A Golden Chain, Chapter 22
CHAP. 22. Of the third commandement.
THe third commandement concerneth the glorifying of God in the affaires of our life, without the solemne seruice of God.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine: for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine.
The Resolution.
Name] This word properly signifieth Gods title: here figuratiuely it is vsed for any thing, whereby God may be knowne, as men are by their names: so it is vsed for his word, workes, iudgements. Act. 9.15. He is an elect vessell, to conuey my name among the Gentiles. Psal. 8.1. O Lord our God, how great is thy name through all the world! which settest thy glory aboue the heauens.
Take] That is, vsurpe: this word is translated from pretious things, which may not be touched without licence. And in trueth, men, which are no better then wormes creeping on the earth, are vtterly vnworthie to take, or, as I may say, touch the sacred name of God with minde, or mouth: neuerthelesse God of his infinite kindnes permitteth vsus so to doe.
In vaine] Namely, for no…cause, any matter, and vponupon each light and fonde occasion.
For] The reason of this cōmandement is taken from the penaltie annexed. He that abuseth Gods name, is guiltie of sinne before Gods iudgement seate: and therefore is most miserable. Psal. 32.1,2. Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiuen, and whose sinne is couered: blessed is the man to whome God imputeth not s…nne.
Guiltlesse] That is, he shall not be vnpunished.
The negatiue part.
Thou shalt not bereaue God of that honour that is due vntounto him.
Here is included each seuerall abuse of any thing, that is vsed in the course of our liues, out of the solemne seruice of God.
I. Periurie, when a man performeth not that, which he on his own accord sware to doe. Math. 5. 33. Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but performe thine oath to the Lord. Periurie containeth in it foure capitall sinnes. 1. Lying. 2. False inuocation on Gods name, because a forswearer calleth on God to confirme a lye. 3. Cō tempt of Gods threatnings, that he will most grieuously punish periurie. 4. A lye in his couenant with God, for the forswearer bindeth himselfe to God, and lieth vntounto God.
II. To sweare that which is false. This is to make god and the diuell both alike. Ioh. 8.44. Ye are of your father the diuel, &c. when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of himselfe, because he is a lyer, and the father of lies. Zach. 5.4. It shall enter into the house of him, that sweareth falsely by my name.
III. To sweare in common talke. Matth. 5.37. Let your communication be yea, yea, and nay, nay: for whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill.
IV. To sweare by that which is no God. Matth. 5. 34, 35. But I say vntounto you, sweare not at all, neither by heauen, for it is Gods throne: neither by the earth, for it is his footstoole: neither by Hierusalem, for it is the citie of the great king. 1. King. 19.2. Iesabel sent a messenger to Elias, saying, Thus doe the gods, and so let them deale with me, if I by to morrow this time, make not thy life, as is the life of eueryevery one of them. Iere. 12.16. They taught my people to sweare by Baal. Iere. 5.7. Thy sonnes forsake me, and sweare by them which are no gods. This place condemneth that vsuall swearing by the masse, faith, and such like. Matth. 23.22. He that sweareth by heauen, sweareth by Gods throne, and him that sitteth thereon. But for a man to sweare by Christs death, wounds, blood, & other parts of his, is most horrible: & is as much, as to crucifie Christ againe with the Iewes, or account Christs members, as God himselfe.
V. Blasphemie, which is a reproch against God; and the least speech, that sauoureth of contempt to his maiestie. Leuit. 24.15, 16. Whosoeuer curseth his God, shall beare his sinnes. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death. 2. King. 19.10. So shall ye say to the king of Iudah: let not thy God deceiue thee, in whome thou trustest, saying, Ierusalem shal not be giuen into the hand of the King of Ashur. Aiax in the Tragedie, hath this blasphemous speech, that eueryevery coward may ouercome, if he hauehave God on his side: as for him, he can get the victorie without Gods assistance. That slie taunt of the Pope is likewise blasphemous, wherein he calleth himselfe the seruant of all Gods seruants: when as in trueth, he maketh himselfe Lord of Lords, and God subiect to his vaine fantasie.
VI. Cursing our enemies: as, Goe with a vengeance: or, the diuel goe with thee: Or, our selues; as, I would I might neuer stirre: or, as God shall iudge my soule, &c. To this place we may referre the execrations of Iob 3. Ier. 15.
