II.

Dei. 18.

[51.]

SERM. St. Augustine saith, Civitas illa confusionis indifferenter habuit De Civit. philosophos inter se diversa et adversa sentientes; 'In God's city it was never so, there was ever correction for coiners, but in Babel, the city of confusion, every philosopher might set up, as now every sect-master may broach any imagination that taketh him in the head without punishment. For in Babel it is reckoned but an indifferent matter.' Sure the Prophets tell us that if Babylon's confusion go thus before, the captivity of Babylon is not far behind. From which Almighty God deliver us, and make us careful, as to continue "the Apostles' doctrine," &c., so neither to engrave nor to bow down and worship any of these imaginations. Amen.

ONE OF THE SERMONS

UPON THE

THIRD COMMANDMENT,

PREACHED IN THE

PARISH CHURCH OF ST. GILES, CRIPPLEGATE,

ON THE ELEVENTH OF JUNE, A.D. MDXCII.

JEREMIAH iv. 2.

And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness.

Et jurabis, Vivit Dominus, in veritate, et in judicio, et in justitiá. Lat. Vulg.

[And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness. Eng. Trans.]

Of this commandment there are two main propositions: 1. Thou shalt take "the name of God"-else it should have been, Thou shalt not take it at all; 2. Thou shalt take it orderly, and not "in vain." Of the first: Thou shalt take it to those ends and uses to which God lendeth it. Of which one is, "Thou shalt swear by it;" which is limited by two ways. First, by what: "The Lord liveth."

Secondly, how: "In truth, judgment, justice." As in the former Commandments so in this, there be two extremes. 1. The one of the Anabaptists, which hold all swearing unlawful, contrary to the first, "Thou shalt swear." 2. The other of the licentious Christian, which holds, at least in practice, A man may swear how and in what sort he list: by creatures, &c. contrary to "The Lord liveth," &c. falsely, rashly, lewdly; contrary to "In truth, judgment, justice."

III.

I.

"Thou shalt swear."

Isa. 45. 23.

SERM. That it is lawful to swear, it appeareth by the Law, Deuteronomy the sixth chapter, and thirteenth verse: by the Prophets Jeremy here. Esay more earnestly: "I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth and shall not return, That every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue Ps. 63. 11. shall swear by Me." David: Laudabuntur omnes, qui jurant per Eum. By the practice of the saints not only under Moses, Gen.21.24. but under the law of nature. Abraham sweareth, Isaac swearGen.31.53. eth, Jacob sweareth. Now our Saviour Christ came "not to [Mat. 5. destroy the law and the Prophets" in those things wherein 17.] they agree with the law of nature: therefore, not to take away an oath.

Gen.26.31.

Whereas they object first, that it standeth not with Christian profession, but was tolerated as an imperfect thing under the law:

We answer, it cannot be reckoned an imperfection to swear. For that not only Abraham, the pattern of human perfection, Gen.21.24. both sware himself and put his servant to an oath, but even Gen. 24. 3. the Angels, nearer than we to perfection, "sware" both under Rev. 10. 6. the law, and under the Gospel. And not only they, but even Gen.22.16. God Himself in Whom are all perfections, so that it cannot Ps. 110. 4. be imagined an imperfection.

Dan. 12. 7.

Besides, the holy Apostles, the most perfect Christians 2Cor.1.23. have in urgent causes done the like: "I call God for a record 1 Cor. 15. against mine own soul;" and, "By our rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord;" which place cannot be avoided, having in the Greek the word Nǹ never used but in an oath only.

31.

[S. Aug.

Serm. 180. 5.]

[Mat. 5. 34. 33.]

Whereas secondly they object our Saviour's saying, "I say unto you, swear not at all," the ancient writers answer, that our Saviour Christ in the very same place, not reproving the other part, Reddes autem Domino juramenta tua, meant not to take all oaths away, but must be understood according to the Pharisees' erroneous gloss of this commandment, which He intendeth to overthrow by opposing to Dictum est antiquis, Ego autem dico; which was of two sorts: 1. for first, it seemeth they understood it of perjury alone; so that if a man forsware not himself, he might swear any oath. And so Christ reproveth not only false, but all rash and unadvised swearing.

2. Secondly, it seemeth they had this conceit: so a man

sware not by the great name of God all was well, he might swear by any creature at his pleasure; and so Christ willeth not to swear at all by any creature.

