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ridiculous. But what do I speak of these? Even Man-flaughter itself, which Chrift calls evidently a work of the devil, fometimes in due feafon done, hath been praised; as Phineas killed a man, and it ' was reputed to him for righteousness; Abraham also was not only an Homicide, but a Parricide; and Peter flew two, but it was a spiritual work: fo we must not only confider the Actions, but the Time, 'Cause, Will, and Difference of Perfons, and all • other Circumstances.'

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Again, in his Imperfe&* Work, cap. 5.

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It hath been said,' [" Thou fhalt not forfwear, but "shalt perform to the Lord thy Oaths: but I fay unto "you, Swear not at all," &c.] Behold the Fourth Command, which covetous men account the least, because they do not account it a fin to fwear; without which, the command of the Law cannot stand; for unless swearing itself be forbidden, Falfe Oaths cannot be taken away, because out of Swearing fprings up Forfwearing; for whofoever fwears often, at one time or other fwears falfly: for this reason • Solomon gives that admonition,' "Accuftom not thy "mouth to fwearing; for there is much danger there"in." For as he that accuftoms himself to talk much, must needs at one time or other utter unfeasonable words; and he that ufeth frequently to ftrike with his hand, cannot but fometimes ftrike unjustly; fo he that accuftoms himself to fwear in things convenient, oftentimes forfwears himself, even against his will (cuftom prevailing in him) in things fuperfluous: for we can accuftom ourselves to · any thing when we will; but we cannot turn off that custom when we will. And what the judgment ' of God is against them that fwear, Solomon teacheth:' "A man," faith he,' faith he,'" that fwears much, a

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Much regarded and obferved by venerable antiquity, faid James on the Fathers, part 2. page 36. A&t. Mon. v. 1. p. 701.

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"wound shall not depart from his house." If then a wound depart not from them that fwear, how fhall it at length depart from them that forfwear? Tell me, my friend, what doft thou get by fwearing? for if thy adversary did believe that thou wouldeft fwear well, he would never force thee to fwear at all; but because he thinks thou wilt fwear falfely, therefore it is that he compels thee to fwear; and when thou haft fworn, he doth not fit down as fatisfied in the truth of thine oath, but goes away full of revenge, as it ⚫ were in condemnation of thy perjury *.?

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An Oath never has a good end; for fome will judge thou haft fworn for Covetoufnefs; and fome C too, that thou haft Forfworn: but they that are willing to fuppofe well of thee, although they do not believe thou haft fworn Falfely, yet they are not able to affirm thou haft fworn in Truth: but no man ⚫ can maintain thou haft done Religiously. By fwearing therefore thou comeft into reproach with thy enemies, and into fufpicion with thy friends. But <thou wilt say perhaps,

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Obj. What fhall I do? he neither doth nor will believe me, unless I fwear.

'Anfw. Be content rather to lose thy Money than thy Salvation; fet more by thy Soul than by thy Estate: if thou shouldest loose any part of thy eftate, thou mayst live notwithstanding; but if thou losest God, whereon wilt thou live? Doft thou not know, that • what thou parteft felf-denyingly with for the fear of • God, thou receiveft a greater reward for it, than if thou hadst given alms; because, the more we bear the cross, the more worthily are we crowned for it? Behold, my friend, I advife thee not to force any man to fwear: if thou thinkeft he will fwear well, avoid it; or if thou thinkeft he will fwear amiss, avoid it so much the rather: for although he swear 'well, yet thou, as far as relates to thy confcience, art < become the cause of his perjury, because thou < compelleft him to take an oath with this intention,

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not barely that he should swear, but that he should forfwear; for if thou hadst thought he would have fworn honestly, thou wouldeft not have forced him to fwear at all. Oh foolish man, that compelleft another to fwear! thou knoweft not what thou doft: he, although he forfwear himself, yet does it with 'advantage; but thou, without any advantage, art found a partaker of his perjury. He that does not ftick at lying, does not fear fwearing; for he that tells a lie, goes beyond the Truth in his heart; and 'he that fwears falfely, paffes over God in his Words: What then is the difference between paffing over God, and going beyond the truth, feeing God is Truth itself?'

