〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Antioch Heavenly Father If thou imitatest him not but sufferest thy heart to burn with Anger and Malice I pronounce against thee thou art a Bastard and no true Son That then thou mayest truly retain the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Magnes name and maintain by thy practise the duty of a good Christian follow the Prophet Davids advice Psal 37.8 Cease from Anger and forsake Wrath else shalt thou be moved to do evil thou wilt wrong thy Neighbour and injure thy good God by breaking his Commandements chiefly the third which concerns the hallowing of his Name which if thou beest a man of an angry and hasty disposition thou wilt often do when by Cursing and Swearing thou takest the same in vain Therefore in a devout imitation of thy Father which is in Heaven be thou as he is full of Compassion and Mercy slow to anger Psal 103.8 and of great goodness and if thou beest addicted or given to much Swearing besides the prevention of many other sins thou shalt by curbing thy angry Passion so bridle and restrain thy Tongue that it shall not so often as formerly nay seldom or never profane Gods holy Name The VIII Remedy To beware of intemperance especially in Drink The eighth Remedy is to beware of Drunkenness that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Basil calls it that common strumpet that bewitches mens hearts and besots their braines That hateful Night-bird which was wont to waite for the Twilight to seek nooks and corners to avoid the houting and wonderment of Girles and Boyes but now is grown audacious and as if it were some Eaglet that dares the bright Sun it flies abroad at high-noon in every Street and displaies its filthy Nakedness in open places without all fear or shame It is observed by Clemens Alexandrinus Clem. Alex. in Strom. that it took first footing in the most barbarous Nations the Scythians who were such lovers of it that it grew into their name and to Scythianize was all one and the same with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inebrior Suid to be drunk I pray God that stain or reproach be not hereafter thrown upon us as it was upon those sottish Nations If His Majesties late * The 30. day of May 1660. Proclamation for the repressing of this foul sin were duly and strictly observed and put into execution it would not be so common among us But in that it is so frequent I wonder not that Oaths are so familiar in mens mouthes Quod in corde Sobrii est in linguâ Ebrii That which lodges with security in the Heart of a man that is sober discovers it self in his Tongue when he is drunk Hence is that saying of a wise and learned Author He that would Anatomize the Soul i. e. detect its inward and most benighted thoughts and intentions may do it best when wine and strong drink has benummed the senses The reason of this is given by Seneca Ep. 83. Non est animus in suâ potestate Ebrietate devinctus c. again Omne vitium Ebrietas incendit detegit i. e. Reason is not at its own Command so long as it is bound up by Drunkenness and fetter'd as it were with excesse of Meats and Drinks To confirm this besides our daily experience we have the expresse Warrant and Testimony of Gods word Whoredom Wine Hos 4.11 and new Wine take away the heart i. e. deprive a man of the use of Reason Nay which is more excesse of Wine or Drunkenness robs a man of Gods grace and assistance and banishes or drives his holy Spirit from us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in Moral even as smoke does chase and drive away Bees as St. Basil observes Now what sin is there so horrid what abomination so prodigious and hainous which a Drunkard is not ready to act he being deserted by Gods holy Spirit void of Reason and Sense and left to the Ruling power of the Devil and the rage of his native lust which is well termed by Parisiensis origo seminarium omnium vitiorum the root source and seminary of all sin A man in such a desperate forlorn case or condition is like Sampson Judg. 10.19 when the locks of his haire were cut off and his eyes put out The Text sayes that not onely his strength went from him but that also the Lord had departed from him And as the Philistines did by Sampson so doth the Devil by a Drunken man he leads him in a string where he pleases makes him grind in the Mill of all kinde of Sins and Vices and like a Mill-horse leads him in a round from sin to sin from one wickednesse to another from Lying to Swearing from this to Stealing and from that to Perjury or Forswearing The Devil having moistned and steeped him in liquor shapes him like soft Clay into what mould he pleaseth Having shaken off his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as a Father calls it Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Rudder and Pilot his Stay and Prop which is his Reason the Tempter hurries him into the gulf of all licentiousness and uncleanness dashes his Soul upon what Rocks and Sands he listeth and that with as much facility as a man may push down the moistned burthen of his body tottering upon its unstable Porters his feeble legs A man who has thus unmanned or unmade himself devested of Reason which by Plato is term'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little Deity in the Soul of Man sitting there as it were in a Throne of Judicature prescribing what is good and forbidding what is bad A man I say if I may call him so that is drown'd in drink wanting the eye of Reason and the light of Gods Spirit both which he hath put out by his excessive liquor taken in such a one is the fittest agent for the Devil to work by he is now ready to act and attempt any sin or wickedness be it the sin of Cain or Absalom the killing of a Brother Father or Mother now he Sweares and Blasphemes who in his right wits and sober mood seems to be more Modest Chaste and Devoute And oft-times it so falls out by the just Judgement of God withdrawing his grace from those who are accustom'd to this Vice that the Oathes which fell from their tongues when they were drunk stick in their teeth when they are sober Thus one sin becomes the cause of another thus Swering for the most part accompanies and followes Drunkennesse They are two Sister-Vices whose Mother is our own corrupt nature the Devil their Father They like Hippocrates his twinns are born and live and die together they go as we say hand in hand and seldom part asunder Beware therefore of Drunkennesse Eph. 5.1 1 Pet. 2.21 and shew thy self alwaies a follower of
so it is the Rule whereby in our passage to heaven we must be guided And although it be probable that Joseph used such an Oath that he might comply with the Egyptians in that forme which perhaps was by them used and might also do it as being unwilling to be discovered by his Brethren not to be an Egyptian yet my second answer will better clear the doubt and refute the objection I say then in the second place that it was not properly nor simply an oath but rather an Obtestation a kind of desire or wish as if he should have said So may the king prosper as what I have averred is true viz. That you shall not goe forth hence except your youngest Brother come hither c. This then is not to swear by Pharaoh it is rather as I said a desire and wish added to an asseveration of a truth Examples of the like manner of Obtestations we find in the holy Scriptures 1 Sam. 17.55 There Abner sayes to Saul As thy Soul liveth O King I cannot tell so our English translation renders it but the words must be expounded in the same sense as those of Joseph before because that the phrase in Hebrew is the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The effect then of Abners answer to Sauls quaere may be this As I wish thee O King long life and happinesse even as this is reall and true so what I affirme is not false c. The like kind of asseveration whereby they of old ratified and confirmed the truth of what they affirm'd we find 1 Sam. 1.26 2 Sam. 14.19 2 Kin. 2.2 1 Sam 25.26 So then admit of which of the two answers you please it is clear that from the example or practice of Joseph we may not conclude it lawfull to use the name of any creature in an Oath But this we willingly grant having Gods word for our warrant that the names of some creatures may be used when we swear yet with this limitation and in that sense only which I have premised viz. Not to swear by them absolutely and simply i. e. to invocate or call upon them to witnesse the veritie or Truth of our assertion but only so that we wish their good and welfare if we speake the truth if otherwise i.e. if we lie their mischiefe and destruction St. Pauls asseveration 2 Cor. 1.23 I call God for a record on my Soul is a sufficient argument to prove this doctrine Vid. Calvin in loc whereby he wish'd in effect that he might perish or that his life might be taken from him if that were false which he affirmed to be true to the Corinthians The like interpretation is to be made of the words of Ioseph though in another sense for St. Pauls was an implicit Imprecation which is to be used solemnly and with a great caution only then when the thing to maintain which we wish to our selves or others any hurt is very materiall and weighty for otherwise i.e. to imprecate or use a form of Cursing for a slight matter or for no cause is a great and hainous Sin and they who are guilty of it are rank'd in Gods word amongst the Reprobate and Ungodly men Rom. 3.14 Psal 10.7 David there describing a wicked man saies His mouth is full of cursing c. Neither shall such a man escape Gods curse and malediction Psal 109.17 As he loved cursing so let it come unto him c. But to return from this short digression and to shew the difference between St. Pauls and Iosephs using the names of the Creatures in their asseverations as St. Pauls