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	week_n	1,884	5	10.1877	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91437	The late Assembly of Divines Confession of faith examined. As it was presented by them unto the Parliament. Wherein many of their excesses and defects, of their confusions and disorders, of their errors and contradictions are presented, both to themselves and others.	Parker, William, fl. 1651-1658.	1651 (1651)	Wing P486; Thomason E1229_1; ESTC R203140	216,319	371

of his spiritual ordinances epecially and these are first the commandments of the morall Law and then his other precep● subservient thereunto as the Scripture every where cals them Gods ordinances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 18.20 2 Kings 11.37 but not of the preaching of mans doctrine the administring the Sacraments not without ignorance perhaps some superstition and confusion as you often do and which you account to be the main if not the only ordinances of God Thus we fear that will finde you guilty of which the Prophet complaines Isa 24.5 The earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof because they have transgressed the Laws changed the or●i●anc●● broken the everlasting Covenant c. For what ordinances do you speak of to the people but of your way of preaching and administring the Sacraments c. In your Directory for worship you have omitted the ten Commandements Gods principal ordinances but highly magnified your kinde of preaching which hath more of art then of the spiritual gift of Prophecy in it your keeping of an outward day in every week holy with your self chosen worship and other meer humane ●rdinances Is not this to change the ordinances as Isaiah speakes In your fourth which is your last Section You first set out the respective duties of Subjects to Magistrates well and truly Secondly you rightly affirm That neither difference in religion no nor Infidelity it self do make void the Magistrates just and legal authority nor free the people from their due obedience to him If Infidelity it self cannot do this what other thing can Yet it must be granted that when Magistrates are esective and chosen conditionally the breaking of a fundamental condition may disanull his place and claim Thirdly you say here That Ecclesiastical persons are not exempted from their obedience which is but true in part in regard of civil honor obedience and all needful assistance especially where the Magistrate is no more but civil But in matters of faith salvation and damnation the consciences not only of Ecclesiastical persons as you call them but of laicks themselves are exempted from his tyranny and force therein they are only the subjects of Christ Yea in these things some persons may have authority over the Magistrate himself in the Lord though that Magistrate be a Christian also to wit such persons as are inspired and sent of God to be his mouth as Na●han and G●d were to David and John Baptist was to Herod and diverse other Prophets were to their respective Princes and Governors Lastly you justly shut out the Pope and his jurisdiction from us as those which have taken the oath of supremacy but here you are too general in your affirmatives for want of due distinction or limitation for in some parts of Italy which are the Popes inheritance he hath power and authority over his subordinate officers and the people as other Princes have and may justly deprive those that are under him of dominions and lives when they break such capital Laws as deserve death confiscation and disinheriting but he may not do this to forraign Princes and States nor to their people who are not under his lawful jurisdiction whether upon the pretence of heresie or any other like pretext Yet some Papists are confident of this that now you have deprived the Pope of his deprivative authority over Princes you will assume it to your selvs or bestow it upon your friends when and where you think good to serve your own turns CHAP. XXIV Of Marriage and Divorce MArriage is to be between one man and one woman neither is it lawful for any man to have more then one wife nor for any woman to have more then one husband at the same time a Gen 2.24 Mat 1.19 56. Prov 2.17 II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife b Gen 2.18 for the increase of mankind with a legimiate issue and of the Church with an holy seed c Mal 2.15 and for preventing of uncleanness d 1 Cor 7.2 9. III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgement to give their consent e Heb. 13.4 1 Tim 4.3 1 Cor 7.36 37. Ge 24.57 58. yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord f 1 Cor 7.39 and therefore such as profess the true reformed Religion should not marry with Infidels Papists or other Idolaters neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked by marrying with such as be notoriously wicked in their life or maintaine damnable heresies g Gen 34 14. Exod 34.16 Deu. 7.3 14. 