Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	bind_v	law_n	nature_n	1,568	5	5.4669	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13556	Regula vitæ the rule of the law vnder the Gospel. Containing a discovery of the pestiferous sect of libertines, antinomians, and sonnes of Belial, lately sprung up both to destroy the law, and disturbe the faith of the Gospell: wherein is manifestly proved, that God seeth sinne in iustified persons. By Thomas Taylor Dr. of Divinity, and pastour of S. Mary Aldermanbury, London.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1631 (1631)	STC 23851; ESTC S118279	80,247	284

the spirit all our worke is done to our hand and we have nothing left for us to doe and therefore the Law to us is as the seven green cords on Sampsons armes which he brake off as a thred of tow when it toucheth the fire and our selves as loose and at liberty from it as he was from them for the whole Law is abolished to us wholly Therefore we are to prove against them that true beleevers have both a true use of the Morall Law and besides their lively faith wherin they have received the spirit have need of the directions and doctrines of the Morall Law for the performance of the duties of it and that by these reasons If the same sinnes be forbidden after faith as before then is the Law in some force to beleevers But the same sinnes are forbidden them after faith as before And therefore the Law is in some force to them The proposition is cleare because the Law onely discovereth and revealeth sinne as the Gospell doth the remedy The assumption is also manifest because the Law is an eternall truth and is never at agreement with any sinne in whomsoever Concupiscence before faith is sinne and no lesse sinne after faith in the regenerate Davids murder and adultery were sins after faith and the same man that beleeved in God committed adultery with Bathsheba Object These were foule sins in themselves but not in him because he was justified Answ. Then Nathan was deceived in saying Thou art the man and David when he said I have sinned Had David sinne after faith then was David under a Law for obedience for every sinne is the transgression of the Law and where no Law is can be no transgression The like of Peter in the new Testament apparantly a beleever for Christ prayed that his faith should not faile yet after that fell into those foule sinnes against the Law rash swearing and false swearing and cursing himselfe which were foule sins in him as well as in themselves why should he else goe out and weepe bitterly Peter as full of shifts as he was to save his skin was to seeke in this shift to turne off all his sinne and sorrow at once that being a beleever and in the new Testament the Law had nothing to doe with him This argument our Novatians and Famelists can by no other shift avoid but by flying to a perfect purity in themselves for this is a dangerous and desperate principle of their Catechisme rife in the mouths of their Novices Be in Christ and sinne if thou canst and is very coherent with their other tenents for were the Morall Law indeed wholly abolished why should they not worship false Gods sweare breake the Saboth rebell kill whore steale what should hinder them from rayling and reviling all Ministers and people besides their owne sect as in a dead faith as onely morall men in state of death all this is no sinne abolish the Law and thou maist say Sin if thou canst But oh vaine men Can David sinne and for his sinne his flesh tremble with feare of Gods judgments Can Peter at the side of Christ sinne and that after so many warnings of Christ himselfe Doth Paul know but in part and after faith find a law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde and that after grace received the good hee would doe hee did not and the evill hee would not doe that did hee and are you in so high a forme beyond these worthies that you cannot sinne if you would Ponder a little these places of Scripture and if you be still mad of your perfection I will say of you as Ierom of your fellowes You had more need of physick to purge your braines than perswasion to informe your judgements Eccles 7. 20. There is not a just man on earth that doth good and finneth not 1 Kings 8. 46. For there is no man that sinneth not Object No Hee that is borne of God sinneth not Answ. The Apostle saith not simply and absolutely that he hath no sinne or sinneth not but hee sinneth not industriously hee makes not a trade of sinne he sinnes not as the wicked doe nor sinneth not in raigning sin nor sinneth unto death without returne and repentance because the seede of God abideth in him and destroyeth in him the worke of the Divell Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I am pure from sinne Who I can say so and I can saith every Libertine my sin may be sought for and cannot be found and mine saith another is washed off that it cannot be seene and mine saith a third is as a bottle of inke dispersed in the sea and not to be discerned And indeed thus it is in the justified in respect of Gods account and imputation but while they speak so magnifically of themselves in respect of the presence of sinne they onely blow up their bladder bigger which all the while is swelled up but with stinking winde and emptinesse But they would have some places out of the new Testament as men beyond the reach of the olde And so they may Iam. 3. 