Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A66289
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The principles of the Christian religion explained in a brief commentary upon the church catechism. By William Wake, D.D. rector of St. James Westminster, and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty.
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Wake, William, 1657-1737.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing W258; ESTC R217651
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113,834
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200
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may prove a Snare rather than a Guide to Us. Q. How then do you Suppose that this Rule is to be Vnderstood by Us A. We must first set our Selves in our Neighbour's Place and then put it to Our Consciences Were his Case our Own what would we desire that One in Our Circumstances should Do for Vs and then conclude that We ought to Do the Same for Him Thus for Example If a poor Man ask an Alms of Us We must not think that We are at Liberty to Refuse him because we neither need nor desire that Any One should Relieve Us But we must bring his Case home to our selves and suppose that we were in his Circumstances poor and destitute would we not then think it Reasonable that One in Our Circumstances should Relieve Vs and that will shew Us that therefore we ought to Relieve him Q. But must We then after such a Change of Circumstances absolutely Do to Others whatsoever we would in the like Circumstances desire that They should do to Us A. I do not say that neither Men may desire what is Vnlawful and then in Conscience of our Duty to God we must deny them They may desire what is Vnreasonable or may be Greatly Inconvenient to Us and in such Cases though we Owe a Duty to our Neighbour yet we must Remember that we Owe a Duty to our Selves too and must consider our Own Interests as well as those of Our Neighbour If a Man should fall into such Circumstances as to need my telling of a Lie or Forswearing my self to bring him safely out of Them though I should be so Wicked as to desire in the like Case that Another would do the same for Me yet I am not therefore Obliged by this Rule to do this for Him because neither ought I to desire such a Thing of Another nor ought Any Other to desire it of Me. Again Should a Man desire me to be bound with him for a considerable Sum of Money which I cannot pay without great Damage to my self and Prejudice to my Family Though I should perhaps wish that had I the same Occasion that this Man has Another would be bound for Me yet because the desire is Vnreasonable and such as in Duty to my self and my Family I ought not to comply with neither am I obliged by vertue of this Rule to answer his Desires in it Q. What then do you take to be the true Import of this Rule A. That whatsoever I could justly and reasonably Desire of Another Man in my Circumstances and it would become him in Charity to do for Me the same ought I to do for my Neighbour And thereby make it manifest as the Other Rule directs that I do indeed Love him as my Self Q. To how many Commandments has God Reduced our Duty towards Our Neighbour A. To Six which make up the whole of the Second Table Q. What is the First of These A. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy Days may be long in the Land which the LORD thy God giveth Thee Q. What is the proper Extent of this Commandment A. It expresly Regards only our Natural Parents But the Reason of it extends to all Sorts of Persons who are in any Respect our Superiours and to whom we Owe any Singular Honour upon that account And to the most of which the very Name of Fathers is Given in the Holy Scriptures Q. What are the chief Relations to which this Commandement may be Referr'd A. They are especially these following 1. Of Children towards their Parents 2. Of Subjects towards those who are in Authority over Them 3. Of Scholars towards their Governours 4. Of Ordinary Christians towards their Ministers 5. Of Servants towards their Masters 6. Of Wives towards their Husbands 7. Of Younger Persons towards the Aged And 8. Of those who are in a lower degree towards such as are in a higher Place of State and Dignity Q. Does not this Commandment Require some Return of Duty from those who are upon any of these Accounts to be Honoured by Us A. In the Equity of it it certainly does And therefore as it is Our Duty to Honour Them so it is no less their Duty to behave themselves as their Relation requires towards Us. Q. What do you mean by Honouring of such Persons A. Not a bare formal Respect but with that all that Love Duty and Obedience all that Help and Service which they may justly expect from Us and which our Own Reason tells Us we ought to yield to Them Q. What are the Particular Duties which are Required of Children towards their Parents A. To Love Honour and Succour their Father and Mother To Obey their Orders and Bear with their Infirmities and Submit to their Correction To promote their Comfort and Welfare by all fitting Means and if they Need and their Children are Able to Provide for and Support Them Q. Are all these Duties to be equally paid to both our Parents A. They are and that by the express Words of the Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother Comp. Prov. i. 8 vi 20 Eph. vi 4. Q. What Return of Duty ought Parents to make to their Children A. It is their Duty to breed them up Carefully whilst they are young Vertuously and Religiously when they are capable of discerning between Good and Evil. To Love them To Provide according to their Ability for them To bring them up to some honest and useful Employment To Encourage them when they do Well to Correct them when they do Amiss To be Gentle and Courteous towards them and not by their Passions or Perverseness provoke them to Anger and Alienate their Affections from them Q. What is the Duty of Subjects towards those whom God has set in Authority over Them A. To submit to their Laws to be faithful to their Interests and Obedient to them in all their Just Commands To live Quietly under their Government and to Contribute according to their Capacity towards the Support and Defence of it By their Counsel their Estate and if need be by Venturing their very Lives for their Service Q. What if the Civil Power shall command Me to do that which is contrary to my Duty towards God A. I must in that Case Obey God rather than Man If for this I shall be punish'd I must patiently yield to it and Glorify God That He has thought Me worthy to Suffer for my Duty to Him Exod. i. 15 16. Dan. iii. 14 c. vi 6 c. A. What if any Difference should arise in the Commonwealth of which I am a Member between the Prince and the People A. I must carefully Examine where the Right lies and Act so as is most agreeable to the Rules of Religion first and where they are Silent to the Laws and Constitution of the State to which I belong Q. What is the Duty of the Civil Magistrate towards his People A. To order all his Counsels
