6. To speak nothing but what is Necessary to be spoken Profitable to be heard 7. To bridle our Passions chiefly that of Anger the cause of as many other sins so especially that of Swearing 8. To avoid Drunkenness and to be lovers of Temperance 9. To shun the Company and Society of those that are given to Swearing 10. To consider the manifold and great miseries such blasphemers bring upon the Kingdom Places and Families wherein they live 8. A Diet for the Tongue being cured consisting in these three things 1. To be slow to speak 2. To be circumspect in speaking 3. To use few words when we speak 9. The benefit that will redound to us by observing this Religious Diet which is two-fold If we respect First our bodily Estate we procure to our selves hereby reputation and peace Secondly if we respect our Souls health hereby we shall free it from the guilt of many a sin 10. The Conclusion of all comprising an exhortation to this duty of not Swearing in regard that we are Gods Saints elected His Sons adopted His Servants redeemed by the blood of his Son Christ Jesus Therefore in all and for all God is to be glorified by us which is chiefly done by Invocation and Thanksgiving the two parts of Prayer and the Christians best Sacrifice A Prayer To be used by one that is addicted to the Sin of Swearing O Eternal Omnipotent Lord God who in thy self art the fulness and perfection of Glory and Happiness who needest no Tongue to praise thee no Pen to express thee and no Work to magnifie thy Greatness before whose glorious Name that is * Vid. Psal 20.1 Rom. 10.13 thy self an infinitely Great and Glorious God Angels and Arch-Angels bow with an humble lowly dejected reverence to which thy blessed Spirits and Saints of thy Triumphant Church sing perpetual Hallelujahs Rev. 19.1 so that Heaven rings and resounds with their Hymns Praises I a poor sprig of disobedient Adam who am as vile as sin can make me and deserve what curse thy wrath can lay upon me do here presume to take thy holy Name into my defiled lips that Name which I have dishonoured in my words disparaged in my thoughts and profaned in my actions yet knowing that thou art a jealous God and a consuming fire burning with love to a poor humble sinner and believing that as thou art fearful in thy Judgments so faithful in thy promises I fly upon the wings of this Faith from mount Ebal to mount Gerizim Deut. 11.29 from the dreadful Name Jehovah which I have abused to that gracious Name of Jesus wherein thou art well pleased In that most sweet and soul-refreshing Name O God I present my supplications unto thee beseeching thee not to remember what I have said or done but what my Saviour hath suffered for me in his Agony and bitter Passion O let his bloody sweat anoint my bleeding wounds and accept of his death as a full satisfaction to thy Justice for my sins Cleanse thou my heart O God from the stain of this bosom-darling-sin whose custom begun with a wanton imitation and being continued with an habitual presumption had almost taken out of my guilty Soul a sense of it and of thy displeasure against it O my God now that I have begun to have a taste and sight of the foulness and danger of my crying sin afford me I beseech thee that measure of thy Grace which may work in my heart a fear of thy displeasure and beget in me an awful reverence of thy Name Let all my communication be ordered as in thy presence let thy Holy Spirit govern the words of my mouth and so sanctifie my thoughts with the continual meditation of thy Commandments and of those fearful plagues which thy word denounceth against Swearers that I may be ever hereafter of the number of those thy servants who sanctifie the Lord in their Hearts 1 Pet. 5.15 who love and fear thee above all things in Heaven and Earth who delight with trust and affiance in thee above all worldly stayes and comforts and praise thee evermore with joyful lips Lord I desire to praise thee O heighten these desires I resolve by thy assistance no more to blaspheme thee O strengthen this good resolution for the time to come and avert those judgments from me which thy word hath threatned and my sin my black and filthy sin hath deserved And mortifie all those unruly passions which provoke me to offend thy Goodness especially that of Anger which if immoderate and carried on with precipitate rashness benights the Soul darkens Reason and hurries a man to the acting of those things that displease thee Therefore dear God kill this Fury in me and leave only so much life in it as to be zealous for thy Glory Quicken my Soul with faith in thy promises inflame my affections with love of thee for thy mercies fill my mouth with prayers to thee and praises and crown my weak desires of praising thee with the all-sufficient power and strength of thy Grace that glorifying thy Name with my Tongue and by an holy conversation I may escape that vengeance which thy Justice threatens against my sin here and obtain that happiness which thy mercy hath promised hereafter Lord grant these my requests for the merits of thy Son Christ Jesus in whose Name and Prayer sanctified with his sacred lips I beg these mercies and whatsoever else thou knowest requisite for me and for thy Church saying Our Father c. A Prayer For the whole Kingdom MOst glorious Lord God who delightest not in the death of one single sinner nor takest pleasure in the destruction of any Creature thou great and mighty God Jer. 32.18 whose name is the Lord of Hosts who rulest over all and governest all things in Heaven and Earth look down I humbly pray thee from the Throne of thy Glory and behold this sinful Kingdom wherein we live with an eye of mercy and pity Thy goodness and bounty O Lord have displayed themselves to us in many great and undeserved National mercies by restoring to us our most gracious King and Him to His Royal Dignities and redeeming thy Church from that Disorder and Confusion by means of proud and unquiet men whicn threatned our utter ruine and vastation for so great deliverances we are obliged to make returns unto thee of a thankful obedience by reforming our sinful lives and obeying thy commands But we as if we had forgot what thou hast done for us have done nothing for thee but rather much against thee by rebelling against thy word by resisting thy holy will by abusing thy Creatures through our wanton excess by profaning thy Sabbaths and blaspheming thy most sacred Name which ought to be ever hallowed and had in an awfull reverence by us These are our National personal crying sins which like so many infectious Vapours have mounted up to Heaven and being condens'd into a thick Cloud of
put off by degrees and lose this vicious custom A firm well-grounded setled resolution is the souls Coat of Maile to arme it against the powerful commands of a long continued habit or custom in sin Art thou then another Apitius a man given to excesse in meats and drinks to surfeiting and drunkenness resolve to eate and drink sparingly and that only at meals for thy necessity and by Gods grace assisting and strengthning thy resolution Aquin. ut bonum quod velis efficaciter opereris that thou mayest efficaciously put into act what thou resolvest thou shalt by degrees get a contrary habit of sobriety and temperance That thy resolution against swearing may be likewise effectuall in thee observe that Rule of St. Chrysostom Chrys Hom. 28. prefix to thy self a certain number of dayes whether eight ten or twelve more or less wherein thou must resolve never to swear an Oath first beseeching God in prayer to strengthen thee by his grace that thou mayest perform what thou resolvest If after this time expired or run out thou chancest to fall into the snare again and be intangled in the guilt of thy former sin what is then to be done by thee Chrys Hom. 5. ad Baptis Follow the Counsel of the fore-named learned Father punish thy tongue with an whole dayes thirst thy body with a long fast that the sense of this torment of hunger and thirst may beget in thee a sense or fear of Hells everlasting torments Rom. 6 23â— the wages of this and other unrepented sins If the fear of present pain in induring a daies thirst