The Saints Sacrifice, Section 90
§. 90. Of making vowes to God.
I. VOwes may be made.
II. Sacred vowes muſt be made to God.
Though theſe be two diſtinct points (for vowes are made to others then to Iehovah, the true God. aIer. 44. 2….Idolaters make vowes to their idolls: and men make vowes one to another, and that not onelyonly impiouſly, but piouſly and juſtly alſo, as husband and wife one to another, and ſubjects to their governours, ſervants to their maſters, and other to others) yet the vow which is here mentioned, and which thorowout the Scripture (for the moſt part) is approved, being a ſacred vow, which hath direct reſpect unto God, I will not ſever theſe two doctrines, but handle them as one. For, all that I ſhall ſpeake of vowes, ſhalbe of ſacred vowes to the Lord: for proofe whereof we have both bPſal 76. 11. Iſa. 19 21.divine precept and approved cGen. 28. 20, 21 Pſal 61. 8practiſe.
According to the words of the ſecond doctrine (under which the firſt is compriſed as *Genus ſub ſpecie.the generall nature of a thing under every ſpecies and particular kind thereof) I intend to touch upon theſe two points.
The nature of a vow.1 The nature of a vow. 2 The directing of it to God.
1 To a vow properly ſo called, two things are eſpecially requiſite. 1 Intention. 2 Obtestation. Or to ſpeak more plainely, a deliberate Purpoſe, and an abſolute Promiſe. The former firſt bringeth on the latter. The latter faſt bindeth the former. A true intention and deliberate purpoſe muſt of neceſſity go before, becauſe otherwiſe a promiſe will not be made (for who will promiſe that which he intends not) or if it be made, there is little hope it wilbe performed: or if it ſhould be performed, yet the very making of it without an intention and purpoſe, is a plaine mocking of him who is a eActs 1. 24.ſearcher of the heart, and fPſal 139. 2.underſtandeth our thoughts afarre off. This therefore is neceſſary, but not ſufficient. For, a vow bindeth, as we ſhall hereafter ſhew: but every purpoſe bindeth not. g2 Cor. 1. 15, &c.After Saint Paul was minded to come to Corinth, he altered his purpoſe upon juſt occaſions. Many purpoſes come into mēs minds time after time. If they had the force of a binding vow, who ſhould be looſe? Nay with how many bounds would every Saint be bound? Their caſe would be inextricable. They would have ſo many fetters, and manicles, and chaines on them, as they could not tell how to ſhake them off: how to rid themſelves. Many weake Chriſtians that take every purpoſe for a vow, are exceedingly perplexed, partly thorow their care to performe thoſe purpoſes, and partly thorow their griefe at their failings in thoſe performances: ſuppoſing that they have broken ſo many vowes. But to the eſſence of a vow muſt be added an abſolute promiſe. Abſolute, I ſay, in relation to mans Vowes abſolute.faithfull endeavour with his uttermoſt power to performe it: not in relation (or rather oppoſition) to Gods purpoſe or providence, to his will or leave. For, ſo can no man make an abſolute promiſe. God can croſſe and hinder him. hIam. 4. 13, &cSaint Iames doth juſtly taxe ſuch as in this caſe make abſolute, or rather peremptory promiſes. This abſolute promiſe I expreſſed under this word, obteſtation, which is a fit word to expreſſe the nature of a vow. It ſignifieth a taking of God to witneſſe, and that in particular for performing his purpoſe. This obteſtation, maketh it indeed a vow.
Obiect. Many vowes recorded in Scripture are conditionall: as Iacobs, iGen. 28. 20.If God will be with me, &c. And Hannahs, k1 Sam. 1. 11.If thou wilt indeed, &c. and others.
Anſw. A conditionall ſentence doth not neceſſarily importa doubtfull matter, but is oft uſed as a ground of an abſolute and undeniable concluſion. As where Eliah ſaith, l1 King. 18. 21If the Lord be God, follow him. Doth he here make any queſtion of the Lords being God? Farre be ſuch a thought. But hereby he brings them the more evidently to ſee their folly, and drawes them from Baal, to follow the Lord: as will clearely appeare if we bring it into the forme of a ſyllogiſme, thus, If the Lord be God, follow him. But the Lord is God. Therefore follow him. A condition or ſuppoſition reſpecteth the manner, rather then the matter of a vow. When in making a vow a neceſſary ſuppoſition is uſed, the vow is never a whit the leſſe abſolute, but the more diſcreet. As when I thus vow, If the Lord aſſiſt me, I will every morning pray before I go out of doores. Such a vow was Iacobs.