Persons of all Countries are to be Baptized so no doubt but the Form of Words may be translated into the Language of Every Country and Baptism be effectually administred so long as the Sense is preserved That which we insist upon is that every Person who is Baptized ought to be Baptized in the Name as well as to profess the Faith of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Q. What is the Inward or Spiritual Grace of this Sacrament A. A Death unto Sin and a New-birth unto Righteousness for heing by Nature born in Sin and the Children of Wrath we are hereby made the Children of Grace Q. Are all Men by Nature born in Sin A. They are ever since that by the Transgression of our First Parents Sin entred into the World Nor was ever any Exempt from this unhappy State but he only who knew no Sin the Lord Christ Jesus Q. Are all Men by Nature Children of Wrath A. Being born in Sin they must of necessity be also Children of Wrath Seeing All Sin is both hateful to God and worthy of his Punishment Q. Have the Children of Believing Parents in this Case no Privilege above Others A. Yes they have For being descended from those who are Members of Christ's Church they are born within the Covenant are the Heirs of God's Promises and have a Right to Baptism as the Children of the Jews had to Circumcision And therefore should they chance to Die before they have Received it yet this being no Fault of theirs we piously believe that it shall be no barr to their Pretensions but that they shall nevertheless be saved by the Merits of Jesus Christ. Q. How are those who are Baptized made thereby Children of Grace A. As by Baptism they are taken into Covenant with God are Regenerated by the Holy Spirit and Wash'd from their Sins by the Blood of Christ So that should they Die before they commit any Actual Sin we are assured by God's Word that they shall certainly be Saved Q. Are all who are Baptized made Partakers of these Benefits A. They are all thereby put into a State of Salvation and become Children of Grace But those only continue in this State and hold fast their Right to these Benefits who take care to Live according to the Gospel of Christ and to fulfil those Promises which either Themselves made or which were by Others made in their Name and on their Behalf at their Baptism SECT XLV Q. WHat is required of Persons to be Baptized A. Repentance whereby they forsake Sin and Faith whereby they stedfastly Believe the Promises of God made to them in that Sacrament Q. What Repentance is required to prepare any Person for Baptism A. The same which is Required to qualify a Man for God's Forgiveness after Baptism For Baptism if duly Received washes away all Sin And therefore no One can worthily come to it who does not heartily Repent of all his Sins and firmly Resolve never more to Return to any Act. ii 38 41. iii. 18 viii 37 Q. What is the Faith which Every One ought to bring to this Sacrament A. A firm Belief of the Truth of the whole Christian Religion but more especially of all those Articles of it which he solemnly at his Baptism is to profess his Belief of to the Church Act. viii 37 Q. If such a Repentance and such a Faith be Required of all who are Baptized How come Infants to be Baptized who by reason of their tender Age cannot perform either of Them A. Because they promise them Both by their Sureties which Promise when they come to Age themselves are bound to Perform Q. Are not Actual Faith and Repentance required of those who are to be Baptized A. Yes if they be Persons capable of it Otherwise it is sufficient that they be Obliged to Believe and Repent as soon as they shall be Capable of so doing Q. How can any One Promise this for Another A. Upon a Supposition of Charity That as Children are born of Christian Parents and under a Security of being bred up to a Sense of their Duty and the Knowledge of the true Religion and of the infinite Obligations that lie upon them to Repent and Believe So they will take care by God's help so to order both their Faith and Manners as their Interest as well as Duty Requires them to do Q. But what if they should not fulfil what has been promised in their Names A. In that Case the Covenant made on their behalf will be Void And so by not fulfilling what was promised for them they will lose all those Blessings which God would Otherwise have been obliged to bestow upon Them Q. Would it not be more Reasonable to tarry till Persons are Grown up and so in a Condition to make the Covenant themselves before they were permitted to be Baptized A. We are not to consider what we think best but what God has directed Us to do Now God expresly order'd the Children of the Jews to be admitted into Covenant with Him at Eight Days Old Into the Place of Circumcision Baptism has succeeded as the Gospel has into the Place of the Law There is therefore the same Reason why our Children should from the Beginning be admitted into the Christian as why the Jews Children should have been entred into the Legal Covenant Our Infants are as capable of Covenanting as theirs were And if God thought fit to Receive them and did not Account the Incapacity which their Age put them under any bar to hinder them from Circumcision neither ought we to think the same Defect any sufficient Obstacle to keep our Infants from being Baptized SECT XLVI Q. WHat is the Other Sacrament of the New Testament A. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Q. Why do you call it the Lord's Supper A. Because it was both Instituted by our Lord at Supper and was designed to succeed into the Place of the Paschal Supper among the Jews Q. Ought this Sacrament to be administred only at the Time of Supper A. That is not necessary any more than that we should be Obliged to Eat our Own Supper before it that we should Celebrate it only Once a Year in an Vpper Room in an Eating Posture and the like Our Saviour took that Occasion and that Season for the Institution of it but he did not intend thereby to Oblige Us to Celebrate it in all the exact Circumstances of Time Place Posture c. that occurr'd in his Own Administration of it Q. Why was the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ordain'd A. For the continual Remembrance of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ and of the Benefits which we receive thereby Q. What do you mean by a Continual Remembrance A. A Remembrance that is not to determine after a certain Time as the Paschal Supper did but is to continue to be kept up by this Holy Sacrament to the very End of the World Q. Is