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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90903	A summons for svvearers, and a law for the lips in reproving them wherein the chiefe disswasives from swearing are proposed, the sleight objections for swearing answered, the strange judgments upon swearers, forswearers, cursers, that take Gods name in vain, related. Which may be a terror to the wicked for swearing, and a preservative for the godly from swearing. With sundry arguments to prove the verity of the Scriptures, and excellencie of the decalogue, against all prophane and atheisticall deniers thereof. By Walter Powell, preacher at Standish, neer Glocester.	Powell, Walter, b. 1590 or 91.	1645 (1645)	Wing P3098; Thomason E1228_1; ESTC R203197	141,220	287

who had three sons Part. 4. cap. 7. and told her husband that only one of them was his whereupon at his death hee bequeathed his estate to him who should be found out to be his naturall son the sons fell at contention the Judges to decide it commanded that their fathers dead body should be set against a tree and hee that could shoot neerest his heart should be his heire The two bastards shot the third refused it and was much offended with the other for doing it By which naturall love they concluded him the naturall sonne and gave him the Inheritance Those wretches that pierce and wound the name yea the heart of God and teare him in pieces with oaths and stab him as it were with arrows that cry with the Harlot Divide him 1 King 3.26 divide him are not sons but bastards not Sheep but Goats not servants of God but slaves of Satan not heires of heaven but fire-brands of hell It is an argument of great ingratitude against the Lord our God Mot. 8. who having powred down his multitude of blessings upon thee thou spuest forth multitude of blasphemies against him Hos 4.7 As Gods blessings were increased so thyblasphemies were increased For great men that seem most to partake of Gods blessings commonly do most abound in this sin Therefore will I change their glory into shame their health into sickness liberty into thraldome plenty into penury mirth into mourning sinning in tongue into suffering in tongue The tongues of such mighty men shall mightily be tormented and with Dives scorched in that fiery lake of brimstone that were in their life set on fire of hell it self Jam. 3.6 by their oft eager wilfull and despitefull blaspheming of the glorious name of God The rich man in hell torments complained most of the torments of his tongue hee was cloathed gorgeously Luke 16.24 and fed diliciously and that every day but these things are not so much noted to be recompensed as his little All in all unruly tongue as if hell flames were most fiery against that and that most sure to endure the same He equalizeth the Devill and in some respect exceedeth him Mot. 9. for the devils believe and tremble at this fearfull name of God but swearers do not so In this respect the swearer offereth as great injury to God as the Devill himself because he commits Idolatry against God and adultery with the soul of man and hereby endeavours to make a divorce betwixt God and her maker Hee that forsakes the Lord by swearing by those that are not Gods committeth adultery and Idolary against the Lord But the swearer forsakes the Lord swearing by those that are not Gods Rhoods Mass Mary Faith Troth c. Therefore hee commits adultery and Idolatry against the Lord Jer. 5.7 Jer. 5.7 He that turns from the Lord and worshippeth the hoast of heaven in stead of worshipping the Lord commits adultery and Idolatry But the swearer worshippeth the hoast of heaven swearing by St. Mary Peter Paul Sun Light Star Fire Therefore he forsakes the Lord and commits adulterie and Idolatry against the Lord. Zeph. 1.5.6 For in swearing either Gods holy name is polluted by the fleshly tongue of a prophane carnall and sensuall man or if some other thing it sets in stead thereof to sweare by it is spirituall Idolatry Now Adultery is known to be spirituall Idolatry Hos 1.2 and adultery is known to make adivorce between God and the soul of man yea Hos 2.2 3.10.13 between God and the nations Swearing then can be no friend to the soul of man making such enmity between her and her maker Hee offereth by swearing great wrong to his best friend as also to himself Mot. 10. To his friend I prove it thus Reas 1. He that gives cause to the world to believe that his friend will not believe him in trifles without an oath Arg. 1. doth greatly wrong his dearest friend But the swearer that often sweareth to his friend in trifles gives cause to the world to believe that his friend will not believe him without an oath Therefore he swearing in trifles doth greatly wrong his best friend Wee know there is no greater scandall to friendship then want of trust yet by swearing this scandall unhappily lights upon the swearers sworn-brother Here it may be the swearer flies in the face of the minor or yonger proposition by a strong deniall Object that hee sweareth