534rVf 'Treatife ofConfcience. trey,wherofa man is ameber, it bindes not at A al:bccaufe on the contrary, Godscommande– miit binds VS tokeep thegood laws ofme.III. Ifit bemade by fuch perfons as want fufficiet reafon& difcretio,as yongchildre,fools,mad men. For the confcience cannot indeede bee bound, where the vnderftanding cannot dif- ~: ~~n cernt:whatisdone. IV. Ifitbemadeoffuch efi obli- ashaue nopowertobind themfelues,it bindes gore fe not: becaufe it is made againfr the lawofna– non po.. tare,whicb isjthat hewhich isnot inhis owne reil. powercannot bind himfelfe.Hence it follows, Bdlar. 1. thatPapifrserregrolfely whentheyteach,thar >.deMon achild may enter into any rule or order ofre– <ap.J<. ligion, yea bindhimfclfe therto by oath,& the • Concil. G.mg. c. 16. oath tobee good, flat againft his parents con- ,B fem. Nnm. 30·4·/fawoman vow vntoth~Lord~ bindherfolfeby• bond,being in herfathers houfoin timeofhttputh,&c.v.6.Ifherfather difoNow her thefamedaythat hehearttha/1hervows &bonds, theyft•allnotbtofvaluc. And anancient Counccl decreed, that a/children that vponpreunce of Gods worfhipJh•uiddepartfomtheir parents,and not the them rke reucrenc&,Jhouldbeaccufed. Se– condly'· they crre, in that they teach that the promife made priuately by achilde in way of marriage,without and againfl: confent ofwife and carefull parents,binds them: whereas in– deed,ifthis promife were further bound by an ' oath,it conId not ftand:becaufechildten vndor gouernment& tuirion ofparent-s; clmnot giue themfelues.V.It bindes notifit bec'lnade ofa C thingthat is out ofamans power, !ts ifa man fweare to his friend to giue him another mans goods.V!.Ifat the firft it were lawfull,andaf. tcrward by fome means become either impof– fible or vnlawfull,it binds not confcieace. For whe it becomes impo!Sible,then we muftfafely thinke, that God from heauen frees a man fiom his oath. And when it begins robe vn– lawful,then itceafethto bind,becaufethe.bin– ding vertue is onely in and irom the word of God. Forexample:Aking biudcshimfelfe by oath ro aforraine ChrifiianPrince to find him men and money to defend his people againfr all enemies. This oathis lawfull. Wcll,after– ward the Prince becomes aprofelfed enemie t 0 him,his religion,and people: andthen the D kingsoathbecoms valawful& binds him not: bccaufe the word forbids there lhould be any leagueofamitie with Godsenemies: though there may be leagues of concord with them. . Seeingal•wfull oath muft bind confcience, rhoug'h aman be deceiucd, &great lolfes fol– low,it lbewsin howgrea): reuerence we.!hold haueGods name,and with what careand con– fideration take an oath. And bythis wee muft beaduertifed totake heed ofcuftomable fwea. ring io our common talke, whetherour baths be great or fmall. we mufr thinke ofitn oath as a part ofGods worlhip:nay,the H. Ghoft often putsit for the whole worlhipo(God:E– /4. I 9.1 8.lnthat day Jh~Oftue citits in ihe kmd of F.gjpt f/>eAkf the languagtbf Cana•n: :andjhaO fweariby the Lord ofhofts,that is',acknowlcdge and worlhip him. (tr,J2,J6, Jjrhrywi/1 /earne th~ liMits ofmypeople~ tofiveare by my11ttme, The Lordlrueth, then jiMO they bebniltinthe inidj/ of myp~op/e.This fetues to (hewvntovs,that fuch as g1ue themfelues to fwearing, wantreligion &cohfCience:and thatthofe families in which there is rifenelfc ofoathcs, abacdonal care of religion, and banilh God out oftheir houfes. And indee<\ it isavery hatS thing for thecommon fwearertoauoyd common periurie.Ifwe fee a man hold vp his hand at the barre ofaA earthly iudge,we pittk hlm,an.dare forrie for htm: Oh then,why doe we llotpittie blafphemers and common fwearers? For withGod• they are no better then rebels, that hold vp thetr.h~ndsat the barreofhis iudgement feat, asgudtJe malefaflours. cxod••O.J· AugMfline Stnn.;o. fatth well,They thatworfh•pf/01111( &j/tm<sfeare de •«his tofwrarefalftlyfryjiones, •ndd.ej/rhou notft•re Apofi. GodthRt u preftt,Godthatliuerh,G•dth~tJetow. eth,Godth4t tt~k[th reHenge if' contemners? b~ttoJ_ badcujl~~me,when thou Art beleeued,th•ufw,.,.eji whennone reqHiruit,thoH[Wt4Ytj1:4"dwhenmeN carm"•bide •t thoHfweareji, Thus much ofan oath: now followes apro. mife,which is either toGod, orman: the firft iscalled a vow,the fecond afingle promlfe. A vow istakenthr~e wai:s~Firft,generally s.ll.ro. for a promlfe of morall obedtence : and this or, vow vow is firft made in Baptifme, and continued binding. in the Lords Supper, as in the fpiritualkxercifes ofinuocation and repentance; It is called ofPet.t.Epift.,••,.thejlipnlatunwhi&hA go•dc•nfcitnce ••k!s td Ged. Thiskind ofvow binds all and euery mem– ber ofthe Church of <:iod. And thenotkee– ping ofit is the common!in ofthe world: for moll: men make nor cOfciece to perform that which they haue promitcd to God in Bap– tifme:and therefore their Baptifmeis become vnro them thefocrijiceoffto/es,Ecclef.4·17• But cofidering we are bound in confcience by this vow,let vshereafter indeauour to be as good as our word: and that!hall be,when we begin tod~e to our fins, and rife to newnelfe of life. There is no man almoft but wil 'feeme to haue care to keep touchwith men; what a!hameis it then for vs not to keepcouenantwithGodi' Againe,avow is taken fora promifeofce– remoniallobedience,whcreofread NHm.~;&, 30. L<uit·•7· This vowispeculiartotheold teftament, and did notbind all men, but only fuch as had peculiar occafion to vow: & th<r– upo boiid thCfelues:asthe Nazarits &others. 'fliirdly,a vow is taken for the performance offome outward and bodily exercifes, taken vp of amans own accord, as beiog thingsin a mansowne libertie, without any commande· mentofGod: as tbekeepingoffoctimesof faft,~ ofpraying orreadi_ng, the~erformance of(ettaskes, alrnes-giumg, .abfiJAence from certaine meats •nd·drinkes, mthe vfe whe.re– of,through our owne wcakndT~,we feare any occalionof finne. And thiS kmdeofVOWIS more peculiar to the newTdlamtnt. '' ,, In
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