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
B21048	A discourse about civil government in a new plantation whose design is religion written many years since by that reverend and worthy minister of the Gospel John Cotton ; and now published by some undertakers of a new plantation for general direction and information.	Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1663 (1663)	Wing D358	18,893	30

fellowship together called Brethren frequently in the New Testament wherein the equity of that Rule is established to us Object Object Christ will have his due Preheminence though the Civil Rulers oppose him and persecute the Churches as in Rome Therefore it is not necessary that this course be taken in Civil Affairs to establish Christs Preheminence Answ Ans The Question is of a Christian Commonwealth that should willingly subject themselves to Christ not of a Heathen State that shall perforce be subdued unto Christ It is concerning what Gods people being free should chuse not what his enemies are compell'd unto Argum. 3 That Form of Government wherein the best provision is made for the good both of the Church and of the Civil State is the best Form of Government in a Christian Communion and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to establish The Form of Government described in the true stating of the Question is that wherein the best provision is made for the good both of the Church and Civil State Therefore the Form of Government described in the true stating of the Q●●stion is the best Form of Government in a Christian Communion and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to establish The Proposition if need be may be confirmed from the end of all Civil Government Administrations which is the publick and common Good whether Natural as in the preservation of Life and Safety or Moral as Justice and Honesty in Humane Societies or Civil as Peace Liberty of Commerce or Spiritual as to protect the Church in Spiritual though outward Order and Administrations in peace purity And this last is principally to be attended unto and therefore such as are intrusted with this care are called The Ministers of God to note the principal end whereunto they serve viz. The things wherein God is most directly and immediately honoured which is in promoting man's Spiritual good so farre as they are enabled by their Civil Power The Assumption That the Form of Government in the Common-wealth which we plead for is that wherein the best provision is made for the good both of the Church and of the Civil State may appear by the blessing of God which usually is upon the Communion where the securing of the Spiritual good of men in the peace and purity of Gods Ordinances is principally attended unto by all sorts as may be proved by the state of thin●s in the Communion of Israel whil'st the service of the Lord was with due care attended to all the dayes of Joshua Iosh 24.31 and all the dayes of the Elders that over-lived J●shua which had known all the works of the Lord which he had done for Israel Many more places of Scripture might be alledged but I will onely note Psal 72. wherein all-sorts of good are assured to the Common-wealth wherein the fear of God that is Matters of Religion are so regarded as the preservation thereof to after-ages is duely provided for which how can it be done if the course described in the true stating of the Question be neglected by those that are free to cast the Common-wealth into what Mould they please Junius Eccles lib. 3. chap. 5. This Junius a Learned and Godly man and much exercised in State Affairs as appears by the Story of his Life saw clearly and therefore speaking of the Consent and Harmony of the Church and Civil State in the concurrence of their several Administrations to the welfare of a Christian Common-wealth he expresseth it by the conjunction of the Soul and Body in a Man and concludeth that Nothing will be of so much avail to the welfare of civil Administrations as will the best Administrations of the Church giving attendance to the holy and just Communion of Saints ut ad parentem officiorum omnium as to the Parent of all Duties and that Nothing will so secure and strengthen Church-Administrations as that security quam praebitura est justa pii Magistratus atque fidelis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the just Administrations of a godly and faithful Magistrate will afford Now Pii Fideles Men that are godly and faithful are such as are described in our stating of the Question And having thus said he breaks out into an affectionate Admiration of the Happiness of a Communion so ordered Ecquid obsecro futurum est si optima Ecclesia cum Republicâ optima coal scat O beatum populum in quo uno ore uno animo utraque administratio ad sanctam communionem cum civili Societate continendam augendam conspiraverit Non minuit illam haec administratio sed altera alteram stantem confirmat labantem statumina● collapsam erigit Which I thus English What I pray may be expected in future times ●f the best Church and the best Common-wealth grow up together Oh blessed people among whom each Administration shall conspire with one mouth and one minde to conjoyn and advance the Communion of Saints with the Civil Society One of these Administrations will not detract from the other but each will confirm the other if it stand and stay it if it be falling and raise it up if it be faln down And a little after he thus concludeth Magistratum cui credita est civilis administratio non in Ecclesia solum sed etiam ex Ecclesia esse affirmamus We affirm that the Magistrate to whom the Civil Administration is committed is or ought to be not onely in the Church but also taken out of the Church Thus Junius thought and taught and published to the world And indeed what is more equal then that he who by Office is to be a Minister of God should be chosen by and out of those who are by open Profession in the Church-estate the Servants of the Lord and have more helps to know his Minde and deep engagements to seek his Ends and observe his Will then other men But if any be otherwise minded let them shew some other course wherein the publick good may be promoted according to God with assurance of a blessing by virtue of the Promises Argum. 4 The fourth Argument shall be taken out of 1 Cor 6. ver 1 to 8. Whence I thus argue That Form of Government wherein the power of Civil Administrations is denied unto unbelievers and committed to the Saints is the best Form of Government in a Christian Common-wealth and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to establ sh The Form of Government described in the true stating of the Question is that wherein the power of Civil Administrations is denied to unbelievers and committed to the Saints Therefore the Form of Government described in the true stating of the Question is the best Form of Government in a Christian Communion and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to establish The Proposition

