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	private_a	public_a	3,325	5	6.8500	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77492	An antidote against the poysonous vveeds of heretical blasphemies, which during the deplorable interval of church-government have grown up in the reforming Church of England. As it was lately presented to the Church of God at Great Yarmouth. / By Iohn Brinsley, Minister of the Gospel there. Augus. 10. 1650. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1650 (1650)	Wing B4705; Thomason E612_13; ESTC R206488	47,516	58

take heed of Covetousnesse take heed of Arrogancie take heed of Superciliousnesse To these I might adde many more I shall only hint unto you two or three which are very proper to the present times and present case 5. Take heed of renouncing Church-communion This Direction I shall hold forth with all respective tendernesse to those upon whom it may seem to intrench yet so as the truth of God may not be concealed or dissembled Take heed of forsaking Communion with the true Churches of Christ in his publike Ordinances This Saint Jude points at as an inlet unto this sin Jude verse 19. Having minded those to whom he writeth of what the Apostles had foretold how that in the last times there should be mockers such as Paul here calleth Blasphemers he presently addeth These be they who separate themselves {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} makers of Sects as the Geneva renders it or Separatists men dividing and separating themselves from the true Churches of Christ renouncing their Communion forsaking their Assemblies as the Author to the Hebrews describeth the like Apostates Heb. 10. 25. and so it may be casting off the publike Ordinances Such saith St. Jude are the Mockers the Blasphemers of the last times And is it not so amongst us at this day Who or what are the Blasphemers of the times Are they not for the most part such as separate themselves Grosse and rigid Separatists and Sectaries Mistake it not I do not say that all those who have thus separated themselves are such No God hath yet kept many of them and my prayer shall be yet he may keep them from this so great an evill But those who are such are they not for the most part of that number such as have separated themselves and that in a rigid and bitter way for of such I now speak renouncing Communion with the true Churches of Christ crying them down for Antichristian Church●s false Churches no Churches Let it be seriously and impartially observed and I suppose this will be found to be the ordinary doore at which this desperate Evill hath entred and broke in upon the Church of God in this Nation And I dare not forbear to give you notice of it that upon this ground you may so much the rather beware of it 6. Take heed of usurping upon publike offices and administrations in the Church Being private persons take heed how you take up on you the office of publike teaching not being called not being sent how you usurp upon the Ministerial function You know the story of King Vzziah 2 Chron. 26. 16. 19. How that being as the Text saith strong and his heart lifted up not contented with his kingly dignity he would be usurping upon the Priests office thereupon he advanceth into the Temple the Holy place where it was not lawful for any but the Priest to enter and there he attempts to offer Incense which it was not lawfull for any but the Priest to do But what was the issue Why presently the Leprosie rose up in his forehead from beside the Incense-Altar The very ashes of the Altar as some conceive of it flew in his face and turned to a Leprosie And hath not the like hapned to many amongst us who have been guilty of the like usurpation They being strong in their own conceits and their hearts being lifted up in the apprehension of their own gifts and abilities and envying to the Ministers of God the appropriation of their Ministeriall functions they have taken upon them the office of publike teaching without any mission or Commission from God or man scorning to enter at Christs doore by the way of the Churches orderly Ordination But what hath been the issue Why God hath met with them in the like manner The ashes of the Altar have flown in their faces the Leprosie of Blasphemy hath risen up in their foreheads so as they have become of Orthodox Professors Hereticall Seducers indangering all that came within the breath of them with the contagion of their Doctrine Of this kinde were those Blasphemers which our Apostle here speaketh of Such as took upon them to be Teachers of others and for that purpose went about from place to place as some and too many circumforaneous teachers like Saint Judes Planets wandring stars Jude 19. do in all places at this day creeping into houses and by-corners to vent their Heretical and Blasphemous doctrines That you may be kept from the like evils take heed of the like unwarrantable presumption Mistake it not It is farre from my thoughts to discourage any in doing their duty Parents in instructing their children Masters their families or Christians in edifying one another in their holy faith in a private way whether it be by praying together conferring together or in helping one another in calling to minde what they heard in publike for all which they have the Apostles warrant to bear them out 1 Thes. ● 11. But for private persons to take upon them to teach in a publike and ordinary way without any mission from the Church this is the presumption which here I taxe and look upon as rendring men so obnoxious unto this spiritual judgment 7. To these I shall adde but one more would you be kept from this sin take heed of curiosity and inordinate affection of novelties in matters of Religion You know how fatall it proved to those men of Bethshemesh who dared to look into the Arke of God In seeing that they saw their last 1 Sam. 6. 19. Of such dangerous consequence is it when men will be prying into Gods secrets will not be contented with what the Apostle confines Christians to Rom. 12. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to be wise or understand unto sobriety as those words are most properly rendred but they will be unlocking of Gods closet picking of his Cabinet Being surfeted with old and wholsome Truths they long for Novelties like those Athenians Acts 17. 19. who were very desirous to hear Paul doctrine meerly for the newnesse of it May we know what this new doctrine is whereof thou speakest Being glutted with plain and open truths they hunt altogether after unrevealed mysteries not fearing to plunge themselves over head and ears in those depths where the Elephant may swim nay where never any yet could finde a bottome If such adventurous spirits be drowned in a sea of Errors what wonder Plinie the younger was swallowed up of his Vesuvius that smoaking burning gulfe whilst he dared to approach too nigh to finde out the cause of that Eruption Nothing more dangerous then an overcurious disquisition and enquiry into the depths and hidden mysteries of God Herein he spake rightly who said of himself Mallem ignorare sine crimine quàm scire cum discrimine I had rather be ignorant of what I am not bound to know then to hazard my self in seeking to know it It had been well for Eve if she had never tasted