1 Kin 11.4 Neh 13.25 26 27. Mal 2 11 12. 2 Cor 6.14 IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word h Lev 18 c. 1 Cor 5.2 Am 2.7 nor can such incestuous marriages ever he made lawful by any law of man or consent of parties so as those persons may live together as man and wife i Mar 6.28 Levit 18.23 25 26 27 28. The man may not marry any of his wives kindred nearer in blood then he may of his own nor the woman of her husbands kindred ●eerer in blood then of her own k Lev 20.19 20 21. V. Adultery or fornication committed after a contract being detected before marriage giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract l Mat ● 18 19 20. in the case of adultery after marriage it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce m Mat 5.31 32 and after the divorce to marry another as if the offending party was dead n Mat 19.9 Rom 7.2 3 VI. Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments unduely to put asunder those whom God hath joyned together in marriage yet nothing but adultery or such wilful desertion as can no way be remedied by the Church or civil Magistrate is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage o Mat 19 8 9 1 Cor 7 15 Mat 19 6 wherein a publike and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed and the persons concerned in it not left to their own wils and discretion in their own tase p Deu 14 1 2 3 4 CHAP. XXIV Of Marriage and Divorce examined IN this tract of marriage and divorce the path is so trite that it is no wonder if you deviate not as you have done hitherto yet are you sufficiently deficient in many things and in some other mistaken here also Your defects are these among others First since those that marry shall have trouble in the flesh as Saint Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 7.28 and marrying brings with it of necessity many avocations lets and distractions from attending upon Gods service and the seeking of his kingdom 1 Cor. 7.32 33 34. you might very seasonably in these calamitous times wherein the people like the generation before the flood are mad upon

speaking our own words thinking our own thoughts and doing our own pleasure as the said Fathers expound the place In your last Section as your Sabboth it self so your sanctification of it is an humane devise any day may be so sanctified But for a conclusion of this Chapter we offer five things to your better consideration First whether Gods will is since changed who at the first created man after his own Image and established him in all righteousness that he might worship him therein Secondly whether he would be worshipped at our hands one day in seven or all the dayes of our lives See Luk. 1 71 75. before cited Rev. 7.15 Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them Thirdly whether the thoughts words and works which are called our own and from which we are commanded to rest that we may sanctifie the Lords Sabbath be those which are necessarily employed about the honest duties of our lawful callings or our sinful thoughts words and actions See Isaiah 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts Isaiah 58.6 7 8. Their works are works of Iniquity and the act of violence is in their hands their feet run to evil and they make hast to shed innocent blood their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths Jer. 3.5 Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Fourthly whether the Lord would rather have an outward day or time which is one of the most transient and fluxible things of this world or his everlasting light life and rest Christ Jesus honored by us See Psal 97.7 Worship him all yee Gods Mat. 17.5 And behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Joh. 5.23 That all men should honor the Son as they honor the father Isa 58.13 And shall honor him where the Sabboth mentioned in the beginning of the verse is turned into a person the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who by our sinning against him is troden or trampled under foot Heb. 10.29 and therefore it is not without cause that we are here Isa 58. commanded to turn or keep our feet from the Sabboth that is from trampling upon Christ Fifthly whether we shall attain those high things promised Isa 58.14 to wit to be fed with the heritage of Jacob our Father c. by forbearing the works of our lawful callings one day in seven or by abstaining and resting through the help of Christ from our own wicked thoughts words and works all the dayes of our life that so we may keep Gods judgements and commandments which are his lesser Sabboths Isaiah 56.2 and finde all righteousness rest and life in Christ the great Sabboth and Lords Day or Day of the Lord in his spirituall comming Yea we would entreat you to examine your selves impartially in or about those six things ensuing First whether you