Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	law_n	nature_n	precept_n	1,292	5	9.1116	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45419	Of fundamentals in a notion referring to practise by H. Hammond.	Hammond, Henry, 1605-1660.	1654 (1654)	Wing H554; ESTC R18462	96,424	252

this manner and with detestation branded and banished out of the Church Not that it was hereby defined to be a damnable sin to fail in the understanding or believing the full matter of any of those explications before they were propounded and when it might more reasonably be deemed not to be any fault of the will to which this were imputable CHAP. XI Of the Superstructure and the particular branches thereof § 1. HAving thus briefly taken a view of the Foundation and therein also of the Superstructure generally considered together with the proprietie that one of these hath toward the other the doctrines of belief to the renewing of mens lives I am now by course to proceed to a more particular view of this Superstructure and the several branches of it § 2. Where first it must be remembred that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or filling up which Christ designed contrary to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissolving or abrogating of the Law and the Prophets is farre from evacuating or annulling the obligation of any one substantial precept introduced by the Law of Nature or Moses but coming as an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or suppletorie to all former laws as a new and more perfect correct edition of the old Codex as one general Law for the reforming and hightening of all Laws is wholly designed as may be most ordinable to this end § 3. First in filling up vacuities turning out shadows and ceremonies by explicite prescription of the substantial duties which those shadows did obscurely represent 2. In binding some parts of the yoke closer then they were before thought to be bound upon men extending the precepts farther then they were thought to extend 3. In raising them to more elevated degrees of perfection sinking them deeper then the outward actions to the purity of the very heart and 4. by promises of the most amiable divine and terrors of the dismall unsupportable nature confirming and binding them all upon us and not allowing us liberty or impunity in any indulgent transgression of any branch of this Law thus reformed and improved by him § 4. And this being the result of Christ's designe 1. the production of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an entire new creature a new modelling of the whole soul for the whole space of the future life and 2. the purpose being to people the whole world i. e. a community of men whose understandings are not generally deep and so must be wrought on by means proportionable to them with a colonie of such divine new creatures and 3. the nature of man as a rational and voluntary agent requiring that all this be done by way of perswasion not of violence to preserve their liberty which alone could render them capable either of reward or punishment and 4. the difficulty being so great and the improbability of attempting this successfully It was but reason that a large and a solid foundation should be laid upon which this so important and weighty a fabrick might probably be erected § 5. But though an uniform universal obedience to the commands of Christ which contains every specialty under it and is not reconcilable with our partiality the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accepting as it were of the person of any sin or virtue the preferring any one duty to the prejudice of any other be that which alone can own the title of the Christian superstructure without which completely erected no enumeration of particular duties will be sufficient Yet some specialties there are which have a greater propriety to this title then some others and to which our Christian institution gives us more peculiar obligations And it will not be amisse to mention some of these § 6. First Piety the Love and Fear and Obedience and Faith and Worship of the one true God in opposition 1. to Idolatry 2. to Formality 3. to Hypocrisie on one side and then I. to Sacrilege 2. to Profaneness or Impiety on the other side § 7. First Piety or the worship of the true God the Creator of the world the God of Israel as that is opposed to the Idol-worship whether of devils and souls of men in the rites of whose religion many of the vilest sins of carnality and luxury were practised and to the adoration of livelesse breathlesse pictures and images so it is the reforming of the vices and sottishness that had long overspread the infatuated Gentile world and so a prime branch of that designe of Christ's coming and of his sending his Disciples to all nations to awake them out of this dead sleep and Lethargie of soul and by the knowledge of the true God to bring them to the imitation of and dependence on him § 8. Secondly as Piety is opposed to slight negligent external formal performances so is it the necessary Christian virtue proportioned adequately to the omniscience and spirituality of that infinite deity the belief whereof is laid as a prime part of the Foundation And though that inward warmth if it be any whit intense will necessarily extend it self to the outward man as motion that begins in the centre naturally diffuses it self and affects uniformly and shakes every part to the circumference and consequently oblige the body to attend the soul in all reverences of addresse to that awfull Majestie who hath full title to the obediences of either and this in this conjunction is farre from meriting any unkinde censure or jealousie the very bodily exercise being affirmed by S. Paul to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profitable for a little and the fasts and austerities that were to attend the departure of the Bridegroom being of this nature directly and so the Publican's smiting on his brest being added to his prayer for mercy on which Christ bestowed that Eulogie Yet if as insectile animals for want of blood run all out into legs so the want or chilness of devotion and not the intension of it be that which casts the body into the solemn demure postures if is Julian reproacheth Christianity the striking of the breast and shaking of the head the formal outward humiliations be all the zeal and piety of the Christian this is no farther then Ahab's soft pace no part of that reformation that Christ came to work none of that worship in the spirit which is the tribute required in the daies of the Messias and that which the Spirituality of God to whom the addresses are made and of the promises which are rewards proportioned to our spirits most strictly exact from us § 9. Thirdly as Piety is opposed to Hypocrisie and unsincerity and all falsness or foulness of intensions especially to that personated devotion under which any kinde of impiety oppression rapine sedition c. is wont to be disguised and put off more speciously so is it a special part of this superstructure and as the defining or opining Godliness to be gain 1 Tim. 6.5 hath the brand and reproach of an heresie quite

