and hath set up that which is more Evangelical truth it self in which there is no shadow of change and it is binding upon the souls of all true Christians and that by which they are bound one to another and every word promise or testimony that go out of their hearts and mouths they by it are bound to keep least they fall into condemnation but their yea is yea and nay is nay and whatsoever is more then this cometh of evil and therefore they do not cannot nor dare not go beyond this or that which doth but amount to as much and there needs no more among true Christians Now as to them who are in the contention and strife and unbelief and oathes works of the flesh as variance discord whom the Law hath power over and is against as long as they live in such estate it s granted that the Law was added because of these transgressions and is against such and how far swearing can be binding among evil contentious unconscionable Men that make no conscience of any thing who cannot believe one another nor give credit to one another without swearing experience hath manifested whether they judge one another to be believed better by swearing then without swearing that 's little to us neither shall we meddle in contentious matters nor have to do with striving Men as little as possible but rather suffer wrong then wrong our consciences by swearing which we are perswaded by Christ we ought not to right our selves as hitherto we have done and have peace blessed be God in our hearts however we could rejoice and be glad to see all Men be at peace and agree and it s our desire to live in that love and we shall seek it with Men and to be at peace as much as in us lyes even in that love that works no evil nor thinks no evil but believeth all things and beareth all things and so carries beyond strife and oaths but if they will not be without Oathes in Courts and Judicatures we are cleer in the matter if they exact upon us and do as they have done to the undoing ruining of many in this World we must be content knowing it better to suffer wrong then do it and shall acquiesce and rest in the will of God till he plead our cause and open the hearts of Men to see through the Clouds of error and ignorance that is over their consciences Yet how ever this I must needs say this frequent common prophane swearing that hath exalted its Horn more of late years is one of the crying sins of England that Gods anger is against and will draw down his judgment and kindle the indignation which hangs over this Nation not only because of those that command Men to swear contrary to Christs command and that for to establish cruelty and injustice but also that swore falsly and vainly and that against their knowledge for their own profit and the disadvantages of others to accomplish their wicked malicious and revengeful designes against the innocent who dare not swear at all and thereby are made a pray to the teeth of Wolves and to the wills of corrupt Men who take occasion as it were to plow long Furrowes upon the backs of the poor and needy for which things sake the wrath of God will be poured out upon the head of the wicked and the Nation shall be on heaps and the wise Men shall be turned backwards and their Table shall be a snare and the curse shall be upon the rebellious and they shall fall and be broken and rise no more and this may justly befall this Nation because of Oaths and because of Oppression And oh much pittied Nation it may be said of thee truly as the Prophet Hosea 4. 2 3. Because of swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring they break out and blood toucheth blood therefore shall the Land mourn and every one that dwells therein shall be cut off Oh what sad times do we behold nothing but extreames of evil are presented to our eyes and eares some do little but swear ordinarily commonly and vainly in all kind of communication and conversation not only in their usual outer sourses in Courts with Judges and Magistrates but in their hoâ—ly discourses also with other Men in Cities Townes Princes and great Mens Courts and places Vniversities Colledges almost all Houses at least all Talvernes and Ale-houses and in the open Streets and Assemblies almost every where are full of dreadful Oathes and Mens discourses interwoven with execrable and direful Oaths even as it were daring God to confound them and damn them and such like and though there be divers Laws against swearing vainly and forswearing yet these are not looked at but how should we exspect that they should look at the execution of the Laws of Men which are good who heeds not the Law of God and are so buzzed now a days with over-executing those intangling Laws that are extant for Oaths and forswearing to intrap and insnare poor innocent men who dare not swear at all but keep the Commands of Christ so that there is no leisure lost to look after those most wholsome and profitable Laws of both God and the King which are against vain Oaths and forswearing which the Land abounds with the like hath not been in any age which is a sad presage of the Judgment of God to be at hand And last of all A. S. he says hath done and he fears it 's more and time to have done with the Exposition of those words and so comes to application and so he speaks to all in general who at that time or any other may be legally called to take their oaths which you have heard vindicated to be lawfull notwithstanding the seeming opposition of these words Swear not at all but those must be understood of necessary Oaths and your Righteousness is to exceed the Scribes and Pharisees but they condemned perjury in the verse immediately before mytext and your warrant for swearing is in Jer. 4. 