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form of oaths, who knows God to be always prefent to refide and prefide in his foul, according to that new and everlasting covenant which he hath made, "that his "people should be his Temple, that he would dwell in them, and walk in them "." Did the children of men know the power, glory, and majefty of God, whom the apoftle preached nigh to the Athenians, and declared to the Ephefians to be "Father of all, and above all, "through all, and in them all," there would be no Oaths, and but few Words, and thofe uttered with reverence and truth.

VI. We do not find that oaths answer this part of the end, for which they are impofed, viz. To convince those for whose fake they are taken, of the weight and truth of a man's teftimony, by force of God's witnefs joined therewith for they do not behold God's concurring witness by fuch an affiftance or avenge of the party, as the truth or falfehood of his teftimony deferveth; for the judgments of God are fecret, and rarely fo publickly feen to men, perhaps once in an age, that he fhould give any memorable difcovery of his good will or displeasure in fuch a cafe; but whenever he doth it, it is not at man's appointment: and it is an evident fign that God approveth not of that fort of invocation, because he doth not answer them that invoke him, according to their wifh; as neither did he, in the old law and cuftom of Combating, appear on his fide that had the better title or caufe, as he promifed in the law of Jealoufies, that their thigh fhould rot, and their belly fwell, &c.c

VII. We look upon it to be no less than a prefumptuous tempting of God, to furnmon him as a witness, not only to our terrene, but trivial bufineffes; fuch as we should doubtlefs account it an high indignity, always to folicit an earthly prince to give his attendance about. What! make God, the great God of heaven and earth, our Caution in worldly controverfies, as if we would bind him to obtain our own ends? It is to

c Acts xvii. 28. ■ Eph. iv. 6. • Numb. v. 21, 22.

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make too bold with him, and to carry an undue diftance in our minds towards him that made us an irreverence we can by no means away with, and upon which Chryfoftom is most sharp, as will be seen anon. Befides, it is vain and infolent, to think that a man, when he pleaseth, can make the great God of heaven a witness or judge in any matter, to appear by fome fignal approbation or judgment, to help or forfake him, as the truth or falfenefs of his oath requires, when he faith, So help me God.

VIII. Besides what we have hitherto urged in defence of ourselves against the Subftance of the oath, we juftly except against the Form of it (which farther adds to its unlawfulness, and confequently to our vindication) as by the Contents and Kiffing of the Book; fwearing by a Sign, being Heathenifh or Jewish. For the Romans held a stone, and faid, If I deceive wittingly, then let Diefpiter caft me out of my goods, as I this ftone:' The Heroes fwore by lifting up of the Sceptre: Cæfar fwore by his Head, his House, that is, devoted them to the wrath of God, if he wittingly deceived, &c. The manner of the Jews is from Gen. xiv. 22. " that Abra"ham lift up his hand to God, DN If, &c. putting "the hand under the thigh; on the head; paffing be"twixt beafts divided*," as God did to Abraham, &c. See more in Lapid. Sophoc. in antiq. v. 270. Scholiaft. Baptift. Hanfen, of paffing through fire, fwearing by the right hand, &c.

The ufe of So help me God, we find from the law of the Almains, of king Clotharius: The laying on of the three fingers above the book, is to fignify the Trinity; the thumb and the little finger under the book, are to fignify the Damnation to Body and Soul, if they forswear, So help me God †.

Farther, be pleased to confider that the English Custom has very much overgone English Law in this

*Feft. ad. Lap. Polyb. 1. 3. c. 25. Alex. ab. Alex. 1. 5. gen. dier. 10. Cic. 1. 5. Ep. 1. Arift. 3. Pol. 10. Plin. in pan. ad. Trajan. c. 64. Lindenbro. cap. 3. §. 7. A a 2

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bufinefs of Oaths; they were anciently but folemn Atteftations, "As the Lord liveth, &c." which are now improved to Imprecations, So help me God, and the Contents of this Book; though it was fo of old at Combat; but that concerns not our cafe. For the kiffing of the book, that is alfo novel; indeed after they rofe from folemn Atteftations to Imprecations, the law required a Sight and Touch of the book; the Saxon jurors were Sacra tenentes; in the firft Norman times it was Sacris tactis; and in latter writs, Evangeliis tactis; nay, the priest's hand was on his Breaft (in Matthew Paris) not upon the Book. However, Jew and Gentile, Superftition and Ceremony, have made up the present Form of Oaths, which the True Christian Man neither wants, nor, we conceive, ought to perform; much lefs impofe, where tenderness by fober confciences is pleaded, and equal caution offered to the law, for the integrity of Yea and Nay.