VII. To vse the name of God carelesly in our common talke: as, when we say, Good God! good Lord! O Iesus! or, Iesus God! &c. Phil. 2.10. At the name of Iesus, shall eueryevery knee bow, of things in heauen, things in earth, & things vnderunder the earth. Esay… 45.23. EueryEvery knee shall bow vntounto me, and eueryevery tongue shall sweare by me.
VIII. Abusing Gods creatures: as, when we either deride the workmā ship of God, or the manner of working: againe, when we debase the excellencie of the worke, obscure Gods gifts in our brother, or discōmend such meats as God hath sent vsus to eate: finally, when as wee in the contemplation of any of Gods creatures, giuegive not him the due praise and glorie. 1. Cor. 10.31. Whether ye eate or drinke, or whatsoeuer ye doe els, see that ye doe all to the glory of God. Psal. 19.1. The heauens declare the glorie of God, and the firmament sheweth his handie worke.
IX. Lots, as when we search what must be (as they say) our fortune, by dice, bones, books, or such like. For we are not to vse lots, but with great reuerence: in that the disposition of them immediately commeth from the Lord, & their proper vse is to decide great controuersies. Prou. 16.33. The Lot is cast into the lappe, but the whole disposition thereof is in the Lord. Prou. 18.18. The lot causeth contentions to cease, and maketh a partition among the mightie. For this cause the land of Canaan was diuided by lots. Iosh. 14. and 15. chap. By which also both the high priests, and the kings were elected: as Saul, 1. Sam. 10. And Matthias into the place of Iudas Iscariot. Act. 1.23.
X. Superstition, which is an opinion conceiued of the works of Gods prouidence: the reason whereof, can neither be drawne out of the worde of God, nor the whole course of nature. As for example, that it is vnluckie for one in the morning to put on his shoe awry, or to put the left shoe on the right foot, to sneeze in drawing on his shoes, to hauehave salt fal toward him, to hauehave an hare cro…se him, to bleed some fewe drops of blood, to burne on the right eare. Againe, that it is contrarily good lucke to finde old yron, to hauehave drinke spilled on him, for the left eare to burne, to pare our nailes on some one day of the weeke, to dreame of some certaine things. The like superstition, is to surmise that beasts may be tamed by verses, prayers, or the like; that the repetition of the creede or the Lords praier, can infuse into hearbs a facultie of healing diseases. Deut. 18.11. Here also is Palmestrie condemned, when by the inspection of the hand, our fortune is foretold. These and such like, albeit they hauehave true euents, yet are we not to giuegive credence vntounto them: for God permitteth them to hauehave such successe, that they which see and heare such things… may be tried, and it may appeare what confidence they hauehave in God. Deut. …3.
XI. Astrologie, whether it bee in casting of natiuities, or making of Prognostications. This counterfeit art is nothing els, but a meere abuse of the heauens, and of the starres 1. The twelue houses, which are the ground of all figures, are made of the fained signes of a supposed Zodiacke, in the highest spheare commonly called the first Mooueable: and therefore to these houses a man cannot truely ascribe any influence or vertue. 2. This arte ariseth not from experience, because it neuer happeneth that the same position of all starres is twise togither obserued: and if it were, yet could there not certaine ground arise from thence, in that the efficacie & influence of the stars is confusedly mixed both in the aire and in the earth, as if all hearbs were mingled togither in one vessell. 3. This art withdraweth mens mindes from the contemplation of Gods prouidence, when as they heare, that all things fall out by the motion, and disposition of the starres. 4. Starres were not ordained to …oretell things to come, but to distinguish daies, months, and yeares. Gen. 1. 14. Let there be lights in the firmament of the heauen, to separate the day from the night: and let them be for signes and for seasons, and for daies and for yeres. Esay. 47.13. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsells: let nowe the Astrologers, the starre gazers, and Prognosticators stand vp and saue thee from these things, that shall come vponupon thee. vers. 14. Behold, they shall be as stubble: the fire shall burne them, &c. Dan. 2.2. The king commanded to call the Inchanters, Astrologers, Sorrers, and Chaldeans, to shewe the king his dreames. Act. 19.19. Many of thē which vsed curious artes, brought their bookes and burned them before all men. 5. Astrological predictions are conuersant about such things, which either simply depend on the meere will and disposition of God; and not on the starres: or els such, as depending vponupon mans free-will, are altogether contingent: and therefore can neither be forseene, not foretold. 