or of future I mean that which is everlasting with the Devil and his black Angels in Hell cannot bridle thy tongue and deter thee from this sin then try another way take another course perhaps the love of gain and reputation will do it Resolve therefore as oft as thou profanest Gods name with an Oath to give so many pieces of silver to the poorest of Christs Members Their prayers to God for thee together with the shame of thy often infirmities in committing so foul and unprofitable a sin whereby thou betrayest thy self to be Gods * Ps 139.20 Thine enemies take thy name in vain enemy their prayers I say on thy behalf to God and the shame in being noted or branded for Gods enemie as fighting against his will by a constant rebellion to his word and opposing his Commandement these may prevaile so far as to redeem thee from thy custom of swearing unlesse thy Conscience be cauterized and hardned in thy sin The III. Remedy A consideration of the great indignitie offer'd by it to God Now if none of these Remedies can work a cure of thy malady but after thy setled resolution and many tryals to subdue thy evil custom thou beest again foil'd in the fight and sin gets the Conquest then consider with thy self what an indignity and disgrace is cast thereby on thy Almighty God Let this supposall which I shall now propound to thy Conscience sink into thy heart and ponder it seriously Suppose the same Law were now in force which Lodowick or Lewis that famous King of France enacted in his time which was Vid. Câ—chtâ— v. Ser. de 2. praecepto that the lips of all swearers should be seared and their tongues bored through with an hot iron or imagine that all blasphemers were to be drown'd which another King of France King Philip ordain'd or that they should be beheaded which the Emperour Maximilian decreed or punished with Confiscation of goods besides the loss of their Lives if these Lawes were now in force among us wouldst not thou make a Covenant with thy lips and a League with thy tongue never to speak of God nor use his Name but with a reverent and awful devotion and that either in Prayer or Thanksgiving I presume thou wouldst Sith then God hath severely threatned as a punishment of this sin of swearing the everlasting burnings in the bottomless pit of Hell and we notwithstanding slight his threats and reject his commands do we not thereby * O miser praepost ra fidei homuncio homini pluâ— crediâ— quà m Deo qui creator est hominis poenam perpetuam minatur Deus negligis poenam temporalem minatur judeâ— terrenus contremisâ—u Viexmont Instit ad Poenitent p. 1. c. 1. undervalue the Divine Majesty do we not degrade him in our thoughts below man and thrust him as much as in us lyeth beneath the Creature in that we deny him that Reverence yield not that Obedience to his Lawes which we would afford to the Proclamation of an Earthly King or command of a Father St. Paul was sensible of this indignity offer'd unto God by our bold rebellion disobedience where he sayes Heb. 12.9 We had Fathers of our flesh who corrected us and we gave them Reverence shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live Mal. 1.6 Heb. 12. Agreeable to this is that complaint of God by his Prophet Malachy c. 1. A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master if I then be your Master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts unto you that despise my name The Lord of Hosts methinks this one appellation when thou readest it should strike thy heart with fear considering his universal power and generall Command over the Creature the Heavens the Earth and all things in them contain'd All which like an Army set in battel-aray and sweetly order'd in their several ranks are ever in a readiness to obey their Makers commands Heb. 1.14 The Angels those Ministring Spirits do fly where and when God sends and appoints them Josh 10.13 the Sun and Moon stand still when he speaks the word as in the dayes of Joshuah A cloud will drop from the middle Region Exod. 14.20 leave its proper place and forsake its diurnall revolution to be a guide to Israel at its Makers command so the waters will stand on an heap and cease from their natural motion that Gods people may be secur'd from their pursuing enemies whilst they walk through the Sea as if it were dry land verse 29. More of this we may read in the 16. of Wisdom where we have many examples of the Creatures subjection to God their Creator Thus the inanimate and senseless Creatures are willing and ready to obey their Maker and shall man alone who only amongst them is honour'd with so rare a priviledge endow'd with so high a prerogative as to have reason and understanding given him to know to love and so the better to serve his God shall he alone be wanting in his duty deny obedience to his Maker for whose service he was created as the Creatures were for his The greater and lesser Luminaries of Heaven all sheep and oxen the beasts of the field the fouls of the aire and the fishes of the Sea and whatsoever walketh through the
his thoughts to the height of absurdities no one thing would be found more absurd then that practice of the Romanists who as they pray to Saints and Angels attributing to them thereby Gods power and omnisciency who onely knows our severall wants and can help us in all our needs so to back this absurdity they have broach'd a new Impiety maintaining it lawfull as in prayer so in Swearing to invocate the creature As to swear by the Holy Evangelists by any Saint or Angel and the like Whereby they break the first Commandment in setting up a new Deity and so prove guilty of a Sin which they make light of and that is no less then blasphemy which Sinne is committed First when we attribute or ascribe to God what he is not Aqui. 2.2.13.2 1. Art Three degrees of blasphemy Secondly when we detract from him what he is and Thirdly when we ascribe or give what is due to him to the creatures and this we do when we swear by them as I shall prove after I have discovered the fountain or Originall and withall the foulnesse of the Papists errour herein This profane practice of the Romanists besides that it has no ground nor warrant from the Holy Scriptures which in matters of Religion must be the rule of our actions and besides that it is scandalous to the hearer who by our blasphemous and Idolatrous custome in this Sin may be induced to imitate and use the same forme in swearing besides these and many other the like reasons which I could alleage we must know to lay open this Sin and to make it more odious that it owes its beginning to certain hereticks called Osseni Lib. contra Nic. Serrà rium whom Scaliger will have to be all one or the same with the Esseni Of these as Epiphanius records li. 1. c. 19. one Elxai was notorious who lived in the time of Trajan and spread abroad the poison of this corrupt doctrine teaching that men ought to swear by Salt and Water by the Earth by Bread and by the Heaven by the Aire and by the Wind c. which Hereticall opinion is refuted at large in the forecited place by Epiphanius Like unto these were the Manichees whose Ringleader and Capt. was Manes or Manicheus whom Cyril justly calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Master and Contriver of Iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hier. Catech. 7. a magazin of Impiety the common Inne or Store-house of all filthy absurdities and obscenities whose heresie contain'd a masse a venemous composition of old extinguisht heresies This Manes with his Followers taught what they of the Church of Rome maintain that it was lawfull to swear by the creatures as appeares by those words of St. Augustine Lib. 19. Cant. Faust c. 22. Jurabant saepissime nulloque mentis scrupulo per creaturas They says he used to swear by the creatures frequently Hereby we may see what grounds and how good Authors our adversaries in the Church of Rome have for their pernicious and dangerous practice yet to set a glosse upon it they have invented a prettie distinction as vain as they are vicious First they divide the creatures into two Classes or ranks Rationall and Irrational by the former they assert we may swear Absolutè absolutely without any restriction Such are the Angels and Saints in Heaven Aquin. 