of Faith Gal. 3.12 And so as it s written The Promise is sure to all the seed and not to that only which is of the Law but also to that which is of the Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.16 although they were never under the Law of any carnal commandment nor never dwelt in Canaan For all who are of Christ they are Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise Gal. 3.29 And so he is our peace who hath made both Jew and Gentile one and hath broken down the middle Wall of Partition betwixt them having abolished in his flesh the enmity the Law of Commandments contained in the Law written That so both Jew and Gentile through him might have access unto the Father by one Spirit and not by Swearing or observing any carnal Commandment and might worship the Father who is a Spirit not in the oldness of the letter but in the newness of the Spirit the Law and Power of the endless Life which was in the beginning with God before any Oath or Swearing was from which Word and Power of God that is Eternal not Moral Man departed when he sinned And as Christ is our Peace he is also our Peace-maker by taking away sin and finishing transgression the ground or cause of the Controversie betwixt God and Man and one man with another and bringing into the Heart everlasting Righteousness he reconcileth man unto God and one man unto another turning the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the Just. And Christ Jesus coming to do the will of God he fulfilled the Law which could not in any wise pass away till it was fulfilled Mat. 5.18 and having fulfilled the Law not destroyed it as he that fulfills and performs his Covenant in every particular he doth not destroy it although the Covenant once fulfilled is no longer obligatory to him that hath fulfilled it according to the will of God who gave the Law he took it away or out of the way and disanulled the first Covenant or Testament written in Tables of Stone that he might establish the second Heb. 10.9 called the new Covenant written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God not in Tables of Stone but in fleshy Tables of the Heart according to 2 Cor. 33. Heb. 8.10 10.16 And in that he saith a new Covenant he hath abrogated the old Covenant or Testament Heb. 8.13 For being Testaments they were not be of force both together the latter being in its self a revocation of the former and where a Testament is revoked there every Legacy or Gift therein contained is also revoked and taken away and not some particulars only but the whole which Testament or Covenant is established upon better Promises That so what was impossible for the Law or first Testament to do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.2 3. And thus Christ Jesus according to the will of God having fulfilled the Law not destroyed it which was not of Faith and therefore was not to abide for ever And the end of God in giving the Law which was but to continue for a time as a School-master to bring to Christ being accomplished in Christ he took away the Law or first Testament that made nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 which was not of Faith being changeable and in the stead or place thereof he established the second Testament or new Covenant upon better promises which perfecteth for ever them that are Sanctified according to Heb. 10.9 which being the Law of Faith is unchangeable and abideth for ever So that Christ Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament the faithful dispenser of the manifold Graces of God unto all that believe came not only to reform the abuses of the Scribes and Pharisees in Swearing in the Temple in the first Priesthood and other things under the first Covenant but also to take away the things that were changeable which they had so abused and in the stead and place of them to establish that which is unchangeable the New Testament upon better promises Heb. 8.6 And in that he faith a New Testament he hath abrogated the Old Heb. 8.13 And therefore when Christ Jesus the true and faithful Witness was come who was to restore all things as in the beginning was set down on the Mountain and his Disciples whom he had chosen out of the World to be his Witnesses came to him and he being to make known unto them that were to bear witness of him the true Witness-bearing as it was in the beginning before any Oath or Swearing was amongst other his gracious words he said unto them who were of the Jews and then were come to be his Disciples and not to the multitude Ye are the Salt of the Earth ye are the Light of the World let your Light so shine before men that they seeing your good Works may glorifie your heavenly Father And that they being Iews might not be offended at what he was to say unto them He told them He was not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfil them And that not one jot or tittle should pass from the Law till it should be fulfilled mark that In which words is plainly shewed That as the Law was fulfilled by Christ it was to pass away being only given by God and added because of transgression for a time viz. till the Seed should come that was out of transgression and so the Law being temporary was changeable And having so prepared their minds he told them among other Precepts in the Law That it had been said of old time Thou shalt not for swear thy self but shalt perform thine Oaths to the Lord But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is the Throne of God neither by the Earth c. but let your yea be yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil Mat. 5.34 c. By which words which are the interpreters of the heart it is evident that the Oaths which they were under the Law to perform unto the Lord and which Christs words had reference unto were such Oaths as were required by the Law and those Oaths the Law required were by the Lord and not by the Creatures for all swearing by the Creatures was by the Law forbidden Which being so then the words following But I say unto you who were to be Lights of the World Swear not at all must needs be a prohibition of all Swearing by the Lord. And that he added Neither by Heaven c. Christ giveth a reason for the same Mat. 23.22 where he faith He that sweareth by Heaven he sweareth by the Throne of God and by Him that sitteth thereon who is the Lord And
