Ambrose sayd of Theodosius: "Fides Theodosij vestra fuit victoria:" soe he of Queene Elizabeth.

fo. 110.
23 Mar. 1602.

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I was at the Court at Richemond, to heare Dr. Parry one of hir Majesties chaplens preache, and to be assured whether the Queene were living or dead. I heard him, and was assured shee was then living. His text was out of the Psalme [cxvi. 18, 19] "Nowe will I pay my vowes unto the Lord in the middest of the congregacion," &c. It was a verry learned, eloquent, relligious, and moving sermon: his prayer, both in the beginning and conclusion, was soe fervent and effectuall for hir Majestie that he left few eyes drye.

The doctrine was concerning vowes, which were growne in contempt and hatred, because the Jews of old and the Papists of later tymes have used them, whereas the thing itselfe, in its owne nature, is reasonable and commendable. Wee owe all that wee have, that wee are, vnto God; and all that wee can doe is but our bounden duty, yet those offices may seeme to please him best, and be most gratefull, [in] which even besydes those dutyes which he requires; wee doe enter of our owne will as it were into a newe, a neere[r] bond. And he defined it to be a promise made unto God, to performe some service in such manner as we are not otherwise bound by duty to performe. It must be made to God, soe differs from other promises; it must be voluntary, and soe it differs from required dutyes; it must be deliberate, which takes away rashnes; it must be of thinges possible within our power, of things that are good, and tending to Gods glory and our bettering. And they are generally either penitentiæ, of a fo. 110b.
23 Mar.

1602.strict course of life, in punishing our synfull bodies by sparer dyet, &c.; gratitudinis, for benefits received; amicitiæ, testimonyes of our love, dona.

Vowes of perpetuall chastity and solitude exculed[exculcated?] because of a generall impossibility. Noe merit to be hoped by them, soe the papisticall abolished. Certaine impediments which being removed any man may walke the way without stumbling.

1. Wee cannot performe what wee are commaunded; howe can wee then add anie thing of our owne?

2. The danger of breaking them should stay us from making them.

3. They were ceremonious with the Jewes, and supersticious amongst the Papists, therefore not to be reteyned.