For I must condition my vow and 1show a cause of it thereto. I may not vow for the chastity it self, as though it were sacrifice to please God in it self, for that is the Idolatry of heathen. I must therefore vow to do my neighbour service (which in that case he may not require) or to give my self more quietly to prayer and study (which is not possible as long as I burn, and the mind will not be quiet) or that I may the better keep the laws of God, which if I burn, I stand through my chastity in more jeopardy to break & 2to hurt my neighbour, and to shame yt doctrine of Christ. And in like manner, if I had forsworn flesh, & all the world had bound me, yet if necessity require it of me, to save my life or my health, I ought to break it. And again though I had sworn chastity, and the common wealth or the necessity of an other required the contrary, I must break it. But on the one side, of all that ever burnt in the Popes chastity, he never gave priest licence to take wife, but to keep whores only. And on the other side, all that vow any vow, do it for the thing it self, as though it were as I said service or sacrifice to God that had delight in the deed, as young children have in Apples, and that for that deed they shall have an higher room in heaven then their neighbours, which is the Idolatry of the heathen, when he ought to bestow his vow upon his neighbour to bring him to heaven, & not to envy him, & to seek thereby an higher room, not caring whether his neighbour come thither or no. And finally to burn and not to use the natural remedy that God hath made, is but to tempt God, as in all other things. But & if God have brought thee into a strait, and have thereto taken the natural remedy from thee, then to resist ⟨p. 316⟩and to cry unto God for help, & to suffer, is a sign that thou lovest Gods laws. And to love Gods law is to be sure that thou art Gods child elect to mercy. For in all his children only, he writeth that token.
For I must condition my vow and 1shew a cause of it thereto. I may not vow for the chastitie it selfe, as though it were sacrifice to please God in it self, for that is the Idolatry of heathen. I must therfore vowe to do my neyghbour seruice (which in that case he may not require) or to geue my selfe more quietly to prayer and studie (which is not possible as long as I burne, and the minde will not be quiet) or that I may the better keepe ye lawes of God, which if I burne, I stand thorow my chastitie in more ieopardy to breake & 2to hurt my neighbour, and to shame yt doctrine of Christ. And in like maner, if I had forsworne flesh, & al the world had bound me, yet if necessitie require it of me, to saue my life or my health, I ought to breake it. And againe though I had sworne chastitie, and the cōmon wealth or the necessitie of an other required the contrary, I must breake it. But on the one side, of all that euer burnt in the Popes chastitie, he neuer gaue priest licence to take wife, but to keepe whores onely. And on the other side, all that vow any vow, do it for the thing it selfe, as though it were as I sayd seruice or sacrifice to God that had delite in the deede, as young children haue in Apples, and that for that deede they shall haue an higher roome in heauē then their neighbours, which is the Idolatry of the heathen, whē he ought to bestow his vow vppon hys neighbour to bryng him to heauen, & not to enuie him, & to seeke thereby an higher roome, not caring whether his neighbour come thether or no. And finally to burne and not to vse the naturall remedy that God hath made, is but to tempt God, as in all other thinges. But & if God haue brought thee into a straite, and haue therto takē the naturall remedy from thee, then to resiste ⟨p. 316⟩and to crie vnto God for helpe, & to suffer, is a signe yt thou louest Gods lawes. And to loue Gods law is to be sure that thou art Gods childe elect to mercy. For in all his children onely, he writeth that token.
- 1Vows.Vowes.
- 2No oath is to be kept that is against charity or necessity.No oth is to be kept that is agaynst charitie or necessitie.