therefore as they were not to swear by the Lord so neither might they swear by Heaven it being Gods Throne which would amount to swearing by God that sitteth thereon Neither by the Earth neither by Jerusalem neither by the Head which being the greatest of the Creatures the prohibition includeth also the lesser Therefore it is evident none of Christs words being spoken in vain That Christ Jesus did not onely forbid all swearing by the Creatures but also by the true God For if there had been any exception intended by Christ the Wisdom of God he doubtless would have mentioned it as well as he did vers 32. where it 's said Whosoever shall put away his Wife except it be for fornication causeth her to commit adultery c. For an Oath and Swearing not being in the beginning with God nor originally of him as true witness-bearing was but being added because the true witness-bearing was transgressed for a time viz. until Christ Jesus the true and faithful Witness and ground of all true witness bearing was made manifest to restore the true witness-bearing as it was at the first Now Christ being come and having chosen his Disciples out of the world to be his Witnesses and to place and restore the true witness-bearing unto and amongst them whom he had appointed to be Lights and good Examples unto the World he therefore took away Swearing which was not of Faith but was added because of transgression as before is said and as being more than Yea and Nay that he might restore and place the true witness-bearing which is of Faith and therefore to abide in the House and among the Houshold of God for ever For it is evident from the words of Christ where he saith Let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil that swearing being more than yea and nay the original ground or cause thereof in man came of the evil and not of the good in man And thus Christ Jesus having forbidden all swearing whatsoever as aforesaid and taken away the first ground or cause thereof in his Disciples he according to the will and promise of God in the place and stead thereof restored the pure Language the Word of Faith which is the Word of Truth that was in the beginning by the Light of which every one that believeth with his Heart cometh to know the Truth and so to do the Truth to confess and speak the Truth from his Heart unto his Neighbour or before a Magistrate in witness-bearing And this Witness being of God will not lye and is therefore the greater Witness which every one that believeth hath in himself according to 1 Iob. 5.9 10. And the Testimony that is born from this and according to this word of Truth in the heart in witness-bearing is in Truth in Righteousness and in Judgement being from and according to a good understanding And as the Truth which is in Christ the Wisdom and Power of God in mans heart is believed in it doth purifie and make clean the heart by taking away sin and unbelief out of the heart and so reconcileth it unto God and one man unto another And now the Testimony that is born according to the truth in the heart is that which God hath appointed to end all Controversie and Strife amongst men for now it is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is Truth 1 Iohn 5.6 And it is the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth and so from all Oaths Shadows and Swearing in witness-bearing which having but a shadow and not the substance of true witness-bearing when the substance was come the shadows were to pass away So what Christ Jesus received of his Father that he made known to his Disciples as he said Iob. 17.8 I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and have believed that thou hast sent me Insomuch as the Apostle Iames when he writ his Epistle to the Tribes which were scattered abroad he put them in mind being Jews not Gentiles of that Precept of Christ where he saith Above all things my Brethren swear not c. Iam. 5.12 Not that Swearing was a greater offence than Murder or Adultery But they being Jews and not Gentiles by nature had a Command from God under the Law to swear c. were apt to think they might as well swear then as they might before Not at that time being so fully informed that Christ Iesus was the end of the Law for Righteousness to them that believe in him and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13.39 For many among the Jews which then believed were at that time zealous of the Law of Moses insomuch as there were of them that taught the Brethren That except they were circumcised and kept the Law of Moses they could not be saved Act. 15. 