Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Motiues to perſwade all men to leaue vaine ſwearing.
WHich iudgements and puniſhments if we would eſcape,§. Sect. 1. let vsus hate and flee from this odious ſin of prophane ſwearing; and that wee may the rather bee mooued hereunto, let theſe reaſons perſwade vsus: Firſt,1. Becauſe the Lord hath forbidden and condemned it. becauſe the Lord in his law hath forbidden and condemned it, yea and that after a ſpeciall manner; for whereas he hath giuen vsus tenne Commandements, hee hath added a commination or threatning but vntounto two of them, the firſt forbidding idolatry and falſe worſhip, the other taking his name in vaine; to note vntounto vsus that idolatrie and prophanation of his holie name, are ſuch odious ſinnes in his ſight, that of all other hee will not let them goe vnpuniſhed. And in the new Teſtament our Sauiour Chriſt likewiſe hath reuiued and ratified this law by his repetition and explanation: Matth. 5.34. Sweare not at all, Mat. 5.34 35. Dico vobis, ne omnino iuretis ne ſci'icet iurando ad facilitatem iurandi veniatur, & ex facilitate ad conſuetudinem. atque ita ex conſuetudine in periurium decidatur. Aug. ad Conſentium de Mendac. cap. 15. Chromat. in Mat. cap. 5.neither by heauen, for it is the throne of God: 35. Nor yet by the earth, for it is his footstoole; neither by Ieruſalem, for it is the citie of the great King. 36. Neither ſhalt thou ſweare by thine head, becauſe thou canſt not make one haire white or blacke. But let your communication be yea yea, nay nay: for whatſoeuer is more then theſe commeth of euill. In which words (as Austine obſerueth) our Sauiour inioyneth vsus not to ſweare at all, to wit, in our ordinarie communication, leſt ſwearing beget facilitie of ſwearing, facilitie cuſtome, and cuſtome periurie. And, as another ſaith, for this cauſe our Lord forbiddeth, not onelyonly to forſweare, but alſo to ſweare, leſt wee ſhould then onelyonly ſeeme to ſpeake the truth when we confirme it by an oath; or leſt thoſe who ought to vtter nothing but truth in all their ſpeeches, ſhould imagine lying without an oath lawfull. And that we may the rather be moued to yeeld obedience to this commandement, hee adioyneth a ſtrong reaſon; namely, that whatſoeuer is more in our ordinarie communication, then yea yea, or nay nay, commeth of euill. For either it is euill in him that ſweareth, as when he ſweareth voluntarily, vainly, and without cauſe; or when hauing made ſhipwrack of his credit by his cuſtomable lying, he cannot gaine beliefe to his ſpeeches without an oath. Or elſe it is euill in him who compelleth another to an oath, when as cauſleſly he ſuſpecteth his truth, and wil not giuegive credit to his aſſertions or promiſes, though his word be of approued credit, and his whole courſe of life vpright and iuſt. The Apoſtle Iames alſo following in the ſteps of his Lord and Maſter, inforceth this commandement with no ſmall vehemencie:Iam 5.12. Iam. 5.12. Before all things, my brethren, ſweare not, neither by heauen, nor by earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay, leſt you fall into condemnation. So that it is not a commandement of leaſt regard, or a matter of ſmall moment to abſtaine from vaine ſwearing, ſeeing the Apoſtle chargeth vsus aboue al things to forbeare from theſe vnneceſſarie oathes, in our ordinarie communication, and to content our ſelues with a ſimple affirmation of the truth, and negation of that which is otherwiſe.
Secondly,§. Sect. 2. 2. Becauſe all kinde of vaine ſvvearing is a grieuous ſin. we are to auoide this prophane practiſe of vaine ſwearing, becauſe it is an hainous ſin, what manner of oathes ſoeuer wee vſe: for if wee ſweare by any thing which is not God, we hereby deifie it, by aſcribing vntounto it Gods incommunicable attributes of omniſcience, omnipreſence, omnipotence, as hath been ſhewed, and ſo ſpoile the Lord of his glorie by attributing it to the creatures; and likewiſe an oath being a kind of inuocation, and conſequently a part of Gods worſhip, we commit an high degree of idolatrie, when as we communicate it vntounto any creature.
