Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou swear by thy Head because thou caâ—st not make one Hair white or black but let your Word be YEA YEA NAY NAY for whatsoever is MORE then THESE cometh OF EVIL He here prohibits even the lesser Oaths as They thought them that reverenced Swearing by the Name of the Lord which in old time he suffer'd by reason of the Falseness of their Hearts and great Pronness to Idols even as Moses permitted them to put away their Wives which in the precedent Verse also is disallowed by Christ though with the Exception of Fornication but Swearing without any Exception He doth not say Swear not except before a Magistrate though he says Put not away thy Wife except for the Cause of Fornication but SWEAR NOT AT ALL why because it is OF EVIL which reason reaches the Oaths taken before Magistrates as well as other Oaths for Distrust Unfaithfulness are the Cause of one as well as the other And there is equal Reason in that respect that a Master should swear in private to his Servant at his Entrance that he will pay him his Wages as that the Servant should swear in publick to a Magistrate that at his Departure his Master would not pay him his Wages both which Oaths the Certainty of their Words their Yea being Yea and their Nay being Nay makes vain and superfluous Obj. We are not unsensible of the common Objection that is made against this Allegation of our Master's Command That he only prohibited Vain Oaths in Communication But if the words of the Text and Context be consider'd every Oath will be proved Vain and Vnlawful for Christ's Prohibition was not a meer Repetition of what was forbidden under the Law but what the Law allowed as Bp. Sanderson well observeth It was not needful that Christ should forbid what was forbidden in it self or was alwayes Vnlawful which vain Swearing was and is by the third Commandment Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain therefore Christ exceded the Prohibition of the Law And the whole Chapter is a Demonstration of a more excellent Righteousness then that which either needed or used Oaths for Christ brings Adultery from the Act to the Thought in lieu of Revenge he commands Suffering and extends Charity not only to Friends but Enemies so in the Place controverted in the room of such Oaths Vows as ought to be perform'd unto the Lord he introduces Yea and Nay with a most absolute SWEAR NOT AT ALL. This was the Advance he made in his excellent Sermon upon the Mount he wound up things to an higher pitch of Sanctity then under the Law or the childish State of the Jews could receive Again saith he Ye have heard of old time thou shalt not Forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths but I say unto you SWEAR NOT AT ALL as plain general and emphatical a Prohibition as can be found in Holy Scripture However those Persons that usually advocate for the Continuance of Oaths under the Gospel tell us it is not a general Prohibition but is limited to Swearing by Creatures either by Heaven Earth Jerusalem or Head c. VVhich is wholy inconsistent with the Scope of the Place as we shall make appear from these Four Considerations 1 st The Prohibition reaches as well to serious as vain Oaths such as men made if they swore at all and ought to make to God only for to him alone should they perform them and are they accountable for them These very allowed Oaths of Old Time are the first prohibited by Jesus Christ It was said of Old thou shalt not Forswear thy self but I say SWEAR NOT AT ALL. 'T is true it is not particularized what Oaths they were to keep of old but in general Terms that they were not to Forswear themselves and it is clear that God enjoyned them that would Swear that they should only Swear by his Name Now what can be hence inferred more evidently then that men ought not to swear those Oaths under the Gospel which they might swear and ought not to forswear but to perform unto the Lord in the Law 2 dly Christ himself gives the Explanation of his own Words Chap. 23.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. where he teacheth us That he that swears by the Temple swears by it and by him that dwells therein and he that shall swear by Heaven swears by the Throne of God and by him that sits thereon So that he that swears by the Head swears by him that made it and he that swears by the Earth swears by him that created it which leaves no room for the Objection for it is as if Christ should have said I not only command you not to Forswear but perform as it was said to them of old time but I charge you NOT TO SWEAR AT ALL I mean not only that you should not swear by God and those Oaths that the Pharisees account binding but also that you should not so much as swear by those lesser Oaths as they esteem them and which they are wont to swear by for they are not less nor more allowable in that they that swear by them swear by him that is the Author and Maker of them wherefore being of the same Nature with the other I forbid you to swear by them as well as by those Oaths that were of old time made and ought not to be broak but perform'd unto the Lord for this is one of my great Commandments which they must keep that will be my Disciples that is to say SWEAR NOT AT ALL. Our 3 d Inducement to believe this to have been the Intention of our Lord Jesus Christ is the concurrent Testimony of the Apostle James which is not only a Repetition of his Master's Doctrine but an Addition and Illustration we hope sufficient to determin the present Question with every unprejudic'd Reader But above all things my Brethren saith he swear not which runs parallel with Swear not at all The Negative is as general forcible He proceeds neither by Heaven neither by the Earth Words of equal Import with the latter part of Christ's Prohibition and as if he had foreseen the Cavils of our Swearing Adversaries he adds neither by any other Oath which though as clear as the Sun if yet for their last shift they should tell us that he only meant any other Oath of that kind not that he prohibited Swearing by the Name of the Lord it will not do their Business for that Christ hath already assured us Whosoever swears by Heaven swears by him that sits thereon and the very next words show that it was not his Design only to prohibit vain but plainly to exclude all Swearing But let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay lest ye fall into Condemnation else why had he not said but you may swear by the Name of God before a Magistrate Why must
he will swear well avoid it or if thou thinkest he will swear amiss avoid it so much the rather For although he swear well yet thou as far as relates to thy Conscience art become the Cause of his Perjury because thou compellest him to take an Oath with this Intention not barely that he should Swear but that he should Forswear for if thou hadst thought he would have sworn honestly thou wouldst not have forced him to swear at all Oh foolish man that compellest another to Swear Thou knowest not what thou doest He although he forswear himself yet does it with Advantage but thou without any Advantage art found a Partaker of his Perjury He that does not stick at Lying does not fear Swearing for he that tells a Lye goes beyond the Truth in his Heart and he that swears falsly passes over God in his Words What then is the Difference between passing over God and going beyond the Truth seeing God is Truth it self This is the only Difference That when we Lye we pass over the Truth in our Heart but when we Forswear we pass over God in Words For to men we give Satisfaction by WORDS to God by CONSCIENCE God himself who forbad Forswearing even he afterward commanded NOT TO SWEAR He therefore that is not afraid to set light by the Commands of God in Swearing will not be afraid to do the like in Forswearing But what wouldst thou have Doth he fear God or doth he not fear him If he be one that fears God he will not Lye though he be not sworn but if he be one that does not fear God he cannot speak Truth though he be sworn Hear ye CLERGY-MEN who bring the HOLY