IJ\ules abotit the Obli.gatio7l of Yotvs. to it, !hall refufc the office of a Pra:tor: and he that doth refufe it .!hall be fined: CajU< fweneth that he will not bear the office: Hts oath ts unlawful (and dtfobedtence would have been his li if he were free) y« it feems he is bound to pay his fine, and difobey tl1e precept of the Law, 'ra~ ther rhan break his Vow. Jtwlt 33· 9· 55• Rule 33· 'I'_hm are fo grw a 11umber of fins a~d dutiu that are fuch by accidentr and ii;cumjla~tial alt~rauon!, and fomc of theft g~cattr and fome lefs. that it if a matter of rxc~edinggreat di.ffi~ulty 211 moraltty todifcern ~hen they are Jndttd_fins and dutur ~nd r:v_hen not, whicb tmt}l b! by dif. ~erntng tbe preponderancy of sccldtnll; sndtherefore tt muji be rxceedJ.Itg difficult to dificrn rvbm a v. JhaU weigh down any of thefe accidems and when not. ow RuleH• 9· 56. Rule 34· 1'be exceeding difficulty and freqmncy of fucb ca(cs 11~ak.!th it >zeceffury to tbo[e th t have jUch entangltml.HJI of vowI, to h.1ve a very wife and faithful CounfiUor to help tbem better to r:– folve tluirparticu/ar ctJ.[eJ, ttpon the k._now/edge of every circumftame, than any book._ or gwcra/ rules, do, or att.y tbat are JJot fo pcrfdlly acqu.Jiuted ~ith the ea fr. And 0 what great ability is nccdfa.ry ~:: Divines that are employed in fuch works ! Rule 35· 9· 57· Rule 35· Tlm alfo the ofe muft be ..,..lved whether an oath bind that hindmtb a greater Good l'Phich I might do if I b~d. not ta~en it. In fome cafes it may bind : As if I fwear ro acquaint none with fame excellent med1cmc wh1ch_t could not have known my fdf unlcfs I had fo fwofn ~ saudrrf. Pr~l. · or in cafe that the breakjng of the oath,. will do more hurt ro me or oth~rs than che good comes to 3-fttl. u.. which I omit: or in cafe all things conhdered, the doing of that good hie & nunc is not my duty . See Dr. Sander f. of the difficulties here alfo,pag. 78, 79· ' i.~tle 36. 9· 5S. Rule 36. No perfonal b~trt or tempor•l loft ~ any fufficient ca•Ji for the vial,tion of a• wb. ~~~~t;}.p~. He that taketh a falfe oath, or brcaketh a promlffory oath tor the Caving of his life or a rhoufand So, St. mens lives, or for lands or richu or Cr~wns an~ Kingdo~s, hath no confiderable excuft: for his per– fidioufnefs and perjury, a\l temporal thmgs bemg fuch mconfiderahlc trifles in comparifon of the will and pleafure of God, and life cverla!ling : That which will not juilitie a Lye, will muc!; lefs jufiifie perjury. R•le 37· 9· 59• Rule 37· If the mottcr.'f all wh prove only a 1emf~<~ion to fin, •nd not fin it fclf, it m•ft be k.fpt: But with rhe.grcater.vJglbn~y ~nd rc.[olutlo~ !_ A.s 1f a man have marrycd a.froward \rVite rhat will be a Temptation to htm all hts hfe, he IS not d1fobhged from her. Rule 38. 9· 6o. Rule 38. If the matterof •n Oath be [uch M mak.!tb me direllly the Tempter of my [cl{ ot other 1 , it Ua jin, and uot .to. be k,f_pt, zfnlep fome greater f.Ood ,preponderate that tviJ. For though it be no Ji• to be Trmpted, yet 1t IS a hn to Tempt: Though lt be no fin to Tempt by anecejJary trpl ( as a Mailer may lay money before a fufpccted fervaot to rry whether he be a thief), nor no fin to Tempt accidwt•Vy by the performance of a dut~ (as a holy life dorh accidentally Tempt a malig– nant perfon to harred and perfecunon ) ; yet tt JS a fin to be DiretJly and needlrfly a Tempter of