I 04 .ei ?"reatfa giue fubicion,obedience, reuercnce, and all other duties toMagifiratcs, whether they be fuperiour or inferiour; yea with chearefulnes to pay taxes and fubuidies,and alIfuch1wfu11 charges as are appointedbythem. Gitrcto Cefat that which ù Gefars, and to Cod that winch is C ads. Ciuetoallmen their rintie:tribt to to tT'hai?e tribt4te: ct;f tr orge to whomecta/1ome. ROM.I 3.7. s df nth Now follows the Oath, which is either aflertorie,orpromifiorie. Affer- ,indin corle, by which a man atioucheth that athingwas done or not done. Pro-. miff'orie,by which a man promifcth to doe a thingor not todoe it. Ofboth thefe I meanero fpeake; but fpeciallyof the fecond. And heretwopoints mull be confidercd , the firff by what meanes an oath bindeth,the fecond when it binderh. Anoath bindethbyverrue offuel) particular commandements,as require thekeeping ofothes13wfully taken,Nurn. 3 0.3. Whofietterfwearethan oath robindehis forth' byabond, hefoalnot breakhia word, butfhalldoe according to ,z(l thatproceedeoatofhis outh. This bceiug fo, a quefiion may be made, whether theothesof infidels bind confcicncc, andby what verrue, confidering they neither know the Scriptures nor the true God. erinf.Theybdoe bind io confcience. For exam- Thus faith pie: lacob and Laban makea coucnant confirmedbyoath. Jacob fweares IS adPfubli by the true God, Laban by thegods ofNachor, that is, byhis idols. Now cotam,drLunt.lacob,though he approoue not the forme ofthis oath, yet he accepts it for fcnt.i.3.dip.93 a.ciuiil bond ofthe couenant: and no doubt, though Labanbeleeuednot Gods word reuealed to thePatriatkes,yet hewasbounde in confcienceto keepe thisoath euenby the lawofnature: and though heknew not the true God,yct he reputed the falle godofNachortobe the trueGod.Gen.31.5 3. Againe, ifa lawfull oath by vertue of Gods commandements bindecon- fcience,then it muff needes be that the Romane Church hath longerred,in thatThee teacheth and maintaineth that gouernaurs, as namely the Pope 11om. :.z, and othcrinferiourBifhops, haue power to giue relaxations and difpenfati ons, not onely for oathes vnlawfull(fromwhich the wordofGod doth fuf. ficiently free vs; though they fhould neuerglue abfolution)but from a true and lawfull oath madevvittinglyand willingly without errour or deceit, of a thing honeflandpoffible; as when thedope frees the fubieasofthis land, as occafon is offered, from their fworne allegiance and loyaltie to which they are bound, not onely by the lawofnature,but allo by a folemne and particularoathto.the Suprernacie, which none euer deemed vnlawf'ull but filet, as carrie traytourshearts. Now this erronious diuinitie would eafily be reuokcd , ifmen did but confider the nature ofan oath, one part whereof is Inuocation, in which we pray vino God, firfl that he would becomea witnes veto vs that we fpeake thetruth and purpofè not todeceiue:fecond- ly ifwefaile andbreake our promife, that he would takereuengevpon vs : and in both thefe petitions we bindeour (clues immediately to God him- felfe: and God againe who is the ordainer of theoath,accepts this bonde and knits it byhis conmandement, till it beac.comphfhed. Hence it fol lows,.
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