2. In many things we sinne all We all all Apostles all Christians sin that is transgresse the Law in many things by daily failings and errours and therefore all we in the new Testament since Christs death though we be justified by faith are under the rule and obedience of the Law because we sin in many things 1 Ioh. 1. 8. If we say we have no sinne we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us Wee Who The Apostle speaketh of carnall men say some of the Libertines as if the Apostle was a carnall man but the former verse expresseth who they be that have sinne those that walke in the light those that are in communion of Saints and have fellowship one with another and those that are justified and sanctified whom the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne hath cleansed from all sinne If the same duties be required of all after faith as before and every conscience bound to the performance then the Law in the whole use is not abolished to beleevers But the first is true and therefore the second The former appeares because where any duty is commanded there the rule of that duty is implied and this rule is the Morall Law which bindeth all men to all duties of it both before and after Christ being an eternall measure of all that is right or crooked That it is a rule of duty before Christ they deny not and that it is a rule of duty since Christ I make it plaine thus 1. Because Christ himselfe did confirme expound establish and fortify the Law by his word and authority which was the scope of his large Sermon upon the Mount in Mat. 5. 6. and 7 chapters which had it beene to be utterly abolished he would rather have declaimed bitterly against the Law as our Antinomists

loved or to prayer how can they call on him on whom they have not beleeved and so in the rest so neither can a man preach faith without some reference to the Law for can a man beleeve a remedy without knowledge search of the wound nay it is the Law that fits us to prize Christ a physitian or else would we never meddle with him no more than he would seeke out for a garment that hath no sence of his shame or nakednesse What if the Law know not nor command one to die or satisfie for another yet it doth not denie or exclude or hinder the mercy of God revealed in the Gospell but maketh way unto it The Apostles therefore did not abrogate the Law by faith nay saith our Apostle we establish it From whence the argument will rise stronger If the Apostles did stablish the Law by the doctrine of faith then is not the Law abolished to beleevers in the new Testament But they did establish the Law by faith Quest. How doth faith stablish the Law Answ. 1. In shewing that all the menaces and curses of it are not in vaine but all fulfilled in Christ who was laid under them all to free us from them 2. It fulfils the Law because it bringeth before God the perfect fulfilling of the Law for justification though not in our selves yet in our surety in whom wee have perfectly fulfilled it and shall live by it the Law must be absolutely fulfilled by us in our surety or we cannot live 3. It stablisheth the Law because faith worketh by love which love is the fulfilling of the Law so as by faith being justified as we are in a stronger obligation to the duties of it so we begin a new obedience to all the commandements and there is no duty which a Christian is not firmely obliged unto Tell me saith Augustine what there is in all the ten commandements what it is that a Christian is not bound unto 4. Because by faith we can pray and by the prayer of faith obtaine the spirit of God by whom we are supplied with needfull strength to obey the Law so August faith obtaines grace by which the Law is fulfilled and Ambrose saith that faith stablisheth the Law because faith shewes those duties to be done which the Law commandeth to be done And thus have we strengthened our fourth argument which hath proved that the Apostles of Christ abolished not the Law but established it and therefore it is not without use and force in the new Testament In whomsoever must be a constant endeavour of conformity to the Law to those the Law is not abolished This is plaine because where any thing is to be regulated there the rule is necessary But every beleever after conversion must strive to a conformity with the Law 1. in his inner man 2. in his outward man 3. in his whole man 1. In his inner man he must delight in the Law of God Rom. 7. 22. both in his minde he must serve the Law of God verse 25. and in his affections hee must love the Law Psal. 119. 97. Oh how love I thy Law Psal. 1. 