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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93060	A good conscience the strongest hold. A treatise of conscience, handling the nature acts offices use of conscience. The description qualifications properties severall sorts of good conscience. The excellency necessity utility happiness of such a conscience. The markes to know motives to get meanes to keep it. By John Sheffeild, Minister of Swythins London.	Sheffeild, John, d. 1680.	1650 (1650)	Wing S3062; Thomason E1235_1; ESTC R208883	228,363	432

soul that was formerly as tender of sin as the mother of her childe with her own hands slaies and strangles it 14 Note This man again you shall finde him ever consulting rather with honesty justice and duty then with honour commodity and safety If he promiseth passeth his word giveth his hand bond or oath he changeth not though it be to his own prejudice and Psal 15. 4. damage That famous Regulus I now speak of having given his faithfull promise to return again being discharged upon his Paroll though he knew he should die if he did make it good returned again yeelded himself their prisoner again delivering this memorable Maxim to his eternall fame Fides hosti data est servanda Faith is to be kept with whatsoever enemy and upon whatsoever perill This also made Austin so much to extoll him as I said before as a man not altering with his fortunes greatnesse made him not swell nor affliction could make him shrink ●ad tanta exitia revertit Intrepidus Aug. ubi supra Mr. Latimer though he had notice before that the Pursevant would come for him would not absent himself yea when the Pursevant having delivered his Message was willing to have left him behind that he might have made an escape he made himself ready to go along with him Here was no consulting with flesh and blood but with conscience duty and the honour of the Gospel 15 Note Lastly this man alone in the cause of Christ and Religion dare stand it out against the whole world as Athanasius and Luther in their severall Generations sustained the rage and fury of the age they lived in yet were nothing discouraged The three most eminent of all David's valiant men purchased their honour by some singular exploit one of them did the work of many Adino the Eznite the first lift up his Spear against eight hundred at one time and slew them Eliazar the son of Dodo stood his ground and endured the shock of the Philistines Army when all his men had left him The like did Shammah the third of them 2 Sa. 23. 8 9 10. The Philistines were gathered together in a Troop where was a piece of ground full of Lentiles the people fled and left him he stood the charge and beat off the Philistines and made good his ground These things did those three mighty men So a man of conscience considers not so much the danger that lies before him as the duty and necessity that lies upon him to appear in such a time and cause A fiery Elias is the more jealous which is the greatest measure of tenderness and love of the cause truth and worship of God when the whole world is halting between a God and no God and when all his fellow Prophets were slain and butchered and he himself was left alone yea his life laid out for then was a fit time for him to shew his courage and fidelity or jealousie as he calls it 1 Kin. 19. 10. We finde by experience the fire to burn most scorchingly in the extreamest frosty weather and the most generous conscience is then most forward and fervent when he lives in a cold and freezing climate And so much of the tender Conscience CHAP. XIII Of the suffering Conscience THe last conscience we spoke of was the Of the Passive and suffering Conscience Tender Conscience here we are to speak of another Conscience as good as that but quite of a different nature that is the Passive and hardy Conscience which is to admit of no fear timorousness or tenderness at all in it as to suffering as the former was not to allow of any patience or boldnesse at all as to sinning Yet are they not so opposite neither as they may seem to be but both are to be found in the same persons gracious dispositions alway agreeing together and one helping and increasing another The more of that Tenderness we spoke of in the last Chapter the more of this Passiveness if need be will be found of which we speak here yea this hardiness proceeds from that tenderness and is inseparable from it therefore it is fitly handled next to it For as there is a bad base and sinfull tenderness that proceeds from as sinfull a hardness or hardness so is there a holy and honourable hardness that proceeds from the best tenderness There is a childish softness and effeminate tenderness of face and flesh which comes from hardness of heart and there is again a gallant and resolute hardness of face and back as unto men to indure all kinds of pains and tortures which comes from reall tenderness of heart and conscience before God Good Conscience then must not be bred so daintily and kept so tenderly but that it may digest the worlds hardest usage and coursest fare it must be Patiens famis frigoris ensis ignis Patient to all sufferings impatient onely of sin This puts within a man a heart of adamant and upon a man a face of brass or flint He is not dashed out of countenance with the fiery countenance of inraged Tyrants nor made to tremble at the sight of a seven-times-heated fiery furnace We are not carefull to answer thee O King in this matter This is that Conscience which St. Peter so highly commendeth 1 Peter 2. 