6. It is impossible by the bare knowledge of such a cause, as is both common to many, and farre distant from such things as it worketh in, precisely to set downe particular effects: but the starrs are such causes as are both common to many, and farre distant from all things done vponupon earth: and therefore a man can no more surely foretell what shall ensue by the contemplation of the starres, then he which seeth an henne sitting, can tell what kinde of chickens shall be in eueryevery egge. Question. HaueHave then the starres no force in inferiour things? Answer. Yes vndoubtedly, the starres hauehave a very great force, yet such as manifesteth it selfe onelyonly in that operation which it hath in the foure principall qualities of naturall things, namely in heate, cold, moysture, and drinesse: and therefore in altering the state, and disposition of the ayre, and in diuersly affecting compound bodies, the starres hauehave no small effect. But they are so farre from enforcing the will to doe any thing, that they cannot so much as giuegive vntounto it the least inclination. Nowe to define howe great force the starres hauehave, it is beyond any mans reach. For albeit the effects of the Sunne, in the constitution of the foure parts of the yeare, are apparant to all, and the operation of the Moone not very obscure; yet the force and nature both of planets and fixed starres, which are to vsus innumerable, are not so manifest. Therefore seeing man knoweth onelyonly some starres, and their onelyonly operation, and not all, with their forces, it cannot be that he should certainly foretel future things, although they did depend on the starres. For what if the position of such and such certaine starres, doe demonstrate such an effect to ensue? may not the aspects of such as thou yet knowest not, hinder that, and produce the contrarie? Question. Is then the vse of Astrologie vtterly impious? Answer. That part of Astrologie, which concerneth the alteration of the ayre, is almost all both false and friuolous; and therefore in a manner all predictions grounded vponupon that doctrine are meere toyes, by which the sillie and ignorant people are notably deluded. As for that other part of Astrology, concerning natiuities, reuolutions, progressions, & directions of natiuities, as also that which concerneth election of times, & the finding againe of thinges lost, it is very wicked; and it is probable, that it is of the same brood with implicite and close Magique. My reasons are these: I. The word of God reckoning Astrologers amongst Magitians, adiudgeth them both to one and the same punishment. II. But the Astrologer saith, he foretelleth many things, which, as he said, come so to passe: be it so: But howe, I demaund? and by what meanes? He saith by arte, but that I denie. For the precepts of his arte will appeare to such as read them not with a preiudicate affection, very ridiculous. VVhence then, I pray you, doth this curious diuiner foreshew the trueth, but by an inward & secret instinct from the diuell? This is Augustines opinion in his 5. booke and 7. chapt. of the Citie of God. If we weigh all those things, saith he, we will not without cause beleeue, that Astrologers, when they doe wonderfully declare many truths, worke by some secret instinct of euill spirits, which desire to fill mens braines with erronious and daungerous opinions of starrie destinies, and not by any arte, deriued from the inspection and consideration of the Horoscope, which indeed is none.
XII. Popish consecration of water and salt, to restore the minde vntounto health, and to chase away diuels. The reformed Missal. pag. 96.
XIII. To make iests of the Scripture phrase. Esai 66.2. I will looke, euen to him that is poore, and of a contrite spirit, and which trembleth at my wordes. We hauehave an example of such scoffing in the Tripart. hist. chapter 36. booke 6. The heathen did grieuously oppresse the Christians, and inflicted sometimes vponupon their bodies corporall punishments. The which when the Christians signified vntounto the Emperour, he disdained to assist them, and sent them away with this scoffe: You are to suffer iniuries patiently, for so are ye commanded of your God.
XIIII. Lightly to passe ouer Gods iudgements, which are seene in the world. Matth. 26.34. Verily, verily, I say vntounto thee, this night before the cocke crow, thou shalt denie me thrise. vers. 35. Peter said vntounto him, Though I should die with thee, I will not denie thee. Luk. 13.1,2,3. There were certaine men present at the same season, that shewed him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their owne sacrifices. And Iesus answered, and said vntounto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were greater sinners, then all the other Galileans, because they hauehave suffered such things? I tell you nay, but except ye amende your liues, ye shall likewise perish.
XV. A dissolute conuersation. Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before mē, that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father which is in heauen. 2. Sam. 12.14. Because that by this deede, thou hast made the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is borne vntounto thee, shall surely die.
The affirmatiue part.