was an Imprecation or Curse so Iosephs words implie a Precation Option or wish for the Kings prosperity and happinesse from which his Brethren might inferre this that his words were most certainly true not void of sincerity because his wish for Pharaohs health whom he much honoured was not hypocriticall not feigned but hearty Having thus shaken the foundation of the Romanists pretended reasons for their Idolatrous Swearing by the Creatures I passe now to the proposall of some better and sounder reasons to the contrary to shew the unlawfulnesse of their practice and withall their Impiety therein which is great and hainous To conclude this point then Reasons why we must not swear by the Creatures Swear not at all by the creatures First because an Oath solemnly taken is a great part of Divine Worship as appeares by Isa 19.18 where the prophet foretelling that Egypt should be redeemed from the darknesse of Idolatrous Worship and brought to the light of the knowledge of the true God whom they should invocate or worship in Sincerity and Truth among other duties which he reckons up as parts of Gods worship there he sayes that five cities in the Land of Egypt shall swear by the Lord of Hosts Not unlike to this of the Prophet Isaiah is that of Jeremy c. 5.7 Thy Sons so God by him bespeaks the rebellious Nation of the Jewes have foresaken me and sworn by them which are no Gods By this latter part of the verse he declares or expounds what he had asserted in the former how the Jews had forsaken the Lord and he saies in expresse terms that they swore not by the Name of God but by them which are no Gods And hence I inferre that since to Swear by the Sacred name of God is a piece of religious and divine worship and a thing so acceptable to God when there is great need of it as that for doing the contrary he denounced against the Jews his indignation and wrath it must then of necessity be no lesse then Idolatry to transferre that honour to the Creatures which is proper and due only to God the Creatour and this sin we commit when we use their names in any Solemn protestation or Oath For which is my second argument to prove the hainousness of this sin when we swear by any one we call him to witness the truth of what we speak as being a Discerner of the heart and searcher of the Spirit and in effect we acknowledge that he is not only omniscient but also omnipotent as having power to punish us with destruction both of body and Soul if we willfully lie and assert an untruth They therefore that swear by Saint or Angel or any other Creature ascribe to them this honour of knowing our hearts and discerning our intentions and withall seem to acknowledge and profess that they have a Lord-like and all-commanding power and command over their persons their goods and lives which honour and power belongs only to God and what is this but to deifie the Creatures For this cause alone that good Bishop of Smyrna Polycarpus as it is recorded by Eusebius chose rather to die by the fagot in hot flames Euseb l. 4. c. 15. then he would swear per fortunam Caesaris by Caesars fortune which he esteemed a robbing God of his glory and giving that which is not due
mercifull and just Secondly he is Truth in his works because all his works are true Ps 111.7 8. Dan. 4.37 being conformable to his divine will and answerable to his prescience determining by an everlastiâ—â— decree either to act by himself or to â—mit by others things to be done in the â—ry order and manner as we now see they are wrought and effected Thirdly he is Truth it self i. e. most true and faithfull in his words for what he has promised shall surely come to pass Let God be true saies St. Paul i. e. God will be true Rom. 3.4 though every man be a lyar For as God is light in whom there is no darkness either of Sin or misery so he is Truth in whom there can be no Falsity either Actively or Passively for that he can neither deceive nor be deceived by any though never so closely shut up in the mantle of Hypocrisy or reserved Policy To return then to the purpose Seeing the sin of lying is so discordant to the nature of God who is the original of all Truth nay Truth it self in the abstract i.e. most true in Himself in his words and workes this sin therefore must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding sinfull and hainous beyond all expression it being set in so great an opposition to Gods essence as that is most cold which is farthest off from the fountain of heat the Sun and that most dark which is remotest from it Gods greater light set up in Heaven to guide us by day as the Moon by night Ps 163.8 9. If lying then be a sin so hainous so odious to God what may we think of Swearing the procatarctick or prime cause of that foul sin I say that is the parent of this For he that dares cast contempt upon the glorious name of God by taking it too familiarly in his mouth the same will not stick to out-brave God and out-face Man with a lye for his private gain or to maintain his Credit because he promises to himself belief from the hearer whose simple honesty and open credulity moves him to think no man so daringly impious as to call the Almighty to witness a sin I mean perjury which he will severely punish with destruction both of body and soul with poverty and disgrace and sickness here * Ah miser eisi quis primo perjuria celat Sera tamen tacitis poena venit pedibus Tibul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Implacabilis est Deus contemptis juramentis and hereafter with everlasting torments in hell fire The sin of perjury is a crying sin it roars so loud in the Conscience that it evermore disquiets the souls inward peace Nay more it begets hell in it and as I may so say awakens the Divine Justice which sometimes winks and connives at other sins It forces God to lay aside his Mercy in which he most delights and to become most severe in his punishments which have evermore fallen heavy upon perjur'd persons as appeares Gen. 14.4 where to affright and scare us from the guilt of this sin God by his servant Moses hath left us the examples of five Kings who having served Chedorlaomer King of Elam twelve years contrary to their promise confirm'd by an Oath rebelled against him for which Rebellion vengeance so pursued them that he with three Kings more made them to flie their petty Kingdoms The like examples we have 2 Kings 17.4 of Hosea King of Israel and of Zedekiah King of Judah 2 Kings 25.17 The former of these having promised obedience and service to Salmanezer the King of Assyria for his perjury lost his freedom being till his death shut up in prison The latter for the same crime against Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon lost his eyes having first seen the butchering of his Sons and now being led into Captivity his legs fast bound in fetters of brasse he had onely the use of his eares left to hear the reproches of his Enemies and of his perjur'd tongue to entreat for mercy and pitty in the midst of his pain and misery To these stories which I have borrowed out of the sacred Record of Gods word I will adde two or three more as most remarkeable and true The first shall be of Earl Godwyn who lived in the time of Edward the Confessor This Earl was he who with his ambitious Sons by his cruelty so irritated and discontented the Nobility that it was a main help and furtherance in the issue to the Conquest of this Nation by the Norman He wishing at the Kings Table that the bread might choke him if he were guilty of Alfreds death whom he had slain a little before was presently choked and fell down dead to the great terror of those that sate with him at meat Lib. 6. c. 8. Eusebius likewise tells us of three lewd fellowes that charg'd Narcissus Bishop of Hierusalem with a grievous accusation and to beget a belief of it in the minds of the Judges confirm'd it with horrid Execrations and Oaths The first wished if it were not true that he might be burnt to ashes the second that he might be tormented with some cruel disease the third that he might be smitten with blindness Narcissus relying onely upon his Innocency and unable to resist their malice and master their matchless Villany removed and hid himself in desart places for many years But mark the heavy Judgements of God which in the mean time fell upon those perjur'd persons The first by the fall of a spark of fire in the night was with his house and family consumed to ashes The second tormented in his whole body with that disease which he wished The third beholding these fearful Judgements inflicted on his two associates in wickedness and fearing to be made the like example of Gods revenging Justice confessed his sin and for it mourn'd and wept till he lost both his eyes A lamentable spectacle for false witnesses and perjur'd wretches A third story not to be parallel'd I learn'd of a knowing Gentleman in Hartfordshire it is of one Everell who many years since lived and dyed in St. Albanes He being accused before the Bishops Official for an act of uncleanness with a Maid to purge himself of this suspected crime wish'd in open Court that he might never speak more if he were guilty of that fact The word was no sooner out of his mouth but vengeance stept in for he was presently struck dumb and never spake again and afterwards by the Maids own confession it was proved that he had defiled himself with her By these dreadful examples Vid. Dr. Beard in his Theatre of Gods judgements c. 27. and many others which I could alledge out of our own Records and other profane Authors we may collect that God will not as he threatens in his word hold them guiltless but afflict them with sore Judgements who shall dare even against the check of their own Consciences to confirm a lye with an Oath
