An answer, to a little book call'd Protestancy to be embrac'd or, A new and infallible method to reduce Romanists from popery to Protestancy

SECT. II. The three Religious Vows of Pover∣ty, Chastity, and Obedience, are Evangelical Coun∣sels.

OUr Adversary admires why these three Re∣ligious Vows are called Evangelical Coun∣sels, because, he saies, he never read in the Evangils, that CHRIST perswaded Men to make those Vows, he confesses CHRIST Coun∣selled a Young Nan to Sell all be had, and give it to the Poor, but not to make a Vow to do so.

Answer. That he may then understand the na∣ture of these Evangelical Counsels, he must distin∣guish three things. The use of a thing; the Do∣minion of a thing, or Mastership of it; and the Capacity of Dominion, or of being Master of it. For there are some, who altho' they be Masters of

a thing, they have not the use of it. There are others who altho' they neither have the use of a thing nor are Masters of it, yet they may become Ma∣sters of it, to wit, if the said thing be given them, or Sold to them.

This being supposed, I prove that the three Vows we speak of are Evangelical Counsels, or conditi∣ons of Life wished to some Men in the Gospel, and not Commanded. The Gospel wishes to some Men what is more perfect in a Christian Life, ra∣ther then what is less perfect. This proposition stands alone, I need not prove it: But 'tis more perfect to make those three Vows, than not to make them: Then the Gospel wishes that some Men make them. This inclination in CHRIST, that at least some of his followers embrace a per∣fect Life, is to inlightned Sou••s and generous Heart∣ed Men and Women a ••owerful perswasion, and found in the Gospel; then 'tis a Gospel Perswasion or an Evangelical Counsel.

Now that it is more perfect to make those three Vows, than not to make any Vow. I prove first from God's approbation of Vows made by the Na∣zarites, Num. 6. v. 1. Deut. 23. v. 21.

Secondly, From the common apprehension of Men, sinding themselves in an extream great dan∣ger of Death, as in an extraordinary Storm at Sea, who are wont to implore the Divine assistance, by making a Vow to do something more than ordi∣nary to Honour him. This nature suggests to them as a thing most grateful to God, and consequent∣ly they Judge it more perfect, then not to make it. Did not Hannah think she did a thing more pleasing to God to Vow, then not to Vow? 1 Sam. v. 11.

A second Proof. 'Tis more perfect to deprive

one self for the Love of God of many things, then only of few: But who makes these Vows, de∣prives. himself of the Use, Dominion, and Capa∣city of being Master of Riches, otherwise Lawful Pleasures, and ones one Will. Then he deprives himself for the Love of God by those Vows of more things, then if he did not make them. Besides, 'tis a greater Gift to give the Tree with the Fruit, which the Religious Man does, then the Fruit on∣ly.

A third Proof. A thing shown and praised in the Gospel, and not Commanded, is an Evangelical Counsel: But Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, are shown to us in the Gospel, praised, and not Commanded: Then they are Evangelical Coun∣sels.

You'l say, I avow, that these three things are praised in the Gospel and not Commanded, and that CHRIST practised them, but where find you that Christ made a Vow himself, or moved any other to Vow them? Especially, since the Vow broken, charges the Breaker with a double guilt.

Answer. When Christ perswaded Poverty, Math. 19. in these Words, If thou wilt be perfect, Sell all thou hast, and give it to the Poor. He perswad∣ed that relinguishment of Goods which should make a Man perfect: But that exterior abdicatition or leaving of Earthly Goods with a Will to repossess them again, does not make a Man perfect: But he ought to have an interior renouncing, or a Will not to acquire others in their place.

Neither had this Will compleated him in a per∣fect Man, if this Will had been at his pleasure and freedom freely revocable. Because in that case this Young-Man of which the Gospel speaks, had not been fixed in the Service of God, yet with-draw∣able

by an Affection to, or care of these Tempo∣ral Goods.

