VOWS. Vows and votive offerings are well defined by G. F. Moore in the Breese/. Bibl. " A vow is a volunt ary obligation solemnly assumed toward God to do some thing not otherwise required, but believed to be accept able or influential with him. The promise may be either simple or conditional. In the former case it is usually a pledge to perform at a future date—for example, at the next recurrence of a feast— an act of worship which is less convenient or suitable at the time the vow is made; and the motive may be any which would prompt man to the act itself, such as gratitude to God, the desire to secure his favour, etc. A conditional vow is commonly made in circumstances in which the urgent need of God's protection or help is felt, as in illness, an attack by the enemy, or for the obtaining of a greatly desired end, such as the birth of a child, the increase of flocks and herds, victory in battle, and the like. In such a case a man solemnly binds himself, if God does for him what be wishes, to do such and such a specified thing for God." Thus a vow often has the force of an oath. In ancient religions conditional vows were the common accompani ment of prayer. " The thing vowed might be anything with which it was conceived that God would be pleased —a sacrifice, a service. a dotation of gold and silver, houses and lands, cattle, or persons to God, that is, to the temple. It might also be an interdict imposed by the maker upon himself for a time or for life in the use of things otherwise lawful; thus fasting. abstinence from particular kinds of food—as the grape and its products in the Nazirite's vow—from the wearing of ornaments, sexual intercourse, etc., were often vowed. Such arbitrary self-denial was thought, like the scrupulous observance of the similar restrictions imposed by religion itself, to be a proof of devotion." There are many
examples of vows in the Old Testament. Examples in Greek and Roman religion are also familiar. In Egypt innumerable votive offerings have been found. In Arabia votive offerings frequently consisted of weapons. In Buddhism the monks had imposed upon them ten vows of abstinence called the ten precepts : " abstinence from destroying life, from theft, from impurity, from false hood, from strong drink: abstinence from eating at for bidden times, from dancing, singing, music and spectacles, from garlands, scents and finery, from high or broad couches, and from receiving gold or silver " (A. S. Geden, Studies). In the Christian Church the practice of making vows was adopted at an early period, and two classes of vows in particular came to be recognised. " Vota realia were vows to present a material gift: and in Roman Catholic countries examples of such gifts may still be seen in the offerings of wax candles, or in the models of ships which are suspended in certain churches by sailors who have been delivered from the danger of shipwreck. Vota personalia, again, were vows bearing directly upon personal conduct. The vow to go on a pilgrimage is an example, but the most frequent and important of personal vows were those of abstinence or self-limitation, which, again, reached their crowning height in the great monastic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, whereby devotion to God was supposed to reach its consummation through a definite entrance upon what came to be known as the status religions" (Prot. Diet.).