105. Q. 2. Art The breach of that Commandement which relates to a greater person is more hainous then the breach of that which respects a less and the greater the offence is the sharper will be the punishment Vain and idle Swearing being then a breach of that Commandement which enjoyns us a reverential and awfull esteem of the Name of God never to use it but in our prayers and thanksgivings for mercies and then too with feare and an awfull reverence as it denotes an Incomprehensible Essence terrible in his Judgements and filling Heaven and Earth with his unbounded infinite presence I say the sin of swearing being so directly against and so injurious to so great a Majesty must needs be repai'd with punishment and that in the greatest and highest degree of vexing sorrow and tormenting paine For this the land mourns Hos 4.3 For this i. e. for swearing vainly and falsly as it is expressed v. 2. This sin as it is the leader in the Prophets muster of hainous sins there so it is I am perswaded the Captain the Chief sin of the inhabitants of this Island and the chief provoking cause of Gods heavy judgements of Warre and Sedition of Plague and Pestilence of Sickness and Diseases which have been and are still within our Walls and reign among us These calamities will stick close to and lie hard upon us until by our prayers and hearty repentance we have cast out this Devil I mean the Sin of Swearing out of our tongues and the contempt of God out of our hearts and instead of it settle in them a reverentiall feare of his divine Majesty which will so bridle the unrulinesse of our licentious loose tongues that we shall seldom or never profane his holy Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For where the fear of the Lord is Naz. Ora. 3â— there is sayes Nazianzen a dutiful observance of his will and commands and in whom this observance is that man keeps his soul clean and pure from the pollutions of sin and from the corruptions of the Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that learned Father in his 39. Oration Secondly The second Reason as the sin of swearing is most injurious to God so it is most dangerous in respect of our selves The Jews have a saying which I find in Elias the This bite Transgressio trahit transgressionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one sin draws on another Sin is of a spreading and fruitful nature the first begets a second this a third c. God in his punitive and permissive Justice so ordering and disposing of the wayes or actions of men that because they as the Apostle speaks knowing God to be omnipotent most just and good Rom. 1.21 glorifie him not as God but magnifie and exalt themselves above God therefore by themselves shall they be debas'd upon their own heads shall they heap coales prove their own executioners in that being given over by God to reprobate minds they shall adde uncleanness to profaneness drawing Sin as it were with a Cart-rope encreasing daily in impiety Isa 5.18 and hereby aggravating their guilt and punishment Thus in David murder followed upon his Adultery 2 Sam. 11. and in his Son Solomon the excessive love of women brought forth Idolatry 1 Kings 11.3 4. his Wives turned away his heart after other Gods In like manner lying doth evermore accompany idle and rash Swearing The Prophet intimates as much Hos 4.2 where he couples these two foul and ugly Sins giving the precedency to Swearing By swearing and lying c. They met together in St. Peter Mat. 26.72 who affirmed with an oath that he knew not Christ his Master And he that accustoms his tongue to swearing will be bold with a lye a base sin which as it proceeds from a cowardly feare so it tends to cozening and fraud he that dares dishonour God will deceive his Neighbour We read of Almanzor that famous Turkish Emperour whose life is accurately penn'd by Sir W. Raleigh that as he himself was never known to make a lye Sir W. R. in his Hist of Mahomet p. 146. or speak an untruth so he term'd and accounted Lyars Disciples of the Devill the plagues of the world betrayers of the Truth Destroyers of civill and Christian conversation and the right hand of Satan No man that ever told a lye unto him escaped unpunished but received his punishment answerable to the quality or weight of his lye The least was publick disgrace but lies of an higher straine of a deeper stain which concern'd the Common-wealth he chastised with whipping cutting of tongues banishment disabling to be a witness and in some cases they were repaied with the losse of life which rigour begat terrour in wicked dispositions restrained false informations and gave a stop to unnecessary suits And when he was once sick in an Admonitorie letter to his Son he advised him that he should at no time make or bear with a lie for Lyars said he are Devills in flesh enemies to truth Subverters of Justice firebrands of Sedition Causers of Rebellion betrayâ—â—s of kingdomes and to themselves thus much harmfull and injurious that when they speak truth they are not believed nor credited If the practice of Almanzor and this Counsel to his Son were observed in our Christian Kingdome we should be more free from bloody strifes and Sedition As lying is a pernicious sin dangerous and hurtfull to the Common-wealth or State we live in so it is a base and infamous Sin The antient Germans used to say If a man loses his gold it is a great losse if his fame or good name a greater if his faith or credit the greatest of all And this loss a lyar sustains whom no man will trust though he ushers his assertions with a thousand Oaths Et saepe quo plus jurat minus fidem facit and it ofttimes so falls out that the more he sweareth the less he is believed As lying is a Sin branded with infamie among men so it is also to God most abominable and odious Prov. 12.21 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. And Prov. 6.17 A lying tongue is reckon'd amongst those six things which the Lord hateth and the reason of it is this Because as we commonly hate those things which are repugnant and contrary to our humour or dispositions so God hates a lie as most adverse and contrary to his revealed will as where it is said Thou shalt not bear false witnesse c. and likewise most opposite to his divine Nature which is most true God is not a man that he should lye Num. 23.19 Nay he is Truth it self and that three manner of waies First because he is most truly that which he sees himself and from everlasting knew himself to be and that is a most perfect Essence without any the least spot of errour or stain of sin wherefore he is most truly good truly omnipotent truly wise truly
as if it were true Four degrees of Perjury or maintain that which is true to be false knowing it to be true or lastly promise with an Oath what they mean not to perform or what they have lawfully promised then intending a performance of it when they made the promise yet afterwards even when the thing is possible and in their power to do perform it not but wickedly fall from their word These are the four degrees or parts of perjury in the proper and strict acception of the word There is another degree or kind of it which I find in St. Chrysostom How 14. ad Popul Antioch who concludes excellently in an Homily to the people of Antioch That not only those who themselves take a false Oath are guilty of perjury but they also who occasion the like sin in others and that two manner of wayes First by forcing them through fear of death losse of goods imprisonment or the like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ibid. to take a false Oath against their consciences Secondly by swearing the contrary to that which another has sworn to do and so opposing the same man by force and might that he cannot effect what he has tyed himself to by Oath As if a School-master it is St. Chrysostoms instance should swear that his Scholar should not eat a bit of bread untill he had fully obeyed his commands by performing what he had enjoyn'd him for his good Now if the Father of that child knowing that his Master had taken such an Oath should rashly swear the contrary and fondly there being no fear of danger for want of food feed the young Scholar having not perform'd his Task the Father of the child would be guilty as well as the Master And such men who cause others to sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. do as boyes that contend for a long rotten rope some tugging at one end of it and some at the other so that the rope at length breaks asunder by which means they fal all to the ground in a confused manner bruise their bodies in some one part or other And this last kind of perjury when we are the cause that others are perjur'd we may call Perjurium occasionale occasional Perjury as there is Homicidium occasionale occasional Murther which is committed by thee when thou illegally actest contrivest that which occasions a poor man either to lose his own life or to kill his Brother But to return to my purpose and to discover more fully the hainousness of this crying sin of perjury It is a compounded sin a sin as hath been said made up of an Oath and a Lye a Monster amongst sins ugly and odious to God and man the Devils snare so called by St. Chrysostom in his eleventh Homily on the Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby he catches poor sinfull deceived souls and hurries them to infernal darkness Falsa juratio sayes St. Austin non est leve peccatum Serm. 10. in Decollat Johan Bap. imo tam magnum est peccatum jurare falsum ut propter reatum falsae jurationis Dominus prohibuerit omnem jurationem i. e. Perjury is no light nor trivial sin nay it is so great and horrid a crime that to prevent the guilt and danger of it Christ forbad the use of all Oaths he means such as are vain and idle ones when he said Swear not at all Hast thou seen a stone sayes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzen thrown down a steep hill or precipice never ceasing from its precipitate hasty motion untill it arrived at the hills foot or bottom Of such a speedy nature or quality is every sin chiefly that of Swearing to which the tongue that is accustom'd in its unruly motion will at last fall into that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he calls it that profound gulf of perjury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Perjury the greatest down-fall and most dangerous precipice A gulf indeed for whoso is plunged in it i.e. whose soul is loaded with the weight of so great and heavy a guilt that man without a special hand of mercy will hardly ever raise himself by repentance to recover Gods grace but will sink deeper and deeper waxe worse and worse adde sin unto sin and thereby provoke God to punish him both outwardly in his body goods and good name with sicknesses poverty and disgrace and inwardly in his Soul with horror and perplexing grief with disconsolate sadness c. untill at the last despair sink him into the bottomless pit I will conclude this point with that of St. Bernard Si pejerare times Serm. de modo bene vivendi 32. nunquam juraveris si nunquam juraveris nunquam pejerabis If the fear of perjury does possesse and trouble thee never swear if thou never swearest thou shalt never be forsworn And perjury he can hardly avoid who hath an unbridled tongue accustom'd to take Gods name in vain Qui saepe jurat saepe oportet pejeret To this good counsel of St. Bernard I shall only adde that of St. Chrysostome to his Auditors the Antiochians whom he bespake thus in his forenamed 14 Homily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I beseech and exhort you to represent to your thoughts the Head of St. John the Baptist bleeding in a Charger and suppose or imagine that you heare this voyce or exhortation utter'd from his Tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hate and abhor an Oath which was my murtherer Herods rash Oath of which he should have repented and not kept it was the cause of the Baptists death And he that is given to much swearing murders his own Soul deprives it of Gods grace which is the Souls life and being guilty of many other sins which accompany rash swearing as lying c. he intitles it to everlasting death the wages of unrepented sins and if to forsake our sins be truly to repent and the only mark of a sound and unfeign'd repentance we may safely say that few Swearers can be named that ever truly repented Therefore cast out this poyson out of thy mouth banish this sin speedily from thy tongue before it be habituated in thee and so get the mastery or dominion over thee that it never leave thee but die and lie down in the grave with thee The third Reason Thirdly as the sin of Swearing is most injurious to God most dangerous and hurtfull in respect of our selves in that it is the parent or cause of other crying sins as lying and perjury and likewise the productive and provoking cause of Gods just and heavy Judgments or punishments upon our souls and bodies so it is a most scandalous sin in respect of our Neighbours or Brethren Quanta est notitia reputatio de Deo in hominibus tantum nominatur per vocem exteriús Raym. with whom we have daily Conversation and Commerce Raymundus in his
Naturall Theologie Tit. 193. saies truly that according to the measure of knowledge or estimation of God in our hearts such commonly are the vocall expressions of our Tongues The Anatomists likewise observe that the Heart and Tongue are knit and conjoyn'd by one continued Nerve whence there is such a coherence and sympathy between them that the Physitians look upon the Tongue when they intend to find out and discover the affection or malady of the Heart So it is a Truth or maxime undeniable in morality and Divinity that Lingua est index cordis the tongue is the best and surest Indicatour of the heart Take the Heart for the will and affections or for the inward conceptions of the understanding the Tongue betrayes and discovers all They therefore that dishonour God with their Tongues declare that there is a want of feare and reverence of Him in their Souls And this want proceeds from a lack of * Hos 4.6 Isa 1.3 knowledge of Gods incomprehensible greatnesse and a true apprehension of his goodnesse For did they who profane Gods holy Name by cursing and Swearing did they but know and verily believe that he is Almighty and has power to strike them with suddain death and to take from them in a moment their breath which they should spend or use only in setting forth his glory and praise were they perswaded that he is able to stop their profane mouths with perpetuall silence so that they shall never breath out a Peccavimus never beg of God a pardon for their sins did they certainly know and believe this and this Judgment has fallen upon many desperate sinners they in feare of his power and greatnesse would undoubtedly abstain from so dangerous a sin And again had they an inward feeling and taste of Gods bounty and mercifull goodness by which they are enrich'd daily with many and great benefits this would incite them to love him and this love which is an Obedientiall Grace would prompt them to a strict observance of his Commands John 14.15 If ye love me saies our blessed Saviour keep my Commandments They that doe unfainedly love him will endeavour to keep them They therefore that willfully and presumptuously transgresse Gods precepts betray a want of feare of his Majesty as if he were like the Epicures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sleepy drowsie unactive Deity not Just at all but all Mercy and thereby they beget in others the like conceit of God whose person they learn to undervalue whilst they hear his Name slighted and abus'd by profane tongues And harbouring in their wretched thoughts so light or slight an esteem of our Almighty God they prove like Jesurun they kick against God i. e. reject his word and slight his commands they forsake God that made them and lightly regard the rock of their salvation Ex reverentia praecipientis procedit reverentia pracepti saies Aquinas truly The reverence and respect we bear to the Commander begets respect and reverence to the Command Aqu. 2. 2. 105. 2. Art 2. That then thou give not an offence to thy Neighbour prove not to him an occasion of sinning by begetting in him a mean and undervaluing esteem of God Mat. 18.7 Woe be to that man by whom such an offence comes that thou maiest escape this woe and Gods heavy curse never take his glorious and great Name into thy mouth unlesse it be devoutly with reverence in thy prayers or solemnly when thou art forced to use it for Gods glory to advance it or to thine own and thy Neighbours good and benefit Having thus explain'd and given a few Reasons of the Prohibition Swear not I shall proceed to the next general part which is the Preparative to the Cure or remedy of this crying and most destructive sin of Swearing As the esteem of a good Physician consists in this that he cannot only discourse according to Art of the nature of any disease or inward malady but also out of his experience prescribe first preparative Physick to segregate or sever the humours in the body and after that a dose for a Remedy so a Divine would betray the duty of his calling should he make invectives the aime of his endeavours should he declaim only against mens Sins discover the nature of them rip up their foulness and not withall by prescribing of heavenly and Spiritual physick labour to drive them out of mens souls And in this case the Divine must follow the method of a wise Empirick who in the cure of a disease has recourse by his skilfull search to the Cause not regarding so much the Pars recipiens as the Pars mittens to use Sennertus his phrase not so much the part affected as the source from which the malady springs So to cure the flushing in the face he begins with the obstructed liver as the prime cause of that distemper and to mitigate the pain in the head the head as one saies of all pain he applies his Physick to the stomach In like manner when we find an exorbitancy in the Tongue we must conceive that this poyson flowes into it from the Spring of the Heart i.e. the Soul consisting of these parts understanding will and memory and attended with a quaternion of Passions as so many Servants or Handmaids they are Joy and Sorrow Aquin. 1.2 Qu. 23. Hope and Feare so the Stoicks divide them the Peripateticks branching them into eleven Heads which to rehearse makes not for my present purpose Hast thou then O sinfull man by a long and inveterate use contracted this poyson of Aspes under thy lips Rom. 3.13 a Custom of Swearing a sin as hard to be cured as is the poyson of an Aspe which is incurable if we may believe Pliny and Aristotle Plin. l. 29. c. 4. Aspides percussos torpore et somno necant omnium Serpentum minimè sanabiles Lib. de Hist Animal 9. c. 29. Notwithstanding this despair not of a cure but know and believe that the same God even our Lord Jesus who went about in humane flesh curing all the Diseases of the body can by his over-ruling most powerful grace kill that poyson subdue the Lording power of the strongest corruption the greatest sin that has got a quiet possession and reigns in thy soul First then which is the Preparative to the cure of this foul sin call to mind that saying of Eusebius Emissenus The V. Gen. part The Preparative for the Cure or Remedy of the sin of Swearing it consists in Repentance and Prayer for the pardon of it and other sins Difficile est ut ad bonum assurgas nisi à malo ante diverteris quamdiu nova delicta adjiciuntur vetera non curantur that is unless by an holy and just hatred of sin thou declinest from evil thou canst never do good hardly attain to a sincere and commendable constant practise of well-doing and so long as new sins are added to the heap of thy impieties God
