Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	day_n	good_a	lord_n	2,726	5	3.8026	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47197	The way cast up, and the stumbling-blocks removed from before the feet of those who are seeking the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward containing an answere to a postcript, printed at the end of Sam Rutherford's letters, third edition, by a nameless author, indeed not without cause, considering the many lyes and falshoods therein, against the people, called Quakers, which are here disproved, and refuted / by George Keith ...	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661.	1677 (1677)	Wing K233; ESTC R19568	115,272	246

15. 22. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have nocloake for their sin But may expect to be numbred amongst the enemys of Gods Work It was the commendation of good Men in all ages that they walked sutably to the dispensation of the Lord in their day and this is the great duty the Lord calls for from his people to follow the Lamb wh●thersoever he 〈◊〉 this will be their commendation before the Lord as Rev. 14. 4. When the life Light and power of God removeth from one dispensation to another to be alwayes a follower of that which is our duty for it is not to be expected that Moses or David if they were alive now would looke to find that life in their sacrifices and externall rites which they found when they were upon Earth no this is only to be waited for in the spirituall way of the Gospell worship And to come nearer if Cranmer Hooker and Ridly who were Martyrs for the Protestant faith in beareing witness against the Idolatry of the Masse thought it no small mercy to have the use of a common prayer booke in English no doubt in that day might feel life in it yet when the Light of reformation encreased it discovered that to be a limiting of the Spirit of God in Prayer and consequently had in it self a tendency to deaden the heart by remaining in that formality If they were living now the Lord would require of them to seek after a more Spirituall Way of worship where the pure life of Christ was more to be found and felt then in read prayers Even so now when the Lord is poynting forth a more spirituall way which is by following the pure motions of the Spirit of life in an immediat way upon the heart in all religious dutys the Lord will have all his people to owne that way both in practice and profession and they that will reject this or refuse or oppose it He will no less reckon them as his enemys now then these that have been refusers or opposers of his work in former generations A 3 Obstruction is Truth hath been for most part loaded by its opposers with many heavy slaunders calumnys and lyes and traduced with the nick-names of errour Heresy blasphemy and delusion yea called devilisme and what else malice can invent so Pauls religion was called heresy Acts. 24. 14. and Christians were a sect every where spoken against Acts 23. 22. Yea Christ himself was said to have a Devil Ioh. 8. 48 53. And what wonder then that the opposers of Truth in this day speake so of Truth as it is now manifested The Professors thereof are said to deny Jesus Christ that was borne of the virgin Mary where as they have often testifyed they owne no other Christ but him to be the Saviour of the world that was crucifyed at Ierusalem and this we can say in the uprightness of our hearts as in his sight that searches hearts Our opposers say wee deny the Scriptures of Truth whereas we owne all things therein being rightly translated to be the dictate of the Holy Spirit and that they containe all the substantialls of true religion and whatsoever is contrary to them to be but delusion yea we are content to have all poynts of controversy betwixt us and our opposers to be determined by the Scriptures of Truth We are said to deny the Ministry and ordinances of the Gospell whereas we owne all the true and faithfull Ministers that are called of God and that function and are not meerely men-made Ministers that are made to be Ministers in the meere will of men only endued with some measure of natural and acquired parts and feel not the power and vertue of the life of Jesus Christ dwelling in their hearts without any sense of which power and life they can pray and preach But we owne all Spirituall and living preaching and prayer As for the ordinances called Sacraments we own them only according to Scripture sense viz. that Baptisme which is by the Holy Ghost for Iohn Baptised with water but Christs Baptisme is with the Holy Ghost and with fire Math. 3. 11. Act. 1. 4. This is that one baptisme Eph. 4. 5. The Bread and Wine that is Elementary we deny as being but a carnal ordinance which are all repealed at the time of reformation under the Gospell Heb. 9. 10. as all rites are which stand in meats and drinks washings or Baptismes as the Greek hath it But we owne the Communion of Christs body and blood according to Luk. 6. 