Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	call_v	day_n	time_n	2,715	5	4.1899	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52357	The true liberty & dominion of conscience vindicated, from the usurpations & abuses of opinion, and persuasion	Nalson, John, 1638?-1686.	1677 (1677)	Wing N117; ESTC R19982	50,790	152

why I or any other persons should not perform all the several Offices in the Book of Divine Service mentioned Why such Gestures Habits or Signs should not be made use of And then something is said to make them unlawful then every man in point of Conscience would be obliged to abstain from them but till that be done they will remain in their own natures simply indifferent and so far lawful And so long as they are so which will be to the Worlds end they act falsly and unjustly who endeavour to persuade weak minds and such as are not able to Judge that these Circumstances of Religious Worship now in use in the Church of England are absolutely unlawful and that they ought neither to use them nor to have any communion with those who do use them which is the true reason and foundation of their separation And that the treacherous dealers deal thus treacherously with us is plain for that the Ignorant and Vulgar always make this their Plea for their forsaking our Communion that their Consciences will not give them leave to joyn with us in our unlawful Ceremonies as in derision they call all the Service of the Church And this they must needs have from their Teachers who either ought not to have been Teachers if they themselves were not come to the knowledge of the Truth or if they were they ought to have taught them the Truth and that these Modes or Circumstances of Religion being in their own natures indifferent were onely matters of Opinion and not of Conscience until such time as they were some way or other lawfully determined And to prove that this they ought to have done and more than this have taught their Hearers That they ought to have submitted to such determinations I will endeavour to make it plainly appear by shewing how indifferent Circumstances of Divine Worship become obligatory to Conscience and so necessary to be performed Now all indifferent Circumstances in Religious Worship become necessary if in general they answer the great Design of God's glory and the Happiness of Mankind both here and hereafter it were enough therefore to demand which of all these indifferent things are contrary to these great Designs and wherein which I am sure it is impossible for them to make appear But for the satisfaction of some who may retain their prejudices for want of a better information I will shew more fully and distinctly how indifferent things become necessary with some short reflections upon such of them as in the Ceremonies and Service of the Church of England are most objected against First therefore an indifferent Circumstance in Religious Worship becomes necessary if in general it conduces to the advancement of Piety and Holiness because whatsoever does so is absolutely necessary to be done and it is every man's duty to endeavour to promote goodness by all lawful ways and means Thus therefore set and appointed times for Publick Worship and Service of God become necessary such are the Lords Day and all other holy Fasts and Festivals in which People assemble together to call upon and praise God and to give him that devout Worship and humble Adoration which in duty they are bound to do where sin is reproved the ignorant are instructed the weak are confirmed and strengthned the Holy Sacraments those Pledges of God's Love and Seals of our Inheritance with the Saints in Light are celebrated and all people are exhorted directed persuaded and encouraged to the performance of their respective duties towards God and all men And that such set times are necessary will appear because were men left to their own liberty when and where to perform these Duties of publick Worship such is the treachery and backwardness of mens natures that if they were not determined by a necessity they would generally neglect the Service of God and find out perpetual excuses and evasions to delay the performance of it to the great decay of Piety and Religion and the great hazard of the salvation of their Souls For this purpose also publick Places of Assemblies decent and convenient for those uses become necessary and by such Dedication and solemn setting apart to the Service of God they become his Houses and cease to be common or indifferent by obtaining a Relative Holiness Exod. 3.5 Ezek. 42.13 14. and 44.19 such as did the ground about the burning Bush the Temple and its Vessels the Vestments and Chambers of the Priests all which are called Holy And therefore the Royal Psalmist does prophetically tell us Psal 93. ult Holiness becometh thy House for ever which must either be false or else be understood of Christian Temples Secondly Indifferent things and Circumstances in Divine Worship become necessary if they promote Peace Vnity and Charity according to those great and necessary Rules of the Gospel Live in peace if it be possible 2 Cor. 13.11 Heb. 12.14 2 Cor. 13.2 Coloss 3.14 Ephes 4.3 1 Cor. 13.13 as much as in you lies follow peace with all men Finally brethren be of one mind Above all things put on charity which is the bond of persectness Keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Now remaineth Faith Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charity Now that one set and prescribed form of Publick Worship Administration of the Sacraments and other Religious Duties doth extremely promote all these nothing can be more plain for where men are left to their own liberty one likes this way of performance another likes and prefers another way from hence immediately arises a breach of Unity from thence men come to Disputations and Controversies which is the best way And whilst each party is equally obstinate in the defence of their own Opinion many heats of passion happen which vent themselves in bitter words from thence men come to variance division and separation from thence to hatred and then the door is set wide open to violence force confusion war and all the innumerable mischiefs which are its dreadful consequents and constant companions That these are sad and experimented truths I appeal to all sober and considerative men but lest their Judgment should not be satisfactory let us hear the judgment of an Apostle who was guided in what he writ by an infallible Spirit Jam. 3.14 But if ye have bitter envyings and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devillish for where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace Nor is it possible to find out any way to make peace and bring men to unity and charity but by some determination of these indifferent things which is not

