that Christian emperors had engaged themselves in parties, then, it seems, many out of flattery, and to engage them to their fect, took liberty to fwear, even by the Health of the Emperor, as is objected against us by fome, out of Eufebius: but fuch he did not account religious; neither that a religious part fo to do, much lefs an Auguft Act; and leaft of all, a Moft August A& of Divine Worship, as fome would have it; feeing Stobæus obferves from him, that whereas many ex•horted that they be honest and faithful in an Oath, he, for his part, efteemed it not the part of a religious man, not to avoid even Swearing itself*.' And we believe it will be a hard matter to find any in the Greek Church, especially for the first three hundred years, that would allow fwearing fo large a place in facred things; yea, or in latter ages either, even in the Latin Church; nay, of those who have allowed it in fome cafes, many, or moft of them, have denied it any, place at all in the worship of God, as of itself, accounting it an Abatement, rather than an Advancement to Christianity; which no part of the true worship of God can be. But fome, perhaps, taking Tertullian's Word auguftior, or more auguft, (which, he fays, the Safety of the Emperor is, in comparison of all the Genius's) to be the highest act of God's worship, they would have us fwear by that, after the example of those mentioned in fome Chriftian Emperors times. Tertullian's fenfe we fhall eafily grant; for it is fo, and we do so, in that we commend our prince and governors to God, to God only, with earnest and fincere defires for his and their fafety; above all fuch genius's as Tertullian calls Dæmonia. But we juftly deny, upon the score of what we have made appear to the contrary, even from Tertullian himself and others, that he, or the Chriftians in his time, or for two hundred years before, or an hundred years after, did fwear, as fome would have it; least of all, as a most august act of the worship of God, without which all others are un

* Eufeb. apud. Stob. de Jurejur. c. 27.

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acceptable;' or that thofe who did fwear afterwards, were the most religious; feeing Eufebius efteems otherwise, and not he only, but also thofe very devout men that we have already produced, befides many which might and may be mentioned: for all that we have yet met with, in those times, that speak of it, speak against it; and of the following times, men of greatest renown and authority laboured with all earneftness to expel oaths the fociety of Chriftians, and cure them of that distemper, by inculcating the doctrine of Integrity, that needs no oath; proving by holy fcripture, that it was the plain and abfolute law of Chrift, that "Chrifti"ans ought not to fwear at all;" and, by other arguments, that the original of oaths was neither from God, nor good men; but they crept into ufe through the corruption of times, and mere careleffness of governments; for when they could not trust one another, they called their gods to witness; but God, separating Abraham and his pofterity from among them, to himself, the better to draw them from Idols, commanded them to fwear by Him only: as much as if he would have faid; If you will fwear, let it be by my Name, rather than the Idols, that fo you may, though ⚫ it be after a mean manner, acknowledge a real Deity, the only Lord of all.' But how long was this condefcenfion to laft? Only till the Fulnefs of Time came; which, with other permiffions, removed all Swearing; Christ bringing men to the Truth in the inward parts, as in the Beginning, before Swearing was in being; "for from the beginning it was not fo."

But to fhew what other Fathers reasons and teftimonies against this Heathenifh and Jewish Ufage, indeed Bondage, were at the coming in of the apoftacy, we fhall begin with Athanafius, a man that was in great renown in the days of Conftantine the Great, and whofe Creed is the Faith and Teft of Chriftendom at this day.

VOL. II.

Cc

Athana

Athanafius on the Paffion of Chrift.

XL. The evangelical fentence of the Lord is,' "Let your Yea be Yea, and your Nay, Nay." Thus far we, who are in Chrift, may confirm our words with Affeverations; and with no farther progrefs let us flee to or approach Oaths, that we alledge not • God for witness, for corruptible money's fake; efpecially fince Mofes fets down the Law, "Thou "Thalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in a "vain thing." For if any is plainly worthy to name God, he is alfo worthy of belief: for, whofoever is meet for greater things, he will be much more fit for lefs: on the contrary, if he be not worthy Belief, that he may be credited without an Oath, furely he is not one that is worthy to name God. If he be not faithful in Word, how will God by any means be the witnefs of an Oath for him, who is deftitute of Faith, to which God hath refpect?' Again, "The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him "in truth," in which alone the Lord can be called