2.2 Qc. 89. They might as well have added men on Earth By the latter only Relativè Relatively In quantum divina veritas in iis manifestatur so far or forasmuch as the divine truth is manifestly revealed in them As when we swear by the Gospell it is say they by that God whose truth is manifested in the Gospel I say again this Assertion is vain and frivolous invented only to countenance and maintain their Invocation or prayers to Saints and Angels Omitting the former part of that fond distinction as unworthy of a refutation let us examine the second part of it which is to swear Relativè in relation to God This the Romanists affirm we may do which we absolutely denie and prove it thus To swear by the creature in relation to God is to invocate or call upon the creature religiously with reference to God this latter is expresly forbidden in Gods word as in the forenamed place Levit. 6.13 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Him only shalt thou serve and swear by his Name So Isaiah 45.53 Every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall swear to me Which Text St. Paul citing Rom. 14.11 and following the Septuagints Translation fearing lest if he should do otherwise an offence thereby might be given to the Gentiles or Greeks who adhered to that translation useth these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confesse to God i.e. Swear by his name Est enim Jusjurandum vera ac aperta ejus Dei professio quem ut testem et perjurii vindicem appellamus Beza For an Oath is a true and open profession of that God whom as a witnesse of our sayings and a Revenger of perjurie we invocate This honour none can or may affixe to the creature Therefore swear not at all by it but in those cases premised by the Creatour But I meet with a seemingly-strong Objection from the Romanists which deserves a solution It is borrowed from the 42. of Gen. v. 15. where we read that Joseph swore to his Brethren that he would not let them goe back to their Father unless they would send for their younger Brother Benjamin and he seems there to swear by a creature namely by the King where he saies By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not goe hence except your younger Brother come hither It is not say they to be imagin'd that Joseph so good a Saint and so wise a man would have sworn by his King unless he had been fully perswaded in his soul and that by the spirit of God by whom he was alwaies governed that to swear by the creature was not a sin nor derogated any whit from Gods glory at which he ever aimed A plausible objection To which I answer first with the learned Zanchie Ab exemplo unius quamvis Sancti viri argumentum duci non posse contra apertum Verbum Dei Zanch. in Miscellan From the example of one particular man though for his piety never so much famed we may not draw a pattern for our practise against the express word of God Ex fide personas non ex personis fidem probamus Tertul. We must prove or try mens persons by the Faith or Doctrine of the word and not the Faith by mens persons i. e. Because God hath said or commanded it and not because such a one did it is a thing lawfull and good Supposing then that Joseph swore by Pharaoh his action must not be a rule or pattern for thy imitation The law of God as it is the way wherein we must walk
to the Creature Undoubtedly he then remembred the words of our Saviour Luk. 20.25 Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods i. e. Give the Lord the honour due unto his Name Ps 29.2 The honour due unto his Name is to swear by it when we have a necessary and just occasion Therefore to swear by any creature as it is a piece of blasphemy because thereby we derogate and detract from God whilst we ascribe to the Creature his incommunicable attributes his Omnipresence his Omnisciency and All-mightinesse so it is wholy forbidden by the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at all in the Text although the Schoolmen relying upon the Authority of some modern writers and to patronage their superstitious practice of invocating Saints and Angels have darkned this place with a false gloss Swear not at all i. e. saith Estius upon the Mr. of the Sentences nisi justâ causâ et necessariâ apparente unlesse you have a just and necessary cause This glosse might have been admitted if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at all had been left out Swear not at all and how is that Heare what followes from Christs own mouth the Mr. of truth the best Commentator upon his own words Neither by Heaven nor by Earth i. e. not at all by any Creature and so St. Hierome with others expound the Text. Vbi justa subest causa in nomine Dei juranduâ—… neque enim Coelum Deus est neque Terra c. Neque teipsum fecisti per nullam igitur creaturam jurandum So Ferus upon the sixth of Mat. i.e. When and where there is a just cause offered we must swear only by the dreadfull Name of God For neither to the Heavens nor to the Earth can or must we ascribe that glorious Name without the guilt of blasphemous Idolatry Thou didst not make or create thy selfe much lesse can they be said to be thy Creatour therefore you must not swear by any Creature And when there is no just cause of an Oath we must likewise forbeare to swear by the sacred name of God For a close of this point I shall clear a doubt and answer a question The first is concerning that custome of the Primitive Christians in Tertullians daies who used to swear Per Salutem Imperatoris as we find it recorded in him i. e. by the health of the Emperour In Apolog. c. 32. the Question which arises hence is this whether they sinned in so doing To this I answer that by this terme Salutem health they understood either God himself the Author of health and the fountaine of Salvation so might effectivè be called the health of the Emperour being the principall or sole cause of it or we are to conceive that this kind of expression was rather an Obtestation then an Oath properly so called and that by way of comparison or taken comparatively as if one should say I protest before God that I speak and love the Truth no less with my heart then I wish my Soveraign Lord the Emperour to live in health Such kinds of speech by the life of the King by the fortune and health of the Emperour used in the Primitive times were rather Obtestations then Oaths as is attested by St. Basil on the 19. Psalm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil c. There be some kinds of speech which have a shew or shadow of Oaths and are not such indeed but only confirmations of an asserted Truth There is another doubt concerning that usuall form of speech which is too too familiar in mens mouths and that is By my Faith The Question is whether it may be lawfully used The learned and most pious Bishop Andrews delivers his Judgement or opinon thus concerning it out of St. Augustine Beware saies he of that which is not a perfect or compleat Oath Serm. 30. de verbis Apost but a manuduction way or inlet to it as to say By my Faith For when a man asserts a Truth in this form By my Faith it is a solemn execration which is an Appendix or an additional part of an Oath and he that saies so speaks thus in effect If what I say be not true I wish that God would deprive me of the saving gift of Faith and God may take the same away at that hour or moment and benight thy Soul with the darkness of distrust or doubt Be therefore very sparing in the use of it As therefore we are to abstain from this Form because it hath in it an appearance of evil being scandalous in regard of the particle Per or By which is annexed to it and prefix'd ever to an Oath Amesius C. de Juramento whereby we invocate or call immediately on God to be a Judge and Witness of what we speak as for this reason it is scandalous in that it may give an offence to the religious so likewise it is very dangerous to use it upon every slight or light occasion in matters of no moment for it is a kind of vain and rash tempting of Almighty God who may suddainly frown upon us in his wrath and