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Show A Treatife of Qijths. VoL; I· fti d ffi t . but of Things t)l:tt are Mt, altho' 167). that are, thou mayft a rm ap \ ~~v~ he dnwn by any Means to affirm V"'Y"'-' all Men urge thee, Yit thoT m~r Is the Thing not done, let there he ~De-againlt the Nature o the rut ·db Word And he that 0JJII not afi'ent ,.. Pray mzrk mal ; is it d0~1~, let-¥-It be :~f::k 1J11, and 'ret/ rbe Harm of bir VnbeJuf. where Bl/il to him fo affirrnmg, Let un b 10 A&cufe onls Jelf, tU one unworthy of Iayeth thf a It u a bafe and ll very foo/ijh T/n;fer one's felf to the S((urlty of 1111 011tb. B~,d~0~10t..- ll,emg bebeved, a,d to betake 4"'5 ~hich have the Forms of Oaths, and yet ~~an Oath. Now, there are foue bS~ee;:er Remedtcs to perfwade i as JoJeph to m:1ke are no O.:~rhs at a , u. r . fwore by the Health of Pharaoh (i1V,O '" Jofepl) swo'e the JEgyptum familiar hwtA.~ ~ftj~ willing to fhew his Love to the Corm-. not. bvt Pharaoh) An tG~ ~ if 011 t»!Hch I have in Cbrifl Jifm, our P?.ul SYVff'f tbll1nr, faid, sa.;be d orpy;:c~f:or! rhe DoEtri,ne of the G_ofpel, who, by a ~"· Lord. Forne 1 not e t him fimply fought B:hef to the Truth, Thing before a~ moft de~r Co~ncil 0£ 0Ja!cedon : Bfljil fpeaking of C!metU Ad Ne ot~ Bo.fil refufed to wear a! t e 'C avoided a Mula of+ Three Talents, if he "•boYc:~J: a P.xrbagorta11, who m~g~th~~atherfuffered, faith, rn keeping tbif~ TbmlS - wou1d have fworn, wd 1~ Co mand concernmg an Oarb tbar u[orbtdden :u. • be Jeems to bave bear t a.r m fhis Time with ir that would fwear. And he upbraided ~he Chr_J(bi~s 0 29th Canon to .A.mphJ!ocbrus, wri!et: thns; This Bafi! the h ~e:l].l tn b! •orbldden fuch an one as is taken to an Bali\. Mag. ' Becaufe an Oat IS toget r J~ d ' d _ .Agam, ' If an Oath, can. 2 9· '- Evil Purpofe, is much !~'.ore too~e ;eoa.~e:R.~:fon when it is to eifetl fome Ba/ifs E:~pe· ' fimply_ as fuchE, dbe proht~~edl::ureg confiileth in a Twofold Admonnion s d1ent tore· ' Mtfchtevous D -- e ,, b -z;o; ,1' 0 tb.r • .eoYc:Oatbs. ' 1 •. Not to Swt11r. 2· To fuppr(fr 1 e .rorm 0J a • ' Bloj/aris Syntagma, Tit. E. c. 32• , . t Law made to thi• Efl'elt, ' It is Forbidlm '- . tXo LaVll,. fTtohmere htw aeB s 1a! hn oapn aou~u~ Clergy-Men to the Readers, to Tokt onyOatb ~ •t•~ . lli brings in this Objection, ' But fince thofe are puni!hed ~ho Ota)laru a 0 nd h ii affi d by :who fwear wen, fame may ay, • fwear falfly, _a t ? e are P e r To which he anfwers, ' But where ' Therefore .'r ufipumJhted ~~f~e .difpenfe witlt the Eva.ngelical Precept ~ !hall we dlfpul eTb, orr ov;.d r ~·ng ••Y Ootb at aU? Adding, But I believe ' il) the Gofpe , at /or 1 z 0 1 h Wicked Stem (as I may fly) ~e~~i~;g ; ~~fc~hi~ ~o~~}uet"~:~~~~~ }~/~'b~:CJa!J:tProbibiud a11 OatbJ which is !,)ath~ , as the Door or In.let to PerJury. . · Grtgor. Nylf<nn on Cant. Orat. 'l·. S b , XLVI. Greg(!ry J.lyfJemu, ~ot~er to Bnjil, f~~ken of sbiresf'::::s :' Jn lajiic11s in the ilme Place, an~ Jn hb. >· cap. 9· . lS ~~~on u on us: Ht, llis Explanation on the Contultr, he befto;:o:s /,h'i Te by hi!;/if fuljUid oB ulio by Mofes E/lablijbtd the >~llllf_gs UJ I e, awiift . I came •ot to Jttbe Lllw and tht Pro_pbtt~~ as he fal~h tn the 1\3nge b ~fJh rb KillinJ atfo; jlroy the L11m, b'!'t jul}il II; who r4ku'J/~ay 11~;· a[r: , 4}11 0111 oj Jf1ab pnd together autfJ Luft, t()()k away u 'h~{ . if Oath be bmpllt in Live,~~ Otclllfed Ptrjllries., wkiljf. b'F the_ Pro r ~~~b o th: any' !hould break ltis Sitb "' it wtre ~~ Securuy. Tb It fu"n fu· ;•he Toll have htard, that 311 Oath~ wken ·there lS no <?::tth : ere re };. ji ' b 1 }halt render ro it-Wlll faid /<)them of old Tmzc, Thou j!Jale ns or wear, n u .tber by HtatlM Lord tby CMt.bs ; bur 1 /tty URto you, wear. not a } nil h tfotvtr is vm, &c. but let yo~r Yea he Yea, and youltlrNa~ Na{· ·JhJ~h :s" howthcy tiiOJ't its. of th6'Devt!. Thus do they mo yen ; w IC o 110de~llood Chril\'s Words. _ Greg. Nazianz. in his Dhlogne-againft Swearing, J1mb. 2o: k b XLVII. Gregory }laz,·a nzen, a great M a;n ·t n the C. hurcrh: .a lfo fBp elW helA t to tli; farqe Purpofe, in his D)alog_ue aga\!lft Sieanng, ayl~~· tha~ there Oai!, ilo~ thou kave' to us? Jl. I Wl!hftl wm•ghht eav;; nod~h:t God himfelf Wcte ne\•it any more. But thou fay ' e ave ear foroc- * f omctimes fwote: Tliehqly Scriptures rl!cord that 1 ButidthereanyThf~g i67). better than God? Surel~ nothing is fouDd bhrer than he: If tberef9re no- ~ thing he better than he, t~ (hould follow,"that he nevsr ,fwears. B. fi'by ~/1Jl:us thereJort Jo t1Jey record that heJworl? .d. When God fanh any Thing, thar 1111'· is the Oath of God. B. And bow doth b, f<uar by himfdf? Jl. How ! He fhould not at all be God, if he !hould lye. B. Thou fpeakefl }lrm;gely! .Ji. No Wonder; that is the Nature of God peculiarly, that he cannot lye : There is none ~~a,t can deny. tfljs. B. 8111 what wilr tb•ufay to me of the old CQvenanr ? 8urel;, ir do!b not prbbibit an Oath, bur rt9.11ire.r a true one? .A. N'o \Vander: At that Time only it waS prefcribed in the Law concernin1g rvturder; but now it is nor lawful for any Ca'ufe, fo much as to fmilt oi 6eat: Then the End of an Evil Deed only came into Judgment; but ...J now that alfo which moverh tp the .End. This is my Judgment: For now I' we have made a long Progrefs; when:fore a wife Man will abita in from Oaths. B. What then I Doflrbou_JiVt: to fume, ttl Infantr, a kind of fir fl. Foot~.J that they may_atltngth receivt aj11eceeding !iind of Meat? .A.. Thou judgelt Right and \Vifely. B. Bur Paul a!fo fwore, tU they fay? A.. Who faid fo? P.tuldidnot. X 0, what a vain JangJer was he that faid it! Quoth he, God iS my Wirnifs, Swear. and God knowtth: Thofe Words are not an Oath, but a terrain AifevCratir. on in fuch great Things, confbnt and inviolable. B~ Wilt ibpu allow rhe' f4me a!Jo to me? A. I wifh, th:Jt to thy Power,thau wouldfi plainly he-come a Paul, and fo thou wouldft have a right Rule of thine Aflions. B. What if I ufe an Oath unwiUinglj, bur to /ree nu [rom Danger? A. Let see Ttrtllo;,.,' another allow thee that. R Wbai if air Oath be wrilttn, vnd not pronoun- before, tQ' ced ~itb the Voice? .d. And what's the Meaning of a Writing? Surely whom this a: amongft all other Obligations, a Writing doth more bind and oblige us~ grees. B. Wb111 if we he drawn by Neceffity to give an Oath? A. Why didft thou not nther Die ~ For furely, thou fhouldft rather Die than do that. ~B. What if the Boo/{s of the holy Seripruru be not uJed? Ji. What I is Religion )( placed; in a"" Leaf? Is God abfent hy this Means? h is evident, tlrat" thou' fe;uefi (Pt~per or). Parchment, and I fear God more: This' is a frequent on: eafe to many, and ufual ; neither is it otherwife than ;rs if a Man bear the Malter, a-nd difgrace ht'm~ and make his Serva'm . a free M.ari, and do him Honour, (what a notnblt Reproach that jhould bi ?- ) or a1 if a Man f'hould :preferve the King's Image, and in the mean Time defiroy the King. B. It treven a1 thou Fayfl; Burl wau!d have thee fay, what is more to be jhewn~ .A. Many ufe to fay, I fwore with my Tongue, but my Mind is free from. Swearing. Any Thin~ may he more cunning_ly excufed than. a~ Oath: Let llim not fufFer any Colour to be made for htmfelf; For thts IS an OatP.: And r'nuch Mifchief, teJl me, comes from Deceir h feln Let us fee what Greg. N.-f .. an Oath is: Nothing elfe but the very Meaning (or Mind) ofthof~ Things h1sAccount which we fer down- thou wouldft have nie add what remains: Surely an of an Oath. '/. Oath is nothing elfe, bnt a certain Confummation as it were ofMifcheifs: Odangerous Flame I B. But Pl1to doth fomt fuchTbing .. l{tisrtligioujly 11wart, thor be }wear nor by any God. .A.. Truly I know what thou ar~ about to fay: There was a' certain Plane~ Tree, by which alone_ he made Oath•' But he did not fwearrightly neither by that; For h~ had-an Underfianding in fomething ;· but what a juft and religious Olth lhould be, tha~ he could not underftand. And Wh:lt was this, tel1 me now ? A certain Shadow of an Oath, a Dedaratio'n mithout a Name ; an 01rh~ no ,Oa(h, as !he. 1hilofopberr fwore by a. ftrange and unknown God. Lafily, lt 1s nothing. e)fe, but to make Oath by any Thing. Here let our Speech be ac an End~ . Thou threatneft that thou wilt leave me arhirft {ooner than I would. fi. If an Oath feem a fmall Thing to thee, truly ~I cannot condemn thee : But .. ifit is in the Number of horrible Things, I will alfo cfare to p~oduce ~mighty Thing: I do adjure by a very Oath it felf, that thbu abft~m from,. |