If we vſually ſweare by Gods holy name, we by making it common doe pollute and prophane it, contrarie to the expreſſe commandement of almightie God. Leu. 22.32. Ye ſhall not pollute my holie name, Leuit. 21.32.but I will bee hallowed among the children of Iſrael. For that is ſaid in the Scriptures to be polluted and made vncleane, which being in it ſelfe good and holie, is prophaned by common vſe; wherof it is that theſe phraſes of ſpeech, to be made common & to be polluted, are promiſcuouſly taken in the ſame ſignificatiō,Act. 10.14. as appeareth Act. 10.14. And ſecondly, this prophane ſwearing exceedingly derogateth from Gods glorious maieſtie: for if eueryevery ordinary man holdeth himſelfe mocked and abuſed, when hee is often called vponupon by his name, the partie who calleth him hauing nothing to ſay vntounto him; and if the meaneſt Prince vponupon the earth would account it a foule diſgrace and great diſparagement to his eſtate, if his meane ſubiects ſhould appeale vntounto him as their Iudge in eueryevery trifling buſineſſe, and produce him as a witneſſe in eueryevery ſlight cauſe, which either needeth no proofe, as being a matter of no importance, or may eaſilie be proued, either by manifeſt reaſons, or more inferiour teſtimonies; then what diſhonour and diſgrace doe we offer to this ſupreme Maieſtie, the moſt glorious King of heauen and earth, when in our ordinarie ſpeeches and buſineſſes we doe in an idle and ſenſeleſſe manner name him, hauing no occaſion at all to ſpeake vntounto him, or inuocate him by our oathes as a witneſſe or Iudge, in eueryevery trifling and needleſſe buſineſſe, which either deſerueth no proofe, or may eaſily be proued by other meanes; ſeeing he is the chiefe ſoueraigne and ſupreme Iudge of heauen and earth, vntounto whom we are only to appeale in matters of higheſt nature and greateſt neceſſitie.
Laſtly,§. Sect. 3. That it is a great ſin to ſvveare by the ſeuerall parts of Chriſt. if according to the common practiſe of the ſonnes of Belial, wee blaſphemouſly ſweare by the ſeuerall parts of Ieſus Chriſt, as his fleſh, blood, heart and ſuch like; what doe we elſe but as much as in vsus lieth in moſt deſpitefull manner crucifie him afreſh, and make a mock of his incarnation and ſufferings? What doe wee but moſt vngratefully diſhonour him, who took vponupon him our fraile fleſh, indured a miſerable life, and ſuffered a curſed death that ſo hee might worke the worke of our redemption, make vsus of the heires of perdition and firebrands of hell, the children of God, and inheritours of the eternall ioyes of Gods kingdome? In a word, what doe wee elſe hereby but cauſleſly aggrauate the hainouſneſſe of our ſins, and plunge our bodies and ſoules into a fearefull degree of condemnation? Iudas is a condemned wretch in hell, becauſe hee betrayed his maſter vntounto the high Prieſts to be crucified, for thirtie peeces of ſiluer; what a fearfull ſentence then are they to expect, who themſelues crucifie and teare in peeces his moſt precious bodie, hauing no inducement of pleaſure, profit, or credit, to draw them vntounto it, but through meere vanitie or maliciouſneſſe, whereby they are readie to gratifie the diuell, by deſpiting God himſelfe? The ſouldiers are iuſtly taxed and reproued for parting but the garments of Ieſus Chriſt; and therefore how much more are they worthie of rebuke and puniſhment who diuide and teare in peeces his glorious and indiuiſible perſon, his manhood from his Godhead, his ſoule from his bodie, and all his bleſſed members one from another? The Iewes grieuouſly ſinned (as all confeſſe) in crucifying the Lord of life; but theſe