An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 140
SERM. CXL.
Of Swearing.
2 COR. 1. 23.
Moreover I call God to record upon my ſoul, that to ſpare you, I came not as yet to Corinth.
THe Apoſtle having made a ſhort, but happy and admirable digreſſion, occaſioned from his diſcourſe, verſ. 17. about the calumny of levity and carnal reaſonings, and motives concerning his promiſe to come to them, doth in this verſe return to that matter again, plainly informing of them, that it was not any inconſtancy or carnal respect in himſelf, that made him delay his coming; but the fault was wholly in themſelves, they were not yet prepared for his coming, which for the greater confirmation and authority he doth atteſt, with a ſolemn and ſacred Oath. It is true, Chryſoſtome doth beginne the ſecond Chapter at this Text, and ſo the Syriack. Yea Beza ſaith, We ought to beginne the ſecond Chapter here. In which reſpect Calvin and Muſculus comment upon it accordingly: but the matter is not worth a conteſt.
In the words you may obſerve,
1. An Oath. And
2. The Matter of an Oath.
1. The Oath is a very compleat and perfect one, I call God to witneſſe upon my ſoul.
Of the Oath firſt. As for Pelagians and others, who affirm an Oath to be unlawfull, under the Goſpel at leaſt, and that in theſe or the like expreſſions; Paul doth not ſwear, becauſe he doth not uſe the Prepoſition per, or by, or foreign and foreign, in the Greek, it's an abſurdity afterwards to be refelled.
The Oath in the Text is an Aſſertory Oath, wherein God is expreſly called upon as a witneſſe; and withall an Execration is added, Upon my ſoul, that is, Let God damn my ſoul, if it be not true: he doth not mention his ſoul, as part of the Oath, as if that were a witneſſe as well as God; but he mentioneth it as a pawn or pledge; and ſo it is lawfull to name ſome creatures that we love, or are dear to us, in an oath; not that we may ſwear by them, but as pledges. So that this Oath is both Aſſertory and Execratory; not that theſe make two diſtinct kindes of Oaths; for one doth neceſſarily imply the other: He that calleth upon God as a Witneſſe, doth thereby imply him a Judge and an Avenger, if he ſwear falſly. OnelyOnly I call it an Execratory Oath, as well as an Aſſertory, becauſe the Execration is mentioned; whereas for the moſt part in Oaths it is not expreſſed.
If you ſay, What reaſon or urgent neceſſity was here for Paul thus to make ſuch a deliberate and ſolemn Oath?
I anſwer, Very great. The adverſaries of Paul did accuſe him and traduce him for a vain and inconſtant perſon, which hereby did redound to the diſhonour of the Miniſtry, the hinderance of the Goſpel, the deſtruction of Chriſts Church; therefore it was neceſſary for him to take this Oath, That no carnal motive made him delay his promiſe, but a wiſe and ſpiritual conſideration of their good. Thus at another time, ſpeaking of his earneſt affections to his brethren after the fleſh, Rom. 9. 1. he ſweareth after this manner, I ſpeake the truth in Chriſt, I lie not, my conſcience alſo bearing witneſſe in the Holy Ghoſt. So in this Epiſtle again, 2 Corinth. 11. 20. As the truth of Chriſt is in me. Rom. 1. 9. For God is my witneſſe that I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers. Gal. 1. 20. The things that I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
Thus you ſee by many inſtances, the holy Apoſtle making uſe of an Oath, but alwayes upon neceſſary occaſions for Gods glory, and the edification of others. From whence obſerve,
That it is lawfull even under the Gospel, to ſwear after a right and godly manner, It is lawfull under the Goſpel to ſwear after a right manner upon neceſſary occaſions.upon neceſſary and urgent occaſions.
I ſay, under the Gospel; for ſome have granted it lawfull under the Old Teſtament, as (they ſay) to circumciſe, to ſacrifice was; but under the Gospel, they hold it abſolutely forbidden.
