Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	argument_n	confess_v	great_a	43	3	2.0898	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00562	Two godlie and fruitful treatises of the foule and grosse sinne of oppression. The one taken out of the exposition vppon the fift chapter of Nehemiah, written by that worthy bishop and faithfull pastor of the church of Durham, Master Iames Pilkinton. The other published of late by Robert Some Doctor of Diuinitie.	Pilkington, James, 1520-1576.; Some, Robert, 1542-1609.	1585 (1585)	STC 19929.5; ESTC S94728	18,655	46

not regarding how he commeth by it by hooke or by crooke by right or wrong be it short or long Here is nothing spoken particularlie against any mans vocation or occupation nor anie man that dealeth honestlie in them but generallie to note the generall faults of the offenders that euerie man may looke into his owne bosome consider his doings and amend one If euery one wold amend one all should be wel streight but euerie one would amend another see other mens faults but not his owne and therefore all lie still as they did nothing amended and euerie one maketh curtesie who shal begin first Sophony the Prophet complaineth of his time saith thy rulers are roaring lions thy iudges are rauening wolues and will not leaue the bones vntill morning by prophets are lewd and vnconstant thy Priests haue defiled the holy place and broken thy law Micheas crieth out and saieth there is not a good man left on the earth and not a righteous man among men all lie in waite for blood euerie man hunteth his brother vnto death c. God graunt our times were not like Among vs it is merilie said of some that there be some Courts where law is executed without conscience Another where conscience is without law the third where neyther law nor conscience the fourth where both law and conscience shall rule I can rather pray for then looke for vntill the last day come when the righteous Iudge shall iudge both with law conscience In the meane time we may mourne and turne vnto the Lord that he may forgiue vs and receiue vs in his manie and great mercies for we are full of many and great miseries The pride of women is through the fault of men therefore they be blameles God amend vs all It is written that Ioseph in Egipt vsed the people almost of like sort that they doe here 47. and yet is he praised and these iustlie reproued which possiblie some marueile at not vnderstanding the diuersitie of their doings Ioseph laid vp corne in the time of plentie when euerie man had ynough these men did it at al times without respect in plentie and scarsitie Ioseph brought the monie into the Kings cofers to serue the common wealth these men laid it vp in their owne Cofers to their owne priuate vse Ioseph bought their cattell for such price as they were worth these men pay not the iust price for anie thing they take Ioseph buieth their land and maketh the people bond vnto the King restoring them againe the land the King finding the seede to sowe the people onelie labouring to till the ground And where we thinke we deale courteouslie if we let them to halfes the Egiptians haue the fourth part for their labour and paie the king the fift part of the encrease for the land and seede but these men kept all in their owne hands Ioseph bought not the Priests lands but gaue them alowance of such things as they wanted out of the kinges store and these men like vnto our daies if they can scrape anie thing from the Church that is a pastime among all other to laugh at and thought best gotten So much more is a minister of Gods Gospell thought meeter to be spoiled by these cutpursses then Ioseph thought meete to doe to those Idolatrous priests Ioseph opened his barnes in time of dearth and sold liberallie to the needie these men the greater that the neede was the faster they lockt it vp vntill they had their desire of the poore Ioseph restored their land and tooke but the fift part of the encrease these men restore nothing and yet take interest As this cruell dealing toward their breethren and countriemen was thought straunge to be found amongst this people in the time that God had shewed to them such great mercies in restoring them againe to their countrie giuing them the liberty to build their temple and Citie with great gifts liberalitie and fauour of the kings vnder whom they were bondmen and slaues So it is much more marueil that among Christians in the time of the gospell so mercifullie restored vnto vs so freelie taught greater crueltie should be found exercised then among the hard harted Iewes or infidell