not because he distrusts his friends belief but to procure grace to his words in the eare of his friend A filthy grace Sol. 1. and a beastly friend in whom such a grace hopes for entertainment Howsoever his friend may take it yet the greatest part of the world will not be perswaded that hee can have any other probable cause but fear and distrust and so among wise men his friend is subject to scandall still Hee that needlesly puts his friend to a great deal of pains Arg. 2. without any profit procured to himself doth greatly wrong his friend But the swearer puts an honest man to a great deal of pains of grief and reproof without any profit procured to himself But an honest man is in the middle proposition and the swearers friend in the major proposition which will not be one in the conclusion if therefore the swearers friend were an honest man it might happily save the life of the Syllogisme and the swearer too He greatly wrongs himself because he proclaimes unto the whole world that he is a lier and a fool A lier 1. Lier for if thou mayest be believed why dost thou swear and if thou canst not be believed which thy swearing imports then thou goest for a common lyer A rotten tree must have a leaning post and a lying man must be kept up in credit and belief by swearing Thou must then leave thy swearing that thou mayst be thought to have left thy lying For if thou art not an ordinary lier thou hast no reason to be a common swearer A fool he proclaims himself to be 2. A Fool. Arg. 1. 1. Hee is a speciall fool that falls into the company of friends that are met together for honest society and comfort and throwes stones cups or candlesticks in the midst of the company he is surely thought to be a mad man or a fool But the Swearer is such a one striking not so much the head as the heart of a Religious man And surely it 's no point of wisdome to bring vexation to them and hatred from them upon himself 2. He is a fool that speaks before there is need Arg. 2. or more then is needfull but the Swearer doth so therefore he is no wise man Swearing is for confirmation of things doubtfull Heb. 6.16 But our ordinary Swearer is commonly imployed about things plain and frivolous wherein can be no doubt at all as often times about what a clock it is or

through thy eares and raigneth not as a Prince in thy heart It is one thing to fall into their company as travellers drinke at an Inne together and another thing to dwell delight in their company It is one thing to speake with them and another thing to approve of their sinne The Apostles meaning is that sometimes wee shall have a lawfull occasion to converse and commerce with wicked persons but that must onely be when a lawfull calling doth warrant us and then must wee shine as lights in the midst of a crooked generation that we by our silence be not infected with them but they by our dislike of their sinne reclaimed from the same Sparing societie there must bee with them when by our admonition wee finde no amendment and others that are not so offensive and vexatious in their communication must be resorted unto Psal 16.3 that so all our delight may be in the Saints and those that excell in vertue Psal 16.3 If all our delight must be in the Saints then must wee all labour to be Saints and never have any setled delight in the societie of any obstinate fearfull heaven-daring hell-hastening swearers that alwayes stop their eares and hate to be reformed charme the charmer never so wisely never so daily And so much for answer to those severall Objections why men are loath to depart the company of such resolute and notorious swearers Now though I have so earnestly perswaded to the avoyding the daily societie and familiaritie with those swearers because of infection suspition malediction and have endeavoured to repell what might seeme to be alledged to the contrary yet doe I wish deeme and desire that they be not quickly and willingly neglected by us and left in this their sin and the danger thereof eternall condemnation but that before wee depart and wholly abandon their company wee use all possible meanes of and for their conversion considering that such were some of us though now by Christs bloud we are washed cleansed Let us leave no course unassayed whether of reprehension or correction according to our calling and conscience which is the fifth and last particular of this sixth and last use of Imitation the motives why wee must be so carefull and constant to imitate God in due reproving and sharpe punishing of this sinne And when hereunto your zeale hath been heated and the edge of your affections somewhat sharpened I shall be ready to take my worke from off the Loome turne my pinnace into the harbour by making a conclusion of this my second observation Sinfull swearing though by man it be not yet by God shall severely be punished Therefore Let man see by the light of this Sunne and light his Candle at the largenesse of this fire endeavouring to reprove and punish this sinne because God our heavenly Father hath commanded us as deare children to be followers of him Wee are to reprove sinners all sinners in generall and in our calling punish them therefore swearers also in particular For many will acknowledge sinne in the bunch to be reproved but not in the berry Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Levit. 