daily, and in secret each one by himself;h so more solemnly in the publick assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God, by his word or providence, calleth thereunto.i VII. As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath, to be kept holy unto him:k which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week,1 which in Scripture is called the Lord's Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath." God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. 2 Sam. vi. 18. And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. Ver. 20. Then David returned to bless his household. 1 Pet. iii. 7. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Acts x. 2. A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. g Matt. vi. 11. Give us this day our daily bread. h Matt. vi. 6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. i Isa. lvi. 6. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Ver. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. Heb. x. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Prov. i. 20. Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: Ver. 21. She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, Ver. 24. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. Prov. viii. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. Acts xiii. 42. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Luke iv, 16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. Acts ii. 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. VII. k Exod. xx. 8. Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Ver. 10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: Ver. 11. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath-day, and hallowed it. Isa. lvi. 2. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the subbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Ver. 4. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant. Ver. 6, 7. [See in letter i.] 1 1 Gen. if. 2. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Ver. 3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Cor. xvi. 1. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Ver. 2. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. m Rev. i. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. Exod. xx. 8, 10. [See letter k.] With Matt. v. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Ver. 18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. VIII. This sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men. after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs before-hand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations; but also are taken up the whole time in the publick and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.P I. A CHAP. XXII.-Of lawful Oaths and Vows. LAWFUL oath is a part of religious worship,a wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth; and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth.b II. The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, VIII. o Exod. xx. 8. [See letter k.] Exod. xvi. 23. And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you, to be kept until the morning. Ver. 25. And Moses said, Eat that to-day; for to-day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. Ver. 26. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. Ver. 29. See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days: abide ye every man in his place; Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. Ver. 30. So the people rested on the seventh day. Exod. xxxi. 15. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath-day, he shall surely be put to death. Ver. 16. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. Ver. 17. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. Isa. lviii. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. Neh. xiii. 15. In those days saw I in Judah some treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. Ver. 16. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Ver. 17. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath-day? Ver. 18. Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel, by profaning the sabbath. Ver. 19. And it came to pass, that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath; and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath-day. Ver. 21. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath. Ver. 22. And I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. p Isa. lviii. 13. [See in letter o. Matt. xii. 1. to the 13th verse.] I. a Deut. x. 20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. b. Exod. xx. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Lev. xix. 12. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. 2 Cor. i. 23. Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. 2 Chron. vi. 22. If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: Ver. 23. Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness. and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence;c therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred.d Yet as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the word of God under the New Testament, as well as under the Old;e so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters, ought to be taken.f III. Whosoever taketh on oath, ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth.g Neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform.h Yet it is a sin to refuse an oath touching any thing that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority. II. c Deut. vi. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. d Exod. xx. 7. [See letter b.] Jer. v. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. Matt. v. 34. But I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is God's throne. Ver. 37. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. James v. 12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemna tion. • Heb. vi. 16. For men verily swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 2 Cor. i. 23. [See letter b.] Isa. lxv. 16. That he who blesseth himself in the earth, shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth, shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. f 1 Kings viii. 31. If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house. Neh. xiii. 25. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them ・swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. Ezra x. 5. Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word: and they sware. III. g Exod. xx. 7. [See letter b.] Jer. iv. 2. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteous ness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. h Gen. xxiv. 2. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh; Ver. 3. And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. Ver. 5. And the servant said unte him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? Ver. 6. And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. Ver. 8. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. Ver. 9. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. i Numb. v. 19. And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse. Ver. 21. Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing; and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell. Neh. v. 12. Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. Exod. xxii. 7. If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. Ver. 8. If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods. Ver. 9. For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both partics shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. Ver. 10. If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation. It cannot oblige to sin; but in any thing not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man's own hurt; nor is it to be violated, although made to hereticks or infidels.m V. A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, 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:o and that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith, and conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtaining of what we want; whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties, or to other things, so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto.P or any beast, to keep, and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: Ver. 11. Then shall 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 shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. IV. k Jer. iv. 2. [See letter g.] Ps. xxiv. 4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 1 Sam. xxv. 22. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him, by the morninglight, any that pisseth against the wall. Ver. 32. And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: Ver. 33. And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. Ver. 34. For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal, by the morning-light, any that pisseth against the wall. Ps. xv. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord: he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. m Ezek. xvii. 16. As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. Ver. 18. Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape. Ver. 19. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. Josh. ix. 18. And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation_murmured against the princes. Ver. 19. But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: 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 for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. V. n Isa. xix. 21. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. Eccl. v. 4. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Ver. 5. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Ver. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? Ps. lxi. 8. So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. Ps. Ixvi. 13. I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings; I will pay thee my vows, Ver. 14. Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. VI. o Ps. lxxvi. 11. Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. Jer. xliv. 25. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows. Ver. 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, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth. P Deut. xxiii. 21. When thou shalt row a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. Ver. 22. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. Ver. 23. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a free 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 power, and for the performance whereof he hath no promise of ability from God. In which respects, Popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.r CEAP. XXIII.-Of the Civil Magistrate. I. OD, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained Govil nasiprentes to be under him over the people, for his own glory, and the publick good; and, to this end, hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defence and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evil-doers.a will-offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth. Ps. 1. 14. Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High. Gen. xxviii. 20. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, 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, Ver. 21. So that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God: Ver. 22. And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee. 1 Sam. i. 11. And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. Ps. lxvi. 13, 14. [See letter n.] I's. cxxxii. 2. How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; Ver. 3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; Ver. 4. I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Ver. 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 themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. Ver. 14. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Mark vi. 26. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. Numb. xxx. 5. But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand; and the Lord shall forgive her, be cause her father disallowed her. Ver. 8. But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect; and the Lord shall forgive her. Ver. 12. But if her husband 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 soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the Lord shall forgive her. Ver. 13. Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. r Matt. xix. 11. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. Ver. 12. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb; and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men; and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. 1 Cor. vii. 2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Ver. 9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. Eph. iv. 28. Let him that stole steal 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 should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 1 Cor. vii. 23. Ye are bought with a price: be not ye the servants of men. I. a Rom. xiii. 1. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Ver. 2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordi nance of God; and they that resist shall re ceive to themselves damnation. Ver. 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 shall have praise of the same: Ver. 4 For |