Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	good_a	sin_n	transgression_n	4,384	5	10.5404	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08552	The Christian conflict a treatise, shewing the difficulties and duties of this conflict, with the armour, and speciall graces to be exercised by Christian souldiers. Particularly applied to magistrates, ministers, husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants. The case of vsury and depopulation, and the errours of antinomists occasionally also discussed. Preached in the lecture of Kettering in the county of Northampton, and with some enlargement published by Ioseph Bentham, rector of the Church of Broughton in the same county.	Bentham, Joseph, 1594?-1671.	1635 (1635)	STC 1887; ESTC S113626	266,437	390

obedience of the Law For even the regenerate or justified are debters not to the flesh to live after the flesh but to the Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 12. Cha●ierus saith It is ●●nifest by the things fore-going Tom. 3. lib. 1 cap. 6. Th. 4. that an exceeding great inj●●y i● d 〈…〉 u● wh●● w●e are said to denie that wee are b 〈…〉 to the Law before God Wherefore if Bellarmine doth know those which say that the saithfull are subject to u● law before GOD and that Th. 5. the Decalogue of Moses doth n 〈…〉 belong to us hee sha●● have us not adversaries but follo 〈…〉 i● disputing boldly against such Againe The fulfilling of the Law can by 〈…〉 meanes bee accounted by the part but by the whole For the whole life not some one moment thereof is bound and it is bound to all not to one Hence the saying of Iames Hee is Ibid. l. 11. cap. 11. Th. 16. guilty of all which offendeth in one Neither can it otherwise bee understood because hee is not guilty of murther who doth onely steale but of theft onely Yet hee is guiltie of the breach of that whole Law part whereof is Th●● shalt not steale and another part whereof Tho● shalt not kill Now whereas the adverse Antinomist will I suppose reply all this is not Scripture I do confesse that these words in so many letters and syllables are not in the Scripture Yet I dare avow that this doctrine of the Lawes binding the regenerate to obedience being the doctrine not onely of our Church but of all other Christian Churches some few contentious Sectaries excepted who deserve not the name of a Church and of all sound solid and substantiall Divines is the expresse doctrine of sacred Scripture And that it is so I will now manifest and make perspicuous by pregnant places in the New Testament Mat. 5. 18 19 21 c. Christ 〈…〉 not to destroy the Law c. Yea he confirmes the continuance of it in every iot● or tittle till the heavens be no more and presseth punctually to a precise particular observation of it Rom. 3. 31. Do we then make void the Law through faith God forbid yea in establish the Law Faith therefore doth not evacuate but establish the Decalogue Rom. 7 7. By the Law we come to the knowledge of our sinnes Rom. 7. 22. 25. S. Paul delighted in the Law of God with his mind he served the law of God 1 Cor. 9. 21. Being not without law to God but under the law to Christ. Eph 6. 1 2. Children obey your parents Honour thy father c. 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the commandement is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of ●aith unfained Iam. 2. 8. If you fulfill the royall law of liberty c. S. Iam●s shewes what Law namely the Decalogue Do not comm●● adultery c. Vers 11. 1 Ioh. 2. 4. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar 1 Iohn 3. 4. Sinne is the transgression of the Law Hence I conclude 1. That if ever the Law bound the regenerate to obedience which I suppose they will acknowledge it still doth Mat. 5. 18. Rom. 3. 31. 2. That since Christ Iesus the best expounder of Scripture doth so copiously confirme and corroborate the Morall Law in his Sermon on the Mount doth peremptorily pronounce that the breach thereof doth defile a man Mar. 7. 20 21 c. and so often inculcate that the keeping of the commandements is a sure and infallible signe of our love to him Ioh. 14. 15. 21. 23. 24. and of his love to us Ioh. 15. 10. 