2 Annah and Iacob and others like to them might have by ſpeciall and divine inſtinct, ſome aſſurance of that which they expreſſed in forme of ſuppoſition, and in that reſpect their vow be abſolute. Queſtionleſſe Hannah had aſſurance that the Lord would give her a man-child, which made her in ſuch particular and expreſſe termes vow to give him to 1 Sam. 1. …1.the Lord all the daies of his life, and that there ſhould ne raſor come upon his head.
3 When a vow is made upon a condition, if the condition hold and be, as it is ſuppoſed, accompliſhed, then the vow remaineth as abſolute, as if there were no condition. And the maker of the vow is as much bound in this caſe to performe it, as if it had beene made in the moſt abſolute termes that can be. Yea the condition may be ſuch, as it will more bind a man to his vow, then if there had beene no condition: as when the condition is a kind of conſideration or a benefit in conſideration whereof the vow is made. Thus if in a ſtorme on ſea, a man vow to give ſo much to the poore, if he be brought in ſafety to his country: This providence of God in keeping him ſafe, and bringing him home, more binds him to that worke of charity, then the moſt abſolute vow that he could have made. mGen 28. 20.Iacob having made ſuch a vow, neglecteth to performe it in due ſeaſon. n—35. 1. Sicut homo imperando ordinat quodammodo quid ſibi ab alijs fiat ita promit…n lo ordinat quid ipſe pro alio …acere deheat. Thom. Sum. 2▪ …. q 88 art. 1. Sacred vowes to be directed onelyonly to God.God therefore commeth to him, and putteth him in mind thereof, that ſo he might not over long li… drenched in that ſea of ungratefull oblivion.
Thus then it is evident that a vow is an abſolute promiſe of a deliberate purpoſe. Such a promiſe on ſuch a ground doth as much order and bind the promiſe-maker, as the command of one in authority doth order and bind him that is under authority.
2 Such promiſes of ſacred duties are to be directed unto God, to whom vowes are moſt properly due. The charge of making vowes mentioned in Scripture directeth us to God onelyonly. oPſal. 76. 11.Vow and pay unto the Lord your God. pIſa. 19. 21.They ſhall vow a vow unto the Lord. qEcl. 5 4.When thou vowest a vow to God. To God are all the approved vowes in Scripture directed. In this reſpect are vowes intituled Gods vowes. rPſal. 56. 12.Thy vowes, ſaith the Pſalmiſt to God, are upon me.
We heard that a vow ariſeth from a true intention. Who can diſcerne that, but he who ſearcheth the heart? To whom doe we owe ſuch abſolute homage, as to bind our ſelves in ſuch a ſacred and inviolable band, as a vow is, but onelyonly to God, eſpecially in ſuch divine duties as are proper to a vow.
Vowes may inwardly be made. In te eſt quod voveas & reddas Aug. Enar in Pſal. 55.In regard of this object to whom our vowes are to be directed, it is not neceſſary that they be uttered with words, or manifeſted by ſignes. When Hannah vowed her ſolemne vow unto God, it is ſaid, She ſpake in her heart, (1 Sam. 1. 13.) Indeed the earneſtneſſe of her affection, made her move her lips, and uſe ſuch outward motions as Elie diſcerned her to be in ſome paſſion: but thoſe were no ſignes of a vow. No creature could certenly have knowne thereby that ſhe vowed a vow. As true and full a reſolution, yea, and obteſtation and promiſe too, may proceed from the ſoule by the very thoughts thereof, and be as well knowne to God, and as ſtrongly bind a man, as by words or ſignes.
Words and ſignes are of good uſe to teſtifie to man ſuch vowes as wee make to God, that thereby wee may bee held ſomewhat the cloſer to them: yea and to quicken our owne ſpirits the more, words are of uſe. But to the being Volum eſt teſtificatio quadam promiſſionis ſpontanea quae Deo, &c. Magiſt. Sent l. 4. Diſtinc 38. Popiſh vowes to Saints.of a vow they are not neceſſary. He that defined a vow, to be A teſtification of a willing promiſe which ought to be made to God, &c. came nigh the mark in directing a vow to God, but fell ſhort in reſtraining a vow to an outward teſtification, if he meant onelyonly an outward teſtification.
