Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	call_v	law_n	moral_a	1,184	5	9.0839	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70819	Appello evangelium for the true doctrine of the divine predestination concorded with the orthodox doctrine of Gods free-grace and mans free-will / by John Plaifere ... ; hereunto is added Dr. Chr. Potter his owne vindication in a letter to Mr. V. touching the same points.	Plaifere, John, d. 1632.; Potter, Christopher, 1591-1646. Dr. Potter his own vindication of himself.	1651 (1651)	Wing P2419; ESTC R32288	138,799	346

was made we are in God through the knowledge which is had of us and the love which is borne towards us from everlasting But in God we are actually no longer than onely from the time of our naturall adoption into the body of his true Church into the fellowship of his children For his Church he knoweth and loveth so that they which are in the Church are thereby knowne to be in him our being in Christ by eternall foreknowledge saveth us not without our actuall and reall adoption into the fellowship of his Saints in this present world for in him we actually are by our actuall incorporation into that society which hath him for their head c. By the change of the letter are marked out the things which I would wish the Reader to marke with his attentive mind THE THIRD PART CHAP. I. Of the Creation THe Creation of the World was the first act of Gods Power beginning to execute in time his Counsell and Decree which was from everlasting The World is that whole frame of Gods building set up perfected and furnished according to the plot or modell in the minde and purpose of God who hath built all things Heb. 3. 4. In it God made manifest the invisible things of his Wisdome and Goodnesse to his own glory Rom. 1. 20. Therein he hath made Creatures of sundry Natures Motions and Perfections to sundry ends Above others he created Man in more excellent perfections to a more excellent end For hee created Man an Image of God as farre as was meete for a Creature to partake of the Divine Nature that was to be Good but Mutable This Image or likenesse to God was to be seen in three things the first and second as Mans perfections the third as his End 1. In Vnderstanding and Will 2. In Holinesse and Righteousnesse 3. In Immortality Blessednesse These three were subalternate one to the other Understanding and Will to Righteousnesse Righteousnesse to Blessednesse Blessednesse to bee the reward of Righteousnesse and Righteousnesse to bee the worke of Willingnesse for vertue is not necessitatis sed voluntatis CPAP. II. Of Gods Government of Man under the Covenant of Works THe second Act of Execution in time of Gods eternall Counsell was the Government of Man created so as hee might use his perfections and attain his end In this government God as the supreme Lord was to command and Man as his Creature and Vassall was to obey yet God being a free and gracious Lord and Man not a brute but a reasonable and free servant it pleased his Lord to descend and come into a Covenant with him as is used betweene party and party The sum of this Covenant was Doe this and thou shalt live called therefore the Covenant of Workes The Law Naturall or Morall written in the heart of Man comprehended all Works to be done by him The Law positive namely that one of abstaining from the fruit of the Tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden was a tryall and experiment of his Obedience and the exercise of the duties of the Law Morall in a particular To Man appertained the observing of these Lawes To God appertained the performance of the Promise of life to Man observing them as being faithfull in the Covenant CHAP. III. Of the fall of Man ADam Dei manu nec non deliciis Paradisi legislatione prima factus est dignus sed ne quid blasphemum contra primaevum proferam parentem reverentiâ dictum sit Mandatum non servavit quoth Nazianz orat 8. Adam being tempted by Satan did transgresse that one easy Commandment and so became guilty of all and losing his righteousnesse hee forefeited his happinesse by Sin the breach of Gods Commandement and Covenant This Sinne of Man was voluntary not necessary though he sinned being tempted by another for hee had strength enough given him of God and more was ready to have been supplyed unto him if he had craved it wherby he might have vanquished the Tempter and have stood firme in his obedience but hee willingly consented and yeelded to the deceiver Neither was this fall caused by God though foreknowne but onely permitted when God if hee would could have hindred it And God permitted it 1. Because hee would not impeach the freedome of will that hee had given unto Man Continuit in ipso praescientiam praepotentiam suam per quas intercessisse potuisset quo minus homo malè libertate sua frui aggressus in periculum laberetur si enim interc●ssisset rescidisset arbitrii libertatem quam ratione bonitate permiserat Tert. in Marcian 2. where note that is call'd libertas Arbitrii which is ad malum and was in Adam before he sinned 2. Because hee saw it would offer him a faire occasion to manifest his Wisdome and Goodnesse yet more graciously than hee had done in the Creation which hee had forethought on and foreknew how to restore man fallen before hee decreed to permit the fall namely by the most admirable and glorious workes of the Incarnation Sufferings Resurrection and Assension of the Sonne of God intending by the obedience of one Man to make many righteous as by the disobedience of one many were made sinners 3. Because God knew it would off●r unto man a just occasion if he were dealt withall againe in the second Covenant both to be more thankfull and more wary and carefull and so many more possible to be saved by a second Covenant made with man fallen then would have beene by the first if Adam had stood and the Covenant of workes had beene held on with all his posterity for naturall perfections easily beget Pride and Confidence in our selves which is the first degree of aversion from God and the beginning of ruine but wants and weaknesses do humble us and make us fly to God and cleave more close unto him That the fall of man was known before the Decree of Creation the Creation it selfe doth shew where there are infinite things prepared for mans use onely as fallen as all medicinall Herbs prepared for Physick Physick presumeth sicknesse and sicknesse presumeth sin CHAP. IV. Of the Effects of the Fall THe Effects of the Fall of Man are twofold Within him Without him Within him that which is call'd originall Sinne comprehending both the losse of his originall righteousnesse and of his supernaturall perfections and also the decay of his very naturall faculties whence floweth a continuall lusting after that which is evill and a repugnance to that which is good A mans heart being a roote and a fountain of bitter water and sower fruit which before was right sweet and good The effects of the fall without man are comprized under the curse of the ground the subject of mans labour comprehending all the miseries of this life and under the sentence of death comprehending both deaths Temporall Eternall and all the miseries of both The Effects of the fall of Adam tooke place not onely

