Of Vows of Chaftity. fod (as i5 mlrrying wirhour P.nents confent,) then ic mutl be repenttd of, and not performed till it be. come lawful: Bccaufe an oarh or promife cannot bind a man to violate the Laws of God. 4751 9· 16. ~c:lt. But what if' tbt parties be a[iually Married without the ParentJ con{ent.l Mujftbe) live ~e.fr. together, nrbe fopar:ztedl Anfw. I· If Marriage be confummated per carnalem concubitum, by the carnal ~;torv/tdge of each other, I fee.no reafon to imagine that Pouents can diffolve i~, m: prohibit their cohabitation : For the: Marriage ( fi)r ought I ever faw) is not proved a nullity, but only a fin, and their wncuhitu; is not fornication: And Parents cannot forbid Husband and Wife to live together : And in Marriage they do ( really though finfully) forfak.! Fatlm and Mother and ileavt to each other, and fo are now from under their Government (though not difobliged from all obedience) 2· Bot if Z..·l.zrriage be only by vtrbat conjt~nl1ion, Divines arc diligreed what is to be done: Some rhjnk that it is Flopcrfcfr Marriage atttc cmtcubitum, and al[o that their i:onjtml1ion hath but the nature of a Promift ( t.o be faithful to each other as H1uband andWife ) : And therefore the Matttr promifed is unlawful till parents conCent, and fo not to be done. But I rather think (as moll do), that it hath all that is dfential to Muriage ante concubitHm ; and that this Marriage is more than a Promife of fidelity de fu– turo, even an atru.zl delivtry of themfdves to one another de pr.efonti alfo : and rhat the thing promifid. in Marriage is /awfill: For rhough it be.afin to marry without Parents confent, yet when that is paH, ic is l:mful for married pcrfmJ to come together though Parents confent not: And therefore that fu,h /Ylarriagt is Vllid, and to be continued though it was finfully made. · · 9· , 7 . 3· A rhird fort that are not called of God to m<rry, arc they that have Abfoluuly vowed 1101 Of Vows of to marr)': Such may not marry, unlefs Providtncc difoblige them, by making it become an indifpen· Chaftity. fible du1y ; And 1can remember but two waies by which this may be done. I· In cafe there be any of {Q 1\rong Lull, as no other lawful means bur marriagt can fuffice to maintain their cbaftity; To fuch marriage is as great a duty, as to eat or drink, or cover ones nakednefs, or to hinder anoth~r from uncleanncf.;;, or lying, or Healing or the like. And if you fbould make a Vow that you will never ear or drink, or that you will go naked, or that you will never hinder any one from uncleannefs, lying or Healing, it is unlawful to fulltil this Vow. But all the doubt is, whtlber there /le a;ry fiech perfoni lh:•t c.mnot overcome, or reylrain thtir lujt by a»y otber la~vful means? I fuppofe it is poffible there may be: fi.1ch : But I bdievc it is not one of an hundred: If they will but praCtiCe the: Directions before given, 'f,m. t· Chap. 8. Part 5· Tit. J, & z, I fuppofc their lufl may be reftrained: And if that pn.v;ail nc.c, the help of a Phy!icion may: And if that prevail not, forne lhjnk the help of a Surgeon m:1y be lawful, to keep a Vow, in cafe it be not an apparent hazard of life. For ChriH: feen'lerh ro allow of ic, in mentioning it without reproof, Mattb. 19. 12. if that text be to be underftood of cafiration: But moll cxpotitors think it is meant only of a confirmed rt(olution of ch1fiity : And or~ dinarily other means may make this needlefs: And if it be either necdlejs or periloHI it is unlawful wirht)ut doubr. p. ,g. z, The fecond way by which God may difpenfc wirh a Vow of chaftity is, by 111aking the m~· ria,e,e of a pcrfon become of app:~.rcnt ntct'f!ity to the pu&lick fafety: Aud I am able to difcern but one infiance that will reach the cafe.: And rhat is, if a King have Vowed chafiity, and in cafe he mar– ry not, his next heir being a profdfcd enemy ofChrifiianity, the Religion, fafety and happinefs of the whole Nation is apparently in danger to be overthrown. 1 think the cafe of Cuch a King is, like the cafe of a f'athcr that had vowed never to provide food or raymcnt for his children : Or as if Ah.1b had vowed that no well fhould be diggcd in the Land; and when the drought comcth, it is beEome neceffary to the faving of the peoples lives: Or as ifthe Shlp~maHer 010uld vow that the 01ip thall not be pumpt ~ which when it leakethdoth b~come ncceffary to f•ve their lives. In thcfe cafes God difub.. 1igtth yOu from your Vowby a mutation of the matt~r: And a Paf\or may clifpt:nfe with it Decl4ra– lively: But For the Pope or any mortal tnln to pretend to more, is impiety and deceit. § '9· Q.!_efl. Alaytbe aged nurr)' th.~t are frigid, impotent, and:mcapable of procreation? A;ljw. Yes, God hath not forbidden them : And there arc are other hwful ends of marriage, as mutual help and ~tft. 'omfort, &c. which may make it lawful- ;~:~~~ ~~:ns . . . . milh efl:s, <cmpanwm ~or the m1ddle 2ge, and old mens n. rf::s: So that amln m:ty bve a qlilrrel eo mlrry when he will. l6rd r:aca~ E/foJ. 9· 20o o ;reet. 2. TJ rtflr.zin_ J Ollr iJtordi;tate fi.rwardmfi to mdrri.:lgt, }tttp tbt ordinary i;tconvmim' :Pirca. l • cif!s nf it i;~ metmry: Ru{h nor mto a Hiite of li~e, the inconveniencics of which you never thought on. If you f;~ve a ~all _ta it, the k_nowlcdgc of the d1fficulties and duties will be necdfary to your prCpara.. rattan, and faithful undcrgomg them: If you have 110 caD, this knowledge is necdfary to keep you off. I Oull fi.rH oame the inconveniencies common to all, and then fomc that are proper to the Mit1ilter!; of the Gofpel, which have greater reafon to avoid a married life than other men hav'e. 9· 21. 1· Mlrriape ordinarily plungeth men in~o excefs o.f worldly c.Jres: lt multiplieth their bufl– ~:[r, and urually their wants. . Tncrc are many_ thmgs to t!ltnd and ~o: There are many to provide !or: ~nd many, pc~·fons you Wit\ have to d.o wnh; w~o h~v.: all of them a feltirh difpolitiOn and mterdr, and w!ll _1udge ?f you but accordmg as you ti.t their ends. And among manj pcrfon 1 and brt['nc§.s, fome thmgs wtll frequently fall cro{s: yo~ tt)utl look for many rubs and diiappointmcnts~ And your natmcs are not fo thong content and pltlenr, as to bear all thefe without moldlation. ~· 22· 2. Your want! in a married llate 2re !Jardlier [upplied, than in a Jingle life. You will want G) m~ny thin~s which befor_c you never wanted, and have fo many to provide for and content; [hat all wrll fCCin httlc cnou~;~h, 1f y0\1 ha<! never fo much. Then you will be often at your wits cod, ,,. Q_q q killg
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=