fear to offend him and provoke him to wrath lest he fail of his desire and hope being cast out of Gods sight and favour in whose presence there is fulnesse of joy as in the absence of his grace here sorrow and heavinesse with darkness and anguish of spirit A filiall Feare whose proper object is the displeasure of Almighty God our most gracious and loving Father it is the only and best curb to keep and restraine us from sin and now that I am to proceed to the Cure of that foul sin of Swearing The I. Remedy against swearing I shall commend it in the first place as the prime remedy against it There be three sorts of men sayes Nazianzen that may and do attain Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Or. 40 the first is in the condition of Servants the second of Hirelings the third of Sonnes A servant is moved to doe his duty for fear of punishment an hireling serves for hope of a reward but a Son who is of the best order or rank reverences his heavenly Father is zealous of good works because it is a thing that is just and honest and likewise commendable for him to obey his Fathers precepts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. Haec est satú â—impla merces quod gratum erit PatriÌ„ faecerâ— c. although he should obtaine no reward for his Obedience which is with God and man a most gratefull sacrifice Although there be few of this happy and rare temper as to serve God for his own sake not expecting the reward to come but his present and past goodnesse whereby he has bestowed and does daily heap on us many great and singular blessings yet I cannot but commend their Christian endeavours who abstaine from the acting of many foul sins even for fear of punishment which Feare may consist with the love of God as Aquinas asserts so long as we dread not the punishment as the only evill contrary to our natural good Aqui. 2.2.19.2.6 Art i. e. Pleasure Ease and Profit but rather dread it as that whereby we shall be separated from the presence of God in Heaven who is our chief joy and sole delight And this kind of fear being oft times more active then love which slowly moves by the apprehension of good whilst the other forces and drives us to our duty by the foresight of danger this fear I say is a great help and remedy against the sin of Swearing witnesse that of St. Augustine who it seems before his conversion was guilty of this sin He in his tenth Sermon concerning the beheading of St. John reports this of himself Timendo Deum ab ore nostro abstulimus omnem jurationem c. The fear of God freed me from the Custome of Swearing and then he appeales in these words to his Auditours Ecce vobiscum vivimus quis nos audivit aliquando jurantes c. Behold I have daily commerce and fellowship with you who ever heard an Oath to passe from me was I not wont to sweare as familiarly and frequently as I spake At ubi legi timui luctatus sum contra consuetudinem meam but so soon as I began to search the Scriptures and by reading of them to feare the great and terrible God of heaven then forthwith I entred into the lists to contend with and strive against my vicious custom In ipsâ lustatione invoeavi Dominum adjutorem praestitit mihi Dominus adjutorium non jurandi nihil jam mihi facilius est quam non jurare Aug. and in this contention I called earnestly upon the Almighty to assist and strengthen me in the combat and the Lord was my helper and deliverer by whose aid and assistance I became a Conquerour I subdued that sin so that now there is nothing so easie to me as altogether to abstain from Swearing Here by the way note in this wholsome admonition of St. Augustine Legi et timui joyned together I read and feared saies he reading produc'd in him a godly feare It seems Gods word in which he was alwayes conversant terrified and reclaim'd him perhaps it was that signall Text in Exodus 20.7 The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine i. e. He will revenge the disgracefull injury that is done to his Name and person with severe punishments and judgments on his body and Soul with sickness and diseases with crosses and calamities with spiritual desertions the sorest of all afflictions here and with everlasting torments hereafter And beleeve this for a truth that as God is faithfull in the performance of his promises so he is most just in repaying of vengeance and inflicting his threatned judgments on obstinate obdurate Sinners who shall not escape them unlesse they be prevented by a speedy and hearty repentance of their Sins The forenamed place in Exodus is confirm'd and explain'd by another in Ecclesiasticus which I doubt not but that St. Augustine read it is c. 23. v. 10 11 12. Accustome not thy self to swearing neither use thy self to the naming of the Holy one for as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a mark so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultlesse A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity v. 11. That is he shall add sin unto sin Lying unto Swearing stealing unto lying according to that common saying Ostende mihi mendacem et ego ostendam tibi furem shew me a lyar and I will shew thee a Thief and thus adding sin unto sin he shall at length fill up the measure of his iniquity and transgressions with perjury from such a mans house the plague shall never depart but his house shall be full of Calamities so the wise man threatens and denounceth against him in the close of the 11 v. i. e. as he loved not blessing but cursing and swearing so Cursed shall he be in all that he undertakes Cursed shall he be in the City and cursed in the field Cursed shall he be in his estate in his Children and reputation God shall send upon him all those curses and plagues which are threatned and thunder'd out against all those who rebell against God and will not hearken to the voyce of his word to observe and do all his commandments Vid. Levit. 26. as you may read at large Deut. 28.15 16. He that beleeves Gods word to be infallibly true and considers oft with himself what his faith prompts him to beleeve that so many and so grievous punishments shall be assuredly inflicted on him and his cannot choose but feare and dread the wrath of so severe a judge who searches him out as the Prophet David speaks and knows him Psal 1â—9 1 2 3. who is about his path and about his bed who spies out all his waies and registers all his words he that truly beleeves this will tremble with feare to offend so great an All-seeing God Now Feare
paths of the Seas all these recited by the Prophet David Ps 8.3 6 7 8. with many more not mentioned by him were made to serve us and all do in a manner thus call upon and bespeak every one of us God made us for thee Coelum terra omnia in illis creata 〈◊〉 ut amem te Domine serviaâ— tibi Maub Exercit. â—iet that thou shouldst serve and glorifie him who made us and thee O then let the consideration of thy unthankfulness to God thy Creator put thee to a blushing shame and let the memory of his mercies and blessings spur or incite thee to an active obedience and quicken thy dead or drowsie spirit to walk cheerfully and constantly in the waies of his Commandements do not dishonour nor disgrace him by a constant and wilfull breach of them by a frequent and rash taking of his name in vain Swear not The IV. Remedy by way of motive drawn from the irrational Creatures If all the fore-named Motives will not startle thy obdurate Conscience and drive thee to obedience of Gods Commands consider then the brute Beasts who wanting Reason which thou enjoyest and Speech which God gave thee to set forth his praises * Homo immedâ—atè est propter Deum omnia quâ—liabet habet propter Deum Raymund to advance and publish the glories of his Attributes yet they led only by the guidance of Natures Law offer no indignities no injuries to their Masters from whom they receive food and sustenance nay they have ever shewed themselves thankful to strangers from whom they received the least benefits or courtesies All which may serve to check thy ingratitude in dishonouring God by Rebelling against his precepts Lib. 7. c. 4â— Nat. H st The story in Aelian of Androcles and a Lion is remarkable he pull'd a thorne out of the Lions foot the Lion afterwards repai'd this courtesie by saving his life when he fell among thieves and cryed out for help Ael l. 8. c. 22. A parallel story to this we find in the same Historian of the Tarentine Woman and a Stork she cured one of the Storks young ones which had by a casualty broke its leg the Stork not long after in requital of her goodness dropped a rich Jewel into her lap as she sate in a solitary place bemoaning the death of her dear Husband a little before that time deceased The truth of these Stories I cannot warrant Let then the Scriptures to our shame be witness of mans ingratitude to God and of the brute Creatures thankful respect to their Masters and Benefactors Man for his sensuality and beastly lusts Ps 49.12 20 may be fitly ranked with and compared to the beasts that perish but they are above him admit him not as their equal if you respect their grateful dispositions The Oxe knoweth his owner Isa 1.3 i. e. will submit his neck to the yoke to toile and labour in the field when and so long as his Master pleases so the Asse knoweth his Masters crib or Manger i. e. willingly and readily stoops to any burthen sustains any blow because that is imposed and this comes from his hand by whom he is fed But Israel doth not know what great things I have done for them my people doth not consider how that for their Saviours sake or merits I have provided Heaven for them which shall be the reward of their service and where they shall rest everlastingly from their labours O Man think of Gods