to worke by the Gospell upon a sinner convict humbled and prepared by the Law And looke what proportion of power the Spirit had in the Law upon an unregenerate Man to humble him the same hath it in the Gospell upon the humbled to worke in him Hope him Hoping to winne to Wish and Pray to him Praying Wishing Willing to give Repentance unto him Repenting to instill Faith and so to justifie him being justifyed by Faith again by the Law and the Gospell together to mortifie corruptions to quicken in him a new life and to strengthen him to new obedience Now thinke not that the Spirit is present in the preaching of the Law to an unregenerate Man to give him strength to new obedience because it is present to convince and condemne his wickednesse or because it is so present to a justifyed Man to give him strength to new obedience Thinke not that the Spirit is present in the preaching of the Gospell to a Man yet not penitent nor believing to worke in him Peace Joy Love because it is present to worke these in the Believer Degrees here are not given per saltum The sum is The Spirit of God is annexed to his Word for such gifts and operations as to which the hearer is a fit disposed subject There is an order in the Divine working wherein there are things antecedent preparatives to things subsequent which antecedents if they found no place and were not admitted the subsequent are suspended Hence is there so frequent and just separations of the Spirit from the Word by the great Pastor of Soules who walketh in the midst of the Churches and scarcheth the hearts and reynes Hear what saith our Homily of declining from God When God withdrawes from us his Word the right Doctrine of Christ his gracious assistance and aide which is ever joyned to his Word and leaveth us to our own wit our own will and strength hee declareth then that he beginneth to forsake us And againe hear The words of the holy Scripture bee called words of eternall life for they be Gods Instrument ordained for the same purpose they have power to convert through Gods Promise and they be effectuall through Gods assistance So our Church in the first exhortation to the reading of the Scriptures and the first Booke of Homilies Thus much for Declaration of this point For Confirmation of it I allege all the Elogia of the Word of God as Psal 19. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soule c. Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God is quick and powerfull c. Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them by this Truth Thy word is truth Joh. 20. 21. When Christ ordained his Apostles hee breathed on them and said Receive the holy Ghost to testifie that the power of the holy Ghost should goe with them Hence is the Gospell call'd the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. and the Ministers of the new Testament Ministers of the Spirit not of the Letter vers 6. because the Gospell dat quod jubet whereas the law jubet sed non juvat but without the Spirit the Word of the Gospell it selfe is but a dead letter whence it is said Joh. 1. 17. That the Law was given by Moses but wee had no hearts to receive it The Gospell Grace and Truth was not only given but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But why should I multiply places The learned Divines in suffr●gio Collegiali de 20. Articulo Thesi 5a. doe allege some of these and other more places to prove aliquam mensuram gratiae ordinarie in Ministerio Evangelii administrari quae sufficiat ad convincendos omnes impoenitentes incredulos contemptus vel saltem neglectus ob non impletam conditionem though by their favour the places prove a great deale more than Eam mensuram gratiae supernaturalis administrari quae sufficiat ad convincendos c. namely quae sufficiat ad convertendos The sentence of Prosper which they alleage speakes more home Non omnes vocari ad gratiam quibus omnibus Evangelium praedicatur non rectè dicitur etiamsi sint qui Evangelio non obed●ant But that Calling is the same to them that obey not as to them that obey I shall urge onely these two places more Mat. 22. 14. Many are called but few chosen Here Many are distributed into two sorts some that are called and not chosen some that are called and also chosen for these few chosen are a part of the many called so that the whole many are put under one and the same Calling which Calling is not by the outward Word alone for from that Calling arise none chosen therefore the Calling was by the Word and Spirit common to both and the few chosen excelled not in Calling but in some thing else viz. in obeying the Calling to come when others refused or in comming worthily in a wedding garment according to the Parable Mat. 12. 41. The Men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgement with this Generation and shall condemne it c. If Jonas preached to the Ninevites without the Spirit how did they repent If Jesus Preached without the same Spirit how is he greater than Jonas nay how is hee equall in the power of Preaching If they that disobey be not equally called with them that obey how can these rise up in judgement against them when their answer is ready wee had not the same Calling with you ours differed toto genere you were partakers of an Heavenly calling wee but of an Earthly you were called by the Voyce of God speaking to your hearts we but by the bare voyce of Men speaking to the eare If God had moved and excited us as much as hee did you wee would have done as well as you For vocatio refertur ad auxilium Dei interius moventis excitantis mentem ad deserendum peccatum Thomas 12 ae 113. 1. ad 3m. The example of the Jewes at this day confirmeth this for they are said to be yet uncalled not because they live without the sound of the Gospell as the Indians have done for they may heare our Sermons and reade our Scriptures living in Rome Italy and Spaine but because the veile is not taken from their hearts because the Spirit of illumination and softning is as yet withheld from them which is granted gratiously to us Gentiles To conclude That Distinction of Calling propounded in the beginning of this Chapter into Outward Inward Effectuall Ineffectual seemeth to be vaine 1. Because it giveth unworthily the name of Calling to the bare outward Preaching of the Word which may bee a Commanding but not a Calling a Commanding as of the Law not a Calling as of the Gospell for God may still require to be obeyed in whatsoever new thing hee shall command because it is our duty naturall whether wee be now able to doe it or no being wee were able But seeing the word of the new Covenant comes to call Men to Repentance and