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Show Grrg.NJ;,.ott Cant. Hom, •8. Exhortat. ad Virgin. Ambrofe on M;C~ 'i• Htw:~sfor * tn[!irt~.iion' &Pe,feEJion. .Ambr,Com. on Heb.c. 6. Oaths found· cdon Defefi, not to bee~ couraged; 1hen not to be impofe!l. 'A Trtntife Qf Oaths. Voi..J. and beware of Onhs, and thou bait the Viaory. B. I wifh I /1<;4. What Fruit gets ho thJt often fweareth? Laughter. What more? That when he fpeaks Trurh, he !hall nor be believed. . l"n another Pktce b:e faith, that to fwe..1f by Creatures·~ to fwear l-Yith Regard ro God hialfdf; fo Cbrilt him!elf faith, .Ala/. ;. 2). and ChQp. 2J. !6. 23· Cafarills, Num. 43· XLVIII. CJ:fariwt, Brother to Gregory l\~11zianztn, in l1is fpiritual Sen· ' teoces hath this Seotence, Flu ali Stvearntg, or every Oarb ; How then 01aH we'get Belief. As well by Spee~h as.by virtuo!ls ACtions and Car.riages, that gain Belief to our Speech. PerJury IS . a Deny1ng o~ God: What need · of God in this Matter ? Interpofe and put m ure thy Afhons. Epipbnn. adv. Heref. lib. 1. Ord. 19. §. 6. XLIX. 'Epipbanivs, whom Socrates S.bo!rl}JiciiJ, lib. 6. cap. 9· calls a Man of great Famt ttnd Renown, an~ a Virtu~//! and GuJ/y Perfon; in his fidt Book agJinft Herrfies (not accountmg denymg to fwear an Herejie, buc 13• tber the contrary, as may appear by his Words, which are chefe)' In the Law, JS well as the Gofpel, it is commanded not ro ufe another Name in Swearing: But in the Gofpel he commandeth not to fwear, neither by Heaven nor Enrtb, .nor other Oa~b, but let !ea Tea, and Nny ]\~lj, be as an Oath as PetttVuts tranflares tt) for what ts more than thefe is of Evil. Therefore I fuppofe that the Lord ordained concerning tbi~, becaufe of fame Men's All~ations, that would fwear by oth~r Names; ::and firft thatwemuftnotft~ear, no, notbytheLordhim{df, no~by~nyotherOntb: for it is an Evil Thmg to Swear at all. Therefore he 15 ~v1L that compels not only tp Swear by God, bur by orher Things, etc. Ambrof. de Virgin. lib. 3· L. ilmbrofe, foon after, being a Lay-Man, or Citizen of 111ila~, was by the People, againlt his Will, chofen Bifhop of that City, for his greJt Worth and Godlinefs, whofc Writings are of great Account; Andfptaking of the Inconveniency, occafioned by au Oath, faith, ' Wh.cJefore not without '. Caufe doth the Lord in the Gofpel command not to Swear, that there ' may be no Caufc of Forjwearing, that there may be no Neuffity of ' Offe,zding. ' He that Sweareth not, certainly he never fo1fwear.eth; but he that ' Sweareth, tOme times be muft needs fall into Perjury, becaufcal1 Men :~rc · (~hjcfi to Lye. Do not therefore S,wear, left thou beginnefi: ro forfwear. ' Therefore the Lord, who c:tme to teach the little Oo.es, to ;y. lnfpire ' Novices, to confirm the :f Perfea, faith in the Gofpd, Te mujl not ' Swear ot all; busufe he fpoke to the Hfeak. ' Laflly, He fpake not only to the Apoftles, but to the. Multitude; for he would not have thee to ·s~·ear: left thou. {houLQft Fori wear. · ' And he a~ed, · l\'ot to fwear, n.,either by H!aven, npr by the Earth, &c. namelv, by thofe Things that are not fubjcft to thy Pow.e,r, ' Tile Lord Sroare, and jhallnot Repe,zr. H~ l'l;l:J.Y fwea.r, wb.o cannot Re· ' pent of his o~uh: A11d wh:u did the lord fwe;~.r? That Chrifl n a Prieft c J4r et•er: Is that Uncertain? Is that impcffible? The Lord has fworn. Can ' it any way be changed? ' Do not therefore ufe the Example of an Oath, bec:aufe thou haft not ' Power to fulfil an Oath. Alfo, in his Commentary on the Hebre~t, he f;J.iJh, ' Becaufe Mankind ' is inc(edulous, God condefcendeth to us, th;It he even fweareth for us. So that he Qlews that not r_o be an Argument for Sweadng t.o be delired, feeing it is only in Co~d~cenhoo to a Defea; not to be encouraged frott it to fwear, or to requue lt, Cbryfoft. on Gen. Hom. I). Ll. Cbryjfljlom, in thofe Days ver.Y famous in the Church; :tnd there· fore ftiled the Goldtn Doff or, in h1S l)th HofJlily on Getu/it, f~irh;' A. · · C!:ri.fli~~tl VoL. I. .A T reatife of Oaths. ' Cbrij/iJn muft flee 0Jths by all MeJns h · h S ' ' which faich, It teat faid to th,.1n of 0tJ ~~nng 11 t e entence of ChriQ:, 16n ' UIIIO you, Swe:u nor at ail, Le~ none raY )'thef:fo notr{orfwe~r, b'!l /{:? ~ 'Jinef.s. It is not lawfuJ to Swear: Neirher in a .r(t wear·'it aJt!ft u· ' To Swelt is of the Devil, feeing Chrift faith ~u I wbor ~OJU Thmg. ' ~r of t~e evil One. , or at u mou, ts l!.vil, ld. HomPfa. Swc:anng took not its B~ioning from the w·11 b f: . 