The fenfe of Nu!Iib. 3o. difcujfei 'R.,ules abo11t the Obligation of Vows. 711 as well as to PartnfJ and HztJb~tndJ: fomc think it doth, bccaufc there is, fay they, a parity of reafon~ Others think it is dangerous dif,mulling Oaths and Vows upon pretences ef parity of reafon, when it is uncertain whether we Hnow all Gods rcafons: and they think there is not aparity, and that it ex– rcndeth nor to others. 1. Becaufc Parent! and Ht(JbandJ are fo emphatically named in the Conrents in 1he end, 1•. x6. 2. Becaufe it had been as ufie: to God to name the refi. 3· Becaufe there is no in{Lnce in Scripture of the tXtrcife of fllch a power 1 when there Was much occafton for ir. 4· Be.. caufe clfe Vows lignitie no more in a Kingdom than the King plea{C:, and in an Army th:m the Ge– neral and officers pleafe; and among forvanti than the majfer pleafc, whid) /is thought a dangerous doctrine. s Becaufe there will bean ucccr uncertainty when a Vow bind,eih and when it doth not, to almotl all people in the world : For one fuperiour may contradict ir, and another or an hundred may lie hlcnt: The King and mol\ of the ~agiilrates through diHancc: will be filent,when a MaHcr or a Jufiice or a Captain that is at hand may difanul ir : one otlicer may be for it and another againft ir; A rnafier or a PJ.Hnr may be forir, and 1hc MJgifhate againlt ir : and fo PerjUiy will become the mofi controverted fin, and a mateer of jcaft. 6.Bccaufc Publick Magifirares and Commanders and Paftorshne not the nttr and n:JIHral imc:rrfi in their lnferiours as Paren11 and HtubandJ h<Jvt in thtir Children and Wivu : And rhereforc P.;rentJ have not only ardiraining power (as Husband1 hctc alfo htve) but alfo a dj{p~fing power of the Relation of rheir infant Children, and may enter them in Baptifm inte theVuw andCove– iun~ of Chriflianity, the wUiand an of the PtJrents fianding for the Childs till he come to age: But if you fay that upon a Parity of Reafon, all Princes and Rulers and Pafiors may do fo with all that are their inferiours, it will feem incredible to moll Chrif!ians. 7· Becaufe publick Magifirares arc jullly fuppoled to be [o di!tant from almofi all thtir individual fubjech, as not to be <apable of fo fpeedy adifowning their perfonal Vows. Whatever this Texr doth, it is certain that other Texts enough fmbid Covenants and Combinations againfi the Perfons or ppwer or rights of our Gover– nours, and not only againft tiJem but "'itbout them, in cafes where our place and c.1Uing alloweth us not to aCt without them. But it is certain that God who c0mmanded all!fracl w be entered fuceffively into the Coven:mt of Circnmcifiou wirh him, would nor have htld ,them guiltlefs for refuling that Covenant, if thePrince had been againfi ic. And few Divines think that a fubjed: or Souldier or ft:rvant that hath vowed to forbear wine or fcafling or marrhge is difchuged, if his Prince or C:ap... rain or Mlflers be againft ir. J onatb:m and David were undtr an O.lth of frie:ndfuip; ( Cll!td the Lt~rdJ oath, 2 S3m. 21· 7·1 Sartl as aP.uent could not difcharge Jon<Jtban as being a man at full age. ~.ere, Whether Saul as a King being againtl it, did null the oath to David and Jonathan i No, tHe Scripture fheweth the contrary. 8. Becaufe elfc that benefit which God extendeth only to aweaker fort, would <Xtend to any, the wifcjf and m<J/)tarned perfons through the world, whofe Vows to God <ven for t'he •fflilling of thtir own fo111J, tmy be nulled-by the King or other fuperiours. Many fuoh rcafons arc urged in this cafe. 3· 1t is uncertain whether this Chapter 'extend eo affirtory or trftimonial oath1, (if not certain that it doth uot: ) It lpeaketh but of binding tbeit fouls in VtJ'RIJ ta God, which is to offer or do fomtthing which by CHour may pr<?ve prejudicial to them. But if a Parent or Husband (much more ·aKing Oi' General) i'night nullitie .all the tcflimonial Oaths of thdr inferiours that arc given in judge– ment, or difoh.rge all their Subjeds from the guilt of all the Lyes or falfe oaths whi<h they !lull take, it would make a great change in the morality of the World. 4• It is not pall all Controverlle how far this Law is yet in for force : feting the Mofaical Law as fuch is abrog<~.ted; this CJ.n be now no further in force than as it is the Ltw of nature, or fome way i:onfirmt:d or rcvivc:d by Chrifi. The c.quity feem~th to be natural. ~· 53· Rule 3l · It Uart.zin that ~vhoevrr thi-1 tnwtr of di{:muUing Vorl's telont.ttb to, and to TPhom- Rult "" 1 • {on,cr it may be givtn, that it txrendttb not to difchar;,e IM from the promife or Vow of that which iJ ' amecedwtly our nwff"'Y duly by the Low of God. El[e t~<y fuould dilpenle with the Law of God when none but the Law-giver Can relax or difpenfc with his Ltws., (unlefs it be one Superiour t~ the L1w-giver) :. Therefore none can difpenle with the Laws of God. But I fpeak this bue of a Duty neccff.Jr.Yalfo as a means to our falvation or the good of others, or the honouring of God ; For Q(herwife as to fom~ [m~tUer things, the Duty may be. fuch as man c1nnot difpcnfe wich, and yet a Vow to dothat du<y may be unnecefJ.ry and fi•f•l· As if I (wear to keep all the Law of God, and never to fin, or never to think a~nful thought: Todo this is good, but to Vow it is bad, becaufe i may foreknow that I !hall break tt• . ~·54· Rule 32. In fome cafu a Vow."',ay oblige)'"' a~ainf! that ,.hich woultl have bee~ your duty Ruk 32 , ifJOlt. bad not Vowed, and to dot~at wbzco. would el[t ~ave been your fin~: VIZ. If it be fuch athing M;, fin ~r duty but by for;xe leffcr aCCJdent, whtch ~he awdcnt of a Vow may preponderate or prevail ag.sinft. As 1f you [wear eo gtve a penny to, a wandcrmg beggar, or to one that necderl1 ir, which by all cir– cumfiances would have been an unlawful miC-employing of that which ihould have been better ufcd. yet ir. fc~merh to me your d~ty to do it when yo~ h_a~c Vowed ir. To cafi: away a cup of drink i; ~fin, 1f H be caufcltfly ~ But 1f you vow to do ,If, 1~ 1s hard to fay that .a m.an fho~ld rather be per... Jured than caft awa_y a cup of dnnk, or a penny or a pm : The Jefuaes thmk 1t lawful to excrcife the Ob~dirnce ~f rhcir Novices by biddin~ them fornetirne cafi a cup of wine into the fin~, or do fome fuch aChon wluch caufolefly done were hn : And fllaH not a Vow require it mole l\rongly? Suppofc it would be your duty tt) pray or read a•fuch or f~ch an hour of the day (as being fittell to your body and ocoafions): yet tf you h~vc ( fool.fhly ) vowed ag~tnll ir, it feemeth to mero be your dury to put lt off t11l another ttme. .For perJu:y IS too.gr_cat a tlung to be yielded to on every fuch fmall occafion. Dr. Sanderfon ( ubr fupra) gtveth th1~ mfiance. If there be a Law that no Citizen ekCled saod<r(.p•z. 1 J. ,Yyyy to
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