3. Since faith doth not supplant but strengthen the law 4. Since the holy men of God doe often urge and presse to do the duties commanded in the Law in their Epistles which they would not have done had not regenerate Christiane bee● bound to the obedience of the same 5. Since the Apostle S. Paul acknowledged that he served the Law of God with his mind and that he was under the Law to Christ 6. Since the Law of God hath not relinquished its regality and regiment being stiled by the Holy Ghost the royall Law 7. Since by the Law we come to the knowledge of sinne yea and all sinne is the transgression of the Law 8. Since the carelesse contemners and transgressours of Gods Law have no communion with God not s●ving knowledge of him 9. Since the end of the commandement i● charity c. therefore the Law is no enemy to purity of heart ●●ith unfained or Christian liberty this being the royall Law of liberty I may warrantably conclude against the absurd and erroneous ambiguous Antinomists That the Law of God doth binde the conscience of the regenerate Christian to obedience Furthermore because I suppose these cavillers will carpe against all these allegations as insufficient and weake because in none of them we are said to be bound by the Law to obedience I will therefore shew them these expresse words in sacred Scripture if that will satisfie and salve their seduced soules 1 Corinth 7. 15. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases namely to performe matrimoniall duties to unbelieveing yoke-fellowes which will depart from and forsake them Vers 27. Art then bound to a wife Seeke not to be loosed Vers 39. The wife is bound by the Law as long as her husband liveth Hence I inferre That since the Law of God doth binde the believing husband and wife to performe all manner of matrimoniall duties to their unbelieving yoke-fellowes which are pleased to dwell with them and that since the husband and wife being regenerate are bound by the Law each to other so long as they live together therefore that part of the Law which doth comprise and comprehend the duties of husbands and wives each to other namely the fift and seventh commandements doth bind the conscience of the regenerate to obedience therefore either all the Morall Law doth bind or els that this branch of the second Table is more authenticall and of more absolute authority not only than all the second Table besides but also than the first Table yet our Saviour saith the second is but like unto the first stiling it the first and great commandement Mat. 22. 38. Oh that I could perswade them to take notice how they confront contradict contend against the concordant confessions of the reformed Churches the sound solid and substantiall truths taught and defended by the ancient and moderne Worthies and the infallible and unde●iable truth of Gods Word Oh that men would cordially consider that such vile and vicious positions make men unfit not onely for Christian but also for common commerce and company with mankind For how can Kings and Princes be se●●red from rebellion of such subjects How can masters and fathers be assured of reverence and obedience from such children and servants

vanities enemies so restlesse and laboursome that a true Christian can have no rest no quiet is a holy and happy a pious and profitable warfare for Christianity is a good warfare True it is they hate but neither God godlinesse nor godly men but sinne because it is a breach of Gods sacred Law Rom. 7. 15. the evill that I hate True it is they love not namely the world nor the things in the world because they are enmity to the love of the father 1 Ioh. 2. 15. True it is they are not sociable namely with the fruitlesse works of darknesse Eph. 5. 11. Have no fellowship with the fruitlesse workes of darknesse True it is they do resist but not God like those that do resist his will Rom. 9. 19. Nor the lawfull powers and ordinance of God which who so resists resisteth the ordinance of God Rom. 13. 2. But the Divell and his Diabolicall subtilties 1 Pet. 5. 8. True it is they are winnowed and sifted buffeted and tempted troubled and terrified they have a flesh ever lusting against the Spirit frailties without fightings within But are they therefore and their profession to be abhorred as vicked and ungodly nothing lesse The more they hate the lesse they love the more they resist the lesse they are sociable in the former sense the better the men And the greater their combat the greater their comfort for thus doing they warre a good warfare SECT 4. The errour of those who submit to Satan and oppose goodnesse and piety DOth every Christian of duty and must he of necessity warre this good warfare against the Divell all his apostate angels and their fierie and infernall darts against the wicked world all vile vicious and ungodly mens feared frownes and fawning flatteries against the flesh and all its fowle and filthy lusts With what a face then O you sonnes of Belial dare you First which slavishly yeeld without any yea without your best and utmost resistance to be led captives by the Divell and his circumventing complices Secondly and you which are profest enemies to Christ and his kingdome to the power and practice of piety opposing tooth and nayle godlinesse and godly men with what face say I dare you take upon you the honourable name of Christian use the transcendent priviledges of Christianity and glory of the Lord Christ Iesus 1. You are Christians why then doe you not stand in open defiance with professe hatefull hostility against and oppose with magnanimous resolutions the fawning and fraudulent flatteries of this guilefull and the fierce and furious conflicts of this raging world And those other fleshly and hellish impetuous impious and implacable enemies of your precious soules If a base unworthy coward daunted at the first approach of an enemy without any resistance or after some sleight velitation or skirmish o● a male-contented miscreant affecting an enemies slavery more than a Soveraignes servitude yeelding himselfe a slavish vassall to a tyrannizing foe may glory in the denomination of a souldier because he hath received presse-money was recorded in the Generals lists and rank'd and trayn'd by the captaine of his hand Then may you which cowardly seeing onely afarre off dangers and difficulties approaching to assaile Christianity without any opposition or after some little conflict And you who affecting the ignominious slavery of the world the flesh and the Divell more than the Lords precious service yeeld up your selves to serve the lusts of your flesh the vanities of this world and the suggestions of Satan may glory of your Christendome because you are baptized your names are recorded and registred amongst Christians you are taught and trained by the chariots and horsemen of the Lord Iesus 2. You are Christians and very active and busie for to withstand and hinder what you can with your utmost abilities such and such forward fellowes and their godly fraternity you indeavour with might and maine to advance prophanenesse Antichristianity and Atheisme therefore you are souldiers and being Christians are therefore Christian souldiers Alas you collect absurdly and conclude weakly A rascall rebell may as well argue for his prodigious villanies and say he is of English birth and in continuall combats although against his annointed Soveraigne his loyall Liegemen and faithfull subjects therefore a good English souldier As such a vipe●ine traytor is no good souldier in the judgement of that Master in warre S. Walter Rawleigh who saith It is not the 〈…〉 e 3. pa● 5 17. punishment that makes a martyr nor fighting that declares a ●●liant man but fighting in a good cause Even so such nomina●l Christians although they sight yet are not Christian souldiers their fighting being against the Lord and his annointed Tell me saith S. Chrysostome how may we discerne a souldier whether by that because as an officer he doth defend the King and is maintained by him and is called his or whether because he doth defend his right being well affected to him To shew openly in countenance to take his part to hold on his side to beare good will to his businesse and to defend him but yet to execute or atchieve the enemies affaires it farre worse we say than if he having cast off the yoke of loyalty had wholly given himselfe to the enemie c. These and all true Christians are souldiers and both sorts fight but under contrary captaines and commanders for ends and causes much dissenting Salvian gives a Salv. lib. 8. pag. 269. reason of this repugnancy The chiefest cause of their discord saith he is the diversity of will because either it cannot at all or scarcely come to passe that any doth love the same thing in another from which himselfe doth dissent It is not therefore without cause that they hate those in whom they see all things envious and adverse to themselves For the one live continually in wickednesse the other in innocencie they in lust these in ch●stitie they in brothell houses these in solitarie places they almost continually with the Divell these without intermission with Christ They are not therefore to be esteemed good Christian souldiers although they fight they not warring this good warfare SECT 5. Christianity is a good warfare which the true Christian doth and must warre BY these three ground-works I having discovered the foolish and absurd conclusions the dreadfull and desperate condition of many Christians in briefe thus 1. Christianity is a warfare more dangerous difficulties therefore accompany it than many fondly imagine Neither is every one fitted for this so honourable yet hard profession it being too harsh for nice and delicate persons and effeminate cowards Neither are worldly rejoycings as dainty diet gay attyre noble birth rich revenewes the greatest garnishments of a Christian as diverse do idly dreame 2. Christianity is a good warfare Palpable therefore is the foolish absurdity of such concluders who condemne Christianity its profession and professours for its discording oppositions it being so much the better in generall

