Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	faith_n	good_a	work_n	3,907	5	6.0359	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95594	Moderation: or Arguments and motives tending thereunto, humbly tendred to the Honourable Members of Parliament. As also indifferently calculated for common consideration. Together with a brief touch of the reputed German Anabaptists, and Munster tragedy. By S.T.	S. T.	1660 (1660)	Wing T54; Thomason E1015_8; ESTC R208177	33,602	32

right way of Justification by Gods grace through a lively saith in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ in opposition to the merit of inherent righteousness or external works This rectitude in the point of justification as Luther calls it and Mr. Anthony Burgess likewise well it s both the soul and pillar of Christianity Together with the great work of regeneration by the holy Spirit cooperating with the Gospel likewise progressive sanctification chiefly consisting in a constant continued course of Repentance and Faith Mortification of sin and lust lively exercise of grace in all good and holy works viz. whether Practice of Piety in all Christian duties moral or instituted either publick or private immediately towards God Or righteousness love and mercy towards men either in propper and peculiar relations or in common towards our neighbour and all men even our enemies finally perseverance in all this to the second coming of Christ to raise the bodies of the dead and render to every man according to his works with eternal happiness in heaven or eternal misery in hell Forasmuch then as there is an agreement very much mutually known about all these and much more except only that one branch of institutions is there not a thousand fold more reason of Moderation and mutual tenderness and forbearance then of estrangedness and censurings and that of one anothers consciences even unto a kind of violence upon each others names reputations c. neither would I be mistaken I urge not the abating of one hairs breadth of either matter or form of an instituted ordinance neither dare I do it when I consider that the great fall of our first Parents and we in them was by the breach of an institution that they have Gods stamp upon them that he hath been always regardful about the smallest pins and eylet holes that his servants in Scripture were careful about them that they have an excellency in their nature use and ends that the Laws of God Natural Moral and Gospel yea and the nature of grace do all comprehend institutions in a general obedience to the will of God from all which I conclude none of them are to be despised undervalued neglected rejected as by too many now highly elevated they are nor yet violated by an undue administration of them But about this last viz. the manner of administration is the only question this is like the Gordian knot cut it we must not untye it we cannot at least not for another though we may each for himself Being thus brought to the only general point in controversie the next question is whether its either unlawful for truely most do carry it as if it were a vice and not a vertue or impossible for each cordially to love one the other and mutually forbear and Christianly correspond albeit neither be brought to own the others opinion In answer to which surely mutual love cannot be either unlawful or impossible among true Disciples as all are who believe in Christ and endeavour a purity of conscience seeing it is the grand duty of all such above other and character of such John 13. 35. as also agreeable to the whole tenour of the Gospel and judged very easily practicable by that excellent reconciler Jacobus Acontius in his discovery of Stratagems of the Devil and for my own part I do judge there is no other general impediments than those Stratagems of the Devil and the remaining corruptions in the hearts of good men which makes me wonder at the folly of those who boast of present perfection neither do I doubt but that all who can lay aside prejudice passion and private interest will judge it both desireable and without difficulty for his own part nor do I know how in this world its possible ever to come to an unity of mind in one common opinion of the truth without first a correspondency in unity of common Christian affection nor are the differences much more than the tithing of Mint Annis and Cummin in comparison with the weightier matters both of Law and Gospel which will well and safely admit of modesty and humbleness of mind on all sides without any hurt to the conscience Upon the whole where lyes then the Stiffeness and the stick who must begin first to love and to express it must not every one begin first and will not the foremen carry the greatest honour in the sight of God and Christians and what hurt or hazard can there be to the truth be it where it will thus to lay aside animosities prejudices evil surmises evil speakings and converse together in an amicable way without looking upon each other as Monsters and prodigies as too too much formerly making every trivial a bear and a lyon in the way to hinder the means of a right understanding and aff●ction But if it be impossible contrariwise thus to walk in mutual love and forbearance improving each others gifts and graces as far as may be unless and untill both be resolved into one common opinion about every puncto of Institution then must it be by an actual complyance on the one hand or the other If so then this question follows which of the parties must be the Standard which and who will so arrogate and appropriate to themselves the Urim and Thummim as to whom all others must in every thing conform again this conforming on the one side or the other it must be either voluntary from change of mind or constrained by force the former is not probable to be because the way unto it seems to be barr'd fenc't hedg'd up by an exclusion of all Christian forbearance and amicable converse And for the latter viz. Coercion that ought not to be because both will and may plead an equal right of liberty in the Nation from being imposed upon by his neighbour and like equal right of liberty to judge which is the exactest way of serving God and the rightest and directest way to heaven wherefore the final issue whereto such a violent contest tends it is to make our Land an Aceldama a field of blood yea which is worst of all of Christian blood which as I desire God from heaven may forbid as he seasonably staid the hand of Abraham over his son Isaac and countermanded the Angels drawn destroying sword over Jerusalem at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite 2 Sam. 24. 16. So do I humbly propose that reason grace and the Royal law of love and charity may prevail upon the minds of both to meet each other in Moderation as the first step to Christian unity for you can never be swift to hear each other unless you are slow to wrath Jam. 1. 19. but if after all any shall retain their wrath and remain irreconcilable let such know that God knows how to restrain it Psal 76. 10. But were your affections thus united jealousies and evil surmises thus removed it would not a little obviate the clandestine designs of Jesuits among us