Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	day_n	holy_a	rest_n	3,546	5	7.5027	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52357	The true liberty & dominion of conscience vindicated, from the usurpations & abuses of opinion, and persuasion	Nalson, John, 1638?-1686.	1677 (1677)	Wing N117; ESTC R19982	50,790	152

why I or any other persons should not perform all the several Offices in the Book of Divine Service mentioned Why such Gestures Habits or Signs should not be made use of And then something is said to make them unlawful then every man in point of Conscience would be obliged to abstain from them but till that be done they will remain in their own natures simply indifferent and so far lawful And so long as they are so which will be to the Worlds end they act falsly and unjustly who endeavour to persuade weak minds and such as are not able to Judge that these Circumstances of Religious Worship now in use in the Church of England are absolutely unlawful and that they ought neither to use them nor to have any communion with those who do use them which is the true reason and foundation of their separation And that the treacherous dealers deal thus treacherously with us is plain for that the Ignorant and Vulgar always make this their Plea for their forsaking our Communion that their Consciences will not give them leave to joyn with us in our unlawful Ceremonies as in derision they call all the Service of the Church And this they must needs have from their Teachers who either ought not to have been Teachers if they themselves were not come to the knowledge of the Truth or if they were they ought to have taught them the Truth and that these Modes or Circumstances of Religion being in their own natures indifferent were onely matters of Opinion and not of Conscience until such time as they were some way or other lawfully determined And to prove that this they ought to have done and more than this have taught their Hearers That they ought to have submitted to such determinations I will endeavour to make it plainly appear by shewing how indifferent Circumstances of Divine Worship become obligatory to Conscience and so necessary to be performed Now all indifferent Circumstances in Religious Worship become necessary if in general they answer the great Design of God's glory and the Happiness of Mankind both here and hereafter it were enough therefore to demand which of all these indifferent things are contrary to these great Designs and wherein which I am sure it is impossible for them to make appear But for the satisfaction of some who may retain their prejudices for want of a better information I will shew more fully and distinctly how indifferent things become necessary with some short reflections upon such of them as in the Ceremonies and Service of the Church of England are most objected against First therefore an indifferent Circumstance in Religious Worship becomes necessary if in general it conduces to the advancement of Piety and Holiness because whatsoever does so is absolutely necessary to be done and it is every man's duty to endeavour to promote goodness by all lawful ways and means Thus therefore set and appointed times for Publick Worship and Service of God become necessary such are the Lords Day and all other holy Fasts and Festivals in which People assemble together to call upon and praise God and to give him that devout Worship and humble Adoration which in duty they are bound to do where sin is reproved the ignorant are instructed the weak are confirmed and strengthned the Holy Sacraments those Pledges of God's Love and Seals of our Inheritance with the Saints in Light are celebrated and all people are exhorted directed persuaded and encouraged to the performance of their respective duties towards God and all men And that such set times are necessary will appear because were men left to their own liberty when and where to perform these Duties of publick Worship such is the treachery and backwardness of mens natures that if they were not determined by a necessity they would generally neglect the Service of God and find out perpetual excuses and evasions to delay the performance of it to the great decay of Piety and Religion and the great hazard of the salvation of their Souls For this purpose also publick Places of Assemblies decent and convenient for those uses become necessary and by such Dedication and solemn setting apart to the Service of God they become his Houses and cease to be common or indifferent by obtaining a Relative Holiness Exod. 3.5 Ezek. 42.13 14. and 44.19 such as did the ground about the burning Bush the Temple and its Vessels the Vestments and Chambers of the Priests all which are called Holy And therefore the Royal Psalmist does prophetically tell us Psal 93. ult Holiness becometh thy House for ever which must either be false or else be understood of Christian Temples Secondly Indifferent things and Circumstances in Divine Worship become necessary if they promote Peace Vnity and Charity according to those great and necessary Rules of the Gospel Live in peace if it be possible 2 Cor. 13.11 Heb. 12.14 2 Cor. 13.2 Coloss 3.14 Ephes 4.3 1 Cor. 13.13 as much as in you lies follow peace with all men Finally brethren be of one mind Above all things put on charity which is the bond of persectness Keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Now remaineth Faith Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charity Now that one set and prescribed form of Publick Worship Administration of the Sacraments and other Religious Duties doth extremely promote all these nothing can be more plain for where men are left to their own liberty one likes this way of performance another likes and prefers another way from hence immediately arises a breach of Unity from thence men come to Disputations and Controversies which is the best way And whilst each party is equally obstinate in the defence of their own Opinion many heats of passion happen which vent themselves in bitter words from thence men come to variance division and separation from thence to hatred and then the door is set wide open to violence force confusion war and all the innumerable mischiefs which are its dreadful consequents and constant companions That these are sad and experimented truths I appeal to all sober and considerative men but lest their Judgment should not be satisfactory let us hear the judgment of an Apostle who was guided in what he writ by an infallible Spirit Jam. 3.14 But if ye have bitter envyings and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devillish for where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace Nor is it possible to find out any way to make peace and bring men to unity and charity but by some determination of these indifferent things which is not