in justice punish us with a loss of our Faith without which we cannot be saved Luke 8.12 Act. 16.31 Our Faith sayes a devout man is the most pretious Jewel that we have Now there is none but a Bankrupt that will lay the best Jewel which is in his house to pawn for every small trifle so when we pawn our Faith for every word we speak it argueth that we are Bankrupts in Truth and that we are of a broken or small credit otherwise we would not produce this pretious Jewel of our Faith upon every needless occasion and endanger the loss of it without which as I said before there is no Salvation From all that hath been premis'd concerning the extent of Christs prohibition Swear not at all we may deduce this undenyable and certain conclusion That as by Swearing by the creature God is dishonour'd so by using his Name in a lawful Oath he is much glorifyed Because when we call on Him to witness the Truth of what we affirm we do openly confess that he is an Eare and Eye-witness of our Thoughts Words and Deeds that he knowes our hearts that he is a lover of Truth and a severe Revenger of a lie that he both can and will punish us for it then which profession and this we profess when we Swear what can conduce more to Gods honour and advance his glory In the 45. of Isaiah God speaks thus of himselfe Isa 45.22 I am God and there is none else i. e. none besides me to be honour'd with Divine Worship so he explaines his own words verse 23. Vnto me every knee shall bow and to me every tongue shall Swear To me i. e. By me By me exclusively and not at all by any Inferiour Creature Christs words then or his Prohibition in
my Text are but a Comment or Illustration on those of the Prophet Isaiah and St. James as the Epistles are Comments upon the Gospels in his fifth Chap. seems to have taken the words of our Saviour in that sense which we have maintain'd and followed whence he sayes ver 12. But above all things my Brethren swear not neither by Heaven nor by Earth nor by any other Oath i. e. besides the name of God when you are lawfully called to it But in your private conference contracts and bargainings let your yea be yea and your nay nay i. barely affirm what you speak without any other addition lest you fall into condemnation And this caution of the Apostle whereby is intimated a severe Judgement or punishment from God which shall fall upon rash swearers the same leads me to the fourth Generall part viz. The Reasons or Motives implyed in the prohibition Swear not viz. why we should fear an Oath or abstain from all rash and vain swearing Having illustrated this particular I shall propose a few Rules by the observation whereof he that is accustom'd to swearing may by Gods grace assisting him abstain from this foul crying sin of profaning Gods holy and dreadful Name Although I cannot wholly allow of the superstitious niceties of the Jewes in the affaires of God or in matters of Religion The IV. Gen. part Reasons of the prohibition Swear not yet I find in their practise many things that deserve our praise and imitation and such as may justly put our profane carelesness to the blush When I read of their curious scruples concerning the dreadful Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah which they call Schem hammeporasch Nomen separatum a separate Name because it is incommunicable to any Creature it being the name of Gods Essence signifying or denoting Him that is that was and ever shall be which Name too they held in so great Reverence that they term'd it Haschem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The name by way of Eminence and Schem hannicbad Nomen gloriosum a glorious Name it containing the Mystery of the Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These three distinct letters denote the Trinity The doubling or Repetition of the middle letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two Natures in Christ and the Incarnation of our Saviour Christ when I likewise read how they bore such an awful respect to it that they deem'd it a crime worthy of death for any but sacred Lips I mean those of the High Priest to express or name it and that on set times and in certain places as on the Feast of Expiation and in the Temple and in that solemn benediction Num. 6.24 25 26. when I meet with these and the like curiosities of the Jewes in their writings Vid. Alsted in Paratilis Theol. p. 153. who did at first abstain from pronouncing of that most sacred Name onely out of a godly fear or reverence lest it should grow vile and contemptible by its familiar and frequent use as all other things do that are daily and hourly used I cannot when I read this in the Jewish Records but infer thus much that from their superstition we Christians may well learn this lesson Not rashly lightly or regardlesly to take the dreadfull Name of God into our mouths but to hear and utter it with due fear and reverence It is a true and remarkable saying of St. Augustine Falsa juratio exitiosa est Serm. 28. de Verbis Dom. vera juratio periculosa nulla juratio secura To swear falsly is damnable to swear truly without Gods warrant i. e. without necessity dangerous but not to swear at all is the surest and best way to secure the good and welfare of our souls This foul sin of Swearing is so hainous if we respect our good God thereby offended and so dangerous if we respect our selves who shall be most severely punish'd for it that St. Chrysostom as we may collect out of many of his * Hom. 14. 15. ad Pop. Antioch Homilies seldom or never came into the Pulpit without some bitter invective against it Swear not then The first reason why we should forbear Swearing first because this deadly and soul-murdering sin is most injurious to God in that it carryeth with it a contempt of Gods person and a contempt of his precept which are not to be found in every sin First it implies a contempt of his person when that we use his glorious Name so called Deut. 28.58 in our common talk and familiar discourse to back our reports and to bolster out our Stories of every idle thing It is as one sayes well to set less by God then by an earthly Judge whom we count it a disgrace to trouble about a Trifle Nay it is to deal worse by him then by a good suit of Apparel which we will not wear every day but lay it up for special dayes and occasions And yet the sacred Name of God how is it torn and worn every day of the week every hour of the day I had almost said every minute of the houre and in so saying I had said the Truth Would not a man of any note worth or fashion take it as a contempt thrown upon his person if one should to his face and in his hearing use his name bluntly without any the least shew of respect without any title or preface of Honour prefixed to it Nay which is more would not that party burn with anger and disdain if any one going about some absurd act should call upon him by Name to be a witnesse of it as if it should be done with his liking and consent Such for quality though greater for quantity or extent is the indignity we cast upon our gracious God when our Tongues in a suddain unmannerlinesse presume to blurt out his sacred Name when we swear by it upon every vain and idle occasion thereby calling him to witnesse what we wickedly either doe or speak as if he did approve or allow of that Sin which is an horrid impiety and blasphemous wickedness but to think or imagine God as he delights not in the death of a Sinner so he delights not in any mans sins To do that thing then i. e. to call God to witness our vanity and lying as if he were pleased with it is a fearfull crime and of this we make our selves guilty when we swear vainly and rashly by his Name Besides this as the Sin of swearing implies a contempt of Gods person so in the Second place thereby we contemn and slight his precept the third Commandement which immediately concerns his person therefore it is no small Sin nay greater then the neglect and breach of those which concern men by how much these are inferiour to God the Lord of Heaven Quanto praeceptum de meliori datur tanto est ejus inobedientia gravior It is an usefull Rule commended to us by Aquinas Aqui. 2. 2.
