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Show Hom.tl. irr c .... Cooft:. 6.& n. A TreatiCe of Oaths: VoL. I. It's not onlv comm;~nded in the New, but alfd in the Old Tefiament Not to SVJtar; as Hof. 4· Zacb. ~· quotet~ Teriulli~n, lib .. ~c Idololllf. cap~ 1 t. faying, I amfi/ult (JboMt Pcrjltry, jetm!. tbat mdtd llz.t 'lOt latc[NI 10 Swear. And thofe very Words of Chrill:, SwMr not at ttY, fignifle this (feeing hefubjoyns, Ntitber by Huvtn, t5c.) as if he had faid, not only greater Oaths, but alfo thefe,. which feem lefs, yoU are to t:Jkc Heed of, and it is app:uent from the Reafon which he adjoyns, faying, Neitber by Heaven: If therefore Chrift forbiddeth to fwear by Heaven, becaufe God dwells therein, much more he forbidderh to fwear by God, etc. Now he forbiddeth all Manner of Swearing by the Creatures, and every Oath by God himfelf, os Greg. Nyf!tn rightly argues, alljl Chrift himfelf hath plainly fo declared, .Mat. 23. La/lly, The following Words of Chrift are oppofire, Let your Ward b' )<a and A'ay; for, by them he declareth, that he before fo.rbad the Addition of any qat h. 2dly, Jerom ~nfwcr~, Swea~ing r»tU per'!liued ~o the Jews; ttr to Cbt!drcn; but Evangcbcal Veray rcuwes nut Swearmg, fecmg every Fnith-' ful Word is for an Oath. The fame Dothine and Expofition doth Cbry.foflom follow. Theophyla8, after ChriA:, !r is an Evil to Swear, tU to be Circum· eifel, and in brit:f, fJJbarfotver is1ewifo. Beda, alfo Cojlro and Druthmo.4 rm confefs, ::and Bernard himfelf denies not, that it is the Counii::l of Chrift, ttot to Swear. And Precepts are not contrary to Counfels. Libr. 1. cap. 14. p. :182. Tflbt'lher an Oatb be an explicit Ail of Rdigiom Virtue? There may be a Reafon of Doubting, bec::wfe every A8: of Religion is Principally intended for the 'V"orfhip of God: But an Oatb is not made pri· marily, and of ir felf (per fe) for the Wotihip of God; but for confirming~ etc. as Heb. 6. From whence it feems plainly to follow, That an Oatb is not an Aa of Religion. It may be declared Dy Reafon , becaufe, Firfl, It is impoffible that Man can bring God for a Witnefs, although fie would never fo fain: Theteforc the Nat'ne of God is taken in vain, as often as it js taken to Swear: Therefore it is Evil in i:t felf (per f e.) StconJiy, Grant this were poffible, to bting God for a ':Vitncfs; it feem9' diforderly to bring the Perfon of God tO' confirm Men's Bufine£fes, Co· venants, 6r Words, beca~fe it is dlforderTy to order 1'hingS oian higher Order to thofe that are inferiout• Much more is it difonJetly, to mix the Sacred Autlioriry of God to the prophane (or common) Words, and Bufine{ fes of Men. Thirdly, Though