the sacred sanctifying Word of God do abominate and abhorre as accursed do confute and condemne as execrable do disswade from and denounce judgements against this vicious and unwarrantable way wherein you so unadvisedly and inconsiderately do wander Object 1. Say not therefore pleading perversely for Baal as alas too many do beloved brethren that usury is forbidden onely to the poore not to the rich Exod. 22. 25. Answ But carefully and conscionably consider 1. That in the fore-named place there is a double object the one generall my people the other speciall the poore and that the ingemination of the preposition ETH cannot properly be a qualification of one subject and therefore may well be read thus If thou lend money to any of my people or to the poore by thee 1. For the Lord forbids to take any increase of the poore stranger Lev. 25. 36. 2. Also of any brother Deut. 23. 19. 2. The word used in that place doth not signifie one alwaies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desiring wanting and extreame needy as pa● Deut. 15. 4 11. doth But such a one who is neither very rich nor extreame poore 1 Chron. 22. 14. I in my poverty have prepared c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. That rich and wealthy men are to be accounted aliens and strangers and not to be esteemed brethren if this cousequence is not criminous and culpable Deut. 23. 19. 4. That this is no good or well grounded inference take not of the poore therefore thou mayest take of the rich for by the same reason we may delude and defraud wrong and oppresse married women children having parents our neighbours and rich men as these following Scriptures do sufficiently shew Exod. 22. 22. You shall not afflict any widow or fatherlesse child Deut. 24. 17. Thou shalt not pervert the judgement of the stranger nor of the fatherlesse nor take a widowes raiment to pledge Deut. 27. 19. Cursed be he that perverteth the judgement of the fatherlesse stranger and widow Prov. 22. 22. Rob not the poore nor oppresse the afflicted Prov. 23. 10. Enter not into the field of the fatherlesse Ier. 22. 3. Do no violence to the stranger fatherlesse and widow Zach. 7. 10. Oppresse not the stranger fatherlesse and widow which sacred injunctions give not the least allowance to wrong and oppresse any at all yet particularly and specially nominates these 1. Because of all others they are most subject to violence and wrong and least able to make resistance 2. Because that oppressing of these is an addition unto and aggravating the miseries of those who are already abundantly miserable 3. Because the good of such is very little if at all regarded or respected 4. Because these cannot set forward and further their owne businesse by bribes and friends 5. Because these cannot acquit and recompence those who favour help and further them Object 2. Say not beloved brethren that biting usury is only forbidden or that usury of mony to buy necessary food or the like is onely prohibited Answ 1. For Marbith and Neshek are Synonima Levit. 23. 36. 2. For all usury is biting 1. Not onely in regard of the borrower as these and other Creditor mordet cum exigit quod non debet debitor mordetur cum reddit quod non accepit mordet usura mordetur qui accipit facit mordere qui dat Scriptures demonstrate Psal 72. 14. 89. 22 23. Prov. 22. 7. 2. Not onely in regard of the common-wealth as B. Iewell excellently sheweth 3. But also in regard of the usurer himselfe whose soule and conscience in the end is thereby bitten 3. And as for that distinction of meats c. Deut. 23 19. the Lord doth there flatly forbid all the diverse and distinct kinds of usury of what sort soever Object 3. Say not beloved brethren the Lord allowes of some kinde of usury therefore it is not simply unlawfull Deut. 23. 20. Ans 1. For by this reason usurers make themselves strangers to the Church and people of God of whom they take usury 2. For now this partition wall is broken downe 3. And as for the Lords allowing the Iewes to take usury of strangers they being such whom they were to destroy without shewing them mercy Deut. 7. 2. 20. 17. it neither doth nor can prove usury lawfull against the whole scope and current of the Scripture which doth lively delineate and largely demonstrate the diabolicall deformity of this cursed cruell corroding and Satanicall abomination no more than Gods allowing the Israelites to spoile the Egyptians Exod. 12. 