53. compared with verse 63. Our opposers say we lay the whole stresse of justification and remission of sins upon our own righteousness and we declare we owne no meritorious cause of the remission of sins but the righteousness blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ that was crucified at Ierusalem and as it was done and performed by the Man Christ born of the virgin Mary and yet we profess none are justified but such as are in a measure sanctified and actually cleansed from sin so as none are justified in their sins These and many more of the like slaunders asserted with boldness and impudence by malicious opposers are no small obstruction to many simple-hearted people who are but too ready to take things of this nature upon trust without tryall and proofe especially if the assertors be in any repute for a piece of seriousness as the Scribes and Pharisees high Priests who were in great authority and esteem with the people and thereby did influence their slender followers to preferre Barrabas a murderer and a robber to Christ Iesus A 4 Obstruction is that Truth when it comes first abroad is at severall great disadvantages in the eyes of the world as first it seldom hath the countenance of Civil authority but mostly is persecuted and laws and statutes made in opposition to it this is universally known in all ages and throughout these Nations where it first appeared Secondly it hath the opposition of the Nationall Clergy so called and of the most learned of that sort of men who have the greatest advantages of authority to influence the body of the Nation see Ioh. 9. 22. For the Iews had agreed already that if any men did confess that he was Christ he should he put out of the Synagogue Thirdly Truth being a witness against the abuse and superstitions which have through length of time and long custome been rooted and strengthned so in a Nation that it needs no less the the power of God to extirpate people can hardly admit to hearken to any testimony against these things whether they be personal or national customes see Mark 7. 9. and he said unto them full wel ye reject the commandement of God that ye may keepe your own tradition It 's not an easie thing to forsake old Customes this hath been a cause why men in all ages have stumbled at the simplicity of truth

in the matters of the Worship of God would readily be quite spoyled and they be necessitated to betake themselves to other callings to gaine a livelyhood to themselves and familys seing there would be no use for studyed sermons and their rhetoricall conn'd discourses by which they have laboured to tickle the ears and please the fancys of their hearers and have done all their art or eloquence could to reach the natural affections of people But now the Lords chosen people that are taught by the true Shepherd Jesus Christ have learned to know his voyce from the voyce of a stranger and to feel more of the true Life of Jesus Christ raised up in their hearts by a few words spoken from that Life though it be but in a homely way by a Trades-man or a poor handmaid then ever they sensibly felt by the most eloquent and meer artificial Preachers that are strangers to this Life and therefore it is but little wonder though these men stretch forth and employ the most of their Rhetorick and parts to declare against us both in pulpit and print For they homologate that word which Erasmus spake concerning Luther that it was a hardtask he had taken in hand seing the Popes mi●re and the Monk● bellys stood in the way So it is with the Lords Witnesses in this day their work would be easier in promoting the true Reformation of Gods worship and people if the pride greedyness of the Clergy their esteeme with power over the people their stipends set rents were not concerned for they walk no further by Scripture rule though they call it their onely rule then the Scripturs do stand with their interests Hence though there be no warrand to admitt of any to be members of the Christian Church but true Believers that know upon what ground they owne the Christian Faith yet they will have all the Subjects of the Nation whether they have any evidence of Faith or not to be members of their Church that their power may be of as large extent as that of the Civil Magistrate yea without any Scripture warrant they take Infants to be members by sprinkling them though they have no better warrand for joyning men and women in marriage together then a Popish Canon yet such is their love to have a hand in all the concernments of the people that they must needs be the instruments against which with many more of this nature we beare our Testimony and therefore no wonder they rage so much against us Now there being no formall charge in all the said bitter postscript set down against us but that false one that we put a false Christ in stead of the true Iesus deny Christ to be the second Person of the Trinity Iesus the son of Mary to be the true Christ alone c. as he goes on in that pag 553. without any proof it shall here suffice to say those things being so fully answered in this following Treatise and also in other books of our Friends The Lord knoweth we are shamelesly traduced slaundered in this matter as in most of other things charged upon us by our adversarys and it can not be but strange to me that any who pretend