Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	bind_v	law_n	moral_a	1,736	5	9.5201	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09277	Vindiciæ gratiæ. = A plea for grace More especially the grace of faith. Or, certain lectures as touching the nature and properties of grace and faith: wherein, amongst other matters of great use, the maine sinews of Arminius doctrine are cut asunder. Delivered by that late learned and godly man William Pemble, in Magdalen Hall in Oxford.	Pemble, William, 1592?-1623.; Capel, Richard, 1586-1656.	1627 (1627)	STC 19591; ESTC S114374	222,244	312

shew what he intendeth effectually to bring to passe But yet here they urge further How can God in justice command unto a man by his Word the Performance of that which cannot be done by him without the inward helpe of the Spirit and yet in the meane time God denies this inward grace unto him I answer Gods justice will herein be as free from accusation of tyranny as before his truth was from falshood and collusion God may without blemish to his justice Command man to performe his dutie although hee have now no strength to doe it because once hee had strength and he hath now lost it Yea will they say that were true did not two things hinder 1. Man indeed had strength and hath lost it but how himselfe did not decoquere wastefully spend his Patrimonie and by the Act of his sinning abolish the Image of God within him but God for a punishment of his fault did by an immediate act take away his originall abilities And it is then as great injustice in God to command us Conversion Faith and Repentance when himselfe hath taken away our abilities whereby wee should performe it as for a Iudge after he hath put out an offenders eyes yet to command him under paine of further punishment to read such a booke If hee had put out his owne eies the case had beene otherwise the Iudge being not bound to take notice of that his fact To which we answer that t is true God for our sinne hath deprived us of his image so that we cannot doe his will without new strength restored unto us yet we must remember though this deprivation be an act of God yet it happens through our merit by reason of our sinne and in this case how harsh soever it may seeme to us yet God the Iudge of the world doth not unjustly To command us the doing of that which wee cannot performe without those abilities restored which himselfe for our transgression hath taken from us and will not give us againe This is proved by that one instance beyond all exception The perfect obedience to the Morall Law is required of all and yet t is madnesse to affirme that God gives or is bound to give unto all that strength to doe it which they had in Adam without which it cannot bee done Further that God may justly command what man cannot performe is manifest by Gods commanding Pharaoh to let the Israelites goe which yet Pharaoh could not doe for God himselfe hardened his heart that hee should not be willing to let them depart 2. When God commands man to beleeve the Gospell here 's a duety injoyned that man never had strengh in Adam to performe And therefore if God doe require a new duety he is bound to afford new strength because by that which he had and lost he was never inabled to doe it To which we answer that it is an errour to affirme that Faith which is the condition of the new Covenant is not commanded in the Morall Law Legall and Evangelicall or the Faith of Adam in innocency and of man since his Fall is for the substance of the grace one and the same viz. Credence and Confidence of and in all things whatsoever that God shall reveale unto man The difference is onely in the Vse and in the particular object as we shall see in the handling of that point of Faith Now Adam being commanded in all things to beleeve his Creator whether revealed or to be revealed and having ability so to doe so that if God had told of him the mystery of the Gospell he would have beleeved it we also are bound by the Law of our Creation and so the Morall Law to beleeve in Christ as soone as God reveales vnto us this thing to be beleeved and God may require it of us because wee had power once to doe it and what is lost God is not bound to restore 2. Reason If the Word at any time be destitute of the quickning Spirit it will follow that the Word shall be of it selfe a dead letter and the ●avour of death because it is destitute of the Spirit which only puts life unto it But this is not to be affirmed for as much as it is only our fault that the Word proves the ●avour of death c. To this we answer That the Word is never of it selfe the ●avour of death no not then when it is without the vertue of the Spirit and we reject those assertions as utterly erroneous That the Word should bee preached unto some to damne them or with this intent to make them inexcusable The Gospell is not published with any such purpose at all for the judgement of our English Divines in the Synod is ●ound that those who being called refuse to convert should be made more inexcusable Neque enim ea singi potest homines reddere inexcusabiles per Verbum Spiritum vocatio quae eo tantum Fine exhibetur ut reddat inexcusabiles No there 's no such matter The end of the VVord preached is to shew unto man what is that good and that acceptable will of God which he requires man should performe and the declaration of the will of God to man is alwaies in it selfe most good and excellent nor doth it vary in its owne nature whether the vertue of the Spirit goe with it or no. For as I touched before the power of the Spirit doth not worke upon the VVord to put life into it but it workes upon our soules to put life into them So that whether our hearts be sanctified or not sanctified t is all one to the VVord it makes no alteration in the nature of that All the difference lies in the Effect where the heart is sanctified there the VVord is heard with obedience where t is not sanctified there t is heard and disobeyed But the cause of this difference is meerely in the disposition of mans heart not any jot from the VVord the preaching whereof is good and to a good intent but unto some it becomes hurtfull not because the VVord hurts them but they hurt themselves by their owne sinnefulnesse leaving themselves inexcusable in their fault and aggravating their damnation by wilfull disobedience The VVord is neither dead nor deadly in it selfe but wee are dead and by our sinnes against the VVord slay our selves 3. Reason If the preaching of the VVord be sometimes destitute of the vertue of the Spirit it will follow that men should bee condemned for not beleeving and being converted by that which hath no power to cause them to beleeve and convert as the VVord without the Spirit hath not But that were injustice so to doe c. Ergo. To this slight argument we answer that the default of mens not beleeving and converting is not through want of any thing in the VVord which is onely to tell them what God requires of them and this the VVord doth fully and sufficiently If they obey not

Atheisticall to denie his truth or strangely subtle to shift it off from it selfe when t is pressed with it in particular But when the spirit of Grace hath overshadowed the soule sanctifying all the powers thereof throughout t is admirable to see how it stoopes to the command of the Word There is then a singular harmony betweene the holinesse of the Will and of the Word this food of spirituall life relisheth as sweet and savoury unto the soule as milke to Infants or strong meat to able and healthy men Regeneration hath restored health unto the soule whereby it hath recovered a true taste of the Lords bounty and goodnesse whence followes a constant appetite thereunto asmuch as unto corporall nourishment as the Apostle argues 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2. 3. Hence the soule begins to conceive a high esteeme of the dignity of the Word it sees now nothing so reasonable excellent as the wisedome thereof it beholds nothing ●o terrible as Gods threats nothing so lovely as his favour it sees no ornament of the soule comparable to Grace no pleasure like unto the peace of Conscience it comprehends an end of all other perfection but the further it lookes into Gods law the deeper wonders it discernes it lookes upon the world and reades Vanity in all the things thereof and strange folly in mens desires of them and now it counts no preferment any whit comparable to the hope of heaven it hath now Reall apprehensions of Divine things and conceives of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of a Worke to be done not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a businesse to bee discours'd and talked of it judges now that there is an absolute necessity of obeying God though all the world bee displeased and that the regard of saving a mans soule must thrust out of the way all importunate pleasures and profits that would presse in upon us Being thus illightened and inwardly touched by the finger of God the soule presently puts it wholly upon the certainty and excellency of Gods truth revealed it stretcheth forth the armes of her strongest confidence affiance unto every branch of the Scriptures embracing absolutely and without all limitation the truth goodnesse power and wisedome of God shining therein it beleeves what it knowes and as it can where t is ignorant it prayes for knowledge where weake it sues for strength and increase of faith where stubborne it offers it selfe unto God to bee bowed or broken if he please counting it now a happy thing to be crossed in sinne to bee met with at every by-turning with some reproofe or chastisement let him chide or strike it falls downe at his feet and without quarrelling disputing and arguing the case takes all with a Benedictus Dominus c. Blessed be the Lord and blessed bee his Ministers and blessed be their counsell who have kept me from committing this sinne against the Lord. When thus the heart is softened and sanctified then and not before is wrought that habituall Grace and blessed disposition of the will which we call true Faith whereby the Creature is willing to resigne up its understanding desires affections thoughts words workes and all to the disposing of his Creator in such a sort as by his revealed Will hee hath or shall make known beleeving certainly that in every thing t is best to follow his counsell This for cause of true Faith next followes 2. The Object of this particular Faith which is twofold 1. The whole Will of God revealed unto us in his Word containing all Histories Doctrines Commands Threatnings Promises of what kind soever 2. The particular Promise of Remission of sinnes and Everlasting Life by the death of Christ which in one word we call the Gospell It is needfull thus to distinguish of the object of Faith because although it be but one and the same infused grace of true Faith which respects both forasmuch as by the same sacred Habite of the soule we are inclined to beleeve both the whole