105. Q. 2. Art The breach of that Commandement which relates to a greater person is more hainous then the breach of that which respects a less and the greater the offence is the sharper will be the punishment Vain and idle Swearing being then a breach of that Commandement which enjoyns us a reverential and awfull esteem of the Name of God never to use it but in our prayers and thanksgivings for mercies and then too with feare and an awfull reverence as it denotes an Incomprehensible Essence terrible in his Judgements and filling Heaven and Earth with his unbounded infinite presence I say the sin of swearing being so directly against and so injurious to so great a Majesty must needs be repai'd with punishment and that in the greatest and highest degree of vexing sorrow and tormenting paine For this the land mourns Hos 4.3 For this i. e. for swearing vainly and falsly as it is expressed v. 2. This sin as it is the leader in the Prophets muster of hainous sins there so it is I am perswaded the Captain the Chief sin of the inhabitants of this Island and the chief provoking cause of Gods heavy judgements of Warre and Sedition of Plague and Pestilence of Sickness and Diseases which have been and are still within our Walls and reign among us These calamities will stick close to and lie hard upon us until by our prayers and hearty repentance we have cast out this Devil I mean the Sin of Swearing out of our tongues and the contempt of God out of our hearts and instead of it settle in them a reverentiall feare of his divine Majesty which will so bridle the unrulinesse of our licentious loose tongues that we shall seldom or never profane his holy Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For where the fear of the Lord is Naz. Ora. 3â— there is sayes Nazianzen a dutiful observance of his will and commands and in whom this observance is that man keeps his soul clean and pure from the pollutions of sin and from the corruptions of the Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that learned Father in his 39. Oration Secondly The second Reason as the sin of swearing is most injurious to God so it is most dangerous in respect of our selves The Jews have a saying which I find in Elias the This bite Transgressio trahit transgressionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one sin draws on another Sin is of a spreading and fruitful nature the first begets a second this a third c. God in his punitive and permissive Justice so ordering and disposing of the wayes or actions of men that because they as the Apostle speaks knowing God to be omnipotent most just and good Rom. 1.21 glorifie him not as God but magnifie and exalt themselves above God therefore by themselves shall they be debas'd upon their own heads shall they heap coales prove their own executioners in that being given over by God to reprobate minds they shall adde uncleanness to profaneness drawing Sin as it were with a Cart-rope encreasing daily in impiety Isa 5.18 and hereby aggravating their guilt and punishment Thus in David murder followed upon his Adultery 2 Sam. 11. and in his Son Solomon the excessive love of women brought forth Idolatry 1 Kings 11.3 4. his Wives turned away his heart after other Gods In like manner lying doth evermore accompany idle and rash Swearing The Prophet intimates as much Hos 4.2 where he couples these two foul and ugly Sins giving the precedency to Swearing By swearing and lying c. They met together in St. Peter Mat. 26.72 who affirmed with an oath that he knew not Christ his Master And he that accustoms his tongue to swearing will be bold with a lye a base sin which as it proceeds from a cowardly feare so it tends to cozening and fraud he that dares dishonour God will deceive his Neighbour We read of Almanzor that famous Turkish Emperour whose life is accurately penn'd by Sir W. Raleigh that as he himself was never known to make a lye Sir W. R. in his Hist of Mahomet p. 146. or speak an untruth so he term'd and accounted Lyars Disciples of the Devill the plagues of the world betrayers of the Truth Destroyers of civill and Christian conversation and the right hand of Satan No man that ever told a lye unto him escaped unpunished but received his punishment answerable to the quality or weight of his lye The least was publick disgrace but lies of an higher straine of a deeper stain which concern'd the Common-wealth he chastised with whipping cutting of tongues banishment disabling to be a witness and in some cases they were repaied with the losse of life which rigour begat terrour in wicked dispositions restrained false informations and gave a stop to unnecessary suits And when he was once sick in an Admonitorie letter to his Son he advised him that he should at no time make or bear with a lie for Lyars said he are Devills in flesh enemies to truth Subverters of Justice firebrands of Sedition Causers of Rebellion betrayâ—â—s of kingdomes and to themselves thus much harmfull and injurious that when they speak truth they are not believed nor credited If the practice of Almanzor and this Counsel to his Son were observed in our Christian Kingdome we should be more free from bloody strifes and Sedition As lying is a pernicious sin dangerous and hurtfull to the Common-wealth or State we live in so it is a base and infamous Sin The antient Germans used to say If a man loses his gold it is a great losse if his fame or good name a greater if his faith or credit the greatest of all And this loss a lyar sustains whom no man will trust though he ushers his assertions with a thousand Oaths Et saepe quo plus jurat minus fidem facit and it ofttimes so falls out that the more he sweareth the less he is believed As lying is a Sin branded with infamie among men so it is also to God most abominable and odious Prov. 12.21 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. And Prov. 6.17 A lying tongue is reckon'd amongst those six things which the Lord hateth and the reason of it is this Because as we commonly hate those things which are repugnant and contrary to our humour or dispositions so God hates a lie as most adverse and contrary to his revealed will as where it is said Thou shalt not bear false witnesse c. and likewise most opposite to his divine Nature which is most true God is not a man that he should lye Num. 23.19 Nay he is Truth it self and that three manner of waies First because he is most truly that which he sees himself and from everlasting knew himself to be and that is a most perfect Essence without any the least spot of errour or stain of sin wherefore he is most truly good truly omnipotent truly wise truly
will not pardon thy old ones not passe by thy former transgressions Secondly compare thy great unthankfulness with thy Makers bounty and goodness this may beget in thee a detestation or loathing of thy former sins and lewdnesse whereby thou didst reject Gods commands who if thou servest Him will save thee and obeyedst the Devils suggestions who will for thy service everlastingly torment thee When thou hast attain'd to this the first and best ingredient of Repentance a Detestation of thy former impieties as Cursing Swearing Lying and the like then draw near to the Throne of Grace meekly upon thy bended knees with teares in thine eyes and sorrow in thy heart saying with blind Bartimaeus in the Gospel Mark 10.48 Jesu thou Son of David have mercy on me forgive me all my sins past whereby thy holy name has been dishonour'd thy word ill spoken of and my Neighbour injur'd When thou hast thus made thy approach to God with hearty sorrow for thy sins doubt not but that he will draw near to thee with mercy and forgiveness Jam. 4.8 doubt not of a pardon since Truth itself has made the promise Ezek. 18.27 28. Ezek. 18. When the wicked turneth away from his wickednesse c. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his wickednesse which he hath committed he shall surely live he shall not dye he meanes the death of the Soul which is an eternal separation of it from God the fountain of joy and happiness which in the Word are implyed under the name of life He shall surely live he shall not dye a sweet and gracious promise distrust not Gods performance of it if thou truly repentest Daturus est non fallet quia veritas promisit ask and thou shalt receive Aug. for he that is most true will perform what he has promised because he will not he cannot deceive nor be deceived And thus relying upon his gracious promise of hearing and granting our devout Prayers and Petitions our humble requests for his pardoning and purifying grace in the third place beg earnestly of him the assistance of the same grace which is likewise preventing and strengthning to keep thy tongue from all profanenesse cry with holy David Psal 141 3. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips From which humble request of the Prophet we may collect this that as our lips in that they open and shut are the Souls gate through which our inward thoughts break forth apparel'd in the dresse of outward words so as a gate is for the most part shut our lips should never open but to the glory of God and our Neighbours good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. This by the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a learned Rabbies glosse on the Text. Now if you demand what kind of watch it is which David desires God to set before his lips the acute Eusebius Emissenus shall answer this Quaere Euseb Homil cont diversa vitia p. 138. and clear this doubt Si cordi statueris adhibere custodiam ori non laborâris imponere disciplinam i.e. set a watch to guard thy heart and there will be no need to fence thy mouth Illud siquidem voce depromitur quod prius in officinâ cordis formatur The heart is as it were the Master of the Mint which first sets a stamp upon thy words which are current if they bear Gods image if they carry in their sound the note or mark of Piety and goodness if otherwise i.e. if they be profane and impious they are not allowed of by God being condemned in the holy Scriptures The Tongue is the Hearts servant Mat. 12.36 37. which like that Centurion saies to the Tongue by a kind of command Speak this and it speaks it Run in the Praises of God and it runneth Swear and it sweareth Say nothing and it is silent The Tongue is but as the hammer in the Clock which strikes not of it self but keeps time and moves according to the motion of the wheels within The VI. Gen. part The method which is to be used in the Cure To cure then the unbridled motion of the Tongue begin with the Heart the which if it be as Davids was fixed upon God Psal 108.1 the tongue will cease to lash out into Cursing and Swearing but will as it followes there in the same verse sing and give praise to God for his manifold mercies and blessings which we have received By the heart as hath been explain'd is to be understood the whole Soul which is fixed and setled upon God when it seriously considers his Almighty wonder-working Power and Greatness who created out of nothing this great Universe consisting of Heaven and Earth by his powerful word and sustaines all things in being by his providence This Meditation is an act of the Intellect and may beget in us an awfull fear of his Majesty which ought to be feared The will is fixed upon God when considering and weighing his many and great benefits we devote our selves wholy to his service submitting our wills to him in all things loving him without wavering praise him without ceasing for his mercy goodness And lastly the Affections are fixed upon God when they wander not through loose desires of fading earthly vanities but are chiefly taken up and possessed with an holy delight in God and his Saints on Earth and fed with a firme hope of enjoying Gods presence of seeing Him one day face to face in his Celestial Paradise This Hope is not a barren grace but begets in a man a religious Care not to offend God and to abstain from any the least Sin to which his Nature is most prone because it may lead him into other sins and separate him from the love of God and at last procure his everlasting banishment from those joyes which he believes are unspeakable and hopes to enjoy in the glorious presence of the blessed Trinity together with the blessed Angels and company of the elect Saints to all eternity Which most happy and joyful Fellowship rather then he would lose a good Christian if he were put to his disposall would choose to suffer all the most exquisite torments that ever have been invented by the bloody wit of Tyrants nay he would rather sustain for many thousand yeares even Hells paines Let fire and wild beasts racks and strapadoes yea and all the torments of Hell seize upon me and torment me so I may win Christ it is the triumphant saying of Ignatius the martyr recorded by Eusebius This holy martyrs brest burnt with a love of God and a desire of Heavens happinesse That love caus'd him to feare nothing but Gods displeasure which followes upon our sins by means whereof he might be deprived of everlasting joyes and debarr'd from the enjoyment of Gods most glorious presence In a word the soul that hopes to attain Heaven and desires to reign there for ever with God will
paths of the Seas all these recited by the Prophet David Ps 8.3 6 7 8. with many more not mentioned by him were made to serve us and all do in a manner thus call upon and bespeak every one of us God made us for thee Coelum terra omnia in illis creata 〈◊〉 ut amem te Domine serviaâ— tibi Maub Exercit. â—iet that thou shouldst serve and glorifie him who made us and thee O then let the consideration of thy unthankfulness to God thy Creator put thee to a blushing shame and let the memory of his mercies and blessings spur or incite thee to an active obedience and quicken thy dead or drowsie spirit to walk cheerfully and constantly in the waies of his Commandements do not dishonour nor disgrace him by a constant and wilfull breach of them by a frequent and rash taking of his name in vain Swear not The IV. Remedy by way of motive drawn from the irrational Creatures If all the fore-named Motives will not startle thy obdurate Conscience and drive thee to obedience of Gods Commands consider then the brute Beasts who wanting Reason which thou enjoyest and Speech which God gave thee to set forth his praises * Homo immedâ—atè est propter Deum omnia quâ—liabet habet propter Deum Raymund to advance and publish the glories of his Attributes yet they led only by the guidance of Natures Law offer no indignities no injuries to their Masters from whom they receive food and sustenance nay they have ever shewed themselves thankful to strangers from whom they received the least benefits or courtesies All which may serve to check thy ingratitude in dishonouring God by Rebelling against his precepts Lib. 7. c. 4â— Nat. H st The story in Aelian of Androcles and a Lion is remarkable he pull'd a thorne out of the Lions foot the Lion afterwards repai'd this courtesie by saving his life when he fell among thieves and cryed out for help Ael l. 8. c. 22. A parallel story to this we find in the same Historian of the Tarentine Woman and a Stork she cured one of the Storks young ones which had by a casualty broke its leg the Stork not long after in requital of her goodness dropped a rich Jewel into her lap as she sate in a solitary place bemoaning the death of her dear Husband a little before that time deceased The truth of these Stories I cannot warrant Let then the Scriptures to our shame be witness of mans ingratitude to God and of the brute Creatures thankful respect to their Masters and Benefactors Man for his sensuality and beastly lusts Ps 49.12 20 may be fitly ranked with and compared to the beasts that perish but they are above him admit him not as their equal if you respect their grateful dispositions The Oxe knoweth his owner Isa 1.3 i. e. will submit his neck to the yoke to toile and labour in the field when and so long as his Master pleases so the Asse knoweth his Masters crib or Manger i. e. willingly and readily stoops to any burthen sustains any blow because that is imposed and this comes from his hand by whom he is fed But Israel doth not know what great things I have done for them my people doth not consider how that for their Saviours sake or merits I have provided Heaven for them which shall be the reward of their service and where they shall rest everlastingly from their labours O Man