21.20 So that although Adultery and Murder were as great sins as Swearing yet the Law which they were zealous of having forbidden the one and required the other it was more difficult to bring them off from Swearing than from Murder or Adultery And therefore as it 's usual amongst men to exhort those they are to watch over above all things to take heed of those evils they have been most addicted to and of those things they have been trained up in even so the Apostle exhorted them being Jews to remember the Command of Christ in whom they believed Swear not at all c. And although it be now concluded that Christ Jesus did intend by those words Swear not at all an absolute universal and unlimited prohibition of all manner of Swearing whatsoever as indeed it must be either all Swearing that was formerly commanded or else Christ in that Command forbid nothing which was not forbidden before nay by those words Swear not at all he made the case about Swearing more questionable dark and doubtful than it was before which for any to affirm were a great injury to Christ the Wisdom and Power of God And yet Christ Jesus in forbidding all manner of Swearing whatsoever did nothing but according to the will of his heavenly Father Nor did the Apostle Iames in putting the Jews in mind of his Masters Command Swear not at all any thing in opposition but in obedience to the requiring of Christ. And now of the things before written this is the sum That an Oath and Swearing was not in the beginning with God neither was the original ground or cause of an Oath Swearing of God And therefore neither was nor is an Oath or Swearing any part of the Law eternal nor of the essence of the worship and service of God in Spirit and Truth But the original ground or cause of an Oath and Swearing amongst men in the World was the
fully supply where it is received Nay there is much more surety to our Neighbour by true witness-bearing than by swearing because a true witness will not lye The fourth Argument is thus formed Arg. 4. That interpretation of our Saviours words Swear not at all which renders the following words vain and impertinent is false c. Answ. That Christ intended what he said I hope no Christian will deny And that those words Swear not at all were spoken by Christ and are in themselves a prohibition of all swearing whatsoever is evident And that they were spoken by Christ not by way of compliance with what had been said before to them of old time but in the contrary thereof is apparent by the words But I say unto you Swear not at all Which words if they signifie nothing but what was before said Then should they not only be to no purpose but hurtful by making the case of swearing more dark and questionable than it was before under the Law which for any man to affirm were a great injury to Christ Jesus the Wisdom of God And therefore Christ having spoken all those words But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven c. And that in the contrary of what was said before as the word but and the words not at all do import It is manifest that Christ did in that command Swear not at all forbid somewhat that was not forbidden by the Law And consequently all swearing whatsoever whether by the Lord or by the Creatures And that Christ added neither by Heaven the Earth Jerusalem the Head they being the chiefest of the visible Creatures all the other creatures being the lesser or inferiour are included the greater comprehending the less so that the words following and precedent are all significant and useful For being the words of Christ not any of them are to be rejected but all and every word established And therefore it were more beseeming Christians to give all diligence to observe the Law and Command of Christ then to invent and frame Arguments against his words which are in themselves plain and have no ambiguity in them and being so according to the rule when in words there is no ambiguity there no Exposition is to be made against the words expressed For in doubtful speech we utter not a doubtful sence but only that which we mean Therefore he which speaketh one thing and meaneth another neither doth he utter that which the word signifieth because he meaneth not so neither that which he meaneth because he speaketh it not Which for any man to affirm of the words of Christ Swear not at all were as before is said a great injury to Christ the Wisdom of God and to the Spirit of Truth from which the Scriptures of Truth were given forth All which words of Christ being in themselves prohibitions of Swearing and no exceptions as the words of Christ in the case of Divorcement were where it 's said Except for the cause of Fornication do the more confirm and illustrate the extent of the Command And being the words of Christ the Wisdom of God they are neither vain nor impertinent No more than those words in the fourth Commandment In it thou shalt do no manner of work nor thy Son c. All which were included in those general words before-going Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Or the enumerating all those words written in the Tables of Stone which were all briefly comprehended in those few words Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart ' And thy Neighbour as thy self And yet the Wisdom of God which is wiser than men knowing whereof we as men have need spoke all those words in the Law And where the Law-giver hath made no exception he to whom the Law is given ought not And so I conclude That the Law of Christ Swear not at all is perfect and a full prohibition of all swearing unto his Disciples and being perfect no man ought to add any thing thereunto or diminish any thing