Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	church_n	civil_a	magistrate_n	1,328	5	8.0220	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10834	A iust and necessarie apologie of certain Christians, no lesse contumeliously then commonly called Brownists or Barrowists. By Mr. Iohn Robinson, pastor of the English Church at Leyden, first published in Latin in his and the churches name over which he was set, after translated into English by himself, and now republished for the speciall and common good of our own countrimen; Apologia justa et necessaria quorundum Christianorum, aeque contumeliose ac communiter, dictorum Brownistarum sive Barrowistarum. English	Robinson, John, 1575?-1625.	1625 (1625)	STC 21108; ESTC S102955	59,722	74

nature of the principall For example Let the principall as they speak be some naturall good thing the verie least accessorie or circumstance by which this principall is rightly and orderly furthered and promoted undergoes also the consideration of a naturall good The same rule houlds in actions civill much more in the things which appertein to religion and Gods worship I therefore conclude that the least ●ite or ceremonie serving rightly and orderly to further the principall act and exercise of religion doth worthily obteyn after a sort the respect and denomination of a religious and ecclesiasticall good thing which principall act if it do not truely and effectually promote and advance it is a vain addition at the best beseeming onely vain purposes and persons which worship God in vain teaching for doctrines mens traditions seeing whatsoever is to be done in the church is also and first to be taught that so it may be done 2. Whatsoever hath being in nature is some certain thing first and properly and to be reduced to some certain and distinct head Now all things whatsoever in use either in or about Gods worship may and must be referred necessarilie to some one of these three heads Eyther they are things naturall and simplie necessarie to the exercise of which sort are the naturall circumstances of time and place without which no finite action can be performed also for the administring of Baptism either a fonte or other vessell to hould water and so for other adjoints absolutely necessarie for the administring of the holy things of the Church or secondly they are things civill and comely as for example A convenient place in which the church may conveniently and comelily meet together not a stable or swynestye also that habit of the minister that coveting of the L. Table those ministring vessels and other accessories and appurt●nances whatsoever without which the holy things of God cannot be dispensed so ●●villy and comely as is meet Or lastly they are properly things sacred and holy and by consequence parts of externall divine worship and the same either commaunded by God and so lawfull or of mans devise therefore superst●t●ous Now if any shall further ask me what power then I ascribe eyther to the civill magistrate or Church-governors for mak●ng lawes about things indifferent I answer touching Church-governers first being to treat by and by of the Magistrate that no such power to speak properly belongs unto them as being not Lords but servants of the church under Christ the onely Lord thereof exercising as saith Austin from Christ and the Apostles a m●mb●●● not a Lordship and who therefore are to learn if ther will be c●ment with their 〈◊〉 Which 〈◊〉 them that a 〈◊〉 better becomes them then as●pter as Bernard speaketh For to ●●ake lawes by all mens graunt belongs to them and them onely who do swey ●●●pters 〈…〉 Lords 〈…〉 Moreover the holy scriptures everie where teach that the highest Church-officers and governers are but ambassadours of God and interpreters and proclaymers or cryers of his word But neither 〈…〉 nor interpreter nor cryer no nor the herald the most honourable of all proclaimers or publishers of Edicts can commaund any thing 〈◊〉 of the least matter by his own authoritie as lunius sayth rightly It is certain that the governers of Churches do stand in need of wisdom and discretion for the applying determining of the common rules of order and comlynes taken from the Scripture and common sense to certain cases and according to certain circumstances But what makes this for the power of making lawes in the Church which as M. Perkins makes account is a part of Christs prerogative royall considering withall that neyther the Church not the meanest member thereof is further bound unto these their determinations then they apper to agree with order and comlines neither are the ministers in any thing at all as are the magistrates in manie things to be obeyed for the authoritie of the commaunder but for the reason of the commaundment which the ministers are also bound in duetie to manifest approve unto the consciences of h●m over whom they are set CHAP. XI Of civill Magistrates VVE beleev the verie same touching the civill Magistrate with the Belgick reformed Churches and willingly subscribe to their confession and the more because what is by many restreyned to the Christian Magistrate they extend indefinitely and absolutely to the Magistrate whomsoever And that