Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	command_v	law_n	moral_a	2,108	5	9.1759	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36446	Theanthrōpos or The great mysterie of godlines opened by way of antidote against the great mysterie of iniquity, (now awork in the Romish Church.) In a sound and seasonable treatise; wherein 1. The incarnation of the Son of God (and evangelicall love, wisdome, humility, &c. expressed in that contrivance) is fully explicated and displayed. 2. Ceremonies in poynt of divine worship are concluded to be by Christ (the true Messiah) abrogated; and examined whether they are not since Christ, Jewish-anti-Christian; where the Jew and Judaizing Christian are deservedly taxed. 3. Christian liberty with its VIII steps and V boundaries, is modestly and briefly asserted; and many other matters of consequence and moment are imparted; but now published for vindication of the truth and its assertor. By Thomas Douglas, M.A. minister of the Gospel at Olaves-Silverstreet, in London.	Douglas, Thomas, fl. 1661.	1661 (1661)	Wing D2040; ESTC R212841	54,580	83

Ceremonies may be called Worship of God not only ratione modi but even ratione medii not only as additional things belonging to the reverend use of God's prescribed Worship but also as a mean though not by vertue of any thing in it self but by vertue of somwhat else If so with what face can they blame Papists who place worship indeed in their Cross Crucifix but not by vertue of any thing in it self but in respect of Christ crucified whom say they it represents Once more 4. A thing pertains to the Worship of God say the * Ad cultum Dei pertinet aliquid dupliciter uno modo cum cum aliquid Deo offertur alio modo cum aliquid Divinum assumitur Aquin. 2. 2. Quaest 95. Art 2. Schoolmen two manner of ways viz. vel quoad oblationem vel quoad assumptionem either when we offer to God any thing in point of Worship or when we add and receive any thing into his Worship Hence they are guilty of a superstitious and Ceremonial Worship not only who offer to God for Worship but also who assume in God's worship as sacred what God himself hath not ordained Such are Jewish-Popish Ceremonies Ergo c. Thus I have pursued at large the Vse of Reprehension having respect to my Text O that the Lord would second it with the powerful convictions of his Spirit Vse 3 Here is matter of Consolation Beloved Here is a Summary of Evangelical Comfort here is the choicest thing that is displayed in Gospel What A Redeemer for undone Mankinde A Saviour for sinners And that one of their own flesh and blood too viz. The Son of God made of a woman Here is Semen Mulicris the * Seed of the Woman which was five thousand Gen. 3. 15. yeers ago promised and preached by God Himself the first Evangelist and Preacher of Christ and Gospel I will put enmity said he between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed and IT shall bruise thy head c. This was the first Gospel that ever was preached The second Evangelist was an Angel who made a comfortable Sermon upon the same Text Fear not said he to the Shepherds for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy for unto you is born this day in the City of David a SAVIOVR c. Luke 2. 10 11. This Angelical was a truly Evangelical Sermon It is well worthy of our observation that an Angel was imployed in the first publication of the Nativity of our Lord and Gospel-comfort redounding from thence to sinful undone Man But I would not I must not be too prolix here The comfort that doth accrue to poor broken captive sinners from God-Incarnate may appear from an inspection into the capital benefits mentioned v. 5. viz. 1. Redemption 2. Adoption God's great designe in assuming to himself our Nature was saith our Apostle That he might 1. Redeem them that were under the Law 2. That we might receive the Adoption of Sons These be priviledges of the first magnitude and they are gradual In the one we are exempted from a Servile In the other we are dignified with a Filial condition By the one we cease to be Slaves by the other we become Sons I shall through mercy speak to both but to the latter more briefly for displaying to the Saints Gospel-comfort which divides it self here as it were into two streams or channels Of Christian Liberty 1. The first is Redemption This is a Believers Christian Liberty that great Evangelical Priviledge wherein he is freed from his Native Bondage and Captivity intimated while he is said to be under the Law Now Christian Liberty considered in its full Extent and Latitude hath in it these eight steps 1. The first is Exemption from the Curse and Condemning power of the Moral Law There is a twofold Power in the Law viz. 1. Mandatory 2. Damnatory A Commanding and a Condemning Power And accordingly the Legal Obligation is two-fold viz. 1. Active 2. Penal That is an Obligation to Duty This is an Obligation to a Penalty 1. The Mandatory and Directive Power of the Law is ever in force for the Law is a standing and Irreversible Rule of Life and Obedience But 2. The Damnatory and Maledictive Power of the Law by vertue whereof sinful Delinquents are bound over to death to a curse and condigne punishment on the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die said God to Adam concerning the Probational Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil Gen. 2. 