the thing was true as sure as the Lord liveth the certainty of whose living no rational man will in the least question And in 2 Cor. 1.18 where the Apostle Paul doth affirm that his preaching to the Corinthians was not Yea and Nay but Yea and Amen And to beget them to a belief of the truth of what he said herein he tells them it is true as sure as the Lord is true Now I shall leave it to the judgment of the Rational to determine whether the Apostle Paul did swear by the Lord any more than Henry Den did swear by Henry Adis as aforesaid 3. Of an Oath But thirdly Had Henry Den told Henry Adis that such a thing had been true and had asserted the truth of it by the Lord by Heaven by Earth by Jerusalem by his Head or by what else you will suppose this Henry Den and Henry Adis both may positively affirm to be Swearing And this I can own to be Swearing although I do not assert the Swearing by Heaven Earth Jerusalem or the Head to be lawful Oaths no nor swearing by God neither under a Gospel-dispensation I say it is the term By that maketh the Asseveration or thing severed singled out set apart or asserted to become an Oath I desire to be held excused â—f I give not for want of Humane Learning those proper distinctions and denominations to words as possibly they may deserve in such or such places for I profess ingenuously I know not the difference between a Particle as it is so called nor where or in what places they are to stand or how or when they are to be so called only I shall desire for Information-sake to impart what in mercy is made out to me for the Information and Reformation of others therefore take my honest down-right meaning and the Lord make it useful I say that which binds up all is the term By which By is that which maketh an Assertion to become an Oath for it is the Affirmation of a thing not yet believed to be a truth by the certainty of that which is a truth and is set apart chosen out severed or asserted and by the certainty of it to prove the certainty of that which is not yet believed to be true or certain as aforesaid For to say the Lord liveth is not to swear by the living Lord or by the Lord that liveth nor to say as true as the Lord liveth cannot be swearing by the Lord that is true who liveth but if I say By the Lord that liveth then I swear So that to name God Heaven Earth or Jerusalem is nor can be Swearing until I use the term By as aforesaid And this thou sayest thy self is Swearing in pag. 4. where thou speakest of the universality of Oaths in which thou sayest must be considered both persons places and times and in the consideration of persons thou bringest us Gen. 22.16 where the Lord sweareth to Abraham saying By my Self have I sworn saith the Lord That in blessing I will blesse thee and in Psal 89.35 Once have I sworn by my Holinesse that I will not lye unto David And the Angel's swearing in Revel 10.5 6. who lifted up his hands to Heaven and said not as sure as the Lord liveth or I call the Lord that liveth to record or to witnesse but his swearing was on this wise The Angel lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever And in Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve Him and shalt swear by his Name To Swear then is to Assert by God who only is able to Assist or enable to what is Promised therefore it is unlawful to Swear BY any other Creature or Thing because that Creature is unable to enable the Creature And 2dly by so doing the Creature is set up in the Place of the all-Powerful God the Party so Swearing becomes an Idolater And thou also affirmest this to be Swearing by a third Testimony as from the Prophets as Isa 65.16 And he that sweareth in the Earth shall swear by the God of Truth And Heb. 6.16 Men verily swear by the Greater So that to swear is to assert by a party or thing severed singled out or set apart And of Oaths there are several kinds 1. An Oath of Promise 2. An Oath of Affirmation or Testimony 3. An Oath of Abjuration to renounce or forswear 4. An Oath of Execration or Cursing 1. All Promisary Oaths are when persons do vow covenant or promise and bind the performance thereof by or under an Oath as Josh 2.12 Now therefore I pray you swear unto me by the Lord since I have shewed you kindness that ye will also shew kindness unto my fathers house and give me a true token 2. An Oath of Affirmation or Testimony to Confirm a Truth by way of Evidence or Witness-bearing to end Controversies Heb. 6.16 For men verily Swear by the greater and an Oath for Confirmation is to them an end of all strife 3. An Oath of Abjuration Renouncing or Forswearing a thing 2 Sam. 3.35 And when all the People came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day David sware saying So do God to me and more also if I taste bread or ought else till the Sun be down 4. An Oath of Execration or Cursing Acts. 23.12 14 21. But do not thou yield unâ—o them for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men which have bound themselves with an Oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him and now are they ready lâ—oking for a Promise from thee And although here is a New Testament Proof for this Oaâ—h of Execration yet it is to be noted that it was made by wicked men and therefore no Example for Gospel Disciples to walk by for 't is the Requirement of the Lord by his Spirit that we Regulate according to the Gospel which saith Swear not and Swear not at all Matth. 5.35 Jam. 5.12 And this we are required that we regulate our Conversation as becometh the Gospel Phil. 1.27 Now if we have not a clear direction in the Gospel to regulate our Conversation by and in special in such a principal Part of it as this is that may so much concern the Glory of God then we must conclude that we are directed to an insufficient and to an indirect Rule the which to say I dare not For I do really believe him to be faithful who hath by his Spirit in his Servant directed to that Rule and therefore I am of this perswasion â—hat the Rule is a direct Rule and a true measure 2 Cor. 10.12 and that those Requirements in Maâ—th 5.34 and Jam. 5.12 are positive Directions Fourthly Of a Testimony Record or Witness Fourthly As to a Testimony Record or Witness I judge I need not say any thing to in this place because it is so fully distinguished in Pag. 8. to be of