complaint here by his Prophet think of it with shame with an inward blushing confusion of spirit and for shame let not the brute beasts out-strip thee in thankfulness submit thy neck to Gods yoke which is easie and light obey his Commands and Swear not The V. Remedy A third consideration In the fifth place consider seriously in thy most recollected thoughts which may be a great remedy against Swearing what recompence God requires of us for all his benefits unto us It is Honour and Praise Praemium Dei est honor operis lauâ— gloria praemium creatura est utilitas Raymund And this duty we discharge when we declare and publish with joyful hearts and thankful tongues the Magnalia Dei those great things which he out of his great mercy hath done for us in our Creation Redemption Vocation together with the manifold and wonderful acts of his Providence over us For the least of which his mercies we could not be sufficiently thankful to God although we should live a thousand years ten hundred times told and spend every day and hour in that long period of time onely in Prayer and Thanksgiving Oh then let us wash our hearts from filthinesse and our tongues from all obscene pollutions Let our mouths be ever fill'd with Gods praises and let us chearfully redeem the time to this blessed work of thankfulnesse which because it is too large or too great to be done in this span-long life Sit illud meditatio frequens in hoc seculo quod perpetuum opus erit in futuro Aug. in Psal 148. it shall be ever doing in that which shall succeed hereafter and is everlasting For Thanks is the chief if not the whole work of the glorified Saints and Angels in Heaven who vent and spend as one sayes well all their burning fire of love in the flame of Gods praise The erect posture wherewith God has endowed man above his fellow-Creatures should put him in mind of his duty to God by way of thankfulness For as if the earth were not a fit object for our Contemplation our faces are set upward and our Souls too by so many foot carried up toward Heaven as our Bodies are erected to it By which frame of our Bodies we are taught this lesson to have our hearts alwayes fixed upon God in Prayer and Thanksgiving He that shall endeavour to follow Saint Pauls wholsome admonition Pray continually In all things give thanks 1 Thes 5.17 18. that man will seldome or never swear nor defile his Soul with the guilt or stains of idle and sinful discourses but being here on earth will live an Angelical life live like to an Angel and Saint in Heaven where there is only continual chaunting out cheerful Hymns which contain Gods praises and he that intends to bear a part in that Celestial Quire must lay aside his Cursing and Swearing and practise here betimes before death surprise him to sing that new Song which Saint John heard in his Revelation Chap. 5.9 10. and ever joyn with Saint Paul in his joyful and thankful Doxology 1 Tim. 1.17 saying Vnto the King immortal invisible and only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Again to incite us to use our Tongues to the praise or to exercise them in the praises of God let us consider to what end He gave us speech and utterance which he has denied to the other inferiour Creatures was it not
before they take hold of us and so get the mastery of our Souls For as wise Princes are wont in the calm of Peace to provide against the storms of Warre so must we in the calmest state of our Souls prepare and provide Antidotes against this inward turbulency of our minds To prevent then the sudden Commotions of this unruly Passion or to allay it when it hath broken the bounds of Reason or Discretion Si passio Domini ad meâ—â—riam revocetur nihil adeo duram quod non aquo animo toleretur Greg. Consider in the first place Christs bitter Death and Passion what or how great pains and torments he hath suffered how much he hath sustained for thee Trace him in thy meditations from the Garden to Golgotha and as Pilate said once out of pity to the Jews Joh. 19.5 Behold the man so say I to thee Behold thy Saviour who was and is God and Man in one Person behold him sweating great drops of Blood in his Agony in the Garden sustaining whippings and scoffings spittings and buffetings in the face and last of all a most shameful and painfull death on the Cross for thee to redeem thee from Hell and to bring thee to Heaven into which it was impossible for thee to climb being clogg'd with the weight and burden of thy many and grievous sins whose pardon he hath purchased by the merit of his death and sufferings When thou hast seriously pondered and considered these things then even when for some distasteful word thou feelest the heat of passion begin to enflame thy blood then bespeak thy self in the words of Saint Basil in his Morals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What doest thou O Man art thou better then thy Master Hath Christ my Lord suffered such unsufferable pains so many reproches for me and shall I who am a Worm a poor contemptible Creature shall I who am a Cage of Uncleanness a Dunghill of Impurity fret and fume for some conceived spot of disgrace or ignominy thrown upon my name Shall not I suffer this and more for him for the profession of his Truth and glory of his Name for they who profess Christ they that live godly must look to suffer persecution at least that of the Tongue Mitescat savitia mansuescat Iracundia remittaâ—t sibi omnes culpas invicem suas nec exactor sit vindicta qui petitor est veniae Aug. Shall I by seeking revenge for some injury done me snatch the Scepter out of Gods hand or which is worse deny his Providence and Soveraignty as if he did sit still or sleeping in Heaven not regarding what is done here beneath on Earth God is the Lord to whom vengeance belongeth Psal 94.1 and Vengeance is mine Deut. 32.35 I 'le repay it saith the Lord. Meditate often on this and on thy Saviours sufferings the thought whereof will teach or move thee to be gentle and kind to others Eph. 4.32 forgiving them as God for Christs sake hath forgiven thee And thus by this means having gotten the mastery of thy Passion thou wilt have the better command over thy Tongue and free it as from bitterness and clamour and evil-speaking so from blaspheming Gods Name by Cursing and Swearing In the second place that thou mayst curb this unbrided Passion of Anger a Capital sin for that it is as I have shewed the cause of many other sins and most commonly that of Swearing Consider with thy self in private how oft thou hast offended God Psal 19.12 but who can tell how oft he offendeth and how oft he hath pardoned thee This consideration of thy many infirmities this knowledge of thy filthy sins will move thee to a mean esteem of thy self and he that out of a deep apprehension of his sins and a sight or sense of his infirmities has learn'd to contemn himself that man will not be easily provoked by a small injury and contempt from others Thirdly when thou art moved to Anger labour to suppresse this flame that it break not forth suppress it by silence For as fire under green wood if not blown will go out so anger in the breast kept in by the silence of the tongue will waste and spend it self to nothing An example of this we have in David Psal 39. Ps 39.2 He kept silence he kept his mouth as it were with a bridle whilst the ungodly who did provoke him was in his sight He spake nothing but refrain'd his tongue abstaining even from good words ver 3 which was a pain and grief unto him If we speak any thing at all when we are moved to anger by our Persecuting Reviling Enemies let it be in the phrase of our meekest Saviour upon the Cross Father Luke 23.34 forgive them for they know not what they do or in the Language of that Protomartyr Saint Stephen Acts 7.60 Lord lay not this sin to their charge Yet if thou beest a publick person and thy Injury great and notorious Qui illatam sibi sustinet injuriam contumeliam conviciantis nutrit audaciam Vid. Aqui. 2. 2. 72. Qu. then to prevent scandal lest by silence thou givest men an occasion to suspect the integrity of thy Conscience thou mayest vindicate thy Innocency by a just complaint to the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil and from the Decree of Justice seek a Redress of thy Injury and in so doing thou committest thy cause unto the Lord in that thou Revengest not thy self but referrest thy cause to the publick Magistrate Gods Minister of Peace whose Office it is to see that they be righted who suffer wrong as also to encourage Vertue to punish Vice and suppress the growth of sin Fourthly and lastly to incite or move thee further to abstain from immoderate Anger let the examples and practise of the * De his ita Nazianzenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Anticipant fidem moribus i. Justitiâ Temperantiâ indigent tantum Christianorum nomine quod Christum profitentes decet operibus id suis exhibentes Heathen ever run in your thoughts who by the dimme light of nature have gone further in the way of Piety then we Christians who live in the Sun-shine of the Gospel of Peace To repeate the Stories of them renown'd for their patience would be both impertinent and tedious I will commend to your Meditation but one and that of a true Roman I mean Cato who used to say That he could and did forgive all offenders but himself So be thou angry with the Malice but love i. e. wish well to the Person of thy Enemy that has offended thee forgive him by not studying an hasty Revenge of thy Injury and testifie thy hearty forgiveness of it by thy prayers to God to forgive him his sins and to heal him of his malice And thus if thou imitatest God who is good to his very Enemies thou wilt shew thy self to be a genuine Son of thy *
