B. But Paul alfo fwore, as they say?

A. Who faid fo? O what a vain jangler was he that faid it! Quoth he, "God is my witnefs," and "God "knoweth :" those words are not an Oath, but a certain Affeveration in fuch great things, conftant and inviolable.

B. Wilt thou allow the fame alfo to me?

A. I wish that to thy power thou wouldest plainly become a Paul, and so thou wouldest have a right rule of thine actions.

B. What if I use an Oath unwillingly, but to free me from danger?

A. Let another allow thee that I.

B. What if an oath be written, and not pronounced with the voice?

A. And what is the meaning of a writing? Surely, amongst all other obligations, a writing doth more bind and oblige us.

B. What if we be drawn by neceffity to give an oath? A. Why didst thou not rather die? For furely, thou fhouldft rather die than do that.

B. What if the books of the holy fcriptures be not used?

A. What is religion placed in a || Leaf? Is God abfent by this means? It is evident that thou fearest (Paper or) Parchment, and I fear God more: this is a frequent difeafe to many, and ufual; neither is it otherwise than as if a man beat the Master, and disgrace him, and make his Servant a Free Man, and do him honour, (what a notable reproach that should be?) or as if a man fhould preferve the king's Image, and in the mean time deftroy the King.

B. It is even as thou fayeft: but I would have thee fay, what is more to be fhewn.

A. Many ufe to fay, I fwore with my Tongue, but my Mind is free from fwearing.' Any thing may be

See Tertullian before, to whom this agrees.

Mark how

Gregory Naz. fpeaks of the Scripture, in comparison of God's omniprefence with the mind and fenfe, and regard men ought to have of it.

more

:

more cunningly excufed than an Oath: let him not fuffer any Colour to be made for himself; for this is an Oath and much mischief comes from deceit itself? Let us fee what an Oath is: nothing elfe but the very meaning (or mind) of those things which we fet down. -Thou wouldeft have me add what remains: furely an Oath is nothing else but a certain confummation, as it were, of mifchiefs: O dangerous flame!

B. But Plato doth fome fuch thing: he is religiously aware that he fwore not by any God.

A. Truly I know what thou art about to say: there was a certain plane-tree, by which alone he made oath: but he did not fwear rightly neither by that; for he had an understanding in fomething; but what a juft and religious oath fhould be, that he could not understand. And what was this, tell me now? A certain shadow of an Oath, a declaration without a name; an Oath, no Oath, as the philofophers fwore by a ftrange and unknown God. Laftly, it is nothing elfe, but to make oath by any thing. Here let our fpeech be at an end. Thou threateneft that thou wilt leave me athirft fooner than I would.

A. If an oath feem a fmall thing to thee, truly I cannot condemn thee: but if it is in the number of horrible things, I will alfo dare to produce a mighty thing: I do adjure, by a very Oath itself, that thou abstain from, and beware of, Óaths, and thou haft the victory.

B. I wish I had. What fruit gets he that often fweareth? Laughter. What more? That when he fpeaks truth, he fhall not be believed.

In another place he faith, that to fwear by Creatures, is to fwear with regard to God himself: fo Chrift himself faith, Mat. v. 25. and chap. xxiii. 16, 23.

Cæfarius, Num. 43.

XLVIII. Cæfarius, brother to Gregory Nazianzen, in his Spiritual Sentences, hath this fentence, Flee

Greg. Naz. on Cant. Hom. 18.

⚫ all

all fwearing, or every Oath:' how then fhall we get belief? as well by fpeech, as by virtuous actions and carriages, that gain belief to our fpeech. Perjury is a denying of God: what need of God in this matter? Interpofe and put in ure thy Actions.

Epiphan. adv. Heref. lib. 1. Ord. 19. §. 6.

XLIX. Epiphanius, whom Socrates Scholafticus, lib. 6. cap. 9. calls a man of great fame and renown, and a virtuous and godly perfon, in his first book against Herefies (not accounting denying to fwear an herefy, but rather the contrary, as may appear by his words, which are thefe) In the Law, as well as the Gospel, it is commanded not to use another name in fwearing: but in the Gospel he commandeth not to fwear, • neither by Heaven nor Earth, nor other Oaths; but let Yea Yea, and Nay Nay, be as an oath, (as Petavius tranflates it) for what is more than these is of Evil. Therefore I fuppofe that the Lord ordained • concerning this, because of fome mens allegations, ⚫ that would swear by other names; and firft, that we must not fwear, no, not by the Lord himself, nor by any other Oath; for it is an evil thing to fwear at all. Therefore he is evil that compels not only to fwear by God, but by other things,' &c.

