Selected quad for the lemma: end_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	great_a	oath_n	strife_n	1,289	5	11.0235	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77213	Of the lavvfnluess [sic] of the oath of allegiance to the king, and of the other oath to his supremacy. Written for the benefit of Quakers and others, who out of scruple of conscience, refuse the oath of allegiance, and supremacy. / By Theophilus Brabourn.	Brabourne, Theophilus, b. 1590.	1661 (1661)	Wing B4094; Thomason E1085_8; ESTC R208072	4,180	7

OF THE Lavvfulness of the oath OF ALLEGIANCE To the KING AND Of the other oath To his SVPREMACY Written for the benefit of Quakers and others who out of scruple of Conscience refuse the oath of Allegiance and Supremacy By Theophilus Brabourn Printed for the Author 1661. Of the Lawfulnesse of the Oath of Alleigeance to the King and of the other Oath to his Supremacy Written for the benefit of Quakers and others who out of scruple of Conscience refuse the Oath of Alliegance and Supremacy IT is sad and grievous to me to hear of the disturbance in the Kingdome by denying a lawful Oath to the King It troubles me the more to hear that many who I would hope are conscientious are reported to be true of their word just in their dealings of good life and conversation among men and I am apt to beleeve it now of all men in the Kingdome I would not have Consciencious men to walk offensive to the State and crosse to the Laws now in force I know that in Holland there are very many of opinion that it is unlawfull for the times of the Gospell to take an Oath though it be before a Magistrate yet the States there are so indulgent to them as to condescend to their weaknesse and instead of an oath to take their word and promise the which is found by experience they being conscientious men to be as true and they as faithfull to the State in their promises as other men be in their Oath But for as much as it is not an easie matter to alter the Laws of our Kingdome I shall do my endeavour to untie the knots and take off the fetters where withall their weak Consciences stand bound For this end I shall do two things 1. I shall prove that an Oath is lawfull now under the Gospell 2. I shall answer the objections and so loosen their fetters Argument I. I Hold that an Oath by the Creature is unlawfull as to swear by the Heaven Earth head c. But I hold it lawfull to swear by God the Creator in a weighty matter and thus I prove it see Heb. 6.16 For men verily swear by him that is greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife and controversy Here St Paul allows of an Oath made by him that is greater that is by God and this was in the time of the Gospell And further St. Paul saith that an Oath among men is an end of all strife and controversie and so we find it for the controversie between the Judge and the Prisoner at the bar whether he be guilty or not guilty is determined by an Oath wherefore to suppose that Christ hath forbidden an Oath it is not only to make Christ to deny us one necessary means to end our controversies but also to put us Christians in a worse condition then the Church of the Jews were in for they had the benefit of an Oath to end their controversies but we are denyed it But to this Quakers say that the text speaks of men saying men verily swear c. but say they we are come out from men that is from the men of this world and therefore we are not bound to swear I reply 1. By the like reason you may say we are not bound to be obedient to Magistrates for we are come out from men Secondly We are not bound to promise to bee true and faithfull to the King for we are come out from men and yet you will promise to be faithful to the King Thirdly Jacob was a godly man and come out from men and yet he took an Oath to Laban Gen. 31.53 And St. Paul was come out from men and yet he took an Oath as in the next point I shall shew Argument II ST Paul lived in times of the Gospell and yet he took an Oath by God which sheweth that Christ did not forbid Christians to swear by God in Mat. 5.34 See 2. Cor. 1.23 I call God for record to my soul that to spare you I came not to Corinth See Gal. 1 20. Paul said Behold before God I lye not and to the like Rom. 1 9. and 2 Cor. 11 31. So then an Oath is lawfull in the times of the Gospel To this some say that these are no Oaths because they are not uttered in the form of an Oath saying by God I reply first if it be no Oath where there wants the particle by then there is no Oath in Christs words Mat. 5.34 Mat. 23.16 For though the words be translated by as by Heaven c. yet in the Greek text it is in as in Heaven c. 2 It is not the particle by or in that makes an oath but it is the mentioning of the name of God to be a witnesse to our minds that the words we speak are true Observations QUakers and others say that Christ hath forbidden an Oath saying Swear not at all Mat. 5.34 This text is that iron fetter whereby their Consciences are so bound up that they dare not take an Oath but my endeavour shall be by my answers to this text to break this bond and loosen this fetter my answers are these 1. We may not understand these words of Christ to forbid all Oathes in the largest sense so as to forbid swearing by God in a weighty matter but to forbid all Oaths by the Creatures as by the heaven the earth or the head my reason for it is because St Paul as hath been proved swore by God more then once or twice this St. Paul would not have done if Christ in this text Mat. 5.34 had forbidden to swear by God in a weighty matter 2 The word God is not mentioned in the text nor necessarily implyed Christ made a large enumeration of forbidden oaths as by heaven by earth by the head Mat. 5 34. by the Temple by the gold of the Temple by the Altar and by the offering upon it Mat. 23.16 But not a word of or against swearing by God surely therfore he did not intend to forbid swearing by God the religious Jews were ever trained up with the use of an oath by God Deut. 6.13 And did highly honour it as a part of Gods worship now if Christ know it to be a sin in times of the Gospel to swear by God as it was a sin in the prophane Jews to swear by the Creatures doubtlesse he would have reckoned up this swearing by God as a sin as well as he reckoned up many sinful Oathes by the Creatures it must be so unlesse we should think Christ was more mindfull of the good and salvation of the superstitious Jews then of the religious Jews But you will say though Christ did not mention an Oath by God yet it is necessarily imployed because Christ said in general termes ●wear not at all I answ it is well known by the learned that genesall termes are not alwaies used in the most large sense as you may see