and preferrable before the Contraries which must farther cost us so extremely dear if we will choose and pitch our designe upon them and resolve to go through with that unthrifty purchase § 8. So that this one corner stone Jesus Christ is a most competent ample foundation on which to superstruct the largest pile of building to erect a Church of pious livers and to bring all rational men within the compasse of it and it is not imaginable what could have been added to this or what method could probably have been effectual to any man which is not wrought on by the concurrence of all these § 9. This will more evidently appear if we compare this one with all other waies which have been used at any time toward this end of inducing and obliging and engaging men to good life § 10. In the course of nature the first way of Oeconomie under which the world was governed by a Law written in men's hearts naturale judicatoriū lumen super nos signatū a natural judicatorie a light sealed upon us in our first composure though there were a competent revelation of our duty and a double obligation to perform it 1. that of piety to our maker 2. that of reverence to our own souls the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the superiour ruling part of us and these two improveable into many other and thus actually advanced and improved by natural men upon study and consideration and so all the heathen wisdome was the farther explaining of those obligations their natural philosophy was but a kinde of comment on the creation and is therefore by the Jewes entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first word of the Book of Genesis that story of the creation and that a most proper groundwork of obedience to that Almighty Creatour and their moral philosophy especially that of Epicurus a consideration of the most ravishing beauty and delight and joy the result of the practise of every virtue that of Socrates which had the Oracle's Testimony and admiration a comment on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knowledge of a man's selfe that of Pythagoras on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the revering of a man's self and that of Aristotle the placing of all humane felicity in the continued actions of virtue and that also a foundation very fit to superstruct virtue upon yet there were great defects and vacuities and imperfections in this Oeconomie § 11. First the prescribed duties wanted of their full stature especially if compared with Christ's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his suppletories and superadditions § 12. Secondly there remained very advantageous accesses for temptations to enter and invade men the fortifications being very slender to secure their resistance little knowledge of the immortality of the soul or any thing beyond this life whether reward or punishment no assurance that repentance would be admitted for any sin an absolute desperation of any good without the help of purgatives and a perfect ignorance of all means of purging and many other such wants which are all abundantly supplied in the Christian's foundation Jesus Christ § 13. And upon that account the Apostle could safely challenge the wise men of the heathen world with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where is the wise man of the world 1 Cor. 1.20 Let all the Philosophers moralists or naturalists bring forth their richest provisions shew such engines of approach and batterie for the supplanting or beating down of vicious life for the engaging men to reform and live like men as this foolishness of preaching ' this despised but saving doctrine of the Gospel hath afforded us § 14. So likewise for the Judaical or Mosaical oeconomie though that brought many additions to the light of Nature and was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an obscure representation as of that Gospel and promises of everlasting life so of those precepts which are now most clearly revealed by Christ yet was that obscurity a very great defect the shadow was so extremely dark that the vices of men made advantage of it to shrowd and secure them in their sins § 15. The ceremonie and Law of circumcision c. which was meant by God sacramentally to impresse the duty of strict purity to cut off the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the superfluity of naughtinesse all inordinate excessive lusts of the flesh was yet but a character impressed on the flesh and did not explicitely descend to the prohibiting of the desires but was on the contrary made advantage of by lust Rom. 7.8 and the outward circumcision in the body of a childe of Abraham was thought to commute for all impuritie § 16. So again the Phylacteries on their wrists and foreheads were look'd on as spells and charms which would yeild them impunitie for their disobedience And the strict ordinances against conversing with Gentiles lest they should learn and joyn in their abominations bred more of pride and contempt and uncharitablenesse to their persons then of alienation or detestation of their sins § 17. And so that way of Oeconomie in many respects was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blamelesse The clear commands and the explicite promises of Christ and the proclaimed necessity of real substantial fruits of repentance in stead of the leaves the arrogance and hypocrisie of external performances were a necessarie suppletorie to the Law of Moses and to that may belong also the Apostle's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all the Scribes or Doctors of the Law the searchers or profound interpreters of the scriptures bring forth such evidences of their efficacie or good successes in the reforming and purifying of men's lives as the Apostles had done by these so contemptible despicable means the Gospel of the Crosse of Christ § 18. I might farther extend the comparison to all possible pretenders the Idolatrous heathens the corrupters of the Law of Nature and the Mahomedans that have superstructed on and added to the Law of Moses But both of these are so scandalously known to have laid grounds for all impuritie the former in their mysteries and devotions the latter in their sensual carnal paradise the one allowing it their votaries in the present possession the other promising it them in a reversion that I shall not need enlarge on so remote considerations but conclude and shut up all that might be said on this subject with that judgment of an heathen Philosopher past on this matter Chalcidius in his comment on Plato's Timaeus whose writings have come to us only in Latine Ratio Dei no question in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in S. John's style Deus est humanis rebus consulens quae causa est hominibus benè beatéque vivendi si non concessum sibi munus à Summo Deo negligant The reason or Word of God is God taking care of humane affairs and is the cause unto men of their living well and happily if they doe not neglect that gift granted by the Supreme God A saying that