in fome Cafe an Oath might be ufod without Inconvenience, yet it is fo expoCed to Dangers, th:tt it can fcarce he doMe with· out Crime: :BUrin the Law of Grace; becaufe of the Petfcfiion of it, not only Sins- are to be forbid, but alfo thofe Things wliich do morally and neareft entangle into Sln: For he that loveth Danger, !hall peri!h in it. He quotes Cltmens Roman liS, lib. 6. Conjlitllf, .Jpofl. as before; OtJr Mafler commande- d, that we j'hou!d not Swear, no, not by the tr11e God; that our Word jltOu!d be caunre more firm and credible than an Oath ir fe/f. He quote~ alfo Grrg. JY.a.zianzen, 3S' be_{ore, upon. thefe V¥ords, But lji1y unto .vo11, ffc.J He Torbuldetb all Jr1anner of Srbearmg by ffle CreatUres, even with Rt· fpdlto (;_od: Hence it follows the more forcibly, as I faid, that he forh2d an Sweanng by God himfelf, as Gr(gory. Nazianz en rightly argues, as .before, on C,mt. Homil. tB. And Chrift h)mfelf plai0ly fo declared, Mar. :z;. He that Srr'tartth by Heaven, Sweartt!J by tb-r Throne of Gad, &.c. 1..aftly, The Words withftand, which Chli(\'fubjoyns, Let your Word be, E:l<'] For, by them he declates, that ~.,.h;d til:fole forbidden the adding of any Oath: Therefore Jerome adfwered, tharOntlu, f5c. were permiued ta the fews, a1 to Children. " He-ufes many other Arguments, and 9uotes many Authors, as may be feen at large in his Book concerning Swear tnt. Cit Yar.. , I. .d' Trtatife.1,iJOat~: . Cl!. J;, .hlajaY 1Iadiflttonianl on M 1 M ·663 Pte<:ept \Vas given !o .rhe Difcip. lcs (the &,fiJor t~:fi ~,.,,• ~, •H: ·Tii~ ., )61S· , CHI. ]oac. CaJ.rr. 311d P. Lofelfr Villi. ills'S . r ChurCh. 1 ~ ;. 31· .Wharfoeve~ y6u Vouch xouch ·r {.,., Margt~al Note upon .il!a(. deny tt barely, whhdur any Ifiore WId \r 1 and whatfoevet you deny CIV, Bi61e, ititpr\oua An ] . or s. ' l>;f~r~inal !'iote, Frf"! an roii c/I.Jri,~/j-u•j,• rv;;b;, "~'~'' it of E~lliJ GV. Mi1r/orllt' on Mat • fi. h S • oJI f'/Jifll. (vz/, Swea~ing. . ·• · 5' :ur ' dme ~~lr, not l~il; hold agoildt Maldonat oo Af6t. ;. reckons up fevcral ag~ihfl s' !a . CVI. feter Cb ,,.,.n Dotlor U I:. . T' ' w rmg. Chap. 27· An Opth ;.,.hat is it U'ut ~s ln P•ri<, in hi• Book' pf Wifilom ftrull, Infidcli~y, Tghorance, Hu ~·ahe /nfif:.d~.a,nd !hanwrur Mark 'ofDi1 ''• that Gtves tt, tbat ordalnt ir~lldding to ARi'~ettv m !f"'thar Jleq•ires nmplun efta malo, Wb~t is m"fe, is from th De' .1: or s, faith he) ~ad CVI!. &;so, on JaltU't ;. , 2 That wh~ j '1 ' i 1 ,;l fpea~ or affirm ic ~m'Plr and ;£;rhollt 0 '' t yop have &:o fay 01 at~rnr, den,r it li~ply andifatly.' ., an atb J and that you ~ave [O d~Jiy; . GV!Il. Folia Biil•, printed "An 1 8 M ' . ,, ' S'f"ar not 41 nO; t;~1 Simpliciry and f:u;h. bargrnal Note 011 i1!4t. ~· 34; .ilial{ngt be fo light and read• , 0 S e y~ur Words, and then you • ;J . ~ ~ . wc~r. .'r' • •oA I CIX. Lodlltllct/J 'Soto Major In tlte Gofi el ' h. . t~n tifed by Chrift our ~ord ' fco firmirt p ·!i-I' PartiCle (Amen) is of. Comm. on )tot01h; yet it's 'not !9 be tho~ghf (that~~· <f,~~ds ~y~it as Hurom alfo I r··· P'I!