do not worship God in vain here teaching for doctrines the precepts of men Matthew 15.9 for the Lord hath neither instituted these duties for a set and solemn outward worship which you make the several parts of his outward worship nor hath he appointed any other worship but the serving him in spirit and in truth John 4.23 24. And although the duties you insist upon are appointed by him as helps and furtherances to the attaining of that grace whereby we may so worship God and may in that sense pass for a secondary worship yet are they not limitted by him to any set time but rather are lest to the Churches convenience and care to her piety and prudence Secondly whether you do not with the prodigall feed your selves and others upon huskes while you rely thus upon the outward Sabboths which are shels and shadows Galatians 4 9 10 11. But now after yea have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage ye observe dayes and moneths and yeers I am a●raid I have bestowed upon you labour in vaine If ye fay that ye keep not the Jewish Sabboth but have turned that into the Lords Day to be Rept after the same manner Then in the third place may it not be said unto you by the Lord as it is Isaiah 1.12 When ye come to appear before me who hath required these things at your bands c. Yea fourthly is it not some kinde of superstition and Idolatry against the second Commandement when God hath removed a ceremonial and figurative worship for you now of your own heads and in his name to set up another solemn and prescript outward worship as if God were a visible and corporeall God or one that took more delight that men should speak and hear discourses concerning his everlasting righteousness then to be worshipped therein See Isaiah 38.1 2 3 4 c. See Isaiah 28.1 2 3. Yea fifthly when God hath abolished one shadow or Image to wit his seventh dayes Sabboth which as was said before was not at the first instituted for a day of worship but a figurative day of rest for you to make another like it and as from God to set it in its stead to be honoured without any warrant or command from him what is this but to set up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an image like the former and a very Idol of your own brain or at the best with Jeroboam to offer unto the Lord on that day which ye have devised of your own heart 1 Kings 10.33 Not but that this day or any other may be lawfully and profitably spent in such holy duties as you speak of being observed as an ordinance of the Church or the civil Magistrate so it be not imposed upon men as a Commandement of the Lords as you obtrude it For therein you with the Judayzing zealots Acts 15.10 would put a y●ke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear And there in so doing how far you tempt God your selves may advisedly confider Lastly Wherein doth your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 5.20 for they not only kept the outward Sabboth of the fourth commandment most severely but made long prayers fasted often preached diligently administred the Sacraments yea compassed Sea and land to make a Proselite or convert to their Religion Matthew 12.1 2 3. Luke 18.10 11 12. Mat. thew 23.1 2 3. CHAP. XXII Of Lawful Oaths and Vows ALawful oath is a part of Religious worship a Deu 10.20 where in upon just occasion the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth and to judge him according to the truth or falshood of what he sweareth b Exod 20.7 Lev 19.12 1 Cor. 1 13. 2 Chr 6.22 23.

II. The name of God onely is that by which men ought to swear and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence c Deu 6.13 therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadfull name or to swear at all by any other thing is sinful and to be abhorred d Exo 20.7 Jer 5.7 Mat 5 34 37. Jam 5.12 yet as in matters of weight and moment an oath is warranted by the word of God under the new Testament as well as under the old e Heb 6.16 2 Cor 1.23 Isa 65.16 so a lawful oath being imposed by lawful authority in such matters ought to be taken f 1 Kin 8.31 Nehe 13 25 Ezr 10.5 III. Whosoever taketh an eath ought duely to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully perswaded is the truth g Exo 20.7 Jer 4.2 neither may any man binde himself by oath to any thing but what is good and just and what he believeth so to be and what he is able and resolved to perform h Gen 24.2 3 4.5 6 7 8 9. yet is it a sin to refuse an oath touching any thing that is good and just being imposed by lawfull Authority i Numb 5.19 21 Neh 5.12 Exo 22.7 8 9 10 11. IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sence of the words without equivocation or mental reservation k Jer 412. Psa 24.4 it cannot oblige to sin but in any thing not sinful being taken it binds to performance although to a mans one hurt l 1 Sam 25.22 32 33 34. Ps 15.4 nor is it to be violated though made to Hereticks or Infidels m Ezek 17.16 18 19. Josh 8.19 with 2 Sam 21.1 V. A vow is of like nature with a promissory oath and ought to be made with the like Religious care and to be performed with the like faithfulness n Isa 19.21 Eccl 5.4 5 6 7. Psa 6.8 Psal 66.13 14. VI. It is not to be made to any creature but to God alone o Psal 76.11 Jer 44.25 26. and that it may be accepted it is to be made voluntarily out of faith and conscience of duty in way of thankfulness for mercy received or for the obtaining of what we want whereby we more strictly bind our selves to necessary duties or to other things so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto p Deut 23.21 22 23. Ps 50.44 Gen 28.21 22. 