Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A07316
|
A nevv eight-fold probation of the Church of Englands divine constitution prooved by many pregnant arguments, to be much more complete then any Geneuian in the world against the contrary assertion of the fifty three petitioner-preachers of Scotland in their petition presented in the later Parliament to the Kings most excellent Maiesty. With a ten-folde probation of the same churches doctrine touching one of the most important points of our creede, which is of our sauiours descending into Hell. By Iames Maxvvell. Master of Artes, &c.
|
Maxwell, James, b. 1581.
|
1617
(1617)
|
STC 17704; ESTC S103373
|
82,870
|
119
|
good Christians which should not come short of the Iewes in doing of holy duties but either match them or surmoūt them haue besides the two and fifty Sundaies of the yeare set apart to the performing of holy duties about thirty holy daies more in honour of God and of our Sauiour Christ and moreouer they haue in diuers places as namely in Cathedral Churches frequent holy assemblies yea daily for the holy seruice of God morning and euening and in other Parochiall Churches they haue holy assemblies for Gods seruice on Wodnesday Friday and Saturday euery weeke throughout the yeare and besides these they haue frequent holy assemblies on other daies of the weeke vpon the religious occasions of Christenings Weddings Burials Minde dayes and Lectures where the people pray and praise God and heare the word of God read or expounded in a Sermon So that if there be any holinesse placed in praying vnto God and in praising of his name publikely in the congregation a thing which no man that is in his right wits will deny or if holinesse of life may bee holpen any whit by such frequent assemblies and Sermons it must needes follow that the Church of England hath more holinesse then the Genenian because shee hath many more of such holy assemblies for seruice and sermons prayers and praises then the other hath And that these were obserued in the primitiue Church within the first fiue hundreth yeares many holy daies besides the Sunday and euen the same that are at this day obserued in England wee shall prooue it more particularly by alleadging the testimonies and authorities of the Church Greekes and Latines in another worke called Dies Domini which containeth diuers disputations and discourses vpon the times of the worlds beginning lasting ending according to the Scriptures and the opinions of Hebrews Greekes and Latines Diuines Philosophers Historians and Schoole-men and in it we doe also entreate of the holy times of the Church But because that many do so misconceiue of holy daies as if they were onely fit for the Popes holinesse and for hypocrites which is as damnable and deuillish opinion as euer hell hatcht in the disgrace of true holinesse without which the Apostle saith Heb. 12.14 no man shall euer see God therefore let mee intreate and beseech my Countrimen for the most holy Gods sake to aske them these few questions First if the attaining of holinesse and the doing of religious duties be not the chiefe end of good Christians in this life which I hope will not bee denied Secondly if religious assemblies and holy meetings bee not the proper meanes of attaining vnto true holinesse the which I take will be granted Thirdly if the frequencie of such holy assemblies bee not in all likeli-hoode a more ready and easie meanes for men to attaine vnto holinesse and to doe religious duties then the raritie thereof in a word which of the two is most likely that a man should attaine vnto true holinesse by repairing vnto holy assemblies or places often or seldome and me thinkes no man that is in his good wits will deny but that often repairing to the holy house of the most holy God for the doing of holy duties as to pray vnto God for our selues and for others to praise his name for benefites and blessings spirituall and temporall to sing Psalmes to heare Gods word and the Sermons of his seruants and the like is a more direct meanes to attaine vnto holines then seldome repairing as namely once in the weeke Lastly I demaund if it were not an excellent thing and a happie condition if men could set apart a part of euery day in the yeare to Gods seruice and to meete together in the holy Congregation for the performing of such holy duties and if the necessities of humane life will not let vs haue the leisure to doe so if at least the next best is not to be done which is to haue as many holy daies as possibly we can and as better one then none so better more then one onely and many then fewe that so wee may the more neetely resemble those Church-members in