know thou art a sheep of my Flock a holy sheep of a holy Flock Again Cum Ch●isto imperas cum C●●isto etiam administras ●b eo est tibi gladius ho●d narium à te pa●u●●● qui dedit conservetur that is Thou rulest with Christ and admin●st●est to Christ thou hast the Sword from him let this gift which thou hast received from him be kept pure for him And when the Civil Magistrate in his Church-state answereth Ambrose his description of a good Emperour Ipse Imperator bonus in●ra Ecclesiam non supra Ecclesiam est A good Magistrate is within the Church not above it Lastly when according to Junius his description of the Power of the Christian Magistrate in Church-matters he accounts it his duty to embrace in Fellowship with the whole Church ut verum Christi Ecclesiae membrum the Laws given by God in the Church and the means sanctified by him to nourish the inward man and to protect and defend the same Tanquam Magistratus à Deo Ordinatus for saith he As he is a Christian he is sancta ovis de sancto Christi grege i. e. A holy sheep of Christ's holy flock But as a Magistrate he is Custos Ordinis vindexque publici that is A preserver of publick order Such were besides the good Kings of Judah Constantine Theodosius c. in some measure though very defective So much shall serve to have been spoken concerning the first Distinction Distinct 2 The second Distinction to be premised for clearing the true state of the Question is Inter Remp. constitutam constituendam Between a Common-wealth already setled and a Common-wealth yet to be setled and wherein men are free to chuse what Form they shall judge best For I conceive when Paul exhorted the Romans to be subject to the higher Powers who at that time were Heathen men and Persecutors he considered that Civil State as setled and suted his Advice accordingly But if he had been to Direct them about laying the Foundation of a Christian Common-wealth he would not have advised them to chuse such Governours as were on● of the Church but would have seriously forewarned them of the danger whereunto the Church would have been exposed thereby and that unavoidably And that this may not be thought a slight and uncertain conjecture let us consider what advice he gave in like cases Ye know that writing to persons already Married he exhorteth the believing wife to live with the unbelieving husband 1 Cor. 7.13 yet the same Apostle directeth the same Church in case they were free to make their own choice to avoid such matches Be not unequally yoked saith he with Infidels 2 Cor. 6.14 15. for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousnes and what part hath the believer with the infidel In like manner 1 Pet. 2.18 when Peter exhorted Christian Servants to be subject to their Masters with all fear not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward he did accommodate his instruction to their present condition But had he been to direct them in another state being free to chuse what might be best for themselves he would have expressed himself otherwise as may appear by this The same Spirit that inspired Peter thus to advise in this case guided Paul further in a different case 1 Cor. 7.21 Art thou called being a servant saith he care not for it● but if thou maist be free use it rather And that if he had written to a company of Believers in a New Plantation where the Foundations of the Church and Civil State and the communion of both was to be laid for many Generations to come he would have advised them to take the same course which we plead for may appear by his reproving the Church in Corinth for carrying their differences before Heathen Magistraies to be judged by them though he press them to be subject to their power 1 Cor. 6.1 Had the unbelieving Magistrates cited them to appear before their Judgement-seats he taught them both by Precept and by his Example to submit But when they were at liberty to compose civil Differences among themselves and yet they would voluntarily and of their own accord chuse to bring their cases before those that were without the Church this he blameth in them and that so farre as he demandeth why they do not rather suffer wrong then take such a course plainly intimating that men that profess the fear of God if they be free to make choice of their Civil Judges as in this New Plantation we are they should rather chuse such as are Members of the Church for that purpose then others that are not in that estate The same Rule holdeth by proportion in all things of like nature for Parium par est ratio Distinct 3 The third Distinction to be premised for clearing the truth in this Point is between free Burgesses and free Inhabitants in a Civil State Concerning whom there must be had a different consideration This difference of People living under the same Civil Jurisdiction is held and observed in all Countreys as well Heathen as others as may at large be proved if it were needful out of the Histories of all Nations and Times and the Experience of our Times as well in our own Native Countrey as in other places confirmeth it In all which many are Inhabitants that are not Citizens that are never likely to be numbred among 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Rulers Answerably it is in the case now in question So that when we urge that Magistrates be chosen out of free Burgesses and by them and that those free Burgesses be chosen out of such as are Members of these Churches we do not thereby go about to exclude those that are not in Church-Order from any Civil Right or Liberty that is due unto them as Inhabitants and Planters as if none should have Lots in due proportion with other men nor the benefit of Justice under the Government where they live but onely Church-members for this were indeed to have the Common-wealth swallowed up of the Church but seeing there ever will be difference between the World and the Church in the same place and that both men of the world are allowed of God the use and enjoyment of the help of Civil Government for their quiet and comfortable subsistence in the world and Church-members though called out of the world into fellowship with Christ yet living in the world having many worldly necessities and businesses in common with men of the world that live among them stand in need of the civil Power to right them against civil injuries and to protect them in their right and outward orderly use of their Spirituals against those that are apt to be injurious to them in the one or in the other respect which being without are not under the Churches Power and yet living within the Verge of the same Civil Jurisdiction are under the Civil