been spoken as to distinguish between a Vow an Oath a Testimony an Assâ—veration and an Adjuration And now having thus distinguished I shall as briefly as I may come to the remaining part of thy Epistle And first I shall say something to that Text Heb. 6.16 in page 4. Men verily do Swear by the greater and an Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife which words the Apostle intendeth not to urge or to perswade to an opinion of the lawfulnesse of Swearing as Henry Den doth nor need he for it was that Church of the Jews converted to the Faith and Baptized into the Name of Jesus for the remission of sins Acts 2.41 For as they were Jews they were under that saying of old Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and shalt Swear by his Name who were under the Law of Christ who out of his own Mouth said Mat. 5.34 Swear not at all and for that Apostle to bind so close upon them for a strict observation of the Laws of Christ as he doth Heb. 2.1 2 3. Heb. 12.25 and yet to bring this Text in Heb. 6.13 to perswade to a breach of that Lâ—w to me seems a Paradox I shall therefore come to an examination of the end why those words were spoken that so if possibly we may be instrumental to undeceive one another for to take a Text and to make use of it as some do for their own ends and not to consider the end why that Text was spoken by the Spirit is to go out of Gods way and to perswade others so to do and Devil-like to pervert Scripture to subvert Souls The Apostle in Heb. 6. earnestly perswades that Church to a pressing on to perfection being already built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone In Heb. 5.12 a d so on he blameth them for their backwardnesse and slothfulnesse in the Way of God and blameth them for a neglect of that which the great Learned Rabbies of our times cries out against Imprisons and blames us for now at this very day that is for Teaching And because we are forward to follow God in his Requirements to Assemble together to build each other up in our most Holy Faith according to the direction of the Lord by his Spirit Heb. 10.25 Therefore our Meetings must be shut up and we must be forced not onely to neglect them but also to Swear against them or else we must be cast into Dungeons and Prison-Holes as it is at this day my self with many more can speak it by woful experience I say the Apostle blaming them for a carnal neglecting of that duty of teaching others the which I cannot but mind by the way he blames not those that were already Teachers for their negligence in Teaching but he blameth those of the Church who for the time they had been in the Church ought to have been Teachers of others who had need to have others teach them again which are the first Principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of Milk and not strong Meat Whence I would note by the way that Teachers in Gospel Churches are not Taught to Teach in Vniversities of Humane Learning before they come into their Societies but in the Churches they after they have experienced the Love of God to their Souls and have made use of the priviledges of the Gospel in the Church to Prophesie one by one as they may do that all may Learn and all may be Comforted 1 Cor. 14.31 Having I say blamed them for their carelesness and backwardness in instructing and Teaching others they were also urged to a pressing on to perfection or a building high upon that Foundation they had already laid the Principles whereof are laid down Heb. 1.1 2. to wit Repentance Faith and Baptism Laying on of Hands and to believe the Resurrection of the dead and eternal Judgment and that they might the more cheerfully go on in that way he perswadeth them in vers 12. That they be not sloathful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherited the Promises and that he might perswade them yet further he telleth them that when God made Promise to Abraham when he could Swear by no greater he Swore by Himself saying that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee And further he telleth them of Gods Swearing also as to the setting Christ apart a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec and upon these two accounts the Apostle perswadeth them to a perseverance in Gods way in certain hope of a reaping the benefit thereof in due time and the better to perswade them to a belief of the efficacy of Gods Oaths he by a familiar comparison layes before them the effect of Mans Oaths in witness bearing And therefore he telleth them that an Oath amongst men for confirmation is to them an end of all strife as much as if he should have said if an Oath be of such weight and beareth so much sway amongst men carnal unbelieving prophane wicked men as generally men are for they are either Carnal or Spiritual believing or unbelieving then of what Credit should Gods Oaths be off for the confirmation of what he Sweareth to amongst you Christians to you Church of the Hebrews with you that have owned and are under the Principles of Christs Doctrine for if we will mind the words he telleth them of the use of an Oath amongst men considered as men not of Christians nor of Churches but an Oath to them not to you but to them as they are men such as he wrote to them of to them an Oath is an end of all strife not to you neither is nor shall an Oath be for confirmation an end of all strife but let your communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more then this cometh of evil for I say unto you Swear not at all So that he layeth it not down as a Rule for them to walk by and therefore he telleth them what an Oath to them is so and so he saith not it shall be to you so and so so that he layeth it not before them as a president or a pattern for them to follow as to the practical part of it but that they should make the like use of Gods Oaths as men do of one anothers Oaths that is to put the matter out of doubt that is Sworn to Now God having Sworn to Abraham and they being the Hebrew or Jewish Church and Abrahams fleshly Seed so they should take it for granted that God would make it good for God had Sworn it and as they were a Church of Christ and in Gospel Order and the Seed of Abraham by Faith so they should take it for granted and without dispute that whatsoever benefit God had Sworn to perform to the Seed of Faith by Jesus Christ our high Priest whom