19.17 but in my wise rebuke him and not suffer sinne upon his soule Wilt thou with Joab kisse with thy mouth and in the same instant stab thy brother to the heart Wilt thou hold him up in his rotten words and rayling oathes approving the same by thy silence and so be ready to cut the throat of his soule Wilt thou pretend such great kindnesse to him superficially and practice so little effectually or seeme to regard his bodie and in the meane time suffer the Milstone of sin lying heavie on his soule Wilt thou shew greater respect to the haire then to the head to the bone then to the marrow to the bark then to the tree to the shell then to the fish to the house then to the inhabitant to the body that is subject to vanity then to the soule that is to continue to eternity By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples Joh. 13.35 if yee love one another Now what doth manifest our love Not inviting to board not speaking smoothly to the face but a studious endevour to consider what is profitable to our neighbours soule that so when he falls he may be raised up by the tongue of Admonition or hand of correction Admonish or exhort one another daily Heb. 3.13 lest any of you at any time bee hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne For the heart of man through the cold climate of custome through the want of zeale and devotion through sinnes deceitfulnesse and Satans subtilty will quickly deeply bee frozen and through hardned if the like heat of daily admonition doe not thaw the same The water beginning to freeze will scarcely beare a peny weight afterwards it will beare a shilling then a man at length horse and man cart load and all Perhaps the swearer at first through tendernesse of conscience or Gods restraining power will utter and broach but petty oathes as by my fay our Lady Cock and Pye c. after through custome and evill societie slavish oathes as by this Light Bread Drink fire crosse of coyn c. At last if the Devill hath long sate in the chaire of his heart it will be so deeply frozen that he will make no bones of the greatest hellish oathes Wounds Nailes Blood Heart Life Soule of God c. Let therefore opportune admonition at least the hammer of correction break the Ice dissolve the hardnesse dislodge Satan and dash this custome into shivers Save such friends as brands out of the fire Jude 23. and look not doubtfully upon them staying till other men come to help thee pull them out For so being in the fire they may be burned before they be delivered because this is wild fire yea hell fire James 3.6 set on fire of Hell it selfe James 3.6 And in Chap. 5.12 He speakes of a sudden falling into condemnation Facilis descensus Averni All sin in generall wee are invited to reprove in respect 1. Of precept 1. In the Law Leviticus 19.17 2. In the Gospel Mat. 7.5 and 18.17 3. By the Apostle Col. 4.17 1 Tim. 5.20 2. Of practice 1. By God the Father Gen. 4.6 2. By Christ the Son Mat. 4.7 Io. 8.44 3. By God the holy Ghost Io. 16.8 9. 4. By the Apostles Luk. 3.7 Gal. 2.11 3. Of praise We should pull out a moat Mat. 7.5 and so preserve the whole body He shall hide a multitude of sinnes and save a soule from death Iam. 5.20 by removing the milstone of sinne that lay so fast upon the heart of his soule Levit. 19.17 When as he that neglecteth this duty discovereth himselfe First to be an hypocrite secondly to murder soules even of neighbours whom they would be thought to love Prov. 11.9 4. Of profit both the good of the Admonished Admonisher 1. The good and

to their purses or posterity who nothing care what shall become of their soules so as they may have profit here and leave their children rich behind them But what profit doth it prove in the end The son is counted a Gentleman before the world for the goods sake and the Father is reckoned before God and his holy Angels a fire-brand in hell The sonne is Lord of many possessions the father is a wretch and hath nothing The sonne is replenished with dainties joy and pleasure the father is filled full of bitter sorrowes and intolerable torments The sonne singeth playeth danceth and maketh merry the father weepeth sorroweth and wisheth himselfe never to have been born Behold how Dame Perjury rewardeth her servants at the later end Mark what Claudianus the heathen Poet concludeth touching perjury In prolem dilata ruunt perjuria patris Et poenam merito filius ore luit Et quas fallacis collegit lingua parentis Has eadem nati lingua refudit opes The perjuries of the Father escaping punishment in this world fall upon the sonne and look what riches the tongue of the deceitfull father hath gathered together even the very same hath the tongue of the sonne paid home