pagans But this is the common practise of Sathan that in no age people nor countrie he can be quiet to see Gods kingdom set vp and florish and his powre fall but he will rage storme besturre him and by al deuises that may be and by all powre that he can ouerthrow it And seeing this is no new thing but hath fallen out diuers times afore let vs not now be astonied nor dismaied at it nor murmure and grudge against the doctrine of our saluation so mercifullie offered vnto vs as though it were not the true word of God because men liue so far contrary to that which is taught and they openlie professe The deuill is content when he cannot ouerthrow the trueth of the doctrine to deface it so much as he can with the ill life of those that professe it But the gospell teacheth vs what to doe in this case 〈◊〉 23.3 saying doe as they say but doe not as they doe The doctrine is good though they be ill The trueth and worthines of Gods word hangeth not on our life and doings but our life and doings should be reformed by Gods word for that is a Lanterne to our feete Psa 〈◊〉 and a light to our stepps that we may know when we be in the right way and how to come into it We must be iudged by gods word not it by vs we must be ruled by it and not ouerrule it according to our phantasies we must hang on Gods true saying and not on mans euill liuing A TABLE OF SVCH POINTS AS ARE CONTEINED IN the second Treatise 1. What oppression is 2. It is not lawfull for anie man to oppresse another 3. They which haue done wrong vnto or oppressed anie must make actuall restitution 4. It is the duety of the Magistrate to deliuer the oppressed out of the hands of the oppressour 5. The Magistrate looseth nothing by deliuering the oppressed 6. Oppressours shall be grieuouslie punished 7. Oppressours haue no Religion in them To the Reader IT hath pleased an English papist to giue out in print that the Church of Roome doth both teach and require actuall restitution and that our church doth neyther His speech of vs is verie slaūderous and my treatise against oppression is argument ynought to confute him If they of Rome teach and require actuall restitution it is no worke of supererogation they doe no more but their dueties If we should faile in this cleare point we deserue great condemnation at almightie Gods hands I confesse that a man is good therefore iustified in Gods fight before he doth good workes but withall I set downe this that good workes doe followe him that is truelie iustified and that such as haue oppressed or iniured any man

Let him send that which he hath taken vniustly by some trusty messenger to him whom he hath wronged and let his name be concealed Question If he that hath taken vniustly from others hath wasted all and is not able to make restitution what shall he doe Answere Such a one must desire pardon very humbly at Gods hand and water the earth with his teares 4. It is the duetie of the Magistrate to deliuer the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressour EXecute iudgement in the morning that is 〈◊〉 21.12 ●●y 1.17 carefullie and without delay and deliuer the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressour saith the Lord c. Seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherles defend the widowe Almightie God commaundeth the Magistrates to execute iudgement in the morning therefore they must vse no delaies in doing iustice God commaundeth the magistrates to seeke iudgement therefore in cases of oppression they must not stay till they be called for God commendeth vnto the Magistrates al that are oppressed but speciallie the fatherlesse and widowe because they want the defence of their parents and husbandes and euery man goeth ouer 〈◊〉 22. where the hedge is lowest Iosias executed iudgement iustice he iudged the cause of the afflicted poore saieth the Lord of Iosias Iob saieth thus of himselfe I deliuered the poore that cried 〈◊〉 29 and the Fatherles him that had none to help him c. I put on iustice it couered me my iudgement was the eie to the blinde and I was a father vnto the poore and when I knewe not the cause I sought it out diligentlie I brake also the chawes of the vnrighteous man and pluckt the pray out of his teeth c. It appeereth by this that Iob was a worthie Magistrate God send vs manie such as Iob was The Sunamite whose sonne Elizeus raised to life so iourned in the time of famin seauen yeares in the land of the Philistines in her absence her lands and goods were vniustlie entred vpon at her returne she complained of the iniurie to Iehoram the King of Israel Iehoram without delay