and each part of Gods will be it in it selfe more or lesse excellent or more or lesse needfull to us neverthelesse Faith as it hath reference to these Objects The whole Will of God and The particular Promise of the Gospell admitteth of divers considerations names and uses Faith as it assents to the whole Will of God in what kind soever I call Legall because it is such a Vertue as is immediately required by the Morall Law in the same manner as other duties of the Morall Law are Forasmuch as all men are bound by the Law of their creation to give full assent and affiance to all things whatsoever God shall reveale unto them And as all other Morall dueties are required of us in their degrees as parts of our outward obedience and inward sanctity necessary to salvation so is this of Faith commanded as 〈◊〉 principall grace of the soule and a prime part of our obedience to the first Commandement And so Faith in this respect may bee called Saving namely as all other Graces are because required in their measure as needfull to Salvation Faith as it assents unto the speciall promise of grace I call Evangelicall because it is such an Act as is expressely commanded in the Gospell the object thereof being not revealed by the Morall Law It is called also properly Saving and Iustifying in regard of the use it now hath through Gods gracious appointment to be the onely instrument of our Iustification and Salvation by Christ. In which distinction between Legal Evangelicall Faith we must not conceive of two distinct Habits of Faith it is but one gracious quality of the soule disposing it to the beliefe of all divine truth which for the substance of it was the same in innocent Adam with that which is in regenerate men The difference stands onely herein 1. In the Degrees Adams Faith was perfect because his understanding was fully inlightened and his affections absolutely conformable to all holinesse Wee know but little and by reason of our inward weaknesse beleeve but weakly what we doe know 2. In the Originall in Adam it was naturall by creation in us t is supernaturall from the holy Ghosts infusion 3. In the particular Object Adam beleeved God without reference to Christ the Mediatour wee beleeve chiefly the promise of Grace in Christ and all other things with some relation to him Here then is no new Faith but a New object of Faith not revealed unto Adam whereto our Faith is now directed and here 's also a singular priviledge newly granted unto Faith that God accepteth it to our Iustification in his sight Otherwise if wee looke unto the grace it selfe as it was in Adam a part of Gods Image given him by creation and is in us a part of the same Image restored by regeneration so there 's no difference at all and therefore in that question whether Iustifying Faith bee commanded in the Morall Law there needs no great dispute t is manifest that

settled plantation for many ages In which time learning Arts and all Civilitie seemed to have beene confined to those middle parts of the world the rest further remote being left in grosse ignorance and barbarisme And the same course is held to this day wherein Learning and Civility hath abandoned the Easterne countries which have forsaken true Religion and hath not yet approached to the Westerne Americans who have not heard the sound of the Gospell Now then in the course of times it could not bee but sundry accidents would fall out for the dispearcing of sacred knowledge as trading and commerce of Merchants both strangers into Iudaea and Iewes into forraine parts Entertaining of Slaves and Captives who if barbarous learned of their Iewish if Iewes taught their barbarous Masters many mysteries of Religion received and beleeved among the people of God The perigrination and sojourning of many Iewes abroad in forraine parts as no countrey soever but hath some of its people in all countreys which Iewes as they learned the superstitions of the Heathen so they brought in amongst them some pieces and relickes of true Religion Lastly the Curiosity of the Philosophers of those times shaming the negligence of the learned now who would with any cost purchase bookes of any Art in any Language which they thought contained some secret knowledge and rare mysterie as also spared no labour in travelling into forraine parts wherein they heard were any men or meanes whereby their knowledge might be increased Wherefore it is more than probable that those Ancients Zoroastres Hermes Orpheus Plato and others drew their knowledge which in part they had of many high mysteries out of a deeper and cleerer fountaine than the muddy shallow springs of their owne naturall reason though in the passage this water was much soyled by them with the mudde of many idle fables and silly conceits A reason whereof we may conceive to be either the darknesse of their apprehension not cleerely discerning what was perhaps plainely enough delivered or the corruption of those Idolatrous times which permitted not the least innovation in opinion or practice touching the matter of Religion as appeares in the case of Socrates which constrayned the learned in those dayes to conceale much of what they knew or to declare it darkly in many mistie and foggy fables whose interpretation aftertimes forgot and so beleeved a lie for a true tale Hitherto of the knowledge of a meere naturall man let us next descend to the Effects thereof in regard of Practice which admitting of a double consideration as theformer What may be what hath