IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common fense of the words, without equivocation or mental refervation k. It cannot oblige to fin; but in any thing not finful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man's own hurt /; nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics or infidels m V. A vow is of the like nature with a promiffory oath, them, and will require nothing of them; fo will we do as thou fayft. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they fhould do according to this promife. Exod. xxii. 7. If a man fhall deliver unto his neighbour money, or stuff to keep, and it be ftolen out of the man's houfe; if the thief be found, let him pay double. v. 8. If the thief be not found, then the mafter of the houfe fhall be brought unto the judges, to fee whether he have put his hands unto his neighbour's goods. v. 9. For all manner of trefpafs, whether it be for ox, for afs, for fheep, for raiment, or for any manner of loft thing, which another challengeth to be his; the caufe of both parties fhall come before the judges; and whom the judges fhall condemn, he fhall pay double unto his neighbour. v. 1o. If a man deliver unto his neighbour an afs, or an ox, or a fheep, or any beaft to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man feeing it: V. II. Then fhall an oath of the Lord be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods and the owner of it fhall accept thereof, and he fhall not make it good. IV. k jer. iv. 2. (See letter g.) Pfal. xxiv. 4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart: who hath not lift up his foul unto vanity nor fworn deceitfully. / 1 Sam. xxv. 22. So and more alfo do God unto the enemies of and David, if I leave of all that pertain to him, by the morning-light, any that piffeth against the wall. v. 32. And David faid to Abigail, Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifreal, which fent thee this day to meet me: v. 33. And bleed be thy advice, and bleffed be thou, which haft kept me this day from coming to fhed blood, and from avenging myfelf with mine own hand. v. 34. For in very deed, as the Lord God of Ifrael liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadft hafted and come to meet me, furely there had not been left unto Nabal, by the morning-light, any that piffeth against the wall. Pfal. xv. 4. In whofe eyes a vile perfon is contemned: but he honoureth them that fear the Lord: he that fweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. m Ezek. xvii. 16. As I live, faith the Lord God, furely in this place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whofe oath he defpifed, and whofe covenant he brake, even with him, in the midst of Babylon he fhall die. v. 18. Seeing he defpifed the oath, by breaking the covenant, (when lo, he had given his hand), and hath done all these things, he fhall not efcape v. 19. Therefore thus faith the Lord God, As I live, furely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompenfe upon his own head. Joh. ix. 18. And the children of Ifarel Imote and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness n. VI. It is not to be made to any creature but to God alone ; and that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith, and confcience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtaining of what we want; whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to neceffary duties, or to other things, fo far and fo long, as they may fitly conduce thereunto p. fmote them not, because the princes of the congregation had fworn unto them by the Lord God of Ifrael: and all the congregation murmured against the princes. v. 19. But all the princes faid unto all the congregation, We have fworn unto them by the Lord God of Ifrael: now therefore we may not touch them. With 2 Sam. xxi. 1. Then there was a famine in the days of David, three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and his bloody house, because he flew the Gibeonites. V. n If. xix. 21. And the Lord fhall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians fhall know the Lord in that day, and fhall do facrifice and oblation, yea, they fhall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. Eccl. v. 4. When thou voweft a vow unto God, defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou haft vowed. v. 5. Better is it that thou shouldit not vow, than that thou fhouldft vow and not pay. v. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to caufe thy flesh to fin, neither fay thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore fhould God be angry at thy voice, and deftroy the work of thine hands? Pfal. Ixi. 8. So will I fing praife unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. Pfal. lxvi. 13. I will R VII. No go into thy houfe with burnt-offerings: I will pay thee my vows V. 14. Which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble. VI. Pfal. lxxvi. 11. Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring prefents unto him that ought to be feared. Jer. xliv. 25. Thus faith the Lord of hofts, the God of Ifrael, faying, Ye and your wives have both fpoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, faying, We will furely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incenfe to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her: ye will furely accomplish your vows, and furely perform your vows. v. 26. Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt, Behold, I have sworn by my great name, faith the Lord, that my name fhall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah, in all the land of Egypt, faying, The Lord God liveth. p Deut. xxiii. 21. When thou fhalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not flack to pay it : for the Lord thy God will furely require it of thee; and it would be fin in thee. v. 22. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it fhall be no fin in thee. v. 23. That which is gone out of thy lips, thou fhalt keep and perform; Chap. XXII. VII. No man may vow to do any thing forbidden in the word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his own power, and for the performance whereof he hath no promife or ability from God In which refpects, Popish monaftical vows, of perpetual fingle life, profeffed poverty, and regular obedience, are fo far from being degrees of higher Ct perfection, perform; even a free-will-offering, according as thou haft vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou haft promised with thy mouth. Pfal. 1. 14. Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the moft High Gen. xxviii. 20. And Jacob vowed a vow, faying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on; v. 21. So that I come again to my father's houfe in peace; then fhall the Lord be my God. v. 22. And this ftone, which I have fet for a pillar, fhall be God's houfe: and of all that thou fhalt give me, I will furely give the tenth unto thee. 1 Sam. i. 11. And the vowed a vow, and faid, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine hand-maid, and remember me, and not forget thine hand-maid, but will give unto thine hand-maid a manchild, then will I give him unto the lord all the days of his life, and there fhall no razor come upon his head. Pfal. Ixvi. 13, 14. (See letter n) Pfal. cxxxii. 