surely upon good ground seeing the magistracie is one the power the same whether the person be christian or heathen neither is there wanting in an heathen magistrate that he might rule as he ought authoritie of order but will of person neither is his power increased by the accession of christianitie but onely sanctified as is first his person The Prince rules over his subjects as he is a Prince and they subjects simply not as faithfull or christian he or they Onely Christ the Lord of our faith hath the faithfull as faithfull for his subjects neither are the subjects of Kings as subjects ●ame part of the church but of the kingdom Besides there is one and the same christian faith of the Prince and subject and all things common unto both which spring from the same seeing that in Christ Iesus there is neither servant nor freeman I ad neither magistrate nor subject but all are one in him As therefore none no not the least power of publique administrat on comes to the subjects by their christianitie to neither is the Princes thereby at all increased And indeed how can it The magistrate though●-Heathen hath power as the minister of God for the good of his subjects to command and procure in and by good and lawfull manner and means whatsoever apperteines either to their naturall or spirituall life so the same be not contrarie to Gods word upon which word of God if it beat God forbid that the christian magistrate should take libertie to use or rather abuse his authoritie for the same which yet if he do eyther the one or other whether by commanding what God forbids or by forbidding what God commaunds seeing it comes by the fault of the person not of the office the subject is not f●●ed from the bond of allegiance but as still tyed to obedience as active for the doing of the thing commanded if it be lawfull so passive if unlawfull by suffering patiently the punishment though unjustly inflicted Lastly if anie civill and coactive power in things whether civill or ecclesiasticall come to the magistrate by his christianity then if it so fall out that he make defection from the same whether by idolatrie or heresie or profanes it must follow that thereupon his kingly power is dim●nished and abridged whereby how wide a window or gate rather would be opened to sed●tions subjects under pretext specially catholick religion to taise tumults in kingdoms no man can be ignorant CHAP. XII Of the

Church of England THere remains one and that a great matter of exception against us and the same the fountain well nigh of all our calamitie to wit that we seem evill-affected towards the church of England and so averse from the same as that we do no lesse then make a plain secession and separation from it I answer First that our fayth is not negative as Papists use to object to the Euangelicall churches nor which consists in the condemning of others and wipeing their names out of the bead-●oul of churches but in the edifying of our selvs neither require we of anie of ours in the confession of their fayth that they either renounce or in one word contest with the church of England whatsoever the world clamours of us this way Our faith is founded upon the writings of the prophets and Apostles in which ●o mention of the church of England is made We deem it our dutie what is found in them to beleev with the heart to righteousnes and to confesse with the tongue to salvation Secondly we accord as far as the Belgick and other Reformed churches with the Church of England in the Articles of faith and heads of Christian religion published in the name of that church and to be found in the Harmonie of the Confessions of fayth Thirdly if by the Church be understood the Catholick Church dispersed upon the face of the whole earth we do willingly acknowledg that a singular part thereof and the same visible and conspicuous is to be found in the land and with it do professe and practise what in us layes communion in all things in themselvs lawfull and done in right order But and if by the word Church be understood a spirituall politick body such as was in her time the Church of Israell and in hers the church of Rome Corinth the seven churches of Asia and others with them partaking of the same Apostolicall constitution and as unto which do apperteyn the Oracles of God Sacraments Censures Government and ministerie ecclesiasticall with other sacred institutions of Christ I cannot but confesse and professe though with great greif that it is to us matter of scruple which we cannot overcome to give that honour unto it which is due from the servants of Christ to the Church of Christ rightly collected and constituted And that there may be place left in the eyes of the prudent Reader for our defence in this case so far forth as equitie and reason will permit he must once and again be intreated by me seriously to weigh with himself and in his heart this one advertizement following That a man may do a thing truely pleasing and acceptable to God it sufficeth not that both the door in his person be accepted of God the thing done commaunded by God and that he do it with good and holy affection before God except withall and first he be possessed of that state