again and wast fully spent The Jurers or witnesses through rashnesse and want of admonition by the Magistrate are suddenly brought to this fearfull sinne of perjuty for want of sober advice and mature deliberation through hast and in affection to the one party are prone to slide into this dangerons pit Whereas at the taking of their oath they should be exhorted so uncorruptly to look upon the matter to deale so truly and uprightly and to give so just a verdict even as though it should be presented and offered up to the high and everlasting Judge Jesus Christ Magistrates likewise that promise with a solemne oath to doe all things accordingly to equity and justice and to accept no person in judgement but to maintain the good and punish the evill to exalt vertue and to punish vice if contrary to their oath they deale unrighteously oppresse the succourlesse judge for favour condemne the good save the evill persecute the favourers of Gods word maintaine the Papists they are then forsworn and shall not uscape the punishment of perjury Bishops and Pastors that promise faithfulnes to be earnest preachers to set forth Gods word and live according to the same if they doe not labour in the harvest of Gods word doe not lead an honest and vertuous life they are forsworne and shall not be held guiltlesse The man and wife that promise faith and troth to each other that they will in all estates and extremities lean each to other the man to love his wife as himselfe and hold himselfe contented with her the woman reverently to feare and obey her husband in the Lord if they breake this promise and one delight not in another but each seek after strange flesh they are then forsworn and shall not escape the punishment of perjury The subiects that promise obedience and willing service to their Rulers if they breake their promise and resist high Powers are forsworne and shall not escape the plagues of perjury As for all Knights of the Post false and forswearers who like Putiphars wife doe onely shew the garments of honest men to prove their dishonest cause I wish them no other punishment then that which Philip of Macedon inflicted upon two of his subiects in whom hee saw no hope of grace Vnum à Macedonia fugere alterum persequi jussit he made the one of them to run out of Macedonia and the other to drive him A faire riddance of them both as is in the proverb without a Sessions Isocrates the Orator gives an excellent caution to all those who for the least advantage adventure to take an oath Take an oath saith he that is put unto thee for two causes either that thou mayst deliver thy selfe from a filthy crime or that thou mayst preserve thy friends that are in perill and danger but for money see thou sweare by no God although thou sweare righteously For to some thou shalt seem to forswear thy selfe and to some to bee desirous of money Surely a divine saying of an heathen man and worthy to bee written in Marble and brasse yea in the hearts of men Wherefore if the thought of the shame before men will not yet let thee feare and danger of the punishment from God restrain us from this so dreadfull and damnable a sin Foelices faciant si aliena pericula cautos It is well for us if the sufferings of others keep us from sinning Let no man think that God will leave that unpunished in us which he hath not pardoned in other that had not so many examples of punishment before them as are before us Let us feare to partake in their sinnes lest that we share also in their punishments for where sinneis framed in the Antecedent there punishment is inferred in the Consequent unlesse Gods mercy and mans penitency make a separation between the cause and the effect the beginnning and end And so I passe to the last of the wayes that at first I proposed whereby Gods name is taken in vaine to wit by cursing wherein I dare passe my word I will be very brief lest this discourse that at first was intended but a narrow entrance to bee passed through in the space of an houre should swell into a wide Ocean even not to be sailed over in the length of a Summers day Gods name is taken in vain by cursing There is a certaine multiplicity Doct. 4. severity of punishment attending all those that by cursing doe take Gods name in vain Because they transgresse against the precept of God in the Law Reason Exo. 22.28 Mat. 5.44 Rom. 12.14 Vse 1. Levit. 19.14 and the precepts of Christ in the Gospel Let us then men and brethren bee exhorted to suffer the consideration of this truth not onely to swim in our braines but also to sink into our hearts that wee bee carefull to prevent this hideous sinne this uncharitable sin that so directly aimes at mans hurt and at Gods prerogative Royall Vengeance is mine Deut. 32.35 and I will repay it Deut. 32.35 The main motives that may preserve us from falling into and recover us from sinking in this sin are these two 1 The greatnesse of the sinne Two motives 2. The grievousnesse of the punishment due to and waiting on the same The greatnesse of the sin appeares because 1. The curser breaks the first Table touching God in taking his name in vain 1 The greatnesse of the sin hee hath no love or feare of God in him seeing he makes God the executioner of his lust and revenge Levit. 19.14 Lev. 19.14 2. The curser breakes the second Table touching man Jam. 3.9 seeing hee discovers the inward malice of his heart by the outward pollution of his hell-hatched words in defiring his ruine