1. The blessed man delighteth in the Law of the Lord not onely in the knowledge of it which an hypocrite may but in the conformity of their hearts and affections with it they carry friendly affections to the Law Our Antinomists outboast all men in point of their justification But St Ambrose his rule denieth them to be justified because they are not friends with the Law And Mr. Luther whom they challendge as their friend and favourer rangeth them among unjustified and unregenerate men of whom he saith that they love the Law as well as a murderer loveth the prison and so well love these the Law and therefore by his censure rejected among the unregenerate 2. In his outward man and action the justified man must testifie that the Law of God is written in his heart so the Apostle 1 Ioh. 2. 17. He that fulfilleth the commandement abideth for ever What is this commandement and what is it to fulfill it The commandement is the same which he had delivered in the former part of the chapter consisting of two branches 1. To beleeve in the Sonne of God as our onely satisfaction our onely advocate and the reconciliati on for the sinnes of the world v. 1 2. That we embrace him as our unerring patterne of our lives and walke as he walked v. 6. Quest. How did hee walke Answ. 1. In the generall observation of the whole Law 2. In speciall In the perfect love of the brethren v. 9. and in the contempt of the world Now must Christ walk in the obedience of the commandements and must not the Christian Yes saith the Apostle Every Christian must fulfill the commandement Object What will you teach justification by workes Answ. No we call not men to legall fulfilling of the commandement but evangelicall as 1. when the minde delighteth in the Law of God as holy just and good 2. When the heart hides it to conforme unto it 3. When the affection desireth to fulfill it rejoyceth when he can attaine to any obedience and sorroweth when he faileth in it 4. When in his actions he beginneth that obedience which shall end in perfect fulfilling this the Gospell accepteth and accompteth a fulfilling of the commandement Thus the Apostle Rom 8. 4. The righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in us which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit that is Christ by his meritorious obedience to the death hath not onely freed us beleevers from the condemning power of sinne but from the commanding power of it and so renewed our nature as that the Law of God shall be fulfilled in us and that two wayes 1. By application of his owne perfect fulfilling of it unto us with whom we by faith being united unto him whatsoever is his being the head is ours also being members 2. By our sanctification it is fulfilled in us inchoately that is by obedience begun here which at last shall be perfected so as not the least motion or desire contrary to the Law shall be left in our nature Thus is the righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled not by us but in us even here below and is our rule both in earth and in heaven 3. In his whole man the beleever must grow up to the image of Christ and to the conformity of his holinesse which is no other but the perfect image of God expressed in the Law This growth in grace and sanctification is called the rising up to full holinesse as the Sunne riseth up higher till perfect day Prov. 4. 18. The way of the just is as the light which shineth more and more till perfect day But this cannot be done without the helpe of the Law the onely rule by which and the scope unto which it must be directed For 1. how should a beleever free from

satisfied it for us for this is testified by keeping the commandements Ioh. 14. 23. If any man love me hee will keepe my commandements What love then in these men that will keepe no commandements Object Our love makes us keep his commandements but what is that to the commandements of the Law Answ. As if Christ did not command the same love and duties in the Morall Law See Matth. 22. 37 38. where Christ enjoyneth the young man all the duties of both tables 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandement that wee should beleeve and love one another Is this his commandement of any other love than that which is the summe of the second table and what were the commandements of the Apostles but evangelicall commandements commandements of Christ and yet they commanded duties of the Law 1 Thess. 4. 