our felves or others unto fin; and rhercfore he rhat Vowctb it mull not perform ir. As ifyou had Vowed toperfwade any to unchafiity, intemperance, errour, rebellion, &c. Rule 39· ~· 6 i. Rule 39· lf thematter of an oath be focb M accidentaUy layeth [o ji1•ong.a temptation before men Of Awdemal ( cffieci.Illy before a multitHde ), IH that we mal [CIYt{et it~ J exceeding li~tl.J:' todraw tbem into fin, when Evil.or Temthere U no greater good to prepottdtratt tbe rv1l of{uch o temptation, it H a ji11 to do r:ut thinl7, thuugh ~d:nonyowin f 2 rformance cf 4 Von:· When actions are goo~ or evil only by accident, the~ Accident! 0 mull be pur in the: ballance :~gamfi cac.h o~h~r, and the wezghtyeji m~fi prrpo~derate: As m matter of tempo– ral commodity or dlfcommodity, 1t IS lawful to do rhat aClton whiCh acctde,ntally bringed1a fmaller h~rt to one man, if it bring a great~r ~ood to many; or whiCh ln~rteth a private perfun to rhegrcat good of the C~mmon-wea.lth: But tt IS not lawful to do that wh1ch cltarly tenderh (though but by accident) to do ~ore hurt .than good. A_s to fell powder and armt:s, w.he.n ~vc fonfee it will be ufed againfi the Kmg and Kmgdom; or .to fe!} Ratsbane when you forcft::c a IS l1ke to be uftd to poifon men. Much more Chould the (alv~llon of many or one be preferred before our tcmpor.tl com– modity; and therefore for ~ leffer ~food, we may nor tempt men to.c:vil, though bur' accidemally : As he that liveth where there 1S bur /mle nrtd of Tavcrm or Alebouju, and the cnmmon ufe of them is for drunk,_ennep, it is unlawful for him there to fell Ale or J-Yi.ne, unlefs he can keep men from being drunk.. with it : ( As if they take it home with. th~rn, or be unruly, he cannor. ) For thus to be a f~rel{_nOTPing tempter and occafion, unmccffarily, 1s w be a Moral cau_{c. Two things will warrant a man to do that which by accident tempreth or occaf.ionethother men to fin: ·one is a command of God ; when it is a dztty which we do : The other is a greater go:Jd to be attained by the atri.m, which cannQt ht atttlintd hJ a /efl dangertJuJ way. As in a Councr<y where there is fo great a ne· cdfity of Alehoufes and T averns that the good that is done by them is grearer rhan the hurt is like ' to be, though fomc will be drunk; it is lawful W ufe thefC trades though fome be hurt by ir: ft is lawful ro fell fldh though fome will be gluttonous: It is }awful to ufc moderate dcccnr ornaments though fomt vain minds will be temprcd by the fight to lufi. As it is lawful to go to SeJ rhough fome be drowned. To aCt: a Comedy, or play at a lawful game, with all (hare cJurions, which may fccurc you that the good of it is like ro be greater than rhe hurt, is nut unlawful : Btlt ro flt up a common Play-houft! or gamir.g houfe, where: we may forefce thJt the mifchief will be far greac:r than the good ( though the acts were lawful in them[clves ), this is but to play the D.:vils put, ~~ laying [nares for fouls; Men are not thus to be tifcd to Hdl and dunned in fporr, though but acct– dentally, and though youv.wed the act. Rule 40 , 9· 6z, Rule 40• ThU< alfo muft the cafe of Jiandal be refolved: As fcandal jignijieth an aliion tlw oc· OfScandal. ufiontth anotbcr tfl fin, or o jlumbling blocJt at which we forc{te be j.s lik$ to JaU tothe hmt of h~f foul, ' (which
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