But to returne to the point, God being the proper object to whom ſacred vowes are to bee directed, what may bee thought of thoſe vowes which Papiſts (not unlike to the idolatrous Iſraelites who vowed vowes to the Queene of heaven, Ier. 44. 25.) vow to her whom they ſtile the aB. Maria Reginae appellationem ſingulariter meretur. Bellar. de bon oper. l. 1. c. 15.Queene of heaven, and to other Saints, and that in the ſame manner as they vow to God, namely thus, bVove… Deo & B. Mariae & omnibus ſanctis, &c. Bellar. de cult. Sanct. l. 3. c. 9.I vow to God, and to bleſſed Mary, and to all the Saints that I will obey ſuch and ſuch a Prelate. Hereof they give this reaſon, that glorified Saints are mediators and interceſſors by whom we receive good things from God: Yea they are Gods by participation. Thus they adde blaſphemy to blaſphemy: ratifying a blaſphemous poſition by a more blaſphemous confirmation.
Concerning the poſition it ſelfe of making vowes to Saints,
1 The holy Scriptures give no intimation of any ſuch matter; but where it maketh any mention of vowes, it directeth them to God: whereof the Papiſts are not ignorant. For, they who write of this controverſie, bring no ſhew of any proofe out of Gods Word for making ſacred vowes to creatures.
2 All both ancient and later divines, both Proteſtants and Papiſts that treat of vowes, define it to be a promiſe whereby he that makes it, binds himſelfe in a ſacred and ſolemne manner to God.
3 None denie but that a ſacred vow is a religious act, and a part of divine worſhip, and in that reſpect due onelyonly to God. To make it to any other is plaine and palpable idolatry: yet ordinarily their vowes uſe to be made to this Saint and that Saint.
Exhortation to vow.For our parts, let us ſo wiſely avoid their deteſtable exceſſe in making vowes to whom they ought not, as we fall not into a careleſſe neglect of the duty, by making no vowes Dum vitant ſtulti vitia, in contraria currunt. Hor. Sat. 2. l. 1.at all. It is a fooles part ſo farre to fly from one extreme as to fall into another. As occaſion is offered, and as we find any need, let us among other evidences of that reſpect which we owe and beare unto God, give this, of vowing and voluntarily binding our ſelves to doe that which we ſee meet and behoofull to be done for the honour of his name, and our well pleaſing of him. Eſpecially if wee have juſt cauſe to ſuſpect our ſelves, that if we be left looſe and at liberty, we ſhall (thorow the temptations whereunto we are ſubject, or thorow our owne indiſpoſition and backwardneſſe to the duties which in our judgements we conceive to be moſt behoofull) faile to performe them. In ſuch caſes to bind our ſelves by a ſacred vow to a bounden duty, as it teſtifieth a wiſe jealouſie and holy feare that we have of the proneſſe of our fleſh to ſtart backe from good intentions, and motions of the Spirit, ſo it manifeſteth our true and earneſt deſire of doing that which we are perſwaded wilbe pleaſing and acceptable to the Lord: yea ſo true and earneſt a deſire, as we will not have it left to our liberty to doe it, or not to doe it: leaſt any thing might fall out to alter our mind. Zealous Martyrs, upon a ſetled reſolution not to ſtart in ſhew from that profeſſion which they are about to ſeale with their bloud, being jealous of their weake fleſh, and ſenſibleneſſe of paine, have deſired to bee faſt bound to the ſtake. A ſacred vow is as an iron gin to a tender and good conſcience. cPer votum immobiliter voluntas firmatur in bonum. Thom. Sum. 2. 2: q. 88 art. 6.By it the will is unmoveably ſet and faſtned upon that which is good: which queſtionleſſe is a very commendable reſolution. dforeign. Ariſt Hil▪ l. 2. c. 4.The Philoſopher thorow that light of naturall reaſon whereunto by diligent ſtudy and experimentall obſervance hee had attained, diſcerned the equity hereof. Hee that ſo bindeth himſelfe to that which hee knoweth to be pleaſing and acceptable unto God, as he will not leave a ſhew of liberty to his unruly fleſh to ſtart from it, thereby fortifieth himſelfe againſt the temptations of Satan, and frailties of his weake and wavering fleſh. In which reſpect he eNon te voviſſe paniteat, immo gaude iam tibi ſic non licere, quod cum tuo detrimento licuiſſet. Aug Epiſt. 45. ad Arment.that hath ſo tied himſelfe, hath no cauſe to repent himſelfe thereof: but he hath cauſe rather to rejoyce that he is ſo reſtrained from that, which thorow ſuppoſed freedome, might prove very dangerous and dammageable.