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A27407 A true testimony concerning oaths & swearing &c. as also an answer to the subject matter contained in twelve arguments or reasons laid down in a sermon preached at Carlisle, Aug. 17, 1664 by Allan Smallwood ... to prove that our savior did not forbid all swearing : wherein is fully cleared the command of Christ and his apostle James swear not at all ... / by Ger. Benson. Benson, Gervase, d. 1679. 1669 (1669) Wing B1902; ESTC R23682 37,196 48

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Unbelief of Man in God his Word and Truth of which Transgression was the first ground or cause which not being any fruit of the Spirit of God as true witness-bearing is entred into the World and the World into Mans heart by sin and death And therefore an Oath and Swearing is not any part of the worship and service of God now under the Spirits immediate Administration And the Law having but a shadow of good things then to come therefore could never make the Comers thereunto perfect as the bringing in of a better Hope doth And so Christ Jesus the true and faithful Witness that ends the Controversie between God and Man being the End of the Law under which the Oath for confirmation was to be unto them that were under it an end of all controversie and strife amongst men for Righteousness to all that believe which Law not being of Faith was to be taken away or out of the way when Faith was come which was before the Law which is not of faith was given or any Oath or Swearing was For as the Love of God to Israel appeared in giving them his Laws and Statutes notwithstanding they could not accomplish their eternal Peace and Happiness by reason of the weakness of the flesh neither could be taken away nor they freed therefrom until they were fulfilled and the end accomplished for which they were given Even so the Riches of the Love of God appeared in sending forth his Son to effect that which the Law could not do for man neither could man free himself from who being manifested in the flesh the Oath and Covenant of God was fulfilled in him And to as many as received and do receive him by believing in his Word which is night in the heart to do thereafter the heart cometh to be purified and made clean and being prepared by the Lord cometh to witness and feel the Love and Power of God to quicken it and enable it to every good work So that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things Mat. 12.35 Speaking the Truth to and witnessing the Truth for his Neighbour according to and from a good understanding And thus the righteousness of the Law cometh to be fulfilled by Christ in us who walk not according to the Flesh but according to the Spirit and the end of God in giving the Law accomplished according as it 's written 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Law is love out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unsained So that the Law which required an Oath in witness-bearing nor any other part of the Law by Christ or any that are of him is not frustrated neither destroyed but the righteousness of the Law by true witness-bearing is fulfilled And being fulfilled was by Christ according to the will of God disanulled abrogated abolished and taken out of the way with all Oaths Swearing and Signs that were required by it And in the stead and place thereof the Law of the Spirit and of Faith the true witness-bearing as it was in the beginning before any Oath or Swearing was established by Christ in the House of God for ever By which Law of Faith the Victory over the World Sin and Unbelief cometh to be witnessed the first ground or cause of Swearing in the World And now the Righteousness of God without the Law written which is not of Faith is manifested by the Light of Christ that shineth in mans heart for to give unto man the knowledge of the things that are immediate of the Spirit and therefore are spiritual not moral being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets according to Rom. 3.21 And is not now called the Works of the Law but the Fruits of the Spirit which as the Apostle faith Ephes. 5.9 is in all Goodness Righteousness and Truth And Gal. 5.22 23. is Love Ioy Peace Long suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance c. And so the Cause being removed the Effect ceaseth From all which it is evident That true Witness-bearing was before any Oath or Swearing was And the Law that is Perfect and Eternal was though hid from their Eyes whose Minds were alienated from the Life and Light of God because of the hardness of their Hearts before the Law in the Tables of Stone was written And the Lord was worshipped in Spirit and Truth before any Oath or Swearing was And therefore an Oath and Swearing neither is nor ever was any part of the Law eternal nor of Faith neither any essential part of the Worship of God in Spirit and Truth which is unchangeable and spiritual So that the laying aside or taking away of an Oath and Swearing in witness-bearing is not to destroy witness-bearing but the reducing it to its Original Verity and Purity as it was in the beginning from all Oaths and Swearing which was added for a time to wit till the true Witness Christ Jesus and the true witness-bearing was made manifest and restored according to the Prophesies that were written of and concerning Christ And as true witness-bearing was in time before any Oath or Swearing was and therefore an Oath and Swearing was not neither is of the essence and substance of true witness-bearing even so the Truth was before any Lye although the Lyar is more ancient than the Swearer Now these things being so why should men professing God and Godliness and Christianity go about to continue an Oath and Swearing in witness-bearing under the Gospel which is everlasting and was preached to Abraham before the Law of Oaths was or any Swearing was commanded or required by God Gal. 3.8 which had its beginning and ending in time not being of the Law of Faith that abideth for ever and therefore was and is changable being of those things that might be shaken and so to be removed That true witness-bearing which being of Faith and therefore cannot be shaken may remain Therefore O ye called Christians let it not seem to you a thing so grievous to have the Bondwoman Unbelief and her Son Swearing cast out for assuredly it must not inherit the Kingdom of God with the Son of the Freewoman True Witness-bearing And now these things thus premised being a true Testimony concerning Oaths and Swearing c. I proceed to answer the subject matter contained and laid down in Twelve Arguments or Reasons whereby Allan Smallwood hath endeavoured to prove but in vain that our Saviour did not forbid all Swearing when he said unto his Disciples Swear not at all c. Mat. 5.34 Arg. 1. The first Argument as it is stated by A. S. in his Reply to F. H. his Book intituled Oaths no Gospel Ordinance c. is That the Father and the Son are one and the same God immutable in Nature and Will for mutability would argue imperfection and consequently cannot issue forth contrary Commands for that would evidence a contrariety or mutability in their Will And the Father having