dangerous forswearing damnable no swearing secure As wine is to be used warily not for that it is evill but because being used it procureth drunkenness so the frequent use of an oath is not good because it makes way for perjury It is altogether unprofitable Mot. 17. other sins have their several baits to allure us some of profit some of pleasure some of honour This sin of vain swearing is destitute of all and being no profit but loss even the loss of Gods favour of a good conscience the assurance of salvation and of our reputation among the faithfull shame and utter destruction shall attend all those who either through custome wantonness or maliciousnness fall into this sin having no reason in respect of credit pleasure profit to perswade them thereunto according to the Prayer of the Psalmist Psal 25.3 Let them be confounded that sin without a cause Were it not for feare of humane Lawes they would as easily commit adultery theft or any other sinne when the baits of pleasure profit or preferment did provoke it For he that will not stick to offend God gratis and for no benefit will much more doe it when he is hired with pleasure or profit He that will sin for nothing will sin for something It is severely threatned in the Word Mot. 18. The second and third commandement above all other have severe threats subjoyned unto them to manifest how great the sinnes of idolatry and swearing are in Gods ●●ght above all other sins This Text shewes how in a speciall manner the Lord sets himslfe against the same In the 5. of Matthew the 5. of James the 5. of Jeremy and the 5. of Zacharie as in a clear glasse we may behold the fierie face and fierce wrath of God against this custom of vain swearing The beginning of it is from the Devill Mat. 5.37 The end of it is damnation Jam. 5.12 Jer. 5.7 How shall I pardon thee for this Zach. 5.2.3 Though our oaths which being registred Zach. 5.2 3 4. expounded would fill a volume by the Swearer and Magistrate are buried as soon as broached yet by God are they registred in a book In which place the Prophet describing the punnishment laid up for Swearers sers down 1. The nature of it it is a Curse Deut. 29.19 and the Swearers being liable to Gods curse they doe enjoy but small benefit by the Devils blessing 2. The truenesse of it it is recorded in a book one tittle of which truth shall not be left unacaccomplished but as certainly performed as if it were already inflicted 3. The neernesse of it it is in a flying book oathes flie up to heaven and the Swearers souls with posting speed hast towards hell 4. The greatnesse of the punishment filling a book of twenty cubits long and ten cubits broad this book being as fully fraught with their woes as the world is with their oathes 5. The universality of it it goes over the face of the whole earth every one without respect to any one that sweareth shall be cut off according to it 6. The invincibility or irresistiblenesse of it it is brought forth immediatly very often even by the Lord of Hosts himself 7. The perpetuitie or durablenesse of it it takes possession of the midst of his house with resolution to abide as having commanding authoritie and enters not into remote roomes or corners of the house as a forrainer or stranger quickly to be gone 8. The severitie of it it shall consume it and every part of it with the timber and stones thereof to signifie the greatnesse of the sin and grievousnes of the punishment due to the same seeing the very house that harboured the timber that sheltered the stones that heard the hideous Swearer shall also partake of Gods judgements because they did not presently take up armes and flie about the ears of the Swearer Ribera in Zach. 5.2 Ex Chrysost hom 15.19 Ad pop Antiochen or as Ribera well observeth the timber and stones shall bee consumed that the memory of the punishment may not be blotted out but whosoever passeth by that house and sees the ruines thereof may be admonished how greatly God hates this sinne of swearing and how certainly suddenly severely he doth punish the same If thou wilt not feare this glorious and fearfull name The Lord thy God Deut. 28.58 as no vain Swearer doth feare it then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long continuance Accustome not thy mouth to swearing for in it are many falls neither take up for a custome the naming of the holy One for thou shalt not be unpunished for such things For as a servant that is oft punished cannot be without some scarre so hee that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not bee faultlesse A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with wickednesse and the plague shall never goe from his house when he shall offend his fault shall hee upon him and if he acknowledge not his sinne hee maketh a double offence and if he sweare in vain he shall not bee innocent but his house shall bee full of plagues Ecclus. 