think of Gods complaint here by his Prophet think of it with shame with an inward blushing confusion of spirit and for shame let not the brute beasts out-strip thee in thankfulness submit thy neck to Gods yoke which is easie and light obey his Commands and Swear not The V. Remedy A third consideration In the fifth place consider seriously in thy most recollected thoughts which may be a great remedy against Swearing what recompence God requires of us for all his benefits unto us It is Honour and Praise Praemium Dei est honor operis lauâ— gloria praemium creatura est utilitas Raymund And this duty we discharge when we declare and publish with joyful hearts and thankful tongues the Magnalia Dei those great things which he out of his great mercy hath done for us in our Creation Redemption Vocation together with the manifold and wonderful acts of his Providence over us For the least of which his mercies we could not be sufficiently thankful to God although we should live a thousand years ten hundred times told and spend every day and hour in that long period of time onely in Prayer and Thanksgiving Oh then let us wash our hearts from filthinesse and our tongues from all obscene pollutions Let our mouths be ever fill'd with Gods praises and let us chearfully redeem the time to this blessed work of thankfulnesse which because it is too large or too great to be done in this span-long life Sit illud meditatio frequens in hoc seculo quod perpetuum opus erit in futuro Aug. in Psal 148. it shall be ever doing in that which shall succeed hereafter and is everlasting For Thanks is the chief if not the whole work of the glorified Saints and Angels in Heaven who vent and spend as one sayes well all their burning fire of love in the flame of Gods praise The erect posture wherewith God has endowed man above his fellow-Creatures should put him in mind of his duty to God by way of thankfulness For as if the earth were not a fit object for our Contemplation our faces are set upward and our Souls too by so many foot carried up toward Heaven as our Bodies are erected to it By which frame of our Bodies we are taught this lesson to have our hearts alwayes fixed upon God in Prayer and Thanksgiving He that shall endeavour to follow Saint Pauls wholsome admonition Pray continually In all things give thanks 1 Thes 5.17 18. that man will seldome or never swear nor defile his Soul with the guilt or stains of idle and sinful discourses but being here on earth will live an Angelical life live like to an Angel and Saint in Heaven where there is only continual chaunting out cheerful Hymns which contain Gods praises and he that intends to bear a part in that Celestial Quire must lay aside his Cursing and Swearing and practise here betimes before death surprise him to sing that new Song which Saint John heard in his Revelation Chap. 5.9 10. and ever joyn with Saint Paul in his joyful and thankful Doxology 1 Tim. 1.17 saying Vnto the King immortal invisible and only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Again to incite us to use our Tongues to the praise or to exercise them in the praises of God let us consider to what end He gave us speech and utterance which he has denied to the other inferiour Creatures was it not
before they take hold of us and so get the mastery of our Souls For as wise Princes are wont in the calm of Peace to provide against the storms of Warre so must we in the calmest state of our Souls prepare and provide Antidotes against this inward turbulency of our minds To prevent then the sudden Commotions of this unruly Passion or to allay it when it hath broken the bounds of Reason or Discretion Si passio Domini ad meâ—â—riam revocetur nihil adeo duram quod non aquo animo toleretur Greg. Consider in the first place Christs bitter Death and Passion what or how great pains and torments he hath suffered how much he hath sustained for thee Trace him in thy meditations from the Garden to Golgotha and as Pilate said once out of pity to the Jews Joh. 19.5 Behold the man so say I to thee Behold thy Saviour who was and is God and Man in one Person behold him sweating great drops of Blood in his Agony in the Garden sustaining whippings and scoffings spittings and buffetings in the face and last of all a most shameful and painfull death on the Cross for thee to redeem thee from Hell and to bring thee to Heaven into which it was impossible for thee to climb being clogg'd with the weight and burden of thy many and grievous sins whose pardon he hath purchased by the merit of his death and sufferings When thou hast seriously pondered and considered these things then even when for some distasteful word thou feelest the heat of passion begin to enflame thy blood then bespeak thy self in the words of Saint Basil in his Morals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What doest thou O Man art thou better then thy Master Hath Christ my Lord suffered such unsufferable pains so many reproches for me and shall I who am a Worm a poor contemptible Creature shall I who am a Cage of Uncleanness a Dunghill of Impurity fret and fume for some conceived spot of disgrace or ignominy thrown upon my name Shall not I suffer this and more for him for the profession of his Truth and glory of his Name for they who profess Christ they that live godly must look to suffer persecution at least that of the Tongue Mitescat savitia mansuescat Iracundia remittaâ—t sibi omnes culpas invicem suas nec exactor sit vindicta qui petitor est veniae Aug. Shall I by seeking revenge for some injury done me snatch the Scepter out of Gods hand or which is worse deny his Providence and Soveraignty as if he did sit still or sleeping in Heaven not regarding what is done here beneath on Earth God is the Lord to whom vengeance belongeth Psal 94.1 and Vengeance is mine Deut. 32.35 I 'le repay it saith the Lord. Meditate often on this and on thy Saviours sufferings the thought whereof will teach or move thee to be gentle and kind to others Eph. 4.32 forgiving them as God for Christs sake hath forgiven thee And thus by this means having gotten the mastery of thy Passion thou wilt have the better command over thy Tongue and free it as from bitterness and clamour and evil-speaking so from blaspheming Gods Name by Cursing and Swearing In the second place that thou mayst curb this unbrided Passion of Anger a Capital sin for that it is as I have shewed the cause of many other sins and most commonly that of Swearing Consider with thy self in private how oft thou hast offended God Psal 19.12 but who can tell how oft he offendeth and how oft he hath pardoned thee This consideration of thy many infirmities this knowledge of thy filthy sins will move thee to a mean esteem of thy self and he that out of a deep apprehension of his sins and a sight or sense of his infirmities has learn'd to contemn himself that man will not be easily provoked by a small injury and contempt from others Thirdly when thou art moved to Anger labour to suppresse this flame that it break not forth suppress it by silence For as fire under green wood if not blown will go out so anger in the breast kept in by the silence of the tongue will waste and spend it self to nothing An example of this we have in David Psal 39. Ps 39.2 He kept silence he kept his mouth as it were with a bridle whilst the ungodly who did provoke him was in his sight He spake nothing but refrain'd his tongue abstaining even from good words ver 3 which was a pain and grief unto him If we speak any thing at all when we are moved to anger by our Persecuting Reviling Enemies let it be in the phrase of our meekest Saviour upon the Cross Father Luke 23.34 forgive them for they know not what they do or in the Language of that Protomartyr Saint Stephen Acts 7.60 Lord lay not this sin to their charge Yet if thou beest a publick person and thy Injury great and notorious Qui illatam sibi sustinet injuriam contumeliam conviciantis nutrit audaciam Vid. Aqui. 2. 2. 