beene done shall yet here be handled joyntly together By the former discourse it appeares how imperfect the knowledge of the wisest naturall man is whence it followes that his practice will come as farre short of his knowledge as his knowledge doth of perfection For so t is even with the best Christians who practise farre lesse than they know much more with the naturall man whose knowledge is too darke and uncertaine to cause any powerfull and vigorous impression upon his will and sensuall affections which will be too too violent and untamed to give way to the commands of his understanding Yea should we suppose in a naturall man the cleerest apprehension of all duties in the morall Law yet could it not much better his practice so easily would the Naturall Conscience bee choaked and borne downe by the power of Corruption unlesse it bee supported by Faith which only puts life into our knowledge and strength unto our practice And in this case there is no difference betweene a Naturall Heathen and an Vnregenerate Christian who in knowledge may and doth exceed the other and yet come short of him in practice For seeing they both alike want Faith and Sanctification it is possible that goodnesse of naturall temper civility of education strictnesse of government due hope of reward and praise or feare of the contrary with the like motives may carry a Heathen as farre in vertuous courses as bare illumination can a Christian. The same corruption in both perhaps greater in the Christian than Heathen as sinne abounds more where unsanctified knowledge abounds I say the like corruption in both would imprison this knowledge in unrighteousnesse that it breake not forth into Religious practice Whence wee finde that Christians much more Philosophers have not beene the same men in the Chaire and in their Conversations but that their opinions and discourses have beene full of Sanctity and Temperance when their lives have beene defiled with all Impiety and Sensuality Wherefore for the generall let us set downe this Conclusion as most true that The meere naturall man never goes so farre in the application of his knowledge unto practice as hee might doe and as hee knowes he should doe And therefore the Gentiles are condemned for detaining the truth in injustice for sinning against their consciences accusing them for knowing God and yet not glorifying him as God So that t is cleere although the Naturall man cannot doe or know so much as he ought yet hee knowes more than hee is ever willing to practise and for that cause his knowledge is sufficient to condemne him of his unrighteousnesse towards man and false worship of God himselfe though it bee not sufficient to direct him in the true meanes and manner of Gods right worship or the practice of a holy life And thus in Gods wonderfull judgement he is left as without sufficient direction for well doing so without all lawfull excuse for his ill doing But come we to particulars the Naturall mans practice respects either God in his Inward worship Outward Man 1. In things concerning God and his worship the Naturall man utterly perverts himselfe in his practice there being in this case the greatest deformity and disagreement that may be betweene his knowledge in the speculation and his application thereof to practice Consider him in the Inward worship of the heart how hee stands affected toward the Deity in those inward affections of Love Feare Credence and Confidence which are required as part of our Spirituall worship of God It would be strange to see the disposition of a meere Naturall mans heart in this part of Gods worship how feeble cold and forced these affections would bee how full of hypocrisie and falshood being secretly fastned to the creature when they pretend to bee directed to the Creator just like unregenerate Christians that will make shew of Love Feare Faith and Trust in God when t is apparant they intend nothing lesse in their affections Consider him in the Outward worship of God and the Naturall man is farre more defective as appeares by the manifest experience of all ages who corrupted their waies in nothing so much as the service of God mistaking the object and seeking for that Deity which they apprehended in a generall Notion not onely in the Similitude but in Nature of the Creatures and those many times of the weakest and

the Morall Law 110 Faith Legall and Euangelicall the same in substance and differ only in the vse and obiect 111 The excellencie of Faith 158 What Faith or beleefe is in generall 159 How it agrees with and differs from knowledge opinion 160. c. Three grounds of the certaintie of assent in Faith 164. 206 The first 206 The second 220 The third 222 Faith a degree beyond beleefe being an assent with confidence and reliance 170 Faith taken in a speciall sence as it is Christian Faith described 171 Diuers acceptions of it ibid. 172 The obiect of Faith described 172. c. The subiect euerie reasonable creature 197. 198 Faith is in the whole heart euen in the will as well as in the vnderstanding 199. 230 Faith which Papists call iustifying is the faith of diuels and reprobates 237 Faith foolishly distinguished by Papists into formed and vnformed 237 Faith without works differs in nature from Faith with workes 238 Particular assent in Faith and the root and cause of it 241 The obiect of it two-fold 244 Faith of the Elect wherein it differs from Faith of Hypocrites 247 Faith vnfained 253. 254 Faith of Hypocrites doth not assent to all Diuine truth at all times 147. 