by thy thus endeavouring to perswade to a disobedience to Christ our Righteousness who is made of God unto us Wisdom whereby we speak Righteousness by whom only we are accepted Sanctification by and thorow whom we are chosen separated and set apart and Redemption whose Blood speaketh better things than that of Abel and by which only we are redeemed But to proceed Whereas thou tellest us in pag. 6. That we have together with the Consent of Nations and the Example of Prophets and Righteous men of old so also the Authority of Angels and God himself standing at our right hand as a warrant for Gospel-Disciples to swear To which I answer Though we are required to follow God as dear Children and to walk in love Eph. 5.1 To be holy 1 Pet. 1.16 and to be perfect Matth. 5.48 Yet we are no where required to follow him in swearing neither is it a sufficient Warrant for Gospel-Disciples to swear because God swore and if we immitate him we must immitate him in the manner and the end of his swearing Now when the Lord swore he swore by Himself and for me to swear by my self is to break a Law of Christ Matth. 5.34 Jam. 5.12 which saith Neither by thy Head nor this nor that nor by any other Oath Neither can I follow him in his end for I am not in such a capacity as he was or is in And if I swear by him I shall break a Law of Christ who saith Swear not at all And if we can neither follow our Pattern in the manner nor the end for my own part my shallow capacity is too narrow to apprehend why I should in such a case look upon such a Leader For to set a School-Boy a fair choice Copie yet if he must not follow his Master neither in a choice neat cutting his Letter evenly and distinctly keeping his line and distances points and stops how can he attain to fair writing and to what end is his Copie laid before him And as for Angels the sons daughters of men were never as I know of required to follow or immitate them neither if they were yet that swearing in Rev. 10.5 6. cannot possibly be immitated which is that one and only time that ever we hear of Angels swearing which was but One Angel and but Once Swearing and yet in pag. 6. thou tellest us most deceitfully that we have the Example of Angels as if it were a common course for Angels to swear By which the World shall see that the Spirit of the Lord spake a glorious truth in his servant Solomon Prov. 12.19 saying The Lip of Truth shall be established but a Lying lip is but for a moment For the Angels thou speakest of is but one and the Oath but one and that one Oath neither before nor under a Gospel Dispensation and therefore no Example for Gospel-Disciples to follow for the discovery of this one Angel's swearing is by John the Revelator who saw things to come And he that shall assert that that Angel did or hath yet sworn may as safely and as truly say The great Whore that Mother of Harlots and all Abominations is already brought down though we see her setting up daily for this Angel shall not swear till she be down for when he shall swear the end of his swearing shall be to let us know that time shall be no more Revel 10.6 and this thou urgest as a President for Gospel-Disciples to follow in doing which thou bringest it to as little purpose as Jeremiah Ives and thy self both bring and urge that Text of the Prophet Isa 65.16 thou in pag. 4. and he in pag. 9. though Jeremiah Ives be as palpably grosse as thy self therein for in pag. 7. he giveth it in as a third reason why those two Texts Matth. 5. and James 5. doth not forbid the use of all swearing as was commanded under the Law because saith he the Prophets when he can bring but one Prophet for his Prophets no more than thou Henry Den canst bring Angels for that One Angel as aforesaid and Prophesies as thou sayest in pag. 4. lin 21. when it is but this one Prophesie by that one Prophet thy Brother Jeremiah Ives produced Isa 65.16 So that here I must say to him as before I said to thee from Prov. 12.19 That a lying tongue is but for a moment Angels and Prophets as if there were multitudes when there is but one Angel and one Prophet produced and that Angel and that Prophet making but two in all and lesse there cannot be to make the plural number yet both cannot produce one good Warrant for what they are brought for the end why this supposed multitude of Angels and Prophets are brought for is but to perswade Gospel-Disciples to break that Law of Christ Matth. 5. and James 5. and when all is done when from this supposed Mountain of Swearing something remarkable is expected to be brought forth to speak metaphorically it amounteth not to so much as a Mouse for a Mouse is something in being but this is nothing at all as to Gospel-Disciples for it concerns not their Dispensation in the least for as to the Angel's swearing as is aforesaid it is not yet acted and when it shall be acted it shall set a period to time and it shall not be till time shall be no more as to men upon Earth So secondly When that Swearing shall be which is spoken of by that one Testimony that one Prophet called Prophets that also shall be fulfilled in such a juncture of time when the Gospel-Lamps of Profession shall be out for it shall be then when there shall be a New Heaven and a New Earth as saith Jeremiah Ives himself from that 56th Chapter of Isaiah ver 17. It shall be that when the New Heavens and the New Earth are created and when the former Heavens and the former Earth is forgotten So that if it shall be then and not till then that the former Earth and Heaven shall be forgotten that this swearing shall be that is here spoken of when they that swear shall swear by the God of Truth And if so then it is not in truth to be bound upon Gospel-Disciples And that ye may know distinctly When it shall be and Whom they shall be that shall swear as to the time when the Apostle Peter will tell us 2 Pet. 3.7 that by the same Power that made the Heavens and the Earth they are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Iudgment and perdition of ungodly men And this is that which maketh some of us patiently wait for and yet haste unto the coming of the Day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Earth shall melt with fervent heat then it is when we according to his Promise look for a New Heaven and a New Earth wherein dwelleth RIGHTEOUSNESS or CHRIST who of God is made unto us Wisdom RIGHTEOUSNESS c. 1 Cor.