GOSPELS for men to swear upon How can ye be secure from that Oath who sow the Seed of Perjury He that brings the Fire by which an House is burnt is he a Stranger to the Burning or who reaches a Sword whereby a man is slain is not he an Accessory to the Slaughter So he that gives the Opportunity of Forswearing is a Partaker of the Perjury If it were well done to swear ye said rightly that we gave them the Gospel to Swear not to Forswear But now ye know THAT IT IS A SIN EVEN TO SWEAR WELL how can ye be acquitted that give the Occasion of Sinning against God Let the Fire cease and there is no Burning take away the Sword and the man is not slain SO TAKE AWAY SWEARING AND THERE IS NO FORSWEARING Be these things spoaken of them that swear by God But as for them that swear by the Elements their Iniquity is more detestable for Heaven and Earth and the rest of the Elements God made for his own Service not for men to swear by For behold in the Law it is commanded that they should swear by none but God He therefore that swears by Heaven or by the Earth or whatsoever it is he swears by makes a God of it Therefore every one commits Idolatry who swears by any thing besides God if it were at all lawful to swear because he does not perform his Oaths to the Lord his God but to the Elements And so he commits a double Sin first in that he swears and 2 dly in making a God of that by which he swears c. Again in Chap. 23. Homil. 43. on these words Wo unto you Blind Guides who say Whosoever shall swear by the Temple it is nothing but whosoever shall swear by the Gold of the Temple he is a Debter Many Christians saith he now adayes do so unwisely understand many things for lo if there shall be any Cause he seems to do a small matter who swears by God but he that swears by the Gospel seems to have done some greater thing To whom it may be said Fools The holy Scriptures are for God not God for the Scriptures for God is GREATER which sanctifieth the Gospel then the Gospel which is sanctified of God Again Hom 9. on Acts of the Apostles ch 3. To this conduces not a little not to Swear and not to be Angry for in not being Angry we shall not have an Enemy and cast off a mans Oath and withal thou shalt cast off those things that concern Wrath and shalt extinguish all Anger For Wrath and an Oath are like the Wind. We set forth sail but there is no benefit of the Sail if there be no Wind so if we do not cry out nor swear we cut the Sinnews of Wrath. Come tell me for what Cause an Oath was introduced and why it was allowed Let us tell its Original and whence it sprung up again and how and by whom and by our Declaration we shall gratifie your Attention For he that doth justly must necessarily be also studious of Wisdom and he that is not yet such is not worthy to hear a Discourse For Abraham made Covenants and sacrificed Sacrifices and offered Offerings and as yet there was not an Oath Whence then came in an Oath When Evils increased when all things became topsiturvy when they inclined to Idolatry then verily when they appear'd unfaithful they called God to witness as giving a Surety for Security for their Words for an Oath is a Suretiship where their Behaviours have no Trust or Credit Whereupon first he that swears is taxed If he have no Credit without an Oath and the greatest Surety And because men so little trust one another they seek God for a Surety not Man Secondly He is in the same Crime who receives an Oath if he draw God to be a Surety for Contracts and say THAT HE WILL NOT TRVST EXCEPT HE HAVE HIM Oh monstruous thing Oh shameful Disgrace Thou a Worm Dust and Ashes and a Vapour darest thou snatch thy Lord who art such an one for a Surety and compellest to accept him Tell me if a Fellow-Servant should say to your Children striving among themselves and not trusting one another Unless the common Master become a Surety there is no trusting would not many Stripes be inflicted that he might learn that he should make use of him as a Lord in other things not in these What do I speak of a Fellow-Servant For if one would have a more Venerable Man would not the Case have Disgrace in it But I shall saith he therefore neither compel him because this is also amongst men He may say thus Sometimes thou may'st not receive a Surety to thine What then And I shall lose saith he what is given I would not say this but do not thou endure that God be reproached Therefore he which Compels hath a MORE Unavoidable Punishment then he which Swears Likewise he also which swears when none requires this also is harder that one swears for a Half-Penny for a little Commodity for Unrighteousness And these things are so dangerous when there are no Perjuries but if Perjuries are committed then all things are confounded and both he that swears and he that receives an Oath
another Doctrine The Lord hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justly to love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God For this End hath the Grace of God appeared unto all Men as speaks the Apostle Paul to Titus that they should be taught to deny Vngodliness and Worâ—dly Lusts which entering over-running the World made way among other Expedients for that of Oaths so that to live that Life which needs No Oath man is both requir'd and impower'd And as it is only his Fault and Condemnation if he doth not so certainly there can be no Obligation upon him who liveth that Life of Truth and Intetegrity to perpetuate that which rose and therefore ought to fall with Falshood and Perfidiousness the Reason of the thing it self excuses him for he that fears Untruth needs not swear because he will not lye to prevent which men exact Swearing And he that doth not fear telling Untruth what is his Oath worth He that makes no Conscience of that Law that forbids Lying will he make any Conscience of Forswearing Veracity is the best Security and Truth speaking the Noblest Tye and Firmest Testimony that can be given This we declare to you to be both our Judgment and Attainment We speak not Boastingly but with Humility before the Great Lord of Heaven and Earth to whose alone Power we do unanimously asscribe the Honour He hath taught us to speak the Truth the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth as plainly and readily without an Oath as with an Oath and to abhor Lying as much as Perjury so that for us to swear were to take his Holy Name in vain Nor are we therein singular for that not only Christian Fathers Mar and Doctors but also Jews and Heathens have had this Sense of the Rise and Use of Oaths as will hereafter fully appear II. Our second Reason why we refuse to comply with this Custom and our Superiours ought not to impose it is this It would Gratifie Distrusts Humor Jealousies and Subject Truth and those that love it to the same Checks Curbs and Preventions that have been invented against Fraud whereby the Honour of a Nobler Profession the Power of a veracious Example and the just Difference that ought to be made betwixt Trustiness and Diffidence Integrity and Perfidiousness are utterly lost How is is possible for men to recover that ancient Confidence that good men reposed in one another if some don't lead the Way and hold forth to the World a Principle and Conversation beyond the Necessity of such extraordinary Expedients At present People lie all in a Heap and the Greatest Truth finds no more Favour then the greatest Fraud Fidelity must wear the Shackles worldly Prudence hath made against the Evil Consequences of Couzennage and subject her self to the Customs brought up through Fraud or go to Gaol Be pleased to consider that Trustiness did not all at once quit the World nor will it return universally in the Twinkle of an Eye Things must be allowed their Time for Rise Progress and Perfection And if ever you would see the World planted with Primitive Simplicity and Faithfulness rather cherish then make men Sufferers for Refusing to Swear especially if they offer the same Caution to the Law with him that will swear We dare not Swear because we dare not Lye and that it may appear to