to be Christians or Gospel-Ministers should be so impudent or otherwise so grossely ignorant if not malicious in their calumnys seing it hath so often been published both by word and writ and in print that we owne no other Saviour but Iesus Christ borne of the Virgin Mary and crucifyed at Ierusalem and that the Lords People never had have or ever shall have remission of sins but through the meri●s and vertue of that precious blood and sufferings which our Lord Iesus the Onely begotten Son of God did undergoe and shed at Jerusalem that He is true God and Man yea what ever the holy Scripturs of Truth do witness concerning him that we dearely owne with our souls and hearts avouching with a firme faith that the same Christ hath given a measure of Light to every man Joh. 1 9. Tit. 2 11. which is of a Divine Supernatural Substantial being a beame and ray of his Blessed Spirit to convince the world of sin and duty sufficient to bring all men to Salvation being joyned unto and rightly improven according to the testimony of many places of holy Scripture which call him the Light of the world and a Light to inlighten the Gentiles the true Light that enlightens every man that cometh into the world and that the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodlynesse and worldly lusts c. This is the free Gift which Christ hath purchased Rom. 5 18. and therefore ought to be taken heed to and believed in as Iohn 12 36. For Christ is given to be a Leader to his people and hath promised to be with them to the end of the world and this is by his spirituall and inward appearance in the Hearts of men And becaus we beare our Testimony to this appearance of Christ in us shall we be therefore thus malitiously traduced by such prejudicated men I shall wish no worse to him or them but the Lord forgive them and open their eyes seing I know some that have been little inferiour to them in prejudice in a day to whom God hath shewed mercy and therefore my bowels are moved for such This man also chargeth us that we are greater enemys to none then to the faithfull Ministers and eminent labourers in the Gospel as he doth expatiate at large in the beginning of that page 556 in the Postscript To which I reply passing by his ungodly and unchristian expressions and Epithetes that we have ever had a reverent esteeme of all faithfull ministers that in simplicity and sincerity of Heart have endeavoured to preach the Gospel though in many things short of these blessed discoverys God hath manifested to us and we do remember them that were such with that due respect that becomes as having been faithfull according to their measure in their day and were blessed to be instruments in Gods hand to the good of many that in singlness and sincerity of heart did heare them But it is not the duty of any Christian to stand still and shut out any further discovery then they attained unto for as all the degrees of the Apostasy came not at once nor with the first or second trumpet Rev. 8. so neither is the Reformation to be compleated by the first or second vial Rev. 16. And therefore though they studyed Sermons yet many of them at times spake as the Lord gave it them witnesse Iohn Knox who told the Queen of Scotland when she was threatning him as Alexander Petry in his History of the Kirk sheweth Pag. 236. that in the preaching place he was not master of his own tongue but behoved to speak as God commmanded him c. So many good men after the Reformation from Popery could be

The Way Cast up And the Stumbling-blockes removed from before the feet of those who are seeking the way to ZION with their faces thitherward CONTAINING An Answere to a POSTSCRIPT Printed at the end of SAMUEL RUTHERFORDS Letters third Edition by a namelesse Author indeed not without cause considering the many lyes and falshoods therein against the people called Quakers which are here disproved and refuted and the truth of what we hold touching those Particulars faithfully declared according to the SCRIPTVRES By GEORGE KEITH Prisoner in the Tolbooth of Aberdeen with many 〈…〉 have joyfully suffered the spoiling of our goods 〈…〉 sonement of our bodys for the precious Name 〈…〉 Lord JESUS CHRIST and for the 〈…〉 who hath said forsake not the assembling 〈…〉 together Written in the Spirit of love and 〈…〉 Soule traveling for the everlasting 〈…〉 Souls of all men but especially of them called 〈…〉 to whom this Answere is particularly directed Exodus 23 1. Thou shalt not raise a false report 〈…〉 wicked to be an unrighteous witnesse Prov. 14 25. A true witnesse delivereth souls 〈…〉 speaketh lyes Math. 5 11. Blessed are yee when men shall revile 〈…〉 shall say all manner of evil against 〈…〉 The PREFACE To the READER Having seen a Postscript added to the third edition of Samuel Rutherfords Letters upon occasion of a Letter wrot by him doubtlesse out of zeal to some persons in Aberdeen at the time when they were endeavouring to separat themselvs from the communion of profane and scandalous People reckoned commonly for Membe●s of the Chu●ch of Scotland and also withdrawing from under the yoak of impos●ing Presbyterial government for which he was a sufferer by