A Help to Holy Walking, Treatise · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Directions about Oaths.
THE next part of Divine Worſhip that I ſhall Direct you in, is the right Uſe of an Oath; for though raſh ſwearing be an horrible ſin, as I intend, God willing, elſewhere to demonſtrate. Yet an Oath in it ſelf is Lawful, and neceſſary; yea, a Commanded part of God's Worſhip, Thou ſhalt fear the Lord, and ſerve him, and ſhalt ſwear by his Name, Deut. 6.13. The like we find, Deut. 10.20. My work therefore, in the firſt place, will be to ſhew you what an Oath is, and then to prove it Lawful, and afterwards to give you Directions in this, as I have done in other parts of God's Worſhip. An Oath is a part of that Religious Worſhip which we owe to God, in which, being Lawfully called thereunto, we call God to witneſs the Truth of what we Aſſert, and our real intention to perform what we promiſe, and to reward, or puniſh us according to the Truth, or Falſhood of what we ſay. That it is a part of Religious Worſhip, the Texts before quoted ſerve to prove, 2 Cor. 1.23. Moreover, I call God for a Record upon my Soul, that to ſpare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. 2 Chron. 6.22,23. If a Man ſin againſt his Neighbour, and an Oath be laid upon him, to make him Swear, and the Oath come before thine Altar, in this Houſe, then hear thou from Heaven, and do, and Judge thy Servants by requiting the Wicked, by Recompencing his way upon his own Head, and by Juſtifying the Righteous, by giving him according to his Righteouſneſs, Lev. 19.12. Ye ſhall not ſwear by my Name falſly, neither ſhalt thou prophane the Name of thy God, Exod. 2.7. You ſee 'tis a part of Religious Worſhip, for herein God is called to be a Witneſs to Juſtifie, or to Condemn; who only knows the Integrity of the Heart, and the ſincerity of the Intentions; yea, ſometimes 'tis put for the whole Worſhip of God, Iſa. 19.18. Where ſwearing to the Lord is meant worſhipping the Lord: Nay, we have the conſent of all Nations, that always have eſteemed an Oath Sacred, and Venerable. Poets, Philoſophers, Heathens, and Infidels make Conſcience of this Religious Band, and Reaſon ſhews it alſo; for hereby we acknowledge the Wiſdom, Power, and Juſtice of God: His Wiſdom in Searching the Heart, and knowing the hidden thoughts, and intentions of it: His Power, in being able to puniſh it, and his Juſtice, in giving every Man accoding to his deſert; and this Worſhip he will not give to another, Jer. 12.16. They taught my People to Swear by the Name of Baal, Amos 8.14. Zeph. 1.5. The Lawfulneſs of an Oath is confeſſed by moſt, and denyed by few, and thoſe Contemptible, we have Scripture warrant for it; yea, the Command of God, as you have heard, Exod. 22.10. Where an Oath was to be taken in the Caſe of loſt Goods, Iſa. 45.63. Ʋnto me every Tongue ſhall ſwear, Iſa. 65.16. He that ſweareth in the Earth ſhall ſwear by the God of Truth. Now, God would not have Commanded any thing that was ſinful in it ſelf, as a part of his Worſhip. Nay, he doth not only Command it, but lays down the qualifications of an Oath, Jer. 4.2. Thou ſhalt ſwear the Lord Liveth in Truth, in Judgment, and in Righteouſneſs; and in what Caſes it ought to be required, Exod. 22.11. Neither can there any Reaſon be given, why 'tis not Lawful as well in Goſpel times, as under the Law; it was not Ceremonious, nor Typical, neither in the Matter, Form, nor End: Nay, we have Examples of God himſelf, and therefore 'tis not intrinſ…cally Evil, Gen. 22.16. By my ſelf have I ſworn, ſaith the Lord, Heb. 6.13. Becauſe he could ſwear by no greater, he ſware by himſelf, Jer. 44.26. I have ſworn by my great Name, ſaith the Lord, Amos 4.2. The Lord hath ſworn by his Holineſs. We have the Example of Chriſt, Mat. 5.18. For Verily I ſay unto you, till Heaven and Earth paſs, one jot, or one tittle ſhall in no wiſe paſs, till all be fulfilled; compare this with Heb. 8.14. Surely, Bleſſing, I will Bleſs thee, &c. This is called God's Oath, and frequent are the Aſſervations of Chriſt: Verily, verily, we have the Example of the Holy Angels alſo, Dan. 12.7. The Angel lift up his Hand, and ſware by him that Liveth for ever. The like we have, Rev. 10.6. we read of the Saints Swearing. Gen. 14.22. & 42.15. Joſh▪ 14.9. 1 Kings 20.3. Yea, in Goſpel times, Paul, Rom. 1.9. God is my Witneſs, whom I ſerve in my Spirit, I ſay the Truth in Chriſt I lye not, my Conſcience alſo bearing me Witneſs in the Holy Ghoſt, &c. We have the Cuſtom of all Nations, which ſhews 'tis a Principle in Nature; who, when witneſs is wanting, take an Oath as a Religious Band; and becauſe they know not the Heart, appeal to God, that doth know it: Neither is there any thing in an Oath that is intrinſecally Evil; neither the Matter, Form, nor End, the calling upon God, the Searcher of the Heart, to bear witneſs to the Sincerity of our Intentions, for the Satisfaction of others, that cannot otherwiſe be ſatisfied; what Evil can there be in that? Heb. 6.16. An Oath is for Confirmation, the end of all ſtrife, 2 Cor. 1.23. Indeed all raſh common Swearing is forbidden by Chriſt, and alſo by St. James.