the World that we can speak the Truth upon easier Terms then an Oath For us then to be forc'd to swear is to make us do a needless thing or to suspect our own Honesty The first we dare not because as we have said it is to take God's Name in vain and we have no Reason to distrust our selves being no wayes conscious of fraudulent Purposes Why then should we swear But much rather why should we be imposed upon It is a Saying asscribed to Solon That a good man should have that Repute as not to need an Oath that it is a Diminution to his Credit to be put to Swear It becomes not an Evangelical Man to Swear was a primitive Axiom but more of that anon In the mean while please to remember you have a Practice among you to exempt your Lords in several Cases placing the Value of an Oath in their bare Avouchment upon their Honour supposing that men of those Titles should have so much Worth as that their Word might be of equal Force with a Common Man's Oath And if you will please to understand Honour in the Sense of the most ancient and best of Philosophers to wit VIRTVE your own Custom gives Authority to our Reason makes you to say with us That Virtue needs not Swear much less have Oaths imposed upon her to tell Truth the only Use of Oaths It was Evangelically spoaken of Clemens Alexandrinus That a Good Life is a firm Oath which was memorably verified by the Judges of Athens who though Heathens forbad the Tendering of Xenocrates an Oath because of their great Opinion of his Integrity which was Three Hundred Years before Christ came in the Flesh III. Our third Reason for Non conformity to your Custom is the Fear we have lest by Complying we should be guilty of Rebellion against the Discoveries God hath made to our Souls of his ancient holy Way of Truth consequently of concealing his Goodness to us and depriving him of that Glory the World of that Advantage this honest Testimony may bring to him them He has redeem'd us from Fraud 'T is he only that hath begotten this Conscientiousness in us and we dare not put this Light under a Bushel neither can we deny his Work or him to have the Honour of it We intreat you take this Tenderness of ours into Christian Consideration IV. Oaths have in great measure lost of the Reason of their primitive Institution since they have not that Awful Influence which was and only can be a Pretence for using them on the contrary they are become the familiar parts of Discourse and help to make up a great share of the A la mode Conversation and those who decline their Company or reprove their Practice are to go for a sort of Nice and squâ—amish Conscienc'd Men. These Swear without Fear or Wit yet would be thought Witty in Swearing Fearless they can't Some are curious in their Impiety Old Oaths are too dull for men of their Invention who almost shift Oaths with their Fashions Nay the most judicial Oaths are commonly administred and taken with so little Reverence and Devotion to say nothing of the Perjuries that through Ignorance or Design are too frequently committed that we can't but cry out Oh the great Depravity that is in the World How low is Man faln from the primitive Rule of Life Well may the Prophet's Complaint be ours for If ever Land mourned because of OATHS with great Sadness we say it this doth And what more effectual Remedy can any People
propose against the notorious Abuse and evil Consequence of Swearing then Truth-speaking for those that dare not Lye need not Swear and they that make no Conscience of Lying do not much fear an Oath at least their Consciences are very crazy in taking it This only Reason were we destitute of all other Allegations would be a strong Disswasive from Swearing for we hold God's Honour and our Profession greatly concern'd to prove to so False an Age that there is a People who are so far from vain and false Swearing that they dare not swear the Truth but whose Yea and Nay shall weigh against other mens Oaths and that with a free Offer of sustaining double Punishment in case of Miscarriage Expedients may last a while but TRVTH only shall have the Honour of conquering Falshood and Virtue will and must be greater then an OATH V. The Omnipresency of God rightly understood shows the Uselesness of an Oath and is with us a good Argument against Swearing for what need is there of that Man's being aw'd into true Evidence by such sort of Attestations and Imprecations as make up the common Form of Oaths who knows God to be always present to reside and preside in his Soul according to that New and Everlasting Covenant which he hath made that his People should be his Temple that he would dwell IN them and walk IN them Did the Children of men know the Power Glory and Majesty of God WHOM the Apostle preacht NIGH to the Athenians and declared to the Ephesians to be Father of all above all through all and IN THEM ALL there would be no Oaths and but few Words and those utter'd with Reverence and Truth VI. We do not find that Oaths answer this part of the End for which they are imposed viz. To convince those for whose sakes they are taken of the Weight and Truth of a Man's Testimony by Force of God's Witness joyn'd therewith For they don't behold God's concurring Witness by such an Assistance or Avenge of that Party as the Truth or Falshood of his Testimony deserveth for the Judgments of God are secret and rarely so publickly seen to Men perhaps once in an Age that he should give any memorable Discovery of his good Will or Displeasure in such a Case but whenever he doth it it is not at Man's Appointment And it is an evident Sign that God approveth not of that sort of Invocation because he doth not answer them that invoke him according to their Wish as neither did he in the old Law or Custom of Combating appear on his side that had the better Title or Cause as he promised in the Law of Jealousie that their Thigh should rot and their Belly swell c. VII We look upon it to be no less then a presumtuous Tempting of God To summon him as a Witness not only to our Terrene but trivial Businesses such as we should doubtless account it an high Indignity alwaies to solicit an Earthly Prince to give his Attendence about What! Make God the Great God of Heaven and Earth our Caution in worldly Controversies as if we would bind him to obtain our own Ends It is to make too bold with him and to carry an undue Distance in our Minds towards him that made us An Irreverence we can by no means away with and upon which Chrysostom is most sharp as will be seen anon Besides it is vain and insolent to think that a man when he pleaseth can make the Great God of Heaven a Witness or a Judge in any matter to appear by some signal Approbation or Judgment to help or forsake him as the Truth or Falseness of his Oath requires when he saith So help me God VIII Besides what we have hitherto urged in Defence of our selves against the Substance of the Oath we justly except against the Form of it which further adds to its Unlawfulness and consequently to our Vindication as by the Contents and kissing of the Book Swearing by a Sign being Heathenish or Jewish For the Romans held a Stone and said If I deceive wittingly then let Diespiter cast me out of my Goods as I this Stone The Heroes swore by lifting up of the Scepter Caesar swore by his Head his House that is consecrated them to the Wrath of God if he wittingly deceived c. The manner of the Jews is from Gen. 14.22 that Abraham lift up his hand to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If c. putting the Hand under the Thigh on the Head passing betwixt Beasts divided as God did to Abraham c. see more in Lapid Sophoc in Antiq. v. 270. Scoliast Baptist Hansen of passing through Fire swearing by the right Hand c. The Use of So help me God we find from the Law of the Almans of King Clotharius The laying on of three Fingers above the Book is to signifie the Trinity the Thumb and the little Finger under the Book are to signifie the Damnation of Body and Soul if they forswear So help me God Further be pleased to consider that the English Custom has very much overgone English Law