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The answere is threefold.
First, if a vowe be taken for a promise of morall obedience; the answer is, that a vowe is indeed the worship of God, and so shal be, to the ende of the world. For as God (for his part) promiseth mercie, in the couenant of grace, so wee in Baptisme, doe make a vowe, and promise of obedience to him, in all his commandements; and therefore Peter cal∣leth
Baptisme a stipulation, that is, the pro∣mise of good conscience to God. This pro∣mise once made in Baptisme, is renewed so oft as we come to the Lords Supper, and fur∣ther continued in the daily spirituall exerci∣ses of Invocation, and Repentance.
But it may be said, we are already bound to the obedience of the Law by order of di∣uine Iustice; therefore we cannot further binde our selues. Ans. He that is bound by God, may also bind himself. Dauid though he was boūd by god in conscience, to keepe the Law, yet he binds himselfe freely by oath, to helpe his own weaknes, & to keepe himselfe from falling, when he saith, I haue sworne, and will performe it, that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements, Psal. 119. 106. And the same bond is no lesse necessary and behooffefull for vs, if we consider how prone and readie we are to fall from the worshippe of God.
The second Answere. If a vowe be taken for a promise of some ceremoniall dutie, as of Sacrifices and Oblations, or of giuing house, lands, and goods to the Temple; then we must put a difference betweene the Olde Testament and the New. In the Old Testa∣ment, the vow of such duties, was part of Gods worshippe; but in the Newe it is not, and that for these Reasons.
First, The Iewish ceremonies were to the Iewes, a part of Gods worshippe, but to vs Gentiles they are not; cōsidering they are all
in Christ abolished, and none of them doe now stand in force by Gods Law to vs. Thus the Passeover was a ceremonie, or seruice, ap∣pointed by God to be obserued of the Israe∣lites and their posteritie, Exod. 12. 24. 25. and therefore stood as a part of Gods wor∣shippe to them for a perpetuall ordinance. But to vs in the new testament, both it and other Legall ceremonies are abrogated, and we haue onely two Sacraments to be admi∣nistred and receiued, as seales of the Promi∣ses of God, and parts of his worshippe, Bap∣tisme, and the Supper of the Lord.
Secondly, that which is not commended vnto vs by God, in the name of worshippe, is no worshippe to vs. Now, the ceremonies of the Iewes, are no where commended vnto vs in that name; and therefore it is a vaine thing for any man to vowe the obseruation thereof.
Thirdly, vowes of ceremoniall duties, did, in a peculiar manner, and vpon speciall re∣spects, pertaine to the Iewes. Hereupon, when they vowed House, Lands, Goods, &c. to the vse of the Temple, this they did, as beeing the Lords Tenants, of whome alone they helde their possessions: and hereby they ac∣knowledged and also testified their Homa∣ges and Seruices due vnto him. And this particular respect concerneth not the Church and people of the New Testament: whence it followeth, that they are not tyed
by the same bond, to performe worship vn∣to God, by the vowes of Ceremonies, gifts, oblations, and sacrifices.
The third and last part of the Answer. If a vowe be taken for a promise, of some bodi∣ly and outward worke, or exercise; as fasting, giuing of almes, abstaining from certaine meates and drinkes, &c. then it is not any part of Gods worship, but onely an helpe, stay, and furtherance of the same. For first, we haue libertie of conscience in Christ, to vse or not to vse, all indifferent things. Now Gods worship is not a thing of that nature, but absolutely necessarie. Secondly, Paul, 1. Tim. 4. 8. affirmeth, that bodily exercise profiteth little, but godlines is profitable for all things: In which words, he opposeth godlines to bodi∣ly exercise, and therefore godlines, or the worship of God, consisteth not in them.
But the words of Dauid are alleadged to the contrarie, Psal. 76. 11. Vowe and performe vnto the Lord your God. Where we haue a dou∣ble command, one to make Vowes, another to pay them. To which I answer: first, if Da∣uid speaketh of the vowe of all moral duties, then the Commandement concerneth euery man; because the thing commanded, is a part of Gods worship. For it is as much as if he had said, Vow thankefull obedience vnto God, and performe it. Againe, if the place be meant, of the vow of ceremoniall duties, then it is a commandement peculiar to the
old Testament, and so bindes the Iewes one∣ly: howbeit not all of them, but onely such as had iust cause to make a vow: for other∣wise they had libertie to abstaine from vow∣ing, Deut. 23. 22. When thou abstainest from vowing, it shall be no sinne vnto thee. Of one of these two kinds, must the place alleadged necessarily be vnderstoode, and not of the third, which is of bodily exercise: for then it should reuerse Christian libertie in the vse of things indifferent, which no Commande∣ment can doe.
By light of this Answer, we may discerne the errour of the Popish Church, which ma∣keth Vowes a part of Religion, and the Wor∣ship of God. Nay further, it teacheth that some vowes, as namely those of Pouertie, Continencie, Regular Obedience to this or that Order, are workes of merit and supere∣rogation, tending to a state of perfection, e∣uen in this life; and deseruing a further de∣gree of glorie in heauen, then the worke of the Morall Law.