1. Direct. As concerning Oaths, Conſideration muſt be had of the parties themſelves concerned; and they are either the Parties requiring an Oath, or the Parties of whom an Oath is required, for both of them require ſome Satisfaction: He that requires it ſhould do it by Authority, and have a Lawful ground, or otherwiſe he cannot; he ought not to exact it by force: every Man cannot force another to Swear, and without juſt Cauſe no one ought; in ſuch a Caſe they ought not to be Obeyed: And for the Perſon Swearing, which is Agens Principalis, the chief Actor in the buſineſs: 'Tis neceſſary that he have the uſe of Reaſon, and that he be ſui Juris, his own Man; and the things that he ſwears to give be at his own Diſpoſe; and hence it follows, the Children, before they come to the right uſe of Reaſon, ought not to take an Oath, neither indeed ſhould their Oaths be impoſed, or regarded; neither doth ſuch an Oath bind the Conſcience, being Ignorantly taken; they are Ignorant of the Nature of an Oath, neither can they come with deliberation as they ought, or compare their Action with the Rule, or right Reaſon; therefore they ought not to be Admitted. But at what Age that is, I think is not eaſie to determine; for doubtleſs, ſome attain it ſoon, ſome later; but I think our Laws ſay Sixteen Years of Age, and before that time their Teſtimony is not Valid: And an Oath may bind the Conſcience of ſome, if otherwiſe Lawful, though the Teſtimony be not Valid by the Law. But alas! how Common, oh, too Common, is that Cuſtomary Swearing of Children, even before they can ſpeak plain, as if they ſuckt it in with their Mothers Milk, and had been taught it with their Mother Tongue, as doubtleſs, they are, either by Precept, or Example; for how many, before they can ſpeak plain, liſp out Oaths againſt God himſelf, whoſe Name they Profanely abuſe, to the diſhonour of God, the ſhame of their Parents, the damage of the Nation where they Live; for becauſe of Oaths the Land mourns; and to the apparent hazard of their own Souls; who, without Repentance, will Eternally Curſe their Parents in Hell for their ſinful Education. Again, Mad and Frantick Men are not fit to take an Oath for the ſame Reaſon; for though they once had the uſe of Reaſon, yet through their Diſtemper, 'tis loſt. The like we may ſay of Fools and Idiots, that never had it, and ſo never knew the uſe of an Oath; though too many of them, though they cannot ſpeak Reaſon, can Swear, and Curſe, and take the Name of God in vain; and their proneneſs to this, and other ſins, and their backwardneſs to what is good, diſcovers them to be of the Sinful Off-ſpring of lapſed Adam, and is a ſtrong Argument for Original Sin; and their want of the uſe of Reaſon is ſome extenuation of their Sin: God requires little where little was given, yet it excuſeth not a toto, but a tanto; it diſcovers a foul Fountain, that thus bubbles up; their Words, their Actions, their Diſcourſe is not to be heard, why then their Oaths? Again, Men, when far gone in Drink, or Paſſion, are not fit for this conſiderate Duty, neither can they do it without Sin, becauſe not with Mature Deliberation; though ſome Caſes their promiſory Oaths may bind them, and they ought not to break them, though it be to their own damage, Pſal. 15.4. For Drunkenneſs, or Immoderate Paſſion is no Excuſe of their Sin, but an Aggravation; for one Sin will not Excuſe another. Again, if a Man be in his right mind, and otherwiſe qualified, yet 'tis neceſſary that he be ſui juris, his own Man, at his own diſpoſe, and not anothers, in the thing he ſwears, otherwiſe he cannot avoid ſin, what Courſe ſoever he take: As, ſuppoſe a Son under the Tuition of a Father, or a Servant of a Maſter, ſhould without Parents, or Maſters Conſent, ſwear to go a Journey; as ſuppoſe in Popery, on a Pilgrimage; this is a Sin, becauſe he is not at his own diſpoſe: We read in the time of the Law, if a Woman Vowed a Vow, or a Maid in her Fathers Houſe, if her Husband or Father approved not of it, it was void; conſider then whether Vows of ſingle Life, or Marriage Promiſes without Parents conſent, be valid; I am ſure they are ſinful: Thoſe under Authority ſhould not diſpoſe of themſelves by Oath, without Parents Conſent.