So that the handling of this truth about ſwearing, or a lawfull oath, is of great importance, both for doctrinal information againſt Pelagians, Socinians, ſome Anabaptiſts, who hold it unlawfull under the Goſpel: As alſo of direction, to know wherein an Oath doth conſiſt; and whether many formes uſed commonly by people are oaths, or no. And then withall, it is of great practical uſe, if poſſible, to remove that ungodly and wicked cuſtome of ordinary ſwearing, without any due conſideration of the nature of an oath. For how general and epidemical is this ſinne? Old and young, yea little children can ſwear as ſoon as ſpeake; rich and poore; yea men glory in their oaths, and deride at the ſtrictneſſe of ſuch, who will be ſo preciſe, as to abſtaine from them. They looke upon oathes as the glory of their ſpeech, and becoming a Gentleman. But Solomon's deſcription of a godly man will abide good, when ſuch prophane miſcreants, ſhall lie for ever roaring in hell, viz. That he is one who feareth an oath, Eccleſ. 9. 2. A righteous man, a good man, and he that feareth an oath, are ſynonymous expreſſions. You ſee then what a fruitfull field we are plowing up: but I ſhall not venture upon all the caſes about Oaths, which would require a great volume; onelyonly limit my ſelf to my Text, which containeth onelyonly an aſſertory Oath, not a promiſſory. And indeed becauſe it is the moſt formal and expreſſe oath that we meet with in the Scripture, we muſt improve it according to the deſert of it.
Two ſorts of perſons there are who have runne into extreames about an Oath.
Firſt, Such who out of a great reverence to God, and becauſe every mans word ſhould be as good and as firm as an Oath, have therefore wholly refuſed to uſe it. To ſuch we ſhall prove the lawfulneſſe of it; Yea the neceſſity and duty of it in ſome caſes. On the other extream are many prophane and wretched men, who uſe theſe ſacred Oaths in all ordinary diſcourſe, vainly, irreverently; yea ſometimes ariſe to ſuch high impiety and wickedneſſe, as not onelyonly to ſwear raſhly and vainly, but alſo falſly, ſo as to forſwear themſelves, and become guilty of perjury; a ſinne ſo contrary to the light of nature, that Heathens have ſeverely puniſhed it. And God doth ſeldome let ſuch perjured perſons goe unpuniſhed in this world without ſome remarkable puniſhment. For that terrible threatning will not prove falſe or a lie, Zech. 5. 3, 4. where a flying roll, that is, the curſe of God, is ſaid, To enter into the houſe of him that ſweareth falſly, and it ſhall remain in the midſt of his houſe, and ſhall conſume it with the timber thereof, and the ſtones thereof.
But before we come to theſe particulars, let us firſt conſider of the nature of What an oath is.an Oath (an aſſertory one eſpecially, for that is my ſubject) what it is, and we may define it to be,
Firſt, A religious calling upon God, as a witneſſe, for the confirmation of any thing in doubt or controverſie. The Latines call it juramentum, or juſjurandum, which is all one, though ſome would make a difference; becauſe that an Oath doth jus, or l…gem dare; it declareth the right, and law (as it were) of a thing, after which we are not to diſpute any more: Or elſe becauſe it doth Jus dare Deo, or becauſe Jure introductum: All Heathens concluding on this remedy by an oath, againſt controverſies, as moſt expedient. The Greek word foreign, ſome make to come of foreign, an eſtabliſhment, or of foreign, to conſtringe and bind, becauſe an oath brings a bond or ſtrict obligation upon a mans ſoul. Thus Numb. 30. 2, 3, 4. In a vow, which in this reſpect agreeth with an oath, therefore it is added, Or ſwear an Oath, a man or woman are thereby ſaid, To binde their ſoule with a bond. The Hebrew word is ordinarily Shebugna, which they derive from Shebang, the number of ſeven, becauſe an Oath uſeth to be amongſt many witneſſes: and withall it is obſerved, that the word to ſwear is uſed in Niphal, a paſſive voice, ſignifying thereby, that a man is not to ſwear, unleſſe he be (as it were) ſolemnly compelled unto it.
Now this definition given of an Oath, hath in it four parts:
The generical Nature, the Form, the Matter, and the End.