Christ then when he perswaded that renouncing of Temporal Goods, which makes a Man perfect in the Service of God, he perswaded a Vow of Po∣verty. If you say Christ embrac'd this Poverty in a most perfect manner without a Vow, and there∣fore a Vow is not necessary for that end.

I Answer. In Christ 'tis True, 'twas not ne∣cessary, because he was determined to it, by the Beatifick Vision, and had a Will that was not change∣able; but a pure Man having a changeable Will, so that sometimes, what he Wills to day he Wills not to morrow, he has need of a Vow to tye him to that which he now efficaciously Wills for the greater Glory of God.

The Vow of Obedience is Counselled in the same Chapter and Verse, in these Words, Follow me. Where Christ advises to a following which makes a Man perfect, but that is not the general way of following him, which all Christians commonly take by an Observation only of the Commandements of God; which make in some sense a perfect Man, but not in that sublime and high perfection of which our Saviour speaks here, when he sayes, if thou wilt be perfect. &c. then its a particular following. And whether then did Christ go? If to follow him be so high a perfection. To, and through all the Commands of his Father renouncing his own Will, Luke 22. v. 42. made Obedient to Death, nay the Death of the Cross.

To follow Christ then, is to despoil ones self of one's own Will, to be perfectly Subject and Obe∣dient to another, for the Love of God. As Christ out of Love to his Father, was perfectly Subject and Obedient to him. That then which Christ per∣swaded,

by saying, follow me, was a renouncing for the Love of God, self Will, a Subjection of it to that of another, and a perfect Obedience to Death.

The Vow of Chastity is seen perswaded in these words, there are Eunuchs who have gelded them∣selves for the Kingdom of Heaven Math. 19. (see what God promises to such Spiritual Eunuchs Isa 56. v. 4. and 5. ever unto them will I give in my House, &c. a name better then of Sons and Daughters, for according to the common Opinion of Divines, they are to be understood of a Vow of Chastity, and with great Reason, for since gelding takes away, both Act••, and Power to Act, the moral gelding must needs be by a Vow of Chastity; all other will, which is not equivalent to a Vow (as it was in Christ) leaves a Power to Act.

I•• you say, Christ did not perswade that sort of gelding, but onely made it known. I Answer, his adding who can take, let him take, was tho' not a Precept, yet an Exhortation to it. More∣over, since all the Gospel, as to the part of it which regards manners, is a perpetual Instruction and Exhortation, this part runs in the general in∣tention of Christ, and follows the nature of the whole. We discover by Christ's Words his incli∣nations, and his Inclinations are strong perswasi∣ons to those who are of the noble temper of well disposed Souls.

A Subsect. Vows put not a Man in a worse condition more then the Law of God.

OUr Adversary cryes down Vows, as making Man in a worse condition than afore, for if a Man break his Vow of Chastity, for example, he commits a double Sin, whereas with∣out it he had committed only a single one.

Answer. First, is a Man after Marriage in a worse condition then afore? yet the Sin of the Flesh in him is double.

Answer. Secondly did God put Man in a worse condition by giving him the Law, then that in which he was afore he gave it him? Yet St. Paul, Rom. 7. v. 7. did not know that Concupiscence was a Sin without the Law, and so had not Sinned, committing it afore he knew the Law, and had Sin∣ned if had committed it after.

Answer. Thirdly, who Sins against Chastity, having made a Vow of Chastity, is in a worse con∣dition, then he who commits the same not being under Vow, I grant, but the Vow does not make him Sin no more then the Law of God makes a Man Sin: Contrarywayes, it forbids him to Sin, with-draws him, and frights him from Sin more then the Law of God alone: So its by accident, that 'tis an occasion of Sin; of it self ••ts a strong help to abstain from Sin, in as much as it repre∣sents

a far greater malice in that Sin, to which it is annexed, and a more formidable punishment to be expected.

Thus you see a Man is more removed from Sin and the occasion of Sin with it, then without it. Our perverse Nature of striving against what is Commanded us militates equally against the Com∣mand of God, as against a Vow, but is more for∣cibly resisted by the Command of God, when this is backed by a Vow.