a just and warrantable if not an undeniable Plea to a Divine Right Secondly There is long succession of both of this very Race of Kings for above 600 years and long may their Imperial Crown and Royal Dignity flourish and increase even so long as the Sun and the Moon endure And for the succession of Bishops it is of much an ancienter date and though the time be not certain yet that the Britains did very early receive the Christian Faith and with it Episcopal Government is a thing not to be doubted if we will give any credit to the ancient Historians some of which would persuade us that Britain was Christian as soon or even before Rome it self Lastly there is Choice and a freedom of Election in the House of Commons which represents the gross Body of the Nation and is one part of the Authority thereof as for the Interest which the rest of the most Honourable Peerage have in the management of Publick Affairs it being one of the dear bought Fundamentals of the Magna Charta it was a thing never disputed till the late dayes of Confusion when the very foundations were violently torn up by the roots with the Tempest or rather Hurricane of Religious Rebellion and I hope it will never come to a second Vote that the House of Peers is useless to this Nation or a Government without them So that here is whatsoever is requisite to make any Authority lawful so as to have a just Right and Dominion over all those who live under it for the final determination and conclusion of all indifferent things both in Religious and Civil Affairs That this may appear plain to every apprehension we will give an instance in a point controverted amongst us Prayer is an immediate act of Divine Worship and of it self absolutely necessary to be performed to God Psal 65.2 Matth. 21.13 who is the God of all flesh and therefore unto him shall all flesh come because he heareth prayers and his house is the house of prayer for all Nations But to pray in a set and prescribed form of words or to pray as a mans abilities give him leave or as it is called by Extempore prayer according as the present occasion may seem to require are in their own natures indifferent and I doubt not but if either be done with all due circumstances they may be acceptable to God But now one man is persuaded that set forms in the publick service of God are the best another thinks Extempore prayer the best way So long as this is undetermined by a Lawful Authority every man is obliged to follow his private Opinion because Conscience obliges him to follow that determination of his judgment in indifferent things which he is fully persuaded is the best and conduces most effectually to God's glory and the promoting of Piety But because diversity of Opinion Persuasion and Practice in this Duty is apt to breed Division and Dissention and to prejudice if not ruine that Unity Peace Charity and Order which ought to be preserved inviolate amongst all men especially Christians therefore that Authority which has a just power over us as being of God's appointment of long succession and of our own choice to prevent these disorders and the confusion and dangers which may ensue upon divisions of Mind and difference of Practice interposeth it self and considering that our great Lord and Saviour who tells us he was to be our Example prescribed a set form of Prayer and positively commanded his Disciples so to pray Luke 11.2 When ye pray say Our Father c. That both the Antient and Modern Churches did and do use and approve set Forms of Prayer in Publick Worship that hereby rash and inconsiderate men shall not have liberty to utter any thing before God Mat. 6.7 nor to use vain repetitions as the Heathen did nor which is much worse than they were guilty of in their much speaking for which they thought to be heard non-sense indecent or irreverend expressions that men of greater abilities should not be puft up and those who have not that freedom and fluency of utterance should not be despised in regard for their Piety soundness of Judgment integrity of Life or ability to Govern they may be of as great use in the Church as others That hereby the ignorant and unlearned shall be better able to joyn with him that Ministreth knowing what he is to say than if they did not and with a safe Conscience may say Amen which I am sure to every Ex tempore Prayer they cannot and that all men may by Uniformity be brought to Unity that so necessary Bond of perfection both as to Religion and Civil Policy For these and many other necessary and prudent considerations this Lawful Authority judges it most conducive to God's Glory most agreeable to his Will and most effectual to procure the happiness of those under their Authority both here and hereafter to prescribe and command a set Form of Prayer in the Publick Worship of Almighty God And now that which before was indifferent becomes necessary in point of Conscience because the Scripture is clear in the case that Lawful Authority is to be obey'd in whatsoever it commands that is not simply and absolutely unlawful and that for Conscience sake and the obligation which before I might have from my private Opinion or Persuasion ought in Modesty as well as Duty and Charity to give way to the Determinations of my Lawful Superiors in all indifferent things And therefore they who now it is determined either despise it or refuse to use it or to joyn with those who do use it sin against Conscience because against many plain and positive commands of Scripture before mentioned and for which St. Paul seems extremely solicitous as well knowing Pride and Disobedience to be the most natural sins and therefore commands that men be put in mind as being apt to forget their Duty that they be subject to Principalities and Powers Tit. 3.1 to obey Magistrates The very same may be said of any of the rest of those things which are enjoyned by the present Authority of this Nation which by being commanded from indifferent become necessary and with such a dreadful necessity that whosoever resisteth a Lawful Power if St. Paul be to be credited shall receive to themselves damnation And let them seriously take notice of it how light a matter soever it may be made there is no man who does thus wilfully resist and disobey Authority that can hope for Salvation As for those who do it in ignorance I will not determine how indulgent God may be to them But they must know that though God may have winked at their former ignorance yet now he commands them and all men every where to repent And they will be inexcusable if they be ignorant because they will be so It is their duty therefore to look for a better Information of their minds and laying