sanctifying Grace concurring with your sedulous practice of the fore-mentioned Precepts or Remedies it is cured of the contagious poyson of that sinne A Diet for the Tongue which hath been accustomed to Swearing Being then willing or altogether cured of that deadly poyson of the Tongue I mean a corrupt and vicious custom of Swearing beware of a Relapse which in this case as in bodily diseases is very dangerous for when a man hath tasted the sweetness of Gods Mercy in pardoning his sins and restoring him to health he must expect if he returns to his vomit again and falls into his former sin to feel the severity of his Justice in punishing him for his daring presumption For a prevention of this great danger in your dayly conference and conversation with men put into practice that wholsome admonition of Saint James Be slow to speak Jam. 1.19 Never open thy mouth but shut up thy tongue in silence unless by thy speech thou mayest benefit thy Neighbour prevent thine own hurt and advance Gods honour Num. 19.15 The Vessel which wanted a cover under the Old Law was counted unclean For either the dust fell into it which bred Worms and such like Creatures that defiled it or else if there were put into it any precious or sweet oyntment it presently lost its savour and was corrupted In like manner he that sets not a watch before his lips by silencing his Tongue so that it never speaks but to some good purpose that man as Saint James attesteth although he seemeth Religious Iam. 1.26 or makes a profession of Christianity because he bridleth not his Tongue he deceives himself or he hath a deceitful false heart his Religion is vain i. e. Nomen sine re a bare and empty Title without reality For how can he be thought to be religious who fears not God with an holy and devout reverence Neither can he justly be said to fear God Psal 5.10 whose Throat is an open Sepulchre sending forth out of it the noysome stench of cursing corrupt and filthy communication lyes and fearful oaths The guilt of which crying sin that you may avoid and withall not chill the fervour of devotion but preserve it in thy soul Keep thy mouth with all diligence remembring that saying of Bonaventure Si dignum quicquam relatione non habes Bonavent Spec. Relig. c. 20. tace Tutius humilius audis quam loqueris i. e. Keep silence if thou canst utter nothing worthy to be heard by the judicious and pious Christian If it be so thou mayest with more safety and a greater esteem for thy humility listen to anothers discourse then vent any thing of thine own which is light and frivolous Remember also that dreadful admonition of our Saviour Mat. 12.36 Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof at the day of judgment Now that is an idle word in the opinion of Saint Hierom which is spoken sine utilitate loquentis aut audientis which redounds neither to the good of the Speaker nor profit of the Hearer much more is that which tends to the hurt of either Therefore be not hasty to utter any thing with thy Tongue so shalt thou free thy self from the guilt of many a sin chiefly that of Swearing Nescit poenitenda loqui qui proferenda justo prius tradidit examini Casaiod l. 10. Secondly be circumspect in speaking Nescit poenitenda loqui c. saies Cassiodore That man will never repent of what he hath said who weighs his words in the balance of Discretion before they be uttered Evermore consider what thou speakest and before whom ordering thy words so with Wisdom and Prudence that thou offend not God who is an ear-witness of thy words either by contradicting the Truth or perswading others to a belief of what is false Often call to mind that saying of S. Cyril 11. Caetheches Cyril 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God hath a Book of Remembrance he sits and writes down in it thy oaths thy perjuries thy blasphemous and idle words for which he will call thee to a severe account at the great day of Judgement Therefore as I before exhorted consider alwaies as what so before whom thou speakest even in the sight and audience of God who will one day be your Judge Dr. Parisiensis Cujus praesentia est impraevisibilis potentia infallibilis Justitia inflexibilis iracurdia implacabilis who may surprize thee unawares even in the very act of sinning by his grim Bailiff Death whose Power too is infallible for none can escape it his Justice inflexible for it may not be corrupted as his Anger against the ungodly sinners is implacable and hardly to be appeased He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life Prov. 13.3 and he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction But he that never openeth his mouth but to the glory of God either by praising or praying unto him whereby he declares his belief in the excellencie of Gods Omnipotencie Goodness Truth and Omnisciency or for his Neighbours edification and good as Saint Paul exhorts us to Eph. 4.29 that man shall lift up his head with cheerfulness in the day of Judgment before the dreadful Tribunal of God and by his words he shall be justified i. e. For that he glorified God with his Tongue in his life he shall be pronounced just and righteous in the audience of the Saints and Angels and for the merits of Christ for whose sake his good works are accepted and his imperfections pardoned he shall receive the reward of the righteous and be glorified both in body and soul The Body with all the parts of it shall be beautified with Clearness Impassibility Subtility and Agiâ—y for it being most transparently bright and glorious it shall move wheresoever the Soul then wholly guided by Gods Spirit shall command it it shall move as nimbly as a small Fish in the water without any resistance or hinderance nay with far greater agility The Soul shall be adorned and beautified with more excellent perfections then our first Parents were before their fall in Paradise For the Understanding shall be freed from all errour in it shall be light without any the least mist of darkness it shall be filled with wisdome and knowledge in an high degree without any spot of ignorance The Memory purged from all possibility of forgetfulness The Will redeemed from its natural pravity and perverseness whilest it is onely fixed by Love upon God Almighties goodness If every part of man expects to be thus glorified by God it is good reason that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. every part should glorifie Him For this is the tribute they owe to their Creatour as every good Subject oweth Loyalty to his King This is the service they must pay for their Redemption God made all the parts of the body Christ Redeemed all I mean every part and faculty both of
Soul and Body therefore God must be served by all The Heart or Soul must not say to the Hands Serve ye Him for the Heart must be like that of the blessed Virgin Luke 1.46 it must by thanksgiving magnifie the Lord and rejoyce with faith and love in God its Saviour Neither must the Hands say to the Eyes Serve ye Him for the hands must be ever stretched out to God in Prayer as David witnesseth his were Psal 88.9 and extended often by a liberal contribution to the poor Neither must the Eyes say unto the Feet Serve ye Him for they must be ever looking towards the Lord as the Prophet Davids were Psal 25.15 Psal 121.1.123.1 2.141.8 Neither must the Eares say unto the Tongue Serve thou Him for they must be presented or offer'd unto God in Sacrifice and they are then offered by thee when thou canst say with Samuel Speake Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.9 thereby testifying thy willing obedience and chearful attention to his holy Word either read in private or publickly preached As the Lord looks down from Heaven Speculator adest desuper Qui nos diebus omnibus Actusque nostros prospicit A luce primâ ad vesperam Prudent Psal 14.2 and his eyes are over the Righteous the eye of his Mercy and the eye of his Providence to protect their persons and to help them in their distresse and as his Eares are open to their Prayers so the eyes of the Righteous must ever look up to Heaven and their eares never be stopped but alwaies open to Gods Commands in his Word published by the voice of his Ministers Neither lastly must the Feet say to the rest of the Members God has no need of us for these too must be offer'd up to God as a lively Sacrifice Psal 1.1 by not standing in the way of sinners i. e. by not frequenting of scandalous and base houses but carrying thee to Church to the Congregation of Gods Saints so oft as thou art able and the Lawes of the Church require Then mayest thou truly say with the Prophet David Psal 26.12 My foot standeth right i. e. I have not wilfully swerved from the path of Gods Commandements in the Congregation I will praise the Lord. This is done by the Tongue which amidst the other Members of the body must not be defective or wanting to its service and duty being the onely and chief Instrument ordain'd by God to celebrate his Name to set forth his Glory and to proclaim his Praise And it discharges this Office when it expresseth and publisheth with joyful lips the goodness and greatness of its Maker for Spirituall and Corporall for Temporall and Eternall all undeserved Mercies When the Tongue ceases to do this it is then peccant and deficient in its proper and prime Office Et infans sit necesse est qui divina proloqui non potest Lactant. l. 4 c. 26. isque verè elinguis mutus est habendus ut sit omnium disertissimus And he is to be reputed a meer infant in Religion whose chief discourse is not of God and of his glorious works of Creation and Providence and may be said to be Dumb and Speechless although in a Worldly respect he hath a most Eloquent Tongue and polite language That then thou mayest praise God with thy Tongue and abstain wholly from profaning his glorious Name this shall be my last prescript for thy Tongues Diet wherewith I shall conclude and whereby thou mayest if thou strictly observest it put an end to thy inveterate and foul Custom of Swearing It is onely this Speak not much use not many words in thy daily and ordinary discourse Hippocr Aphor. 