1 Sam 1.11 Psal 66.13 14. Psal 132.2 3 4 5. VII No man may vow to do any thing forbidden in the word of God or what would hinder any duty thtrein commanded or which is not in his own power and for the performance whereof he hath no promise from God q Acts 23.12 14. Mar. 6.26 Num. 30.5 8 12.13 in which respect Popish Monastical vowes of perpetual single life professed poverty and regular obedience are so far from being degrees of higher perfection that they are superstitious and sinful snares in which no Christian may entangle himself r Mat. 19.11 12. 1 Cor 7.29 Eph 4.28 1 Pet 4.2 1 Cor. 7.23 CHAP. XXII Of lawful Oaths and Vows examined ALthough you would not so easily transgress in this chapter as in some of the former the matter being more particular and very obvious yet have you here your defects and mistakes also so that we cannot swear to all that you have written concerning oaths and vows And first we demand of you wherefore you have here in this tractate of Religious oaths and vows made no mention of covenants and protestations things of late so frequently persued and not without your contrivance furtherance or consent More particularly in the first Section where you speak of oaths as you do in the three following You affirm two things which must be either warily understood or else they are false As first That an oath is a part of Religious worship which we grant to be true that worship being taken in an equal latitude with the fear and service of God as it is Deut. 6.13 10.20 and Mat. 4.10 but you understanding here an outward set and solemn publick worship as in the foregoing chapter you seem to contradict your selves For is the taking of an oath tyed to the Sabbath day as your worship is Or is any day of the week sanctified therewith Or can you well distinguish it into a publick and private worship as you do other duties Indeed if religious worship consist herein this is one of the most religious ages that ever were Oaths of all sorts being never so common as now Secondly you say but not truly That the person swearing alwayes calleth God solemnly to witness what he asserteth or promiseth and to judge him according to the truth or fallehood of what he sweareth for although God is such a witness and judge and our publick oaths in England run most in such a form yet all oathes do not so yea very few of those juraments mentioned in the Scriptures are explicitely so formed we know not whether you can add another to that which the Apostle useth 2 Cor. 1.23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul that to spare you I came not yet to Corinth This form is very solemn lawful and commendable but not expresly used in all oaths In your second Section you have first told us that which is true in the general that it is Gods name only by which men ought to swear but you have not declared what that name is For Gods name is either appellative or else essential and real his Being by name fignifyed by Jehovah Is first his Divine nature in himself Deuteronomie 28.58 That thou mayst fear this glorious and searful name or being Jehovah Thus Proverbs 18.10 The name or being of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous run unto it and are saved Secondly His name is his Image or like being in his Saints Zac. 10.12 For I will strengthen them and they shall walk up and down in the name of the Lord This is that name of Christ wherein If two or three be assembled he is and will be in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 This is that new name of his which he hath promised to write upon the overcomer Revel 3.12 Now to swear by Gods name is first to swear by that dreadful and glorious being Secondly To swear in his like being that is in all righteousness And thirdly To swear that Jehovah or the Lord liveth is properly to swear that he liveth in us in his like being Jer. 4.2 And thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in truth in judgement and in righteousness and the nations shall bless themselves in him and in him shall they glory 2 Cor. 11.10 As the truth of Christ is in me no man shall stop me of this boasting in Achaia So to say or swear that God liveth in us when he doth