ng more to
the weakness of man, adds a few years; for it forbids a vow to be made
before the age of eighteen. But which of these two Canons shall we
follow? The most part have an excuse for leaving the monasteries,
because most of them have taken the vows before they reached these ages.

Finally, even though the violation of a vow might be censured, yet it
seems not forthwith to follow that the marriages of such persons must be
dissolved. For Augustine denies that they ought to be dissolved (XXVII.
Quaest. I, Cap. Nuptiarum), and his authority is not lightly to be
esteemed, although other men afterwards thought otherwise.

But although it appears that God's command concerning marriage delivers
very many from their vows, yet our teachers introduce also another
argument concerning vows to show that they are void. For every service
of God, ordained and chosen of men without the commandment of God to
merit justification and grace, is wicked, as Christ says Matt. 16, 9: In
vain do they worship Me with the commandments of men. And Paul
teaches everywhere that righteousness is not to be sought from our own
observances and acts of worship, devised by men, but that it comes by
faith to those who believe that they are received by God into grace for
Christ's sake.

But it is evident that monks have taught that services of man's making
satisfy for sins and merit grace and justification. What else is this
than to detract from the glory of Christ and to obscure and deny the
righteousness of faith? It follows, therefore, that the vows thus
commonly taken have been wicked services, and, consequently, are void.
For a wicked vow, taken against the commandment of God, is not valid;
for (as the Canon says) no vow ought to bind men to wickedness.

Paul says, Gal. 5, 4: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever
of you are justified by the Law, ye are fallen from grace. To those,
therefore, who want to be justified by their vows Christ is made of
no effect, and they fall from grace. For also these who ascribe
justification to vows ascribe to their own works that which properly
belongs to the glory of Christ.

Nor can it be denied, indeed, that the monks have taught that, by their
vows and observances, they were justified, and merited forgiveness of
sins, yea, they invented still greater absurdities, saying that they
could give others a share in their works. If any one should be inclined
to enlarge on these things with evil intent