in this Business of Oaths they were anciently but solemn Attestations As the Lord liveth c. which are now improv'd to Imprecations So help me God and the Contents of this Book Though it was â—o of old at Combat but that concerns not our Case For the Kissing of the Book that is also Novil Indeed after they rise from solemn Attestations to Imprecations the Law required a Sight and Touch of the Book The Saxon Jurors were Sacratenentes In the first Norman Times it was Sacris tactis and in later Writs Evangeliis tactis nay the Priest's Hand was on his Breast in Matthew Paris not upon the Book However Jew and Gentile Superstition and Ceremony have made up the present Form of Oaths which the true Christian-man neither wants nor we conceive ought to perform much less impose where Tenderness by sober Consciences is pleaded and equal Caution offer'd to the Law for the Integrity of Yea and Nay IX But were we also destitute of this Plea and the usual Oaths of our Country the most inoffensively form'd and best penn'd that ever any were we have both the Example and Precept of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to oppose to any such Practice for in all that History delivered to us by the four Evangelists we never read him to have used any further Asseveration then what in English amounts to Verely Verely or Truly Truly I say unto you Thus by his Example exciting us the more readily to obey his express Prohibition of Swearing Mat. 5.33 34 35 36 37. which runs thus Again Ye have heard that it has been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oathes but I say unto you SWEAR NOT AT ALL neither by Heaven for it is God's Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Footstool neither by
Christian so call'd for he that dare do such things we cannot call a sincere Christian whom he saw compelling a certain Honest Ingenuous Modest and Faithful Matron to go into the Jews Synagogue there to be Sworn about some Business in Controversie betwixt them she desiring Help and imploring to be freed from this Wicked Force c. I saith he kindled with Zeal arose and not suffering her to be further drawn into this Prevarication rescued her and enquired of him that had drawn her to it Whether he were a Christian or not Who confessing he was I severely urged and upbraided him with his Folly and Extream Madness to go about to draw any Body he professing himself to be a Worshipper of Christ TO THE JEWS DENS who had crucified him And going on in speaking I taught him out of the holy Gospel THAT IT IS NOT LAWFUL TO SWEAR AT ALL NOR TO INCITE ANY TO SWEAR after that not one that is a Believer or initiated no nor one that is not initiated to be drawn to that Extremity After I had spoaken much and a long time of it I delivered his Mind from the Error of Opinion c. Be pleased to observe how Chrysostom a Zealous and Famous Man both for his Books and the Persecution that he suffered being Patriarch or Prime Oversees of the Church at Constantinople one of the Four of the chiefest in the World uses no Distinction of private and publick Oaths the common Talk of our Imposers for here he labours against drawing any to Swear at all even in Judicature because it was not lawful TO SWEAR SO AT ALL no not as the Jews swore much less as the Gentiles Again Let none say to me What if any lay on me a Necessity of Swearing And what if he do not believe Certainly where the Law is violated one must not make any mention of Necessity for there is one unavoidable Necessity NOT TO OFFEND GOD. Moreover this I say That in the mean time we may cut off superfluous Oaths those I mean which are made rashly and without any Necessity amongst Friends and Servants And if thou take away these in the other thou shalt need me no more For that Mouth which hath learned to fear and flee an Oath if any would compel it ten thousand times it will never admit of falling into that Custom c. But if thou fear nothing else at least fear that Book which thou takest in thy hands bidding another to Swear and when thou turnst it and markst what Christ hath there commanded concerning Oaths QUAKE FORBEAR What doth it say then of OATHS there Answ But I say unto you Swear not at all Dost thou make that Law an Oath which forbids to Swear Oh Injurious Oh Unjust thing For thou dost as if a man should take for his Companion a Law giver that forbids to kill and command him to be made a Murderer As therefore when a Fight is begun although we are often Reviled yet we endure it well and we say to him that doth it that Patron of thine hath hurt me he holds my Hands and this serves us for Solace After the same manner if thou wilt exact an Oath of any restrain thy self and with-hold and say to him that is about to swear What shall I do to thee sith God hath commanded neither to swear nor to compel to swear he now with-holdeth me This is enough for the Law-giver's Honour for thy Security and his Fear who should swear Do thus much for me therefore that they that come hither may say That is not to be seen in any City which is at Antioch For they that inhabit that City had rather their Tongues should be cut out then an Oath should proceed out of their Mouth c. What is it Thou shalt render unto the Lord thy Oaths that is in swearing thou shalt speak true But I say unto you NOT TO SWEAR AT ALL And then to put off the Hearers that they should not swear by God he saith Neither by Heaven for it is the Throne of God nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-stool c. For he said not because the Heaven is Fair and Great nor because the Earth is Vile but because that is the Throne of God and this his Foot-stool by all which he drives them to the Fear of God What then if any require an Oath and impose a Necessity of Swearing A. Let the Fear of the Lord be more forcible to thee then all Necessity or Compulsion For if thou wilt alwayes object such like Occasions thou wilt keep none of those things which are commanded For thou mightst also say it concerning thy Wife What if she be a Scold What if she be Nice and Curious And of thy Right Eye What if I have a Delight in it and be inflamed with the Love of it c. and so thou wilt trample upon all things that are commanded But in the Laws which Men command thou darest alledge no such thing as What if this or that c And if thou wilt keep the Law of Christ thou wilt not suffer any Compulsion to hinder thee from the Observation thereof for he that heard the Blessedness that is before in the same Sermon and shews himself such an one as Christ commendeth he shall suffer no such Compulsion from any seeing he is Venerable and Admirable with all Men. What then shall we say is beyond Yea and Nay A. Without doubt AN OATH not Perjury sith this is altogether manifest and none needs be taught that it is of Evil and not so much Superfluous as Altogether Contrary Now that is superfluous which is added needlesly and too much which surely is an Oath Why then shall this be said to be of Evil And if it was of Evil how was it commanded in the Law A. Thou wilt say that also concerning thy Wife How is it now Adultery which was sometime suffered What then shall we say to these things But that many of those things which were then spoaken the Weakness of them that received the Law required For it is a thing very unmeet for God to be worshipped with the Smell of Sacrifices even as it is not congruent for a Philosopher to stutter and bable Therefore such a Divorce is now called Adultery and an Oath now comes of Evil when the Increasings of Virtues are come to their Perfection But if these things had been the Laws of the Devil from the beginning they had never come to such Proficiency for unless those things had gone before those other had never been so easily received Do not therefore desire the Virtue of those things whose Use is now past They were available indeed then when the time required yea if thou pleasest now also For now their Virtue is shewn in that same thing also wherein we most accuse for that they now appear such
