Old Commandment, "Thou shalt not fwear by Idols;" but the Chriftian argument, the New Commandment, "It is not lawful to fwear; Chrift forbad it; I am a "Chriftian," &c.

་

And to this purpose speaks Le Prieur on this place of Tertullian, in his Annotations (which the Publishers defired because of his obfcurity; fee their Preface) Although,' fays he, the Chriftians did believe that *All Swearing was forbidden them, they before all ⚫ oaths were wary of fwearing by the Genius or Fortune of the Prince.' Here he confeffes they were wary of All Swearing, much more that which was never lawful, to wit, fwearing by Idols. And thereupon he brings the example of Polycarpus: but if All oaths, then of fwearing by the Health of the emperor; for that was an oath. And this African writer's intricate fenfe (as the publisher's terms are) must needs be in this, as in the other, all along myftical and as he fays a little before, I offer a facri<fice (oratione) by Prayer;' fo going along he says, "We Swear, juramus, (i. e. jure oramus; for fo Bruno and Caffiodorus derive the word, Jurare dictum eft, quafi juftè orare; hoc eft, juftè loquit.

с

Again, Pfal. lxi. They fwear in God, or to God, who promise an inviolable obedience of mind to him. Jurare to fwear (faith he) is jure orare, to speak equity, that he will not decline to another party, from what he hath promifed.' Again, Here fwearing is firmly in mind to refolve to fulfil the good purpose.' And that this must be Tertullian's fense, not only the fcope (for which fee Scultetus on the place) but his explanation of it, by willing what

God wills, and that to be to them for a great oath ;' plainly declares to fagacious readers; and fuch Tertullian's African fpeech requires, as Rigaltius fays of his

It is confeft by Le Prieur, that the Christians did deny all fwearing. + Bruno and Caffiodorus on Pfalm xiv. and Pfalm 1xi. This Caffiodorus was a Roman fenator and counsellor of Theodoricus, about the year 490.

writings,

writings, which have been altered by them that could not comprehend them. But is it likely that a man fo fevere, who condemned the very fubfcribing of a Writing wherein an Oath was contained, and for this reafon, because Chrift forbad to fwear at all;' and thought it needless to speak of Perjury, because it was not lawful to swear;' fhould yet allow it in himself and others to swear even by that which was not God? Besides, Suarez reckons him amongst those fathers who were more especially against fwearing ‡.

Thus are the confpirators againft this part of the doctrine of Chrift, and his apoftles, primitive Fathers and Martyrs, forced out of that fanctuary they betook themselves to, in the fentence of this intricate doctor. Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 7.

XXXVI. Clemens Alexandrinus, his cotemporary, famous for learning and strict living, to help him in his myftical meaning of an Oath, fays, He who is once a Believer, why fhall he make himself an Unbeliever, as that he hath alfo need to Swear, and doth not fo lead his Life, that the fame (to wit, his Life) ⚫ be a firm and definite Oath, and fhew the Faithfulness of Confeffion in a conftant and ftable Speech.-Far be it, that he who is approved and difcerned in fuch piety, fhould be propenfe to Lie or to Swear.-He who liveth juftly, tranfgreffing in nothing of these things that fhould be done, the fame fweareth truly and holily by his Deeds and Works (mark how this < agrees with Tertullian's improper Swearing) the testimony of the tongue is fuperfluous to him.-It fuf'ficeth to add unto his affirming or denying this, viz. ISPEAK TRULY, that he beget faith in them who per'ceive not the stability of his anfwer: for it behoveth him, as I judge (faith he) to have a life worthy of credit (or faith) among thofe that are without, that an Oath be not fought from him.-Neither doth he

There are about 2000 corrections in Tertullian's works. Suarez, de Juram, c. 2. Infidelity keeps company with fwearing and for a Christian to fwear, is with Clem. Alex. to tura Infidel again.

• Swear,

Swear, as being one who hath determined to put for his Affirming YEA, for his Denying NAY.

Where is there any need of an Oath to him that fo lives, as one that is attained to the Height of Truth? He therefore that doth not Swear, is far from Forfwearing: he that tranfgreffeth in nothing that is • covenanted and agreed, HE MAY NEVER SWEar.

Seeing he is fully perfuaded that God is everywhere, and is afhamed not to speak truth, and profeffeth that it is a thing unbefeeming, and unworthy < for him to speak false; he is content with this, that God and his own confcience know it, and therefore ⚫ he doth not lie, nor do any thing befides or against what is covenanted and agreed: by that means he neither fweareth, if he be afked; nor denies, fo as to speak falfe, though he die upon the rack for it.' Likewife in his 5th, 7th, and 8th books of Strom. alfo in his 3d book of his Pædagogue with Gentianus Hervetus's notes on it, Where he forbids to fet two prices, and commands but one fingle one, and to speak truth without an oath,' &c.

