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	parent_n	provoke_v	1,966	5	10.4177	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49524	The reformed Presbyterian, humbly offering to the consideration of all pious and peaceable spirits several arguments for obedience to the act for unifromity, as the way to vnity and endeavouring to demonstrate by clear inferences from the sacred scriptures, the writings of some of the ancients, or several old pastors of the reformed churches abroad, and of the most eminent old non-conformists amongst ourselves : as Mr. Josias Nichols, Mr. Paul Baines, and other learned divines : as for Mr. Perkins, Mr. Iohn Randal, and Mr. Rob. Bolton, that there is nothing required by the act for vniformity that is forbidden by the law of God / by Rich. Lytler ...	Lytler, Richard.	1662 (1662)	Wing L3573; ESTC R1525	139,662	290

in matters of religious Worship it is bonum jucundum utile it is good it is pleasant it is profitable and that not onely as you have read it is pleasing and delightful to those that joyn in that Worship but as it is profitable also and so edifying Sect. 21. As the God of peace who hath promised to be with them that are like-minded Rom. 15.33 So the great Master of the Assemblies the Prince of peace hath not onely promised to be present where two or three are gathered together in his Name but also hath made a promise to their uniformity and agreement together in prayer Mat. 18. Where two shall agree together to aske any thing on earth it shall be granted them When they shall symphonise so the word is in the Original when they shall be harmonious and uniform in their supplications even to this agreement together is the promise made if I mistake not And I think St. Chrysostom is somewhat of my mind in Homil. 3. de incomprehensibilis Dei natura Thou dost not so soon obtain thy prayers when thou prayest alone unto the Lord as when thou prayest with thy brethren for there is somewhat the more of concord and consent c. Sect. 22. And in his 4. Homil. upon 2 Thes saith he Quod quis apud se precatus accipere non poterit hoc cum multitudine precatus accipiate quare etiam si non propria virtus tamen concordia multorum potest The thing that a man cannot obtain praying alone praying together with the multitude he may obtain why so though not for his own worthiness yet the concord unity and agreement prevaileth much And thus now having I hope made it evident That obedience to this Act of Uniformity is the way to Unity and that to have all one form in publick Worship though to some it may seem very unnecessary yet for those good ends and purposes aforesaid though in it self it be an indifferent thing neither forbidden or commanded by God yet obedience to it when commanded by our Superiours is very necessary as it delivers from dividing sins and tends to the honour of Religion I shall before I proceed further desire all humble and peaceable spirits to compare without prejudice this argument with my proofs thereof with an argument that I find in Five Disput chap. 6. pag. 433. CHAP. V. That indifferent things may lawfully be commanded and that to obey such commands is not onely lawful but profitable for the peace of the Church To refuse obedience to indifferent things as sinful is negative Superstition with several considerations about the regulating of our zeal about things indifferent in themselves Section 1. THough I do confess that there is much prudence and moderation to be used in every Government and what the Wiseman saith is applicable to all Governours Be not thou a Lion in thine own house and that Fathers are not to provoke their Children to wrath by unjust and unmeet precepts and by pursuing them with contumelious words c. and severe corrections beyond the merit of their crime Imperiousness in government doubtless is to be avoided Sect. 2. But yet should our superiours fail of their duty in this or any other kind we are not to fail in ours duty to our superiours being not an act of commutative but distributive justice The same Law-giver that forbids Fathers natural spiritual political not to provoke their children to wrath lest they be discouraged yet doth likewise command children whether natural spiritual or political to obey their Parents in all things Col. 3.20 in the Lord Ephes 6.1 And this with the consideration of what followeth that in every act of obedience to the lawful commands of our superiours there is a complication of many graces which grace our profession as humility self-denyal love to God care of the publick peace and of the preservation of unity and order in the place where God hath set us I say this consideration should keep us from disputing our Superiours commands from possessing either corrupt heads or hearts with any principle which may heighten that aversness which is in every mans heart naturally to subjection as Mr. Calvin saith Sect. 3. The argument therefore with the reason thereof I desire may be a little weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary as I find it in Five Disput. pag. 423. proposit 6. It is not lawful to make any thing the Subjects duty by a command that is meerly indifferent amecedently both in it self and as