blaſphemers ſinne in diuers reſpects much more grieuouſly: for they ſinned of ignorance, becauſe they did not know him to be the promiſed Meſſias; theſe of knowledge, after they hauehave confeſſed and profeſſed that hee is the Sauiour of mankinde: they called vponupon Pilate to hauehave him crucified, theſe crucifie him themſelues, and in ſtead of croſſe and nailes, they rend him in peeces betweene their owne teeth: they committed this ſinne but once, theſe innumerable times, euerie day in the yeere, eueryevery houre in the day, ſpeaking no oftner then they do blaſpheme: they ſinned againſt him in the ſtate of humiliation when hee was but in the forme of a ſeruant; theſe after hee is exalted to glorie and maieſtie, ſitting at the right hand of God, as the ſoueraigne Lord and Iudge of heauen and earth. Many of them were pricked in conſcience, and repented of their ſin at the hearing of one ſermon;Act. 3.17. theſe hauehave no ſight, ſenſe nor remorſe of their ſinnes, though their conſciences hauehave been often conuinced in the miniſterie of the word; and though the Lord hath for many yeeres together granted them the meanes of their conuerſion, yet they continue in their ſinne, and in their hardneſſe of heart. As therefore they ſurpaſſe them in ſinne, ſo ſurely they ſhall exceede them in puniſhment; and as it ſhall be eaſier for Tyre and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of iudgement, then for the people of the Iewes; ſo ſhall it bee eaſier for the Iewes at that day, then for theſe blaſphemers.
Thirdly, we are to abhorre this vaine and prophane ſwearing,§. Sect. 4. 3. Becauſe vaine ſvvearing doth ſmother the chiefe graces of Gods ſpirit. becauſe it doth ſmother and choake in vsus the chiefe graces of Gods ſpirit. As for example, inuocation and prayer; for with what face can we preſume in the time of want and affliction, to call vponupon that name for helpe, which wee hauehave ſo often abuſed by prophane ſwearing? So alſo faith in Chriſts merits; for how can wee beleeue that Chriſts body was crucified for vsus, which we ſo often and deſpitefully crucifie vntounto our ſelues afreſh, or that his blood ſhall waſh away our ſinnes, which by impious and prophane ſwearing wee hauehave ſo often trampled vnderunder our feete as an vnholy thing, making but a mocke of it? It ouerthroweth alſo our affiance in Chriſt, both in this life, and at the day of iudgement; for how can wee truſt in him as our Sauiour, whom we daylie deſpite as though he were our enemie? how can wee when we are cited before the tribunall of Chriſt, hold vp our heades with any aſſurance of fauour, when as our conſciences ſhall tell vsus, that we hauehave ſeldome remembred him, but to blaſpheme him, and hauehave more often named him in our oathes, then in our prayers?
Fourthly, this vaine ſwearing is to be auoided,§. Sect. 5. 4. Becauſe this vice ill beſeemeth a Chriſtian. 2. Col. 4.6. Epheſ. 4.29. becauſe it is a vice which ill beſeemeth thoſe who make profeſſion of Chriſtianitie; for a Chriſtians ſpeech ſhould bee poudred with ſalt, and not with oathes; it ſhould not bee vnſauorie, and much leſſe ſtincking and noyſom: it ſhould miniſter grace to the hearers, and not like a contagious leproſie infect the weake, nor like thornes and ſwords, vexe and grieue the ſtrong. For howſoeuer euill men can eaſilie paſſe it ouer, when they heare Gods name diſhonoured, as being a thing which doth not at all concerne them; yet if thoſe who truely feare the Lord and bee zealous of his glorie, heare theſe blaſphemies, their heart quaketh, their ioynts tremble, and their haire ſtandeth vp an end, as it is, Eccl. 27.14.
