Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	child_n	master_n	wife_n	2,782	5	6.2775	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35026	The naked truth, or, The true state of the primitive church by an humble moderator.	Croft, Herbert, 1603-1691.	1675 (1675)	Wing C6970; ESTC R225557	74,185	74

people and honour to the Church then now they are I most humbly beseech all in the spirit of meekness and humility to consider these things laying aside the veil of pomp and vanity which blinds their eyes and hinders them from discovering the naked truth and simplicity of the Gospel I call the Searcher of all hearts to witness I wish unto all Clergy-men both double honour and double maintenance also I can't think any thing too much for those who conscienciously labour in the Ministry But seeing as I said there is no hopes of regaining the Church maintenance we in prudence should seek out such helps as may be had And truly I have great reason to hope that were this rule observed of putting only grave discreet and consciencious persons into the Ministry whether University men or not it matters not so as fully instructed in the Doctrine of the Gospel by sound Commentators many persons of good rank and Estate would think it no dishonour but rather a high honour to enter into it as they did in the Primitive time Iulian neerly related to the Roman Emperour and afterwards Emperour himself thought it an honour to be admitted a Reader one of the lowest Offices in the Church And for the better advancing this business and fitting all sorts of men with convenient Knowledge for the Ministry I humbly conceive it very fit there should be one good and brief English Comment of Scripture selected and compiled out of those many voluminous Authors laying asid all impertinent criticismes abstruse questions nice speculations and the like setting down only the plain and most obvious sence in matters of Faith and good life necessary to salvation such a book to be set forth by Authority with a command that no man in Sermons Exhortations or Catechisings teach any thing contrary to it and what ever Learning beyond that is brought into the Pulpit let it rather be exploded then applauded for if any countenance be given to excursions there will be no end the itch men have to shew their Learning will soon bring us again into the vain unedifying practice we now are in I humbly conceive it fit also that the book of Homilies be reviewed not to correct any thing in them for they are most excellent sound Exhortations containing the true Primitive Spirit but to add to them what ever is wanting to the necessary Doctrine of Faith and good manners to teach every person how to behave himself in his several vocation and these commanded to be read once over every year for I have observed several even good and conscientious Preachers to take quite another method and preach on this or that Chapter and so in the whole year yea perchance in two or three years never preach on the duty between Man and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants Magistrates and Subjects or omit to treat of Pride or Malice or Cheating or the like by reason of which omissions several in the Congregation are ignorant in necessary duties though rightly instructed in many things unnecessary I expect that many will cry out of this as a means to introduce laziness into the Ministry and a hindrance from exercising those Talents God hath endowed them with To this I answer First That I had rather the Ministers should be lazie then the People ignorant in their duty But secondly I answer That besides Pulpit Preaching the Minister may find enough to do to keep him from laziness and exercise the best that is the most useful Talents of a Minister to visit and comfort the Sick and Afflicted to compose Differences and reconcile Janglers to examine and instruct the meaner and duller part of his Flock who are not capable of Pulpit preaching to whom they must inculcate both Doctrines and Admonitions ten times over and scarcely so make them apprehend any Spiritual matters Experience only can raise a belief how extreamly dull the common people are in the mysteries of Faith and but little quicker in the principles of a good life Christ dyed to save these poor vulgar Souls as well as those of the Gentry and more learn'd yet the labour of most Ministers is to entertain those that know enough and are very lazy in Catechising those poor souls that know nothing let these be fully instructed and then for me let them shew their Talents by preaching as often as they please to others All that I labour for is that those may have it who most want it either by injoyning such Homilies as I mentioned to be yearly read or such Sermons to be yearly preached I am no enemy to true Apostolical preaching God forbid I should but to vain Scholastical useless preaching to have the Pastor who should daily watch over his Flock sit in his Study all the Week long picking from that or this Quaint Author a few beautiful Flowers and then come on Sunday with his Nosegay in his hand to enter●ain Ladies and Courtiers for my part I count this far more sinful laziness then to read a Pious Homily on Sunday and all the Week after go up and down from house to house taking pains to instruct and exhort such as I mentioned But these shall be called dumb Dogs yet surely by none but barking Curs who are wholly ignorant in true Apostolick Preaching Pardon me if I return them their due who speak evil of that they understand not They will Object The Apostles and Primitive Disciples did not read Homilies but Preach'd themselves Neither do I desire that any one Homily should ever be read so as we had the true Apostolick preaching both o● Sundays in publick and Week-days also in private where there is need But I am sure such pious Homilies as I mentioned are no ways contrary to the Apostolical and primitive practice and are far more useful then such preaching as we have now adays And I am also sure that in the purest and most primitive time Homilies under another name were read in the Churches that is the Epistles of Apostolick godly Bishops written to other Churches were read in the Congregation with great Veneration Shall the name of Epistle make the one applauded the name of Homily make the other reproached the contents and the intent being the same to stirr up the people to godliness If this will satisfy let the Homilies be styled Epistles to such or such a Church and then I hope they will pass for current But you will say The Compilers of our Homilies are not of equal authority to those primitive Epistlers Let that pass but I am sure they are of far more authority then most of our Preachers I pray consider how many giddy Youths are of our Ministry how many of greater age but of as little gravity or discretion how many that vainly preach themselves and their own abilities not Christ and his Gospel how many that preach piously and yet not usefully but as I said before many things unnecessary omitting many necessary Summ up all these