1· 'only. Thou haft heard(faith he) the Wifdom' 'r ut ,rom Negligence Ad Pop._.,, 'uot only to[orJwet~r, but· 4!j0 in any Manner t 05,lClmf!, ~yu~g. Thtlt rioch. Hom. ' ~nd all a Devic~ of the Evil One. o wear, lS evi/ifh, and ihe Reafon , , 1$. to Swear 15 found to be Dcvilifh, how arc they to be puni(h d h ofOotJ.. 1 orJooear. e W Cl Aga10ftthe ' If to Swear rrul{ be a Crime d T fi DifpraHe of ,, ment, .where fhal 'we place Per}~~;? a ran greffing of the Command~ f~~~~ry Life Speakmg of a Chriflian, (focaUed; for he that dare dofuch Th· Orcompnnc-cannot call a fincere Chriflia11) whom he faw compclr . mgs, we tion of He•'" ingenuous, modeft, and faithful M:~tron to o i Ing a cena~n honeft, I. I. there to be Sworn about fome Bufinefs in' Con~ro~tofi thbe J~w.r SyMgogur, ~gain~ the d fir· ~ Hel d . 1 . b er e etw1xt them the ;; ~'"'s• om .. , ~ /~ h )pk,' an 1mp onng to e freed from this wicked Force tf; ' I 34· • , vall .C tn~led Wit~ Zeal, arofe, and not fufferin her to b fi ' A~reemg . ' drawn mto t~Js. Prevancarion,Jefcued her, and enqniri~g ofhim :haatr~haeJ ~~,;ufobt• , dra~n her to It, whether he were. a Chriflian or not? Who cMfrffin b The Godly • tom, I feverely urged and upbr~uded him with his foJJ and ext/ .e .Zealofa&-.t· , ~adnefs, to go about to draw any Body, he prtJ/effing bi~filf 1 h /ffm foftom Coma /hrpper ofChnfl, to the Jews Dens, who bad crJtcified him ~ d a ."r" m~ndable. ' on in Speaking, !taught him out of the Holy Go.fpel That·~· n gfmg : ~ul to ~wear at .a!l,. nor to incite any to Swear, aft;r that ;1 T!~~ ~~~ :bw· Much !eli to· , :b:t LJ;;:,~~;/r~mttated, no, nor one 1bat i.r not initiated, to.bcdrllwn~~ ~J,;j,0~~g~ 'r dh' M!d· ffcerlhad fpoken much, andalong Timeofir · Ide- S'wearingancl _ IVere IS m aom the Error of Opinion etc , Compeifing Be.pleafed to obferve how Cbryfoflom, a z~alou·~ and Famous Man bo tofwearac for lus Books; and the Perfecution th.at he fuffered, being p11triarch or' ri~h; ~~a~ hrDT; ~vetfeer of the Church ~t .Conflantmople, one of the Four of the crfeifdt ()T'tbodo~~re m the World, ufes po Ddbnfbon of private and publick Oaths the com· See his great moo Talk of our I~pofers; for here he labours agam{l drawing a~y to fwear Praire in S~n. at aU, even m ]JJdiC4ture, becaufe it was not lawfUl to Swe,1r fo at aU no s:b~l. 1• 6• •• 110tm.tbelewsfwore, muchlefnurbe.Gentiles. • 3 He was of ' i!Agdarnb, Lifelt n~ne fay ro: me, what if t~ny lay 011 me a l\1ecej]ity of Sweariq~ the Ita-ce of . n w at 1 'Je ao not belrtve? Sen•tors, , ' C~nainly where the L~w is violate~, one mull: not make any menrion Te~:Jll:n~ber , of 'Aec~J}iry, .for there IS OJ?e unavotdable.Neceffity, 11ot to offend God. Cafe by this,; , Moreo\er, this 1 fay, That 1n the mean T1me, we may cut oJifuperftu- Homil. 21. , ous Oaths, thofe, ~ mee.n, which are m:~de rafhly and without any Ne. Eclog. deJa .. ceffity amongft Fnends, and Servants 5 And if thou take away thefe in f{;m. d : the other thou !halt need m~ no more : Fer that Mouth which hath l~ar .. po~m:J;J!;. , ~ed ~o fear and H:ean Oath, 1f any would compel it ten Thoufand.Times l,t wtl1 ~ever admtt of falling into that Cuftom, f.!/ c. ' , . But Ifchou fear nothing elfe, :u leaft fear that Book which thou takeft t m thy Hands, bid~ing anofher to Swear ; and when thou turnefi it, and ;7!:· ;. , lllarkeft what Chrifl hath there 'ommanded concerning Oaths -'~<Quake vfng;u,~arh; and Forbear. ' • ·CbrJfo/f. er, .. ' Whal doth it fay tbeno/Oatht? horts to be ' , ' .A.nftver, But I ~ay unto. you, Swear n&t st.ap • . Doft thou make .that b~~r~le,~ , }aw 30 Oath, w~1ch {or/nd.t to fwtar? 0. InJUIIOus, 0 unjuft Th1_ng-! blfnc, ~nd..aol' , bor thou. daft a~ If a Man !hould take for h1s Companion, 3 Law-grvu swearm,. 1 t 4t forbids to luU, and command him ro be made a MJJrdcr(r. As there· , fore,. when a Fight is beg'tin •. alrl\ough we ~re often reviled; yet we en .. , duren well, and we fJy to hu;n that doth i~. that Parron of thine hath • ~urt me, he ho~ds my Ha~d's; and thjs fetves us for Solace,_ Affkr ths · arne MaRner, If thQII wilt c.xaa a·n Oath of any, Reftrain tlly feff, and ~- widt |