2. which thence appears not only lawful but in some cases necessary Reply It 's more then time indeed to have done to pervert Christ's plain Doctrine with his imaginary Exposition and what he counts legally called seeing Christ prohibited it is not of much force neither will A. S. Vindication stand against the real opposition of Christs words Swear not at all but his seeming Vindication will in the day of the Lord when the secrets of all hearts shall be manifest by Jesus Christ when the book of Conscience shall be opened will be found to be in real opposition unto Christ and his reward will be according to his workes who hath by his work strengthen'd the hand of evil doers and persecutors to the adding affliction to affliction upon the Righteous and if the words must be understood of necessary Oaths then there is none necessary among Christs true Disciples who commanded let your yea be yea or
the observation of those things which did not make perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 8. 9. Heb. 9. 9. and for all these texts he alledges out of the Old Testament Mat. 6. 13. Psal. 63. 11. Jer. 12. 16. unto these it hath been answered that this proves nothing that Christians under the second Covenant should swear as they did in the first for these Precepts were only to keep them from Idolatry for Jer. 12. 16. If you will diligently learn the ways of my people to swear by my name the Lord liveth as they taught my people to swear by Baal then shall they be builded in the midst of the people And the 6. of Deut. 13 14. is to the same effect You shall fear the Lord and serve him and swear by my name And Verse the 14. Ye shall not go after other Gods All these only prove that the Nations went after other Gods and sware by them and served them and Israel too prone to follow their manners did so also and therefore he gave them these Precepts to serve him and fear him and acknowledge him to keep them from Idolatry as hath been said in the state of their Minority and weakness and that before the seed was revealed and that which A. S. calls a prophesie by Isa. 19. 18. of Christians swearing under the Gospel it s no such thing but a prophesie of Aegipt his joyning to the Jewes and owning their worship and their God and acknowledge him and do sacrifice and oblation yea and vow a vow unto the Lord and performe it ver 21. Which clearly hath relation to the Law and the Worship of the Jewes and not to the Gospel so that A. S. might have as well said it was a promise how Christians under the Gospel should offer sacrifice and oblations as under the Law as well as swear But the Doctor hath traversed many paths which are crooked winding and turning to gather something together and hath fetched it farre to prove swearing under the Gospel but all his proofe falls short of his matter by much And that of Isaiah the 5. 23. is a prophesie of Israels return out of the Captivity of Babylon in the days of Cyrus whom the Lord called his anoynted and shepherd Isa. 44. 28. 45. who made a Decree for all Israel to go out of Assyria to Jerusalem and build their City and their Temple and Worship their God according as he had commanded as may be seen at large in the Book of Ezra and Nebemiah and this was fulfilled then when they builded the City and the Temple in those days long before Christ was manifest in the flesh and then did Israel return and every knee did bow and every tongue did swear by the Lord which before the Captivity had not bowed nor served nor acknowledged his Name but Idols which provoked the Lord and therefore gave he them into the hand of the Babylonians for seventy years till they were humbled and then brought them back according to Jeremiah Isaiah Haggai and Zachariah's Prophesies for this was fulfilled then is spoken by Isaiah in this Prophesie Isaiah 5. ver 23 24 25. without contradiction to Christs command and his command entrencheth not upon this prophesie neither doth this make the Gospel thwart the Law beyond all terms of reconciliation as A. S. vainly suggests in his margent for this prophesie was fulfilled long before Christ gave forth this command swear not at all Moreover if this prophesie have any relation to the state of the Christian Church as A. S. supposes upon what ground I know not saving his own affirmation then we shall consider and see how it is fulfilled under the Gospel and what the Gospel allowes of in this particular the Apostle Paul a Minister of the Gospel not of the Letter as he saith himself which some interprets to be the Law citeth this prophesie of Isa. 45. 