Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of the obiect of lawfull oathes: where is ſhewed that it is only lawfull to ſweare by the name of God alone.
ANd thus hauehave I ſhewed that a man may in ſome caſes take a lawfull oath.§. Sect. 1. vvhat things are required to a lavvfull oath. In the next place we are to ſhew what oathes are lawfull, and what vnlawfull; vntounto a lawfull oath diuers things are required, wherof ſome reſpect the obiect of our oathes, ſome the end, and ſome the manner.VVe muſt ſvveare onelyonly by the name of the true God. Deut. 6.13. In reſpect of the obiect it is required that we ſweare onelie by the name of God, as may appeare by theſe reaſons; firſt, becauſe the Lord hath as ſtraitly commanded vsus to ſweare by him alone, as to worſhip and ſerue him alone. So Deut. 6.13. Thou ſhalt feare the Lord thy God and ſerue him, Eſa. 45.23. and 65.16.and ſhalt ſweare by his name. Eſa. 45.23. I hauehave ſworne by my ſelfe, &c. that euerie knee ſhall bow vntounto me, and euerie tongue ſhall ſweare by me. And 65.16. He that that ſhall bleſſe in the earth, ſhall bleſſe himſelfe in the true God, and hee that ſweareth in the earth, ſhall ſweare by the true God. And contrariwiſe the Lord hath as ſtrictly forbidden vsus to ſweare by any other beſides himſelfe,Ioſ. 23.7. as appeareth, Ioſ. 23.7. Make no mention of the name of their gods, nor cauſe to ſweare by them, neither ſerue them, nor bow vntounto them; which when the people of Iſrael neglected, the Lord threatneth to puniſh them for it.Ier. 5.7. Ier. 5.7. How ſhall I ſpare thee for this? thy children hauehave forſaken me, and ſworne by them that are no gods. Exod. 23.13.
Secondly,Exod. 23.13. a lawfull oath is a part of Gods worſhip, as being a kind of inuocation, and therefore they commit groſſe idolatrie who giuegive it to any other.
Thirdly, all our actions muſt proceede from faith grounded vponupon Gods word, but in the whole Scriptures wee hauehave no warrant, neither by precept nor example, to ſweare directly by any thing ſauing by the name of God, or to call either Angel or Saint as witneſſe to confirme a doubtful truth.
For whereas it is obiected that Ioſeph ſwore by the life of Pharaoh, §. Sect. 2. Of Joſephs oath.and that therefore it is lawfull to ſweare by the creatures; vntounto this we may anſwere: Firſt that Ioſeph, to the end he might continue vnknowne vntounto his brethren, tooke vponupon him the cuſtome of the Egyptians, and therein ſinned through infirmitie, and therefore his example is no preſident for vsus. Secondly, Ioſeph may be excuſed by the manner of his ſpeech; for he doth not ſay by the life of Pharaoh, but, Pharaoh liueth, or, ſo let Pharaoh liue, as you ſhall not goe hence; which is not properly an oath, but a prayer added to an oath, wherein he deſireth God to grant that Pharaoh might as certainely liue, as they ſhould not depart.
Fourthly, whatſoeuer we ſweare by, that we deifie, in communicating vntounto it Gods incommunicable attributes, as his omnipreſence, omniſcience, omnipotence, whereby he can powerfully protect his truth, and puniſh al falſhood; al which are ſo peculiar to God as that they cannot be communicated with any creature.