Ambrof. de Virgin. lib. 3.

L. Ambrofe, foon after, being a lay-man, or citizen of Milan, was by the people, against his will, chofen Bishop of that city, for his great worth and godliness, whofe writings are of great account; and fpeaking of the inconveniency occafioned by an Oath, faith, Wherefore not without caufe doth the Lord in the gofpel command not to fwear, that there may be no caufe of forfwearing, that there may be no neceffity of offending.

He that fweareth not, certainly he eth; but he that fweareth, fometim fall into perjury, because all men a • Do not therefore Swear, left thou be fwear *.

* Exhortat. ad Virgin

forfwea uft nee

to lie

For

*

Therefore the Lord, who came to teach the little ones, to Inspire novices, to confirm the Perfect, faith in the gospel,' "Ye muft not fwear at all;" ⚫ because he spoke to the Weak.'

Lastly, he spoke not only to the Apostles, but to the Multitude; for he would not have thee to • Swear, left thou fhouldest Forfwear.'

́ And he added,' "not to fwear, neither by Heaven, "nor by the Earth," &c. namely, by thofe things that are not fubject to thy Power.

"The Lord fware and shall not repent." He may fwear, who cannot repent of his Oath. And what did < the Lord fwear?" "That Chrift is a priest for ever:" • Is that uncertain? Is that impoffible?" "The Lord "hath sworn," Can it any way be changed?"

• Do not therefore use the example of an Oath, because thou haft not power to fulfil an Oath.'

Also, in his Commentary on the Hebrews, he faith, • Because mankind is incredulous, God fo condefcend• eth to us, that he even fweareth for us ‡.'

So that he fhews that not to be an argument for fwearing to be defired, feeing it is only in condefcenfion to a Defect; not to be encouraged from it to fwear, or to require it.

Chryfoft. on Gen. Hom. 15.

LI. Chryfoftom, in those days very famous in the church, and therefore ftiled the Golden Doctor, in his 15th Homily on Genefis, faith; A CHRISTIAN muft flee Oaths by all means, hearing the fentence of

Chrift, which faith,'" It was faid to them of old, "You fhall not forfwear; but I fay unto you, fwear "not at all."Let none fay therefore, I fwear in a juft bufinefs. It is not lawful to fwear; neither in a juft, nor unjust thing.'

Ambrofe on Mat. v. He was for Infpiration and perfection. ↑ Ambr. Com. on Heb. c. 6. Oaths founded on defect, not to be encouraged; then not to be imposed.

■ Pfalm cix.

To

!

*To fwear is of the devil; feeing Chrift faith, "for what is more, is Evil," or of the evil one.'

Swearing took not its beginning from the Will, but from Negligence only. Thou hast heard (faith he) the wifdom of Chrift, faying, That not only to forfwear, but alfo, in any manner to fwear, is devilish, and all a device of the evil one..

If to Swear is found to be devilish, how are they to be punished who Forfwear.'

If to fwear truly be a crime, and a tranfgreffing of the commandment, where fhall we place perjury?'

Speaking of a Chriftian, (fo called; for he that dare do fuch things, we cannot call a fincere Chriftian) whom he faw compelling a certain honeft, ingenuous, modeft, and faithful matron, to go into the Jews Synagogue, there to be fworn about fome bufiness in controversy betwixt them, fhe defiring help, and imploring to be freed from this wicked force, &c. I (faith he) kindled with zeal, arofe; and not fuffering her to be farther drawn into this prevarication, refcued her; and enquired of him that had drawn her to it, whether he were a Chriftian or not? Who confeffing he was, I feverely urged and upbraided him with his folly and extreme madness, to go about to draw any body, he profeffing himself to be a worfhipper of Chrift, to the Jews Dens, who had crucified him. And going on in fpeaking, I taught him, out of the Holy Gofpel, that it is not lawful to fwear at all, nor to incite any to fwear, after that; not one that is a Believer, or initiated; no, nor one that is not initiated; to be drawn to that extremity. After I had fpoken much, and a long time of it, I delivered his mind from the Error of opinion,' &c.

Id. Hom. Pfal. v. Ad Pop. Antioch. Hom. 19. The reafon of oaths. Against the difpraife of folitary life, 1. 1. Of compunction of heart, 1. 1. Againft the Jews, Hom. 34. Agreeing with Eufebius before. Chryf. calls fwearing and compelling to fwear at all, an error; then we are orthodox. See his great praise in Soc. Scho. 1. 6. c. 3. He was of the race of fenators. Remember Tertullian's cafe by this. Homil. 28. Eclog. de Juram. Hom. 5. ad pop. Antioch.

Be