A Fannatick's Testimony AGAINST SWEARING Being An ANSVVER TO FOUR BOOKS Published by John Tombes Jeremiah Ives and Theophilus Brabourne But more especially to that by Henry Den. By HENRY ADIS a Baptized Believer undergoing the Name of a Free-Willer and also most ignomineously by the tongue of Infamy called a Fannatick or a mad man Above all things my Brethren Swear not Jam. 5.12 For because of Swearing the Land mourneth Jer. 23.10 But speak the Truth every man to his Neighbour Ephes 4.25 And lye not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds Col. 3.9 And so speak ye and so do as those that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty Jam. 2.12 LONDON Printed by S. Dover in Martins Le Grand near Aldersgate 1661. A Fannaticks Testimony AGAINST SVVEARING Henry Den THou in the back-side of thy Title Page of thy Epistle speakest something of the deplorable Condition of Thousands of honest quiet peaceable People that have been driven by Troops into Prison-Holes both in Cities and Countries the which England never saw the like before And all this occasioned by that late Fantastical Wicked and Bloudy Insurrection which occasioned the Ministers of Justice though contrary to all Justice Equity and good Conscience to Execute their Pleasures not Justice upon these Persons the Innocency of whom as thou sayest hath appeared many wayes as well by the Confession of the dying Offenders as by their own Protestations and the Confession of those men that would be glad to find occasion against them but are not able neither will they in any thing save in the things pertaining to the Worship of their God Yet sayest thou They are kept in Bonds as with a snare which at this day holds them in and shuts the Prison Doors against them in that they as thou sayest are taught That it is not lawful upon any Occasion or before any Person to take an Oath insomuch that when the Oath of Allegiance to the KING is tendered to many who are at Liberty they rather chuse Imprisonment than to take an Oath and many who are in Prison and have Liberty proffered upon Condition of taking the Oath do rather chuse to conâ—inue there than purchase their Libertiy with swearing And that all may prevent the impendent evil Consequences necessarily following Thou sayest in Page 3. That thou wilt prove the lawfulness of an Oath in a serious and weighty Matter which cannot otherwise be determined And in the next place thou sayest thou wilt Answer those Objections which are the Pillars that uphold the negative part In all which that thou hast hitherto said I cannot but commend thee as once John the Revelator did those Seven Churches in Asia Rev. 2. and Rev. 3. Because thou hast said that which is really true as to the Innocency of that great number Imprisoned yet give me leave in the words of the same John to let thee know That there are a few things against thee And first Because that in Page 3. thou speakest that which is not altogether true in saying That an Oath is nothing else but a Religious Promise made in the presence of the living God whom sayest thou we call to witness the truth of our words In which Assertion thou wouldest if possible beget Persons to a belief that if a man call one to Witness a thing that such a calling to Witness is a Swearing by that Person whom we so call to Witness As if John Tombs should make Henry Den a Religious Promise to Preach at their Meeting at such a time and call Henry Adis to Witness this Promise will Henry Den dare to say that John Tombs did SWEAR by Henry Adis when John Tombs only called Henry Adis to WITNESS But John Tombs Henry Den or Henry Adis either or all of them may Safely Honestly or upon a good Accompt say and that without fraud that such a Promise was made and that such an one was Witness to that Promise And further if calling or setting up a Witness be a Swearing by that Witness then Jacob and Laban Swore Jacob by the Pillar of Stone and that heap of Stones Gen. 31.45 to 49. And I shall Appeal to the Judgment of any rational man to judge whether Laban in vers 49. did Swear by the Lord when he said The Lord shall Watch between us Or whether he Swore by the Lord in vers 50. when he said the Lord is Witness between us Any more than he and Jacob Swore by the heap of Stones when they said This Heap shall be a Witness And whether the Apostle Paul did Swear by the Lord when he calls God to Record or Witness 2 Cor. 1.23 and Phil. 1.8 any more then Jacob and Laban SWORE by the Heap of Stones as aforesaid Or whether Moses Swore by the Song of Deliverance when he said That that Song should be a Witness against Israel Deut. 31.19 21. But I need not say more to this for notwithstanding in Page 3. thou dost affirm that an Oath is nothing else but a calling God to witness c. Yet in Page 5. thou tellest us that the Apostle Paul in weighty matters frequently used Expressions equal to an Oath as in Rom. 1.9 where he saith God is my witness c. So that in one Page thou tellest us That calling God to witness is Equal to an Oath And in another Page thou tellest us That an Oath is nothing else but a calling God to Witness And so doth thy Brother Jeremiah Ives deal with us He telleth us in his Book Page 6. positively what an Oath is from Gen. 23.4 when Abraham caused his Servant to Swear BY the Lord. And David Sware to Saul BY the Lord 1 Sam. 21.23 And the Spies Swore BY the Lord to Rahab Josh 2.12 And Abraham Swore BY the Lord to Abimelech Gen. 21.13 And yet in Page 10. he Asserteth under his Fourth Reason that he giveth Why Swearing is lawful now under a Gospel Dispensation he Asserteth that a Calling God to witness is a Swearing and yet when he hath Asserted it then he comes and tells us that if calling God to witness be not Swearng he saith he knows not what is when in Page 6. he did shew what was Swearing For John Tombs and Henry Den may both wear Black Coats and have humane Learning and both may be very like one another as is supposed they are in other things also and may both write in and about one and the same Oathes as they do yet Henry Den and John Tombs are not one in them although they both aim at one and the same End by them And I Query Whether the Learning ye speak by be the Spirits Dictates because ye speak not the Spirits Language which is not Yea and Nay but Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus as aforesaid I would I knew where to find you yet by this I see when persons be out of Gods way they begin to be in a bewildred Condition running to and