But is it then ſimply vnlawfull to vſe the name of any creature in our others?§. Sect. 3. VVhether vve may vſe the name of a creature in our oathes. I anſwere, that it is vnlawfull to ſweare by them ſimply and directly; neuertheleſſe they may bee lawfully vſed in a compound forme of an oath, when as God by them is inuocated, as when wee pray for ſome good to befall vsus, or them who are deare vntounto vsus, vponupon the condition of our truth: or imprecate ſome euill, if we ſpeake falſely, or when we oblige thoſe things of which we make greateſt eſteeme, to Gods iuſtice, as ſureties of our truth. Examples whereof we hauehave 1.1. Sam. 1.26. and 25.22. Sam. 1.26. and 25.22
In reſpect then of the obiect we ſweare lawfully,§. Sect. 4. Our oathes are vnlavvfull vvhen vve ſvveare by any thing beſides the true God, or ioyne any thing vvith him. when we ſweare by the true Iehouah onelyonly, and conſequently our oathes are vnlawful, when as we ſweare directly by any other thing. In which regard there are two kindes of vnlawfull oathes: firſt, when as we ſweare by any thing beſides the true God; ſecondly, when as in our oathes wee ioyne any other with him. They who vſe the former kinde of ſwearing commit the moſt impious kinde of theft, robbing God of his glorie, to beſtow it vponupon an Idoll: the other ſhew their graceleſſe follie in making baſe Idols, and ſillie creatures, corriuals in honour and compeeres in the throne of iuſtice, vntounto the Lord, who is the Creator of heauen and earth, and the ſupreame Iudge and ſole Monarch of all the world. Of the former the Lord accuſeth the people of Iuda,Ier. 5.7. Ier. 5.7. Thy children hauehave forſaken me, and ſworne by them that are no Gods. Whereby is plainely implied that they who ſweare by any thing beſides the Lord, doe renounce him and his true worſhip;Zeph. 1.4.5. and for the latter he threatneth deſtruction, Zeph. 1.4.5. I will cut off them that worſhip and ſweare by the Lord. and ſweare by Malcham. For the Lord being the peereleſſe ſoueraigne of heauen and earth, cannot indure that any other ſhould hauehave,Eſa 48.11. or ſhare with him in, his glorie, as himſelfe alſo profeſſeth, Eſa. 48.11.
Here therefore are condemned all oathes which are not by the name of the true God;§. Sect. 5. Pettie and childiſh oathes vnlavvfull. of which there are many kinds: firſt thoſe pettie, diminutiue, and childiſh oathes which are ſo much in vſe in theſe dayes; bodikin, lakin, by cocke, by my fey, and ſuch like; all which are the fruites of ignorance and ſuperſtition: for men ſeeing the vnexcuſable euill of prophaning the glorious name of God, in their ordinarie communication, vponupon euerie trifling occaſion, and hauing ſo inured their tongues to ſwearing, that they thinke there is a kinde of neceſſitie of vſing ſome kind of oathes, either for ornament of ſpeech, or to gaine more credit to their words; they imagine that God will excuſe them if they doe not directly take his name in vaine, but vſe onelyonly theſe trifling and pettie oathes in their ordinarie ſpeech. But what is this but to ieſt with holy things, and to mocke the Lord, who will not be mocked? As though he regarded the pronunciation and outward ſound more than the oath it ſelfe; or being diſpleaſed, to hauehave his titles and attributes commonly vſed, ſhould be contented to hauehave them nick-named in a ridiculous manner. What is it but quite to ouerthrow the lawfull vſe of an oath, which is ordained by God, onelyonly for the confirmation of a waightie and neceſſarie truth, and not to be vſed ordinarilie and vponupon euerie trifling occaſion? ſo that if the matter be light and vaine we muſt not ſweare at all; if ſo waightie that we may lawfully ſweare, then likewiſe is it lawfull to vſe the glorious name of God in an holy and religious manner.
Secondly,§. Sect. 6. Svvearing by the creatures condemned. Matth 5. and 23 here is condemned ſwearing by the creatures; as, by the Sunne, light, fire, bread, and ſuch like: which kind of oathes were in vſe among the Phariſies, as our Sauiour ſheweth, Matth. 5. and 23. and are commonly vſed amongſt ignorant worldlings in theſe dayes; wherein as they rob God of his glorie, and as it were ſpoile the Creator to enrich the creature, ſo doe they hereby exceedingly diſhonour themſelues, in that being their ſuperiours by creation, they make themſelues inferiour vntounto them in ſwearing by them: for as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, men ſweare by him that is greater then themſelues, Heb. 6.16.and make them their Iudges, whom God hath made their ſeruants.