clothed with its accidents The reason is evident because that nothing but Good can be the object of the Governous desire and nothing but Good can be the just matter of his Law Sect. 4. Now taking into consideration good and indifferent in the sense there propounded I humbly conceive that the reason is not evident That therefore it is not lawful to make any thing the Subjects duty by a command that is meerly indifferent because that nothing but good may be the just matter of a Law and not that which is neither good or evil but indifferent For should this be true all Government would be dissolved the Magistrate then is to make no Law at all What would then become of us may easily be judged I offer therefore to consideration this distinction concerning Good and Indifferent the omitting whereof I suppose may occasion this great mistake A thing may be said to be good materially or mediately Sect. 5. Now an indifferent thing neither good or evil in its own nature may be mediately good may have in it bonitatem medii it may have bonum publicum the publick good for its end A command therefore of our Superiours by which a thing indifferent is made bonum necessarium a necessary good and bonum publicum for publick peace and unity it is no idle Law pag. 434. because it is not unprofitable It may therefore lawfully be commanded for the reason beforesaid Now that a publick agreement in the externals of Gods Worship is a publick good as the way to peace and good in the acception you take goodness commended by Gods Law which is the first rule of moral good pag. 435. that which this Law propoundeth being no more then what is our duty viz. That which the Apostle did so earnestly pray for and perswade to That With one mind and mouth men would glorifie God that they would be like-minded seek peace and follow after it Sect. 6. I humbly conceive that the Answers to all those Objections in Five Disput from pag. 435. to pag. 437. in my weak judgment are not strong enough to bottom that upon which is like to be made the great occasion of those sufferings which are expected to come upon many good and pious men by reason of this Act. For it will appear that most of the matters enjoyned by the Act except the Declaration about the Covenant are allowed by the Author of the Five Disputations as you will find hereafter

they may be sure of that Christ as the King of his Church though he hath not commanded as Mr. Baxter well observeth Five Disput pag. 9. In what words I shall pray whether imposed by others or not whether with a Book or foreconceived Form or not Yet he hath commanded obedience and peace Where things therefore of this nature are determined by our Superiors which as Mr. Baxter agreeing with Mr. Ball and the Reverend Calvin saith pag. 8. Had been unfit for Christ to have determined in his Word because his Word is an universal Law for all ages and Countries and these circumstances will not be an universall determination else why could not Christ have done it nay how is his Law perfect else that doth omit is For example God hath commanded us to read the Word preach hear sing which must necessarily be done in some time and place gesture number of words c. But he hath not commanded us on what day of the week our Lecture shall be or at what hour of the day nor what Chapter I shall read nor how many at once nor what Text I shall preach on nor what Psalm I shall sing c These things belonging to a Synod to prescribe for common union and concord amongst many Churches as Mr. Baxter granteth pag. 7. I humbly conceive it is then uncomely and uncharitable for Inferiors to argue that these determinations are unnecessary and but pretences for the Churches Peace and Unity c. pag. 9. But to fix upon this golden sentence of Mr. Baxters in these cases that whatsoever we may be uncertain of yet we may be sure of this that Christ hath commanded Obedience and Peace Obedience in these generall Texts where we are commanded to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake And Peace in all those pathetical exhortations of his Apostles to follow the things that make for peace putting it in conjunction with that without which we shall never enter in the Kingdom of Heaven Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Now to work this peaceable frame into our hearts let us now perswade one another that laying aside those usual reflections that we are apt to make upon our Superiors in commanding things which we are apt to judge at best unnecessary seriously to reflect upon our selves and consider what is our present duty I must needs confesse that I have in the midst of our greatest confusions when I was even out of hope that ever we should get out of them often thought how we came to be ingulphed in so much misery And this in my weak observation I gather to be the occasion of our bloudy differences as to the circumstantials of Religion that a violent opposing begat a violent imposing and that again produced a violent opposing till the flame broke out which had well-nigh consumed us To prevent the like again as the case now standeth I am apt to think that we cannot better shew our selves to be children of the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace then by looking most to our selves who are under command and what our present duty is which I find laid down by Mr. Baxter Five Disput pag. 460. Prop. 12. supposing it to be the case whereof we are no competent judges That it may be very sinful to command some Ceremonies that yet it may be the Subjects duty to use them when they are commanded To perswade therefore to that which is the Subjects duty to observe now commanded is my chief undertaking in this following Discourse wherein as I do but follow the example of Mr. Sprint Mr. Paybody and Dr. John Burges who are there approved of for that service Five Disput pag. 461. So I hope you will be so far from judging of me as that you will conjoyn with me to perswade your Ministers that rather then to be deprived of their Ministry and we thereby of the benefit of their labors that they would conform And by way of perswasion let us not onely deal with them by way of argument from what you may find in this poor unpollished piece but also by desiring them to consider what they will find more scholastically written in the Peace-offering a book that I have heard much commended by some learned Ministers but never saw till I had almost finished this plain and homely Discourse and also a most rare discourse newly come forth declaring the Conformity and Agreement of other Reformed Churches beyond Sea with the Church of England To all which let us mind them how far the Apostles did conform for the peace of the Church and propagating of the Gospel even to the use of such Ceremonies as were abolished by the death of Christ Mr. Sprint in his book before mentioned giveth several instances thereof and Mr. Baxter in Five Disput pag. 488. speaketh to the same purpose amongst his 12. reasons to perswade to obedience in lawfull things this is the 11. Consider also what yielding in things lawful the Scripture recommendeth to us how far yielded Paul when he circumcised Timothy Acts 16.3 And when he took the men and purified himself with them in the Temple to signifie the accomplishment of the dayes of purification c. Acts 21.26 27. So also 1 Cor. 9.19 20. I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some and this I do for the Gospels sake Study this Example saith the learned Mr. Baxter And let us also prevaile with our Ministers to study this passage Five Disput pag. 487 sect 17 Now if that things before accidentally evil may by this much necessity become lawful and a duty then may the commands of Magistrates and Pastors and the unity of the Church and the avoiding of contention and offence and other evils be also sufficient to warrant us in obeying even in inconvenient circumstantials of the Worship of God that otherwise could not be justified Let us also remember them how that Bishop Hooper though as you will find in this Discourse did scruple the Episcopal Habit and wrote to Peter Martyr his Arguments against such Conformity yet he was not so tenacious in his Opinion but that for the peace of the Church he did conform to preach in the said apparel before the King And for this Mr. Fox in the Book of Martyrs pag. 1367. doth commend him for saith he This private contumely and reproach in respect of the publick profit of the Church which he only sought he bare and suffered patiently Let us therefore desire them to remember how ill Christ will take it at their hands at the last day that rather then with this pious Martyr and Bishop Hooper they will lay aside their Opinions and patiently bear the private contumely of their Conformity from some censorious ones they will suffer themselves to be laid aside from the work of the Ministry and thereby hinder the publick profit and benefit which the

to represent a seale to confirme and an instrument to conveigh grace and I humbly conceive that where any of these are wanting it is no Sacrament A Ceremony may be as a sign to signifie or present to our understanding a spirituall truth or moral duty but being not affirmed of them that they are appointed as instruments to confer Grace or to be as seals of the covenant of Grace such a Ceremony though it may be of morall and spirituull use yet is it not a Sacrament And I humbly conceive to use such are no additions to Gods Word or Sacraments The signe of the Cross is no addition of a Sacrament to a Sacrament as is often said but onely a sign to put us in minde of such a Christian duty wherein if we fail Christ in whose name we have been baptized will be ashamed of us at the last day My argument at present is somewhat considerable I believe that there is no command of Christ forbidding any such mystical and significant ceremonies to be appointed by the Church Sect. 4. I now proceed through divine assistance to offer to consideration what I have propounded to prove concerning the power of the Church about Rites and Ceremonies Desiring such as would be more fully satisfied to consult the judgement of that godly and leaaned man Mr. John Randall who in his most Excellent Lectures of the Church published by that faithful Minister of Christ Mr. William Holbrooke and his Son-in-law Mr. Ithiel Smart late Minister of Ashby de la Zouch doth most clearly and solialy discourse on this subject whom though