23. compare it with Rom. the 14. ve 11. for it is written where in Isaiah before cited As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow unto me and every tongue shall confess to God and in Philippians the 2. v. 10 11. that at the Name of Jesus whom the Father hath sent whom all is to obey unto whom all power is given in Heaven and Earth the Apostle citing again the very words of the Prophet says unto him viz. Jesus every knee shall bow and ver the 11. and that every tongue shall confess to the glory of God the Father so that it cannot be reasonably thought or judged that if God had required swearing by his name among Christians as among the Jewes that the Apostle thus should alter the words as to put confessing instead of swearing seeing he says he used always plainness of speech for this had not been plainness and we have better reason to believe the Apostle unto whom the Gospel was committed whom the son was revealed in who declared the whole Council of God and yet never either commanded or exhorted any to swear or reproved them for not swearing by the name of God as the Jewes did in all his writings that are extant I say we have better ground to believe him and his rendering of the words of the Prophet to be according to the mind of Christ where he puts in confession to the Christians which before was swearing to the Jewes as being acquainted with the command of Christ Mat. 5. 23. Swear not at all and what ever A. S. look upon it as to be Heresie and derogatory both to the Scriptures and God himself it is not much matter of Man's judgment he might as well accuse Christ and the Apostle the one forbidding to swear and the other for deminishing from the Scripture and altering the Prophets words and though it seems strange to A. S. yet it is not to us that some Men was commanded in the Old Testament for observing some things yea many things which is condemned in the New and yet God is not dishonoured neither the Scripture broken if we see the end of every command and the time for which it served and the service for which it served as this about Oaths hath been sufficiently declared before to keep the Jewes from Idolatry to end strife among them where it was but among true Christians indeed strife is ended and peace is come and they seek it with all Men and that is done away for which the Law was added to wit sin and transgression diffidence and unbelief and strife and no necessity of them among them and all the morality that doth remain is confession or saying or testimony in true words in any matter is that which is equivolent with an oath and is that which is the most conforme to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine under the Gospel but I come to his last Argument Twelfth and last Argument The consent of the Christian world the practice of Emperours Kings Princes Councils Bishops and people of all sorts confirme this truth that
him in his life neither can it properly be said to be repealed Reply Though I do not argue that Christ abolished the Ceremonial and Judicial Laws once commanded nor abrogated them yet Bishop Gauden doth who attain'd if not to a degree of knowledge and learning yet to a degree of promotion above A. S. in his Book which he wrote for the information of the Quakers about swearing he saith in his own words Christ came to fulfill the Moral Law however he came in a way of fulfilling to abrogate the Ceremonial yea and the Politick Lawes too belonging to the Jewes policy in Church and State and herein is the Bishop and the Doctor at odds the Bishop said he abrogated the Ceremonial Law and Judicial Law too belonging to the Iewes Policy and State But Doctor Smallwood says he denies his Assertion for says he We were never under the Judicial Law and what was never imposed need not be abolished So then what remains for me to say but this If Swearing was any part of the Iudicial Law or did belong to their Political Estate as it is the judgment of many but it is evident that swearing was used by the witness before Iudges in Israel in those days to try out their matters according to commandment given of God as is evident from 19. Deut. in the whole Chapter and divers other places then by this argument A. S. hath made he hath overthrown himself for he saith we are no Iewes nor in Canaan and so never imposed and what was never imposed need no abolishing and it is as I have said manifest that Oaths had relation to judicial proceedings and to the service of God too in that Covenant which was shadowy and consisted much in outward signes and figures but the substance is Christ. So then instead of proving swearing under the Gospel lawful he hath by his argument proved it never injoyned unto the Gentiles neither indeed was it either ever commanded or commended unto the Gentiles who believed or they reproved for not observing it that ever we read of by Christ or his Apostles or Ministers in the first and purest times of Christianity for to Jacob he gave his Law and to Israel his Statutes to every Nation he did not so no not to Moab Ammon nor the Canaanites neither the Gentiles and though he seem to