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This is the only difference, That when we lie, we pafs over the Truth in our Heart; but when we Forfwear, we pass over God in Words; for, to men we give fatisfaction by Words; to God, by Confcience. God himself, who forbad Forfwearing, even he < afterwards commanded Not to Swear, he therefore that is not afraid to fet light by the commands of "God in Swearing, will not be afraid to do the like in Forfwearing. But what wouldft thou have? Doth he fear God, or doth he not fear him §? If he be one that fears God, he will not lie, though he be not fworn; but if he be one that does not fear God, he cannot speak truth, though he be fworn. Hear, ye Clergymen, who bring the Holy Gofpels for men to fwear upon; how can ye be fecure from that Oath, who fow the feed of perjury? He that brings the fire by which an house is burnt, is he a ftranger to the burning? Or who reaches a fword, whereby a man is flain, is not he an acceffary to the flaughter? So he that gives the opportunity of forfwearing, is a partaker of the perjury: if it were well done to fwear, ye faid rightly, that we gave them the Gospel to Swear, not to Forfwear; but now ye know, that it is a fin even to fwear well, how can ye be acquitted that give the occafion of finning against God? Let

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the fire ceafe, and there is no burning; take away the fword, and the man is not flain; fo take away Swearing, and there is no Forfwearing. Be thefe things fpoken of them that fwear by God. But as for them that fwear by the Elements, their iniquity < is more deteftable; for Heaven and Earth, and the reft of the Elements God made for his own service; "not for men to fwear by: for, behold, in the Law it ' is commanded, that they should swear by none but God: he therefore that fwears by Heaven, or by the Earth, or whatsoever it is he fwears by, makes a 'God of it; therefore every one commits Idolatry, who fwears by any thing befides God, if it were at ⚫ all lawful to fwear, because he does not perform his oaths to the Lord his God, but to the Elements: and ⚫fo he commits a double fin; first, in that he Swears; ⚫ and secondly, in making a God of that by which he 'fwears,' &c.

Again, in chap. 23. Homil. 43. on thefe words, "Wo " unto you, blind guides, who fay, Whofoever shall "fwear by the Temple, it is nothing; but whofoever "shall swear by the Gold of the temple, he is a debtor." Many Chriftians,' faith he, now-a-days do fo unwisely understand many things; for lo, if there fhall be any cause, he seems to do a small matter who fwears by God; but he that fwears by the Gospel, feems to have done fome greater thing. To whom it may be faid, Fools! The Holy Scriptures are for "God, not God for the Scriptures; for God is greater, ⚫ which fanctifieth the Gofpel, than the Gofpel, which is fanctified of God.'

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Again, Hom. 9. on Acts of the Apoftles, chap. 3. To this conduces not a little, not to fwear, and not to be angry; for in not being Angry, we shall not have an Enemy; and caft off a man's Oath, and withal thou shalt caft off those things that concern wrath, and fhalt extinguish all anger. For Wrath and an Oath are like the Wind. We fet forth fail; but Dd 4 < there

there is no benefit of the fail, if there be no wind: fo if we do not cry out, nor fwear, we cut the finews of wrath. Come, tell me for what cause an Oath ⚫ was introduced, and why it was allowed? Let us tell its Original, and whence it fprung up again, and how, and by whom; and by our declaration we shall gratify your attention: for he that doth justly, muft neceffarily be alfo ftudious of Wifdom; and he that is not yet fuch, is not worthy to hear a discourse: for Abraham made covenants, and facrificed facrifices, and offered offerings; and as yet there was not an Oath. Whence then ⚫ came in an Oath; When evils increased, when all things became topsy-turvy, when they inclined to Idolatry; then verily, when they appeared unfaithful, they called God to witnefs, as giving a Surety for Security of their words; for an Oath is a Suretiship, where their beha<viours have no truft or credit. Whereupon, firft, he that fwears is taxed, if he have no credit without an Oath, and the greateft fecurity: and because men fo little truft one another, they feek God for a furety, not MAN. Secondly, He is in the fame crime who receives an oath, if he draw God to be a furety for contracts, and fay,'" That he will not truft except he have " him." "O monftrous thing! O fhameful disgrace! <thou! a worm, dust, and ashes, and a vapour; darest thou fnatch thy Lord, who art fuch an one, for a Surety, and compelleft to accept him? Tell me if a fellow-fervant fhould fay to your children, ftriving among themselves, and not trusting one another,' "Unless the common Master become a Surety, there is "no trusting;" would not many stripes be inflicted, that he might learn that he should make use of him as a Lord in other things, not in these? What do I speak of a Fellow-fervant? For if one would have a more venerable Man, would not the cafe have difC grace in it?" But I fhall," faith he,' " therefore "neither compel him, because this is alfo amongst "Men." He may fay thus,' "Sometimes thou may"eft not receive a furety to thine." • What then?"

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