1. The generical Nature, it is a religious calling.
2. The Form, upon God as a witneſſe.
3. The Matter, which is doubtfull and controverſal.
Laſtly, The End, or the Effect (as ſome diſpute) which is the confirmation of this. For after Oaths there is to be no more arguing. Hence Aquinas ſaith well, That what firſt principles are in ſpeculatives, the ſame is an Oath in practicals. Now as firſt principles are indemonſtrable, and none may deny them, or goe to prove them, ſo is an Oath; it is an artificial argument to prove a thing indemonſtrably. And thus Ariſtotle defined, That it was an indemonſtrable argument or word without proof, with a reverent and ſacred uſe, foreign, Rhetorica ad Alex. cap. de Jurejurando.
Let us conſider this definition, upon which ſome Caſes and Queſtions of Conſcience are afterwards to be built. And
Firſt, We ſay, It is a religious calling upon God. Hence an Oath is the 1. It is a religious calling upon God.worſhip of God; when a man ſweareth in a right manner, he giveth honour and glory to God, believing him to be Omniſcient, and a ſearcher of the heart; as alſo an holy Judge, who will puniſh and be avenged upon all ſuch, who ſhall take his Name in vaine. Hence it is reckoned in Scripture as part of Divine Worſhip, Deuter. 6. 10. Thou ſhalt fear the Lord thy God, and ſerve him, and ſhalt ſweare by his Name. So Deuter. 10. 20. Thou ſhalt cleave to him, and ſwear by his Name. Yea the whole worſhip of God is ſometimes ſynecdochically contained in this action onelyonly, Iſaiah 45. 23. To me every tongue ſhall ſwear. Thus it is made a prophetical promiſe in Goſpel-times, That he who ſweareth, ſhall ſwear by the God of truth, by which all Goſpel-worſhip is intended, Iſa. 65. 16. Oh how little is this conſidered by common ſwearers, whoſe mouths are filled with daily oaths. Doe you conſider what an Oathis? Doe you remember it is a ſolemne worſhip of God? If God were an Idol, yea a man, you could not more abuſe and deſpiſe his holy Name than thou doeſt. Is this to worſhip God? Every oath ſhould be with holy fear and trembling at the Majeſty of God: But thou trampleſt his honour prophanely under thy foot. Judge ye, how prophane you your ſelves would think men to be, if they ſhould be ſo vain and cuſtomary in other holy worſhip. Should a man take the holy Pſalmes, and ſing them as idlely, and as vainly, as he doth ordinary ſongs, would you not call ſuch a man a prophane man? Prayer alſo that is a worſhip of God, ſhould a man in his prayer be no more reverent than in his merry tales, or idle diſcourſe, would you not ſay, ſuch a man was a vile wretch? Take the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, Should a man receive that with no more reverence than he doth his ordinary food; ſhould he make no difference between the Lords Cup, and a Cup of Ale at the Ale-houſe; Would ye not gnaſh your teeth at ſuch a man, as an atheiſtical perſon? And is it any leſſe prophaneneſſe, when you make oaths, and your ordinary diſcourſe all one? The very word Sacrament was taken from an Oath, as the learned ſhew: What ſhall be done unto thee then thou ſwearing and curſing tongue? Every trifle, every paſſion ſetteth thy tongue thus on fire from hell.
Secondly, Again I ſay, It is a religious calling upon God. For an Oath may be either pronounced ſpeculatively, and enuntiatively, or practicè, and invocativè; practically, and by way of invocation: As for example; when I reade this Text, I call God to witneſſe upon my ſoul; while I doe ſo, I doe not ſwear; yet Paul when he expreſſed them, he did ſwear. For I onelyonly repeat them enuntiatively, and by recitation; I doe not practically call upon God. Thus when a Magiſtrate, or any inferiour Officer readeth a forme of an Oath to him who ſhall ſwear, this reading of it doth not make him ſwear, becauſe he doth it not by calling upon God.