Moreouer it is an vndoubted badge, and infallible note of a prophane perſon who maketh conſcience of no ſinne, but would (if he might with as little danger or diſcredit doe it) commit any manner of wickedneſſe. And hence it is, that as Salomon maketh it a true note of a faithfull man, to hauehave a reuerent reſpect of an oath; ſo he pinneth it as a badge vponupon the wicked mans ſleeue,Eccle. 9.2. that he maketh no conſcience of cuſtomable ſwearing. For as he parallelleth and oppoſeth the wicked to the iuſt, the pure to the polluted, the ſinner to the good man: ſo likwiſe, the vſuall ſwearer to him that feareth an oath. The reaſon is manifeſt, for if neither Gods louelove, mercy, goodneſſe, nor the innumerable benefits which hee hath multiplied on them, can reſtraine them from this vaine and vnprofitable ſinne, wherin there is no reſpect, ſo much as of any worldly good; then we may vndoubtedly conclude, that were it not for feare of humane lawes, they would if their luſts mooued them, as eaſilie and readilie commit adulterie, theft, or any other capitall ſinne, which hauehave the worldly baits of pleaſure, profit, or preferment to allure them; for he that will not ſticke to offend God, gratis, and for no benefit, will much more doe it, when he is hired with pleaſure or profit.
Fiftly,§. Sect. 6. 5. Becauſe vaine ſwearing is an horrible abuſe of our tongues. becauſe it is an horrible abuſe of our tongue, when as the Lord hauing giuen this excellent member, for the ſetting forth of his glorie, we abuſe it to his diſhonor, by blaſpheming our Creator, and make that which ſhould bee the trumpet of Gods praiſe, the trumpet of Satan, to proclame warre againſt heauen, and an open defiance againſt God and all goodneſſe. Whereby we iuſtly deſerue (ſeeing we thus abuſe this excellent facultie of ſpeech, which the Lord hath priuiledged vsus with, aboue all the reſt of his creatures, to the diſhonor of the giuer; and wheras the heauens declare the glorie of God and the earth ſheweth his handie worke, and all the reſt of the creatures in their ſeuerall kinds doe with their dumbe eloquence magnifie and praiſe their Creator, we contrariwiſe diſgrace him with helliſh blaſphemies and impious oathes:) we deſerue, I ſay, that the Lord ſhould ſtrike vsus with preſent dumbnes, and caſt vsus out as hee did Nebucadnezer, from the ſocietie of men, amongſt the brute and ſauage beaſts, till with him we hauehave learned to ſpeake to Gods glorie, and to magnifie the merciemercy of our Creator.
Sixtly, we are to auoid vaine ſwearing,§. Sect. 7. 6. Becauſe it is a cauſe and forerunner of periurie. as being a notable cauſe and neceſſarie forerunner of that damnable ſinne of periurie; nam qui deierat, peierat, he that often ſweareth, often forſweareth. To which purpoſe one ſaith: Caue facilitatem turandi; cum de facilitate naſcatur conſuetudo ex conſuetudine periurium, ex periurio blaſphemia; beware of inclinablenes to ſweare in ordinarie communication; for of inclinablenes ariſeth cuſtome, of cuſtome, periurie, and of periurie, horrible blaſphemie. And this commeth to paſſe, both becauſe cuſtome of ſwearing taketh away all reuerent regard of an oath, vponupon which followeth forgetfulneſſe of that which is ſworne, and ſo vtter neglect of performance; and alſo, becauſe mens tongues being inured thereunto, doe as familiarly vſe it, as a ſimple affirmation and negation, and conſequently they doe no oftener affirme an vntruth, then they are readie to confirme it with the deepeſt oathes. An example whereof we hauehave in Saul, who being the greateſt ſwearer that wee read of in the Scriptures, and making no conſcience of an oath, made as little account of damnable periurie,1. Sam 19.6.15 as appeareth, 1. Sam. 19.6.15.
Seuenthly,§. Sect. 8. 7. Becauſe vaine ſwearers hauehave a fearefull account to make at the day of iudgement. let vsus flee this prophane vice of common ſwearing, alwaies remembring that ſwearers hauehave a fearefull account to make at the day of iudgement. For if an account muſt be giuen of euerie idle word, then how much more of euerie vaine and bloodie oath? if they ſhall not eſcape puniſhment, who hauehave ſpoken idly and vainely, how fearefull ſhall their condemnation bee, who in their ordinarie talke hauehave ſpoken impiouſly and blaſphemouſlic?