you shall find very exact and strict in affirming the Church hath no power to decree any mattters of substance in Religion without or besides the Scripture XXV Lecture of the Church pag. 131. which he proveth by clear and pregnant Scriptures and strong reason yet he granteth nay layeth it down as a Thesis or proposition which he proveth by Scriptures and giveth four reasons for it pag. 145. viz. That every particular visible Church hath power from God to ordain some outward rites and ceremonies for the outward carriage of Gods Worship Amongst which rites and ceremonies speaking of the bounds the Church is to keep in ordaining matters of ceremony under this head that they must have no opinion of Gods Worship placed in them as the Surplice and the Cross if the Church so enjoyn them it makes them unlawful if they have been abused so by the Papists That is not their sin now take away the abuse and the things may still be imposed and put in practice Sect. 5. If this be not a sufficient proof or vindication of the Power and Authority of the Church abou ceremonies in general and these two significant ones the Surplice and sign of the Cross I shall presume to give you in my poor and weak observations from the Scriptures of truth by way of furthe illustration And I argue thus That which is a Christian duty may lawfully be done without Superstition or Will-worship and may be subscribed as agreeable to Gods Word Now if Christians might not lawfully make use of terrene and common things to represent to their understandings spiritual and heavenly truths and to mind them of their duties our blessed Saviour would never have repeesented himself to us by such things whereby his spiritual worth and usefulness might be the more evidently presented to our understandings How often doth he by meat and drink by a Vine a door and such like affect our understanding with his usefulness and worth Now that which Christ hath sanctifyed by his own example is a sufficient warrant for us to observe and do Sect. 6. True it is some things there are about Gods worship which are particularly forbidden in the second commandement as to the making to our selves any graven Image though to worship God by or the second person in the glorious Trinity But any meanes that God hath not forbidden whereby we may signifie our inward Worship of God this is warrantable We do not find our Saviour condemning the Publican for using that significant ceremony of smiting upon his heart while he confest his sin Though doubtless it might signifie how angry he was with his wicked heart from whence all evil springs by smiting upon the place of its residence the breast though I can find no command for this in the holy scripture And the like might be said of that against which Mr. Josias Nicholls so excepteth against as a Sacrament that holy Ordinance of Marriage because that it signifieth as the Church expresseth it the Mystical Vnion that is between Christ and his Church Surely we may make use even of this representation by Matrimony to endeare our affections to Christ our spiritual Spouse and yet not be guilty of Will-worship or superstition because the Apostle Paul doth from this very argument presse husbands to love their wives Eph. 5.15 32. and therefore what we know of matrimonial love may teach us to love Christ with a conjugal affection Sect. 7. And might we not lawfully use such common things in themselves to affect our understandings with spiritual things the Spirit of God would never teach us by them It is no superstition calling to minde the affection that we see in Mothers to their children to strengthen our faith in the love of Christ to us If this might not lawfully be done without superstition and Will-worship God himself would never teach us by such representations saith he can a Mother forget her child c. yet will I not forget thee In like manner the consideration of the sign of the Cross which is a representation of all that Christ suffered for us to mind us of our duty of confessing of Christ to which nothing can more engage us then the remembrance of what he endured for us upon the cross when he despised the shame thereof for us as the Apostle speaketh To subscribe to the use thereof in Baptism is lawful Sect. 8. Now though it may be objected that there is a particular Ordinance even that of the Supper to remember us of his death and sufferings upon the cross and therefore the use of this sign of the cross if it be not superstitious yet it is superfluous It may be considered of that besides an Ordinance appointed of God for a general use it is warrantable to make use of particular reembrances of Gods mercy and our duty though we have no particular command for them Many instances of this might be given in the Church of the Jewes who were most strictly tyed to particular circumstances in Gods Worship in matters of Religion yet for to keep up particular remembrances of Gods mercy to them and their duty to witness that they were Members of the true Church to avoid contention in after-ages and such like ends referring to Religion they have without any particular command from God instituted significant signs for the purposes aforesaid Sect. 9. Passing by many I