In the next place, There is the Forme of this Oath, and that is, Calling upon God, as a witneſſe. A two-fold forme we may ſpeak of in an Oath, Internal, 2. It is a calling upon God as a witneſſe.and that is, when God is called to witneſſe: Or External, and that is a forme of words. Of which in its time, becauſe many Diſputes are, whether ſuch formes be Oaths or no? For the preſent, The Internal, is God called upon as a witneſſe. Inſomuch that all oaths made by creatures, or ſwearing by them, is utterly unlawfull. For ſeeing to ſwear is (as you heard) a divine Worſhip, it muſt needs be Idolatry to give this worſhip to any other but God. Neither will the Popiſh diſtinction of ſwearing by a creature tranſitivè, or relativè, with reference to God; and terminativè, or abſolutè, be able to make eſcape from the jealouſie of God in this matter, as is to be ſhewed. Although not onelyonly Pagans and Papiſts, but even many Proteſtants, are guilty of this Idolatry, to ſwear by Saints and Angels, by creatures irrational, and rational. But woe be to ſuch, becauſe of their horrible offences in this kinde! Now when we ſay, God is called upon as a witneſſe; hereby is declared, That an Oath in its nature tends to the glory of God; for it is built upon this fundamental Article of Faith, That God hath an all-ſeeing eye, as alſo an avenging one, where men deale perfidiouſly, God is called as a witneſſe, and ſo by conſequence as a Judge. And in this an Oath differeth from a Vow. For though a Vow be alſo a religious worſhip of God, yet in that God is conſidered (as it were) a party, with whom we make a ſacred promiſe; but in an Oath, we attend to God as a witneſſe, as he that knoweth all things. And therefore how highly do theſe common ſwearers ſinne? For while they ſwear, they make uſe of his name, who knoweth all things, who obſerveth thoſe very words and expreſſions at that time. Certainly this conſideration of Gods witneſſing at that time, ſhould fill thee with much terrour.
In the third place, There is the Matter, and that is doubtfull and controverſal, 3. It is in a doubtfull matter.Whether it be a thing paſt, preſent, or future. For an aſſertory Oath may be about future things; as if a man ſhould ſwear the infallible event of ſuch a thing, which yet he doth not promiſe to accompliſh. This the Apoſtle ſheweth, when he cals an Oath, Heb. 6. 6, The end of a controverſie. Therefore to uſe an Oath about manifeſt and evident things, is an abuſe of the end of it. Had Adam continued in the ſtate of innocency, there had been no need of Oaths, becauſe there would have been no doubts, no controverſies, there would have been no falſhood or injuſtice amongſt men. But after ſinne came into the world, then man became ſinfull and falſe, as the Devil, that did deceive him. So that although Oaths are lawfull in ſome caſes, yet it is becauſe of ſinne: they become neceſſary, becauſe of mans tranſgreſſion. And therefore Divines ſay well, That although an Oath be a worſhip of God, yet it is not as other worſhip is, of it ſelf to be deſired, and conſtantly exerciſed, as to pray unto God, and to praiſe God; but onelyonly it is to be deſired propter aliud, ſuppoſing ſinne in man going before. Even as Phyſicke is not in it ſelfe to be deſired, but upon ſuppoſition of a diſeaſe; ſo that if mankinde were as honeſt, faithfull and righteous, as they ought to be, there would be no need of Oaths; and frequent uſe even of lawfull and neceſſary Oaths, ſuppoſe a diſtempered Nation, even as continual uſe of Phyſicians, demonſtrate a diſeaſed people.
Laſtly, Here is the End of ſwearing, and that is foreign, ſaith the 4. The end of it is for confirmation.Apoſtle, (Hebrews 6. 6.) for confirmation; and therefore called foreign, the Ne plus ultra of any controverſie: not that alwayes it doth confirme the truth. For how many ungodly and graceleſſe perſons doe ſweare falſly? But in the nature of it it is for that end. It is true, your common ſwearers, they doe ſo groſſely abuſe an Oath, that the end is wholly fruſtrated, no ſober man giving them the more credit, becauſe they ſweare: yea the more they ſweare, the more they ſuſpect them for lying.