Of this kinde alſo are Papiſticall oathes,§. Sect. 7. Papiſticall oathes condemned as vnlavvfull. by the Angels, Saints, and their reliques; by their Idols, the Maſſe, Roode, and ſuch like; for as they worſhip the Saints by inuocation, oblations, pilgrimages, &c. ſo alſo by ſwearing by them, the which their practiſe is impious and vaine; the impietie hereof is manifeſt, in that they rob God of his glorie, and deifie the creatures by aſcribing vntounto them diuine worſhip; the vanitie of ſuch oathes herein appeareth, in that they are idle and bootleſſe, for in vaine it is and to no purpoſe to inuocate any to beare witneſſe of our truth, and to puniſh falſhood, vnleſſe we acknowledge them preſent euerie where, the beholders of the moſt ſecret actions, yea euen the ſearchers of the heart and reines, and almightie to patroniſe truth, and to inflict deſerued puniſhments vponupon periured perſons: but all theſe are Gods proper and peculiar attributes, which are not communicable vntounto anie Saint or Angell, for neither are they omnipreſent, omniſcient, nor omnipotent; and therefore it is idle and vaine to inuocate them by an oath, as witneſſes of truth and reuengers of falſhood.
Thirdly,§. Sect. 8. Elaſphemous oathes condemned. here is condemned thoſe blaſphemous oathes by the ſeuerall parts of Chriſts bodie, which are commonly vſed by impious men, euen in ordinarie communication, wherewith as much as in them lyeth, they teare the precious body of Ieſus Chriſt in peeces and crucifie him afreſh: or if theſe blaſphemies proceede from ſuperſtitious ignorance, then this their practiſe is idolatrous, in yt they deifie the members of Chriſt, by aſcribing vntounto thē, whileſt they ſweare by thē, Gods incommunicable attributes. For howſoeuer wee may lawfully ſweare by Chriſt man, yet it is not lawfull to ſweare by his humanitie, and much leſſe by the parts of his bodie.
Laſtly,§. Sect. 9. Heatheniſh oathes condemned. Exod. 23.13. Hoſ 2.17. Gen. 31.13. Iere. 14.16. here is condemned Heatheniſh oathes by the gods of the Gentiles, which wee are forbidden ſo much as to remember by their names, as appeareth Exod. 23.13. Hoſ. 2.17. An example whereof wee hauehave in Laban, Gen. 31.53. in the Iſraelites, Ierem. 14.16. and in many ſchollers amongſt our ſelues, who affecting the Latine elegancie, vſe in their orations and exerciſes Heatheniſh oathes, as aedipol, mehercule, per Iouem immortalem, &c. But accurſed be that elegancie which is ioyned with idolatrie, and robbeth God of his glorie, to beſtow it vponupon Idols.
And ſo much concerning the obiect of our oathes.§. Sect. 10. Of the end of a lavvfull oath. Now wee are briefly to ſpeake of the end, in regard whereof it is required, that our oath doth principally reſpect the glorie of God, and ſecondarily our owne, or our neighbours good. We glorifie God in our oath, when as confirming thereby a neceſſarie truth, we magnifie his omniſcience, iuſtice, and power: we benefit our ſelues, when as we maintaine our owne right, or defend our owne innocencie; our neighbour, either when we perſwade him to beleeue a neceſſarie truth, or take away the cauſes of diſcord and contention.
In reſpect therfore of the end we ſweare vnlawfully,§. Sect. 11. Hovv an oath is vnlavvfull in reſpect of the end. when in taking our oath wee doe not reſpect, either the glorie of God, or our owne or our neighbours good; as when through rage and anger men burſt out into ſwearing, as though they would reuenge themſelues vponupon God for the iniuries they hauehave receiued of men. When in ordinarie dealing they countenance a profitable lie by a falſe oath; and when as by ſtuffing their ordinarie talke with vaine oathes, they affect the praiſe of a generous and couragious ſpirit, or ſeeke for their oathes ſake to hauehave all their words credited. But that is but a weake proofe either of Gentilitie or Nobilitie, which is a manifeſt argument that wee are the ſlaues of Satan; it is no true courage deſperatly to leape into hell fire; and ordinarie ſwearing is no ſigne of truth, ſeeing it vſually proceedeth frō a gulitie conceit of their owne want of credit: for if they thought their word worthie reſpect, to what purpoſe ſhould they vſe oathes? Nay rather vſuall ſwearing is a ſigne of the ſwearers falſehood; for therefore they ſweare becauſe their ſimple word is of no credit. And when they hauehave done all they can, an honeſt mans word is better to be eſteemed then al their oathes, nam qui deierat peierat, he that often ſweareth, often forſweareth.