In all things giuegive God his due glorie. 1. Cor. 10.13. To this appertaine:
I. Zeale of Gods glorie aboue all things in the world besides. Numb. 25.8. When Phineas the sonne of Eleazer saw it, he followed the man of Israel into his tent, and thrust them both through: to wit, both the man of Israel and the woman through hir bellie. Psal. 69.22. The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp, and the reproches of the scornefull hauehave fallen vponupon me.
II. To vse Gods titles onelyonly in serious affaires, and that with all reuerence. Deut. 28.58. If thou wilt not keepe and doe all the words of this law (that are written in this booke) and feare this glorious and fearefull name, THE LORD THY GOD. Rom. 9.5. Of whome are the fathers, and of whome, concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is God ouer all, blessed for euer, Amen.
III. An holy commemoration of the creature, whereby we, in the contemplation and admiration of the dignitie and excellencie thereof, yeeld an approbation when we name it, and celebrate the praise of God, brightly shining in the same. Psal. 64.9,10. And all men shall see it, and declare the worke of God, and they shall vnderstand what he hath wrought: but the righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in him: and all that are vpright of heart shall reioyce. Luke 2. 18,19. And all they that heard it, wondered at the things that were told them of the shepheards: but Marie kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Ierem. 5.12. Feare ye not me, saith the Lord? or will ye not be afraid at my presence, which hauehave placed the sands for the bounds of the seas, by the perpetuall decree, that it cannot passe it, and though the waues thereof rage, yet can they not preuaile, though they rore, yet can they not passe ouer.
IV. An oth, in which we must regard: 1. How an oth is to be taken. 2. How it is to be performed. In taking an oth, foure circumstances must be obserued.
I. The matter or parts of an oth: the parts are in number foure. 1. Confirmation of a truth. 2. Inuocation of God alone, as a witnesse of the truth, and a reuenger of a lie. 3. Confession that God punisheth periurie, when he is brought in as a false witnesse. 4. An obligation, that we will vndergoe the punishment at Gods hand, if we performe not the condition.
II. The forme. We must sweare 1. truly, least we forsweare. 2. Iustly, least we commit impietie. 3. In iudgement, for feare of rashnes. Ierem. 4.2. Thou shalt sweare, the Lord liueth, in truth, in iudgement, and righteousnes. Esa. 48. 1. Which sweare by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth nor in righteousnes, &c. Therefore the oth of drunken, furious, and franticke men, also othes of children, they doe not impose an obseruation of them, but by law are no othes.
III. The ende, namely to confirme some necessarie truth in question. Hebr. 6. 16. Men sweare by him that is greater then themselues: and an oth for confirmation, is among them an end of all strife. I call that a necessarie truth, when some doubt, which must necessarily be decided, can none other way be determined then by an oth: as when Gods glorie, our neighbours bodie or goods, or the credit of the partie for whom the oth is ministred, are necessarily called into question. Rom. 1.9. God is my witnes (whom I serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne) that without ceasing I make mention of you. 2. Cor. 1. 23. I call God for a record into my soule, that to spare you, I came not as yet vntounto Corinth.
IV. The diuers kinds or sorts of othes. An oth is publike, or priuate. Publike, when the Magistrate, without any peril to him that sweareth, doth vponupon iust cause exact a testimonie together with an oth. A priuate oth is, which two or more take priuately. This, so that it be sparingly, and warily vsed, is lawfull. For if in serious affaires, and matters of great importance, it be lawfull in priuate to admit God as a Iudge, why should he not as well be called to witnesse? Againe, the examples of holy men shew the practise of priuate othes, as not vnlawfull. Iacob and Laban confirmed their couenant one with an other by priuate oth: the like did Booz in his contract with Ruth. To this place may be added an asseueration, the which albeit it be like an oth, yet indeede is none: and is nothing else, but a constant assertion of our mind, intersetting sometimes the name of a creature. Such was Christs assertion, Verely, verely, I say vntounto you. And Pauls, I call God to record in my spirit. Where is both an oth & an asseueration. 1. Cor. 15.31. By your reioycing which I hauehave in Iesus Christ, I die daily. 1. Sam. 20.3. Indeede, as the Lord liueth, and as my soule liueth, there is but a step betweene me and death. And surely in such a kind of asseueration there is great equitie: for albeit it be vnlawfull to sweare by creatures, least Gods honour and power should be attributed vntounto them: yet thus farre may we vse them in an oath, as to make pledges, and as it were cognisances of Gods glorie. The performance of an oth, is on this manner. If the oth made be of a lawfull thing, it must be performed, be it of much difficultie, great dammage, and extorted by force of him that made it. Psal. 15.4. He that sweareth to his owne hinderance and changeth not, he shall dwell in Gods tabernacle. Yet may the Magistrate, as it shall seeme right and conuenient, either annihilate or moderate such othes. Contrarily, if a man sweare to performe things vnlawfull, and that by ignorāce, error, or infirmitie, or any other way, his oth is to be recalled. For we may not adde sinne vntounto sinne. 1. Sam. 25.21. And Dauid said, Indeede I hauehave kept all in vaine, that this fellow had in the wildernes, &c. vers. 22. So and more also doe God vntounto the enemies of Dauid: for surely I will not leaue of all that he hath, by the dawning of the day, any that pisseth against the wall. vers. 33. Dauid said, Blessed be thy counsell and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from comming to shedde blood; and that mine hand hath not saued me. 2. Sam. 19.23. Dauid promiseth that Shimei should not die: but 1. King. 2.8,9. Dauid saith to Salomon, Though I sware so, yet thou shalt not count him innocent, but cause his hoare head to goe downe to the graue with blood.