plead hard for swearing under the Gospel yet he falls short in his proof except he took his own reasons and arguments which divers of them are but imaginary in the foundation of his discourse he hath taken such great compass as there is not an universal unlimited prohibition of all manner of Swearing but what this manner of swaring is it is very uncertain somtimes he makes it this and sometimes that sometimes he saith it is no Oath though in the form thereof there be not I swear or God be not named or by God doth not always signifie an Oath and other where he seems to affirm it to be an Oath but when an impartial eye hath sounded and tryed to the bottom what this swearing is that brings so much glory to God and so much good to our Neighbour that he so vehemently contends for that ought to be observed as well as Gods fear and service it is but their own traditions and inventions for that under the Law will not serve as the Lord lives or that he calls swearing under the Gospel will not serve the Lord is witness or I speak the truth in Christ or this is truth in the presence of God or the like none of these will serve But though he and the Rulers do say they are Oaths yet when at any time we have proffered willingly to declare the truth in this or that particular cause or to make as ample confession in demonstration for clearing any cause in debate that hath either conduced to the glory of God or the good and profit of any particular Man in the Nation among whom we converse and not without some attestation of God or of his wisdom power and presence yet it would never yet he received but reckoned as insufficient though both the Rulers of this age and A. S. have sayed it it might be that in private it might but in Judicature never was received though I do believe the most doth believe we dare not lie in ordinary communication much less in Judicature yet we have been set aside as objects of wrath as deluded erronious factious seditious contemners of Law obstructors of legal proceedings except we would lay our hand upon a Bible and kiss it and say I swear and by the Contents of the Book and so help me God or else fined imprisoned for term of life our Lands and Goods confiscated and we sentenced to be banished our Wives and Children ruinated Husband and Wife parted Children and Parents separated and such monsters of Christians have we to deal withal in this age and how many brought into this sad condition in England as little A. S. knows as cares But for ought I know that he and such as he in such publick discourses as this of his hath blown the sparks and hath kindled a flame in the Rulers and incensed them and stirred them up to severity and harshness against them who fear the Lord and doth maintain peace with all Men as much as in them lyeth and keeps their Consciences void of offence towards God which makes us to chuse rather all this hardship then to offend the Lord who serve and fear his Name and reverence it more then they who seem to honour it and pretends Gods honour thorow their swearing But to make amends for this A. S. he saith the Magistrates must act by the Law and that enjoynes such a forme of swearing and they cannot allow it Unto that I answer it had been a more necessary discourse for A. S. to have exhorted the Magistrates if the Law had been answered in the substance not to be so severe in the forme and also to have told them where any Law was made contrary to the Law of God either in matter or forme The Consciences of believers could not yield obedience thereunto when it was repugnant unto the Law of God and not according to the forme thereof and in such cases to be wary and he and the rest of the Clergy to have advised with the Rulers and Law-makers and to have informed them from whom they receive such great incomes and revenues for the preservation and peace of all Men that they need not stand so much upon the forme seeing that so many conscientious people questioned it so that there needed not such tying up to forme under such great and heavy penalties as banishment confiscation and perpetual imprisonment but have informed them so that the truth might have been found out and no judicial proceedings hindered which I am sure may be without any swearing true testimony never being denyed when required by any Magistrate and let bua a penalty be
certain expression of an oath which forme of words that though he count them certain we find not either under the Law or under the Gospel and I look upon it more as a piece of flattery in A. S. because this is the forme and the custome which is now called swearing which is in use in this Nation and its strange to us that they will reckon this so great a piece of peculiar service which is incommunicable to any Creature but only to God when as indeed we never find it written or commanded either among the Jews or commended or used amongst all the writings of Christ and the Apostles that hath relation to Christianity Indeed I remember that I have read that in the days when the Popes Authority was in full power here in England how that the Chancellour then of England said to one of