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	servant_n	unprofitable_a	1,244	5	10.6349	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61117	Scripture mistaken the ground of Protestants and common plea of all new reformers against the ancient Catholicke religion of England : many texts quite mistaken by Nouelists are lay'd open and redressed in this treatis[e] by Iohn Spenser.	Spencer, John, 1601-1671.	1655 (1655)	Wing S4958; ESTC R30149	176,766	400

that all the good workes of iust and righteous persones shall be rewarded in Christ and soe be truly meritorious in Christ hauing such a supernaturall goodnesse cōformable to that heauenly reward in them which is all that is taught in this point by the Church of Rome The Protestant Position That the good workes of the Regerate are not such as can deserue heauen This is prouued by Scripture mistaken The first Proofe For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not vvorthy to be compared with the glory which shal be reuealed vnto vs. The first mistake Nothing against merits in this text NO more is a graine of mustard seed worthy to be compared to that high and spread stalke those multitudes of increase which it beares and yet it produces them as also do the small sufferings of thi world that fayre tree of life and glory in heauen as witnesseth S. Paul 2. Cor. 4. v. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for vs a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory The second Proof So likewise yee when you haue done all those things which are commanded you say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was but our duty to doe The Second mistake These words missapplied against merits What is there here which denyes the deseruing heauen by the good works of the regenerate is it because we haue only done our duty and why then deserues a seruant his wages by doing his duty and nothing else is it because we are vnprofitable seruants and who can bring any profit to God who is vncapable of profit Hence is only proued that Allmighty God is no way beholden to vs but we to him for all our good works and therefore we are all to humble our selues before him and to acknowledge that all our merits are his gifts and the reward bestowed on them grounded in his free promesse and acceptation of them for the merits of Christ. The third Proof VVe are not saued by workes least any one should boast if righteousnesse come by the law then Christ is dead in vaine The Third mistake The word workes misunderstood The answer to Rom. 3. v. 28. c. is here to be applyed for he speaketh manifestly of the works of sinners before rheir first iustification as appeares v. 11.12.13.14 and of works done by force of the law only which he distinguisheth from the good works of the regenerate v. 10. For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath before ordayned that we should walke in them The fourth Proofe For the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. if a full gift then no merit The fourth mistake The word wages and gift missapplied The true mearing of this text must be drawn from the greeke word here vsed where that which the English hath wages is in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opsonia which properly signifies the base and ignoble stipend which was wont to be giuen to common souldiers as their ordinary pay and therefore it is fitly Vsed to expresse the wages of sinne which is death That which in English here is called a gift is in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 charisma which signifyes a donatiue or noble an pretious reward which was vsed anciētly to be bestowed vppon such as had caried themselues famously and valiently where by they deserued it for some seruice of war aboue their ordinary pay and therefore was fit to be applyed to signify that high reward which shal be obtayned in heauen by such as shall haue perseuered in good workes till death Which could not bee signifyed by the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of the basenesse and lownesse of it so that both these words doe properly signify a recompense the one a high and noble one and yet proceeding from the worthy and liberall disposition of the Prince and so happily exceeding the precise worth of the seruice as alsoe Allmighty God doth in rewarding our works qui remunerat vltra condignum who rewards beyond the condignity and worth of the merit as our Diuines teach and the other an ordinary low stipend due to common souldiers who haue noe particular worth in them Soe that the true meaning of this text according to the proper signification of the words in the original is this the base recompence and hirelings wages of sin̄ is death but the high noble and rich reward of God is eternall life and thus the text makes nothing against the merit of good workes but rather makes playnly for them Further if wee take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a pure free gift wee may answer with S. Austin and the Council of Trent now cited that because the good works merits themselues are the free gifts of God so also the glory of heauen which is deserued by them is called truly a gift as if one should giue any one a tree the fruit which it beare also may be called his gift who gaue the tree More ouer seing as we haue learned from the Council of Trent aboue cited that the primary title and right which all Gods childeren haue to eternall life is that of inheritaene which is a free gift of God before all merit of heauen eternal life may be properly called the gift of God as being absolutly decreed to be bestowed vppon them as his childeren before they had any merits to deserue it supposing that they dy in state of grace The Catholicke Position That the works of the regenerate are such as can deserue heauen I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Hence forth there is layd vp forme a crowne of righterusnesse iustitiae of iustice sayth the Greeke and Latin vvhich the Lord the righteous iustus the iust Iudge shall giue me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddet shall restore vnto me at the last day the greeke at that day and not to me only but vnto them also vvho loue his coming By a crovvn of iustice he meanes a true reward or prize got by labour as appeares knovv ye not that those vvhich runne in a race runne all but one receiueth the prize so run that yee may obteyne and euery man that striueth for the mastery is temperate in all things novv they doe it to obtaine a corruptible crown but vve an incorruptible for our light affliction vvhich is but for a moment vvorketh for vs a farre more exceeding and eternall vveight of glory If our afflictions worke a crowne of eternall glory then they are a true cause of it which cannot be but by merit Gal. 6. v. 8. For vvhat things a man shall sovv those also shall hee reape for hee that sovveth to his flesh latin in his flesh from his flesh also shall reape corruption but hee that soweth in the spirit shall