2. Direct. Having already ſhewn you who may ſwear, and who ought not to ſwear; I come, in the next place, to tell you by whom you ought to ſwear; and here alſo we ſhall meet with much Corruption in Practice, though an Oath is Lawful, when Lawfully required; as by a Lawful Magiſtrate, in a Lawful Cauſe, from a Perſon rightly qualified, as I hove already Diſcourſed, yet 'tis not Lawful to ſwear by whom he pleaſeth; for an Oath, as I told you, is part of Divine Worſhip due to God; and his Glory is Concerned in it, and he will not give it to another, Gen. 21.53. Jacob ſware by the fear of his Father Iſaac; that is, by the God whom his Father feared: That we ought to ſwear by God, I have ſhewed you already, both by Scriptures and Examples, Deut. 6.13. & 10.20. and many more: But where we have any Injunction, or Toleration, given to ſwear by any thing that is not God, is not eaſie to find; yea, it is plain Idolatry, to aſcribe unto any Creature Divine Worſhip; 'tis a ſetting of them in the place of God, yea, a diſhonouring of God, and ſetting up ſomething elſe in his ſtead. In a Lawful Oath we do not only aſſert the Truth for that we do, or ought to do without an Oath, but we aſcribe Omniſcience, Omnipotence, Omnipreſence; yea, the Juſtice, wiſdom, and Truth to God: we acknowledge him to be the Searcher of the Heart, and the Tryer of the Reins; and that he is both the witneſs, Judge, and Revenger of Falſhood, and Lying; and furthermore, by Prayer, and Invocation God is called upon to give Teſtimony, with the Conſcience of him that ſweareth, that he ſpeaketh the Truth from his Heart, with an Imprecation in which a Man acknowledgeth that God is a juſt Revenger of a Lye, and binds himſelf to be puniſhed by him if he ſwear falſly, or ſpeaks an untruth wittingly or willingly: & now I appeal to any Man's Conſcience, if theſe things can be Attributed to any Creature, without groſs Idolatry; can we aſcribe to the Creature Omniſcience, Omnipotence, Searching the Heart, and witneſſing with the Conſcience, that we ſpeak the Truth, and an ability to puniſh, or reward according to the Integrity of the Heart; to protect the Innocent, and detect the Guilty? what is this, but to make them Gods, in giving to them the Incommunicable Attributes of God? Can all this be done without Idolatry? VVe may find God in Scripture complaining of this Sin, and threatning to puniſh ſuch Sinners, Jer. 5.7. They have forſaken me, and ſworn by them that are no Gods: See Swearing by the Creatures, is in God's Account, and Scripture Language, a forſaking of God, Jer. 12.16. They have taught my People to ſwear by the Name of Baal. God threatens ſuch as Swear by the Sin of Samaria, that they ſhall fall, and never riſe again, Amos 4.8. Now, this was ſwearing by the Idols of Samaria, for Samaria was full of Idols: Let thoſe look to it, that ſwear by the Popiſh Idol the Maſs, or by our Lady, which they make their great Idol, and ſet her up as high, and in ſome caſes higher than Chriſt himſelf. Nay, thoſe that in their Oaths joyn any thing with God, as if he were not of himſelf ſufficient, cannot be Excuſed, as thoſe, Zeph. 1.4,5. That ſwear by God and Malchom; and the Excuſe which many make, for this horrid Crime, is indeed the aggravation of the Sin; they ſay, what they ſwear by are petty trivial things, and therefore no Offence; they take not the Name of God in Vain: But is not the Offence the greater, when we give the Incommunicable Attribute of God to thoſe petty things; if there be no need of an Oath, why doſt thou ſwear? If there be, why doſt not ſwear by God, when thou haſt ſo many direct Commands, and ſo many Examples of God, Angels, and the beſt of Men. Neither is the Practice of ſome of the Holy Fathers, an Excuſe ſufficient; Joſeph's ſwearing by the Life of Pharaoh, is by moſt, if not all Learned Expoſitors, judged his failing, learned by Cuſtom in Pharaohs Court, and will no more warrant the Practice, than Noah's, Lot's, and David's Example will Drunkenneſs, Inceſt, Murder, or Adultery: And whereas ſome uſe the Expreſſion, as thy Soul Liveth, &c. This is not properly an Oath, but an Aſſerveration, wherein God is alſo tacitely invoked to witneſs the Truth; it ſignifies ſuch a thing is as really True, as thou art alive, yet doth invoke his to witneſs this Truth; 'tis hard to ſay which is the greater Sin, to ſwear raſhly by God, which is Blaſphemy, or to Swear by the Creatures, which is Idolatry.