23.9 10 11. Many are of opinion which judge without discretion that it is evill to doe any thing for feare of punishment but all for love and if we abstain from any evill for feare wee are in a wrong course But we see here in this Text and in lam 5.12 the Lord is content to use this as a reason good and strong and will be beholding to us if we feare to sweare because of his wrath and our condemnation Heare what Augustine saith Fac fac veltimore poenae si nondum potes amore justitiae leave ' this sinne if not for love of obedience enjoyned in the first part yet for feare of punishment threatned in the latter part of this precept Love of obedience indeed doth allure the best but feare of punishment doth compell the most We know that fire will burn and because we know it by no meanes almost can bee brought to put our finger in the fire and doubtlesse if we were perswaded that finne would burn as a fire we would not so easily act it with our hands utter it with our tongues or hatch it in our hearts The discourse between Esops Fox and Goat will informe us that it is easie to fall into sinne but hard to come out The Fox perswaded and prevailed with the Goat to goe down with him into a pit to drink having done the Fox by the help and height of the Goats back got out again The Goat requiring help to come up the Fox replied If thou hadst as much wit in thy head as thou hast haire on thy beard thou wouldest have looked not onely how to goe in but also before-hand how to come out Let the dungeon of darknesse cause us to walk and talk as

it shall be punished also in the life to come There is no middle between these two extremes they that will not amend their swearing by perswasion God will end it and them by destruction their judgement was here threatened in thunder and lightening and will be inflicted there with fire and brimstone If Railers and Revilers of men shall be excluded heaven 1 Cor. 6.10 then much more swearers and blasphemers of God The Devill that set them on work will hereafter pay them their wages howling and cursing shall be their chief ease in hell to whom blasphemy was a speciall recteation on earth Gall and Wormwood shall be their meat and drink as swearers like these dishes so let them feed on wallowing in their sordid sin which will be seconded with sowrer sawce Hee that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption and hee only that soweth to the spirit as no common swearer doth shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Gal. 6.8 As their tongues while they lived were set on fire of hell it self so being dead they shall be for ever tormented in that flame that first inflamed them James 3.6 Jude 23. the least finger of them whose helping hands they refused to pull them as brands out of the fire of this their sin shall not be procured for one time to be dipped in water to cool their tormented tongue Luke 16.14 for the least intermission of time from being scorched in this fire which ever burneth and never will be consumed Thus with many Motives wee may be disswaded if we be reclaimable from this horrid hideous heaven-daring sin of swearing considering that 1. It defileth Gods Name which wee must honor 2. It diminisheth Gods reverence which we must increase 3. It obscureth Gods glory which above all things we must advance 4. It breaketh faith and credit with men which we must maintain 5. It increaseth infidelity and makes way to perjury which we must abhor 6. It is wholly unprofitable and never did good unto any which we must do unto all 7. It is the work of the Devill which Christ came to destroy 8. It deprives of salvation which in our whole life we should study to attain 9. It discrediteth our profession which wee should sdorn 10. It increaseth Satans kingdome which we should extenuate 11. It makes us accord with the Pharisees and Hypocrites whose deeds wee say we allow not of 12. It proclaims us propha●● which we are loth to be called 13. It 's a 〈◊〉 of the true God whom we have vo●● 〈◊〉 Baptisme constantly to serve 14. It arg●●● 〈…〉 traytors and bastards which we see● 〈…〉 count the greatest danger and disgrace 15. It shewes our ingratitude to God for the great gift and blessing of the tongue with which we should labour most to publish our thanks and Gods praise 16. It equalizeth the Swea●●● with and exceeds the 〈◊〉 of the Jewes yea of the Devill himself which we do seem to hate and defie 17. It 's an offering of great wrong to our best friends and to our selves all whose welfare wee say we labour daily to provide 18. It proclaims us liars and fools to all wise men in the world which we shun they should see to bring us to shame 19. It 's punished with many other sins the least whereof deserves death 20. It 's forbidden and threatned in a speciall manner that we might chiefly avoid it 21. It 's punisht severely both here hereafter the least part of which punishment wil be more then we can indure With all which Motives he that will not be disswaded from this unpleasing unprofitable dangerous damnable sin of swearing to him a thousand arguments more will be insufficient And so much be spoken concerning the third Vse containing the twenty severall Motives to disswade from ●●earing The fourth Vse containing the means to be used for the avoiding of this 〈…〉 followeth to be briefly prosecuted For Direction Vse 4. 