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Show 'A Treatife of Oaths; val.\ ,J. 6 ; , . c Where fays .he wouldJft thou cbufe to walk? Upon the .Brink.. of-a ~ c Precipic;, or far 'from it.? I think_ far from it. Sq he whtch fweaJIIS,_ De Verb. ' walks in the Border, and rcalk.ttb w11h unfure F,et, becaufe humane: lt 1m~i, A.ntc t thou ftumbleft, down thou g9efti if thou falleft, d?wn tho~ goeft •. ~mmanoht• We would fain know, if a moft Augufl All of Gods Worfhtp be mgtrcfr l2u:arc, Senn. the Pit's l3rink, or farrhefi frofl)oit ? For there a~l ought ~o ~hufe to W'Jik"; • in whofc: Way they that walk, walk fa(ely ;, r.heu Place !S iure, :md the1r Foor·fieps fhall not il.ide; but rhe W1ckeds Feet are M jllppeq -Piau.r, ltllo ... • where Auguflin fays, Swearers walk. . . . , 1 Confider 'what he faith on rhofeWords ofChnfr 10 .Al.rltt. ). It IS tl,e ' Ri hteoufnefs of the Pharifees, not to Forfwear: Th_1s he confirme~h. ' wb~ Jorbiddnb to fwear, + wbicb kdongcrb to tl:lt R,g!JttoujJJefs of {.he ' Kingdom of Heaven : For, as he wh1ch doth not fpeak, cannot fpea.l; a c Lye fo he cannot forfwear, which darb nor Jwtar. He goes on to excufe Paul, 'and fays, ' That an Oath is not among good !hin~s, b~t among t ~vi/ c•Thingr, and ufed for the ln~rmity_of others, whtch zs Ev1l, from wJ"uch ' we pray, that we may be Ja.rly dehverd . . · 1 But there is this to be fatd fo_r ..A.ugu.ftzn, and fame oth~rs ~fter hu~, that he and they write not clearer m a Pomt fo confiantly rnamtalned ; H_1s Horizon then was m·er-cafting apace. .lifoflacy, as a m1~~tY Torre~r, did not only fwclland beat againft the ~impllcity of the Chrijhan Doftuqe and Difcipline; but like an unruly and Impetuous. Sea, broke d?'~n the B.ank:s of Primitive Society, and made Way for all Sons o~Superfltuo~, worldly Intereft and Fraud; thar, to fay no more. than he d1d, was .t~ Incur_, per· haps, the Ccnfure of the Grandcu of h1s Age, who had ]Otned ~anbly Policy to Cbriflian Religion, and .call off the ble!fed Yoak of tllm foJf. denying Lord, to fwirn in the, dehctous ~tbeny of the World: ATJmt ~ull of fuch Circumftances as feem d to confpue the Return of ~athr, tblt \\ere not dead; but retired only , For as Men grew f~!fe and dijfrujl/ul, Truth became burdcnfome and Yea and Nay no Secunry with them; and ~herefore they difdaim'd:or rather cxil'd them their~~vernment; Old ]11~aijmor Gentilifm pleafed rbem better. 'Twas harder hvmg that watchful Ltfc that was fufiicient to credit a Yea or a Nay, than to cake an Oath, that depend· eth upon the Saying of fo ma~y W~rds only: This was co~fiderahlc, and made Swearing then and conunues It grateful to our very Ttmes. Buc fad it is chat Oarb.t tid 'rhus in State, while Integrity went Barefoot, and Evan, geli~l Yea and Nay were turn'd oft· for non-fuj]icient, and that too, not without Fines Prifonr and a grtat deal of Reproacb. However, we muft .ackgowledge, 'that the 'Gravity .and Chri.ftian.Cate ~f this Perfon, .and or"her