Origen in Matth. Tract. 25.

XXXVII. Origen, his fucceffor, a man of equal fame for learning and piety, fucceeds him alfo in this teftimony concerning fwearing: Becaufe,' faith he, the Jews have a cuftom to fwear by Heaven; to the foregoing (prohibition) Chrift added this also to reprove them, because they more eafily fwore by Heaven than by God; because he deals alike unreasonably, who fweareth by HEAVEN, as he that fwears by the TEMPLE, or by the ALTAR, in that he who fweareth by Heaven, feemeth to fwear by Him ⚫ that fitteth in that Throne; and doth not efcape danger, as he thinks, because he fweareth not by God himself, but by the Throne of God. And these things he speaks to the Jews, forbidding them to give heed <to the traditions of the Pharifees; otherwife, before, ⚫he manifeftly forbad to swear AT all.'

*

*He makes two prohibitions, as we do: 1. Swear not by God; 2. by no creatures. Ibid. Tract. 35. Mat. xxvi. Numb. v. 19. 1 Kings xxii. 16.

• The

The chief priest faid unto him, "I adjure thee by "the Living God, that thou tell us if thou be the "Chrift the Son of God."

In the Law we find the ufe of Adjuring; "The "prieft fhall adjure the woman with the adjurations of "this curfe."

• Alfo Ahab faid unto Micaiah, "I adjure thee that "thou tell me the truth in the Name of the Lord." The king adjured the prophet, not by command of the Law, but by his own Will. And now the priest adjures Jefus by the Living God. But I account, that a man that will live according to the Gospel, must not adjure another: for it is even like that which the • Lord himself forbids in the gospel, "But I fay unto you, Swear not at all." For if it be not lawful to fwear, as to the gospel command of Christ, it is alfo true, that it is not lawful to adjure another, or compel him to fwear *.'

cr

Huetius, upon him, addeth, that Athanafius, Chryfoftom, Epiphanius, Hilary, and many more, were of the fame mind with him: and if fo, we may without offence add, upon that refpect our fuperiors feem to carry to their names, that it must needs be very remote from the doctrine of the ancient church, to fine, imprifon, and bitterly treat those who, for confcience of that gofpel-command, do fcruple an Oath in this age. "If thou wilt return, O Ifrael, faith the Lord, and put away thy abominations, then fhalt thou not re66 move. And thou fhalt fwear the Lord liveth in "truth, and judgment, and righteoufnefs." Origen here tells us, That this is a reproof of them that did not fwear in judgment, but without judgment: howbeit, we know,' faith he, that the Lord faid unto ⚫ his difciples, "But I fay unto you, Swear not at all." Perhaps formerly it behoved them to fwear in truth, judgment, and righteoufnefs; that after any had given proof of his integrity, he might be thought worthy of being believed without any Oath at all.

* Orig, against all swearing with us; and compelling.

• But

But once having YEA, he needs no witness that it is YEA; and having NAY, he needs no other evidence to < prove that it is NAY *.

Thus doth Origen prefer and extol evangelical verity, wrapt up in folemn Yea or Nay, above the fwearing that was in truth, judgment, and righteousnefs under the difpenfation of the Law.

Socrates Scholaft. lib. 4. cap. 22. of his Ecclefiaftical Hiftory.

XXXVIII. Gregory Thaumaturgus, fo called from his working of miracles, on Ecclef. lib. 46. cap. 8. faith, It is meet to give a diligent heed to the words. of the king, and to flee an Oath by all means, ef<pecially that which is taken in the name of God." See his great praise, his works, and miracles.

Cyprian, lib. 3. Teftim. ad Quirin.

XXXIX. Cyprian, a famous father, and faithful martyr (who lived about the middle of the age, in the beginning of which Origen flourished) in his third book of Teftimonies to Quirinus faith, Who hath defired me to draw out of the holy fcriptures certain heads, belonging to the religious difcipline of our fect (for fo he called his own, the Christian religion).' His 12th head amongst them is, Not to Swear.

Again, writing of paftors and teachers, he biddeth them remember what the Lord taught, and said, "Let your fayings be Yea, Yea, and Nay, Nay t."

In another place he faith, It is unlawful for any man to compel another to take an Oath .'

Hitherto the Chriftians, being under moft cruel fufferings, generally kept faithfully to the command of Chrift in this point; and we find very little in their writings about it, befides a fimple and bare afferting of it, as the doctrine of Chrift, "not to fwear at all, as well as it was of Mofes, "not to fwear falfly or vainly," for more was no way needful, in that it was not contested, but univerfally fo received. But after. + Cypr. Epift. ad Corn. n. 5. that

Orig. on Jer. iv. 1, 2. Cyprian de Mortal.