John Wickliffs followers being brought before him in Examination he said unto him Lay thy hand upon the Book thou Heretick and swear so help me God and holy doom An old superstitious Popish forme I look upon it to be and hath no consistance with an Oath in its true matter and forme under the law when it was commanded and for ought I see A. S. will rather take part with the Church of Rome and her members who persecuted rather then Wickliffe that famous Reformer who had his Bones taken up and burned 41. years after his Decease and his Books and these Articles condemned by the Council of Constance who also burned John Hus and Jerome of Prague for holding John Wickliffs Opinions which was that all Oaths under the Gospel be unlawful I say A. S. might have been more modest then with the Council of Constance condemn them for error seeing they were the only people in their age and time that opposed and suffered for opposing the Church of Rome in the Apostacy seeing that they are faine to own them if they look for any Reformation before Luther to be their witnesses against the Church of Rome which I have heard many Protestants say that they were on their part against the Church of Rome and though A. S. tells us of a generation of people quos non persuadabis etiam si persuaveris who as they will not be perswaded so they will not be councelled who will have nothing else to be the formality of an Oath but by God but this he says only of his own head except he knew some people that we know not of for we say to swear the Lord liveth as an oath and again as the Lord lives is an oath or by the Lord that lives for ever and ever is an oath and yet we must needs deny that Paul swore in the 1 Cor. 15. 1. when he said by your rejoycing I die daily And we never said A. S. mistook himself in saying that by as the only mark and character of an oath and if Austin said upon these words of Paul as A. S. tells us per vestram gloriam juratio est upon Pauls words I suspect his judgment and therefore shall not so much regard it But A. S. seems not to be at unity in his book with himself notwithstanding all his raveling out where he seems in his 41. page to dislike of Nicholas Fullers judgment viz. that there is no oath where God is not interposed and yet in the 56. page he saith that the substance of an oath consists in the attestation of God and in the 89. page he saith that Christ answering to the high Priest I am and thou hast said is an oath And in the 91. page it was enough that Christ denyed not to swear and from this he imagines that he did swear and when we enquire what the oath was it amounts but to this thou hast said I am and where was the attestation of God here named or mentioned or spoken on by Christ was his words any more then his own Doctrine which he taught before Let your yea be yea and your nay nay when the high Priest said art thou the King of the Jewes he answered I am and is this any more then yea though not in the same syllables and Mat. 26. 63. I adjure thee to tell us whether thou art the son of God or not and he answered thou hast said And is this any more then yea or I am or it is truth But indeed if one should traduce A. S. in his discourse and of his definition of an Oath it is so uncertain one shall hardly know what to pitch upon to be his judgment sometime it is this and sometime it iâ— that and sometime it is neither this nor that sometime he says it is an oath where God is interposed one while an oath consists in the attestation of God another while it consists in saying truly truly and sometimes I call God to witness is an oath and sometimes thou hast said is an oath sometime because God is named in a sentence therefore he concludes it must be an oath otherwhiles when he is not named it must be an oath and thus he twines up and down leaving people in the dark and leading them after his imaginations And I shall conclude the Answer to this reason and neither impute ignorance nor wickedness to the great Apostle nor conclude that Christs words as he saith doubtless the Apostle did must be understood in a limited sence and limited only to Creatures and not to all swearing and why so but because the Apostle said God is witness and I speak the truth in Christ which is no contradiction of Christs prohibition swear not at all His seventh Argument is this If some swearing be enjoyned in the third Commandment then all swearing is not forbidden by Christ in these words Swear not at all because he came not to destroy the Law but some swearing is their enjoyned or else the Law written by the finger of God in Tables of Stone cannot be vindicated from imperfection and therefore in this negative precept the affirmative must needs be included thou shalt reverence the Name of the Lord and swear by it whensoever it is not vain but necessary which is required by a lawful Magistrate for the glory of God and for maintaining of peace punishing offenders and ending of Controversies and all these are necessary ends but not attainable at least not so well by any expedient yet put in practice as by interposition of oaths so it cannot reasonably be believed that Christ would forbid them being of such important use Reply The substance of this is answered before but however A. S. how he can make this third Commandment Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain to prove the continuation of swearing under the Gospel among Christians we do not see If Bishop Gaudens words be true as they are who says A true Christians oath is needless his word being as firme as it page 41. and an evil mans oath is worthy of no more credit then