2. Ye know what commandements we gave you by the Lord Iesus What were they Such as concerned fornication v. 3. and oppression fraud v. 6. and were not these the same duties of the Law The 3 error floweth from ignorance of the nature of faith which is so farre from renouncing obedience that it is never severed from obedience and it is not true faith that worketh not by love for what is it to beleeve it is not onely to assent to what the scripture saith but to adhere and cleave unto it and to the Lord in the obedience of it as Henoch by faith walked with God Abraham by faith left his Country abode in the land of Canaan as a stranger offered his son Isaac c. And whence is it that obedience is called a fruit of faith for every act of grace must rise from the roote of that grace as every fruit from his owne roote so as workes of charity are rooted in charity which is a distinct grace from faith yet are they called fruits of faith because the doctrine of faith enjoynes them and the grace of faith inclines the soule unto them and because faith receives the spirit of Christ for sanctification as well as the merit of Christ for justification But why doe they exclaime against us for preaching and embracing a dead faith while they obtrude on their proselites a faith which must not work by love which if they will beleeve S. Iames is a dead faith 2 ERROR That godly life hath nothing to doe with keeping commandements Answ. The Scripture saith that godly life is nothing else but the fulfilling of the commandement and will of God revealed 1 Ioh. 2. 17. He that fulfilleth the commandement abideth for ever which is to be meant of evangelicall fulfilling not legall See chap. 3. arg 5. One thing it is to exercise good workes in way of obedience another to rely on them in way of righteousnesse 2. Our charge is in every thing to prove and try what is the good and acceptable will of God and have we nothing to doe with commandements the rule of tryall certainly we can neither doe any just thing without the rule of justice nor prosecute it justly 3. The life of Christ was most godly yet was said of him Heb. 10. 7. In the volume of the booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will and hereunto must every member be framed that must be in conformimity with the head 4. Not any duty of godly life can be acceptable or comfortable but that which is warranted by a commandement and we must know it so to be there can be no right worship or worshipper but hee that doth the will of God Ioh. 9. 31. If any be a worshipper of God and doth his will him hee heareth So doest thou expresse love shew mercy execute justice or practise any vertue and not by vertue of any commandement he that will not heare the Lord saying What I command thee that doe onely shall heare Who required these things at your hands 3 ERROR That blessednesse is meerly passive and therefore it is in vaine to put men upon actions for that end Answ. It is so to us in respect of merit and price but in respect of fruition it is obtained instrumentally by faith which is an action and is said to be ours yea our owne for the just lives by his owne faith not because we are authours or causes of it but subjects in whom God worketh it and because by it things beleeved become our owne 2. We are meere patients in the causes of blessednesse but in respect of conditions we are not so for as we said of faith wee may also say of good works God enableth to them but man worketh them and walketh in the way of them to blessednes not that our works are causes but conditions without which blessednesse is not attained See Matth. 25. 35. 3. This assertion bewrayeth great ignorance of the proper and present use of sanctification and the duties of it which they conceive as legally urged to helpe the beleever in his title and right to the blessed inheritante purchased in heaven whereas onely Christs righteousnes and merits give right and title unto heaven but yet the grace of sanctification gives us an aptitude and fitnesse unto it for without holinesse none shall see God Heb. 12. 14. and no uncleane thing shall enter into the gates of that City Yea it is proceeding in sanctification to the measure and stature of Christ that fits us to the vision and fruition of the glorious presence of God and for the full possession of that heavenly inheritance 4 ERROR That the justified person is free from all spot of sinne and perfectly righteous for justice requires that a man should be as perfect as by creation before acceptation Answ. 1. Iustice requireth that Gods wrath should be pacified and a righteousnes procured whereby the sinner may be accepted to mercy but not a plenary and personall perfection 2. They shew grosse ignorance in the nature of justification which frees the beleever from the condemnation of sin but not from the inhabitation or molestation for sinne is in the godly after justification 1 Ioh. 1. 8. If wee that is wee that walke in the light and have communion one with another say we have no sinne we deceive our selves 3. Faith it selfe in the justified is sincere but not perfect for as we know things beleeved but in part so we beleeve but in part our eye is not more dimme to see than our hand is weake to receive yea even in the best faith is imperfect and mingled with doubting Moses●aith ●aith quailed at the Rocke Elias in a passion would be dead yea even Abraham himselfe who was strong in faith though he doubted not of infidelity yet he doubted of infirmity Gen. 15. 3. By long delay his faith was sore shaken when he said that Eliezer of Damascus must be his heire Now would I know how that which is it selfe imperfect and not free from spot of sinne can make another altogether spotlesse See more hereof