from it And so I proceed to the fifth Argument Arg. 5. Nothing that of it self is not intrinsically evil is forbidden by Christ and that is proved by induction But Swearing is not of it self intrinsically evil And therefore Christ did not forbid it Answ. The thing in Dispute is not Whether Christ did ever forbid any thing that was not of it self evil But whether Christ hath forbidden all Swearing Which that Christ hath forbidden all swearing his own words which are the interpreters of the heart do prove And one single testimony of the Scriptures of Truth is of more strength than a thousand surmises or meer humane witnesses And therefore Swearing being forbidden by Christ Mat. 5.34 it is the duty of Christians to apply themselves to yield obedience to his Command and not to frame Arguments to evade the same or to ask a Reason wherefore he so did And yet we read That God commanded Circumcision and Sacrifices which in themselves are not evil and yet forbidden in the New Covenant And we also read That God forbad Adam to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil which Tree and its Fruit of themselves were not intrinsically evil And the use of several other Creatures under the Law was forbidden the People of Israel And what God the Father did forbid it was by his Word And Christ the Word and Power of God he forbid his Disciples to go into the way of the Gentiles and not to enter into any of the Cities of the Samaritans Mat. 10.5 And he charged his Disciples they should tell the Vision to no man until c. Mat. 17. 9. And that they should call no man Master upon the Earth Mat. 23. 9. None of which of themselves were intrinsically evil But that which concerns us as Christians and so under the Law of Christ is not so much to enquire whether or no such a thing be good in or of it self But whether or no it be good for us to practice yea or nay For as said the Apostle What is not of Faith is Sin And therefore that is good for Christians to do which the Lord requires of them But to proceed to the sixth Argument the force whereof is this Arg. 6. Either Christ forbad not the taking of an Oath upon just occasion or else St. Paul though assisted by the Holy Ghost understood not the Text. Or If he understood it he acted against it and that not rashly but upon deliberation Because in his Epistle he calls God to witness which is a formal Oath Answ. That the Apostle Paul did know the mind of Christ in that Precept Swear not at all is believed But that he acted contrary contrary thereto when he said God is my witness or called God to witness is denied For as he knew Christ had forbidden all swearing he also knew that Christ was the true and faithful Witness the first and the last
That thou wilt not hurt me nor my Children Then Abram being afraid of his life Gen. 12.12 and also having a controversie at that time with Abimelech about a Well of water Gen. 21.22 23 24 25. said I will Swear And here was the first Oath or Swearing that is recorded in the Scriptures of Truth together with the original ground or cause thereof viz. Unbelief the fruit of sin and this was in time before the Lord is said to have sworn and long before the Law was given under which an Oath for confirmation was to be unto them that were under that Law an end of all strife Heb. 6.16 And an Oath and Swearing was also in long time after Witness-bearing for we read That Eve before the Fall did bear witness concerning what the Lord had said Gen. 3.2 3. And Sarah after the Fall and in time before any Oath or Swearing did call the Lord to witness or judge betwixt her and Abram Gen. 16.5 without any Oath or Swearing So that witness-bearing was in the beginning before the Fall and so in time long before any oath or swearing was in the world Afterwards the Lord proved Abram who obeying the Word or Command of God The Lord made a Promise unto Abram That in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed and to shew to him and his seed the immutability of his Counsel and to the end that he and they might have strong consolation The Lord by way of condescention to Man in his weakness which by reason of transgression all men by nature were involved in gave a token as he had done to Noah Gen. 9.12 and said By my Self have I sworn because thou hast not spared thine only son therefore will I surely bless thee and multiply thy Seed and in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed And so the Lord added word to word thereby to regain or beget man into the belief of the truth of his Word and Promise and that by two immutable things wherein it was impossible for God to lye man might have full assurance that what the Lord had promised he would performâ— yet notwithstanding they believed not his Word neither put their trust in his help whom he had chosen out of the Nations to place his Name among and to be a peculiar People to himself therefore their dayes he consumed in vanity and their years in trouble yet he helped them for his Name-sake and made his Power known in their Deliverance out of Egypt and leading them through the Deep and in the Wilderness and yet they sinned still against him and provoked the Highest in the wilderness and tempted God in their hearts Wherefore the Lord because of their transgression and that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful and that the offence might abound Rom. â— 20 added the Law called The first Covenant or Testament Gal. 3.19 until the Seed should come which was out of transgression mark to whom the Promise was