condition of life which may affoard him a lawfull calling to that work That a man though never so good with never so good a minde should exercise the office or do though the best works of a Magistrate father of famillie housband steward citizen or messenger except he were first lawfully called and preferred to the state of a Magistrate maister of sam●lie housband or the like so far were he from deserving anie praise for so doing as on the contrarie he most justly incur●ed the censure of great rashnes and violation of all order in familie and common wealth as taking unto himself that honour unto which he was not called of God The same houldeth and that specially in course of Religion which is the specially state of mans life so as if anie either as a Pastour dispence the holy things of the ministeriall Church without a lawfull pastorall calling going before or participate in the same out of a just and lawfull Church-state neither that dispensation nor this participation can be warranted but both the one and other are usurpations and in which is seen not the use but abuse of holy things and confusion of order And as it behoveth everie person first to beleev and know that he is truly a Christian and partaker of the grace of Christ before he can hope to please God in the performance of this or that particular Christian work so doth it also concern everie Christian to provide that he be first possessed of a just and lawfull Church-order before he so much as touch with his least finger the holy things of the Church thereunto proper and peculiar Proper I say peculiar amongst which I do not simpl●e reckon the hearing of the word which both lawfullie may and necessarily ought to be done not onely of Christians though members of no particular church but even of Infidels prophane persons excommunicates and any others as being that in which no communion spirituall passeth either ecclesiasticall or personall between the teacher heater but according to some union ecclesiasticall or personall going before seeing that Christian saith comes by hearing the gospell by faith union from union communion This thus prem sed I will speak a few things of the Church of England not by way of accusation of it but for our own purgation in the eyes of the godly and equall Reader of the imputed c●ime of Schism so far as truth and equitie will bear And first seeing that the people of God is materially as they speak the church of God it is required to the constitution of a holy Church of God that the people be holy or saints and sanctified i● Christ Iesus truely and internally in regard of God and their own consciences externally and in appearance in respect of others whom it concerns to discern and judg of them according to the word of God and rule of charitie And considering that our question is about the Church externall and visible as it is called we are not so fond or raitha● frant●ck as to require in respect of others other holynes in the members thereof then that which is visible and externall Now how marvaylous a thing is it and lamentable withall that amongst Christians anie should be found so far at ods with Christian holines as to think that others then apparently holy at the least deserved admittance into the fellowship of Christs church and therewith of Christ Do or can the grat●ous promises of God made to the Church the heavenly blessings due to the Church the seales of divine grace given to the Church apperteyn to others then such Are others to be admitted into the familie of God the kingdom of Christ and as it were the suburbs of heaven The Church of God is by him called and destinated to advance his glorie in the holynes of their lives and conversations what then have those to do with it or it with those who as Calvin saith live not but with Gods dishonour For they as the same author both truly and holily affirmeth

and government of the cittie of God and essentiall administration of the same But to give more ful satisfaction to the indifferent reader it seems worth the labour to descend particularly to a few and the same the cheifest objections made on the contrarie behalf And of them that which may and ought to be said touching the Church of Israel its condition compared with the christian churches seems to deserve the first place And touching it first the constitution of the Church of Israel is not to be considered in that whole much lesse apostaticall nation but in holy Abraham from whom it came in whom it was holy as the lump in the first fruits the branches in the holy root and that by vertue of the gratious covenant I will be thy God the God of thy seed first contracted with Abraham himself after renued with his seed whole Israell But now to affirm any such thing of the whole English nation were foolish to prove it impossible 2. God doth not now a daies select seve● from others as his peculiar anie whole nation or people as sometimes he did the people of Israel both ecclesiastically civilly but in everie nation they who feare God work righteousnes are accepted of him These in what natiō soever combyning together in holy covenant and worshiping God after the prescript of his H. word are that holy nation the common