V. Sanctification of Gods creatures and ordinances, the which is a separation of them to an holy vse. Thus ought we to sanctifie our meates and drinks, the works of our calling, and marriage. The meanes of this sanctification are two: Gods word, and prayer. 1. Tim. 4.4. All which God hath created is good, and nothing must be reiected, if it be receiued with thanksgiuing: for it is sanctified by the word and prayer. By the word we are instructed; first, whether God alloweth the vse of such things, or not: secondly, we learne after what holy manner, in what place, at what time, with what affection, and to what end we must vse them. Heb. 11.6. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Psal. 119.24. Thy testimonies are my delight, they are my counsellers. Iosh. 22.19,29. 1. Sam. 15.23. Prayer, which sanctifieth, is petition and thanksgiuing. By petition, we obtaine of Gods meiestie, assistance by his grace, to make an holy vse of his creatures, and ordinances. Col. 3. 17. Whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or deede, doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus, giuing thanks to God euen the Father by him. 1. Sam. 17.45. Then said Dauid to the Philistim, Thou commest to me with a sword, and with a speare, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the host of Israel, whome thou hast railed vponupon. Mich. 4. 5. We must walke in the name of the Lord our God, for euer and euer. Here may we obserue prayer made vponupon particular occasion. 1. For a prosperous iourney. Act. 21.5. When the daies were ended, we departed, and went our way, and they all accompanied vsus with their wiues and children, euen out of the citie: and we kneeling downe on the shore prayed, &c. 2. For a blessing vponupon meats at the table. Ioh. 6.11. Then Iesus tooke the bread, and when he had giuen thankes, he gaue it to his Disciples, and the Disciples to them that were set downe: and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. Act. 27.35. He tooke bread, and gaue thanks to God, in presence of them all, and brake it, and began to eate. 3. For issue in childbirth. This did Anna, 1. Sam. 1.14. And Zacharie, Luk. 1.13. 4. For good successe in busines, Gen. 24. 12. Abrahams seruant praied. Thanksgiuing is the magnifying of Gods name, euen the Father through Christ, for his grace, ayde, and blessing in the lawfull vse of the creatures. Phil. 4.6. In all things let your requests be shewed vntounto God, in prayer, and supplication, and giuing of thanks. 1… Thess. 5. 18. In all things giuegive thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ towards you. This we may read vsed, 1. after meate, Deut. 8.10. When thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe, thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God, for the good land which he hath giuen thee. 2. After the losse of outward wealth. Iob 1.21. And Iob saide, Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I returne againe: the Lord hath giuen, and the lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord for euermore. 3. For deliuerance out of seruitude. Exod. 18. 10. Iethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath deliuered you out of the hands of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who also hath deliuered the people from vnderunder the hand of the Egyptians. 4. For children. Gen. 29.35. Shee conceiued againe and bare of sonne, saying, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore shee called his name Iudah. 5. For victorie. 2. Sam. 22.1. And Dauid spake the words of this song vntounto the Lord, what time the Lord had deliuered him out of the hands of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul, and said, The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, &c. 6. For good successe in domesticall affaires. Abrahams seruant, Gen. 24.12. blessed the Lord of his master Abraham.