise of Idolatry or the open profession of Errors and Heresies 3. As Christ hath appointed that his Gospel should be preached to every creature so all men are bound when and where it is preached to be ready to heare it It is therefore more contrary to the Gospel and more destructive to mens Sou'es to suffer them without restraint to continue in Idolatrous worship and Hereticall wayes than to restrain and compell them according to the abovesaid order Obj. But whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin and men may not be compelled to sin Answ. It is true that whatsoever is not done with a due perswasion that it is right and lawfull but against such a perswasion and with a doub●ing conscience is sin to him that shall so doe it but is not alway so in it selfe nor to him that shall command the doing of it but may be a most just and necessary duty and very justly commanded to be done 1. There are things meerly indifferent in which to enforce men to practise against their consciences is against Charity is a breach of Christian liberty and an abuse of Magistracy For there is no breach of any command of God in doing or not doing such things and God may be honoured and acknowledged both in his doing or not doing thereof Rom. 146. 2. There be matters of lesse moment in Religion and circumstantiall points of Discipline or so in which who so dissent and carry their dissent in a peaceable and humble way are much to be born with and no hard measure is to be put upon them 3. There are maine and necessary but externall duties of Religion negative and affi●mative and some such as oblige all men even by the law of Nature which to command men to observe and restraine from the contrary evils though it go against their mindes is no sin in the Magistrate For first The doing of the one and the neglect of the other are manifest and palpable sins are sins per se and

about some mistakes in some words and quotations there is no such wrong done as needs any exp●stulation on either side For there is no advantage taken upon any such matter to the prejudice of either cause And if it should be done on either side it would prove but a cavill and redound to his discredit who should make it If some places of Scripture by you alledged were omitted by me for hast or by over-sight you know thatyou had an answer to them from another reverend man by my procurement which I sent to you though you pleased to take no notice of it and I shall I trust God assisting give answer to them all in due time But now for a Conclusion There is a capitall crime or some deep plot charged on me Your Book say you is not dated at the beginning according to the usuall manner At the end of your Epistle it beares date August the 18. now it came not out untill December neere four moneths after whether this be double dealing to make the Reader believe that we were ●ardy in our Reply is best knowns to your owne conscience Answ. It is wonder that here you did not make a O yes and as he call our Hearken O people every one of you Here is no doubt a weighty matter to cavill at and to charge upon a mans conscience as if I were by when the book was in printing and gave any order about its dating It is dated as all other books be in the beginning and as your own noting the party for whom it was printed and the yeare when it was printed though not the moneth nor day of the moneth which is is not usually noted 2. The long distance between the date of the Epistle and the Books coming forth may shew indeed and that is the plaine truth that it was long ere I could prevaile with the Stationer to undertake the printing of it and the slow going on of the Press But it seemes that you are very jealous of your credit and would have the world take notice of you● ability and readinesse to write and answer In which point I shall not co●tend with you I did in my book toward the end acknowledge and still doe that I am but of a dull apprehension and slow motion and now somewhat the slower by reason of my age having fulfilled the 77. yeare of this mortall race You for me shall goe away with the praise of this swiftnesse It shall suffice me if after some p●odding and longer deliberation I can at length finde out the truth In which case yet I wish you to take notice of the Proverb that Tardus aliquando celerem assequitur He that is but slow may at length overtake the more swift of foot I will conclude with a story of Melancth●n who in a disputation with Errius a Popish Sophister being urged with a subtil● argument from him after some demur about it said I will answer it to morrow Oh saith Errius this is not for your credit if you cannot answer extempore out of hand and presently To whom Melancthon did reply O good Doctor I do not seek mine owne credit in this businesse but the truth To morrow you shall heare me Thus I had rather suffer in my credit for dulness than prejudice the truth by my too hasty swiftness Qui dicit quae vult audiet quae non vult Whose humour is to speak what he doth please Shall hear what will afford him little ease A briefe and solid Exercitation concerning the Coercive Power of the Magistrate in matters of Religion by a reverend and learned Minister Mr. George Petter deceased lately of Bread in Sussex Qu. WHether the Civil Magistrate by his authority may compell men to do● any thing against their conscience in matters of Religion or in the worship of God as to come to Church and there to heare the Word preached Answ. The Magistrate being ordained of God to be custo● utriusque tabulae both may and ought to use his authority in compelling those under his jurisdiction to the due performance of all externall religious duties commanded of God and required in the first table of the morall Law 1. But Rom. 134. He is the Minister of God for the good of his Subjects that is to procure and provide for their good and welfare Now the chief good of his Subjects is their spirituall good the good of their soules and how doth he provide for this if he suffer them to neglect and omit the duties of Gods worship and the ordinary meanes of their salvation and doe not compell them to perform and to use the same 2. But 1 Tim 2. 2. One end for which we are commanded to pray for those that are in authority is this that we may under them and by their meanes lead our lives in all godlinesse Whence it followes that it is the Magistrates duty by his authority to provide that Subjects may live under him in all godliness And how can he be said to do this if he do not by his power take order that they may duly performe the maine duties of piety commanded by God 3. That from the example and practise of some of the religious King● of Juda 2 Chron. 34. 31. Josiah made a Covenant to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandements c. and he caused all in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it So 2 Chro. 15. the like Covenant by the authority of Asa was made by his people ver. 12. They entred into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers c. and that whosoever would not seek the Lord c. should be put to death c. This was a compulsion in an high degree 4. That If a Master of a Family may and ought to compell his Family yea and Strangers too coming or being in his house to the outward sanctifying of the Sabbath at least to keep them from prophaning it as appeares by the Fourth Commandement then may a Magistrate do the like according as is read of and commanded in Nehemiah cap. 13 15 16 c. 1. Obj. If the Magistrate compell his Subjects to doe things against their conscience or which they in their consciences are perswaded to be unlawfull for them to doe then he compells them to sin Answ. Here it is to be considered from whence this perswasion in the Subj●ct doth proceed If from an ignorant and weak conscience as in such as have not had the meanes or no sufficient meanes to teach them and informe their consciences right touching the lawfulnesse of the things enjoyned then I think such persons are not to be compelled to such things till they have beene first conferred withal better instructed informed of the lawfulness of those things injoyned by such as may be presumed better able to informe them than they can inform themselves Yet here this caution is to be added that when such dutyes of Religion are enjoyned by