Though indeed we hold in divinity that jurare of and by itself considered is an act forbidden no less than occidere, and that as it is an absolute countermand, Non occides, and yet the magistrate by due course of justice executing a malefactor is commended, so is it likewise Non jurabis; and yet being, as we term it, vestitum debitis circumstantiis, Lauda- Ps. 63. 11. buntur omnes qui jurant per Eum, as king David saith.

Lastly, there is also a bar in the word jurare. For God in His law, ever putting it passively, that is rather, Thou shalt be sworn, or called to an oath, than Thou shalt swear, actively; our Saviour Christ here utterly condemneth the active voluntary swearing of men of their own heads, which was indeed never permitted, howsoever the Pharisees glossed the matter if the matter were true and so it were by Jehovah.

10.]

Num. 30.

2, 3.

So that an oath is lawful; but with this condition limited, that the party do therein habere se passive, come to it not of [Vid. S. Aug. his own accord, but pressed, as St. Augustine well saith, vel Serm. 180. authoritate deferentis, vel duritie non credentis, as to the lifting of a burden, as to the entering of " a bond." "Thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth;" or, as Moses saith, 1. Limitaby "God's Name." Which clause first doth limit by what we "The Lord are to swear, and doth exclude 1. swearing by those which liveth." are "no gods;" either idols forbidden in the law, (either to Jer. 5. 7. swear by them alone, or to join God and them together) 13. Josh. 2. or creatures, which our Saviour Christ forbiddeth.

tion.

Deut.6.13.

Exod. 23.

23. 7.

Amos 8.

Zeph. 1. 5.

36.

And sure, as to swear by them is derogatory to ourselves, 14. seeing thereby we make them our betters, for that every one Mat, 5. 34that sweareth "sweareth by a greater than himself;" so it is Heb. 6. 16. highly injurious to the Majesty of God, seeing to swear by a creature is to ascribe unto it power to see and know all things, and to do vengeance on perjury: which in divinity to think or say, is manifest blasphemy.

31.

Howbeit yet the Fathers-well weighing that speech of 1 Cor. 15. St. Paul's, where he speaketh on this wise, "By our rejoicing which we have in Christ Jesus our Lord," &c. wherein his oath is not immediately by the name of God, but by a secondary thing issuing from it-have thought it not absolutely

III.

SERM. necessary that in every oath the name of God should be expressly mentioned, but sufficient if reductive. It is ruled in divinity that such things as presently are reduced to God will bear an oath. In which respect, to swear by the Holy Gospel, considering our rejoicing will bear an oath, and that in the Gospel our matter of rejoicing is principally contained, hath in the Primitive Church been holden lawful. As in the Lab. Tom. Council of Constantinople. Especially seeing there is no direct contestation used, but rather by way of oppignoration, engaging unto God our salvation, faith, rejoicing, part in His Gospel and promises, the contents, &c. if we utter an

[Con.

Const. III.

11. Col.

578. Ed.

Florent. 1765.]

II.

The man

ner, or second limitation.

2 Cor. 11.

untruth.

Which is of "The Lord

Secondly, the form and manner of swearing. three sorts: 1. Either by contestation as here, liveth," "Before God," or, "God knoweth" it is so, "God is Gal. 1. 20. my witness." 2. Or by a more earnest asseveration; “As sure as God liveth." 3. Or by detestation and execration, as 1 Thes. 2. in other places. And that again is of two sorts: 1. by impreGen.31.53. cation of evil; "God be my Judge," "God behold it and 1 Chron. rebuke it," "God do so and so unto me," "I call God a re

11.

5.

Judg. 8.19,

12. 17.

44.

1 Sam. 14. cord against my soul." 2. Or by oppignoration or engaging 2 Cor.1.23. of some good which we would not lose: as, "Our rejoicing in 1 Cor. 15. Christ," our salvation, God's help, &c.

31.

1.

In truth. Levit. 19. 12.

Both are oft and may be joined together, if it be thought meet. "God is my witness" that thus it is, and "God be my Judge" if thus it be not. Wherein as in prayer when all means fail, we acknowledge that God can help as well without as with second causes, so we confess that He can discover our truth and falsehood, and can punish the same by ways and means to Him known, though no creature in the world beside know the thing or can take hold of us.

"Thou shalt swear, in truth, judgment, justice." The three enclosures and companions of a Christian oath are

"In truth:" "Ye shall not swear by My name falsely." Which vice forbidden we call perjury. Each-action, we say, is to light super debitam materium. The due and own matter