Blasphemi● against God against his Religion his Ordinances his Saints ●●ch as serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse being fellow-Citizens of Heaven and of Gods houshold Thus being imbittered against the true Religion of God at least against the power and practise of it they care not how basely they speak of it and of those who hold it forth by a visible profession and practise not caring what opprobrious and disgraceful terms they cast upon them and all for their holinesse sake for the Image sake which they bear which as I have shewn you is no lesse then Blasphemy against God whose servants they are and whose cognizance they wear But to leave them The Blasphemie which we are this day principally to take notice of is the Blasphemy of those who say they are Jewes but are not such as pretend to Religion making an outward profession of it and yet are Blasphemers And are there not such to be found in this Nation that I say not in this place Professors and yet Blasphemers Men that professe to stand for God and for Christ and for his Religion pretending to more of God then others and yet Blaspheme all Would to God the charge did not lye so justly against some and many of this kinde Should we take a generall survey of some particulars what one Article of the Christian faith shall we finde which is not by some such either denied or perverted As for God himself though he be acknowledged in word yet how is he in truth denied by those who will not allow him to be a distinct Essence subsisting by himself Such is the Doctrine and language of some There is no God but what is within us As for that Orthodox distinction betwixt Essence and Person how is it exploded The very name of Trinity jeared at and the thing renounced The Deity of Christ the Son of God as also of the Holy Ghost and their equality whith the Father how is it professed against I might go on and shew you the like in many other of the Articles if not all As also touching the Scriptures which are made to be no other but a humane breath and that blowing as the wind contrary wayes containing in them many silly vaine grosse and contrary things the Prophets and Apostles therein poore men speaking according to the present tempers of their spirits it is their own language And so for the Ordinances of God that they are poore and low dispensations worthlesse uselesse at least to them All Religious duties in publike or private are but formes bodily exercises meerly legall And there may be as much of God seen and enjoyed in any servile labour as in the Ministery of the Word Prayer c. To these I might adde the opprobrious and disgraceful language that is poured out upon the servants of God and that not only his servants at large as all true Christians are who if they be not of their way are sure to hear ill enough what ever else they be but also his servants in Ordinarie the Ministers of the Gospel who are reproached and vilified and disgraced and that not for any personal miscarriages but with reference to their publike capacities as Ministers the very office it self being decryed as of no longer use in the Church of God But I finde this work already done to my hand by others who undertaking to give testimony of the Truth of Jesus Christ have posted up some of these Heretical Blasphemies in aeternam rei Infamiam presenting them to the view of the world to their eternal Infamie Thus Professours not a few are turned Blasphemers I some who at least in their owne apprehensions seemed to be of the highest forme I more such as have been or have taken upon them to be Teachers and Instructers of others So fully is Pauls Prophecie here fulfilled and accomplished amongst us never more and more desperate Blasphemers of this kinde to be found in any age in any Nation of the world then at this day in this Quest But how cometh it so to passe that this so ill so poysonous a weed should thus spring and grow in this Garden of God And that in this weeding time in this time of pretended and by many really intended Reformation It will not be amisse a little to enquire into the causes and occasions of it Answ 1. For answer in the first place This God permitteth I do not say he is the Author of it That is one of the Blasphemies of the Times to make God the Author of sin and not of the Action only in and with which sin is but of the very Pravitie Ataxie Anomie Irregularity and sinfulnesse it self which is in it in which termes it is by some delivered but yet he permitteth it and that with an effectual Permission which he doth 1. In a way of Judgment punishing one sin with another Men have been ungrateful unfruitful unanswerable to times and means not walking worthy of the Gospel not prizing it but waxing wanton under it therefore hath God given them up after this manner This is the Reason which the Apostle giveth why the Gentiles were given up to such Moral and Practical wickednesse as they were Rom. 1. 21 24. Because when they knew God viz. by the light of nature they did not glorifie him as God give that honour and respect unto him which they could not but apprehend due to the Divine Majesty neither were thankeful for those common mercies which they received from his hand Therefore God gave them up unto uncleannesse c. so punishing the breach of the first table by giving them up to the violation of the second And for the like cause it is that God in his just judgment sometimes giveth up men to this height of speculative wickednesse to turne Heretical Blasphemers Because when they knew God by the light of the Word they did not glorifie him as God by serving him according to his will revealed therefore hath he thus given them up unto Satans delusions Whilst the Truth was held forth unto them they did not afford it an answerable reception So the Apostle renders the reason of it 2 Thes. 2 ●0 11. where speaking of Apostates who had made defection from the fai●h Because saith he they received not the love of the Truth that is saith Grotious they did not prize the love of God in holding forth his Truth the truth of the Gospel unto them or rather they did not entertaine that truth imbracing and laying it up in their hearts as they should have done Therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lye Therefore he giveth men up to the imbracing of Heretical and soul-damning doctrines This God doth in a way of judgment to some 2 And secondly he doth it by way of Probation and Tryal unto others Surely for this end is this hour of temptation come upon the Church at this day to try them that dwell upon the earth