your nay nay for whatsoever is more comes of evil and whether the Scribes and Pharisees condemned a perjury or not we are sure the Law did which Christs words hath reference to It hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self and if the Righteousness of Christs Disciples be to exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees and they condemned perjury and all false swearing by God and the Law condemned all false oaths and vain oaths and Oathes by Creatures as A. S. hath granted then the Righteousness of the Disciples is to be another then the Righteousness of the Law which condemned all perjury and vain Oaths then what is it but not to swear at all any Oath but speak the truth and confess it to the glory of God in yea and nay and this is that which exceeds the Scribes and Pharisees and is only lawful and necessary under the Gospel and as for Jer. 4. 2. this is pittiful proofe and warrant for Christians to swear under the Gospel for that was only spoken to Israel or Juda who were under the first Covenant and yet were revolted from the ordinances thereof and were back-sliders as is to be seen Jer. 3. 22. and hath not reference to the second Covenant But I shall come towards an end as well as A. S. and conclude and refer all what both he and I hath said to the judgment of the Lord and the measure of Gods holy Spirit in all Mens Consciences to be received or denyed by that as he and his witness bears evidence so shall the matter stand eternally Yet I cannot but mind the Reader though A. S. hath had as appeares certain Books of the Dissenters in which are weighty things about this particular of swearing which he hath not answered at all as to their Arguments only carped here and there at a word which is not of great moment but though he may plead some reason that it was not possible to answer all things in so short a Discourse as a Sermon wherein he was limited as to time yet since he had I perceive by his Annotations time enough to have answered them having their Books extant by him but hath not in the most weighty Considerations therefore I refer the Reader to them for his further satisfaction viz. to the Answer of Bishop Gauden by that faithful Servant of God Sam Fisher where this point is largely discussed likewise his Antedote against Swearing in Answer to Henry Den and Jeremiah Ives likewise a Book published by Isaac Pennington Titled The great Question concerning the Lawfulness or unlawfulness of Swearing under the Gospel stated and considered of wherein are weighty things declared in short 1st what an Oath is 2d the ground and occasion of an Oath 3d. the causes wherein an Oath was to be used 4ly the end of an Oath 5ly the suitableness of its nature to the end aimed at by it 6ly the persons to whom the use of an Oath was proper and lawful Wherein also is clearly showen the state of man kind from the Creation comprised in four heads or particulars First The State of Innocency when there was no Oath Secondly An estate of Captivity wherein an Oath was proper and lawful Thirdly The estate of shadowy Redemption wherein it was lawful also Fourthly An estate of true and perfect Redemption wherein it s neither needful nor lawful seeing it s prohibited by Christ all which A. S. hath passed over and hath not answered Likewise a Book published by John Crook Titled The Case of Swearing at all discussed with and several objections answered These things A. S. hath not answered I only instance them for the Readers further satisfaction if unsatisfied in what hath been said already all which great and weighty things are worthy of the serious consideration of all Likewise a Book Titled Swearing denyed in the new Covenant by Morgan Watkins When all that hath been said is duly considered and weighed in the Righteous ballance of Gods holy Spirit they will not think it strange that some denies to swear at all but rather wonder that such a vaile of darkness should be so long over the minds and hearts of them that believe not notwithstanding so clear evidence from Christ and his Apostles or the example of the Primitive Christians or holy Martyrs who spoke the truth but denyed to swear at all but that custome and tradition is often more minded then the very truth it self Oh that the Rulers of this Nation would once consider and weigh what they are doing and how many and great the suffering of a conscientious people that fears the Lord in their hearts are who dare not disobey the commands of Christ least they fall into condemnation and come under the rebuke of the Lord in their hearts who hath power alone to kill and to make alive but rather chuseth to