19. This is thank-worthy saith he if a man for conscience toward God indure grief suffering wrongfully You have not such an expression in all the Bible again that any thing should be thank-worthy with God for our Saviour saith Luke 17. 9 10. Doth any Master thank his Servant when he doth what he commands I trow not So nor can we expect thanks but when we have done all we are to say unprofitable servants we have but done out duty But here St. Peter ver 19. saith This is thank-worthy c. and repeateth it again ver 20. If ye do well and suffer patiently this is acceptable or thank-worthy with God This is a mighty honour put upon this Conscience we must therefore get it Know that all is nothing if this be wanting Not thy Conscience of faith puritie and sinceritie not thy Quick-sighted well-spoken well-doing not thy Inoffensive or Tender Conscience if thou have not also this Propertie All is not worth a Thank As all thou canst do is not worth a Thank if not for Conscience sake so it seems Conscience it self is not worth a Thank if not for suffering sake This did commend the Christians in old times they had learned to suffer as much for Religion as we to dispute for it or rather against it They could be content to be bound that Truth might be at libertie and to die that Religion might not die and they chose rather to suffer for the Gospel then that the Gospel should suffer through them They were more willing that Religion should live upon them and their ruines then we are to live upon Religion and its ruine now adaies Any thing was easie for them

as they did Moses Acts 7. for an intruder or busie usurper or an imperious Commander 3. Concerning faith made shipwrack see what followed upon it They did not perfect and mend their faith as they might be ready to pretend or affirm but weaken it not weaken but shake it not shake but sunk it and lost it 4. Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander Consider who these were even great Professors a great while and stout Champions somewhile that had adventured far and ingaged much for the truth and the Preachers of it Alexander especially who had shewed so much zeal to truth and love to Paul Acts 19. that to secure Paul's person he had exposed his own to the danger of an unruly tumult he could have laid down his own life to have saved Paul's and would have parted with his right eye to do Paul service Yet see what is become of these now where will he stay that hath lost his Conscience 5. For they having put away their former good Conscience become now branded Apostates and open enemies of the same Preachers they had before so loved and honoured nay they themselves become Preachers but blasphemous Preachers 6. Lastly after all this the Church that formerly had joined with them now spues them out gives warning to the godly to avoid them and to their grief denie them any more Church-fellowship and gives them over to Satan that no more mischief may be done by their impure Doctrines The Church in her direfull Censures saith Write these men childlesse let no more of their seed rise up after them to bear more gall and wormwood CHAP. XVIII The Application of the Doctrine and first by way of Information THis point admits a sevenfold Application The Application as containing matter 1. For Information 2. Lamentation 3. Reproof 4 Terror 5. Consolation 6 Examination 7. Exhortation with some Directions The Information hath two parts 1. It gives 1. By way of information notice of certain errors and mistakes to remove them 2. Of certain Truths and Duties to assert them 1. It meets full in the face with that too And that first in removing mistakes common and plausible opinion but most dangerous error That to preach Conscience and press Duties in this nature is but legall teaching not preaching Jesus Christ and the Gospell But sure we have more cause to complain of the world for too little of legall living and Christian doing then the world to complain of too much legall preaching When men call us legall Teachers we may with too much truth and as much grief call them illegall ill-Evangelicall and ill-Christian livers Hymeneus and Alexander are alive again and by many Professors counted better Preachers then Paul and Timothy These counted Good-Conscience-Doctrine to be legall strictness and old Leaven of the Pharisees faith was enough faith was all But when Conscience ceased faith deceased they put away Conscience faith suffered shipwrack So that we may more rightly call this an old-new-Testament-error to crie down strictness then you our preaching it an old-Testament Truth and Doctrine This opinion broke out almost as soon as the preaching of the Gospel Paul had preached That where sin had abounded and reigned grace did much more abound and reign Rom. 5. 