〈…〉 that means to use whereby this poison may be expelled this traytor beheaded this disease cured and thereby this commandment obeyed 1. Means 1 Pray often against this vice for Eccl. 9.2 hee is noted to feare an oath that useth to sacrifice i. to pray And Psal 141.3 Set a wach before my mouth keep the door of my lips 2. Heare and meditate much on Gods Word a preservative as against all sin in generall so against this sin of swearing in speciall Psal 119.11 2 Cor. 7.11 3. Be avenged on our selves for oaths by abstaining even from speech in such company and cases wherein we have been so much overseen 4. Be ready to admonish one another of this sin if we would be thought to shew any love to our neighbour offending The Swearer hath the Devill in his tongue Levit. 19.17 the non-reprover in his eare If we see our neighbours sheep straying wee tell him of it and shall we see his soul ready to drop into hel and not admonish bring and pul him as a brand out of the fire Heb. 3.13 Ju. 23. 5. Feare the glorious and fearefull name of the Lord thy God Deut. 28.58 6.13 Feare it so that you name it not or thinke of it but with reverence 6. Be sparing in the use of asseverations for these are the hedges and utmost fences as it were of Gods name from being prophaned For as it is good policy not only to avoid the plague but to eschew every little rag that might seem to carry the plague with it so it 's heavenly policie not only to avoid gross oaths but also all such vain asseverations and vain protestations that through custome would easily draw on swearing Asseverations are the brink of the water as it were and swearing a deep pit to swallow us in it now if wee be still leaping and dauncing carelesly upon the brink it is a thousand to one we shall slip in and perish also unless wee recover our selves by speedy repentance 7. Avoid the company of Swearers because our corrupt nature is easily infected If we do but breath in the contagious aire of Pharaohs sinfull Court we may be infected with Joseph If we inure our selves to the company of those Edomites we shall quickly leave off to speak the pure language of Canaan There is little hope that wee shall stand in such slippery places but that we shall fall either by swearing our selves or not reprehending others The tinder of our corruption is easily set on fire with the touch of the least spark of an evill president if it be not moistned by the water of Gods holy Spirit Meditate often on those threatnings recorded in the word and denounced against Swearers that these thunderbolts may restrain thee from setting a flag of defiance against heaven 9. Let custome of swearing be broke with contrary custome Let us if we cannot break it off at once bring it into a consumption by disinuring our tongues from the use thereof 10.

that we carry as sound and loyall a heart to our Soveraigne as the best is a matter that rather deserves laughter then beliefe 2. 2. Motive from Caution From Caution Parents Masters Magistrates punishing or reproving some of their children servants subjects for their lewd and rash swearing others thereby are advised carefully to endeavour the sanctifying of the glorious name of God As the Thunderbolt falls with the danger of few but with the feare of all So poena ad paucos metus ad omnes the shame and punishment reacheth but to a few but the feare of the shame and punishment unto all Etsi meliores allicit amor plure tamen cogit timor For the better are directed by love the greater are corrected by shame or feare A man that stands by and sees another seared launced beheaded hanged is thereby made more carefull of his own health and life The men addicted to swearing seeing others smart by punishment or ashamed by reprehension are made more wary how they blaspheme the great fearfull and glorious name of God 3. The third motive is from Discredit Motive 3. From the Discredit It is a shrewd signe that a man is addicted to swearing himselfe when he gives way to others without check or controll And it is a generall rule He that heareth the swearer quietly where he may reprove him he is become guilty of the same offence To sweare or to listen to swearing which of these two is the worst cannot easily be defined the one having the Devill in his tongue the other in his eare and that quickly enters in at the eare that cleaves as fast to the soule as skin and bones together It is the receiver that makes