guesse that you are not For doth not our Saviour tell us also That out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak eth Mat. 12.34 and that we shall know men by their fruits That every good tree bringeth forth good fruit and a corrupt tree evill fruit Mat. 7.16.17.20 and 12.33 Doth not St. Iames say If any man among you seemeth to be religious and brideleth not his tongue that man deceiveth himselfe and his religion is vaine Iames 1.16 You may flatter your selfe but evill speaking discovers an evill heart A corrupt streame is an ill signe of a pure fountaine neither shall you perswade me that good wine is in the vessell when only vinigar comes forth if the words be hellish and prophane we may flatly conclude that the heart also is wicked If you blessed God with your soule you would not blaspheme him with your tongue Yea could you rappe out oaths in such a manner as you doe if your conscience were not seared and your heart hardned and you past felling and destitute of all grace No it s impossible for the least sparke of the true feare of God in your heart would be as a bridle to curbe in this unruly evill of the tongue that it should not run so at randum nor burst out either into wicked or vaine swearing If yee love me saith our Saviour keep my commandements Iohn 14.15 Now what sin will a man leave for Christs sake if he will not leave this which is every way unprofitable and many wayes hurtfull And what though the naturall man who wants both the eye of faith and the light of Gods word and spirit can perceive nothing amisse in his owne heart yet one that is spirituall may 1 Cor. 2.14.15 The disease appeares not many times to the Patient himselfe yet when he talkes idly the Phisutian knowes he is even sick to death But what needs all this when you fret and spurne against the good word of God and swell against your reprehender when with Balam and Herod you grudge to be stayed in the way to death and fly'upon those who oppose your perdition which is an infallible argument that you are utterly destitute of the feare of God Yea he that will not heare of his faults is not capable of amendment Yea to be exasperated with good counsell and in stead of penetency to breake into choller when fury sparkles in those eyes which should gush out with water it is an evident signe of one that shall perish Pro. 29 1 Read the words and tremble a man that heardneth his necke being of ten reproved shall suddainly be destroyed that without remedy see more Pro. 1.24.25.26 to 33. Whence it is the Prophet tells Amazia I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my councell 2 Chro. 25.16.20 and that the Holy ghost speaking of Elyes sonnes saith that they would not hearken unto uor obey the voice of their father because the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Sam. 2.25 That sin is past al cure which strives against the cure Hearbs that are worse for warering Trees that are lesse fruitfull for dunging and pruning are to be rooted out or hewen downe Even salvation it selfe will not save those that spill the potion and fling away the plaster When God would have cured Babylon and she would not be cured then she is given up to destruction without further warning Wherefore boast what you will of a good heart yea sweare also that you feare God I know and am assured that you have not the feare of God before your eyes as the Apostle speaking of unbeleevers phraseth it Rom. 3.18 For as St Iohn saith If any man love the world the love of God is not in him 1 Iohn 2 15 so if any man love swearing or cursing the feare of God is not in him for it cannot be that the true feare of God and ordinary swearing cursing should dwel together in one man Yea dead are they while they live that live in this sin Eph. 1 2 3 Col. 2.13 Math. 8.22 Iames 2.17 2 Cor. 4.3 4.2 Thes 2 9.10 Nor ought beleevers by the rule of Gods word to eate or keepe company with such 2 Thesalo 3.6.14 Ephes 5.5.7 1 Cor. 5.11 1 Tim. 1.10 But of this sinne see more In Mr. Downames Treatise of swearing Mr. Dod upon the third commandement A late treatise called Sinne Stigmatized Out of which three bookes I have improved my owne tallent for the honour of the giver and profit of the hearers And as touching Puritanisme have but patience and your selfe shall confesse that those are not puritanes who are generally so reputed but their accusers viz. Papists Prophaine Ignorant and meere civill men prelaticall Arminian Scandalous and Malignant Ministers who are pleased either out of Ignorance or malice to tearme and repute them so Yea I will make it so plaine by Gods assistance that every one present shall acknowledge the religious to be innocent and there accusers to be guilty of the same things which you and the world blinded in judgement judge of them and most unjustly lay to their charge whether you meane by a puritane One Who is pure in his owne eyes Or who saies and does not seemes and is not Or who under a shew of religion cosens the world Or who stumbles at strawes and leapes over blocks Or who is over ridged and sensorious Or who is singular in his judgemment and practise Or who is unquiet and contentious amongst his neighbours For this is the case the men of the world thinke all that are scrupelous and conscionable to be puritanes but they know upon good ground from Gods word all who barke out this odious name to bee indeed ranke Puritanes and grosse Hypocrites and that they are in the condition of blind persons who rushing one upon another in the way either complaines of the others blindnesse but neither of his owne for for the most part he alone that is guilty will be casting these stones complain of anothers unsavory breath when his lungs only are corrupt Thus the Author goes one in the conference tell he hath compleated his promise and answered all the usual questions in controversie betweeen the Word and the World as every one shall find that reads the cure of Misprision Postscript YOu that feare God or have any bowells of compassion towards the precious soules of those poore ignorant men women and children whom you heare to sweare and curse as doggs barke that is not more of curstnes then out of custome wish them to read these few pages at least the first 5. or 6. which I thought fit to print even as I found it in the beginning of a Manuscript And in case you perceive good come of it give of them to your friends and neighbours At Iames Crumps a Booke-binder in Little Bartholmewes Well yard you may have as many Gratis as you shall be pleased to distribute Finis Imprimatur J. Downam Errata Pag. I under the title for postcript read postscript Pag. 1. l. 1. 22 23. 25. for swaring r. swearing Pag 1. l. 28. for kil read kill therfore he must continue it pag. 3 l. 30. for unpardonable r. rests unpardonable Pag. 4. leave out the 5. last lines p. 4. l. 21 for there faith 1. their faith or ofter better security p. 5.1.19 for well they deserve it r. well they deserve it pag 6. l. 26. for heirers r. heires