he hath Sworn is a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec And being thus laid down as aforesaid not that they should Swear as men or the World Sware but to make use of what the Lord Sware to as men make use of their Swearing to put out of doubt that which is Sworn to to be a real absolute and final conclusion and that which in due time without dout will be by him made good and if laid down for this end and not as a Rule Pattern or President for them to act by why then is this Scripture made use of and so often brought to the Eyes and Ears of Gospel Disciples to prove the lawfulnesse of Swearing contrary to the requirements of the Lord Christ and his Apostles who say Swear not and Swear not at all and that by thy self Henry Den page 4. John Tombs in his Book and Jeremiah Ives page 11. and John Sturion and others by discourses who are Teachers of Congregations and Leaders of People and such as for Humane parts and especially for Syllogistical Discourses are eminent and all or most of them in Print upon that account And if either of you judge I have wronged you in what I have here said or the mind of the Spirit in the Text Your mouths are open and the Presse is free In the mean time I shall in Christian Love earnestly beg you and either of you that you do not so comply with present self Interests as that you bank your own Consciences nor willingly extinguish that Light you have received nor publish that in Print nor privately discourse that which may be instrumental to draw Souls from their Integrity by poysoning them with a carnal Indifferency in the things of God either by your precept or example as some of you have hitherto done with the help of your Apostatized brother Samuel Oats to the hindring of multitudes from entring into the Church of Christ by your so violently opposing that Principle of Laying on of Hands But more of that in its due place the which that I may come to Henry Den I shall say something to thy pleading for the lawfulnesse of Oaths amongst Believers upon the account of the frequentnesse of Swearing amongst Infidels by which Carnal Reasons and Arguing thou mayest as well plead for the lawfulnesse of Jews Worship and Popery as do the Church of Rome from the Universality of their Church to be the True Church as with my self several have done In page the fifth thou urgest the use of an Oath in all Nations whatsoever whether Jews Gentiles or Barbarians between Prince and Subjects Enemies and Friends for the reconciling differences ending of Controversies and assureance of Faith one towards the other Now sayest thou How great is this Authority namely The Consent of all Nations It is doubtlesse a demonstration of the second Rate at least some there are thou tellest us who account it of the first Rate viz. That the Confent of Nations is to be of Divine Authority the which however some may so assert yet for thee who pretendest thy self to be what thou doest and to say doubtlesse it is of Divine Authority and of the second Rate at the least to me it seems no better than Abomination And that will be evident when we consider seriously the sad consequences of it for Nations generally consent to Idolatry as is evident and this those of the Papal Faction have urged to my self in several Discourses to wit that their way of Worship is the Truth because owned generally by all Nations Now if this general consent of all Nations is to be to the Disciples of Christ of Divine Authority Then I querie first Whether this be not to cross and make void the sayings of the Lord Christ Luke 12.32 Who saith Fear not little Flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom And John 15.19 I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world shall hate you And many are called but few are chosen Mat. 20.16 And strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leads to Life and few there be that find it because wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth to Destruction and many there be that go in thereat Mat. 7.13 And therefore Secondly I querie Whether it be not of sad consequence to take the consent of Nations for Divine Authority which say that generally all the Nations that are in that part of the world called Christendom are Christians and that they are all Believers when Christ saith that Christians and Believers are a little Flock and that when the Son of Man cometh he questions whether he shall find Faith on the earth Luke 18.8 and are such as do generally condemn the Generation of the Just The next thing thou comest to in page five is to prove the lawfulness of Oaths in Gospel Disciples saying What doth it prove less then that the taking of Oaths is one of the Dictates written and engraven in the Heart of man by Natures Finger To which I answer That when persons are wrought upon by true saving justifying Faith then it turns out Nature I would not here be mistaken I do not say that Grace doth make a man unnatural for that is a distinguishing character of a Reprobate condition who are without understanding Covenant breakers without Natural affection implacable-unmerciful Rom. 1.31 So also saith our Apostle such are without Natural affection Truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good 2 Pet. 3.3 but where True Grace comes it works up Souls to a quickening who were dead in trespasses and sins among whom also they had their conversion in times past fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by Nature the children of Wrath as well as others such are raised up together and are made to sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2 1 2. By all which we see that what Nature Teacheth is generally destroyed by Grace that is such things as are unnatural such things as are contrary to the Mind of God such things as are conâ—rary to his Requirements his word of Truth such things in which men knowing by Pure Nature they corrupt themselves Jude 10. And for thee to assert the dictates of Nature to teach Gospel Disciples to Swear because Nature teacheth them to Swear to me it seems preposterous and that which is inconsistent with the word of Truth For what Nation is there Considered as a Nation that at this day acteth according to pure Light of Nature Nay what particular Persons are there that act near it but some few of that People called QUAKERS only I shall Appeal to the Judgements of all herein and shall justifie that People for that and that above those that do pretend to a Form of Godliness and do deny the POWER thereof for they acting onely and alone by the LIGHT within and not Conforming at all to that