8. Sect. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I remember that Hippocrates in his Aphorisms reckons this amongst his many fatall or infallible signs of Death if the sick party having lost his hearing and understanding prattleth and talketh he knows not what And truly we may conclude that man to be void of the life of grace i. e. to want the knowledge and fear of God who like to those Psal 12.4 assumes to himself a bold Liberty of speaking when he lists and what he pleases behaving himself in the mean time like one that is deaf when he should modestly yield turns of Speech to those that are wiser and more able for discourse Let me bespeak such a Battus or Babler in the words of a wise Counsellor famous for his Christian-like Resolves Go to the Crane thou Prater read her Story and let her inform thee who flying out of Sicily puts little stones in her mouth or beak lest by her own obstreperousness she bewray her self and become a prey to the Eagles of mount Taurus the which by this kind of policy she flyes over with safety * Hence is that saying of the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si locutio argentum silentium Aurum Buxtorf Silence every where or in all places is a mans safeguard and a sure fence not to be broke through either by envy or malice As to speak too much argues folly and too little an unperceiving or dull stupidity so it is Wisdoms proper Character in discourse to be free from babling garrulity A worthy act hath he done who hath learn'd to bridle his Tongue and surely much evil and mischief hath he prevented who knows rightly where to speak and where to be silent Lib. 2. c. 20. Ruffinus records of Apollinaris Bishop of Laodicea who gloried in the quickness of his wit and delighted to contradict every thing that he heard that at last through much contention of strife of words he turned Heretick Ex contentione haeresin generavit True is that of the Wise man Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise For a wise man will hold his tongue till he see an opportunity Ecclus. 20.7 and when he opens his mouth it shall be to some purpose and sparingly If we talk with fools many words are too much if with a wise man a few are enough Verbum Sapienti it is a common rule Non multis opus est verbis sed paucis efficacibus it is Seneca's advice in one of his Epistles There is no use of many words Lib. 5. Epist 38. Ep. but of those rather which are few and efficacious which are good as the Apostle speaks to the use of edifying Eph. 4.25 and may minister grace to the hearers or conduce to their progress or encrease in Piety and Goodness The heart of fools is in their mouth Ecclus 21.26 but the mouth of the wise is in their heart saies that wise son of Sirach Fools when they open their mouths to speak they pour out all that is hid in the inward corners or remote recesses of their hearts But a wise man utters nothing from his mouth but what out of a mature Judgment he hath concluded and determined fit to be
6. To speak nothing but what is Necessary to be spoken Profitable to be heard 7. To bridle our Passions chiefly that of Anger the cause of as many other sins so especially that of Swearing 8. To avoid Drunkenness and to be lovers of Temperance 9. To shun the Company and Society of those that are given to Swearing 10. To consider the manifold and great miseries such blasphemers bring upon the Kingdom Places and Families wherein they live 8. A Diet for the Tongue being cured consisting in these three things 1. To be slow to speak 2. To be circumspect in speaking 3. To use few words when we speak 9. The benefit that will redound to us by observing this Religious Diet which is two-fold If we respect First our bodily Estate we procure to our selves hereby reputation and peace Secondly if we respect our Souls health hereby we shall free it from the guilt of many a sin 10. The Conclusion of all comprising an exhortation to this duty of not Swearing in regard that we are Gods Saints elected His Sons adopted His Servants redeemed by the blood of his Son Christ Jesus Therefore in all and for all God is to be glorified by us which is chiefly done by Invocation and Thanksgiving the two parts of Prayer and the Christians best Sacrifice A Prayer To be used by one that is addicted to the Sin of Swearing O Eternal Omnipotent Lord God who in thy self art the fulness and perfection of Glory and Happiness who needest no Tongue to praise thee no Pen to express thee and no Work to magnifie thy Greatness before whose glorious Name that is * Vid. Psal 20.1 Rom. 10.13 thy self an infinitely Great and Glorious God Angels and Arch-Angels bow with an humble lowly dejected reverence to which thy blessed Spirits and Saints of thy Triumphant Church sing perpetual Hallelujahs Rev. 19.1 so that Heaven rings and resounds with their Hymns Praises I a poor sprig of disobedient Adam who am as vile as sin can make me and deserve what curse thy wrath can lay upon me do here presume to take thy holy Name into my defiled lips that Name which I have dishonoured in my words disparaged in my thoughts and profaned in my actions yet knowing that thou art a jealous God and a consuming fire burning with love to a poor humble sinner and believing that as thou art fearful in thy Judgments so faithful in thy promises I fly upon the wings of this Faith from mount Ebal to mount Gerizim Deut. 11.29 from the dreadful Name Jehovah which I have abused to that gracious Name of Jesus wherein thou art well pleased In that most sweet and soul-refreshing Name O God I present my supplications unto thee beseeching thee not to remember what I have said or done but what my Saviour hath suffered for me in his Agony and bitter Passion O let his bloody sweat anoint my bleeding wounds and accept of his death as a full satisfaction to thy Justice for my sins Cleanse thou my heart O God from the stain of this bosom-darling-sin whose custom begun with a wanton imitation and being continued with an habitual presumption had almost taken out of my guilty Soul a sense of it and of thy displeasure against it O my God now that I have begun to have a taste and sight of the foulness and danger of my crying sin afford me I beseech thee that measure of thy Grace which may work in my heart a fear of thy displeasure and beget in me an awful reverence of thy Name Let all my communication be ordered as in thy presence let thy Holy Spirit govern the words of my mouth and so sanctifie my thoughts with the continual meditation of thy Commandments and of those fearful plagues which thy word denounceth against Swearers that I may be ever hereafter of the number of those thy servants who sanctifie the Lord in their Hearts 1 Pet. 5.15 who love and fear thee above all things in Heaven and Earth who delight with trust and affiance in thee above all worldly stayes and comforts and praise thee evermore with joyful lips Lord I desire to praise thee O heighten these desires I resolve by thy assistance no more to blaspheme thee O strengthen this good resolution for the time to come and avert those judgments from me which thy word hath threatned and my sin my black and filthy sin hath deserved And mortifie all those unruly passions which provoke me to offend thy Goodness especially that of Anger which if immoderate and carried on with precipitate rashness benights the Soul darkens Reason and hurries a man to the acting of those things that displease thee Therefore dear God kill this Fury in me and leave only so much life in it as to be zealous for thy Glory Quicken my Soul with faith in thy promises inflame my affections with love of thee for thy mercies fill my mouth with prayers to thee and praises and crown my weak desires of praising thee with the all-sufficient power and strength of thy Grace that glorifying thy Name with my Tongue and by an holy conversation I may escape that vengeance which thy Justice threatens against my sin here and obtain that happiness which thy mercy hath promised hereafter Lord grant these my requests for the merits of thy Son Christ Jesus in whose Name and Prayer sanctified with his sacred lips I beg these mercies and whatsoever else thou knowest requisite for me and for thy Church saying Our Father c. A Prayer For the whole Kingdom MOst glorious Lord God who delightest not in the death of one single sinner nor takest pleasure in the destruction of any Creature thou great and mighty God Jer. 32.18 whose name is the Lord of Hosts who rulest over all and governest all things in Heaven and Earth look down I humbly pray thee from the Throne of thy Glory and behold this sinful Kingdom wherein we live with an eye of mercy and pity Thy goodness and bounty O Lord have displayed themselves to us in many great and undeserved National mercies by restoring to us our most gracious King and Him to His Royal Dignities and redeeming thy Church from that Disorder and Confusion by means of proud and unquiet men whicn threatned our utter ruine and vastation for so great deliverances we are obliged to make returns unto thee of a thankful obedience by reforming our sinful lives and obeying thy commands But we as if we had forgot what thou hast done for us have done nothing for thee but rather much against thee by rebelling against thy word by resisting thy holy will by abusing thy Creatures through our wanton excess by profaning thy Sabbaths and blaspheming thy most sacred Name which ought to be ever hallowed and had in an awfull reverence by us These are our National personal crying sins which like so many infectious Vapours have mounted up to Heaven and being condens'd into a thick Cloud of