72. Qu. then to prevent scandal lest by silence thou givest men an occasion to suspect the integrity of thy Conscience thou mayest vindicate thy Innocency by a just complaint to the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil and from the Decree of Justice seek a Redress of thy Injury and in so doing thou committest thy cause unto the Lord in that thou Revengest not thy self but referrest thy cause to the publick Magistrate Gods Minister of Peace whose Office it is to see that they be righted who suffer wrong as also to encourage Vertue to punish Vice and suppress the growth of sin Fourthly and lastly to incite or move thee further to abstain from immoderate Anger let the examples and practise of the * De his ita Nazianzenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Anticipant fidem moribus i. Justitiâ Temperantiâ indigent tantum Christianorum nomine quod Christum profitentes decet operibus id suis exhibentes Heathen ever run in your thoughts who by the dimme light of nature have gone further in the way of Piety then we Christians who live in the Sun-shine of the Gospel of Peace To repeate the Stories of them renown'd for their patience would be both impertinent and tedious I will commend to your Meditation but one and that of a true Roman I mean Cato who used to say That he could and did forgive all offenders but himself So be thou angry with the Malice but love i. e. wish well to the Person of thy Enemy that has offended thee forgive him by not studying an hasty Revenge of thy Injury and testifie thy hearty forgiveness of it by thy prayers to God to forgive him his sins and to heal him of his malice And thus if thou imitatest God who is good to his very Enemies thou wilt shew thy self to be a genuine Son of thy *
spoke The * Hom. Il. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poet tell us of one Thersites that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prating fellow and withal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very knave Dedecus Carcinoma Graeci exercitus and likewise hateful to Achilles and Vlysses who did detest and abhor him whence Plutarch infers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. it argues an height of villany or wickedness when one is hated by good men From this remarkable passage of the Poet the Prince of Poets we may inferre this that he that talks much as he makes himself odious to men so he must needs be burden'd with the weight and guilt of many a sin of many a lye neither can he if he be a frequent Swearer escape the danger of Perjury Therefore let thy words be few Eccles 5.2 We commonly say that words are but wind Be not deceived they are such a wind that if they be not well ordered may blow your Souls to Hell that fiery Haven of the wicked Therefore make not light of thy words be as sparing of them as an Earth-worm a covetous Euchlio a Miser is of his Gold which he keeps under lock and key suffers not the light to peep into his Coffers fearing lest it should shew a way to another to enter into them and never spends a penny unless he be pinched with extremity and forced to it by the commanding Law of Necessity which sometimes he basely breaks robbing his own back of cloathing and starving his pined belly Even so keep thou the treasure of thy heart thy thoughts and intentions which are shut up and stored in it seldome vent them by thy speech unless it be to the praise of God or thy neighbours good Thus if thou doest fence and guard thy mouth with the wall of silence Muro silentii as Saint Gregory expresseth it I mean moderation and deliberation in thy speech thou shalt procure to thy self reputation Nec pateblt inimici jaculis civitas mentis as he sayes Thy * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Hom. 14. ad Pop. Antioch Soul also within thee shall be as an impregnable Fort or City secured from the shot and invasion of its enemies It shall as hath been formerly said be kept and preserved from the stain and pollution of many crying sins which defile and waste the consciences of those that are given to much idle talking such are Swearing Lying Blasphemy and corrupt communication which we must with disdain eject and spit out of our mouths in an holy scorn and indignation as not becoming Gods Saints his Sons and Servants We are his Sons by the grace of Adoption let us then out of a filial love observe his commands Swear not we are his Servants and he our Lord let us therefore serve him with an awful fear and reverence in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our life giving him the honour due unto his Name as holy David exhorts Psal 29.2 which we may do by worshipping him with an holy worship as it is expressed in the subsequent or following words of that Text when we humbly submit our Souls and Bodies to God in prayer acknowledging our Spiritual wants also confessing our sins and unworthiness to receive any of the least of his blessings and benefits and rendring him most hearty thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ To whom with God the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons yet but one Almighty most merciful and everlasting God be ascribed by all people in these and other parts of the world Thanksgiving and Praise all Honour and Dominion for ever and ever Amen For a close of all that hath been said and for the better observation of our Saviours injunction or precept I shall commend to all profane Swearers that good profitable advice of S. Chrysostom who when the City of Antioch where he lived was visited with the Plague did frequently and bitterly inveigh against this horrid sin of Swearing as being the productive cause as of other Judgments so of that heavy and fearful Visitation Amidst his many and sharp Invectives against it we find this useful admonition Homil. 14. ad Pop. Antiochen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which for the more delight and profit of the unlearned I have translated into Verse retaining the full sense and meaning of the words In the morning When sleep is parted from thine eyes And thou from bed begin'st to rise Let no thought enter thy hearts room Till Christ into it first be come Before thou goest out of thy dore Meditate oft and give not o're To ruminate on Christ's command Swear not at all This may stand To thee in stead of a Sermon If thou Swear'st not my work is done A Prayer to the Holy Blessed and Undivided Trinity for a Blessing on it MOst Holy Holy Holy Lord God who in the Vnity of a most glorious Trinity art for ever to be worshipped and glorified whose mercy is infinite and whose power illimited who canst ordain even the mouths of Babes to be Instruments of setting forth thy praise Grant I humbly beseech Thee that as this work was begun continued and ended by thy Grace so it may tend to thy Glory by the conversion of some poor sinful Souls unto Thee who livest and reignest in the highest Heavens and govern'st all things both in Heaven and Earth O doe thou so rule the hearts of all the people of this Land that they may truly fear Thee and honour their most gracious King paying Him that Tribute of Loyalty and Subjection which is due unto Him and live amongst themselves like brethren knit together in the bond of Love Vnity and Concord joyntly praising Thee and glorifying Thy Name Grant this O Heavenly Father for thy mercies sake and for the merits of thy dear Son Jesus Christ our only Advocates and sole Redeemer Amen A Brief APPENDIX Concerning The nature of a Promissory and Assertory Oath in reference to the Statutes to which we are sworn in both the UNIVERSITIES ALthough the words of a Promissory Oath are for the most part to be strictly taken as they import not admitting those larger explications which oft-times take place in Deeds and Contracts yet let me adde a few considerations for the satisfaction of the tender Consciences of those that have sworn or shall hereafter swear to observe the Statutes of any Colledge in either of the two famous Universities First by reason that the matter of a Promissory Oath viz. something to be done by us de futuro or for the time to come is in regard of the uncertainty of event subject to mutation and variety hence it comes to pass that the Obligation which follows upon such an Oath by which the Jurer has bound himself for the future to perform what he hath promised is mutable and separable from that Oath and this is called by the Casuists Solutio vinculi the loosening of