1.30 Who is the Lord our RIGHTEOUSNESSE Jerem. 23.6 And as to the persons who they shall be the 15th verse of the 65th Chapter tells us That they are such as shall be called by another name And this Evangelical Prophet distinguisheth them from the Gentiles whom we are for so saith he Isa 62.2 speaking of them And the Gentiles shall see Thy Righteousness and all Kings thy Glory Thou shalt also be a Crown of Glory in the Hand of the Lord and a Royal Diadem in the Hand of thy God Thou shalt no more be termed FORSAKEN neither shall Thy LAND any more be termed DESOLATE For Thou shalt be called HEPHZI-BAH and Thy Land BEULAH for the Lord delighteth in Thee and thy Land shall be Married For as a young man marrieth a Virgin so shall thy sons marry thee speaking to the Land or Beulah And as a Bridegroom rejoyceth over his Bride so shall thy God rejoyce over thee And this the Lord hath sworn to by his Right hand and by the Arm of his Strength that he will perform it And this shall be when he will no more give their Corn nor their Wine for which they have laboured into the hands of their Enemies nor Strangers when they shall call them The Holy People The Redeemed of the Lord and their Land shall be called Sought out a City not forsaken So that it shall be scattered Israel that shall thus swear when his Name shall be changed and no more called Forsaken or cast out but when he shall be called Hephzi-bah and that after a Gospel-dispensation when the former Heavens and the former Earth shall be forgotten then also shall your Angel swear So that thine and thy Brother Jeremiah Ives great noise of Prophets and Angels being but two in all and one of them named as if he had sworn a great while since when in truth they shall neither of them swear till the Hand of the Lord shall be known towards his Servants and his Indignation towards his Enemies For behold the Lord will come with Fire and with his Chariots like a Whirlwind to render his Anger with Fury and his Rebuke with Flames of Fire for by Fire and by Sword shall the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many Isa 66.15 16. And now consider you great Humane Learned men to what end was this noise of Angels and Prophets thus proclaimed to stand at our right hand to perswade us to swear when upon examination they know not what they had to do there the which if it be thought they have I shall leave to the Rational to judge of whilst I take those other Prophets and Righteous men of old that stand with them into question also to hear whether they can perswade us to swear And upon examination I find that which they have to say to us is that they under that Legal Administration given out by the hand of Moses had Thus saith the Word of the Lord for their Warrant Deut. 8.13 Thou shalt Fear the Lord thy God and shalt Swear by his Name And now I must apply my self to Henry Den and Jeremiah Ives and let them know that these Prophets and Holy men of old were under the Levitical Priesthood but now the Priesthood is changed and as the Priesthood is changed so there must needs be also a change of the Law Heb. 7.12 So They were under Moses the Servant but We are under the Son who was counted worthy of more Honour than Moses in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house and though Moses was faithful in his house as a Servant yet Christ as a Son over his OWN HOVSE whose house are we Heb. 3 3 5. And if the SON make us free then are we free indeed John 8.36 Therefore hear what the Son faith It hath been said to them of old time that were under my Servant Moses Thou shalt not forswear thy self c. But I say unto you I that am a Son over mine own House I who will make you free from Swearing and so or by that means free from Forswearing I say unto you Swear not at all So that we being under the Sons Priesthood we are freed from all things that were under the Servants Law and that by the Direction of that Spirit that was sent to lead into all Truth and to shew things to come and that from Acts 15.28 and Acts 21.26 For as touching the Gentiles which believe we have written and concluded that they observe no such things SAVE ONELY that they keep THEMSELVES from IDOLS and from BLOOD and from things STRANGLED and from FORNICATION And seeing it is so that thou and thy brother Jeremiah do so oppose our Master and his Houshold I shall in the Power strengâ—h and might of my Master examine your grounds as a faithful Sentinel before you farther passe our Guard lest if ye get within us and by flattery Dalilah-like you bereave us of our strength In page 7. Jerem. Ives tells of Voluntary Oaths the which I say with him were lawful under that dispensation but he bringeth nothing at all to prove them to be so now under a Gospel-dispensation but his own say-so onely so that all that he hath done in all the six pages before was but onely to fill up his two sheets and nothing at all to the purpose for our Lord Christ saith Mat. 5.34 It hath been said to them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but I say unto you Swear not at all So that he needed not have gone so far about the wood to have proved that which was never denyed And had he but cut off something superfluous behind and this before one pair of sheets might have served both his and his brother Henry Dens Reasons to have lain in against Mat. 5.34 and James 5.12 And therefore I shall give a brief account of what he saith in opposition to Mat. 5.34 Swear not at all To which in page 7. he doth answer negatively that that Text cannot forbid the use of all Swearing that was lawful under the Law his first Reason is Because Christ himself Swore Mat. 26.63 when the Priest said I Adjure thee by the Living God that thou tell me whether thou be the Christ the Son of God And saith Jeremiah Ives Christ Sware in his saying thou hast said or I am To which I Answer That he did not Swear and that by Jeremiah Ives his own shewing for in p. 11. l. 1. We shall prove that it was the Priest Sware and not Christ for if the Apostle Paul did Swear when he Adjured 1 Thes 5.27 and not them he writ to then the Priest Sware if Adjuring be Swearing and not Christ when he was Adjured but saith Jeremiah Ives The Apostle Paul Sware when he Adjured and this he justifies in p. 11. l. 1. in l. 17. he thinketh it no presumption to arraign them for Ignorance that say the