Eightly,§. Sect. 9. 8. Gods manifold mercies ſhould reſtraine vsus from vaine ſwearing. let vsus call to mind the number numberleſſe of Gods infinite mercies, both in our creation, preſeruation, and redemption, and thinke with our ſelues what a foule ſhame it is for vsus, thus to offend againſt this maieſtie, which wee hauehave found ſo mercifull and gracious, eſpecially by this ſin, which as it is vntounto him moſt odious, in yt it robbeth him of his glorie, which is moſt deare vntounto him; ſo it bringeth no appearance of good vntounto vsus; for whereas other ſinnes hauehave their ſeuerall baites to allure vsus, ſome the baite of profit, ſome of honour, ſome of pleaſure; this ſinne of vaine ſwearing is deſtitute of them all, for vaine oathes are in vaine, and bring no profit but loſſe, euen the loſſe of Gods fauour, of a good conſcience, the aſſurance of ſaluation, and of our credit and reputation amongſt the faithfull, nor any pleaſure and delight, vnles a man ſhould (like the diuell himſelfe) take a helliſh pleaſure in acting ſin & deſpighting God; but contrariwiſe horror of minde, and the torments of an euill conſcience, nor any credit and eſteeme, but rather brand the ſwearer with the blacke marke of a prophane perſon. Seeing then if God had required a great matter at our hands, we ſhould hauehave been readie in regard of his boundleſſe and endleſſe mercies to hauehave done it: how much more ſhould we for his ſake, forſake and deteſt this ſinne of vaine ſwearing, which hath in it not ſo much as any reſpect of the leaſt worldly benefit? He hath beſtowed vponupon vsus whatſoeuer good things we enioy, and will we not at his requeſt part with this ſinne, which is not onelyonly vnprofitable, but hurtfull? He is ſo bounteous that he hath not ſpared to giuegive vntounto vsus his onelyonly begotten and dearly beloued ſonne, in whom hee was delighted and well pleaſed, and that to the death euen the bitter and curſed death of the croſſe: and ſhall we be ſo wickedly vngratefull, that we will not at his ſute, part with a ſinne, which hath in it no reſpect of good, pleaſure, profit, or credit, and contrariwiſe is hurtfull and pernicious both to our bodies and ſoules? If Gods infinite louelove, merciemercy, and innumerable benefits ſhould ſo worke vponupon our hearts and conſciences, that the ſtrongeſt inducements, and moſt alluring baites ſhould not mooue and intice to commit any ſin willingly and againſt our knowledge, then ſhame, confuſion, and vtter deſtruction iuſtly attend thoſe who either through wantonneſſe, or maliciouſneſſe, fall into this ſinne, hauing no reaſon in reſpect of pleaſure, profit, or credit to perſwade them thereunto: according to the prayer of the Pſalmiſt,Pſal. 25.3. Pſal, 25.3. Let them be confounded that tranſgreſſe without a cauſe.