20. Others inferred hence as good Doctrine and the right knowledg of the Gospel and walking by a spirit of libertie Then may we continue in sin that grace may abound Rom. 6. 1. Paul had said sin shall not have dominion over regenerate believers For we are not under the law but grace Hence others concluded We may sin because we are no longer under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14 15. Paul refutes the impietie of both Assertions with the same answer detesting both God forbid Rom. 6. 2. 15. These Tares we see sprung up as soon as the good Seed began to appear We wonder the less if among us there be some that say Believe once and away with Conscience and Dutie and Works and have no more Conscience of sin The truth is once believe and thou hast no more Conscience of sin as to the guilt and punishment of it But once believe and ever make conscience of sin to avoid resist and mortifie it that it reign not in your mortall bodie The other were to overthrow the true grace of God by the name of the grace of God and to set up an imaginary faith and Gospel to beat down reall faith and Gospel while they cry down Sanctification and Conscience of dutie not as to the resting in them but as to the very having and seeking them But let the minde that hath wisdom judge can one grace in God be contrary to another his justifying grace to his sanctifying or sanctifying to justifying 2. Is one Attribute of God opposite to another his grace love and mercie to his holiness justice and puritie 3. Must Christ needs be divided and by redemption and justification drive out wisdom and sanctification two of his benefits destroying other two when he is all or none 1 Cor. 1. 30. 4. Or must two ends of Christs death be opposite to two other ends set down all together Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Must Christ his dying for us and redeeming of us make his people less pure or less zealous of good works 5. Can any imagine that one grace of the same Spirit should cross another the Spirits consolation evacuate the Spirits sanctification and by his obsignation mortifie mortification 6. Can one grace in the Christian be imagined to weaken and destroy another Is faith the enemy of holiness Doth Conscience extinguish confidence 7. Is the Law now against the Promise or Gal. 3. 21. the Promise against the Law did grace then fulfill the Law and est ablish it and doth it now Rom. 3. 31. make it void All these would have been accounted strange Divinitie in the Apostles ears This bewitching errour doth not onely set earth into disorders neighbour against neighbour professor against professor some people against their Ministers and some Ministers though they are not many who are so grosse against other Ministers but it sets earth in rebellion against heaven yea would attempt to put heaven into a combustion and make heaven at variance within it self while it would set Gods Decrees against Gods Decrees Promises against Promises Grace against Grace Saints against Sanctitie And again Decrees against Promises Promises against Commands Commands against Duties and all against Holiness This hellish Doctrine came from the Gnosticks of old and their followers They thought it their perfection to set Conscience at libertie and to discharge it from all puritie Epiphanius and Irenaeus say that the Gnosticks did purposely resolve to live a loose and base life that they might reproach the stricter Christians and wear out that legall Doctrine and as some

he not be able to finde it out 3. It prefers a supposed fictitious Revelation before written and clear Revelations as did the deceived prophet 1 King 13. Now all Divine Revelations coming from the Spirit of Truth ever are consonant to the word of truth which is the Rule to trie all Revelations by 2 Pet. 1. 19. 4. It prefers a strong impulsion from his own thoughts before Gods own thoughts Jer. 7. 31. God said what they did never came into his minde to approve it yet would they do it because it was their Conscience and it came into their minde But the strongest impulsion of our spirits though gracious Spirits can be no Rule David had a very strong impression once to build God a house he consults with Nathan a Prophet he hath the 2 Sam. 7. 2 3. same apprehension of the work Go on for God is with thee yet was it not therefore good in Gods eyes because good in both theirs David had another vehement and impetuous Motion to be avenged on Nabal for his inhumanitie 1 Sam. 25. 22. and uncivilities towards his servants sent in his name he backs that motion with an Oath yet upon Abigails submission he changeth his minde blessing both ver 33. God and her and the counsell given to stay him from proceeding so fiercely according to the wilde light of an erring Conscience God did appoint his people under the Law Numb 15. 39. to wear fringes on their garments that they might remember Gods written Commandments and not seek after their own heart after which they were apt to go a whoring He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool the wise man Pro. 28. 