IX. But were we also deftitute of this plea, and the ufual oaths of our country the most inoffenfively formed, and best penned that ever any were, we have both the Example and Precept of our Lord and Saviour, Jefus Chrift, to oppofe to any fuch practice; for in all that history delivered to us by the Four Evangelists, we never read him to have used any farther affeveration, than what in English amounts to "Verily, Verily, or "Truly, I fay unto you." Thus by his example, exciting us the more readily to obey his exprefs prohibition of fwearing, Mat. v. 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, which runs thus: "Again, ye have heard that it has been faid by "them of old time, Thou shalt not forfwear thyself, "but fhalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths; but I "fay unto you, Swear not at all; neither by Heaven, "for it is God's throne; nor by the Earth, for it is his "footftool; neither by Jerufalem, for it is the city of "the Great King; neither fhalt thou fwear by thy "Head, because thou canst not make one hair white "or black; but let your* Word be Yea, Yea; Nay,

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"Nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of "Evil."

He here prohibits even the Leffer Oaths, as they thought them that reverenced fwearing by the Name of the Lord, which in old time he fuffered, by reafon of the falfenefs of their hearts, and great proneness to idols'; even as Mofes permitted them to put away their Wives, which in the precedent verfe alfo is difallowed by Chrift, though with the exception of Fornication; but Swearing without any Exception: He doth not say, "Swear not, except before a magiftrate (though he says, "Put not away thy Wife, except for the cause of For"nication) but, Swear not at all:" Why, because it " is of Evil;" which reafon reaches the oaths taken before magiftrates, as well as other oaths; for distrust and unfaithfulness are the cause of one as well as the other and there is equal reafon in that refpect, that a master should fwear in private to his fervant at his entrance, that he will pay him his wages, as that the fervant fhould fwear in public to a magiftrate, that at his departure his master would not pay him his wages; both which oaths the certainty of their words, their Yea being rea, and their Nay being Nay, makes vain and fuperfluous.

Obj. We are not infenfible of the common objection that is made against this allegation of our Master's command, That he only prohibited Vain oaths in commu

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nication:' but if the words of the text and context be confidered, every oath will be proved vain and unlawful; for Chrift's prohibition was not a mere repetition of what was forbidden under the Law, but what the Law allowed, as Bishop Sanderson well obferveth; It was not needful that Chrift should forbid what was forbidden in itself, or was always unlawful; which Vain fwearing was, and is, by the Third Commandment, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord "thy God in vain," therefore Chrift exceeded the ⚫ prohibition of the Law.' And the whole chapter is

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• Bishop R. Sanderf. de Jur. Oblig. p. 141.

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a demonstration of a more excellent righteousness than that which either needed or used oaths; for Chrift brings Adultery from the Act to the Thought; in lieu of Revenge, he commands Suffering; and extends Charity, not only to Friends, but Enemies; fo in the place controverted, in the room of fuch oaths and vows as ought to be performed unto the Lord, he introduces Yea and Nay, with a most abfolute "Swear not at all." This was the advance he made in his excellent fermon upon the Mount; he wound up things to an higher pitch of fanctity than under the Law, or the childish state of the Jews could receive. Again," faith he, "Ye have "heard of old time, thou shalt not forfwear thyself, "but fhalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths; but I "fay unto you, Swear not at all;" as plain, general, and emphatical a prohibition as can be found in holy fcripture. However, perfons that ufually advocate for the continuance of oaths under the Gofpel, tell us, it is not a General prohibition, but is limited to fwearing by Creatures, either by Heaven, Earth, Je'rufalem, or Head, &c.' Which is wholly inconsistent with the fcope of the place, as we fhall make appear from these four confiderations:

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Firft, The prohibition reaches as well to serious as vain oaths, such as men made, if they swore at all, and ought to make to God only; for to him alone fhould they perform them, and are accountable for them: thefe very allowed oaths of old time, are the first prohibited by Jefus Chrift; "It was faid of old, thou shalt not forfwear thyfelf; but I fay, Swear not at all.” It is true, it is not particularized what oaths they were to keep of old; but in general terms, that they were not to forfwear themselves;" and it is clear that God enjoined them that would swear, that they should only "fwear by his name." Now what can be hence inferred more evidently, then that men ought not to fwear those oaths under the Gospel, which they might fwear, and ought not to forfwear, but to perform unto the Lord, in the Law.

Secondly, Chrift himself gives the explanation of his own words, chap. xxiii. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. where

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