Particular LXXXII And Bp. USHER pleads for them against the Papists who were Swearers LXXXIII Likewise a People of Albi in France Ann. 1176. held It was Unlawful to Swear LXXXIV The Plowman's Complaint containing as abundance of mournful Applications to God so many notable and serious Reprehensions of the Lapst Erroneous and Cruel Nature of Men among others it hath this notable Passage to our Purpose Lord thou givest us a Command of Truth in bidding us say Yea Yea and Swear for Nothing but Lord he Pope that calls himself thy Vicar on Earth hath broken the Commandment so makes a Law to Compel men to Swear Who was the Author of this is not certainly known but to be sure it was embraced of the Wickliffians as worthy of their Patronage and remembred and recorded by John Fox as not unworthy to keep Company with Protestant Martyrs LXXXV JOHN WICKLIFF our Country-man and in his time Divinity-Professor of Oxford Famous for his Learning and Godly Courage in oppugning the Doctrines and Practices of Rome in the time of Edward the third and Richard the second about the year 1370. was accused among other things for maintaining that all Oaths which be made for any Contract or Civil Bargain betwixt man and man are Unlawful LXXXVI We will bring in here a Passage out of the Plowman's Tale as it lyes in GEFFRY CHAUCER's Works not impertinent to our Purpose whose Learning Honour and Wit was great in the time he lived which was about 1360. John Wickliff's Contemporary ' These Wollen make men to Swear ' against Christ's Commaundment ' And Christ's Members all to tear ' on rood as he were new yrent ' Such Laws they maken by common Assent ' each one it throweth as a Ball ' Thus the Poor be full shent ' but ever Falshood foul it befal He hath Expressions not less disliking Oaths in his Parson's Tales where he makes the Parson to say After those then cometh Swearing expresly against the Commandment of God and our Lord Jesus Christ who saith by St. Matthew's words Ne shall ye not Swear in all manner or on no Account LXXXVII WILLIAM SWINDERBY Priest and a Zealous Follower of John Wickliff also lived in the time of Richard the second as appears by his Appeal to that King from the Unjust Sentence of the Bishop of Hereford in which to this part of the Charge exhibited That no man ought to swear for any thing but simply without an Oath to Affirm or Deny he answers thus Whereas Christ's Law forbids Swearing the Pope's Law justifieth Swearing and compels men thereunto Methinks saith he there is no need to Comfort or Encourage the People in Swearing LXXXVIII WALTER BRUTE also an early Dissenter from the Roman Church and Intimate of William Swinderby being charged among other things with saying That it is not Lawful for Christians for any Cause to swear by the Creator neither by the Creature thus answer'd for himself and indeed it comprehends much of our Belief in this Matter As concerning Oaths I believe and obey the Doctrine of Almighty God and my Master Jesus Christ which teacheth That Christian-men in Affirmation of a Truth should pass the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees the old Testament or else he excludes them from the Kingdom of God For Christ sayes Unless your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And as concerning Oaths Christ saith It hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not Forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord those things that thou knowest But I say unto you Thou shalt not swear at all neither by Heaven nor yet by the Earth c. but let your Communication be Yea Yea and Nay Nay for whatsoever shall be more then this proceedeth of Evil Therefore as the Perfection of the ancient Men of the Old Testament was Not to Forswear themselves so the Perfection of Christian Men is Not to Swear at all because we are so commanded of Christ whose Commandments must in no Case be broaken Thus much of W. Brute LXXXIX John Purrey John Edward John Becket John Clements Richard Herbert and Emmot Willie with many more in the time of Henry the fourth through Fears and Hopes deserted their Profession and revolted as John Fox tells us from their Faith which was the Religion then profest of those called Wickliffians or Lollards the True Poor Persecuted Christians of that time And of the Fifteen Articles by them abjured this was one Item That neither the Pope nor the Prelate neither any Ordinary can compel any man to Swear by any Creature of God or by the Bible-Book XC WILLIAM THORPE whom John Fox calls The Constant and Blessed Servant of God and good Man and Servant of Christ c. refused to swear upon a Bible when the Arch-Bishop tendered the Oath to him for he thought it Not Lawful to take or give an Oath thereon Because a Book is nothing else sayes he but divers Creatures of which it is made and such Swearing is ever Unlawful as witnesseth Chrysostom plainly blaming them greatly that bring out a Book to swear upon charging Clarks that in no wise they constrain any Body to swear well when that thing is sooth or true that they swear for And also full many Men and Women now say That it is well done to swear by God and by our Lady and by other Saints to have them in mind others say That they may not swear when they may otherwise be believed But since all these Sayings are Excuses and Sin methinks Sir saith he that this Sense of Chrysostom may be alledged well against all such Swearers XCI ELIZABETH YOUNG who was brought to Examination in the Marian-days before the Catholick Inquisitors of Heritical Pravity as they then called themselves and commanded to Swear this Language was used to her Dr. Martin Thou shalt he racked Inch-meal thou Trayterly Whore and Heretick but thou shalt swear before a Judge before thou go Eliz. Young Sir I understand not what an Oath is and therefore I will take no such thing upon me Dr. Martin She refuseth to swear upon the four Evangelists before a Judge for I my self and Mr. Hussey have had her before us Four Times but we cannot bring her to swear Then said the Bishop Why wilt thou not swear before a Judge c Eliz. Young My Lord I will not swear that this Hand is mine No said the Bishop and why Eliz. Young Christ saith That whatsoever is more then Yea Yea or Nay Nay it cometh of Evil. Then Dr. Cook brought her to a Book commanding her to lay her Hand thereon Eliz. Young No my Lord I will Not Swear And so she persisted till God delivered her out of their Hands John Huss Jerom of Prague Walter Brute William Swinderby William Sawtry William White William Thorpe c. are recorded by those of other
obliege us B. What if we be drawn by Necessity to give an Oath A. Why didst thou not rather Dye For surely thou shouldst rather Dye then do that B. What if the Books of the holy Scriptures be not used A. What! Is Religion placed in a Leaf Is God absent by this Means It is evident that thou fearest Paper or Parchment and I fear God more This is a frequent Disease to many and usual neither is it otherwise then if a Man beat the Master and Disgrace him and make his Servant a Free-man and do him Honour What a notable Reproach should that be or as if a Man should preserve the King's Image and in the mean time destroy the King B. It is even as thou sayest But I would have thee say what is more to be shewn A. Many use to say I swore with my Tongue but my Mind is free from Swearing Any thing may be more cunningly excused then an Oath Let him not suffer any Colour to be made for himself For this is an Oath And how much Mischief tell me comes from Deceit it self Let us see what an Oath is Nothing else but the very Meaning or Mind of those things which we set down Thou wouldst have me add what remains Surely an Oath is nothing else but a certain Consummation as it were of Mischiefs O Dangerous Flame B. But Plato doth some such thing He is Religiously aware that he swear not by any God A. Truly I know what thou art about to say There was a certain Plane Tree by which alone he made Oath But he did not swear rightly neither by that For he had an Understanding in something but what a just religious Oath should be that he could not understand And what was