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
A87828	Seven questions about the controversie betweene the Church of England, and the Separatists and Anabaptists, breifely [sic] discussed. 1. Whether is the Church of England as it now stands a true church? 2. Whether the Church of England be a right nationall church? 3. Whether are the ministers in the Church of England sent of God, and so are true ministers or not? 4. Whether is the baptisme of infants a true and lawfull baptisme or no? 5. Whether it be lawfull to be rebaptized or not? 6. Whether it is lawfull to separate from all the publike ordinances and Christian assemblies in our English church, because there are some defects in discipline, and in other things amongst us? 7. Whether is it necessarie to demolish our churches (steeple-houses as the Separatists call them,) and to build them in other places, because they were built by idolators for idolatrous worship, were abused with images, and dedicated to saints? By Immanuel Knutton, preacher of Gods word at Beeston in Nottingham shire [sic].	Knutton, Immanuel, d. 1655.	1645 (1645)	Wing K744; Thomason E25_20; ESTC R4217	31,540	40

a tenth part of all why is this compared with Leviticall tithes which were paied yearely if this were not also usuall and continuall the Apostle would not use this manner of speech of one only action unlesse it shewed the common use and practise how tithes were then paied to the Priest as by common use and practise they were afterwards paied to the Levites Besides I thinke with judicious Calvin that Abraham paied tithes not of the spoyles but of his owne goods because it 's said Gen. 14.22.23 That Abraham had lift up his hand to God that he would not take so much as a threed or shooe latchet of that which was taken which he yeelded to the King of Sodome c. It 's more then probable that he paied no tithes of the spoyles seeing he would not account any part thereof his owne The next testimony before the law is Gen. 28.20.21 c. From hence it appeares that it was the generall opinion of the godly before the law was given that tithes ought to be given to God For otherwise Jacob did offend unlesse hee knew that this thing pleased God as being appointed by him Object But Jacob vowed a vow to give the tenth now no morrall thing may bee vowed because we are bound without a vow to performe such things Answer Yet its lawfull to vow morall duties which God commands us to binde our selves to more carefull obedience to excite our dulnesse to prevent omission the holy practise of the godly proves it 2 Chron. 15.12 13 14 Psal 119.106 Psal 50.14 Psal 56.12 and though ceremoniall things might be vowed under the law yet no otherwise but as they drew to some morall duty Besides the other parts of Jacobs vow was not ceremoniall but morall Gen. 28.20 21 22. That God should be his God this was vowed by him on like condition with tithes and for ought I know Iacob might as well vow tithes to God for ever as that God should be his God Iacob in this vow I thinke vowed not for himselfe alone but for his seed that should succeed because the vision which Jacob saw concerned all his posterity so did his vow God promised many blessings to him and his seed he vows holy service and obedience to God for him and his posterity those that would ascend into Heaven by Iacobs Ladder which is Christ Iohn 1.51 must be tied to Iacobs vow for Iacobs vow answering the vision whilest any part of the vision is to be performed which will be till Christs second comming so long shall tithes be Gods inheritance Because as I said his vow concerned his seed as much if not more then himselfe And those are his seed who are more of his faith then his flesh for all the families of the earth which here are blessed in Iacobs seed were not all of Iacobs flesh but even Iaphets seed comming to the tents of Sem the Gentiles called Therefore all subject by Iacobs vow to tithing Rom. 9 6.7.8 Object But we read not of the constant paying of tithes nor of any law for tithing till the time of Moses Numb 18. Answer Neither do we read of the observation of the Sabbath from the Creation till Exod. 16. Yet doubtlesse the people of God observed it but as concerning tithes we have here two examples Abraham and Iacob Reas 4 Because Tithes were due and were paied to Melchizedeke by Abraham and so ought to be paied to Christ or else Christ should faile in some thing to be as Melchizedeke was which may not be granted seeing he is after his order as the Priests of the law after Aarons order and so were in every thing as Aaron Now tithes being due to Christ must be paied to his servants the Ministers of the Gospel Heb. 7.1 to 11. From this place consider these things 1. The scope of this place is to set forth the greatnesse and the honorable condition of Melchizedek and consequently of Jesus Christ 2. Melchisedecks receiving of tithes the Apostle makes a speciall argument of his greatnesse viz. his receiving tithes of Abraham whose Offspring the Tribe of Levi tooke tithes 3. Melchizedek is as great as ever he was and so in all things as he was in the time of Abraham for he is the Priest of God for ever that never dies and so his Priesthood and the rights of it never cease 4. how can his admirable greatnesse in his Antitipe Christ be said still to be the same if Christ takes no tithes neither hath right to take them seeing the Apostle urgeth this as a maine argument of his greatnesse his scope is to prove Melchizedek more excellent then Aaron or Abraham himselfe or then any of the Jewish Nation and consequently Christ more excellent that the Hebrewes might not be hindred by an over weening opinion touching the Aaronicall Priesthood so long setled amongst them from comming unto Christ The super excellency of Melchizedek is proved by this that he took tithes of the Patriarke Abraham blessed him the title Patriarke being added for Abrahams greater honour to magnifie Melchizedek the more Next the super excellency of Melchizedek is in this amplified by comparing this tithing with that under the law used amongst Abrahams children for if some of them had a greater honour done to them in this that they tooke tithes of their brethren Melchizedek was far more honoured in taking tithes of Abraham and if they were honoured to blesse others their brethren being hereby proved greater then Melchizedek in blessing Abraham was much more honored proved greater then he and by consequence then Levi and the high Priest springing of him for so much as Levi himselfe being then in Abrahams loynes paid tithes unto him and was blessed of him from all this it followes plainely that tithes are due to the Ministers of the Gospel in regard they are Christs Ambassadours to reconcile people to God and to blesse them with conversion by preaching the word because tithes are Christs and Melchizedeks as they were a meanes of blessing for in this respect also Abraham is noted to have paid tithes to Melchizedek when hee met him and blessed him Object But we reade not that Christ or his Apostles received tithes or demanded them Answer Neither received they ought else of some Churches but their owne hands ministred to their necessities that they might not bee scandalous to weake brethren nor chargeable to afflicted Churches must Ministers of all ages doe the like Secondly the argument followes not from no practise to inferre no right for the Apostles travelled from place to place to preach the Gospel that then this could not be well done but the right was not infrienged hereby no more then the right of Circumcising by the intermission thereof forty yeares in the Wildernesse Thirdly wee reade soone after Christs ascention the Apostles tooke the price of whole fields and possessions of such as joyned themselves to them for their owne maintenance and of their poore brethren