17. is fully answered and disanull'd for Believers by Christ for he hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed the Saints from the curse though not from the command of the Law And in this sense it is said that the Law is not made for a righteous person 1 Tim. 1. 9. which therefore we must not understand in the Antinomians and loose Libertines sense as if the Law were not at all Obligatory to a righteous person binding him to holiness and obedience O no! The Law is ever recti-dica but never male-dica to Believers In a word Believers are by Christ exempted from the Penal curse malediction and condemnatory sentence of the Law So that Though temporal death is inevitably common both to the Redeemed and to Reprobates for it is by an old infallible Statute appointed unto all men once to die Heb. 9. 27. yet the Redeemed of the Lord are not lyable to death nor indeed to any affliction whatsoever by vertue of any maledictive influence of the Law upon them Mors illis nec abest nec obest though death is inevitable yet it is not hurtful Death is necessary in the Saints not by way of satisfaction to injured Justice for Christ hath performed that and Justice were not Justice if it should require sarisfaction twice but as I may say by way of Introduction into Glory they are by a blessed exchange possessed of Eternal Life with the loss of a Natural life Death is not a Penal or Judicial thing in the Saints for Inane est delirium illud Papisticum de exemptione a poeno aeterna sed non a poena temporali the curse and sting is taken away The same may be said of all the Saints afflictions they are not properly penal but rather probational or castigatory chastisements rather then punishments they are crosses not curses Medicinal not Maledictory Physick not poyson for instruction not for destruction O! What comfort is that There is not now mors in olla the deadly pottage are healed though I die yet I shall not be damned c. 2. The second is exemption from the Rigour of the Law and its Exaction of Inherent Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law in its strictness and first constitution did require of us perfect and personal Obedience and that upon pain of death according to its Active condition Do this and live Now

the Magistrates commands is necessary though not Necessitate consequentis yet Necessitate consequentiae that is Though they are not Obligatory to Conscience * Pros Leid Synt. pur Theol. Disp 35. Thes 39. primo per se primarily directly and by vertue of any Genuine binding power In themselves and as such yet they are binding by vertue of 1. The Lawfulness of the matter commanded and 2. God's * Exod. 20. 12. Rom. 13. 1 2. 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. General Precept touching indispensable Obedience Active or Passive to the Magistrates Commandments In which respect we must * Rom. 13. 5. be subject even for Conscience sake Thus though this viz. The lawful Commandments of the Magistrate are necessarily to be obeyed is not true by the simple necessity of the Consequent as an Axiome and Principle manifest of it self or by a simply necessary Connexion between the Antecedent and Consequent or Subject and Predicate viz. The Lawful Commandments of the Magistrate and Necessary Obedience Yet it is true by the In Divinis ad Praecipientem In Humanis ad Praeceptum respiciendum est necessity of consequence that is such a necessity as may be soundly concluded from the Law of God wherein Obedience to the Lawful Commandments of Magistrates is Indispensably commanded so that it is a Conclusion manifest by Discourse and thus upon these Premises viz. 1. That all lawful Commandments of Magistrates are necessarily by vertue of God's Commandment to be obeyed And 2. That this or that is a lawful Command of the Magistrate It will follow Necessitate consequentiae That This or that Commandment of the Magistrate is necessarily to be obeyed In a word There be two things which oblige us to obey the Magistrates Commandments 1. The one is the Matter of the Human Precept which must be Consonant at least not Repugnant to the Law of God 2. The other is The Authority of the Divine Precept wherein as hath been said