made which Seed is Christ Gal. 3.16 who being come the true and faithful Witness the Oath and Promise of God made to Abraham was fulfilled and performed in him Luke 1.72 73. whom God had appointed to finish the transgressions and to seal up the sins that were under the first Covenant which was not faultless Heb. 8.7 for the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did Heb. 7.19 and to bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 that they which are called might receive the eternal Inheritance So Christ being come in whom all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen for ever he was the end of the Law which was added because of transgression until he came that was out of transgression for Righteousness to all that believe by whose obedience many were are and shall be made Righteous through Faith But the Law is not of Faith Gal. 3.12 neither was given for a righteous man mark that but to the lawless and disobedient I Tim. 1.9 10. And therefore what the Law saith it faith to them that are under it viz. to the transgressions and disobedient c. But Christians in Christ Jesus and in the Faith of him are new Creatures and therefore are not under the Law of a carnal Commandment which was peculiar to the Iewes but under the Law of the Spirit and of Faith the power of an endless life Heb. 7.16 And as the Law was not given for a righteous man so neither was it given to the Gentiles For God shewed his Word unto Iacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel He dealt not so with every Nation neither had the Heathen knowledge of his Laws Psal. 147.19 20. And therefore as Allan Smalwood faith of the Judicial Laws as he calls them I may say of the whole Law written whether by Men called Moral Judicial or Ceremonial that it was never obligatory to the Gentiles neither to us who by nature are no Iewes nor ever dwelt in Canaan And so what was never imposed need not to be abolished as to the Gentiles neither to us but Swearing was never commanded by God unto the Gentiles as any part of his Worship and Service therefore as to them and us who by Nature are no Iewes nor ever dwelt in Canaan it was never Obligatory So that A.S. and all that plead for Oaths and Swearing with all their Arguments drawn from the authority of that which they call the Moral Law are overthrown and will not avail them to prove the lawfulness of Swearing amongst us of these Islands who by Nature have descended from the Gentiles and not from the Iewes And therefore A. S. is worthy of blame in going about to lay a yoke which neither the Fathers nor we were able to bear upon them which from among the Gentiles are turned unto God and are become Christians in Christ Jesus which the Lord never required nor laid upon them Acts 15.10 For what the Lord required of the Gentiles was manifest in them for God himself shewed it unto them Rom. 1.19 So that they also who amongst the Gentiles were unfaithful to and in that which they knew of God were likewise left without excuse as it is written As many as have sinned without the Law shall perish without the Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law Rom. 2.12 And as to the Iewes to whom the Law was peculiarly given and so were under it and therefore what the Law said it was to them that were under it When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law that he might redeem them that were under the Law that they might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4.4 That so both Iewes and Gentiles without respect of persons might receive in Christ the blessing promised to Abram when he was in uncircumcision through the righteousness of Faith and not through the Law which is not
A TRUE TESTIMONY CONCERNING Oaths Swearing c. AS ALSO An Answer to the subject matter contained in Twelve Arguments or Reasons laid down in a Sermon preached at Carliste Aug. 17. 1664. by Allan Smalwood D.D. as he stiles himself to prove That our Saviour did not forbad all Swearing Wherein is fully cleared The Command of Christ and his Apostle Iames Swear not at all Matth. 5.34 Iam. 5.12 from the corrupt glosses limited sence and meanings of the said A. S. in his said Sermon and in his Reply to F.H. his Book called Oaths no Gospel Ordinance c. And also The unsatisfactoriness and unsoundness of the aforesaid Arguments fully discovered and the Command of Christ Swear not at all manifested to be an universal prohibition of all Oaths and Swearing whatsoever to his Disciples Written in the year 1668. By Ger. Benson Psal. 89.49 50. Remember O Lord the rebuke thy servants have wherewith thine enemies have blasphemed thee and slandered the footsteps of thiâ—â— Anointed London Printed in the Year 1669. To the READER READER VVHat I have written in this little Treatise not being after man neither by me received of man nor from man I have therefore made no use of the inticing words of mans wisdom neither of any mans testimony for the confirming the same but as the testimony therein born is for God the truth of his sayings not for man I have made use of no other witness than the Scriptures of truth which proceeded from the spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is truth and being so can neither deceive nor be deceived which spirit being of God is greater than man and so knoweth more For the things therein treated of are matters of faith therefore stands not in the wisdom of words or of men but in the power of God who shuts no man can open opens no man can shut Neither indeed is fallen man