But if Gods mercies will not mollifie our flintie hearts,§ Sect. 10. yet let his iudgements denounced againſt prophane ſwearers,9. Gods iudgements ſhould reſtraine vsus from this ſin of vaine ſvvearing. bruſe and batter them in peeces. For in this life the Lord hath threatned againſt wicked ſwearers a whole volume of his curſes, Zach. 5.3. Which are ſaid to be regiſtred in a book, to ſhew vntounto vsus, that ſeeing they are kept vponupon record, they ſhal ſurely be remembred;Zach. 5.3. in a large volume of twentie cubits long, and ten cubits broad, to note the multitude of Gods plagues which ſhall be inflicted vponupon the ſwearer; and in a flying booke, to ſhew the ſwiftneſſe of Gods vengeance againſt this ſin, and ye quicke diſpatch he will make in deſtroying of them, though they be ſcattered far and wide vponupon the face of the earth. So he threatneth, Deut. 28.58.Deut. 28. that thoſe who will not feare this glorious and feareful name, The Lord our God, ſhall be puniſhed with wonderfull plagues, both in themſelues and in their poſteritie, great in quantitie, grieuous and ſore in qualitie, and in reſpect of time, of long continuance. To the ſame purpoſe the ſonne of Syrach ſaith, that a man which vſeth much ſwearing ſhall be filled with wickedneſſe, and the plague ſhall neuer goe from his houſe, Eccleſ. 23.11.Eccleſi. 23.11. But well were it with blaſphemers, if they had their whole portion of puniſhment in this life, and that they might die like beaſts without any future ſenſe of weale or woe, but they ſhall finde it farre otherwiſe; for they who in their ordinarie communication, in ſtead of yea yea, nay nay, vſe vaine ſwearing and bloodie oathes,Iam. 5.12. ſhall fall (as the Apoſtle telleth vsus) into eternall condemnation, and as they hauehave blaſphemed God in earth, ſo they ſhall continue their wicked blaſphemies in hell torments with the damned ſpirits; as they hauehave diſhonored God, by abuſing and prophaning his holy name in their accurſed oathes, ſo the Lord will glorifie it againe in their fearfull and eternall puniſhments.
And theſe are the reaſons which may mooue vsus to hate and auoide this ſinne in our ſelues;§. Sect. 11. VVe muſt not onelyonly reforme our ſelues, but thoſe who are vnderunder our gouernment. the which may bee alſo effectuall to make all men carefull in reforming this vice in thoſe that belong vntounto them, and are vnderunder their gouernment, eſpecially Magiſtrates in the common wealth, and houſholders in the familie. And the rather, let all in authoritie be perſwaded hereunto; firſt, becauſe where one is tainted with this leproſie, if ſeparation be not made, hee will likewiſe infect thoſe that are about him. As therefore Magiſtrates and houſholders in the time of common ſickneſſe are verie carefull to ſtay the infection, by keeping the ſicke from the whole: ſo the like or much greater care muſt bee had in keeping theſe who are infected with this contagious ſinne of vaine ſwearing, from thoſe who are not yet tainted, either till they be reformed and cured, or if they be vncurable, by baniſhing them out of the common wealth, and excluding them out of the familie; or at leaſt by inflicting vponupon the offenders ſuch ſeuere puniſhments as may vtterly diſcountenance this ſinne, and diſcourage and deterre others from following their leaud example.
Secondly,§ Sect. 12. The impunitie of one ſinner bringeth Gods iudgements vponupon the whole familie. becauſe where any one enormous ſin raigneth in any member of a ſocietie, which is not ſuppreſſed and reformed, or at leaſt corrected and ſharply puniſhed, that ſinne will bring Gods vengeance and fearfull iudgements, not only vponupon the offender, but alſo vponupon the whole bodie of that ſocietie. For in reſpect of that neere communion which is betweene the diuers members of the ſame bodie politicke; it commeth to paſſe oftentimes that both their proſperitie, and aduerſitie, benefits, and puniſhments are communicated. So that as for the ſakes of ſome few godly men, the whole ſocietie fareth the better; ſo for the ſinnes of ſome few, which are either defended, wincked at, or not puniſhed; Gods temporarie iudgements are inflicted vponupon the whole body, whether it be a priuate familie, or the whole common wealth. Of the former we hauehave an example in Elies houſe, ruined and ſubuerted through the vncorrected finnes of Hophni and Phinees; 1. Sam. 3.13.of the latter, in the Beniamites, whoſe whole tribe was neere rooted out for not puniſhing the abominable filthineſſe of the inhabitants of Gibeah:Iud. 19. and 20. Ioſ. 7. and in the Iſraelites, who for the ſinne of Achan, fell before their enemies. If then wee would not hauehave Gods curſe light vponupon the whole common wealth, or familie, let the blaſphemous ſwearer be reformed, or baniſhed, or at leaſt by ſome other meanes ſeuerely puniſhed; for he that hauing power and authoritie giuen him of God to puniſh a ſinne, doth wincke at it, becommeth an acceſſarie in the fault, and ſhall be a partner in the puniſhment.