Se&. t1. Of a fin. gle pro– ml(~bin. ding. :~Aug. epHbor. lfid. 1.4. Syno– nilll. A 'Treatifl of Confcience. 535 Jnthemakingofir,thatitmay bewarran.. A tcd,foure things mullbe obferued: I. It muil: be agreeable to the word ofGod :I I.lt m~ll not bee againfr a mans general! or partwu~ar calling. IIf· It mull be in a. mans power, and not againll Chnll1an hbeme. I V. It mull be And though men bee bound in confcience to keepe theirpromifes: yet this hinders not butthat there is and may be a good and law– full -vfe oflndenturcs and obligations-Forthe b~nd ofcoBfcience is between<: man and God: but the bond of an obligation palfeth onely betweene man and man. When 'Vfbr~h•m bmighr a purchafc of Ephron the l-littitc, hce payed .his money , and made it furc before wimelfe. a.n. 23· 11· fo made and be fo obfcrued withoutany opi– nion ofmeritor worlhip ofGod,to this end a– lone that it may be a meanesto exercife and cherif11 repentance and inuocation, tempe– rance, patience, and to lhe'¥ fvrth thankfulnelfeto God. ·· A vow thusmade binds confcieuce by ver– rueofGods commandement. Eccl. 5. 3· When I thonh.j/vowed4 vow to God,diferre not toP"Jit. And the vowe once made continues to bind fo long as the thing is in force which was the occafion ofthe vow.For example: Aman defirous to pracbfe fobrierie and temperan– cie, finds that drinking ofwineis'hnrtfull vnto him:hereupon he vowcs to God to d~inke ~o wine: now this vow once made, b1nds htrn till the £late of his body altor, and hee feeles noinconuenience in wine : but then it ceafeth to binde any longer. f2!!eJ1. Whether Papills are bound in con– fcience to keepe the vowes of fingle life, and volum:arie pouertie which they make, or no? Anfov. No. Thereaf<mshercof are thefe: I. Such vowesare fht againll Gods comma.nde– m~nt:'BHt ifthrycttnnot abft4ine,let themmarry: for it Ubetter to marrythm tobNrm, I Cor. 7• 9· This wew.;rnedy~uof,that if there were anythllt wouldnotwork§,theyfhrJUldnoteate, z The[. 3. I o. I I. They arc nor in the power of him that voweth:as for example, to promife perpetuall chaltitie in ltngle life. III.They abolifl1 Chri– llian liberty in thcvfeofthe creatures and or. dinances of God, as riches, aud marriage, m.:are,drinke, apparell; making that necc:lfa– ric which God left to our libettie. I V. TIJey arc made to this end thar men may thereby merit life eternall,and worlhip God: whereas P•ulfairh.t T•m 4.8. Bodtlyexncife profitctb little: bot goduneffe u profitable for aN things. Therefore they are better broken then kept. As for a Ctngle pr<>mife, it alfo binds a man according as he will ro whom the promife is made; though he be an (a~ heretickeor an in– lidell. As for the purpo!e of the mindc, it binds not, but may vpon conuenienrcaufe; be altered. Yet we mull rememberthat there are fome cafcs,in which a promifcmade binds Hot. I. If it be againll Gods word. One faith well, In eniRp>·omifescut off thy faith. It u• wic~edpro. mifttb4t CAnnot be performed withont an offence. I I. Ifhe which makes it want reafon or fufli– cient difcretion. I J!, Ifhe make thepromife who cannot binde himfdfe : as a childe vnder the gouernment ofhis parents. I V. Ifa man be induced to make his promife by fraud and guile. V. If the prorriifc beeing at the firlt lawfull, become afterward either impofsiblc or vnlawfull. · Here wee-mull confider the generall finne ofthisage,which is,to fpeake deceitfully eue– ryonetohis neighbour. It isahardthingto linde a man that will £land to his word and lawfull promife. It is arule ofM.chi.uel,that B a man may praftife many things againll his faith,againfr charitie, and humanitie,and reli– gion: and that it.is not necelfary to haue thefe venues,buttoconnterfeit and dilfemble them: But letall fuch as feareGod make confcience oftheir word, becaufe they are bound fo to doe : and hereby they fhall refemble their heauenly Father who is true inall hispromi– fes; and theyfhallalfo bring forth a notable fruit ol the fpitit, Gal. 5. 22. · Hitherto I haue fpoken of the caufe that maketh confcience to giue iudgement. Now followech the manner ofiudgement. Confcience giucs iudgement in or by a Sell. "· kinde ofreafoning or difpLning,calledapr•fli- How e6. calt fyllogifme. Romanes Z-15. Theirrellfoning, fcience, C (M Mi4"~) )&c. accufing sr excHjingeAChDther. giues In the making of tbis reafon confcience ~~~~:." bath two afsiltants: minde, and memorie. The minde is the ltore-houfe and keeperof Minde all manner of rules and principles. It may bee ~cls wlm compared to abooke oflaw, in whicharefet tSiaw. downe the penall ftatutes of the land. The dutie of it is to preferre and prefent to the confcience rules ofdiuine law,whereby it is to giue iudgement. Memorie fcrues to bring to minde the particular al'l:ions which a man bath done or not ~::,~:;; done,that confcience may determiae ofthem. d<ncc. · Now confcicnce afsifled by thefe twaine, proceeds in iudgement by a kinde of argu– mentation' anexample whereofwe may take D from the confcience of a murtherer,rhus; Enerym•rrherer u corfed, faith the minde: ThoHart 11 'lt1Hrtbertr:. faith confcience afsi– lted by memorie: Ergo, :Th"'art curfed,faithconfcience, and fo giueth her fentence. Toproceede: Cenfcience giuesiudgement eitherofthings pall orrhingsto come. Ofthings pall rwo waies , either by accu- · fing_andcondemniag, or byexculjng an• ab- ~:C:~!~ folumg. Ra~. 2. J).. . . . ny w 3 k 1 To ACCHfe IS an aChon ofconfcience, gmmg co.nfciC:cc iudgemenr that this or that thing Was euill fi-les done:& that !till by reafoning onthis manner: todg<· Euery murtherer is 4 finner: ment. Thu th]'a[/unu m•rrher: Ergo, 'lhu tlrya[/ionu afinnr. To condemne is another aftionofthe confci- .z z. cnce /
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=