wealth of Israel the Israel of God the temple tabernacle of the living God in which he hath promised to dwell these he would have scattered in all places of the world to hould intercourse with the men of the world in the common affairs of this life for their gaming if it may be unto Christ God adding dayly unto the church such as should be saved Whereas on the contrarie unto the church of England whereof all natural English are together at once made members it can hardly be if at all that anie at anie time should be added 3. The verie land of Canaan was legally holy the land of the Lords inheritance whose fruit was to be circumcised her sabbaths kept by the Lords appointment in which alone by divine ●●ght 〈◊〉 were to be payed And as holy things are not to be mingled with or prost●tuted unto prophane so neither was anie place in this land to be permitted unto prophane persons to dwell in The seven prophane nations which formerly had inhabited it were altogether to be destroyed by the Israelites being to possesse it for their inheritance neither was mercie to be shewed them After if any whether born in the land or strangers did ought with an high hand he was to be cut off from among his people Herewith accords that of David the king I will betime destroy all the wicked of the land Lastly ●e that did not seek the Lord God of Israell with all his heart was to be put 〈◊〉 death whether small or great whether man or woman Far be it from Godly princes other potentates in the world to think that it behooveth them in this rigorous manner to deal with their subjects although there want not who partly from a preposterous Iudaizeing zeal partly to serv their own ambition cease not to inculcate unto the kings of the earth above that is meet the examples of the kings of Iudah 4. It is not true that the kings of Iudah or Israel did const●●yn any into the church by force or compel them to undergo the condition of members but only being members to do their dutie All the Israel●tes and posteritie of Iakob had their part in the Lords covenant unto which also they were bound to stand under perill of cutting off from the Lords people both spiritually bodily according to the dispensation of the ould Testament in the land of Canaan But of this our question is not for the present That neither is to be considered whether king David Salomon Iehosaphat others did force circumcision other Mosaicall institutions upon the Edom●tes Ammonites and others by them subdued held in civill subjection or whether they compelled them by coactive lawes would they nould they fit or unfit into the Church of God That this was so cannot be affirmed with modestie which yet except it so were hath nothing in it which e●ther can hurte our cause or help our adversaries Lastly he who well weigheth with himself what legall and typicall holines was in use of old in Israel shadowing out the true sp●ritual holines and withall by how much both the more clear revelat on of heavenly things more plenteous grace of the spirit ●s afforded to the churches since Christ then was formerly to Israel he shall see manie things making for the tolerating of much in Israel which in us 〈◊〉 plainly intollerable and that God will not use that patience long-suffering towards any church now nor permit or wink at those things in it which for the hardnes of their hearts he bore in that ancient people The parable of the tares Matth. 13. followeth with which as with some thunderboult men both learned and unlearned think us beaten all to fitters But first these words Let both grow togither till the harvest v. 30. frō which alone they do dispute Christ the Lord doth not expound nor meddle with in the opening of the parable from them therefore nothing firm can be concluded 2. Christ him●elf interprets the feild not the Churh but the world v. 38. as also the harvest not the end of the Church but of the world v. 39. And if by the world you understand the Church you must needs say that Christ in the expounding of one parable used another 3. Both the text it self reason of the thing do plainly teach that he doth not speak at all of excommunication which servs for the bettering of the tares but of their finall rooting up to perd●tion Lastly admit Christ spake of men apparently wicked in the Church either not to be excommunicated in certain cases which with Gellius Snecanus I confidently denie or not excommunicated as they ought to be therefore to be born of private members the former of which is too ordinarie especially in Churches enjoying peace prosperitie the latter of which the Church not being desperately bent on evill I easily assent to yet doth this place affoard no medicine for our grief which ariseth not from any corrupt or negligent administration of the Churches discipline thorough the car●lesnes or want of wisdom it may be too much wisdom such as it is of the administers thereof which are personall things but from the verie constitution of the church it self subject of ecclesiasticall both government and power Yea I ad unto all these things that we for our parts are willing in the busines and controversie in hand to appeal unto the tribunall of this verie parable and that