if he shall think to make any rational man believe that if Henry Adis doth prefer Jesus Christ above or before John the Baptist that these two befores can be brought to one and the same for then we must read the former supposal thus Henry Den and Jeremiah Ives came into York above Henry Adis the which to say is meer nonsense And yet this is nothing less then what Henry Den in effect doth assert for Henry Den bringeth a Before which respecteth Time to disprove our Above which respecteth not Time but Estimation but Henry Den may plainly see that if he had brought a Before which respecteth Estimation he would then have read our Text Jam. 5.12 as doth the Rhemist TESTAMENT which readeth thus Before all things my Brethren Swear not which is Henry Den's own Language without any contradiction in the least And what need then all this ado about the Translation as if the Translation did so much alter the sense of the Text as if it should or did alter the thing in ended which the Spirit of God layes down as a Prohibition Swear not so as to be a possitive command ye shall Swear for that is the thing Henry Den intended to beget us to a belief of for he quarrelleth with the Translation for no other end but to prove some Swearing in Communication Lawful but not so much as to have our Communication interwoven with Oaths as in page 6. line 26. is evident which is to prove that Lawful under the Gospel which was never lawful under the Law So that Henry Den I see any thing will serve turn to patch up thy Opinion bare Terms or words without distinctions the which when men use to darken the Counsel of God they run into Confusion as thou doest who by thy Scholarship would make us believe that some Swearing is lawful under the Gospel but I plainly see the good Word of the Lord made good which saith he taketh the Wise in his own Craftinesse and thus the Counsel of the Froward is carried headlong they walk in darknesse in the day time and grope at none-day as in the night Job 5.13.14 The Wisdom of the Humane Learned Wise is brought to nothing and the understanding of the Prudent men is become folly for God hath chosen the Foolish the Weak base things and things that are not to bring to naught the things that are and his end in all this is that no Fleshly Carnal Humane Learned Persons should Glory in his Presence that so his Son and his Spirit alone may be exalted being manifest in the weakness of his People And whereas thou tellest us in thy last page That all these things considered the Ground appears not so sure as it was Fancied To which I Answer That the Ground yet through Mercy standeth firm and those Objections the Pillars thou speakest of in page 3. the which in page 6. thou namest to be Mat. 5.34 and James 5.12 are yet as firm as ever and are as so many STANDING MONVMENTS in the house â—f God which is the Church of the Living God that Ground and Pillar of Truth notwithstanding thy Artificial Workman-ship with thy Greek and Hebrew Translations togegether with the help of thy Brother Jeremiah Ives who followed thee and much mended thy work too yet all in vain for he was but a Learner at the work and although he formerly had bidden Defiance to the Faces of GENERALS COLLONELS and COMMANDERS in open Field in the behalf of his late Masters probably to the gaining of that which now to keep he durst not withstand the assaults of a single MAJOR and his small company and thus betraying his trust in that work in which he was a Master-Builder he very then began this Trade of Undermining when he followed Thee the which although he was so forward to undertake yet he had needed both He and Thy self too to have gone to the University again to have studied to distinguish between things that differ for taking a Vow a Testimony an Asseveration and an Adjuration for an Oath you run Babel-Builders-like into a Confusion and so may pull an old house on your heads in conclusion Samson-like Judg. 16. probably to the wounding and slaying thousands As for Sophistical Syllogistical Science that your fore-runner the Captain of your Work John Tombs as blind as your selves in distinguishing hath been hewing these Pillars withal yet the Foundation is not moved for it was Emanuel that God-mans work to raise them and he must be more then a man that can pull them down And whereas thou tellest us that the ground is not so sure as it was fancied I Answer That in pretending to shâ—ke the Foundations thou hast had many Fancies for that thou hast done is meer Fancie and that which never grew in Truths Garden the Holy Scripâ—ures but was fetched out of the muddy Channels of Humane Learning and whereas thou tellest us that if the Quaker saith the Light within forbideth him to Swear the consent of Nations thou sayest confuteth him Having already to thy Consent of Nations said so much as I have I shall leave that QUAKER that I heard is answering thy Letter to answer for himself and his Light within and shall onely answer for my self and in the behalf of those that plead Scripture for their Warrant which thou sayest is so weak and shall let thee know that ordinary Grammar School-boys can tell us that as there is weak and weaker so there is also weakest of all even so there are three that have born Testimony against this Truth John Tombs Jeremiah Ives and HENRY DEN and therefore I must continue my Speech to thee and in thine own following words shall say Beware you that have so done lest ye hear who hath required these things at your hands they are thine own words make the best use of them thou canst it is a good caution Physition cure thy self And I shall farther say as thou sayest That Christ forbideth all those Exorbitant and Exâ—ravagant Oaths whereof now the Streets and Houses are full a sad presage of some Judgement at hand it was hoped by some that the Kings Proclamation would hâ—ve restrained such Debauchery but alas it is not so but had the Fiery Zealous Mayor of London and his Officers with the Iustices of Peâ—ce of the City and Liberty of Westmnister and the Out-Parishes with them of the several Shires and Counties been but half as careful to have put the Penalty of that Proclamation into Execution and have followed it to the height as they have done the Observation of that Proclamation for shutting up the Peaceable Innocent Harmlesse Meetings of us the Despised Abused Baptists and in their so Eager and Inhumane Committing us to Prison even to the Ruine of our Families unlesse we who are in the Gate-House Prison be willing to pay Traytors Fees I say If the Mayor and Iustices as aforesaid had been but as Zealous for Gods Glory the Gooâ— of the King and
