Answer to Book by Romish Priests, Doctrine 44 – Doctrine 45
XLIV. That Prieſts, and other Religious Perſons, which have vowed their Chaſtity to God, may freely Marry, notwithſtanding their Vow.
Anſwer.
THERE is no ſuch looſe Doctrine among us: But we ſay, That it is free for Prieſts to Marry, as well as other Perſons; for Marriage is honourable in all, and the Bed undefiled. Which ſignifies, we think, that Chaſtity may be preſerved in Marriage, as well as in Virginity. Therefore, we further ſay, no man ought raſhly to Vow he will never marry, when he is not ſure of his power to contain For this is not given to all, as Chriſt himſelf ſaith, XIX. Mat. 11. but every one hath his proper gifts from God; duplicate page duplicate page one after this manner, another after that, 1 Cor. VII. 7. If any one hath made ſuch a Vow, we ſay, he ought to uſe his endeavours to keep it; but if he cannot without Sin, he ought to Marry; for in this caſe, the matter of his Vow ceaſes. This is our Doctrine, which is not contrary to the Scripture.
XXIII. Deut. 22.There is mention of a Vow, in XXIII. Deut. 22. but not of Chaſtity, which he undertook to ſhow us expreſly in our Bible. Alas! that was impoſſible; and ſo he falls a talking of Vows about other matters. And yet, even in ſuch Vows as this, whereof Moſes ſpeaks, if a Perſon was not in his own power, or vowed a thing impoſſible for him to give, or a thing not acceptable to God, he was not bound by his Vow.
1 Tim V. … 12.The next place, 1 Tim. V. 11, 12. is againſt him. For the Apoſtle would not have Widows taken into the Office of Deaconeſſes, when they were young (as the Church of Rome lets Boys and Girls of Sixteen years old, vow Virginity) but requires Timothy to refuſe ſuch, if they offered themſelves to that Service, and take in none under the Age of Sixty; when it was likely they would have no mind to change their Condition, as the younger would be apt to do. Who thereby; became guilty of a great fault (as Menochius expounds, having Damnation) in departing from the Covenant they had made, to devote themſelves to the Service of the Church. For they had not choſen Widowhood with the Judgment of Reaſon, or juſt Conſideration, (as Theophylact gloſſes) in which caſe the Apoſtle allows them to Marry, v. 14. Upon which the ſame Theophylact thus again Paraphraſes; In the firſt place, I wiſh they would not make void their Contracts (or Covenants) but becauſe they deſire Marriage, I deſire it alſo, condeſcending to them. For it is better they ſhould be Miſtreſſes of Families, that is, look after their own Houſe, and Labour, than running about to other Folks Houſes, be trifling and idle. Which is the ſenſe of more Ancient Fathers than he; particularly of St. Cyprian, who ſpeaks of Virgins, that after they had dedicated themſelves to God, were found in bed with men, ſaith, It was better for them to Marry, than to fall into the Fire by their Offences *Epiſt. ad Pompon.. His Maſter, Tertullian, ſaith the ſame, ſpeaking of this very Text. Nay, St. Auſtin, tho he do not approve of Marriage after a Vow, yet reſolves that ſuch a Marriage is not to be diſſolved. duplicate page duplicate page And their own Doctors determine, That when a thing is unprofitable, and hinders a greater good, what is promiſed by a Vow, ought not to be kept. Upon which their Diſpenſations are founded, even in this ſolemn Vow of Chaſtity.
1 Tim. V. 15.I have ſaid the more of this, becauſe it anſwers what he pretends out of the 15th verſe of the ſame Chapter; where the Apoſtle doth not call their Marrying, turning aſide after Satan. For he had juſt before given them leave, or rather adviſed them to Marry, leſt they ſhould give occaſion to the adverſary to ſpeak reproachfully, &c. that is, as Theophylact explains it, Give the Devil occaſion to make a mock of them, by drawing them into Adultery, through the unſtedfaſtneſs of Youth. And for this very reaſon, he thinks the Apoſtle endeavoured to bring them under the yoke of Marriage (as his Phraſe is) leſt being left looſe, they ſhould run into the aforeſaid miſchiefs.
By this the Reader may be convinced, with what Honeſty this man quotes the Fathers, and reproaches thoſe that Marry, (after they have unadviſedly devoted themſelves to ſingle life) as God's Adulterers; when they ſay the Apoſtle directs them to Marry, that they may not be ſuch Adulterers.
In all the other Scriptures which he would have us ſee, there is not one that ſpeaks of the Vow of Chaſtity: But of Vow of Offering Sacrifice, or of being Nazarites (which was in ſome caſes but for a time) or ſuch like things, as any one may ſatisfy himſelf that will read the places.
We and the Fathers do not differ in this point, as I have already ſaid; and therefore I will not ſwell this Book by an unneceſſary account of what they ſay, in the places he mentions.
XLV. That Faſting and Abſtinence from certain Meats, is not grounded on Holy Scripture, nor cauſeth any Spiritual Good.
Anſwer.
FAſting, that is, Abſtinence from all Meat and Drink, is grounded on Scripture, and doth much good: But Faſting, or Abſtinence from certain Meats only, is not Faſting, and hath no ground in Scripture, nor do we ſee any Spiritual Good in it; but, rather much hurt, becauſe it cheats men into a belief that they Faſt, when they Feaſt.
XXXV. Jer. 5.The Prophet, XXXV. Jer. 5. doth not ſpeak of faſting from any Meat whatſoever, but of a total forbearance of all Wine, and from dwelling in Houſes, or having any Land, &c. And all this, not out of Religion, but for a Civil Reaſon, as the very Text tells us, v. 7. Which laid no Obligation upon other People ſo to do, no not upon the Iſraelites, much leſs upon us Chriſtians; being an Injunction to one Family only, by the Father of it. Are not theſe men rare Interpreters of Scripture, who expound it at this rate, and apply it to any purpoſe; for this very caſe, juſt before, was brought to prove the Obligation of Vows.
The next place, I. Luke 15. is alledged as ſillily. For it proves too much; an Abſtinence, which no man thinks himſelf bound unto, from all Wine and Strong Drink, as long as he lives. Which John Baptiſt himſelf would not have practiſed, had he not been diſigned to an auſtere ſort of Life, after the manner of the Ancient Nazarites, as Menochius expounds this place. It is a wonder, when there are ſo many Texts that ſpeak of Faſting, this man ſhould pick out ſuch as theſe, which have no reſpect unto it.
The next indeed hath, XIII Acts 3. and accordingly we have our Faſts before every Ordination, in the Ember weeks.
XVII. Matth. 27. proves nothing, but that upon extraordinary occaſions, there muſt be extraordinary Prayer and Faſting; which we alſo both affirm and practice.
The reſt of his Scriptures, and his Fathers, I aſſure the Reader, ſay nothing that we deny; but he had a mind to ſlander us, as if we were Enemies to Faſting; when we Faſt truly, by total Abſtinence from Meat and Drink on our Faſting-days, they Faſt only nominally, eating all ſorts of Fiſh, and drinking Wine on their Faſting-days. Whereby they hope alſo, to ſatisfy for their Sins, and to merit a Coeleſtial Reward; as Bellarmine ſpeaks in his Second Book of Good Works. Why did he not prove this end of Faſting, and not ſpend his time about that which is not queſtioned; for we acknowledg that Faſting is good, if rightly deſigned.