suffer the loss of all and undergo the manifold sufferings that some malicious Spirits causeth to be inflicted upon them when indeed there is no cause at all while prophane persons swears and forswears and takes Gods holy Name in vain and makes little conscience of any thing but sometime for and sometime against whatsoever seems countenanced or discountenanced by the Magistrates so that neither the King nor Kingdom is in any more security notwithstanding all such swearing how solemn soever they seem in swearing neither any more credit to be given in Judicature then there is to be given to him that is a common Swearer in his private occasions or common communication and oh how doth the Land abound in this in so much that he that is not a curser or a swearer is looked upon as a Phanaticke or some disobedient person or unconformable man which ought especially to be eyed for a dangerous person Oh that the Heads and Rulers of the People would but consider how near the Judgment of God is and how ready to break forth upon the Nation and not without cause even great evils are begun Pestilence and Sword already threatned and Gods arrows flying abroad to wound and to destroy them that continue in hardness of heart and rebellion against God and will not suffer him to rule and reign in the Consciences and Kingdoms of Men but vain men would set up their Thresh-hold with his and not only so but against his and great is the wickedness and the sins of this Nation upon many accounts which the Lord will bring a scourge upon especially that greivous sin of Persecution that Cain-like way which the Generations hath chosen to add as they ignorantly suppose unto their Church and so builds up their Zion with cruelty and their Church by iniquity Oh this is loathsome in the sight of God had Zimri peace who slew his Master had Israel peace when she slew the Prophets had the Jewes peace when they had Crucified Christ had the Romans peace when they persecuted the first Christians had Cain peace when he had slain his brother If nay let not England expect peace when they are persecuting them that are members of Christs Church so that this grievous sin if England had no more were enough to bring the dreadful Judgment of God upon the whole Land and undoubtedly will if not repented of but now it must not be counted so and why because there are some Statutes and Lawes which they obey not and so it 's for disobedience consider did not all the former pretend one Law or other did not all that ever suffered even the best of men and the best of Christians suffer as disobedient and as offenders against some Law or other and as evil doers in the account of them that inflicted punishments upon them if so as it is certain they did may not England be deceived while that they are thinking they do God and the King service to root out and destroy some under the notion of Heresie and some under the notion of disobedience and factious may they not be persecuting Christ in his members or destroying the peaceable members of their Native Country the Lord open all their eyes and do away the darkness and the vaile of ignorance that is over many hearts that they may turn to the Lord and submit unto his eternal and unchangable power that so they may escape the day of the Lord which is at hand and the Judgment of God that is ready to break forth as an overflowing scourge to cut off and sweep away in his displeasure even all them that would not have Christ to rule in their hearts neither have his Lawes fulfilled nor obeyed which he writeth in the hearts of all true Believers unto whom all must bow and be subject because the Father hath committed all power into his hand and his glory he will not give to another no to none but him whom he hath given for a Convenant of Light and life to be King Law-giver Saviour and Judge of his People and to be the head of the body his Church whom he redeemes out of the world to himself to glorifie him who is the only Potentate and King of Immortal Glory God blessed for ever and ever Amen THE END Faults Escaped the Press PAge 8. line 3. for waken read weaken p. 41. l 9. for Polligume r. Polygamie l. 14. for Polligume r. Polygamie p. 42. l. 6. for Polligume r. Polygamie p. 42 l. 37. for persuming r. presuming p 45. l. 30. for Jestures r. Gestures p. 50. l. 4. for revailed r. revealed p. 55. l. 27. for are r. erre p. 57. l. 38. for evil r. civill l. 39 for beuite r. brute p. 59. l. 32. for Essarus r. Esseans p. 63. l. 1. for putting r. putteth * Without an oath as under the Law in divers Causes where no Oath is mentioned but Wâ—tnâ—sses Deut. 19. 15. * Deut. 19. 6. In case of life death no Oath was used we read of * For he is called Gods Covenant Isa. 55. 3 and GOD'S Covenant is his oath which he sware Luk. 1. 72 73. * Deutrono 19. 16. Exod. 20. 10. * Adjure doth often sign sie to charge or oblige by bare promise as well as Oath for if the phrase I adjure thee by God be a command to swear by God then this would make Acts 19. 13 13. abusurd when the Exorcists did adjure the evil spirit in the name of Jesus not to swear but to come out or depart out of the man