our Sauiour witnesses that the holy Apostle S. Paul in this place writes against these heretikes S. Epiphanius alsoe witnesses that Simon Mahus excluded our Sauiour from the office of mediatour and put the Angells in his place as the Apostle seemes here to say The Third mistake This text is made contrary to other texts of Scripture THirdly the Religion or worship of Angells here forbidden cannot be all kinde of worship exhibited to them for then this place of Scripture would be contrary to the other which I cited before Gen. 19. v. 1. Iosua 5. v. 14. where Angells were lawfully worshipped and so this place cannot conclude any thing against vs for if some worship may be lawfully giuen to Angells notwithstanding this place it can neuer be proued from hence that the worship we giue them is forbidden vnlesse it be first proued to be vnlawfull which can neuer be deduced from this generall prohibition And if any one should obiect here that seeing this word threskeia signifyes religion and vvorship thence may be gathered that all vvorship appertayning to Religion or all religius worship is forbidden to be giuen to Angells I answer that if wee take religion and religious worship as it is strictly and presly taken amongst the Doctours in its prime and formall acception for a vertue whereby due honour is giuen immediately to God it is true that all such religion or religious worship is there forbidden to be giuen to Angells and in this sense noe Catholike teaches that religious worship is to be giuen to Angells or any creature but only to the creatour of all things because he only it true God but if by religion or religious worship be vnderstood in a larger sense a vertue or reuerence belonging to religion and exceeding the bounds of nature and ciuill worship then religious worship to Angells is not forbidden in this place Now that religion may be taken in this larger sense is cleare as I haue allready shewed out of S. Iames now cited chap 1. v. 26. and 27. If any man amongst you seeme to be religiouus and bridleth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne hart this mans religion is vaine Pure religion and vndefyled before God and the father is to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their afflictions and to keepe himselfe vnspotted from the world Where wee see that actions performed to creatures of piety and mercy are called religion and are religious actions and so this worship though it be done to creatures may according to the phrase of Scripture be called religious worship at least in this large sense that workes of piety and mercy are called religion or religious actions here by S. Iames. And thus much for the second place Wee are commanded to pray vnto God therefore no presumption but a bounden duty Proofes out of Scripture mistaken Come vnto me all yee that labour and are heauy loaden and I will giue you rest When you pray say our father which art in heauen And what soeuer yee shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you Aske and yee shall haue seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you If the opponent meane here that wee are to pray to God without all presumption of our selues or our own workes for the words are obscure wee most willingly admit this whole obiection and all the proofes of it as most consonant with the doctrine of the Romain Church and only against Pelagian and Semipelagian Heretikes For shee teacheth that the good workes of Gods children are truly good and pleasing to God and meritorious of the increase of grace and eternall glory yet she teaches also that all good workes are the free gifts of God proceeding from his grace and not to be ascribed to any naturall force of ours left to it self which is not able to doe any thing at all pleasing to Allmighty God and so wee cannot glory in our selues but in God only as S. Paul teacheth vs Againe she teacheth that though the good workes of God's children be meritorious as is declared where they are yet no man can be in this life without a particular reuelation infallibly assured that he is the child of God or that he euer did any one worke truly good and pleasing to God and so liues and dyes wholy relying vppon the mercies of God and merits of our deare Sauiours bitter death and Passion of which he is assured by a firme and stedfast hope not presumptuously relying vppon his owne workes whereof he hath no sufficient assurance whereon to found his saluation and so he is kept in a most humble and low esteeme of himselfe and all he euer did through his whole life for it is not the beleeuing that good workes where thy are are meritorious but the beleeuing that wee haue such meritorious workes which can giue any shew of reason to rely vppon them I say beleuing with an infallible faith which Reformers teach for wee may and ought to haue a stedfast hope that through the grace of Christ wee haue done some good workes and meritorious as it is not the assurance that the abundance of mony and gould where it is is able to purchase great possessions but the assurance that one hath such an abundance of gould which makes one confide that he is able to compasse such a purchase and yet though a iust man should infallibly know that he had done workes truly pleasing to God he would not be presumptuous because he knowes they proceede from the grace of God If therefore this be all that is intended by this obiection that wee are commanded to pray to God without all presumption and vppon bounden duty wee haue nothing against it but if hereby be intended that wee are commaunded to pray to God vppon boundē duty and therefore it is noe presumption to pray to him yet so that wee are to pray to him alone as the insuing obiections and proofes seeme to insinuate then wee giue our reasons for the contrary in the insuing answer which will be alsoe common to this only à word or two vnto these fower places cited for proofe of this difficulty thus vnderstood The text of Mat. 11. v. 28. mistaken Come vnro me all yee that labour and are heauie loaden and I will giue you rest THis text is in the mouth of euery ignorant Protestant to proue that wee are neither to pray to saint nor Angell but to Christ alone Come vnto mee saith our Sauiour he bids vs not come vnto Saints ot Angells say some illiterate Scripturistes therefore wee must neither come to Saints nor Angells according to our Sauiours command But how far this discourse is from common sense euery vnderstanding person will easily discouer for to say that our Sauiour bids vs not here come to Saints or Angells expressly is most true but that shewes only that coming to Saints or Angells is not here commanded which no man makes