the thiefe and a faire countenance and open eare to swearing that makes and maintaines the swearer The ground hereof is Rom. 1. last verse Rom 1. last verse Not onely they which commit such things are worthy of death but they also that doe consent to them that doe them Now consent is direct or indirect direct by advising and enticing to doe a thing or by defending or delighting in it being done indirect when a man reproves or resists it not being in his power so to doe Wherefore wouldest thou be free from heating reproofe and so from bearing of shame let thy little unruly tongue be bridled and set a watch before the doore of thy lippes Disce non libenter dieere quod non vis libenter audire speak not that wickedly which thou wilt not heare reproved willingly for hee that speakes what he should not must heare that hee would not and good reason for else the hearer to please him should discredit himselfe and dishonour his maker by his silence The fourth motive from the Danger 4. Motive from the Danger The swearer not reproved or punished his sinne is made the sinne of those that should reprove or punish the same Perk. maketh 8. particular wayes how men doe communicate with other mens sins See cases of Conscience l. 1 p. 1. By coun sell 2. By commandment 3. Consent 4 Provocation 5. Silence 6. Slighting 7. Flattery 8. Defending They by and for neglect thereof doe draw down the wrath of God upon a whole land God seeing none reprove or by sharp courses strive against this sinne comes downe himselfe to take the matter into his owne hands by having a just and sharp controversie with the inhabitants of the land the beasts of the field and fishes of the sea And why with the inhabitants of the land Because qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet hee that doth not restrain a man when it is his duty and lies in his power doth command him to sinne he that hinders not doth further him to sinne Judex damnatur dum nocens absolvitur loosing the guilty he ties fast himselfe I may invert the Apostles words 1 Tim. 5. Lay hands suddenly one no man neither be partaker with other mens sinnes lay suddenly the words of admonition to oathes transgression lest thou be partaker of their sinnes lest by thy secret silence thou be partaker of their open sinfulnesse lest by thy not reproving thou bee as though thou hadst sworn Though their sinne through swiftnesse hath taken flight into the eare yet let it not by connivence take footing in the heart Apply soule-saving reproofe as often to his oathes as hee doth soule-killing oathes to thy eare that so preventing his sinnes infection thou mayst escape his sinnes malediction Hee that saith to the wicked Pro. 24.24 Thou art righteous him shall the people curse Prov. 24.24 They then that hearing Gods name blasphemed by swearing his creatures abused by drinking his Sabbaths prophaned by dancing his word contemned by peoples absenting his poor starved by not relieving them and hath his mouth muzled lips sealed tongue tied doe in a manner by their silence say they are righteous and do approve their courses Pro. 17.15 and so by justifying them in their sins are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 17. whereas by their connivencie they seek and think to have credit and love with men they make themselves odious both to God and man Thus you see many severall motives why the swearer must be reproved because of our Calling Caution as also the Diseredit and Danger that is consequently to ensue doe call all upon us for the performing this duty Now thou that hearest or readest these provocations suffer oh suffer them not to be as water spilt upon the ground or stones cast against the wind but being free thy selfe from this sinne by the meanes proposed in the fourth use labour to make others under thy roofe and regiment to bee free by the motives alledged in this fifth and last use that thou mayst bee wise not for thy selfe alone but for others also For be thou well assured it is in vain for thee being a Parent a Master or an Housholder to abstain from swearing unlesse others under thee abstain also The goodnesse of a Master Parent or Ruler profiteth not so much in the right institution of a Family as the wickednesse of a swearer destroyeth It is well when one planteth and another watereth but it is evill when one planteth and another plucketh up Yet notwithstanding all that hath or may be spoken our people still practice what the Prophet prophesied Hos 4.4 Hosea 4.4 Let no man strive or reprove one another Objections alledged why men reprove not or punish swearers no though it be his brother For this heaven-daring sin to a man of this humour to range him into order it is as burning coles cast upon flax it sets on fire within or without his heart being kindled within that breaks forth into some of these severall flames at his mouth Who made you a Judge or Controller Object 1. as an Israelite spake to meek Moses reproving him Exod. 2.14 God I hope will not be so severe in punishing as you are severe