a sigurative and material Fire seem most agreeable to the design and therefore that is his Persuasion So that the difference between Opinion and Persuasion seems to be no more than this whil'st I embrace with an equal indifference either part of a doubtful thing it is but Opinion When from the greater probability I pass to a determination of my mind then it is my particular Persuasion The difference between matter of Conscience and matter of Opinion or Persuasion is That what is matter of Conscience is alwayes certainly known and therefore absolutely necessary to be believed or done or abstained from What is matter of Opinion or Persuasion is not clearly and certainly known but admits of doubting and therefore is not absolutely necessary but in its own nature indifferent to be believed or done CHAP. VII How far Men are obliged by Opinion or private Persuasion and what influence these have upon Humane Affairs HAving now shewn what Conscience Opinion and Persuasion are and how they differ one from another it follows in the next place that we shew how far these two last do oblige any person in the management of humane Actions relating to Divinity First therefore every Man is obliged by his private Opinion or Persuasion only in things indifferent in their own nature and undetermined which is the proper sphere of their activity to act or not to act to believe or not to believe so far as in acting or believing he does not contradict a known Rule of Conscience which is an absolutely necessary Duty Now the great and general Rule of all our Faith and Actions being Gods Glory and in order to that by our Obedience to his Commands to that purpose to promote the happiness of the Universe both here and hereafter it is very easie for any person in any part of his Belief or in any of his Actions to see whether they have a respect to these ends for if they have not they certainly cross the great design and intention of our Almighty Creator to whose Will we owe all ready Obedience and then by necessary consequence they become absolutely unlawful Thus suppose I am of Opinion for very good and religious considerations that I ought to keep one day in the week a voluntary day of Fasting or Abstinence and I choose Monday as an indifferent day I am obliged by my own private Persuasion to keep that day so but neither my Persuasion nor Example can have any influence to oblige others to do so who are not of the same Persuasion with me But if either a Command from my lawful Superiors forbid me Abstinence on that day or enjoin it to be observed as a Festival or if I find that by Fasting I impair my health or strength I am then obliged to observe it no longer as a day of Fasting because then my private Persuasion would cross a certain known Rule of Conscience by disobedience to lawful Authority And I should also be injurious both to my self and it may be to many others who may have a dependance upon my life and well-being whereby I should act contrary to the Will of God who would have me by all lawful and prudent wayes and means to promote my own happiness even in this life and all theirs with whom I have a Concern so far as I am able by just and honest endeavors Secondly every Mans private Opinion and Persuasion obliges him so far as in the determination of his Belief and Actions it follows the better more sure and warrantable part Now the better and more warrantable part of our judgment and determination in indifferent things and actions is first that which has the Consent Judgment Approbation Example or Practice of the best Men in all Ages as nearest to the necessary Rule of Life and Actions But because this cannot so easily be known or found out especially by the unlearned and ordinary sort of People who have neither opportunity nor ability to discover what the Judgment and Practice of the best Men in forepast Ages has been by searching the Histories and ancient Records of former Times therefore secondly that is the better more sure and warrantable part of our judgment in indifferent matters of Opinion or Persuasion which follows the judgment of Charity Peace Vnity and by so doing contributes most to Gods glory by promoting the happiness of all Men both here and hereafter for these are universal Rules and known Commands and therefore necessary to be observed being given us for the guidance and management of our Actions in general Now there is no Man that has the free use of his Reason and will make use of it but may easily discover whether any of his Actions are agreeable or contrary to these Rules and this great End So that it appears plainly how different the Obligation of Conscience is from that of Opinion or Private Persuasion Conscience obliges all Men alwayes at all times and in all places universally and absolutely they being known evident and certain Duties which are thereby commanded Opinion and Persuasion oblige only some private Persons in some Cases and at some Times and never further than they have a just respect to some general Rules of Conscience in regard they are not so certainly known but that they may admit of Doubt and have a possibility of being other than they appear or are thought to be CHAP. VIII The Differences betwixt the Church of England and all Dissenters brought into Examination by the forementioned Rules of Conscience Opinion and Persuasion IT is a Divine as well as Mathematical Truth Rectum est mensura sui obliqui a right Line shews both its own straightness and the crookedness of that which is oblique Having therefore shewn this Rule of Truth and which I have not in the least endeavoured to warp or bend so as to sit any private or sinister design of my own or of any Party let us now lay it to the Work and it will quickly discover who are the Workmen that need not be ashamed 2 Tim. 2.15 1 Cor. 3.12 13 15. who have rightly divided the Word of Truth and have built upon that good foundation Gold Silver precious Stones in beauty far superior to the polished corners of the Temple And who are they that have built Straw Hay and Stubble such combustible stuff as has set the glorious Fabrick of the Church into flames of Contention and which to the loss of the Builders must be burnt up though they themselves may be saved so as by fire provided they did it ignorantly and not of malicious wickedness yet their work must perish We will therefore consider the most material and chief things which are in difference amongst us and by an impartial applying of this Golden Rule of Conscience see who come nearest the Truth and Right I do purposely avoid the knotty Questions of Divinity and the different Opinions about them in regard that these may be diversly believed and maintained without