especially a swearer a competent witness in this controversie about swearing no man being a competent witness in his own cause Read then without prejudice own with understanding or answer in the ground without contending about words to no profit For the Kingdom of God consisteth not in words but in power neither in meat drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost A true TESTIMONY concerning Oathes and Swearing c. IN the day that Almighty God created Man before man was in his Image and according to his own likeness created he him male and female created he them and having finished the works of Creation he looked upon all that he had made and lo it was very good And having also made the Man of the Dust of the Earth He planted a Garden Eastward in Eden where he put the Man whom he had made And that Man might learn Obedience the Lord commanded him saying Thou shalt eat freely of every Tree of the Garden but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Now in that day there was no strife or controversie for what the Lord commanded it was done as it 's written Psal. 33.9 For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast And God was all in all and over all the Law-giver Judge and King And as then there was no sin in the World which God had made so neither was there any controversie or strife betwixt Man and his Maker or amongst the Creatures of God neither was there any Oath or Swearing nor any other outward or visible Sign Shadow Type or Figure in or by which the Lord was to be worshipped nor any need thereof for the Lord God who is the substance of all was all in all and over all God blessed for ever who was worshipped not in words but in deeds not with Oaths and Swearing neither in set Forms Shadows Signs or Figures but in Spirit and Truth in Love and true Obedience which was and is better than Sacrifice or the fat of Rams And in that day the Law of the Spirit which is Eternal and nor Moral was the rule and guide of Man in his Worship and Service of God with whom Man in his Spirit had unity and fellowship in the Light Life and Truth that is eternal and unchangeable And as it was in the beginning even so it is and shall be in the day of restauration of all things by Jesus Christ who is and was and is to come the Almighty Alpha and Omega the first and the last the true and faithful Witness the Author of all true witness-bearing But Man being in honour continued not for the Serpent being more subtile than any Beast of the field deceived the Woman with his limitted sence and meaning which he then gave to the positive Word and Command of God even as the spirit that now ruleth in all the Chileren of disobedience with his limitted sense and commodious interpretations as they are called of the Scriptures of Truth doth deceive the simple that lends an ear unto him and thereby brought her then as that spirit doth people now into the transgression of the Word and Command of God unto which no man ought to add any thing neither to diminish ought therefrom Deut. 4.2 Rev. 22. 18 19. And the Woman having eaten of that which in its self was good and therefore not intrinsically evil mark that gave unto her Husband with her and he did eate who having eaten contrary to the Word and Command of God sin entered into the world and the world into mans heart and death by sin the first ground or cause of unbelief And now in that day the Candle of the wicked being put out Death and Darkness passed over the Life and Truth of God in Man so that the Word and Truth of God the ground of true witness-bearing which was and is Eternal not Moral was hid from their eyes who had sinned And now Man being deprived of the Glory of God and ignorant of his Righteousness went after his own Inventions so that as it is written Death reigned from Adam until Moses Rom. 5.14 And now in that day the Lord had a Controversie with Man by reason of his sin and Man in his sin was in unbelief of the Word and Truth of God the ground of true witness-bearing Insomuch as that in process of time when Men began to be multiplied upon Earth the wickedness of Men waxed great so that they went into strife and contention one against another until blood touched blood And in this estate of Man Abimelech King of Gerar who was in the unbelief of the Word and Power of God and observing that God was with Abram he was afraid as it is written The workers of Iniquity are afraid where no fear or cause thereof is Psal. 53.4 5. and having a controversie against Abram concerning Sarah Gen. 20.9 said unto Abram Swear unto me here by God
Oaths nor in any other more than what was formerly enjoyned in the Moral Law And besides in his Epistle to the Reader he saith That no Orthodox man had ever said That Oaths were ever any Gospel Ordinance or to that effect but on the contrary their Tenent is That they are commanded in the Moral Law which Law being abolished as before is proved by Christ and no other Law of God being found that requires Swearing under the Gospel but on the contrary a positive Law of Christ given to his Disciples Not to swear at all It cannot be of any service to the Lord or his People to write such a History But rather to exhort People to mind the fear of the Lord and to have a regard to all his Commands which being in the Spirit that helps the infirm are not grievous and to walk in the Light of the Lord that they may have no occasion of stumbling at the Command of Christ Swear not at all For as it were a sin to deny obedience to any Ordinance or Command of God in its time even so it is a sin also for any to use or practise any Command of God as a part of his worship service for any other end or longer time that it was given for or ordained by God Which Errour Christians have justly condemned in the Jews for holding up for Ordinances and Commands of God Circumcision Passeover Temple the seventh Day Sabbath and many other things required and commanded by God in the Law or first Testament as Oaths and Swearing was under the first Testament commanded the Jews after that Christ Jesus was ascended to his Father and had sent the Spirit of Truth to lead his Disciples into all Truth which Truth being the substance of all Oaths Shadows Types Figures and Signs that were under the Law which had but a shadow of the good things to come Heb. 10. 