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	neglect_v	parent_n	3,017	5	9.3090	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26897	Church concord containing I. a disswasive from unnecessary division and separation, and the real concord of the moderate independents with the Presbyterians, instanced in ten seeming differences, II. by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing B1223; ESTC R14982	99,086	94

us They have taken it up as their common Argument to draw men to Popery and now at last to Infidelity that we are a Babel of Confusion and have no Unity among us and they point to our several Parties and ask men How they know that this is in the right more than all the rest and why he will cleave rather to one of them than to another Can a tender Conscience and one that regardeth the interest of Christ forbear to mourn while the Name of God is daily reproached and his Servants made the Song of Drunkards the Scorn of Papists and all their Adversaries and the by-word of the Prophane by our Divisions 10. These Divisions and Antichurches do hinder the Holy Order and Discipline of Families when the Husband is of one Church and the Wife of another or the Parents of one and the Children of another or the Master of one and the Servants of another or one Child and Servant of one Church and another of another This hindereth the Governours from seeing effectually that their Families be soundly instructed and kept from Heresies or neglect of Ordinances It hindereth them from taking a due account of their Children and Servants of what they learn It divideth Families and induceth the Children and Servants to refuse to joyn in Family Prayer and other Duties with their Parents and Masters and to refuse to hear them repeat those Sermons which they refused to hear from the Minister himself And it turneth the Holy Conference and charitable Communion of Families into perverse Contendings about their several ways 11. And these separated Churches do much hinder the Labours of the Ministers of Christ and the true Reformation of the Churches It grieveth the Souls of Faithful Pastors to see that their Children or those that they hope have somewhat of Christ in them shall be the Instruments of Satan to hinder their Labours and it grievously weakeneth the Builders hands when they are thus opposed by those for whom they have spent themselves and in whom they should have Comfort after their Travels and from whom they should have help for the promoting of their work with others Drunkards and Swearers in some places hinder not the Ministers work so much as Antichurches that make it their work to draw men to themselves and to that ●nd do find themselves engaged to speak against the Publick Church and Ministry and to that End to quarrel with or reproach the Doctrine or Worship there performed And how can th●se Ministers reform their Churches that are forsaken yea and opposed by so many of those that should be the Materials of their Churches and should be their strength against the Prophane and help them in Reforming and in the exercise of Discipline It making Discipline it self on both parts also to be of almost no Effect when he that is cast out of one Church can presently step into another and perhaps under pretence of greater Holiness and there reject those that rejected him and seem more Innocent than they 12. These private separated Churches also do give great advantage to the secret Enemies of the Truth and Corrupters of Sound Doctrine to creep in and sow the Tares of Heresies among poor Christians that have no Pastor at hand to contradict Deceivers And most of the horrid Errours of these times that have poysoned Souls dishonoured God divided us and disturb'd our Peace have crept in at these back Doors Few have made their Entrance at the Publick Assemblies in comparison of those that have come in at private Meetings And here it is that Papists and other Adversaries have opportunity to Play their Games and to lay their Trains of Gun Powder to blow up both Church and State without the Odium of being Traitors and Powder-Plotters yea by the Countenance and Favour of the State It will not secure us that Papists are excepted from Liberty among us as long as a Vizir or another Name and some Equivocation shall be to them a Patent for Liberty and Toleration 13. Moreover our Separations tend to the grievous Pollution of the Ordinances of God by setting up prophane Persons as Ministers and encouraging prophane Administrations and Societies and so dis●o●ouring the Christian Name and hardening the Ignorant and Ungodly by these means For when those that are most Zealous against Prophaness are withdrawn and leave the ignorant careless People to themselves they will have Ministers like themselves if such are to●erated and they will make up such Churches as are uncapable of Discipline and will go on as smoothly in the Abuse of Sacraments and the Praises of God and all Holy Ordinances as if they were the only Christians in the Land and theirs the only regular Churches and none but Sectaries differed from them Or if they were not allowed the Publick holding of Undisciplined Churches and prophanation of Holy Ordinances yet as long as all may have what private Assemblies they please they will there at least have their Ignorant unworthy Ministers to fit all their Humours and there they will Prophane the Name and Holy things of God And O what abundance of provoking Sin will be committed in England every Week and this through the Separations of Pious Persons and the toleration of the State as for their Indulgence Do we make Laws against the Prophanation of the Holy Name of God by Swearing and Cursing and shall men fearing God let loose yea further the Rabble of the Ungodly through the Land in the Prophaning of the same Name and Holy Ordinances and the Office of the Ministery under a pretence of Worship The case of Nadab and Abihu and the Bethshemites and Uzza do tell us that God is more jealous about his Holy Things than in our common Affairs 14. Moreover It is an actual Reproaching of all our Solemn Assemblies to separate from them as if you openly proclaimed them to be such that an honest man may not lawfully hold Communion with Whereas the Interest of Christ is so great among them so much of his acceptable Worship and so many of his faithful beloved ones are there that he will not take such usage well If we must needs have private separated Assemblies let the Servants of Christ so close together that the Ungodly and not they may be the separated part and may be driven into Corners Let the Holy ordered Assemblies of the Saints be the Publick Assemblies and let not the ungoverned have that honour 15. It is an unspeakable Mischief of these Antichurches and Divisions that they are the great Impediment to Universal Communion of all the Servants of Christ in the Land which is a work of great Necessity to the common good and exceeding desirable to all Christians Were we but one One Body by some common Bond and Communion our Rulers would quickly be resolved in the Point of Toleration Heresies might be easier extinguished and Prophaneness might through all the Land lye under such Discouragement as might much abate it whilest every where