his Contemporaries, appear~d m not only dt~wadtng, but deten).ng tho~ Ages from the Brink (for fo he calls $~ean!lg M all) ~nd turntn_g t~eli Faces aftet the Woman, now on her Fltght Into the W1ldernefs: P~nng all which Time the Wimeffes, tho' feweft in Number, and myfttcall_y 'c1orhed in Sack-cioth, forbore not to propbefy even in this Parricular. And we hope having no certain Knowledge to the contrary, that moft of them, at leaft, were Men fearing God, and fening him according to what they knew, and-in that Mann~r they were perfwaded ~as moft acceptable to him. And, as lrtn.tJu fa1d of the Pour and Pbtlojophen, '!~eft ,Men, every 01zejceing that which war cpnnatural/rcm Part ~} tbt dtvme ... JOf.Cn-re•fon, [poke e:ue/lemly, and wert right and CI,Jiflent wllb ·themf~!ver, they are ourr, Iren. lib. ). cap. 18. So we fincerely declare of Men d11fe~· ing from us, that as we defire the Good of all, fo we can own the Good I1J all and the Truth in all, and receive it from them, tho' in orher Refpeas o~r Adverfaries; and would have all to do the like with us and eaCh other: A Tteatii'e of Oaths; ~47 'And Mwbeit 1b8t 'nvfrfarics ~ay 'have hard Thoughts bf {orne of tlie Perfons Our M<ffter le:tl:ls us to mftance, as Men interefted :in th D a · 16 75· ~h~ 'Ptalli~es Of thof•·. darker Times they'lil'ed in, and Of us f~r ~aki~~ ~ Ure of fllcn for Authorities; yet we hope they wpuld alfo~udge it 1 d ·~II YetY croel Tbirig to lepute therq Utter Calla ways It?d tho' w~\"' ih':lt Men_dif;Fer Within lhemfelves, Jhd all bf 1therh ~ore or letS from"~h~ Trut~, 'Y.C~ fmce 'there rna~ I)~Lfome 'Truth ana Sincerity, We CannOt but ~cknowledge artd .enib~ce tt: And we hope, ,the Reafons a9d Authorities o'f others ,rhey'bn.ng, and the Conceffions a~d C:on~effions of others they ftidlte, may~ ~~d mtit:ea o'Q'ghr, to be of We1ghr m that Point, at Ieaft to lhew, th~r l,t Is no oew, ftranqe or unreafomtb1e ~bing for us to refufe (')3lbs: 'And ·tho' 1fome might with ~ 'Mixture of Superfiition and Wiil• '\\lorfulp, lurider"'take and maintain tti:lt 1Srritlnefs and Precifenefs whjcb folni: of the h?IY An~,\ents by t'he-~pirit of Truth were led to praa1fe (the ..., i "• ..t J' onctelft Htftortes of whom, f1bm Eye· Witne!fes ~s rhe Word figQifies of foit]e of ·them, -we ln 'a 1glear Part believe.) And.fome IJter more ent;gh· .::/:.~/~~~· te!ld {tnd 7:ealo~s ~en, t:lkt_ng 0fFe~ce rhef~lt, but efpecially at the Hypb- ·.Etl'£To1&C. ~nfy and A.bommanon, -pall1at~d by- fuch fair Pretences, have it rained mqch 1n Oppofino~ t~ ibat EVa~ehCall DoEtrin~, •yet is the DoClrine nevenhe- {efl a. Truth m It :l'elf. N9t can \'fe believe that all rhar Were accounted 11e~eu~k',, w~re out o! <the Catholi~~ or Univerfal Church ; for the Word Catbolut_·figmfies Un1verfol, conrammg ~ll r~ar ::~te in rhe Church (t.kpt is 1 Tlxf. 1, 1• ill ,'God tn_e F~ther .of.t'heLord,Jt!rus Chrilt) ln all Times, aod thofe were rh11. 