2. How he fware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob. v. 3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my houfe, nor go up into my bed: v. 4. I will not give fleep to mine eyes, or flumber to mine eyelids. v. 5. Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. VII. q Acts xxiii. 12. And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themfelves under a curfe, faying, that they would neither eat nor drink, till they had killed Paul. v. 14. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and faid, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have flain Paul. Mark vi. 26. And the king was exceeding forry, yet for his oaths fake, and for their fakes which fat with him, he would not reject her. Numb. xxx. 5. But if her father difallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her foul, shall stand: and the Lord fhall forgive her, because her father difallowed her. v. 8. But if her hufband difallow her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which fhe vowed, and that which fhe uttered with her lips, wherewith the bound her foul of none effect; and the Lord fhall forgive her. V. 12. But if her hufband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips, concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her foul, fhall not stand: her husband hath made them void, and the Lord fhall forgive her. v. 13. Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the foul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. .Matth. perfection, that they are fuperftitious and finful fnares, in which no Chriftian may entangle himself r. Go CHA P. XXIII. Of the Civil Magiftrate. OD, the fupreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magiftrates to be under him, over the people, for his own glory, and the public good; and, to this end, hath armed them with the power of the fword, for the defence and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evil-doers a. II. It is lawful for Chriftians to accept and execute the office of a magiftrate, when called thereunto b: in the managing whereof, as they ought efpecially to maintain piety, juftice, and peace, according to the wholesome r Matth. xix. 11. But he faid unto them, All men cannot receive this faying, fave they to whom it is given. v. 12. For there are fome eunuchs, which were fo born from their mother's womb: and there are fome eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's fake: he that is able to receive it, let him receive it. 1 Cor. vii. 2. Neverthelefs, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband, V. 9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. Eph. iv. 28. Let him that ftole, fteal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 1 Pet. iv. 2. That he no longer fhould live the reft of his time in the flesh, to the lufts of men, but to the will of God. 1 Cor. vii. 23. Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the fervants of men. I a Rom. xiii. 1. Let every foul be fubject upon the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: laws the powers that be, are ordained of God. v. 2. Whofoever therefore refifteth the power, refifteth the ordinance of God: and they that refift, fhall receive to themselves damnation. v. 3. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the fame. v. 4. For he is the minifter of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be a fraid; for he beareth not the fword in vain: for he is the minifter of God, a revenger, to execute_wrath upon him that doth evil. 1 Pet, ii. 13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's fake: whether it be to the king, as fupreme: v. 14. Or unto governors, as unto them that are fent by him for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well. II. b Prov. viii. 15. By me kings reign, and princes decree juftice, v. 16. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. Rom. xii. 1, 2. 4. (See in letter a.) Pfal. Chap. XXIII laws of each commonwealth c; fo, for that end, they may lawfully, now under the New Teftament, wage war upon juft and neceffary occafions d. III. The civil magiftrate may not affume to himself administration of the word and facraments, or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heavene: yet he hath authority, Pfal. ii. 16. Be wife now therefore, O ye kings: be inftructed, ye judges of the earth. v, 11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. v. 12. Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye perifh from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little bleffed are all they that put their truft in him. 1 Tim. ii. 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all god linefs and honefly. Pfal. lxxxii. 3. Defend the poor and fatherlefs: do juftice to the afflicted and needy. v. 4. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 2 Sam. xxiii. 3. The God of Ifrael faid, the Rock of Ifrael fpake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. 1 Pet. ii. 13. (See in letter a.) I d Luke iii. 14. And the foldiers likewife demanded of him, faying, And what shall we do? and he faid unto them, do violence to no man, neither accufe any falfely, and be content with your wages. Rom. xiii. 4. (See letter a.) Matth. viii. 9. For I am a man under authority, having foldiers under me and I fay to this man, Go, and he goeth and to another, Come, and he cometh and to my fervant, Do this, and he doth it. v. 10. When Jefus heard it, he marvelled, and faid to them that followed, Verily I fay unto you, I have not found fo great faith, no not in Ifrael. Acts x. 1. There was a certain man in Cefarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band. v. 2. A devout man,and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. Rev. xvii. 14. Thefe fhall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb fhall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him, are called, and chofen, and faithful. v. 16. And the ten horns which thou faweft upon the beaft, thefe fhall hate the whore, and fhall make her defolate, and naked, and fhail eat her flesh, and burn her with fire, III. e 2 Chron. xxvi. 18. And they withstood Uzziah the king, and faid unto him, It appertaineth not unté thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the fons of Aaron, that are confecrated to burn incenfe: go out of the fanctuary, for thou haft trefpaffed, neither fhall it be for thine honour from the Lord God. With Matth. xviii. 17. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man, and a publican. And Matth. xvi. 19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, fhall be bound in heaven: and whatfoever thou shalt loofe on earth, fhall be loofed in heaven, 1 Cor. xii. 28. And God hath fet fome in the church, first apostles, fecondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, di verfities |