Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A09320
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The seaven golden candlestickes Englands honour. The great mysterie of Gods mercie yet to come. With peace to the pure in heart aduising to vnitie among our selues. By Richard Bernard, minister at Batcombe in Somersetshire.
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Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.
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1621
(1621)
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STC 1963; ESTC S113795
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38,453
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126
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neuerthelesse be without sinne obeyed as Ioab obeyed Dauid in numbring the people Then be not thou to blame but doe what thou oughtest albeit others doe what they should not II. Quaere How thou dost reckon it euill if simply then finde a prohibition else Where no Law is there is no transgression if accidentally that is in the abuse that may be remoued or in respect of thy ignorance of the lawfulnesse making thee to doubt and so fearing to offend vse all diligence for resolution And if it bee not a knowne sinne to thee certainely but only by probabilities Quaere Whether probabilities of sinning may giue thee a sufficient discharge for not obeying a plaine Precept and to neglect necessary dueties otherwise both to God and Man If yet thou doest thinke thou shalt not doe well albeit the Gospell may be freely preached thereby to yeeld so much to the euill disposition so supposed of men thinke how Saint Paul valued the libertie of preaching the Gospell who since the Ascension of Christ after that the ceremoniall Law was abolished when hee had preached against it and against Circumcision yet did checke himselfe publikely and with a place of Scripture for speaking as hee did against a Simonicall a false in respect of his entrance a persecuting and murdering high Priest hee obserued legall Rites he circumcised Timothy and did not finde fault with things not altogether to bee approued so long as they were not made a part of Gods worship and all this hee did to procure free libertie to preach the Gospell And for yeelding somewhat to mens euill dispositions I say but thus Quaere How it could stand with Moses faithfulnesse to grant a bill of diuorcement contrarie to the Law of marriage contrarie to the first institution from the beginning for the very hardnesse of the peoples hearts and to preuent a greater mischiefe If this haply trouble thee in doing what thou mayest and oughtest that thou shalt offend many whom thou wouldst not offend then cōsider How we ought to carry our selues in offences taken I. QVaere Whether it bee an offence iustly giuen by thee or taken without iust reason of them thou not offending and they displeased the fault is their owne and thou art not chargeable therewith II. Quaere Whether they be offended in respect of what themselues know or but lead by affection disliking from other mens dislike Intreat the former to let thee abound for such things in thine owne sense and shew them that herein thou mayest brotherly disagree for the later informe his iudgement if he will yeeld to reason if not then III. Quaere Whether thou art bound to nourish vp such a one in his folly and to respect his partiall affection being more carryed away with an ouerweening of some mens persons then any thing at all with the right vnderstanding of the cause If they be men of iudgement and will contend with thee bee not troubled with what wit can inuent to say but what is truly spoken from the Word not by farre Conclusions but by a neare consequence and plaine euidence of holy Writ If thou canst answere the substance of that which is obiected let their vaine conceits or subtilties passe neither thinke that thou art ouercome or art bound to yeeld vnto them as one conuinced in iudgement because thou canst not see euery deceiueable reply to giue thereto an vnanswerable reason to take it away If ignorance make a conuiction and sophistrie be the meanes then should men be easily carryed about with euery winde of doctrine There is no Heretique but hath his arguments nor any Sect but hath conceited reasons and Satan by his sophistrie helpeth both the more to beguile others and euen so to deceiue their owne selues IV. Quaere What authoritie may doe in things externall for outward rule in the circumstances of things and then Whether Authoritie commanding doth not take away the offence which might otherwise bee giuen in a voluntarie act V. Quaere Whether a man should stand more vpon auoiding dislikes in priuate persons then offence to publike authoritie Whether this be not an humouring of men to encrease discontentednesse rather then to endeauour to preserue wherein thou mayest the publike peace and wellfare of a Christian State or Whether it were not better to crosse some mens affections without sinne to God then that otherwise thou shouldest stay the passage of the Gospell neglect most certayne duties let people perish open a gap to the enemie lose thy libertie no whit better the Church It were better wherein thou lawfully mayest after the Apostles practice that thou diddest become all things to all men to winne but some Doest thou not behold the times wee haue among vs the Pseudo-Catholikes are they not craftie Foxes diuision they seeke to hold on foote they know a Kingdome diuided against it selfe cannot stand By vnion they strengthen themselues by dis-vnion we grow weake If we support one another in loue their enemitie can doe vs no harme They are subtile our innocency is not enough but we had need to be as wise as Serpents and let vs labour to be of one mind that we may ioyntly turne our forces against them Therefore let vs all as the Apostle exhorteth studie to be quiet and to follow those things which concerne our peace with God within our selues and one with another And to attayne to this let vs keepe patience within vs and bee charitable abroad towards others Let vs attempt nothing rashly but first know things as they be rightly We may be yea wee must be zealous yet in sound iudgement without distempered passion and not without compassion to the transgressor In doing any thing that our course may bee good and approued let vs make euer the Word our warrant the circuit of our calling our bounds and limits the Spirit of God our Director our conscience our Comforter godly wise our Counsellors the glorie of God our end truth and honestie the matter for which we contend the Enemies watchings caueats to vs to preuent miscarriage and to cause vs to walk more warily and all our life to be such as may witnesse our readinesse for death hauing euer a holy remembrance of our end and wee shall neuer doe amisse Euen so Amen FINIS