3. Direct. Having ſhewed you who may ſwear, and by whom; I ſhall, in the next place, ſpeak of the Matter of an Oath, and here alſo many Offend. An Oath, for the Matter, muſt be about Lawful things, and poſſible, or elſe it cannot be a Lawful Oath: If we ſwear to do an unlawful thing, we muſt not perform it, for 'tis a double Tranſgreſſion; if to do an impoſſible thing, we cannot do it; a raſh Oath is better broken than kept: VVhat a Snare then do Men run into, and how do they put themſelves upon a Neceſſity of ſinning, that ſwear in their Rage to do what God forbids them to do? Swear to do that which they muſt not perform: See this in David, when he had raſhly ſworn the death of Nabal, and all his Houſhold, many of them, no doubt, Innocent Perſons, yet after was pacified by wiſe Abigail, and bleſſeth God for the preventing the ſhedding of Innocent Blood, 1 Sam. 25.32,33. The like Oath we read of Saul, who ſwore the Death of Innocent Jonathan, but was prevented by the People. When Herod performed his raſh Oath to Herodias's Daughter, and cut off John Baptiſts Head. But a Lawful Oath is agreeable to the mind and will of God, about things Honeſt, Juſt, Good, Poſſible, and Weigty, and in thy Power: If it be impoſſible, then thou canſt not do it, and therefore thou ſhouldeſt make no ſuch promiſory Oath. Now, a thing may be impoſſible ſeveral ways, as in Nature; as for a Man to flye, or a Fiſh to ſpeak: Some things, though poſſible in Nature, yet impoſſible in regard of Time, or other-like Circumſtances; 'tis poſſible to go to London, and to Rome, but 'tis impoſſible to be at both places the ſame day: And ſome things may be poſſible in Nature, yet impoſſible by Accident; as for a Man to ſwear to come to ſ ch a place, by ſuch a time, and he be taken Captive by the Enemy, or fall dangerouſly Sick, &c. in ſuch a Caſe 'tis well to put in ſuch a Caution, If God permit; the bond of ſuch an Oath is looſed, as it was in Abraham's Servant, in caſe the Maid would not come with him. Again, we ought not to ſwear to perform unlawful things, any thing which is the breach of God's Law; as to kill a Man, to Steal, or to Commit Adultery, &c. Whatſoever is againſt Piety towards God, or Charity towards Man: Whatſoever is againſt the good of the Church, or the Glory of God, and the Common-wealth thou Liveſt in: whatſoever hath any evil in it, ought not to be the Matter of an Oath; for an Oath ought not to be Vinculun Iniquitatis, a band of Iniquity. No Man is, or can be tyed to break God's Law; or if ſuch an Oath be taken, it ought not to be kept: Hence Herod ſins both in Swearing, and alſo in performing his Oath. But ſome will ſay, if he had not performed it he had been perjured: I Anſwer, when a Man ſwears to break a Command of God, he is perjured as ſoon as he hath ſworn, becauſe he took an unlawful Oath; and if he perform it he adds ſin to ſin, as Herod did Murther to Perjury; and ſuch a Man muſt Repent of his raſh Oath, and not add ſin to ſin, in perſiſting in his raſhneſs, to the further breaking of Gods Commands. The Holy Ghoſt gives us a Rule for ſwearing, Jer. 4.2. Thou ſhalt ſwear the Lord Liveth, in Truth, in Judgment, and in Righteouſneſs. In Truth, for otherwiſe thou wilt forſwear thy ſelf; for thou muſt not take an Oath againſt thy Conſcience, nor of doubtful things, which thou knoweſt not to be true. Now, there is a double Truth, one of the Tongue, and another of the Mind; that of the Tongue is when a thing is really ſo, as 'tis atteſted; that of the Mind, when a Man thinks in his Conſcience he ſpeaks nothing but the Truth; In Judgment not raſh, or ventrouſly, but with due Conſideration of the Nature of the thing, to be worthy the weight of an Oath, the Nature of God, whom we call to witneſs, and under whoſe Divine Judgment we ſet our ſelves, in Caſe we ſpeak falſe; and in Righteouſneſs, that the thing we ſwear be Lawful, and poſſible, and like to bring Glory to God, and good to our ſelves, or others.
