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
A75811	The Christian moderator: the second part; or, Persecution for religion condemned by the light of nature. Law of God. Evidence of our own principles. With an explanation of the Roman Catholick belief, concerning these four points: their church, worship, justification and civill government. Whereunto there are new additions since the octavo was printed.; Christian moderator. Part 2	Birchley, William, 1613-1669.	1652 (1652)	Wing A4246; ESTC R225799	36,103	34

Thus we believe the merit or reward ablenesse of holy living both which signifie the same thing with us arises not from the self-value even of our best actions as they are ours but from the grace and bounty of God and for our selves we sincerely professe when we have done all those things which are commanded us we are unprofitable servants having done nothing but that which was our duty so that our boasting is not in our selves but all our glorying is in Christ 4. We firmly believe and highly reverence the Morall Law being so solemnly delivered to Moses upon the Mount so expresly confirmed by our Saviour in the Gospel and containing in it so perfect an Abridgement of our whole duty both to God and man Which Morall Law we believe obliges all men to proceed with faithfulnesse and sincerity in their mutuall contracts one towards another and therefore our constant Profession is that we are most strictly and absolutely bound to the exact and entire performance of our promises made to any person of what Religion soever much more to the Magistrates and Civil powers under whose protection we live whom we are taught by the word of God to obey not onely for fear but for consci●nce sake and to whom we will most faithfully observe our promises of duty and obedience notwithstanding any dispensation absolution or any other proceedings of any forraign power or authority whatsoever Wherefore we utterly deny and renounce that false and scandalous Position that Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks as most uncharitably imputed to our practices and most unjustly pinned upon our religion These we sincerely and solemnly professe as in the sight of God the searcher of all hearts taking the words plainly and simply in their usuall and familiar sense without any equivocation or mental reservation whatsoever THese expressions concerning four of the most offensive points wherein the Papists differ from us have I confesse given me a great and unexpected satisfaction And though I remain in the same mind as to the erroniousnesse of many of their Tenets yet I see we may easily be too passionate in the degree of detesting any different opinion since every error is not presently to be censured as an unsufferable abomination and too severe in the degree of persecuting the dissenters from our own judgements as if they were unworthy to breath the same air with our selves Certainly many Protestants who quietly enjoy a just and unmolested freedome approach very near to the first assertion of the Papists whilst some both writers and discoursers professe to submit their private judgements unappealably to a truly-free Generall Councell that she might once have an end of all strife and contention about matters of Religion others refer themselves without further instance to a Provinciall Assembly of Divines and very few but will prefer the judgement of the Supreme authority of this Nation before their own particular sense readily conforming to that Declaration which the Parliament shall hold forth to be the true meaning of the Scripture So that almost every one agrees in the acknowledgement of an external authority to decide such Controversies as arise out of the different interpretation of their faith upon the Churches sleeve and yield a blind obedience that is without appealing any further to her determination And for the second Branch I am sure many Protestants continue still those old customes of baring their heads when they come into a Church nay of bowing at the name of Jesus Practices that ly open to the greatest part of those objections which our more godly and conscientious penns make against the Papists in the question of Pictures yet I hope there will never be the least thought entertained of imposing penalties upon the private and unscandalous use of any such Ceremonies Rather let us apply our endeavours to open their eys with a mild and gentle hand than beat them out with the club-fist of the Law But when I reflect upon the third conclusion in the Recusants Paper I am astonished to consider how Education with a little mixture of Passion or interest makes every slight distemper amongst Christians which of it self were easily curable so desperate that it often becomes irrecoverable and endangers both the health and life of Christianity Surely in many things we strangely mistake one another I professe sincerely I should be so far from seising on the Estate of a Papist for refusing that part of the Oath of Abjuration wherein he is compelled to renounce the Doctrine of merits that I am resolved to suffer a thousand deaths rather then abjure so great and manifest a truth according to the sense wherein they explain themselves or affirm so great and manifest an Errour according to the sense wherein we explain our selves For when we censure the Doctrine of Merits we understand by that word our deserts as they exclude the merits of Christ and abstracting from the Covenant God hath been pleased to make with us in his Son and in that sense we justly condemne all opinions of Merit even of the best works as presumptuous and Luciferian But I now see when the Papists affirm that good works are meritorious they include both the promise of God and the merits of Christ Jesus and in effect when all is summed up it amounts only to this That God hath graciously promised and will faithfully keep his word to reward all those with eternall life that believe in him and obey his Commandements In this sense the Papists hold mercifulnes to be meritorious or available to salvation because the Scripture sayes Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtain mercy Matth. 5. 7. In this sense the Papists hold patience in affliction to be meritorious or available to Salvation because the Scripture sayes Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 5. 10. And this as I am informed by very understanding men amongst them is the reall truth of their Doctrine concerning good works which in my judgement differs nothing from ours but onely in the unsavoury and proud-sounding word merit The last Cause of the Papists Note which I have transcribed is so full and satisfactory that if they will be as good as their words I shall neither fear to have such neighbours nor need any Magistrate fear to have such Subjects And to prove their trustinesse and fidelity in the observance of their oaths I cannot imagin a more evident demonstration then that they make a conscience of what oaths they take He that swears any thing without distinction may justly be suspected to be as false to men as he is fearlesse of God whereas no clearer argument can be alledged in the behalf of any that they intend to keep all the oaths they take then this that they will not take all the oaths you offer surely if the Pope or their own consciences could give them this extravagant priviledge to be bound by no oath