36. can prove theft lawfull or Moses permitting divorce can prove it legitimate I know that some say that divorce and usurie are not alike because that was forbidden before the law whereas usury was not so But let such consider that usury being against the Morall law and the law of nature was forbridden in all ages before Moses as well as since as other kinds of theft murder and adultery are and were forbidden Object 4. Say not beloved brethren that the prohibition of usury was only Mosaicall and Iudaicall not being once named in the New Testament but rather approved by our Saviour himselfe Mat. 25. 27. Mine own with usury Answ 1. For the Scripture brancheth this amongst the breaches of the Morall Law yea amongst most grosse and grievous abominations as murder idolatry incest and such like Ezek. 22. 7 12. 2. The Scripture excludes these offendors out of Gods tabernacle and holy hill Psal 15. therefore is usury a breach of the Morall not of the Iudaicall Law 3. The argument is not accommodate and good which is drawne from one part of Scripture negatively it is sufficient that it is forbidden in the Old Testament and reckoned amongst the dreadfull and most odious transgressions of the Morall Law 4. Vsurie is expressely forbidden in the New Testament namely Matth. 5. 42. From him that would borrow of thee turne thou not away In which words there is a precept of free lending 1. For there needs no command to lend for gaine and advantage men being naturally too prone hereunto 2. The comparing that place in Luke 6. 35. Looke for nothing againe namely for lending manifestly demonstrates as much and that this is the meaning of the place is cleare 1. For if the principall was not to be expected it was giving and not lending 2. For free lending is a fruit of love and mercy which are here enjoyned 3. For if men lend for advantage what thanke have they Do not sinners do not usurers the same Vers 34. 4. For this lending ought to be to all whom we ought to love and do good unto Mat. 21. 12 13. Overthrew the tables of the money-changers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numulariorum or usurers The same Ioh. 2. 15 16. When Christ scourged them out of the Temple and called them theeves saying you have made it a den of theeves and that money changers are usurers is cleare Mat. 25. 27. Money

many 4. That those silly and harmelesse sheepe may no longer devoure men houses and townes as formerly they have done Obj●ct I know they are ready to pretend a good to the common-wealth not intending to depopulate or destroy ti●lage but onel● to improve their lands to the tena●ts advantage enriching his grounds with wood and with a more peaceable and quiet enjoying of his owne without any molestation or trouble from crosse and corrupt neighbours Answ 1. But admit that their deeds were correspondent to these their faire but usually fained promises I cannot see in reason and I thinke the experience of such who have made triall doth witnesse for me how this course can be to the farmers enriching For not onely is he forced to pay a greater rent not having so good commodities as before or to be at the cost and charges of ditching and hedging Not onely is he deprived of his commons and allotted to his stint acreridge but also being penned up into his poore parcels he is forced either to lay downe tillage or to keepe few or no cattell in summer season by which meanes his fallow ground is scanted of compasse and much annoyed with grasse and weeds he wanting sheepe to supply the one and destroy the other whereas when he intermingled commons in the champion field he kept many cattell of all sorts which he cannot being pounded into his proper pen It being easier to dine many at one table together than fewer severally and by themselves The number of hedges and ditches taking away much ground which would pasture many cattell And he being usually deprived of his bit in the common ground 2. Howbeit experience generally explaneth expressely these to be but pretences for either the unsatiable and unmercifull incloser doth presently dispossesse the ancient inhabitants or els by little and little wearie and weare them out or waite untill they are taken away by death and being once rid of them he either pulleth downe the ancient habitations to mend wals walks and wayes or suffers them to fall downe but no more to be inhabited And so inclosing is commonly the mother of depopulation SECT 9. Against greedy ingrossers of commodities GReedy ingrossers of commodities who not contented with competent and convenient imployments insatiably thirst after greedily