4. Direct. The next thing to be conſidered, is the form of an Oath, for this alſo is ſtumbled at by ſome, and is to be minded as well as the Matter; this ſhould be agreeable, or at leaſt not contradictory to the word of God. Now, the Form of an Oath is either External, or Internal; the External Form conſiſts in words, or ſigns, or both; the Internal Form conſiſts in the true Senſe and Interpretation of the words of the Oath; a little of theſe in their Order. The External ſometimes conſiſts in words, without ſigns, and thus a Man ſwears, and calls God to witneſs the Truth of his Intentions in plain words; and this Oath is variouſly worded, according to the Uſe, and Cuſtom of the Countrey Men Live in: And thus we may find, as before hath been proved, God, Angels, and Men have thus ſworn. Sometimes alſo Men ſwear, and affirm by ſigns without words, and this is moſt frequent where there are many that enter into an Oath, or Covenant, when the words of the Oath, or Covenant are either read, or ſpoken; and thoſe that are willing to enter into that bond, make it known by ſome External ſign or token, by ſome Action or Geſture, as by a nod with the Head, bowing the Body, ſtanding up, or to a ſide, lifting up the Hand, or otherwiſe, according as they ſhall be required by the Impoſer; or by writing down their Names: By any of thoſe they may teſtifie their conſent, and this is as binding and Obligatory, as if the words were uttered. And ſometimes we may find an Oath taken both by words and ſigns, and this is the moſt Solemn manner of Swearing: Thus God frequently is ſaid to lift up his Hand, when he ſwears to his People; thus the Angel, Dan. 12.7. he held up his Right Hand; and his Left Hand to Heaven, and ſware by him that Liveth for ever; and this hath been the Cuſtom of Heathens, and Infidels, as well as Chriſtians, in making Oaths, and Covenants: Divers are the Rites and Ceremonies which the Heathens have uſed at ſuch times; yea, many and various are the Cuſtomes of the Godly in ſuch Caſes: One was the putting the Hand under the Thigh; thus Abraham ſware his Servant, Gen. 24.2. And thus Joſeph ſware unto his Father Jacob, Gen. 47.29. Another Form much in Uſe, was lifting up the Hand, as was even now ſpoken of; this was uſed by God, Angels, and Men; by God, Deut. 32.40. For I lift up my Hand, and ſay, I Live for ever. By Abraham, Gen. 19.22. I have lift up my Hand unto the Lord moſt High; and falſe ſwearers are ſaid to have a Right Hand of Deceit, becauſe they lift it up deceitfully, Pſal. 144.8 11. And various have been the Ceremonies that have been uſed among Chriſtians in the Primitive Times, and in ſucceeding Generations; among us the putting the hand upon the Bible, and kiſſing it is moſt in Uſe, or both; which is but a profeſſing ſign of our conſent, and I know not any cauſe of Scruple in it; thus for the External. The Internal Form of an Oath is the right ſenſe and Interpretation of the words; and therefore an Oath ſhould not conſiſt in aequivalent, or ambiguous words, or phraſes; for then a Man may take them in a different ſenſe from the Impoſers mind, and may require one thing, and another may atteſt another; but the ſenſe ſhould be obvious to both giver and taker, or otherwiſe nothing; or at leaſt we know not what is witneſſed, and the Oath proves vain; nay, the very end of an Oath, which is the Inveſtigation of Truth, is cloſed, Heb. 6.16. An Oath is the end of ſtrife; and thus the Name of God is taken in vain, and this part of his Worſhip prophaned, and abuſed; and 'tis no better than a Lye, when we affirm by Oath, what in the Impoſers ſenſe is not true, and ſo it proves Perjury: But the words ſhould be taken in the plain Common ſenſe, which is obvious to all. Neither ſhould there be equivocation, or Mental reſervation uſed in an Oath; this is the ſallacious dealing of the Papiſts, who by this means think to evade all Oaths, and delude the Impoſer, but they moſt delude themſelves, and wrong their own Souls; for God will not be mocked, whoſe Worſhip is abuſed: They hide part in their Minds, and ſo ſubvert the ſenſe; as thus, they ſwear they were not at Rome, and think in their Minds, not an Hundred years agoe; but what is mentire, but contra mentum ire, though this may ſerve, in foro humano, God can eaſily detect ſuch jugling deceits, and will never hold thoſe guiltleſs, that thus take his Name in Vain, and, like Jezebel, deceive under pretence of Religion.