Officious Mayor by virtue of whose Jehu like Zeal to make the King amends for his Abingtons hasty Mornings Work and that Tender Respect he shewed to the late KING his FATHER at Holmby House I say That when Jeremiah Ives was frightned into a perswasion to Swear neither John Doe nor Jeremiah Ives must Swear before the supposed Judge no otherwise but as Jeremiah Ives Sware before that Officious and double-diligent Officer as aforesaid not by the Lord but by the Contents of that Book yea even by what was Contained in that Book For this is the Form of the Oath You shall Swear by the Contents of this Book to speak the Truth the whole Truâ—h and noâ—hing but the Truâ—h so help you God Now I querie although I think I need not because he that perswaded him to go out of Gods way to Swear could as easily perswade him to go out of Gods Way to Swear by that which is no God yet I shall querie whether Jeremiah Ives did so much as open the Book to see whether it was a Divine Service-Book as they call it or a Bible as it is usually bound with the Old and New Testament and the Apocrypha with or without the Service-Book as aforesaid or the Singing Psalms Compiled by Thomas Sternhold John Hopkins William Wade and others who were said to be Musical Servants to Queen Elizabeth I say whether all some part or which part of all these Jeremiah Ives Swore by and whether Jeremiah Ives did consider what a strong Oath he took and by how many Gods he Swore And for brevity sake we will omit the Common-Prayer and begin at Genesis and consider that there is a Serpent and his Words several false Heathenish Gods as Dagon Molech Baal Ashtrosh Chemoth Rimmon Diana of the Ephesians with several Great and Mighty Men as the Children of Anack Goliah Jepthah Sampson with many Giants and several Kings Good and Bad as Sihon Og Agag Saul Agrippa Herod Pharaoh c. the Multitude of whose Armies and Fighting-men are innumerable with the several sorts of Birds Beasts Fish and Fowl with many more things of several kinds with Herbs Flowers Plants and Trees both Men and Women good and bad with several Stones both Pretious and Common which are contained in the Old and New Testament as they are occasionally Discussed of by the Great Iehovah his Holy Prophets the Lord Christ and his Apostles for the Holy Scriptures are laid down to us Prophetically Prometically Typically Allegorically Historically Parrabolically as well as by Precept or Command in all which Cases all things aforesaid must be named and yet all Lawful Godly and of Christian use and such as are well pleasing to God and many of them uttered by the Lord Christ himself as for Example one had bought a piece of Land and another a Yoak of Oxen and another had Married a Wife and therefore they could not come to the Supper spoken of to what end these are spoken the Rational may Judge that they were of Singular and Holy use But to Swear by that Land that Yoak of Oxen or that Wife or that Supper is as Prophane and as much forbidden as to Swear by Heaven or Earth or Jerusalem because it is of some other thing And he that Swears by the Contents of the Bible Swears by what ever is contained in that Book and must Swear by all things therein bad as well as good as well by the meanest things as by the holy Commands But to our Supposal as aforesaid the Bond being before the Judge the Jurors are Sworn according to Henry Den his Translations neither Wholly Altogether nor in every way and John Doe and Jer. Ives their hands upon the Book are Sworn neither Wholly Altogether nor to speak the truth in every way by what means doth Henry Den suppose by his Translation to have his 100 l. when neither Judge for him we must suppose also to be thus lamely Sworn I say by what means can Henry Den suppose to have his 100 l. by such a Judge Jurors and Witnesses who are thus Sworn to Halves neither Wholly Altogether nor every way But if Richard Roe and Henry Adis whose yea is yea and their nay nay shall in the presence of the great Jehovah according to Henry Den his Translation and according to the Sense of our Text Mat. 5.34 without Swearing at all wholly and altogether and in every way speak the Truth the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth in every Circumstance both of time place and person when where who and what So â—hat by such a Judge Jurors and Evidence Henry Den may expect his 100 l. from Theoplilus Brabourn And here it would be well minded by the People of God that they consider what they that have Sworn have Sworn By in so Swearing and that they lay all carnal reasonings aside and not withstanding the Kings Proclamation that they speedily Repair to their Respective Meetings with all the Members that they possibly can get together that so they may make a great Outcry to the Lord in the behalf of the King and his People that so God may pass by and wink at these OATHS of Ignorance and for the time â—o come that it may be so much taken notice of as that it be never acted in by any as a Sin of Wilfulness neither by him that shall Administer it nor by them to whom it shall be Adminstred And if any men shall oppose you in your so doing let them know that you are going to pray to the great King of Heaven and Earth by the help of the Holy Spirit in the name of King JESUS for King Charles the Second that so in the name of King Jesus God may shower down his Blessings upon King CHARLES the second under whom you yet hope to lead a peaceable quieâ— and godly life in all godliness and honesty and that God may enlighten the Eyes of their Understanding in these things so as that the Judgments of God come not speedily down upon the Nation for such Oaths as these Thus the Lord having given this in by the Incomings of his Spirit I could not chuse but lay it down that so there may be a Conviction upon the Consciences of all that are herein guilty that so they may go to God and beg his pardon for this Sin of Ignorance Wilfulness oâ— what it may be called And I earnestly beg you who ever you are into whose hands this shall come that you Improve the best of your Interest to see that this be brought to the Kings view that so at present there be some speedy Consideration therein had that so Englands Subjects be no longer forced to Swear hand over head by that which is not GOD to the ensnaring of the Simple of the Land to the pulling down the heavy Judgments of God upon them for their Ignorance in their pretended acceptable serving of him in this pretended Swearing by his Name by which means they are plunged