confinement in Aberdeen in the time of the former Prela●s from which Letter the Author of this Postscript hath taken occasion to vent and vomit forth more malice and bitter prejudice against the despised witnesses of the Lord called Quakers then ever the Scribes and Pharisees did against our Lord Jesus Christ when he was among them in his bodily appearance I have judged fit to desire all sober People that professe the name of Christians and have any knowledge of us or our principles that they would seriously consider if we or our principles deserve such characters as this man hath put upon us seing we are known to many to be an innocent harmlesse and blamelesse people in all our behaviour and conversation makeing conscience of our duty towards God in purity of worship and tenderness of owning the same notwithstanding any threats punishments fines or imprisonments for our faithfulness therein and our real endeavours to obey all his holy commands in which we shall never decline to be tryed by the testimony of the holy and precious Scripturs of Truth Nor are we less known to all neighbours relations and acquaintances to be just and righteous in our dealings towards men Next as to our principles they are so often and upon so many different occasions holden forth to the world in all places where we live that none can pretend ignorance thereof unless it be wilfull Wherefore I shall not enter upon this here being unsutable to a Preface and that so many of our Friends both in our own Nation and in England have performed this task in clearing them from all the malicious and grosse misrepresentations which opposers have laboured to asperse them with so that none needs remaine ignorant of them but such as love to continue so through wilfull prejudice or lazyness at least Wherefore when I perceive from what a height of malice and spleen this Author has vented himself against us by which any may see that the Iewes Turks and Heathens had never more against Christians nor the malice and cruelty of the Papists and Popish Inquisitors in Spain or Italy was ever greater against dissenters from them whom they judged Hereticks I cannot in the least doubt but if this man had power to influence the Civil Magistrate to exercise his power against us he would not onely parallel the cruelty of Heathens and Turks but equal if not exceed the inquisition of Spaine yea those cruel and bloody persecuters in New England who cutt off the ears scourged and tormented severall of our Friends till their flesh was like a Gelly banished divers and hanged three men and a woman 1659 ●660 for no other cause but this very thing that they owned the Testimony of that Truth which we profess and for which we are sufferers this day which may serve abundantly to scare any sober people that profess to owne the meek and lowly Spirit of Jesus yea to cause them to abhorre to keep company or converse with men of such spirits And if any have not yet seen the prejudice to all Civil Interests that flowes from persecution for Conscience I shall referr them to the severall books that have been published thereanent in this age But when I consider the great rage that appears in this man and many of his brethren against us I can not impute it to any thing like zeal for the interest of the Gospel as they would willingly have people believe it being to me most cleare that their chief quarrel is becaus we of all the people that ever appeared are they that have most discovered their pride ambition greedynesse and cove●ousness malice and the rest of their deceits we asserting and they denying Immedia● Revelation or that God by his Spirit hath any immediat converse with the Souls and hearts of his people by which he doth most clearely make known his will to them and gives the most effectuall call to the Ministry which they have put mostly into the hands of men and made to depend upon an humane ordination Yea some of them derive a succession from the Pope of Rome and hence practically claime a power to be Lords over the faith of Gods people imposing their glosses on the Scripture to be no lesse believed then the Scripture it self and so all that are not of their perswasion must be hereticall and heterodoxe though they lay no claime to be led by an infallible Spirit themselves Again The Lord hath brought us to witnesse the spirituality of worship in preaching praying and praising knowing that God will accept of none but what flowes immediately from the Life of his own Spirit moving in the heart whereas this man and his brethren are for performing all those dutys whether they have this immediate assistance of Gods holy Spirit or not For they have learned by art to supply that defect with their natural and acquired parts else many times they would sit silent in their pulpits whereas now they have layd and do lay a necessity upon themselves and their followers to goe about those dutys at their appoynted times whatever be their temper or condition at the present And according to our principle other besides them may performe these dutys in publick as they find themselves moved and furnished by the Lord whereby their trade and traffick