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Show ~ A Great· Truth;For .. fwr:vinK endliGNo Srveari11g. A Treatife of Oaths: VoL I. way, buaufeout ofSwearingfprings up Forfroearin~;; for, wbofoever fwears often, at one Time or other fwears falfiy; for this !leafon Solomon gives that Admonition, Accujlom not thy lllotllb to Sr.oearmg; for rbereli1 mu(b Danger therein. Far, as he that accuitoms himfelf to talk m nch, rnuft needs at one Time or other utter UnfeafOnable Words\ and he that ufeth frequently to {\rike with his Hand, cannot but fomerimes ihike UnjulUy. fo he that accuftoms himfclf to Swear in things Convenient, ofr~times For~ fwears himfelf, even againft his \'Vill (C11/1om prevailing ~n him) in Things fuperf\uous · for we can accuftom our fC:fves to any Th1ng when we will· bm we can~ot turn ofF that Cuftom when we will. And what the Judg: ment of God is againft them that fwcar, Solomon teacheth; Ji ftlau, f:iith he rbar Swears tnJfch, 11 ·wound foa!J n (lt depart from his Houfe. If then 3 Wound depart not from them that fwe:~r, how fhall it at length depart from them that forfwear. Tell me, my Friend, What deft thou get by 7 Swearing? For if thy Adverfary did believe that thou would'ft Swear weU, EEteUe~tly he would never force thee to Swear at all ; but becaufe he thinks tht"Ju diftinguifht, wilt fwear falfly, therefore it is thlt he compels thee to fwear, and when and theSor· thou haft fworn, he doth not fit down as fatisfied in the Truth of thine ~~~~:r~ffT Oath, but goes away fu11 of Revenge, as it were in Condemnation of thy reprerented. Perjury. :Accerd1ng An Oath never has a good End ; for, fome will judge thou haft Sworn co E•ftbtw. for Covetoufnefs; 01nd fl)me roo, that thou haft Forfworn: But they that The Unhap- are wi11ing to fuppofe well of thee, although they do not believe thou haft rncrs of Sworn Faljly, yet they are not able to affirm thou haft Sworn in Tr11tb: e~~~~fy a· But no 1Han can maintain thou bajl done Religioujly. By Swearing therefore gamA:Con·. thou comeft into Rep~oach with thy Enemies, and into Sufpicion with thy fcien~e. H1s Friends. But thou w1lt fay perhaps, ~~vr!iet~:ut Obj. What jhrzU I do; be neitbtr do1h nor will ht!ieve me, un!rfs !Swear? wl\cn~rov~ .Anfw. Be content rather to lofc thy Money than thy Salvation; fet to a Piooh. more by thy Soul, than by thy Eftate' If thou fbouldft lofe any Parr of thy Eftate, thou may'ft live notwithftanding; but if thou lofeft God, whereon wilt thou live? Dofi: thou not knGw, that whar thou part· eft Self-denyiugly with for the Fe:tr of God, thou receiveft a grelter Reward for it, than if thou hadft given Alms; becaufe, the more we bear the Crofsy the more worthily are we crowned fOr it? Behold, my Friend, His Caution Jaclvife tbee not to Foret an] Mrzn to fwear; if thou thinkeft he will fwear tothorcthat well, avoid it; or if thou thinkell he will fwear amifs, avoid it fo much ~~ri~~~~ the rather: For although he fwear well, yet thou, as far as relJtes to thy h Confcience, att become the Caufe of his Perjury, hecaufe thou compeUeft P:..l\ic~.t e him. to rd.e an Oath witlJ rhH lntemion, not barely that be fhou/J Srre11r, hut thnt be jhould Forfwear; for if tbtJu badfltbougbt be would b•vefworn bottejlly, thou r»ou!dft not b4ve forced him to {wear at all. Obfoolijh Man, that compcOefl another to Swear! Thou knoweR not what thou dolt: He, although he forfwear himfelf, yet does it with Advantage; but thou, wit!JDtd any Jldvantage, art found a Partaker of bi.r Perjury. He that does not ftick :tt Lying, does not feu Swearing; for he that tells a Lye, goes beyond Lying as bad the Tru1h in his Heart; and he that fwears faHly, pa./Jcs over God in his as swcaringl Words: What then is the Difference between paffing, over God, and going in tus 'fteem, beyond the Truth, .feeing God i.s Tr11tb it feif? This is the only Difference, That when we Lye, we pafs over 1he Tr111b in ~ur Heart ; Nit when u•e Forfwear, we pafs over God in Wortl.r ; For, to Men we give SatisfaB:ion by WORDS; to God, by ConJcience. God him~ felf, who forbad Forfwearing, even he 11[1erward commanded ]\·or to fv:car: 'Admirably He therefore that is not afraid to fet light by the Commands of God in wcuar,ued. Swearing, will not be afrahl to do the like in Forfwearing. But wh3t wouldft thou have? Doth he fear God, or doth he not fear him ? If he be one that fears God, he will not Lye, thoUgh he be not fworn ; but if he be one that does nC'It fear God, he cannot fpeak Truth, though he be fworn. His R<buke Hear, ye CLERGT-MEN, who bring the HOLY GOSP.t'LS for Men to tn the Cleru Swear upon? How can )'e be ferari f'·o.m thRt On1b, t~ho foro rhe Se~d of * PerJ"'l/ VoL. L A Treatife of Oaths; li Perjury? He tbat bringt the Fire by ,.bl(h •• HoMfi . b . tl ger to the Burnmg <or who reaches t.tSword b b 11 ft1Rt, 11 h~ 4Str,fli:. J6?