'162 treatzfe of Confcztnce, Ilrmo thus much (hall fuffice to be fpoken of other mens binding of conicience. ti. We may bind our own conjciences. II. We our !elves may bind our own conkieuces : And that is by thofè vows and promifes which we make toGod of any thing lawfull and in our power. Thole vows and promi- fes which we make unto God according to the warrant of his word they do bind our conicience. Tcey arcour own before \N'e have made them : as Ananias and Saphira their gift was their own before theyvowed it to the Church : While it re- mained was it not thine own ? and when it was fold, was it not in thine own power ? Ads S. 4. We need not vow unkffewe will : but after wehave vowed our vows are Gods bonds, and do bind, the conrcience to the perfbananceof them. Nay, we lie unto God, as the text faith they did, if we do not Rand to the performance of them. But it may be demanded, What vows are theywhich are un- lawfull, and do not bind conicience ? J anfwer ? i. Such as we make of things ìmpofìible and beyond our power : Theleare unlawful!, anddonot bind conicience, 2. Such as . we make of, things unlawfull ; when we vow to do that which is contrarie to Gods law : fuch as Davids I.sam.25. was. when he vowed the deltruciion of Nabals familie : This 2 z.' doth not bind conicience : nay, we are bound in conicience to break it. , ;. Such as though they beof things lawfull and poiible, yet we want freedome in the performance of them : as for a wife or a feryant or a child to make a vow, when their relation to f ti.ch as are over them will nor iiitfer them to perform it : :um.5o.3' This bindeth not conkienee. Nothing bindeth conicience but . that which hath Gods ;leal upon it : but this bath not Gods teal on it ; and therefore' it Both not bind conkience : indeed it Nndeth us in conicience to repent of it. 4. Such as thong', they be lowfull andprofitable, and in our own freedome, yet if there fall a_greater confequence before the
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