the true and faithful Witness Christ Jesus in them from whom all true Witness-bearing is and so the true Witness-bearing as it was in the beginning which no Vail Shadow or natural Light can discern 1 Cor. 2.14 And thus all who do the Will of God by believing in him whom God hath sent they come to know Christs Doctrine Swear not at all to be his that sent him to be a Light to the Gentiles and the Glory to his People Israel And is it equal O ye sons of men That those whose eyes God hath opened and unto whom God hath given the Light of Eternal Life that they should be compelled to walk by the same guide the blind are led by in their witness-bearing Would it not be a thing unreasonable for to require him who hath his perfect sight when the Sun shines to shew him his way to require him to have a man take him by the hand and lead him on his way as the natural blind are led Hath not the Lord in all Ages put a difference betwixt them that feared his Name and trembled at his Word and those that feared him not but walked after the stubbornness of their own hearts and after their own inventions And if the Lord hath so done and so doth ought not all those who are his Ministers upon Earth to do the like But A.S. further saith That Oaths are commanded by the Moral Law and that the Ten Commandments are the summary of it And doth grant That Oaths are no Gospel Ordinance And also saith That our Saviour came not to destroy but fulfil the Moral Law And therefore Swearing being enjoyned by the Moral Law must be now of as much force as ever it was He also affirmeth That Christ did not abolish the Iudicial and Ceremonial Law once commanded by God because the one was peculiarly given to the Iews and so concerns us not at all And the other was temporary expiring at Christ's Death c. Answ. The words Law Covenant and Testament are general and comprehensive words every of them including or comprehending in themselves all the Words Sentences Gifts Ordinances or Precepts that was required and commanded the People of Israel by the Lord at that time And therefore ought not to be limited by man or distinguished into Morals Judicials and Ceremonials as thereby to lessen the Authority of one to set up another above it after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ who saith He that shall break one of the least of the Commands and teach men so shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.19 And it 's written Deut. 27 26. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 And Christ came not only to fulfil this or that part of the Law but the whole Law yea every iote and title that then was written Mat. 5.18 Neither is he said to be the end of this or that part whether by men called Moral Judicial or Ceremonial for the Spirit of the Lord hath made no such distinctions of the Law but of the Law in general yea all that was written in the Law of Moses in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning him Luke 24.44 And as the Law was fulfilled it was to pass away or to be taken out of the way the end being accomplished for which it was given And being abolished Eph. 2.15 abrogated and disanulled Heb. 8.13 and taken away or out of the way Heb. 10.9 Col. 2.14 2 Cor. 3.7 11. The Law or Power of the endless Life the Law of the Spirit and of Faith which is not Moral but Spiritual and Eternal the new Covenant or Testament which is unchangeable the Righteousness of God without the Law in the letter was and is manifested in the heart to do thereafter being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3.21 Ier. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 according to the Promise of God That so the blessing of Abram might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that they together with the Jews to whom the Law in the letter was peculiarly given might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3.14 Rom. 4.16 And whereas A. S. faith That Christ did not abolish the Iudicial and Ceremonial Law once commanded by God because the one was peculiarly given to the Iews and the other was temporary expiring at Christs Death Answ. If Christ did not abolish the Judicial nor Ceremonial Law as they are called and distinguished by A. S. Then it must needs follow and be granted That Christ did abolish abrogate disanul take away or out of the way the Law which A. S. calls Moral or else Christ abolished no Law at all But it is evident from the plain testimony of the Scriptures of Truth before mentioned Eph. 2.15 Heb. 8.13 10.9 Col. 2.14 2 Cor. 3.7 11. That Jesus Christ did abolish abrogate disannul take away or out of the way the Law of Commandments contained in the Law written the old or first Covenant or Testament the hand-writing of Ordinances the Ministration of Death written with letters and engraven in stones And therefore If Christ as A. S. hath affirmed did not abolish the Judicial and Ceremonial Laws Then as is before said it must of necessity follow and be concluded That Christ Jesus did abolish abrogate disannul take away or out of the way that Law which A. S. calls Moral For the Scriptures testimony in the places before mentioned are either true or false To say they are false is blasphemy because they were written by Divine Inspiration and the infallible guidance of the Spirit of Truth And therefore being true Then that Law which A. S. calls Moral of which he also affirmeth an Oath and Swearing to be a part or required by was by Christ abolished abrogated disannulled taken away or out out of the way And the Law by which Swearing was commanded being abolished All Oaths and Swearing commanded or required by that Law must of necessity be abolished with the Law Now these things being so All the Arguments and Distinctions with all the Conclusions and clouds of Witnesses that A. S. hath laid down made and brought in to prove the lawfulness of some Swearing now under the Gospel from the Authority of the Moral Law as he calls it are made void and are become of none effect And therefore A. S. is worthy of blame in affirming so confidently That if Swearing be enjoyned by the Moral Law it must be of as much force now as ever And it may be of concern to A. S. before he begin his History of Oaths that he find out some other Law of God than that he call Moral to ground the lawfulness of Oaths upon lest he build upon a sandy Foundation and so labour in vain For himself acknowledgeth in pag. 303. of his Reply to F.H. it was a certain truth That Christ gave no new Command in matters of