more out and there shall be written vpon him the Name of God and of the Citie new Ierusalem Christ his Name Christians and true Church of Christ shall be in a stable and vnmoueable state Pope Turke the Beast and Dragon open and secret Enemies being destroyed these heauenly Conquerours shall bee accounted the true Church of God that new Ierusalem such as God the Father Iesus Christ will claime for his owne as if his name were writvpon them C. 19. 20. C. 21. 2 He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches And thus much for this beautifull and louely Philadelphian state of the Church from Anno 1558. to the time determined set out in this Church of Philadelphia In this estate are we in these dayes CONSIDERATIONS FOR INSTRVCTION AND VSE FIrst that this is the time of opening the doore that men may come into the true Church Secondly That none now shall euer bee able to shut againe this doore Protestance shall prosper Thirdly that a little strength with obedience to the Word shall bee sufficient for the Churches safety Fourthly that the false Church by the power of Christ though this to man seeme incredible shall be made subiect to the true Church Fiftly that shortly Christ will make the Enemies know his loue to his owne people Sixtly that great tryals and temptations shall come vpon the World of which it may bee wee haue now the beginnings but the Lord will keepe his Church God Almighty prepare and strengthen vs in his mercie to subdue our enemies O Lord saue thy people shew thy power in the confusion of thine our malicious Aduersaries that we may for euer sing prayses to thy Name euen so be it O Lord of thy goodnesse euen so be it Amen THE SEVFNTH GOLDEN CANDLESTICK THE SEVENTH CHVRCH In the Type In the Antitype The Church of LAODICEA the last of the seuen The Laodicean state of Christ his Church and the last till Christ come to iudgment which state followeth vpon that height of excellencie and glory which in the Philadelphian state it attayneth vnto 1. HEERE Christ calleth himselfe the Amen the faithfull and true Witnesse the beginning of the Creation of God 1. BEcause now the LORD bringeth his Church to the last state euen to the Amen therof hereupon Earth in which when all things are fulfilled which Christ Iesus as a true and faithfull Witnesse of his Fathers will hath foretold by himselfe and by his Spirit in the Prophets and Apostles then shall he fully declare himselfe the Authour of the heauenly Creation and of that glory of his Saints which they shall enioy with him in  appearing at the last Day Reuelat 21. 2. This became luke-warme being neyther hote nor cold 2. After the great peace which the Church shall haue vpon her so high aduancement in her former state all her Enemies being brought downe and vtterly destroyed she shall decay in zeale become luke-warme not hot as seruently bent vnto Godlinesse neither cold as without any affection of Religion at all but too carelesly remisse in the duties of Pietie contenting herselfe with a peaceable enioying of the Lords ordinances after an outward forme of Godlinesse in abundance and plentie of all things by which it will come to passe in time that Charitie shall wax cold and Faith that is the sincere studie of godlinesse shall scarcely bee found vpon Earth when Christ shall shew himselfe at his second Comming Reuel 19 20. Luke 18. 8. 3. The LORD 3. So will the Lord loath and threateneth to spew this out of his mouth abhorre the luke-warme state of this Church and cast out the same for euer in his appointed time 4. This is taxed for glorying and for too high a conceit of her happinesse being in a very wretched and miserable case 4. THIS giueth vs to know that such shall bee the outward and flourishing estate and plentifull blessings euery way in that respect of this Church as through the delight and full contentment thereof they shall bee too ignorant of their spirituall estate with God and not know how far they shall be from the power of godlinesse 5. This is rebuked and chaslened and is graciously aduised to vse the meanes for reformation 5. Which sheweth that the Lord in his mercy will not bee wanting in all good meanes offered to seeke their reformation by word and deed if so bee they will turne from luke-warmenes and become zealous and so amend and if they will heare him and receiue him such shall taste of his spirituall comforts and bee made most ioyfull in the  heauenly taste thereof 6. To him that here ouercommeth is granted a Kingly seat with Christ in Heauen 6. There must bee in some a spirituall conflict who shall striue happily against the common current of luke-warmnes and against the death of drowsie security from which by striuing they shall acquit themselues so graciously preuayling at Christ his comming to reward euery one according to his works shall these Conquerours receiue glory and honour with him in the highest Heauens for euer Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches And thus much for this luke-warme state of the Church the last and fearefull condition thereof before the comming of Christ vnto Iudgement which is not yet come vpon vs though wee bee luke-warme enough CONSIDERATIONS FOR INSTRVCTION AND VSE FIrst that as now men doe so hereafter they will abuse the great peace and prosperity of the Church to grow thereby secure Secondly that to bee luke-warme is the worst disease of the Church and that estate which will make the Lord to spew them out of his mouth Thirdly that full contentment of earthly things maketh men highly conceited of themselues and to bee ignorant of their spirituall estate before God Fourthly that men may be wretched miserable poore blinde and naked and yet bee highly conceited of their well being and that they bee in a very happy condition Of such conceited persons I wish this age were not full The Conclusion THus wee see apparently how the seuen Churches of Asia are liuely representations of the seuen fold estate of the Church of Christ vnto the end of the World not Types of this or that one particular Church as some doe dreame but are Types of the estate of the whole Church yet so as there will bee a mixture some thus and some so in particular Churches as we see a difference in these seuen Churches themselues The times of the Ephesine Smyrnean Pergamine Thyatirean and Sardine are past this is now the Philadelphian state in which the Gospell hath gotten free passage and must get for Christ hath opened and none can shut howsoeuer the Aduersary may attempt to hinder and endeuour to ouerthrow the Professours of the Gospell yet shall these our Enemies be ouercome and bee made at last to submit vnto vs sure it is that great