26 saith And Job gives a serious Item in this case Let not him that is deceived trust in vanitie for vanitie shall be his recompense Job 15. 31. 5. Erroneous Conscience interprets difficulties and discouragements as a discharge from dutie The time is not come say they to build the House of God nor is it any more our dutie because the Kings of Persia forbad and the adversaries hindered it Hag. 1. 2. But this is the sluggards Conscience when he seeth a lion in the way Prov. 26. 13. 6. It conceives a fair intention or a good end may legitimate an unwarrantable action Now though true it is That the goodness of the end propounded hath a great influence upon an action to make it theologically good yet can no good end alter the nature of an action that is materially bad to mend it To do the greatest good to an evil end as to pray to be seen of men and to do the least evil to attain the best end as to lie for God are Job 13. 7. alike abomination Our Rule from the Scripture is not to do the least evil to gain the greatest beneficiall good or to avoid the greatest penall evil Rom. 3. 8. 7. Lastly this fool so rageth and is so confident that he dare appeal to God to patronize his exorbitancies Jo. 16. 3. They think they did God greatest service when they did the Church the greatest dis-service in killing the Apostles So did Pauls erring Conscience once stimulate him Out of zeal persecuting the Church Phil. 3. 6. Jehu could not look upon it as any other then true zeal to God when he saw himself so violent in rooting out Ahabs house and Baals priests Come see my zeal for the Lord saith he And were there not fourty zealously enraged against Paul who had made a religious vow not to eat again unless they had killed Paul Act. 23. 12. Quantum Religio poterit suadere malorum what so evil that erroneous Conscience will not call good It puts bitter for sweet and darkness for light familiarly 7. The next mistake is of them who mistake a scrupulous Conscience for a good Conscience whenas all their scruples are about minute and triviall matters about indifferent or impertinent things overlooking things of greater consequence they stand upon Tythe Mint Annise and Cummin and neglect the weightie matters of the Law Mercie Justice Faith Strain at a gnat swallow a camel stick at joyning with a Christian Congregation in the commanded duties of publike worship and Communion but never stick at joining with scorners in sinful communion or in conforming to the fashions of the world Surely we may say as Paul to his Ephesians But ye have not so learned Christ Ephes 4. 20 21. if ye have heard him and have been taught by him c. These make ado about washing pots and cups and outsides when the heart is brim full of pride hypocrisie malice censoriousness rapine and all iniquitie scruple rubbing ears of corn when hungrie but not swallowing a poor widows house The high Priests were troubled in Conscience and rent their clothes when Christ said he was the Son of God but when themselves blasphemed Christ and resisted the holy Ghost there was then no rending hearts nor renting garments When Judas brought back the money and threw it down they would not once touch it and into their Corban it must not come it was the Price of blood now but when they drove the bargain with Judas and told him out that very money then it was not the price of blood out of Corban it might lawfully come but into Corban again it must not go Oh painted sepulchres and whited walls 8. Such again on the other side who think that scruples and strictness and tenderness are the onely arguments of an ill Conscience and that Libertie and bold adventurousness are the best arguments of a good Conscience And so all the world is of a sudden become very Conscientious and our Reformation brought unto perfection All men crying Conscience Conscience Libertie Libertie But shall we go down and see whether they have done altogether according to this crie Gen. 18. 21. Is this the onely good Conscience that the world hath left Must wee needs leave Jordan and go wash in Abano and Pharpar that we may be clean Must we beat down one altar and set up many altars going the clean contrarie way to Hezekiahs Reformation to make sure that our Reformation shall not be Legall must we say that uniformitie is the onely slaverie That one heart one waie one faith one Baptisme and one Table of the Lord is too little under the Gospel That Jerusalem is not the place it is too much to meet all in one place Dan and Bethel may do as well private places are as good as publike The meanest of the people as fit as the most learned Well we see the one part the worse part of that prophecie fulfilled Micah 4. 5. for all people will walk every one in the Name of his God when shall we see the other and better part fulfilled which followes And we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever Shall this serpent Libertie eat up all our other Rods Must all the legitimate sons of Gideon be slain