this tell me now A certain Shadow of an Oath a Declaration without a Name an Oath no Oath as the Philosophers swore by a strange and unknown God Lastly it is nothing else but to make Oath by any thing Here our Speech let be an End Thou threatnest that thou wilt leave me athirst sooner then I would A. If an Oath seem a small thing to thee truly I cannot commend thee But if it is as it is in the number of horrible things I will also dare to produce a mighty thing I do adjure by a very Oath it self that thou abstain from and beware of Oaths and thou hast the Victory B. I wish I had What Fruit gets he that often sweareth Laughter What more That when he speaks Truth he shall not be believed In another place he saith That to swear by Creatures is to swear with regard to God himself so Christ himself saith Mat. 5.35 and chap. 23.16 23. Caesarius Num. 43. XLVIII Caesarius Brother to Gregory Nazianzen in his spiritual Sentences hath this Sentence Flee ALL Swearing or EVERY Oath How then shall we get Belief As well by Speech as by virtuous Actions and Carriages that gain Belief to our Speech Perjury is a Denying of God What need of God in this Matter Interpose and put in ure thy Actions Epiphan adv Heres lib. 1. ord 19. §. 6. XLIX Epiphanius whom Sâ—crates Scholasticus lib. 6. cap. 9. calls a Man of great Fame and Renown and a Virtuous and Godly Person in his first Book against Heresies â—not accounting Denying to Swear an Heresie but rather the contrary as may appear by his words which are these In the Law as well as the Gospel it is commanded not to use another Name in Swearing but in the Gospel he commanded not to Swear neither by Heaven nor Earth nor other Oath but let Yea Yea Nay Nay BE AS AN OATH as Petavius translates it for what is more then these is of Evil. Therefore I suppose that the Lord ordained concerning this because of some mens Allegations that would swear by other Names and first that we must not Swear no not by the Lord himself nor by any other Oath for it is an Evil thing to swear at all Therefore he is Evil that compels not only to swear by God but by other things c. Ambros de Virgin lib. 3. L. Ambrose soon after being a Lay man or Citizen of Milan was by the People against his Will chosen Bishop of that City for his great Worth and Godliness whose Writings are of great Account And speaking of the Inconveniency occasion'd by an Oath saith Wherefore not without Cause doth the Lord in the Gospel command not to Swear that there may be no Cause of Forswearing that there may be no Necessity of Offending He that Sweareth not certainly he never Forsweareth but he that Sweareth sometimes he must needs fall into Perjury because all Men are subject to Lye Do not therefore Swear lest thou beginnest to Forswear Therefore the Lord who came to teach the little Ones to INSPIRE Novices to confirm the Perfect saith in the Gospel YE MUST NOT SWEAR AT ALL because he spoak to the Weak Lastly He spoak not only to the Apostles but to the Multitude for he would not have thee to Swear lest thou shouldst Forswear And he added Not to swear neither by Heaven nor by the Earth c. namely by those things that are not subject to thy Power The Lord Sware and shall not Repent He may swear who cannot repent of his Oath And what did the Lord swear That Christ is a Priest forever Is that Uncertain Is that Impossible the Lord has sworn Can it any way be changed Do not therefore use the Example of an Oath because thou hast not Power to fulfil an Oath Also in his Commentary on the Hebrews he saith Because Mankind is incredulous God condescendeth to us if even he sweareth for us So that he shews that not to be an Argument for Swearing to be desired seeing it is only in Condescension to a Defect not to be encouraged from it to swear or to require it Chrysost on Gen. hom 15. LI. Chrysostom in those dayes very Famous in the Church and therefore styl'd the Golden Doctor in his 15th Homily on Genesis saith A Christian must flee Oaths by all means hearing the Sentence of Christ which saith It was said to them of old Thou shalt not Forswear But I say unto you SWEAR NOT AT ALL. Let none say therefore I swear in a Just Business IT IS NOT LAWFUL TO SWEAR NEITHER IN A JUST NOR UNJUST THING To swear is of the Devil seeing Christ faith For what is more is of Evil or the Evil One. Swearing took not its Beginning from the Will but from Negligence only Thou hast heard saith he the Wisdom of Christ saying That not only to Forswear but also in ANY MANNER TO SWEAR is Devilish and all a Device of the Evil One. IF TO SWEAR IS FOUND TO BE DEVILISH how are they to be punished who Forswear IF TO SWEAR TRULY BE A CRIME and a transgressing of the Commandment where shall we place Perjury Speaking of a
operibus spiritus sancti fol. 453. Baptista Folengius on Psal 15. Nic. Lyra and Ordinary Gloss on Mat 5. LXXVIII EUTHYMIUS ZAGABONUS on Matth. 5. p. 43. saith thus Again ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time Thou shalt not Forswear c. but I say unto you Swear not at all c. Now the old Law saith Thou shalt not Forswear but shalt offer to the Lord thine Oaths which he added that he might put Fear into the Swearer that he should not Forswear knowing that God which knows all things undertakes the Oath But I say unto you Swear not at all For he that easily sweareth sometimes perchance may Forswear by the Custom of Swearing but he that Swears by no means will never Forswear Besides thou that swearest so be thou do not Forswear thou observest the Worship of God but Swearing by no means thou dost promote it And the other is the part of mean and imperfect Philosophy but this of that which is the highest and perfect The other Thou shalt not Forswear is written in the Book of Exodus but this Thou shalt restore to the Lord thine Oaths in the Book of Deuteronomy but in other words Now he commanded this lest they should swear by Gods of a false Name Again Not to Swear and not to require an Oath comes to the same thing For how canst thou induce thy Brother unto that which thou avoidest thy self if so be that thou art a Lover of thy Brother and not rather of Money Nor by Heaven for it is the Throne of God c. Lest they should think that he forbad to swear by God only in saying By God he adds also other kind of Oaths by which then the Jews did swear for he that sweareth by these things sweareth again by God who fills these things and rules them for they have these things in Honour for him and not for themselves for he saith by the Prophet Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stool the Prophet manifesting by this that God filleth all things Do not I fill Heaven and Earth David also saith The City of the Great King Neither by thy Head Therefore thou shouldst not swear the meanest Oath I say even by thy own Head lest thou proceed to greater or by any other manner for the Creature is also the Possession of God And again the Oath is made by God who hath it the Creature in his Power for although it the Head be made thine yet it is not thy Work which is manifest from this That thou canst not make one Hair white or black But let your Words be Yea Yea Nay Nay c. Let your Speech be when ye affirm Yea and when ye deny Nay and use only these for or instead of Oaths to Confirmation and no other then Yea and Nay what is adjoyned besides these he calleth an Oath Quest But if an Oath be of the Devil how did the old Law permit 〈◊〉 Answ Because the Sacrifices of Living Creatures were also of Evil and by the Deceit of Idols yet the Law permitted them because of the Infirmity of the Hebrews For whereas they were Gluttons and Smell-Feasts they lov'd the Sacrifices of Idols and whereas also they were Unbelieving they also loved an Oath And that they should not afterwards either sacrifice to Idols or swear by Idols the Law permitted them to sacrifice and to swear and if there were any thing else of that kind they transferred all unto God Now it was to come to pass that in process of time he would cut off these things also by a more sublime Law to be brought in because it is good for