~· be an Acce./Jo"ry to the Slaughter ; So he tb ; w tre ~ a an u Jlmn, u not ~ fwearmg, It a Partaker of the Per;11ry . .lfaltg~~~~ t!~ffPJoo;!"7111Y of For- ~~~~~r1j~ faul ngbr!y, that we gave them the Gojpel to Swear not t R tfio fwear, ye (ur B•bfe) to 1IOW ye kttow, That II II n Sm evm to Swe r ll h o or wear i BNt rwear Oil. that giVe the Ouafion of Sznnmg agnznfl G d ~ Le , b o,R can ye he tl'JIIllted uno Burning; take away rlu Sword and rb ;{ t e_ tre ceaft, on there wayStPeanng, and there u no ForJrl,earmg. t Bea~h:re"T(.tttn; r.Soktake a~ them that fwear by God B ~ mgs 'IT, en of !~eilJniquity ~ ;rore d;teftabl~~sfo~r H~ev~n t~~~ r;ae:t~ b~~Si~he~~~ft"~f ., e emcnts. o made _fo~ hi• own Service; uot fvr M~n to fwear b . For, behold, tn the Law It II commanded that they !hould .ti b y. ;~~~o~~ ~s ~ef~e~~[~re t~aatk~wears by ~~aven, or by the Ea~~~r o/wboa~~ ldolatry, who fwears b~' any T~i~;~fi~f !t~Jb~efore every one commits :~:Eie~eec:~~e ~~lf:1 not perform hi~ Oaths ~o~h~ L~;d b~s ~0~~{:{ :~ and Secon~ly, ;n makinge;tcG~~?t~a~obuyb~h~~~;h:se~a~~ t~r he Swears\ G Ai:un, h Chap 23. Homil. 43· on rhefe Words wo' un:; you B!md ::a cf~f~~; k.~li:.~'{;',~::t .;f ~w:;,; ;;.,;~:. tt:·d·; ;.b;~:~g~::; fi 1 ·r h e) nowadays do fo unwtfely underftand m:my Things {lor o, b (;ere fhall be :my Caufe, h<: feems tO do a fmall Mltter wh~ r:~~r~re!tcr ~h~in but .P: wt:ar f~ve:us bbey ~:dG~pel, feems to hav~ done h G J (!•d Ji om It may JJ.l ' rools 1 The Holy Scrzprures ., =;~ tb; adPe~~o:~a; rb/G~%~'r:!~://~ iaO:a?fie~ if ~:J.ter tohich Jantlifi• . Agatn, Hom. 9· on AUt of the Apojllu Chap ~ To ~hts conduces not a little, Nor to Swear and ]...r0t 10 b~ Ji~ r f. • not be_mg Angry, we fhall not have an EnemY; and caft oft a li.Yn!s Oirhn and. W!t.~l wou !halt caft off thofe Things that concern Wrath ~nd !hal: exungut. a Anger .. For Wrath and an Oath are like the Win'd. We fet forth Sltl, hut there ts no Benefit of the _Slil if there be no Wind . fo if we do not cry our, nor fwear, we cut the Sinews of Wrath Com: rell for ~~at ~~ufe an 0Jth was _introduced, and why ir wa; al1owel? Let~~ ;elllts Orrgmal, 3Jl~ whence It fpru~g up again, and how, and by whom; Again1 in the . n&1by ourftDecla{ra1?r" we fha1l graufie your Attention: For he that dorh Originalofan iu hy,i mu nece any be alfo ftudious of Wifdom. and he that is not yet Oath, he con· uc, s_not wort~y to hear a Difcourfe: For Abr;ham made Covenants cuNwithus. od [acr;c~d Sa entices, and ?ffered Offerings; and as yet there WJS not a~ a~ · ence then came m an Olth? When Evil.r increnftd wben ~til Ttmgs be''i'Je topfyh~~urvy, when they i11dined to Idolatry ; then v;rily when t ey nppen un_fau 'Jill, they cnUed God to Witnifs, tu giving a Suret for gccuruy i(.~mr Wor4s; for a11 Oatb is a Surerijhip, where their &haj;o11r.r tWe no rup _or C~ed1t. Whereupon, Firft, He that fweln is taxed if h · · Kt:~ ~0 <[.re1tt Wlftthout :10 Oath, and the ~rea:eft Security: And becauf~ '!ah:£I::&~·:;: S. O ttt 7 tru one another, rbq jeek Gad for 11 Surety not Man · ~con;ly, He IS in the fame Crime who receives _an Oath, if he d;aw God t~ . a urety for Contra~s, and fay, Tbnt He vull nor·Trufl excrpt he bave bun. 0 monftrousThmg! Ofhameful Difgrace! Thou a Worm, Duftand A~es, and a Vapour; dJrefi thou fnatch thy Lord who art fuch an one for {h~~~~tf~ and compel_left to a~c:pt him? Tell 'me, if a Fellow·Ser~ant A revere De.; on Y to your Chtldren, finv1ng among themfehes, and not rrufting clam:~:tiou- . e another, unlefs the co'!lmon MaUer become a Surety there is no rruft- ~alnfl-C~/· Ing; would not many Srnpes be infliOcd that he might Ie:un thlt he 1"'& PeopletQ ~~uld make ufe of him as a Lord in other Things not in rhefe? 'what do S't'car. · peak of a Fcllow~Servam? For, jf one would 'have a more Venerable . ~,:n, ~ould not the.Cafe have Difgrace in it~ But I jha/1 (faith he) tbere-fi .. ne11ber C9mptl bu11, bccouJe tbis is nl{o al!lot~gjl lden, He nuy f:ty thus, . Nnnn Sorr1c- · |