3• 'I· tio~ -aU df the fal!fe M1na mall Thulgs, 'as may .be ·reld in the Holy Scrip· J"oe.l. 6. c.'J• ~'bre~, and ~lfo. 1~ E~tftfrhtr -and o.th'cr Ec~lefialtfcal Hi~9ries, where 'Men ~v:f'd· 1ue.~(llrrlentled for, Hd~to.efs an.d V.IIrue, )let a,t 1JlUCh D1ffere.nce in fame Bufeb.Eccl. !!,~t~gs. ·Synefizu. t~~ He beheved n.ot the Reil.Jrr~El:ion, was j:;ho(en to Hift.l.B.c.d mmtl\e.r! -and afterwarll \Y':rs tnade a Jihfhopr,.th'e Charity of ·Chriftia1is was t. 4. c. 1S· lo--gt'eat"ID th3.t ltge. i\nd f6me'accbunted f1"ttffitkr~ fuffered, MartyrdOm, t~.at are commend~ or excufed , hY EujebJUr;, ririe 1h patricular rhat died ~,th :Po!Jfar_pu~, !ind ~not~er caned .ttjdepitir_, 1b6rh .A1tJrcitmiru. Se.e lil o the Begmmhg of .Il1s E1ghth jlpok coru:ernldg ltie Divir,ons among t~e.m that afterw!tra rJifered _for I iii~. Toflitl)odfo£ the Untverfal or c~lhO· lLclL'Prurh; npr dn we receivl: thea] udgmenr that branded thofe wirh ltl•t)lu, a Jh.e1~hme of H~reridr, Pel(rgit~(f~, 1f.1c. Who d~ed if wearing in thofe de· Btit11in, .An11o clmmg Ages, ana fu~prelfed thetr Works under \that N:,.hle and ilfperfion 400, wrote only; not a11owing them to fpea~for themfelves to us of lattl:r Tjme· f.~~~b~e 800}.~ We fee how unj?filt .we ~u'r 'fetves ~rey~fl'erfed in ·almoA evt;ry Dofl;i e ua/,r wh~"17:~~ :!oe liold, arid th\lt ~hder PretehH: 6f1felvmgGoa-,~,ti#t~curarJy, with fee~- roooaf~<rbm' ·•ng to work our Salv:itloh, by 6ul oWn Poliler ana when they have ma~e ~s ~his B.elief, rhey1.~@ffow Pf!Jgi!inifn: iipoh i;, 1'/br Fdth;rs have Right to ~lf.'e. thetr owh 9.11~/en) where:rn of ~11 ot. h'er People,. we efpecially di{· t!{" our own A:hthrr1 ~H watt rob!' re~ewed :nd guided by the Spirit of ~nfl, ~nd to be fdun~ tn his 'Rfghteoufnefs ~rld the[efol~ on the othFr 'Hand le~~ted Fbdlwi<!la, E>irbzljlajls, b'e. add molked for being moved 'ly the Spmt, fo~owbrg-ibe-Li4ht, f1co "l!dt let ihbir Exam'ple or AUthorit-y 'lie :is it wi.ll, or ho?(evel they. 'Were ih pt'h. er Ret peEls, rhe.Dotlrine Qf the 'ltnpc'~t Primitive 'Fa~hers, . lii\d J't'it~ce b( \hit Church as alfo the l>oE1~1he of falliotls_j,ilen 'll\h'p\llflheli{fe!ves, heither o( vlhith Sott dare ~bey cdridenin for lft(fticfts, ~o'f~tflicientl] '<leMHd /hem from the Afpcr· 'lion of 1i~re}/in t.h~\ Pardculor: 'Arid fo we,' lh~ll ~orne t6 our remaining ~e~lmome:- tt betng ~ot our Bh.~ne!S to, m~mralh every o.n~ of their PrinCtples ~e Cite; but to ptbve r'.hls~Dot'l:rilte Of Swear not-ar all ro hJve bad 'the Vd1ce of feveral Itges io co~firm it. • ' , The -arl~iCtlt WJJden.fcr, ·f,epD't"e'd to 1b'ayg cOntinued unCorrupted with 1h~ Grofqefs of!hl: App!tacy,"ev'e~'ffnce the' AQ<iflles Titries (fee their E!ifte>' ry ·'" 1'. Pmn, S • .hlorildnJ aM Bp,."tt.f.jer de Skdif) we have good Gaufe to.fay, deny'd tlu tdltid_g· of ilnj CJ'J]b m t:Dbar 'S:e;(e tbe Primitive tbriflianr "ttn'i.~Far~err_refNjiJ, aiJd t!Mr VJ~11 '4lrO,gtrher. ~u·le, rh~jr ~f)emies chug'd .. . ;~em with lt fodtboVe'thtee--hrliiHr'ed ¥ears, and We cannot find they then ~;/~;o~~lll, deny'd |