5. Direct. If thou wouldſt honour God in this part of his Worſhip, ſee then that thou aimeſt at right Ends. In thy Oath, the End muſt be Lawful, and good, or the Duty will prove a Sin, and a Snare. A Man may ſwear that which is Truth, and yet if his End be bad, it will prove his Sin. Now, the End of an Oath, as I ſaid before, ſhould be for the Confirmation of ſome neceſſary Truth in Queſtion, which cannot otherwiſe be proved, Heb. 6.16. Men ſwear by him that is greater than themſelves, and an Oath for confirmation to them is the End of all ſtrife. Now, it ſhould be a weighty buſineſs that requires an Oath, and a neceſſary Truth that is in Queſtion, ſome doubtful Matter, which cannot otherwiſe be found out, or proved, that cannot be Evidenced, but by an Oath. In this Caſe we find the Apoſtle vindicating himſelf this way, when there was no other way to do it, Rom. 1.9. God is my Witneſs, whom I ſerve with my Spirit, that without ceaſing, I make mention of you always in my Prayers, 2 Cor. 1.23. I call God to Record, upon my Soul, &c. We ſee he appeals to God, the Searcher of all Hearts, to witneſs with him, and for him, his Affection to them. 'Tis the Glory of God in the manifeſtation of Truth; and our own, and Neighbours good ſhould be principally minded in this Duty; but too many have by, and baſe, and low Ends in it, and not accordingly. When a thing depends upon the Faith of the Speaker, and cannot otherwiſe be found out, and yet is neceſſary to be known, an Oath of the Lord may be Impoſed, Exod. 22.10,11. If a Man deliver unto his Neighbour an Aſs, or an Ox, or a Sheep, or any Beaſt to keep, and it dye, or be hurt, or be driven away, no man ſeeing it, then ſhall an Oath of the Lord be between them both, that he hath not put his Hand to his Neighbours goods, and the Owner of it ſhall accept thereof, &c. There are ſome things that are not fit for an Oath, as thoſe that have been handed down to us, by Tradition; as whether there were ever any ſuch Cities, as Troy, or Carthage, and whether they were Sackt, or ſpoyled; though we are confidently aſſured, this is a Truth, we ought not to ſwear it, becauſe 'tis out of the reach of Perſonal knowledge: We muſt ſwear no more than we Perſonally know to be true. Some things alſo are obvious to Common Senſe, as that a Quadrangle hath four Angles, a Triangle three, &c. theſe things are not doubtful, and an Oath will not make them more clear; but a thing which cannot otherwiſe be determined, when we dare not reſt upon the Credit of the Revealer, when 'tis doubtful, and cannot be proved but by witneſs; and this witneſs is ſuſpected either to want knowledge, or Conſcience, every Man being a Lyar, Rom. 3.4. Now, becauſe there is ſo little Faith and Juſtice among Men, 'tis neceſſary to appeal to God himſelf to witneſs, which cannot deceive, nor be deceived; and this is done by an Oath, which is the ne Plus Ʋltra, the End of Contention: For he that makes no Conſcience of this, is not fit for Humane Society. The very Heathens themſelves, when they ſware by their Idol-gods, were careful of ſwearing falſly; yet among Chriſtians in Name, every one hath not this care; nay, 'tis too evidently known that many take little care of their words, or Oath. But this is a ſtrong Bond, and none will break it that fear God, or make Conſcience of any thing. But how much do thoſe ſtray from the very End of an Oath, which is the Inveſtigation of Truth, that affirm by an Oath that which they know to be falſe, and call God to witneſs to a lye; the very Heathens will riſe up in Judgment againſt them, and Condemn them; thoſe that ſeek thereby to hide the Truth, and not to manifeſt it, and mind not God's Glory, but their Neighbours Injury by it, as wicked Doeg in his Information againſt David; though he ſpeaks the Truth, 'tis to a bad End. Thoſ alſo are guilty that ſwear to that they know not, though it prove to be true, yet they are perjured Perſons, they ſwear the knowledge of it which they did not know; thoſe alſo that ſwear vainly, idly, and to no purpoſe; thoſe that ſwear and never intend to make good their Oaths, or if they did intend it, do not do it. Surely theſe Men when they call God to witneſs their Lyes, do not believe there is any God, or that he takes any notice of them, or think they can deceive God, as well as Men, or that he approves of it; but he will call them to an Account, and ſet their Oaths in Order againſt them.