1. Which when David in the Light of the Lord had manifested to him he being a Prophet in which Light he saw Light even the Law whereof the Lord had said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psal. 2.7 He then said having seen the end of that which was to be abolished that in burnt Offerings and Sacrifices the Lord took no delight neither had pleasure therein Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldest not but a body hast ordained me in Offerings and Sin Offerings thou hast no pleasure Heb. 10.5 6. So that although such as do not the Will of God do not see the end of that which is abolished neither know Christs Doctrine yet all who do believe in him whom God hath sent a Light into the World they know the Doctrine of Christ Swear not at all to be of God and according to godliness Iob. 7.16 17. But to proceed to A. S. his second Argument which runs thus Arg. 2. Whatsoever at all times as well under the Gospel as under the Law tends in an especial manner to the glory of God that is neither Ceremonial nor forbidden by Christ. But some Swearing at all times as well under the Gospel as under the Law tends in a special manner to the glory of God And therefore all Swearing is neither a Ceremonial Ordinance nor forbidden by Christ. Answ. God is not now nor ever was glorified in an especial manner by his Creatures but as they did and do obey his Commands and so do the thing he requireth of them As it 's written Obedience is better than Sacrifice and to do the will of God is better than the fat of Rams And although it be granted that some Swearing under the Law did tend to the glory of God as done in obedience to his requiring yet it doth not follow that now under the Gospel any swearing doth tend in an especial manner to the glory of God because the Law in or by which it was commanded as before is proved is abolished and swearing now forbidden by Christ Mat. 5.34 to all his Disciples And again as hath been before proved Swearing was never any essential part of the worship of God in Spirit and Truth because it was not any part of the Law Eternal neither in the beginning with God nor originally of him as the true witness-bearing was And therefore swearing under the Gospel not being required but forbidden by Christ without whom no man can glorifie God doth not tend in an especial manner to the glory of God as the true witness-bearing doth so that this Argument and the conclusion thereupon made is of no force to prove any swearing to tend in an especial manner to the glory of God But to do truth confess the truth and to speak the truth in witness-bearing or in our communications doth not only tend to the glory of God but also to the benefit of our Neighbour and is therefore acceptable unto God and profitable unto Men. And so I proceed to the third Argument which is this Arg. 3. If Christ forbad Swearing Then it was either because it was repugnant to our duty to God or repugnant to our duty to our Neighbour But some Swearing is neither repugnant to our duty to God whose glory in sundry particulars it advanceth nor repugnant to our duty to our Neighbour to whom thereby much advantage may accrue in several respects And therefore Christ forbad not all Swearing Answ. This Argument is framed much like the question put to Christ concerning the man that was blind from his birth Who did sin this man or his Parents that he was born blind To which question Jesus answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his Parents but that the work of God might be made manifest So I may say What if Christ forbad swearing neither because it was repugnant to our duty to God nor to our Neighbour but that the Work Power and Will of God might be made manifest in and by Christ and to make known unto his Disciples That all power in Heaven and Earth was committed unto him Mat. 28.18 And that as he had power to take away He had also power to give alter and change Laws the Government being laid upon his shoulders Isa. 9.6 to whom also all Judgment was committed But for further Answer I say whatever is acted by man as an essential part of the worship and service of God which the Lord doth not require is repugnant to our duty to God and so hath the Lord testified in all ages as appears Gen. 4.5 Isa. 58. Ier. 14.11 12 13. Isa. 1.10 c. Mat. 15.8 9. But swearing under the Gospel the Lord hath not required but forbidden as before is proved Therefore it is repugnant to our duty to God whom we are to obey and our superiours in him and for him and being repugnant to our duty to God it cannot be truly advantagious to our Neighbours whom we are to love as our selves Again there is nothing of advantage can accrue to our Neighbour by swearing which true witness-bearing doth not