XXIII. The Conj.^swn of Faith,

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which respects. Popish monastical vows of perpetual
Ifnsrie life, professed poverty, and re*;ular obedience, are
r from being degrees of higher perfection, that they
iipcrstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian
entangle himself \
CHAP. XXIII. 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.
banded together, and bound them- selves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink tUl they had killed Paul. Ver. 14. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said. We hav« bound ourselves under a great curse, that vTc Will eah notJHUg \x7X'\ Tvc hnv* slain Paul. Mark vi. 26. And the in^ was exceeding sorry ; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with hiin, he would not reject her. Numb. xxx. 5. But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareUi, *t any of her vows, or of her bonds, wherewith Ae hath bound her soul, shall stand : and the Lord shall forgive her, be- cause her father disallowed her. Ver. 8. But if her husband disallow her on the day that he heard it ; then he shall make her vow which shf vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect : and the Lord shall forgive her. Ver. 1 2. But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them ; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips, concern- ing 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.
' Matth. six. 1 1 . But he said un- to them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it «• n\y»4>^^ V?r. I'i. F^T th«re 9Xe some eunuchs, which were so bom from their mother's womb ; and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men ; and there be eunuchs, which have made them- selves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake : he that is able to receive it, let him receive it. I Cor. vii. 2. Nevertheless, to avoid forni- cation, 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. I'hat he no longer should live the rest of his t'unt 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.
L =*Rora.
140
Tht Confesskn ofFaitL Chap. XXIIl
people, for his own glory^ and the piiblick good ; and, ti 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 \