1\.!lle> abuut the (Jblij,atioll of n. Yow. · ~. 34· Rule 2C· If fome pm of that r<hich you Vowed become Impoffible, th" dotb not difoblige Rrtle 20· ym frnm fo mucb as rcm.si~teth pf>Jfiblt. As if you vow Allegiance to rhe King; and Tyrants or difability hinder you from ferving him as Subjects jn fome one puticular way, you remain fi:ill ob a liged to (e,rve him by thofc other wayes iri which\you arc yet Clpable to ferve him. So if you had r:okcn an 0.1th againA: Popery, to Preach againfi it, and rejett the practice of it, and for c:ver renounce it; this would not bind you from the common truths and duties of Chriltianiry whiCh PApifl:s bold in_com~on with all ~ther Chrifiians :_ nor could you Pre~ch againLt Popery, if yo.u ~ere hindered by tmtJnfonment, bamilimcnt or rellramt: But you have fbll power to forbear Approvtng, confentingl fubforibing, or pra6titing their errours: And this you are fiill boun4 to do. 9·35· Rulezt.1houghyoztarenot bound to do tiJat ()f y11ur Vuw which changts have made im... RulezJ, p~~le or ;ml.zwful, yet if anothEr ch:mgt maize 1ht1m poffible aHd ltJwful again, your ohliga1im doth return afrtjh ( u11lc{; you ~ade it with [u~h limit,;tion ). It is not a tcmp?rary aff~Jinn of the m.mcr <-)r mdor c(lf"relate that wtll ptrpwolly dtfcharge you from your Vow. lt your \Vtfe be taken C1prive .many years, when !he returncth, you are bound to the duties of a Ausband. If the King be expelled by Ufurpers, you arc bound at prefent to fo much duty as is polfible, and ro obey him as your a6l-ual Governour .when_he rerurneth. But in the cafe of ferv~nts.and Souldiers and ~ther tem!Jerary Rela· rioni it is orherwtfe; For a removo~.l may end the: Relauo!'llt felf. If you promtfe to Preach rhe Go~ fpel, to medicate the fick, to relieve the poor, to reform your families, &c. you an: not hereby obliged to do it, while any unYCfifiible impediment m~keth it impoffiblc : But when the hinderancc ceafcth, you are obliged to do ir again; the maac:r and your capacity being refiorrd. 9· 36. Rule22· 7heriforeman)' a Vow and promi{e may be lawfuVy unperformed, which nuy not be Rule 22. renounced or difcl,.imrd. When you are taken Captives you mull forbear your duty to your Kingl your father, yoor husb.md or wife: bur you may not therefore remu~tct them, and f.;.y I have: no 'obli~ation ro them : no not to the death: becau{e they are Relations for lift: ~nd how improbable foe:ver it may fetm that you !houlU be returned to them, yet God can do tt, and you mufi wair: on him. ~· ;7. Rul~ 23· ~ fo~mcr ~a~ or prom_ife is Jfot nutli,'ied by a l~tcr tb!lt contradiUe~b it. Other· Rttle 23. wifi: a m1n m1ght dtfobhgc hunfelf at h1s pleafure. Yet he that m1kerh contrary ?ows obligtth S.llldtrf.p. 5°· himfdf to contrarits and imrffiblts : and bringeth a necrflity of perjury on himfelf, for not doing the things impoffible which he vowed. And in Come cafes a Jattr promifi to men may null a former, wl1en we made the former with the refirve of fuch a power or libt:rty,.or are jutlly fuppofed to have power, to recall a fermer promife: or when it is the dury of a mutable Relatio~ wh~ch we Vow ( ~s of a Phyfi,ion, a Schoolmafier, &c.); and by a later Vow we change the Relation It fdf: (which 'we may fiill lawfully change ), 9· 38. Rule 24• The Actus jurandi muft ftiU be diftinguijbtd from tbt materia juramenti: And it Rule 24· vtry uften comeJh topafs that tbt A[l of fwuring (or the oath as our at\:) is unlawfully done, and was a fin from the beginning, and yet it is '!tverthtirfs.obli1,atory! a1 long IJS tbt r~s jur~ta, the m.ttttr sa~dnf. p. rs, {worn itl.zrvful or nwffary. Dr. Sander[on mfianceth m J ofoua s oath to the Gtbeomtes. The na· r6. In quo ture of the thing is proof enough : For many a thing is tinfully done, for want of a due call, or c;~.fu locum manner or en~ J~at yet it done, an~ i~ no nullity. Aman ~1y finfu\ly enter upon the Mi~illry th.lt ~~~e~ J~~~ur, yet is bound ~o do the duty of. a Mmtfier: And m£ny marnagtt are finful that arc na nz1Umu. Fic~i non debet, fltl:Un\ valet : Poffumus ergo 4ifiingnere, Juramentum dici illiciwm duobcs modis. Vel refpc8:u rei jurat1, vel rcfpe8u atl1!~ ju:a11di: Jura– mentum illicitull\ rdpc.EI:u rri j11r.1!.t null:mnus ublig:n: Juramentum illicitum rcfpettu 1tllu1 furandi obligac, nili aliunde imp=d1atur. 9· 39· Rule 2 5· 1he nuUity of an o~tiJ ab initio is quando realiter vel reputative non juravirhus: RUle 25· when really nr ~rput3tivtly we did not [wear: 1he finfulne{s of an oo~th is when we did fwe.tr really Wha: is rh_e but unl.1rv{uUy as to the grountl or tnd or matttr or manner or circumftancts. Really th.zt man did not Nullny ot an [wear, a. TYho fpaJr..e not ( mentaUy nor oraVy) the words of a11 oatb : 2· TYho th1ugbt thofe wordJ b.td Oath. jigHijied no fuch thing, and fo IJ:Zd no intent to [wear eitlur mentally or vtrb.zliy. As ifan Englilhm1n be taught to ufc: the words of at'. oath in French, and made believe: that they have a comrary fenfe. 3· 1-Yboonly turratilltly recited the words of tttl o&tiJ, as a reporter or hifiorian, witho:Jt a real or profcfftd intent of fwearing. J• Rtputatively he did not fwear, J. Who fpake the words of an Oath in his jleep, or in a rleliration, dijlral1ion, madn~fs, or fttch prevalent melancholy ~s mafiereth Reafon: when a man is not c11mpos mentis his act is not a{JuJ bumanut : 2. When a mans hand is forcibly moved by another againfi his will to fubfcribc the words of an Ouh or Cuvcnanr. For if it be totally invo!untary it is not a moral aCt. But 1Yords cannot be forced. For he rfut fweareth to Cave his life, doth dO it vo!tmt~rily to fave his life. The wiU m1y b: m11Jed by fe 11 r, but not f orced. Yet the perfon that wrongfully frighteneth another into confc:nt, or [O fwear, hath no right to any benefit which he thought ro get by force or fuud, and fo in foro civi/i fuch Pro· mi{eF) or Coven.mts or oaths may quoad cffeUurn be rcputatively null: And he rhat by putting his {word to another mans brea!l doth compel! him to (wear or fubfcribe and feat a deed of Gifr, may be judged ro have no right to it, but to be punifltlble for the force: But though this Covenant or promifc: be Nu. \I in foro hum:sno becaufe the perfon cannot acquire a right by violence, yet theOat!i · js not ~ Nuli#y before God: t"or when God is made a party, he hath a right which is inviolable : 2nd when he is apptaled to, or m1de a witnefs, his name mufi not be taken in vain. 3· It is a nuUity reputativtly when the perfon is N.zturally uncapable of fclf.obligatian : as in infancy when Rcafon is no·r
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