heauen which keepe euery day holy according as we doe pray daylie taught by our Lord saying Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come thy will be done in earth that is in the Church militant as it is in heauen or in the Church triumphant Sect. 17. Fourthly as the Church of England is more like the Church of God and Angels for heauenly holinesse The Church England more heauen like for humble reuerence then the Geneuian is so is shee more like the same in heauenly and humble reuerence and in the expression thereof by religious gestures In the Church of God and blessed spirits the Angels and Saints are painted out couering their faces standing before the throne kneeling and falling before it on their faces vncouering of their heads and casting of their crownes before the throne and most submissely worshipping of God Isay 6.1 2 Ezech. 1.24 25 10 3 19 Dan. 7.9 10 Zach. 6 4 5 Iob. 1.6 2 1. Reuel 4 10 5 8.14 7 1 9 10 11 12 8 2. as wee may reade in the prophesies of Isay Ezechiel Daniel Zacharie in the booke of Iob and in the Reuelation of S. Iohn in many places for S. Iohn beheld and saw a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds and people and tongues standing not sitting before the throne and before the lambe and saying with a loude voice Saluation commeth of our God that sitteth vpon the throne and of the lambe And he saw all the Angels likewise standing round about the throne and the Elders kneeling yea falling before the same throne on their faces and worshipping God and saying Amen Praise and glorie and wisedome and thankes and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euermore Amen And in the Church of England answerably hereunto the Preachers doe reuerently vncouer their heads not only in praying but also in preaching and expounding Gods words and in the orations or sermons in honour of his name like as those holy Elders or Priests in heauen doe which vncouer their heads and cast their crownes before the throne whereas the Geneuians and French in preaching do vnreuerently couer their heads and not with a Church cap or bonnet which were more tolerable but with their ordinarie and vsual hats more like millars or maltmen then Gods Ministers though in Scotland I confesse they follow the godly and comely fashion of England in preaching with their heads vncouered and not the capped custome of Geneua and God grant they may doe so in many other matters where they haue as good reason and namely in kneeling humbly not only in making confession of their sinnes vnto God but also at the repetition of the law of God or ten commandements as they doe in England and in standing vp reuerently in
of equall dignitie and authoritie or whether or no there ought to bee amongst the multitude of Ministers some superiours to gouerne and some inferiours to be gouerned for good orders sake and to bee called for distinctions sake by different names applying or appropriating the common name of Bishop to the superiour and the common name of Presbyter Priest or Pastour to the inferiour And truly in the time of my owne Puritanisme and Geneuisme I was wont to presse this verball argument asmuch as any man to prooue thereby the paritie of pastours and there is not another argument to that purpose worth a pinne but in the end I found it both fallacious and friuolous for in the Scriptures Kings Apostles Act. 6. Rom. 13 4 1. Cor. 4 1. Colosi 1.25 1. Thess 3.2 1. Tim. 3.8.12 Prophets Euangelists Pastours and Deacous are called by the common name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministers or seruants of God and yet their Ministrations and seruices are not of the same nature nor of equall dignitie and the two names of presbyter or elder beeing referred to office and not to age and of Gouernour or Ruler or Ouerseer are conucrtible for euery Elder is a Gouernour and euery Gouernour is on Elder and yet the Elderships and Gouernments are distinct Numb 11 16.17 Ezra 10.8 Luk. 22.66 Act. 20.17 for some are called Lay-elders or elders of the people to wit in temporal matters and those were the Magistrates of the lewish Common-wealth and others are called Elders of the Church to wit Gouernours of the people in spirituall matters as Ministers of the Word and Sacraments so that both the one and the other were Elders and Gouernours and yet they were of different and distinct kindes the one temporall Elders and Gouernours of the people in the Common-weale the other spirituall Elders and Gouernours of the same people in the Church and semblably these spiritual Gouernours of the Church and Ministers of the word both Bishops and Presbyters or Priests are called by the common name of Presbyters Priests