upon. Wherefore, why do they fwear by God, who " are not trufted even in fmall matters? Otherwife an oath is a teftimony of truth, and not a judge of bufineffes; fuch men do fwear, not that they may fignify bufineffes, but that they may confirm the truth, and that these may fhew, that thofe things which they produce are without lying. If, therefore, he that fwears hath both Faith and Truth, what use is there of an Oath? but if he hath no faith nor truth, why do we undertake fuch an impiety, that for poor filly men, and thofe mortal too, we call to witness God, that is above men? For if it be a base part, to call to witnefs an earthly king to the lowest judicatures, as one that is greater than both actors and judges, why do we cite Him, that is uncreated, to created things, and make God to be despised of men? Fie! that exceeds all iniquity and audaciousness. What then is to be done? No more but that our Yea be lea, and our Nay be Nay, and in fhort that we do

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not lie. But if we fhall feem to speak truth, and imitate the true God, fome, perchance may thus • contradict;

If an Oath be forbidden to men, and a man imitates • God in not fwearing, how is it that God is related in the Holy Scripture to fwear? For he fwore to Abraham, as Mofes witneffeth: and it is written in the Pfalms,' "The Lord fwore, and will not repènt," &c. For these things feem to be repugnant to the • former, and that thereby there is permitted to men a liberty of fwearing.'

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But this is not fo, nor can any think fo: for God fweareth by none; for how can he, feeing he is Lord and Maker of all things? But, if any thing, this must be faid, that his WORD is an Oath, inducing the hearers, by a fure Faithfulness, that what he pro• mifeth and speaketh, fhall certainly be effected; fith God fweareth not as Man; but his Word to us is as an Oath for Verity. And fpeaking to men, he is faid to fwear: and this alfo the faints do utter after the manner of men; that as they themselves speaking ⚫ would have credit to be given them, fo likewife they ⚫ themselves should give credit to God: for, as a man's word confirmeth an oath, fo alfo thofe things that ‹ God fpeaketh, because of the firmness and immutability of his will, are to be reputed Oaths. The fame alfo, that is there written, confirmeth my faying,' " for the Lord hath fworn, and will not repent; C a thing not to be retracted by repenting, but cer<tainly to be effected, according to the Engagement ⚫ of an Oath. This alfo God doth declare in Genefis, faying;'"I have fworn by myself:"but that is not an Oath; for he fwore not by another, which is proper for an Oath, but by Himself, which contains not the eftimation of an oath: but this is done that the • Sureness of his promife may appear, and how confidently that ought to be believed, which is spoken, that fweet Pfalmift will witnefs for me in his Pfalm, calling God to mind, when he faith,' "Where are

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thy

"thy ancient mercies, O Lord, which thou swarest to "David thy fervant, in (or by) thy Truth?" ‹ For 'God fweareth not by his Truth: but because He, who is true, fpeaketh in his Word, that, to Men, is for an Oath unto Belief. So God doth not fwear after the • Manner of Men; neither must we be induced thereby to take Oaths: but let us fo fay, and fo do, and fo approve ourselves in faying and doing, that we • need not an Oath for the hearer, and that our Words, ⚫ of themselves, may have the testimony of truth: for by that way we shall plainly imitate God *."

Hilary, on Mat. v. 34.

XLI. Hilary, a Father, very famous in the days of Conftantius, fon to Conftantine (but an Arian; and, which was worse, a Persecutor, so that this Hilary was banished) in his commentary on those words in Matthew, "Ye have heard that it was faid to them of "old, Thou shalt not forfwear thyfelf," &c. thus expreffeth himself, The Law fet a penalty for perjury, that the confcience of religion, or fear of an oath, might reftrain the deceitfulness of minds; for the < rude and infolent people made frequent mention of ⚫ their God by a familiar course of swearing: but faith

doth remove the custom of an oath, making the • bufineffes of our life to be determined in truth, and laying afide the affecting to deceive; prefcribing the fimplicity of speaking and hearing, that what was, C was; what was not, was not; that the bufinefs of • deceiving might be apparent between it is, and it is not; and what is more, is all of evil: for what is, it is < its property always that fo it is; and what is not, it is its nature that it is not: therefore to them that live in the fimplicity of the faith, there is no need of the religion (or fuperftition) of an oath; with whom always what is, is, what is not, is not: and by these both all their words and deeds are in truth.' "Neither by "heaven." God not only fuffers us not to make Oaths

Athanafius will not have it that God ever fwore, properly and Strictly taken; only in a way of speaking, having the truth, and immutability of the trueft and greatest oath.

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