148. c. Faith implicit of Papists confuted 194 Faith in the particular promise of grace defined 257 The iustifying act therof propounded proued 258 How it is wrought 259 The comfort of it 260 Faith of the Elect by what degrees of assent and essentiall differences it is distinguished from other Faith 226 Temporarie Faith 227 The causes of it 228. 229 G GOD as Creator how far he may be knowne to naturall men 65 Goodnesse of the naturall man not generall 80 It resp●cts others more then himselfe 79 Grace what the habit of it is 7 It is infused all at once 10. 11 The actions of it appeare sooner or later stronger or weaker in some 9 It is so firmely wrought in the Elect that it shall neuer be blotted out 34 Grace preuenting assisting inciting helping 13 By what meanes Grace may be quenched 37 Grace sufficient for conuersion not giuen to the Gentiles while they are out of the Church 55. 56. 57 Nor to all Christians in the visible Church 88. 89. c. Grace of conuersion friuolously distinguished into sufficient and effectuall 89 Grace sufficient to conuersion is alwayes effectuall and effectuall Grace onely is sufficient 91 Grace giuen to those who are within the Church set forth in the diuers kinds thereof 94 Grace doth not rectifie inferiour faculties first 127 Grace sufficient to beleeue and turne to God is no other but the Grace of regeneration 92. 93 It is not giuen to all 93 Grace preparatiue to conuersion how it may be resisted 140. 141. c. H HOly Spirit giuen two wayes 26 I IGnorance of the very time of our conuersion no iust cause of doubting fear that we are not conuerted and why 44 Illumination both naturall and spirituall described 94 95 When it is not sufficient for sanctification of the heart 101. c. Common Illumination not giuen to all hearers of the Word 100 Image of God wherein Adam was made 4 Implicit faith of Papists confuted 194. c. Infants dying without Baptisme may be saued 45 Infants are charitably supposed to be regenerate in Baptisme 45 Why they may not receiue the Lords Supper 49. 50 Infusion of grace hath no concurrence of mans naturall abilities but onely requires in him a passiue capacity to receiue 32 K KNowledge of Christian Religion must be alwayes increasing and fruitfull Preface 14 Knowledge meere naturall of the Morall Law brings little practise 70 Knowledge more certaine then beleefe in things of the same kind 166 Perfect Knowledge takes away all beleefe 167 Knowledge by sight so far as sight goes takes away faith 191 Knowledge distinct and explicit of Diuine things necessarie to the being of faith 192 L LAw morall how far it may be knowne to a naturall man 66. 68 Learned men vnsanctified fit to make hereticks pr. 19. 20 Loue of God reacheth to the Elect before they be regenerate 17 Considered in it selfe it differs from the manifestation of it to vs 18 Gods Loue to our persons and actions 19 Light of nature well vsed by the Heathen doth not bind God in Iustice to giue them supernaturall light 84 MEanes of common faith 229 Meditation of what things will stir vs vp to praise Gods rich grace and mercy in our conuersion 38 Ministers dutie in preaching the Word 113 Miraculous faith ground on immediat reuelations 173 Motions naturall and spirituall which are wrought by the Word described 95. 96 NAturall man cannot by the most industrious vse of all helpes naturall attaine to the least knowledge of God as he is mans Redeemer in Christ 64 His knowledge of God confined within two limits 65 How far his knowledge of God as Creator reacheth 65 He neuer goeth so far in practise as he might and as he knowes he ought to doe 71 He neither knowes the cause nor can iudge aright of the nature of sin 74. 75 His vertue and goodnesse how far it goes and is approued of God 76 He cannot possibly desire grace and mercy and why 84 Necessitie doth well stand together with libertie in the will regenerate 156 OBedience of regenerate men how it is made irregular 152 Obscuritie in the obiect of faith as it is held by the Papists confuted 187. 188. c. Obseruation of Gods mercies iudgments on our selus or other a speciall meanes to increase faith 223. P PAssions and affections naturall not subiect to reason 124 Plainnesse of speech and matter to be vsed in preaching of Gods Word Pref. 22. 23 Priesthood of Christ and how Christ and Aaron agree and differ Pref. 23 Promises the obiect of faith 170 QValities in the reasonable soule differ three wayes according to the threefold state of man 4. 5 REgeneration improperly ascribed to the Word 97 Regenerat man hath in him two contrarie qualies grace and corruption as he is spirituall he neuer resists the worke of grace 148 Resistance of grace in Regenerat men whence it flowes 151 How the preuailing act of it is taken away 152 VVhy it preuailes many times 153 Religion breeds ciuility knowledg of all arts 68. 69 Righteousnesse of the naturall man not acceptable to God 81 Rather negatiue then positiue 79 More outward then inward 76. 77 SAnctification how it goes before iustification 21 It is infused into Infants 43 VVrought in a maner meerely supernaturall 29 Sanctification how it hath mans free-will concurring to it two waies 31 Man not a moral agent in it 33. 34 Schollars how made complete Pref. 20. 21. c. Scriptures freed from Popish imputations of obscurity 177. 178. c. How they are certainly knowne to be Gods VVord 208. 209 By themselues 213 and by the Spirit 214. 215 Sin what a snare it hath layd to intrap wicked men 139 Spirit how far