but in words or very narrow seem more material wide and dangerous than they are and shall hereupon proclaim their Brethren to be heretical or blasphemous and use to revile them and renounce Communion with them and would silence the Pastors if it were in their Power These under the Name of the Ministers of Christ do powerfully militate for the Devil against the Love and Peace of Christians and are the pernicious Incendiaries in the Churches of Christ. Q. 5. What is the Magistrates Power and Duty about Religion and the Churches and Ministers of Christ Answ. I shall say more as to their Power than as to their Duty because I know not how it will be endured or how that counsel will be taken or followed which is not desired It more concerneth us to consider of our own duty to them 1. All the forcing Power about matters Ecclesiastical whether by corporal Penalties or forced Mulcts belongeth only to the Magistrate Besides what Parents and Masters may do And if any Pastors use it it must be as Magistrates receiving it from the Soveraign And the Sword is so unseemly in a Pastors hand and so ill taken by the people and so adverse to the persuasive Loving Government which he must exercise and hath ever been of such unhappy effects to the World that it were to be wished that Princes would keep their Sword from the Clergy to themselves and commit it to such Officers as have not so much other work to do and are not so likely to abuse it 2. If any Pastors will declare that Princes are bound to punish men meerly as Excommunicated by them without any tryal of the Cause before themselves or Officers and will Excommunicate Magistrates for not Imprisoning Banishing or Burning or otherwise afflicting those whom the Clergy have Excommunicated or judged to be so used Much more if any will teach and declare that Excommunicate Kings are no Kings yea though a Foreigner that hath no Power over them Excommunicate them or that they may be kill'd as Tyrants or that the Pope or any other have Power to depose them and dispose of their Dominions see the Council at Lateran under Innocent 3d. Can. 3. and the Council at Rome under Gregor 7. If such be Subjects they are injurious to the Civil Power If they are Foreigners they are open declared Enemies 3. The Office and Power of Kings and other Magistrates is from God and their lawful Commands are to be obeyed for Conscience sake and not to avoid their Punishments only 4. Their Office is to promote Obedience to God and to his Laws by making Subordinate Laws of their own and to be a terrour to Evil-doers and a Praise and Encouragement to them that do well 5. The Clergy as well as others must be subject to Kings and Magistrates Nor is it tolerable Doctrine which would exempt their Persons or Estates except it be by the King's consent 6. Princes must not only promote natural Obedience to the true God but also the special Faith and Obedience of the Gospel by means which are suitable thereunto 7. Princes may make Laws forbidding the Publication of all pernicious Damning Doctrines and the Practice of Idolatry and of all great and notable Crimes against the Law of God and may Correct the Offenders by convenient Penalties with Prudence and Moderation 8. If heretical covetous or lazy Pastors corrupt God's Word and Worship notoriously or neglect their certain Duty to the betraying or endangering of the Flocks or are persons uncapable of the Office the Magistrate may drive them on to their Duties and moderately and prudently punish them for their negligence and unfaithfulness and may forbid the uncapable to exercise that Office 9. Such Circumstances of Worship and Orders of Assemblies before instanced as are fit for Common Determination and Agreement in all the Churches being such whose Determination is not proper to the Pastors Office may on moderate terms and by religious advice be determined of by Magistrates And all their lawful Determinations must be obeyed 10. There needeth not the device of Popes or Patriarchs to call Councils or to keep Peace among the Pastors of the Church For the Magistrate must do it as a great part of the work of his Office Every Soveraign may call such Pastors unto Councils as are his Subjects And several Princes by agreement may call their respective Subjects together when there is Cause And proper Universal Councils as is shewed are things which never were known nor are not to be expected And it must be a very extraordinary necessity which must warrant the Pastors of several Kingdoms to hold Councils together when they are forbidden by their Kings Princes also may correct Church-Tyrants and Usurpers and Destroyers of Faith or Piety or Peace They ought to restrain such Pastors as would raise Seditions or Rebellions or Persecutions of the Innocent or that pretend Religion for the open and obstinate revilings of their Brethren and are proved to be unquiet Firebrands to kindle Dissentions and destroy Mens Love to one another or arbitrarily to oppress the Flocks 11. When any question Who must be Iudge in cases of Heresie Infidelity or Idolatry as divulged or practised the true answer is obvious and easie 1. In regard of publick Ecclesiastical judgment and the Sentence of Excommunication or Absolution the Pastors of the Church are the proper Judges by virtue of the power of the Keys 2. In regard of publick civil judgment in order to corporal forcible punishment or impunity as there is just cause the Magistrate is the only publick Judge 3. In regard of that private judgment of discerning by which every rational person must know his own Duty both to God and Man and discern when and how far to obey Man without disobeying God every such rational person is a Iudge that is a Discerner of what he ought to do And Christ always the final Judge 12. Yet may not the Magistrate invade the Pastoral Office it self nor Ordain or D●grade Minister● in that Spiritual Sense as it is committed to Church-Guides nor Administer the Sacraments nor exercise the proper power of the Church Keys which Christ committed to Church Officers by such Excommunications or Absolutions as are proper to that power nor may they hinder the ●astors from the due performance of their Office in matter or manner Nor forbid the necessary Preaching of the Gospel or publick worshipping of God by all or any of his Ministers But are bound to promote it with studious diligence as Patrons of the Church 13. But if they should forbid us the necessary Preaching of God's Word or necessary assembling for God's publick Worship as we must not account those seasons and circumstances necessary which are unnecessary so that which is necessary indeed we must not desert till we are disabled to perform it seeing it is greater Sacrilege if we alienate a person consecrated to God in so sacred an Office than if we should alienate conseorated Goods