graspe and inhumanely heape to themselves farme unto farme living unto living 1. Hereby incumbring themselves with many inevitable unconceiveable and innumerable swarmes of anxious perpl●xities disquieting thoughts and carking cares 2. Hereby much hindring hospitality and reliefe to poore people disabling many others from distributing and themselves keeping but one house or if more by a restrained servant or two onely for diverse livings 3. Hereby accasioning the hoising of rents to this height and greatnes that except commodities are deare and plentifull the tenant usually well knowes not how to pay his rent for these manner of men care not to give intolerable and unreasonable rates well knowing that for such and such additions they need not any greater number of servants and cattell and for greater a small number more will serve the turne by which meanes the poore man who lives laboriously on his farme is forced to pay such rents or els these gaping cormorants will swallow up what he possesseth that he and his are but uncomfortable drudges for other men 4. Hereby thrusting and keeping many out of such imployments to which they have beene apted and f●tted and in which they have beene trained up from their youth I know my self who in old age wanting imployment hath beene forced to forsake the plough by meanes of such ingurgitating ingrossers SECT 10. Against those who have no calling WOe then to such who neither have nor will have any convenient callings proper and peculiar standings for how can you do service and homage to Christ our Lord and Master How will you fight the battels of Christ our King and Captaine who have no calling station or standing allowed allotted and approved of by him 1. Sure I am the Word of God exactly enjoynes all men to live and labour in some certaine calling Gen. 3. 19. 2. 15. Iob 5. 7. 2 Thes 3. 10. 2. Sure I am the light of nature exquisitely inforceth the sa●e Ion. 1. 8. 3. Sure I am the glorious Angels have their assigned actions and appointed imployments Psal 103. 20. 4. Sure I am that Christ our Chieftaine and Commander from the cradle to the crosse was continually conversant in and about his calling Mar. 6. 3. 5. Sure I am that God himselfe created the first six dayes and that he hath preserved supported and governed the universall world ever since 6. Sure I am that the Lord our God doth sharply and severely plague and punish idle and unprofitable servants Mat. 26. 30. and that he doth richly remunerate and abundantly reward only painfull loyall labourers in his vinyard Mat. 20. 8 And dost thou a man made to labour taught by the light of nature and the Word of God to labour and pressed hereunto by the extant examples of creatures men and Angels and the unparaleld examples of Christ and his Father live in slothfull lithernesse and lawlesse idlenesse And dost not thou professing thy selfe to bee Christs servant and souldier labour serve and fight in some sel●ct station and standing under such a Lord Captaine and Commander Every man is appointed his vocation to one this to another that saith Bishop Hooper and of callings saith he that is unlawfull that Hooper o● Ionah 1. Se● 2. fighteth and repugneth with the Word of God as the vocation of baudes Idolaters masse-mongers common receivers and maintainers of dicers and dice-houses with such like The other is lawfull which standeth with the Word of God which we transgresse when we beare the name of the vocation and doe nothing appertaining thereto and when wee doe in the vocation that we should not doe Magistrates they have their standings Ministers of Gods Word theirs yea the most poore and penurious heardsmen theirs wherein they doe or ought to fight this good warfare SECT 11. Against Vsurers condemned by Fathers Counsells Lawes their owne pretended Patrons religions of all sorts and sacred Scripture in the Old and New Testament 15. objections answered and divers disswasives BVt thou cruell griping Vsurer who eatest the bread of the starving orphane of the carefull and comfortlesse man who livest on the sweate of other mens browes unconscionably and unchristianly eating the bread which is not thine own what is thy calling what is thy station and standing in this Christian warfare Certainely First If the antient authenticall and much admired fathers as Saint Augustine Ambrose Chrysostome Basil and others did not delude and deceive us Secondly If the Convocations and Counsells of learned and religious men in all ages did not erre Thirdly If the laudable lawes of all sorts Canon civill and of all times are right and regular Fourthly If your owne authors upon whom for this particular you so much dote