6. Direct. If thou wilt not Offend by thy Oaths, take heed then of raſh, fooliſh, cuſtomary ſwearing, too much in uſe in our Times, and for which the Land mourns, Jer. 23.10. It connot but be diſtaſtful to God, who will not hold him guiltleſs, that takes his Name in vain; to have his Name toſſed by every Drunken Sot, upon the Ale Bench; and when Men thunder out Oaths and Curſes upon Earth, 'tis no wonder if God Thunder out his Judgments from Heaven. When thoſe ill-boading Fowls feed ſo near the brink of the bottomleſs Pit; 'tis a ſad Preſaging that God's Judgements are near. Cuſtomary ſwearing cannot be without much ſin, for the very Nature of an Oath being an Act of Religious Worſhip to God, ſhews it ſhould be taken upon mature Deliberation, and ſerious Meditation; but Common Experience ſhews in Cuſtomary ſwearing theſe things are wanting, but the Name of God is irreverently toſſed in their filthy Mouths; and thus many Men Curſe away their Bleſſings, for the moſt of Men are guilty this way; they ſwear down Vengeance from Heaven upon them, and oft-times upon their Poſterity; for the Curſe of God haunts the Houſe of the Swearer, Zach. 5.3,4. And God will be a ſwift witneſs againſt them, Mal. 3.5. The Common ſwearers croſs the very End of an Oath, which is, as I ſaid, the Inveſtigation of Truth, of ſome neceſſary weighty Truth, which cannot otherwiſe be made to appear: But many of their Oaths are ſpent for the obſcuring of Truth, and the Juſtifying of Lyes; and if Truth be ſpoken, 'tis either about ſuch trivial matters, unfit to have the Name of God mentioned, or added to them; neither is it any great matter whether they are affirmed or no, and no Body ſo much as deſires any ſuch Confirmation by it, or is little the better Credited to the Oaths of a Cuſtomary Swearer, than they do to their words; for Common Swearers are oft-times accounted Common Lyers, and an hundred Oaths will not Sugar ſome of their Stories, and make them fit to be ſwallowed, when they ſpeak, as oft they do, againſt Reaſon, and Experience; for many Men uſe their Oaths to fill up, or, as they think, to adorn their Diſcourſe, inſtead of other Eloquence; but ſuch Rhetorical Figures may be uſed in an Oration in Hell. They think themſelves the braveſt men, that can ſwear the biggeſt Oaths, and wiſh damnation to themſelves in the fitteſt Expreſſions, and indeed they are ſome of the Devils ſtouteſt Champions: But from ſuch many times an Oath either needs not, or boots not, if they ſpeak Reaſon they may be believed without, if not, an hundred Oaths will not make it paſs for currant. Now, if we ſearch out the Original from whence theſe Oaths proceed, we may find from a ſinful Cuſtom, and a depraved Nature they learnt to ſwear; but, it was when they learnt to talk; and in ſome 'tis more Cuſtom than Curſtneſs: It befals them, as with men in ſome Diſtempers, their Excrements paſs from them at unawares, ſo do their Oaths, they know not when they ſwear; but 'tis a bad Cuſtom, which makes God our Enemy, and Hell our Portion: were there but a Law made, that for every Oath they ſware, they ſhould loſe a Joynt, or forfeit a Pound, and duly Executed, it would make men break off ſuch a Cuſtom: Sometimes thoſe raſh Oaths proceed from ſome perturbation of the mind; as Anger, &c. which is a ſhort madneſs, and indeed 'tis a right mad mans part they Act, when another Offends them, and they flye in the Face of God: Sometimes 'tis the Fruit of Gaming, and unlawful Recreation; but ſure 'tis a bad Tree that yieldeth ſuch unſavoury Fruit: Take heed therefore of theſe, and ſwear not at all, but upon juſt Occaſion; an Oath in it ſelf is not ſinful, as is Murder, Adultery, &c. no more is it deſirable, for it ſelf; as Love, Charity, &c. but 'tis to be uſed as Phyſick, when other Food will not ſerve, not for, its own ſake, but for Healths ſake, for Truths ſake. 'Tis an Holy thing, and the more Holy a thing is, the more dangerous, if abuſed; 'tis bad playing with edged Tools, yet many Prophanely call God to Witneſs at their Cards, Dice, Tables, or invoke him to their Aſſiſtance; thoſe make too bold with God, and ſhall have no thanks for their Labour. In this Sin there is nothing to bait a Temptation; it carries neither Profit nor Pleaſure along with it, and the Actors in this ſin ſerve the Devil for nothing, yet they ſhall not go un-rewarded.