and Elders and likewise by the common name of Episcopi Bishops Superintendents or Ouerseers and yet they differ both in the obiect of their office and in their degree for the one are cheife Priests Elders of the Church and the other are inferiour Priests and Elders of the same Church the one are Bishops Superintendents and Ouerseers of the Laitie or people in spirituall things but the other are Bishops Superintendents and Ouerseers of the Clergie as well as of the Laitie and of their inferiour priests and pastours aswell as of the people in the same spirituall things In a word the Church of God being the best ordered Body that can be behoued to consist of Superiours to gouerne and of Inferiours to bee gouerned to wit of these two rankes Clergie and Laitte and as the Laitie was to bee gouerned by the Clergie as the children by the fathers and schollers by their masters so the Clergie being a great multitude was to haue order and gouernement in it selfe and therfore behoued to consist of superiours and inferiours likewise And to these ouerseers of the Church were assigned different names and titles for distinctions sake the Ouerseers or Rulers of the Church in the quarters of the world were called Patriarkes the Ouerseer and Ruler of the Church of a whole kingdome was called a Primate the Ouerseers and Rulers of the Clergie or Church in the seuerall Prouinces of a kingdome were called Archbishops and the Ouerseers or Rulers of the same Clergie in a diocesse or shiere were called Bishops like as the Ouerseers of the Laitie or people in a parish were called Presbyters Priests or Pastours for in the last Section of this worke wherein we doe entreate more at large of the honourable titles and maintenance of the ministerie we show likewise how that the Ministers of the Gospel ought not to disclaime the honourable stile and title of Priests Thus we see how that there must needs bee imparitie and inequalitie amongst Ministers except wee meane to make them a multitude without order and gouernment or else giue them from Geneua Lay-gouernours for amongst them the Elders of the Church which bee lay men being more in number to passe ouer their Lay-deacons doe gouerne the Ministers beeing the smaller number iudge and censure them both in life and doctrine and so are they well serued because they refused to bee gouerned by men of their owne order to wit by Bishops therefore God hath giuen them ouer to bee deluded derided debased and dishonoured by the Lay gouernment of those whom they ought to gouerne and rule as the Shepheard his sheepe the father his children the schoolemaster his schollers for amongst the Geneuians it is quite contrary where the Lay-elders as being more in number doe ouer-rule the Ministers as hath beene said But thankes bee vnto Almighty God for raising vp a Iacob from the North Isay 41.8 9 25. Reuel 1.20 12.7 and calling him from the endes of the earth to doe him seruice in restoring of his Church in the North to the ancient Angelicall forme and in banishing out of it the Grashopper-gouernment of Geneua and let all Britaines North and South Prouerb 30.27 euen as many as doe loue the likenesse of Ierusalems Angels better then of Geneuian Grashoppers say Amen Sect. 16 Thirdly the Church of England is more like the Church in heauen for holinesse then the Geneuian is The Church of England more heauen-like for holines Isay 6.1 2 3 Reul 4. 5.8 12.13 7.15 for in heauen the Angels and blessed Spirits keepe euery day holy incessantly praising God and saying holy holy holy is the Lord of hostes the whole world is full of his glory so saith the euangelicall Prophet Isay in the old Testament diuine S. Iohn in the new saith that they cease not day nor night to say and to sing holy holy holy Lord God almighty which was and which is and which is to come that they serue him day and night in his Temple saying Praise and honour and glory and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euer more and the foure said Amen Now the Church of England is farre holier then the Geneuian because the Geneuians are not so holy as the Iewes were nor haue not so many holy dayes as they had for besides the two and fifty Sabbaths of the yeare Exod. 12.14 15 16 17 18. 13.6.7 20.8 9 10. 23.12 14 15 16 17. 38.18 Deut. 16. Ester 9.17 18 19 21 26 27 28 29. 30 31. 1. Machab. 4.43 44 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59. which are the Geneuian holy dayes they had other holy dayes and festiuities which they did obserue as of the Passeouer of the first fruites of Tabernacles and of Purim instituted by Queene Ester and Mordecai and of the dedication of the Altar instituted by Machabaeus But the English like