~ Lord SWore, rtr tyould have: i::o Swear as "a; :1 eceJye 1/thu Chrift out 2Io. "form of Confirming• but r:~tht:r' Jo t 1 h 0 '~ s h~ u t;t this Word or ·firm,.and Perfw3Cf~, 'and Comm'[tld ~ar:v.;h~een Wl~i'ng, more to Con~ ef~ecra1Jf, by Rei,eroting or Ji.epe:tting this w'Qg; whtch he taught, and nelthe_r ts this doubling of tit\: Word f or ' as h~ ofte~ u,l<tb; 'fot fom~ttmes ufeth it in the Gofp'el btl[ r 't~ n?u~~r, that CJmft our Lord Encreafc, tl\at iS, srear Mom;nt an: \~"it arh a great Emphafis an!l ·Belief, as ,.-l1g11ftin ngljtly tdcheth and ex ·~i~ ~ .Perfwad'e and saiq \he Oofpel of John, expoundi•Jg thole W Pfds •r '"hts 41 T1atl upqn 'Or verity, &cr~!y, lfi~ ro ·yuM, ,He that doth£ .o prJft, fayu~, Jl:"en, thougb.. therefOre thlF irbe J~ot' a Swea . m, ~ ~ t- $(TVIIIIt of Sm · al· 'firmahon :tnd Affeveration of thofe Thnng, yet tc IS a cena~n greater Cori~ tbelefs. it is not Swear in~, fcir ot~etwof~n!l.~w.hit~ i'e fpok~n 1 yet never· 'who Almfelf dehhm others fro Su•eari' I It d e ,Y that Chnl,l the Lord! ':f.• lltoufd himf~lf Swear fo' ~ren 1 Fo;lti:'n~' f~r Y,ap~er o.f 1'or£w«r· at. 5· but alfo 3t the fame 'rime a~d, hat ~On l ~tip!\, hiS lO Swelt/ that ;hey lhould o~ly ufe. in thei/ Spee~h ~f r t ll!i~y, com~!\.·~ ~;t:b~~~o~~e~~ ~~ ~[.~fr}'"";,;t "0.: '{a /~c,. f;r ~~i~':n·u~tv;r~ thing is more Si~pfe,'Brie~ an~' Effe~utl')t>to'd'{Y•{9h(.<fi1am, (or QP· Naughtlrtefs •bf' Men be1ng •lemovedJ tba 0 per wa e .vee Bacll\efj ~1\d although there were no Danger of Per]ul/ a Jinll~ .Aifir!RfltDn or D"'y1f, In this Senfe, i'n1~.a Mln'nel do almofttQJI th ·G th~t !'lace ofrh~Gofpel, QtCotilmand o£ Olt .; ;.•r:,• A_;'thors ihterP.ret QU~ efpeciall~ .ilpg/1/lin,, lib. <I'· of the Lord's We~~;, ~~~i-M{'""gi,f JO" f.q• Jl. and tn,lm,!look De "'i!Jt&/4,;, C· · • • onr, 'floM· cilfoh P~t:fJQ/IfO(~h~~ •i;,k "h~ch •inte~~;~:I;;C:~ f£;4~,fi!~l~~,,;~~~ tre:u· 0 f ·~bJD IS ® () t~e · L.I:·c.#o,g,l4',, Thril . . .2. P· us\ \vherc :a~E·ia:~r"'r"*~~~b-~~io~·i~~~vulr:i::J~ofi~;::.v::.;:.~;~~~Z .. !l."' .e11J 0f1Pif.Je ~·Jifllrt,. tpi!i;/lam A~thcr ftbm Swelui11 : anil to w;,·,~'IJ.~?·:r_F!~ thathSi~pfe owlh •lbly;h'llvc 1lr F•m ,4f ,f:r_o.,.h, ;~~ . ~• ) m s 'JJ o m t e arne Pl:lce purfues to the f:Jme Senfe, veiY cOli: grucnrly '~!-!..! ~ .":.t •' l'f |