7. Direct. If thou wouldſt not Offend God by thy Oaths, take heed of falſe Swearing, for this is the moſt dangerous of all. If a Man ſhall Anſwer for every Idle word, as Chriſt himſelf affirms, Mat. 12.36. and for every vain Oath, he be lyable to Damnation, as St. James affirms, James 5.12. much more then for falſe ſwearing, wherein Men call forth God to witneſs to their lye, and ſo in Effect they deny him to be God; but their Damnation ſleepeth not. God tells us, by his Prophet Zach. 5.4. That his Curſe ſhall enter into the Houſe of him that ſweareth falſly, and there remain, and conſume both the Timber and the Stones thereof; and the Prophet David makes it a mark of a Citizen of Heaven, that having ſworn to his Neighbour, will Faithfully perform, though it prove to his own Injury, and diſ-advantage, Pſal. 15.4. And indeed he is not fit for Humane Society, that regards not his Oath, for what Bond will then hold him? Now, there are two ſorts of Oaths, and in either a man may ſorſwear himſelf: There are aſſertatory Oaths, when a man ſaith ſuch and ſuch a thing was done, or it was not done, or it was done thus or thus, or theſe and theſe words were thus ſpoken, and calls God to witneſs the ſame, that he ſpeaks the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth; if now he knows, that what he ſaith is contrary to the Truth, this is direct Perjury, and a ſin, which, without Repentance, will certainly ſink him into Hell, and is a ſhrewd Sign of an Hardened Heart, and a wicked Mind. Nay, if he affirm that to be true upon Oath, which is doubtful to him, and of his own knowledge he knoweth not whether it be true or falſe, he cannot be Excuſed: As if he ſhould upon Oath affirm ſuch a man, in Ireland, to be dead, and know not whether he be Living or dead, he is guilty of this Sin if it prove true, and the man is dead; this doth not Excuſe him, for ought he knew he might be Living. A man ſhould certainly know the Truth of that which he poſitively aſſerts by Oath. Again, there are promiſſory Oaths, in which a Man is bound to another, to do ſuch a thing for him, or give ſuch and ſuch a thing to him; and doth not only promiſe, but Swears to fulfill his Promiſe: As when a man ſwears to be a Faithful and Loyal Subject to his Sovereign, or a Faithful Souldier to his Captain, or a Loyal Wife to her Husband; or to give ſuch a thing to his Friend, and calls God to Witneſs the ſincerity of his Heart, and to puniſh him if he prove falſe; and when he takes this Oath intends not to perform the thing Promiſed; this, in God's Account, is Perjury: Though Man cannot perceive it, God doth, who is called to Witneſs the Integrity of his Heart, when there is no ſuch matter. Nay, his Fact is not Excuſed, though the guilt is leſſened, if afterward he perform it; for when he took it, it was with an intent to deceive: Or if he take not his Oath in the known Senſe of him that requires it, this is not Juſtifiable; for an Oath is for the ſecuring, or Satisfaction of the Impoſer, and ought to be without Fraud, or aequivocation, or Mental reſervation in the Senſe of him that Adminiſtreth it. Again, though a man's Intentions be never ſo Sincere when he takes his Oath, if afterward he fail in the performance, if the thing promiſed be Lawful, and poſſible, he cannot clear himſelf from Perjury. And though every falſe Oath be dangerous and deadly, yet there are aggravations that make ſome worſe than others: As to take a falſe Oath before a Magiſtrate, in a Publick Aſſembly, in a Court of Judicatory, whereby an unjuſt Verdict is procured from the Jury, an unjuſt Sentence from the Judge, whereby the Innocent Perſon loſeth his Life, or Lively-hood; this is worſe than in a private Cauſe, to a private Perſon, in a buſineſs of ſmall Concernment. The Godly, in all Ages, have been very careful to perform their Oaths; as Joſhua to the Gibonites, though gotten by Fraud, and great Cauſe; God is Offended at the breach of Covenant, as we find many Years after, when Saul, in his Zeal, had Slain ſome of them, God brought a three Years Famine upon the Land, and was never ſatisfied, till ſeven of Saul's Sons were Hanged, Joſh. 9.19. 2 Sam. 21.1,2.