Indispensable Obedience to the Lawful Commandments of Magistrates is enjoyned From what hath been said it is evident That Human Laws are Obligatory and Authentique only by vertue of the Law of God their binding Power being purely Mutuatitious We are to obey the Magistrate and all that are in Authority so far forth as that in obeying them we obey God the Great Law-giver Vid. Alsted Theol. Cas cap. 2. Prof. Leid Synt. pur Theol. Disp 35. Thes 19. But Quaest What if the Magistrate command things which Conscience will not suffer to conform unto Answ 1. Subjection to Magistrates and Loyalty is an Indispensable duty It is very observable that none of the Apostles did more urge and enforce that Duty then S. Paul did though he was a Subject to the greatest Tyrant that ever lived namely that Monster of Mankinde Nero Caesar who was the Author of the * First Persecution and is called Nero ex Caesaribus primus in Christianos distrinxit gladium by * Apolog. 5. Tertullian Dedicator Damnationis Nostrae the first that made a Law to condemn Christians to death 2. There is according to some of the Learned a great difference between Subjection and Obedience Subjection saith * Of the Church lib. 4. cap. 34. D. Field is generally and absolutely required where Obedience is not as when Conscience suffers not a Man Actively to Obey yet Duty leads him by Passive Obedience to submit and subject himself to Authority and thus the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2. 13. Greek word notes Submission or Subjection in Scripture which is much to be observed lest in stead of submitting Men either by Active Obedience conform contrary to Conscience or which Piety abhors rebel contrary to duty Thus had I been an Inferiour Note It is one thing to obey Nero the Magistrate another to obey Nero's Commandment Magistrate under Nero and by him commanded to execute that cursed Edict of his touching the condemning of Christians to death I would not have Actively obeyed him neither would I have rebelled What then Why I would have offered him my Neck through passive strength from the Almighty not my hand The same may be said in respect of the contraverted Ceremonies when imposed by Authority though I cannot conform to them yet through the Grace of God I shall never rebel but according to Scripture injunction I will submit to the Higher Power whether it be to the KING 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by Him Let men know then that there is a Medium between Active Obedience and Rebellion viz. SUBMISSION The Lord forgive them that interpret Non-Conformity to the Mitre to be no less then Disloyalty to the Crown The latter I thank God I am taught of him to abhor Again 3. I like well that distinction of * Parker of the Cross cap. 5. sect 14 15. Non Obedire and Nolle Obedire the one is no more then not to conform by Active Obedience The other is Obstinate Disobedience and Contempt which is ever to be avoided But Quest How are Magistratical Injunctions in things Indifferent and Indispensable Obedience thereunto consistent with Liberty of Conscience Answer 6. Liberty and Limitations are not inconsistent A Spiritual and Internal Liberty may very well consist with Extrinsecal Limitations That we may the better apprehend this let us consider That There is a two-fold Restraint namely 1. One upon the Conscience and Inner Man 2. Another upon the Person and Outward Man Now There may be a Restraint upon the Person when yet there is no Constraint upon the Conscience of a Man and therefore we must distinguish between 1. The Right and Truth of Liberty and 2. The Vse and Exercise of Liberty Libertas Conscientiae and Ligatio Conscientiae considered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. are inconsistent Liberty of Conscience is opposed only to bond of Conscience not to an Extrinsecal Restraint of the Outward Man in respect of the Exercise of our Liberty Undoubtedly there may be a Restriction upon the Practice or upon the Person as to the Vse of his Liberty and yet 1. Nothing derogatory to the Indifferency of the thing in it self Nor 2. Any violence offered to the Internal and Real Liberty of Conscience even as the Actus Imperati may be hindered or restrained without any violence offered to the Actus Eliciti of the Soul And thus who doth doubt but that the King our Dear and Dread Soveraigne may on a Civil account for the publick good of his Kingdoms enjoyn his Subjects abstinence from such and such Meats c. Now here were a Restraint upon Persons in respect of the Vse and Exercise of their Liberty and yet no violence offered upon the Kings part to the Internal Liberty of Conscience for though the Outward Man is restrained by the Civil Sword yet the Inner Man and Conscience is left free that is My Conscience