Infants to be suckled but for men it is very unfit There we allow this to them that live after the manner of Infants but we with-draw or prohibit them that are manly from it Quest What then is to be done if any require an Oath yea compel to Swear Answ Let the Fear of God be more forcible then this Compulsion or Necessity and chuse rather to suffer all things then to transgress the Command sith in every Precept Force and Violent Danger will often meet with thee And unless thou esteemest the Command of God every where more forcible all things will depart from thee Void and Unperformed In the following Passages the Lord saith The Kingdom of Heaven suffered Violence and the Violent take it by Force LXXIX OECUMENIUS a Famous Greek Writer about Ann. 1070. writes on Jam. 5.12 thus But some will say If any be forced to swear what is to be done We say that the Fear of God shall be stronger then the Force of him that compels But some may doubt How it comes to pass that Grace doth not command this as did the Old Law affording Praise to him that did swear by the Name of the Lord We say The old Law leading the Jews not to swear by Devils appointed to swear by God as it commanded them to sacrifice drawing them from the Sacrifice of Idols or Devils But when it had sufficiently taught them to have a Religious Respect to God then it rejected Sacrifices as unprofitable seeking not a Sacrifice by Beasts but a Broaken Spirit that is a sweet whole Burnt-Sacrifice enflamed by the Fire of Love That ye fall not into Hypocrisie so some Copies have it for the words in Greek are something alike Hypocrisie he saith or Condemnation which follows them that Swear without sparing and through the Custom of Oaths are carryed out to Forswear The Word Hypocrisie signifies thus much that which being one thing appears another How then falleth he into Hypocrisie that sweareth Answ When he that is believed for the Oath 's sake to be true and yet Transgression following is declared to be a Lyar instead of a true Man not producing Yea in Certainty He forbids to swear by God because of Perjury but by Heaven and other Oaths that men should not bring these things into the Honour of God for all that swear do swear by the Greater LXXX ANSHELMUS Bishop of Canterbury about Ann. 1090. on that place of Mat. 5. thus pag. 38. Thou shalt not Forswear c. Moses seeing that he could not take away Swearing takes away Perjury And again Because men have in great Reverence those things by which they swear lest they should make the Creatures Gods to themselves he commands them to render their Oaths to God and not to swear by Creatures But the Lord removes them more perfectly from Perjury when he forbids them to Swear at all LXXXI The Ancient WALDENSES we have good Cause to say Deny'd the taking of any Oath in what Sense the Primitive Christians and Fathers refused and that was altogether To be sure their Enemies charged them with it for above Three Hundred Years and we cannot find that they then deny'd the Charge We suppose none will attempt to prove they did for they were well known in the World as to this
Nations both High and Low Dutch to have refused all Swearing as well by God as by Creatures in any Case private or publick Though such as admit of Oaths in some Cases labour as John Fox in England and the Calvinists abroad to ecclipse and mutilate their Testimony as if they were one while only against Book-Swearing as being a Creature another while only against Swearing in Private Cases another while as J. Fox relates in John Burrell That it is not lawful to swear but in Case of Life and Death c. But most evident it is that they were against All Swearing or Swearing at all else why should they so frequently alledge Chrysostom who though he accounted swearing by Creatures a more execrable Sin then to swear by God yet constantly counted Swearing at all a Sin in Christians as cleaving to that which Christ had abrogated being only permitted to the Jews for the Hardness and Blindness of their Hearts their Unbelief and Propensity to follow the Course of the Heathens and swear by their Gods Let it not be forgotten that Chrysostom not only inveighs against them that bring forth the Book to swear by because it is a Creature but that he also upbraided them with Impudence and Audaciousness that dare make use of that Law to administer an Oath by that so strictly forbids an Oath Ridiculous it is to make them deny Swearing only in private Cases and to be ready to swear in Case of Life and Death For where is there any Shadow of such a Law And how should those Honest Men invent one Christ's Law we read Mat. 5. The Doctors Chrysostom and Jerom's Judgment whom they had mostly in their Mouths we have repeated here at large in which is not the least Restriction These Good Men then must needs be understood to take the Law of Christ either to have forbidden Swearing in any Case and then not to swear in Case of Life or not to forbid Swearing at all and then they not only might swear to save their Lives but Liberties and Estates and ought so to do But we hope there can be no room left for this Objection XCII The LOLLARDS of Kille in Scotland were against all Swearing as both Spotswood in his Chronicle doth relate and the Book called The History of the Reformation of the Kirk of Scotland XCIII MICHAEL SADLER an Eminent Man call'd a Lord was Cruelly Tortur'd and put to death by some Papists under the Emperor of Germany whose Brethren were also Executed with the Sword and his Wife and Sisters Drowned Ann. 1527. One Article alledged against him was that he had said That men should not Swear to or before the Magistrate XCIV The CHRISTIAN-PROTESTANTS in the Valley of Piedmont who were Cruelly Tortured to Death by the Papists about Ann. 1655. One Article alledged against them was That they believed it was not lawful to Swear any thing be it True or False XCV GERARD SAGARELD of Parma and his Followers Denyed all Oaths and Vows So did several in Germany mention'd by B. Usher in his Book De Successione In Germany Jury and Swearing is well excluded and need not much to be required XCVI ERASMUS Now ye shall hear another thing Commandment was given unto your Elders none otherwise but if they had made an Oath they should perform it and not be Forsworn for now they are bound to God and not to man only Wherefore among the Jews only Perjury is punishable but he that deceives his Neighbour without any Oath made he goes unpunished but yet the Law of the Gospel condemneth him the which that ye may be the more remote from Perjury doth utterly condemn all manner of Oaths that it is not lawful to Swear neither by God nor by those things which seem to the Common Sort to be things of less Religion that is Neither by Heaven because it is the Seat of God nor by the Earth because it is his Foot-stool nor by Jerusalem because it is the City of the Great King that is to say of him that hath made all things Neither as the Heathen swear by the Head of another Man whereof thou hast no Authority but it is consecrate to God that hath made all things as he would for thou canst not make one White Hair Black nor the contrary And because all things are consecrate to God the Maker thou oughtest to be fearful to swear by any thing And what needeth any Oath among them where no man because of their Simplicity can distrust nor no man can desire to deceive though they might do it Such is their Sincerity and Perfectness specially in those things of the which they declare themselves to be Despisers Therefore among you plain and simple Speech ought to be more holy and more sure then the devout and solemn Oath among the Jews For among you whose Hearts and Mouths ought to agree there is no other use of Speech but to express your Minds each to other In your Bargains ye need no Oath ye need no Execration or Cursing or such like to bind the Promiser or to assure him to whom the Promise is made Two Words be sufficient Nay and Yea whereby thou denyest that which thou dost not promise and whereby thou dost perform that which thou didst promise by plain