.------~------------~--~~-----~-------------· 586 C!..A' P..eformedCatholif<.!. and commend fingle life. Marriage indecde is lA better in two~~fpdts: fidt,becaufe God hath ordained it to bee a remedy of incomioencic: to al fuch pcrfons as cannot containe: fecond· ly, h<e<ufeit is the feminary both of Church and common wealth; and it bringsforth afoed ofqod for the inlarging ofhis kingdome. Yet tingle l;fe in them thot haue tbatgiftofc?nti– nency, is in fame refpects to bee preferred. Fufr, becaufe it brings liberty in perfecut!on. Thus Pa,./faith, 1. Cor.7. 26.Ifoppofoittobee goodfor theprefont necejfityfor amanfotobe. Se– condly, tecaufe it frees men from the corn• mon cares,moleftations, and difiraCHons that none whereof are robe: vowed. And it is rh~ rule ofthe holy Ghoft,,.Theff-3 ·10. 'Hee th.e , 'Wtllnotlabour,namcly,in fome tpecial a1~d war– rantable calling, mufinott4tt'. .And V-12· I ex– hort that theywork£with quietnef!e,ttndClttttheir owne bread. Now when as mtn hue ;~p.lrt from oth~rs, giuin~th~mfclues ~mdy eo prayerand fafrmg,rhey hue tn no calltng. And it is againfr the general! vow made in Baptifme , becaufe tt frceth men from fundry duties of the mo– ral! law , and changeth the proper end of mans life. For euery man mufr haue two cal– hngs. The fitfr is a general! calling of a Chri– frian, by venue ofwhich he performeth wor– fhip vnto God,and duties oflou:to men. The be i>Jthe family,v. 2 8. SHch V•all hauetroub/e in thejiejh,but IJPareyoH. Thirdly,becaufe fingle parties dOe commooly with more bodily eafe and liberty wodhip God ; it beeing frill pre– fuppofed, thattheyhaue the gift ofcominen. cie,v·34• The -r.mm.t~rriedwoman carethfurtbe thi11g1 ofth< Lord,that flmmay be holy bothinbo· dy andJPirit. Againe, though wee miOikc the vow, yet we hold and reach, that men or women being afiured th~t they haue the giftofcontinencie, may conftantly refolue and purpofe with themfe!u:s to line & leade alinglc life, t.Cor. 7··37.He th41Jlandethfirme in hu own hMrt,thAt hathnoneed, hHt h4th pow"ofhis own11 will, 4nd hathfo dtcreed in his heart th<t he will k!epe hu virgin, bee doth wen. And wee embrace the faymgofTheodoretont.Tim+ Forheel.thnot c (C:ith be) blAmejingle lifeorcontinencie, but hee accufoth them that by law enacted compel! mm B l"econd is aparticularcalling, wherein accor~ ding tohisgift, he mufr doe feruiceto m~!\in fome funefion,perrainingdthertethe Church orcommon wealth whereof hee is amecuber. And ~hefirfi of thefe twaine mufr beeperfor. med tn the fecocd: and thefecondin and with the firfr. The end ofmans life is, notonelyte ferue God by the dutiesofthe firfrtable, bnt by feruing of man in the duties ofthe fccond tabl~,to ferue G0 D. And therefore the loue ofour neighbour is called the f•Ifilling of the whole law, Rom.q.to.beca•fethelawofGod is prattifed nor apart, bnt in and with the law ofonr neighbour. This bemg fo,it is manifell, that vowed poucrty in monkifh life makes many vnprolirable members both of Church and common-wealth. And though wemiflike thisvow alfo, yet we doe it holding thefe conclufions. r. That aman may forfake all hisgoods vpon fpeciall calling, as the Apofrles did, when they were fentro preach the Gofpellthrcughrhewhole world. Secondly, goodsmaybe forfaken,yca wife,children,parems,brethren,and all,in the to foU•w theft. And men mado themfelues chaf1 for tho kingdome of heauen, t./f/Atth. 19.1 2· not byvow, but by apurpofe of heart, which is farre lcffe then avow , and may bee changed vpon occafion , whereas avow can– not, vnle!fe itdoe euidently appearetobe vn– Iawfull. Thirdly,for fuch perfons as are able to con– taine,to liue fingle for the ends before named, indeed we hold it to be no councell of perfellion, yet do we not deny itto be a councell of expedience,oroutward cafe,acc.ording to that whkhPAul faith, v.25· Igtue mineaduifi-, and 35. Ijpea'<!thuforyour commodity,nottointangleyousn aJm~re. . . . Laftly,we thinke,that 1fany haumgthe gtft ofcontinency, doe make avow to Hue tingle, and yet afterward marrie(thefaid gift remai– .ning)rl!ey haue finned. Y<t nor btcaufe they arcma.xried, but bccaufetheH vow lS broken. And thus faid .Auguf/ineof Widdowes that married after their vow, lib. de bono vidHit. MP-9• The fecond is the vow of pouerty and mo– na!lical Iife,in which men bellow all thatthey haue on the poorc:and giue tbemfelues whol– ly andonely to prayer and fafling. This vow isagainftthewillofGod, ACl.zo.35• Itua morebleffidrhing togiue then tfJ rcetiue.Prou. ;o. S.Gitlemeneither richesnor pouerry.Deut-28.48 poumy i< numbred •mong the cur'foJ of the lAw: • cafe ofConfefSion, thatis, when aman for the religion of Chrifr is perfecuted and cont!rai– ned to forfake all he hath. For then the fe– cond table giues placeto thedutiesofthe firfi. M•rk£.10 .. 29• l!. That, forthetimeofpcr– ftemion men maywithdraw themfelues (iuft occafion offered) and goe apart to wildernef– fesorlike places,Heb.t r. 38. yet for the time D ofpeace,! fee no caufe offolitary life.!fit bee alleadged,thatmen goe apartfor contempla· tioo and fpirituall cxc:rcifes, I fay againe, that Gods graces may as well bee exerctftd in the tamily, as in the Cloyftcr. The family is iodeede as it were a Schoole of G 0 D , in which they that haue but a fparke of Grace, may learne and exeicife many vertues ; the acknowlcdgementofG0 D,inuocation,thc feareofGod, lone, bountifulneffe, patience, meekenc!fe, faithfulne!fe, &c. Nay here bee more occafionsofdoing or rakinggood, rhen beeor can bee in a Cloyfrer. Ill. That wee. condcmne not the old and ancient monkes, Zozom. tho•gh we like not euery thing in them. For i!. 1·'·'3' they lined 110t like idle-bellies, bur in the fweatoftheir owne browes, as they oughtto doe:and many ofthem weremarried: and in their ·
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