commaunded an Eunuch to restore her goods and landes vnto her Restore thou saieth Iehoram all that are hers 2. Kings all the fruites of her lands since the day she left the land euen vntill this time The Iewes in Nehemiahs time were greatly oppressed Nehemiah was verie angrie with the Princes and rulers which oppressed them Neh. 5. and saide vnto them you lay burdens euery one vppon his breethren c. Restore vnto them this day their lands their vineyards their oliues and their houses If it be the magistrates duety to deliuer the oppressed they must take great heede that themselues be neither principals nor accessaries in the sinne of oppression If they be guiltie iudgement shal be turned into wormewoode Amos. 2.6 and the righteous shal be solde for siluer and the poore for shoes that is to say filthy bribes shal be more accounted then mens liues which are most pretious 5. The Magistrate looseth nothing by deliuering the oppressed IF he doe it with a single heart beside the testimonie of a good conscience which is a continuall feast he may assure him-selfe of Gods fauour and blessing and of the singuler likeing of all Gods people Iosias did eate and drinke and prosper 〈◊〉 22. when he executed iudgement and iustice when he iudged the cause of the afflicted and the poore Iob deliuered the poore that cried 〈◊〉 6. the fatherles him that had none to help him and the blessing of him that was ready to perish came vppon him Our souereigne Ladie Queene Elizabeth hath dealt gratiously with manie poore suters at the Court she hath spoken comfortablie to them and procured restitution accordinglie If it be no disgrace to this noble Ladie which sitteth vnder the cloth of estate to deliuer the oppressed it is no blot to inferiour magistrates if they do the like If the Prince pleaseth God highlie and winneth the hearts of her subiects soundlie for releeuing the oppressed it is verie certaine that those Cormorants which grynde the faces of the poore are accurssed of God and loose the hearts of his people If the Prince sitteth fast in the seate of her Kingdome for tendering the case of the oppressed can they assure them-selues of sitting quietlie vnder their vines and figge-trees which eate bread baked with the teares of men It is certaine they cannot for besides the manifold curses of God and his people their owne consciences doe mightelie sting them and are enemies ynough to torment them 6. Oppressours shall be greeuouslie punished CVrsed be he Deu. 22.17 that remoueth his neighbours marke and all the people shall say Amen If they are accurssed by God and his people which remoue the marke of the land they are more accurssed which take awaie house and lend Oppression maketh awise man madde Eccle. 7. Madnes is a greeuous punishment God punisheth oppression by madnes one grosse sinne by another Ye haue builded houses of hewen stone Amos. 5 but yee shall not dwell in them ye haue planted pleasant vineyards but yee shall not drinke wine of them The reason of this is set downe by Almighty God in the same verse in these words your treadings are vpon the poore you take from him burthens of wheate that is to say the necessarie reliefe of him and his famility If the taking away of burthens of wheat from the poore was so great a sin the taking waie of arable ground which by tillage and Gods blessing bringeth reliefe to a man and his family is no litle sinne They shall not mourne for him saieth God of Ioachim the King of Iuda which was a great oppressour he shall be buried as an asse is buried Iere. 22 and cast forth as a carrion aboue the ground euen without the gates of Ierusalem Ioachim had closed himselfe in Cedar but that was not able to keepe Gods iudgements from him The stone shall crie out of the wall ●ac 2.11 and the beame out of the timber shall answere it c. As if almighty God should say rather then the vile dealings of oppressours should not come to light the stone shall cry out of the wall I am built of blood and iniquitie the beame out of the Timber shall answere I am built likewise of blood and iniquitie If the stones and beames of oppressours houses giue in their euidence like honest Iurates against such houses the Oppressours must prepare themselues to heare this feareful sentence pro nounced by the Lord chiefe iustice of heauen and earth against them woe vnto him that buildeth a towne with blood ●ac 2.12 and erecteth a Citie by iniquitie They which oppresse others ●g Epist 〈◊〉 2. doe more hurt them selues then those whom they oppresse the smart of the oppressed hath an end the smart of the Oppressour is euerlasting