4.10 the L I FE 'of the LIB. guilt, even from the higheftto the loweft : and fo to hinderthem all from repent- ing ; and to Subforibe to it, that their Vows oblige them not, and the violation of them is no fin. And ifPerjurybe a damning fin, hereby to endeavourthe damna- tion of fo many thoufands, and all the Plagues and Miferies on the Land that Per- jury may bring. p.And to declare againft fo needful aReformation, that it is no Du- ty at all for Rulers or Subje&s to endeavour it ; no not if they have (warn to do ir. 6. And to put downall this under my Hand, as fome Conjurers have done that have envenomed with theDevil, and given him their Hands to ir. All this is exceeding terrible, if this Vow prove obligatory. § ;6o. f. In thisCafe theyfuppofe that it is dangerous for Men to go againft the concurrentJudgmentsof Cafuifts, yea, of their ownCafuifts, in the Cafe of Vows: And they know not how to fave Subfcription, from the enmity of the determina- tions of Dr. Sanderfon, and all other ordinary Cafuifts. And thefe are the general Reafons of their fear. § 361. But I (hall hear tell you what they grantabout the obligation of the Co- venant. I. They áffert that it can bind noMan to any thing that is finful. 2. No nor toany thing that mayhereafter be finful , nor from any thing that may bea Duty, when it cometh tobe fuch : though it wereneither Sin nor Duty at the making of the Vow. ;. That it bindeth no Man therefore againftObedience to the King, though the thing be in it felf indifferent, and was not commanded by the King when they vowed: For if a Man might prevent the Commands of Prince or Parents by his own Vows, he might free himfelf from his Obedience. The Command of God, to obey Kings and Rulersis antecedent toour Vows, and above our Vows,and can- not be evacuated or avoided by them. Therefore if there be any indifferent thing in the Covenant, I will obey the King if he command or forbid it, contrary to the Covenant. 4. That we takeour felves bound by the Covenant to nothing , hut what is our Duty if there were not fuch Covenant: Not that a Vow doth not bind a Man to things before indifferent: We confefs it doth :But becaufe Ibis Vowincluded and in- tended nothing meerly indifferent : For it is the Judgment of Proteftants, and fo bothof the Framers and the Takers of it, that the ufe of a Vow is not to make new Duties toour felves which God never made, but to bind us to that which God hadmade our Dutybefore. Elfe it is a takingof the Name of God in vain. All the doubt therefore is but whetherit be a fecondary Obligation to that which God had before obliged us to. So that there is no one A&ion materially,whofe doing ornot doing we take to depend upon the Covenant's obligation primarily or alone; nor do we imagine any thing to beour Duty, which would not be fo, if the Covenant had never had a being. f. That if the Covenanters did then fuppofe that they were bound to defend and obey the Parliament in that War, and to bring a contrary Party to punifh- ment, yet now there can be noplace for any fuch Imagination ; becaufe the Par- liament is not in being, the War and Difference ofParties is ended; Ceffante mate. rih ceffat obligent, ctP ceffantibm perfonu & reruns flats. : It is now pan doubt that we are bound to obey the King, and that there is none to Rand in competition for our Obedience: fo that as a League with tbofe perfons it ceafeth with theparfons. 6. That if we hadbeen allowedbut toSubfcribe, That [there Ono Obligation to endeavour unlawfully] or [by any unlawful means] Wehad not fcrupled todlfclaim- ing any Obligation, as on our felves orany other Subjells. Thus far there is no Controverfie among us about the Covenant. § ;6z. I come now to the Non-Subfcribers particular Scruples, which are fuch as thefe. a. They fay, That all Menconfefling that an Oath or Vow is obligatory, they molt fee good proof that this particular Vow is not Jo before they can exempt it from the common forceofVows : But fuch proofthey have never feen , from Mr. Fa/lwocd, Mr. Stileman, Dr. Gauden, or any that hath attempted it, and on whom it is in- cumbent : but rather admire that Men of fo great Judgment and Tendernefs of Confcience fhould everbe fatisfied with fuch halting Arguments ; which they had long ago more fully confuted, if the Law had not forbidden them. They herein argue as the Bilbops in another Cafe : Uncertainties muff give place to Certain- ties, eaten: paribus: But they are certain in general that Vows are obligatory, if materially lawful : and they areuncertain that this Vow it materially unlawful, and to not obligatory: Erge they darenot fay that no Man is obliged by it. § ;6i
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