Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	child_n	mutual_a	parent_n	1,913	5	9.2702	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94192	Two cases of conscience: resolved by the Right Reverend Father in God Robert Sanderson Late Lord Bishop of Lincoln.	Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663.	1668 (1668)	Wing S643A; ESTC R201215	19,017	99

reasonable men The same Apostle having amongst other sins of the Gentiles mentioned disobedience to Parents in one verse in the very next verse mentioneth also want of natural affection in Parents And the disobedience in the Childe can no more discharge the Parent from the obligation of that duty he oweth to the Childe of affection and maintenance then the unnaturalness of the Parent can the Childe from the duty he oweth to the Parent of Honour and Obedience For the several duties that by Gods ordinance are to be performed by persons that stand in mutual relation either to other are not pactional and conditional as are the Leagues and Agreements made between Princes where the breach in one part dissolveth the obligation on the other but are absolute and independent wherein each person is to look to himself and the performance of the duty that lyeth upon him though the other party should fail in the performance of his 10. Something I foresee may be objected in this point concerning the lawfulness of the Parents withdrawing maintenance from the Childe either in whole or at least in part in the case of disobedience Which how far forth it may or may not be done as it would be too long to examine so it would be of little avail to the present business For it is one thing to with-hold maintenance from a disobedient Childe for the present and to resolve so to continue till he shall see cause to the contrary And another thing to binde himself by Vow or Oath never to allow him any for the future whatsoever should happen Let be granted whatsoever can be supposed pleadable on the Fathers behalf in the present case yet there will still remain two particulars in this Vow not easily to be cleared from being unjust First let the Daughters disobedience deserve all this uttermost of punishment from the offended Father yet how can it be just that for the Mothers fault the poor innocent perhaps yet unborn Children should be utterly and irrecoverably excluded from all possibility of relief from their Grand-Father Secondly It is if not unjust yet what differeth very little there-from the extremity of rigid Justice that any offender much less a Son or Daughter should for any offence not deserving death be by a kinde of fatal peremptory decree put into an incapacity of receiving relief from such persons as otherwise ought to have relieved the said offender without any reservation either of the case of extreme necessity or of the case of serious repentance 11. However it be for the point of Justice yet so apparent is the repugnancy of the matter of this Vow with the precepts of Christian Charity and Mercy that if all I have hitherto said were of no force this repugnancy alone were enough without other evidence to prove the unlawfulness and consequently the invalidity or inobligability thereof It is not an Evangelical Counsel but the express peremptory precept of Christ that we should be merciful even as our heavenly Father is merciful And inasmuch as not in that passage only but for the most part wheresoever else the duty of mercy is pressed upon us in the Gospel from the example of God God is represented to us by the name and under the notion of a Father although I may not lay much weight upon it as a demonstrative proof yet I conceive I may commend it as rational Topick for all that are Fathers to consider of whether it do not import that mercy is to be expected from a Father as much as if not rather much more then from any other man and that the want of mercy in a Father is more unkindy more unseemly more unnatural then in another man But this by the way From that precept of Christ we learn that as there is in God a two-fold mercy a giving mercy in doing us good though we deserve it not and a forgiving mercy in pardoning us when we have done amiss so there ought to be in every good Christian man a readiness after the example of God to shew forth the fruits of mercy to others in both kindes upon all proper and meet occasions So that if any person of what quality or condition soever shall upon any provocation whatsoever vow that he will never do any thing for such or such a man or that he will never forgive such or such a man every such Vow being contra bonos more 's and contra officium hominis Christiani is unlawful and bindeth not 12. The offices of mercy in the former of those two branches viz. of doing good and affording relief to those that are in necessity are themselves of so great necessity as the case may be that common humanity would exact the performance of them from the hand not of a stranger only but even of an enemy If a stranger or an enemies Beast lie weltering in a Ditch a helping hand must be lent to draw it out The Samaritans compassion to the wounded Traveller in the Parable Luke 10. There being a feud and that grounded upon Religion which commonly of all others is the most deadly feud between the two Nations is commended to our example to the great reproach of the Priest and Levite for their want of Bowels to their poor Brother of the same Nation and Religion with themselves For the nearer the Relation is between the Parties the stronger is the obligation of shewing mercy either to other And there is scarce any relation nearer and more obliging then that of Parents and Children Our Saviour who in Matth. 15. sharply reproved such vows though made with an intention to advance the Service of God by inriching his treasury as hindred Children from relieving their Parents will not certainly approve of such vows made without anyother intention then to gratifie rage and impatience as hinder Parents from relieving their Children 13. If to avoid the force of this argument it shall be alledged that the Daughters disobedience in a business of so high concernment might justly deserve to be thus severely punished and that it were but equal that she who had so little regard to her Father when the time was should be as little regarded by him afterwards All this granted cometh not yet up to the point of shewing Mercy according to the example of God No Childes disobedience can be so great to an earthly Parent as ours is to our heavenly Father Yet doth he notwithstanding all our ill deservings continually do us good communicating to our necessities and causing his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall and infinite benefits in all kinds to descend upon mankinde not excluding the most thankless and disobedient and rebellious from having a share therein 14. And as for that other branch of Mercy in pardoning offences God giveth a rich example to all men of their duty in that kinde and to Fathers particularly by his great readiness to pardon the greatest offenders if they sincerely seek to him for it If the Father