Word that thou wouldst do For there is no man less bound by his simple and bare Word then the Jew Swearing by all holy Things and he whom thou makest thy Promise unto doth trust thee as much as if thou hadst made a solemn Oath If there be any more besides these it must needs come of Evil and Sin For he that sweareth either be thinketh Evil of him to whom he sweareth or else he that requireth the Oath doth distrust But none of these ought to be in you whom I would have perfect in all Points Therefore when I utterly forbid Swearing I do not abolish the Law which doth prohibit Perjury but I make the Law more full and I with-draw men further from that which the Law doth punish Let your Mind be pure and plain and let your Heart and your Mouth go both together Let no man with feign'd words deceive his Neighbour But especially my Brethren Swear Not lest by little and little you accustom your selves to Forswear Among Jews and Heathens for Fidelity's sake there is an Oath put But among Christians which ought neither to distrust any man nor to deceive it is a Vain Thing to Swear Whosoever is accustomed to Swear is Cousen-german to the Peril of Forswearing Be you afraid not only to Swear by God in humane Affairs and in light Matters but also abstain from all kind of Swearing that you Swear neither by Heaven neither by Earth or any other thing that the Common People esteem for Holy and Religious Whosoever dare be bold to Lye without Swearing he dare do the same also when he Sweareth if he list To be brief He that is a good man
will believe a man without Swearâ—ng and he that is naught will not trust a man though he Swear But among you that are furnished with Evangelical Plainness there is neither place to distrust nor to imagine Deceit But let your Plain Communication be regarded for no less True and Stedfast then any manner of Oath of the Jews or Pagans how holy soever it be As often as you confirm any thing confirm it with all your Heart and perform indeed the thing that you speak As oft as you deny any thing deny it with your whole Heart neither let any thing else be in your Heart then your Mouth speaketh that there be no Counterfeiting in you seeing you are Disciples of the Truth Thus far we hope is put altogether out of Question Whether many Learned and Christian Men have not flatly denyed the Vse of Oaths to True Christians And though we need not the Contribution that is afforded us by several School and other Roman Doctors yet to evidence a kind of Succession and Universality of Testimony to this Doctrine we think it not improper to mention some of them The Judgment of Shoolmen and others in this Point XCVII T. AQUINAS Non jâ—rare omnino c. Not to swear at all c. The Lord had taught before Wrong is not to be done to our Neighbour as in forbidding Anger with Murder Lust Adultery putting away of one's Wife and now he teacheth consequently that we must abstain from the wronging of God when he doth not forbid only Forswearing as Evil but also an Oath as the Occasion of Evil from whence he saith hear thou again For it was said of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self and lest that they might make to themselves the Creatures Gods he commandeth to render the Oaths to God and not to swear by the Creatures from whence it follows Render to God c. that is If one shall happen to swear by the Creator not by the Creature whence he saith in Deuteronomy Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and by his Name shalt swear and this was allowed by the Law as to Children that as they did offer Sacrifice to Idols they should not offer them to Idols so they were permitted to swear by God not that they might do this rightly but that it might be better to give this to God them to Devils Chrysostom upon Matthew For no man sweareth frequently that sometimes may not forswear as he that makes it a Custom to speak many things sometimes he speaks unfit things Augustine against Fauslus The Lord was more willing that we not Swearing might come short of the Truth then Swearing the Truth to come nearer to Perjury Whence it follows I say unto you Swear not at all Augustine on the Words of the Lord in the Mountain in which he confirms the Righteousness of the Pharisees which is Not to Forswear For be cannot Forswear that doth not Swear XCVIII CAJETAN Again Ye have heard He perfects another Precept of the Old Law concerning Perjury because it was said to them of old time Thou shalt not Forswear Exod. 20. Thou shalt not take the Name of thy God in vain And Levit. 19. Thou shalt not Forswear in the Name of the Lord but shalt render to the Lord thy Oaths The first part of this Precept namely Thou shalt not Forswear is negative forbidding Evil in its kind for Perjury is Evil of it self therefore by no Reason it can be excâ—sed But the second part namely Thou shalt render to the Lord thy Oaths is affirmative and doth not signifie to fulfil the Oaths which thou hast promised as it appears and thereupon nothing follows of fulfilling of Promises but it signifies that the Oaths to God are to be rendred that is that Swearing must be by the Lord not by the Creatures For these words are not in the Law but the Sense of them is Deut. 6. Thou shalt swear by the Name of the Lord thy God Where Swearing is not commanded but is but regulated that it should be by the Name of God and not by the Name of the Creatures For the Law commandeth that this Act of Religion which is to swear should be exhibited to God and to no Creatures or Idols whatsoever But I say unto you He perfecteth both the Precepts adjoyning two Precepts the one negative the other affirmative Not to Swear at all Lo a negative Precept wherein two things are contained that is Not to Swear and Not at all he forbids us to Swear at all by all means as well in expressing God as not in expressing God suppose by Heaven and Earth and by the rest of the Creatures And in this he perfects the Precept concerning not Forswearing not only by taking away an Oath but the Occasion of Forswearing for 't is impossible to incur Forswearing without an Oath and also the Precept of performing the Oath to God by taking away the Care of Performing for where nothing is sworn there is no need of any Care of performing the Oath to God CV ALPHONSUS de Avendano It 's to be noted out of Cajetan that in this the Lord perfected the Command of not Forswearing by taking away not only Forswearing but the Occasion of not Forswearing because without an Oath it is impossible to incur Perjury An Oath was not necessary by the first Intention of Nature for if men had continued in the Truth they had not lyed and because Christ came that he might bring back men to this first Innocency an Oath was not necessary supposing that men ought to return unto it then to men that live according to the Simplicity of the Gospel an Oath is not necessary and therefore not Good Reasons for avoiding Caths from the same Author 1 st Lest by Swearing they fall into Perjury for which Cause Swearing is of an ill Report amongst the Saints as in Ambrose Psalm 18. 2 dly For Reverence of the Name of God 3 dly For the mutual Confidence which one Christian should have of another which ought to be so great that every one should be sure and not possible to be deceived in the least thing although he should speak in a single Assertion and for the Authority of the Saints which do seem to forbid all Oaths to Christians and that the Truth of the Gospel receives no Oath as good and desirable of it self seeing every one is of Evil. Lastly Out of Cajetan The Lord perfecteth this Precept of not Forswearing by taking away not only Perjury but the Occasion of it and taking away the Care For where there is no Swearing there is no need of Care of Rendering Oh! how Sincere and True would the Lord make his Christians that all Affirmations should be included in Three Letters only all Denyals in other Three that the Truth should be so familiar to us as to be included in the Compendium of Three Letters C. FRANCISCUS de MENDOCA Olysiponensis Dr. Theol. in Eburens Academia Sacr. lit