tion of Christ, was the last day of the week, and from the resurrection of Christ was chan ged into the first day of the week, i which in scripture is called the Lord's day, k and is to be continued to the end of the world as the chris tan Sabbath, the observation of the last day of the week being abolished. m

h Exod. xx, 8 to 11 Isa. Ivi, 2, to 7. i Gen ii, 2, 3. I Cor. vie 1, 2. Acts, xx.. 7. k Rev. 10. / Exod. xx, 8, 10, with Mat. v, 17, 18, m Col. ii, 16, 17. Heb. iv, 9, 10.

VIII.

This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and ordering their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words and thoughts, a bout their wordly employments and recreations n 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. o

n Exod. xx, 8, and xvi, 23, to 30, and xiii, 2 to 18. Isa. viii, 13. Neh. xiii, 15, to 23. o Isa Iviii, 13. Mat. xii, 1, to 14.

4

A

CHAP. XXIII.

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

lawful oath is a part of religious worship, a wherein the person swe: ring in truth, ighteousness and judgment solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth, or promisth, and to judge him according to the truth or alsehood of what be sweareth. b

a Deut. x 20. b Jer. iv, 2. Fxod. xx, 7. ev. xix, 12. II Cor. i, 23. II Chron. vi, 22, 23.

II.

The name of God only is that by which men ught to swear, and therein it is to be used with Al holy fear and reverence: c Therefore to wear vainly or rashly by that glorious and Ireadful name or to swear at all by any other hing is sinful and to be abhorred: d yet as in natters of weight and moment an oath is waranted by the word of God under the new tesament as well as under the old, e so a lawful Jath being imposed by lawful authority in such matters ought to be toker.f

c Deut. vi, 13. d Exod xx, 7. Jer. v, 7. Mt. v. 34. 35. 36. James. v, 12. e Heb. vi, 16. II Cor. i, 23 Isa. lxv.-16. fl Kings, viii, 31. Ezra, x, 5..

Neh. xiii, 25.

III.

Whosoever taketh an oath warranted by the word of God, ought duly to consider the weigh tiness of so solemn an act, and therein to vouch nothing out what he is fully persuaded is the truth: g neither may any man bind himself by an oath to any thing but what is good and just, and what he believeth s 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 lawfully imposed by authority.i

g Exod. xx, 7. Jer. iv, 2. h Gen. xxiv, 1, 2, 3, 5. 6.8 9. i Num. v, 19, 21. Neh. v, 12. Exod. xxii, 11.

IV.

An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words without equivocation or men tal reservation. k It cannot oblige to sin, but in any thing not sinful being taken it binds to per formance, although to a man's own hurt ; nor is it to be violated, although made to hereticks or infidels. m

k Jer. iv, 2. Psal. xxiv, 4. 31, 33, 34. Psal. xv. 4.

11 Sam. xxv, 22,

m Ezek. xvii, 16, 18,

19. Josh. ix, 18, 19, with II Sam. xxi, 1.

V.

A vow, which is not to be made to any creature but to God alone, is of the like nature with a promissory oath and ought to be made

th the like religious care, and to be performwith the like futhfulness. n

Psal.

Ps Ims, lxxvi, 11. Jer. xliv, 25, 26. 14, and lxv, 1. Isa. xix, 21. Eccl. v, 4, 5, 6. al.-1xi, 8, and Ixvi, 13 14.

VI.

Popish monastical vows of perpetual single e. professed poverty, and regular obedience, e so far from being degrees of higher perfecthat they are superstitious and sinful sn res which no christian may entangle himself. o o Mat. xix, 11, 12. I Cor. vii, 2, 9. Eph. iv, 8. I Pet. iv, 2. I Cor. vii, 23.

CHAP. XXIV.

Of the Civil Magistrate.

OD the supreme lord and king of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates 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 do good, and for the punishment of evil doers : a a Rom. xiii, 1, to 4. I Pet. ii, 13, 14.

II.

It is lawful for chri uans to accept and exe cute the office of a magistrate when called thereunto: 6 in the management whereof as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth; c so for that end they may lawfully now u der the new testament wage war upon just and necessary occasion.d 6 Prov, viu, 15, 16. Rom. xiii, 1, 2, 4. Psal. H, 10, to 12. 1 Tim. 4. Il Sam. xxiii, 3. I Pet. 1, 13. 14. Rom. xii, 4.

3. Psal. lxxxii, 3, d Luke,

Mat. vili, 9, 10.

Acts, 3,

They who upon pretence of christian liberty shali oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, resist the ordinance of God, and for their publishing of such opinions, or maintai ning of such practices as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of christianity, whether concerning faith, worship or conversation, or to the power of godliness, or such erroneous opinions or practices, as ei ther in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them are destructive to the external peace or order which Christ hath established in the church, they may lwfully be called to an account, and proceeded against by the censures of the church, and by the power