A Hopefull way to Cure that horrid Sinne of SVVEARING Or an helpe to save Swearers if willing to be saved being an Offer or Message from HIM whom they so Daringly and Audatiously provoke Before you lay it by at lest read the Postcript at the End Messenger SIr methinkes you sware and curse as if he that made the eare could not heare Or as if he were neither to be feared nor cared for who for sinne cast the Angells out of heaven Adam out of Paradice drowned the old world rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodome commanded the earth to open her mouth and swallow down quicke Corah and his company he who smote Egypt with so many plagues overthrew Pharoah and his host in the Red Sea destroyed great and mighty Kings giving their land for an inheritance to his people And can as easily with a word of his mouth strike you dead while you are blaspheming him and cast you body and soule into hell for your odious unthankefullnesse Yea it is a mercy beyond expression that he hath spared you so long What because you are displeased with others will you fly in your makers face and tare your Saviours name in peices This is worse then frenzy this is to send challenges into heaven and make love to distruction consider of it least you sweare away your part in that blood which must save you if ever you be saved yea take heed least you be plagued with a witnes and that both here and here after for God who cannot lye hath threatned that his curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer as it is Zach. 5.1 to 5. And I doubt not but you are already cursed though you know it not That either he hath cursed you in your body by sending some foule disease or in your estate by suddainly consuming it or in your name by blemishing and blasting it or in your seed by not prospering it or in your mind by darkning it or in your heart by hardning it or in your conscience by terrifying it or will in your soule by everlastingly damning it if you repent not Wherefore take heed what you doe before it prove too late Or if you regard not your selfe or your owne soules good yet for the Kingdomes good leave your swaring for the Lord as now we find to our smart hath a great controversie with the inhabitants of the land because of swaring Hosea 4.1.2 Yea because of oaths the whole land even the 3. Kingdomes now mourneth or rather lyes a bleeding and that to death as you may see Ier. 23.10 Neither object that ye are so accustoâ—ed to swaring that you cannnot leave it for this defence is worse then the offence as take an instance Shall a Thiefe or Murtherer at the barre aleadge for his defence that it hath beene his use and custome of a long time to rob and kill or if he doe will not the Judge so much the rather send him to the Gallowes Besides the objection is false and frivilus for weare you forced to pay 12. pence for every oath you sweare as the law injoynes or if you were sure to have your tongue cut out which is too light a punishment for this sin damnation being the due penalty thereof as the Apostle sets it downe James 5.12 You both could and would leave it Wherefore I beseech you by the mercies of God who hath removed so many evills and conferred so many good things upon you that they are beyond thought or imagination to leave it especially after this warning which in case you do not will be a sore witnesse rise up in judgment against you another day Swarer Did I sware or curse Messenger Very often as all here present can witnesse and Satan also who stands by to take notice reckon up and set on your score every oath you utter keeping them upon record against the great day of asize at which time every oath will prove as a daggars point stabbing your soule to the heart or as so many waights pressing you downe to hell Revelat. 12.10 As also the searcher of hearts who himselfe will one day be a swift witnesse against swarers Mal. 3.5 For of all other sinners the Lord will not hould him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine as the third commandement tells you Exod. 20.7 But woe is me it fares with common swarers as with persons desperately deseased whose excrements and filth comes from them at unawars for as by much labour the hand is so hardned that it hath no sence of labour so there much swaring causeth such abrawny skin of sencelessenesse to overspread the heart memory and conscienee that the swarer swareth unwittingly and having sworne hath no remembrance of his oath much lesse repentance for his sin Swarer Alasse though I did sware yet I thought no harme Messenger O foole what Prince hearing himselfe abused to his face by the reproachful words of his base and impotent Subject would admit of such an excuse that whatsoever he spake with his mouth yet he thought no ill in his heart And shall God take this for a good answer having told us beforehand Deut. 28.58.59 that if we doe not feare and dread his glorious and fearfull name the Lord our God he will make our plagues wonderfull and of long continuance and the plagues of our posterity Besides how frequently doest thou polute and prophaine Gods name and thy Saviours The Jewes greviously finned in crusifying the Lord of life but once and that of ignorance but the times are innumerable that thou doest it every day in the yeare every hower in the day although thy conscience and the holy spirit of grace hath checkt thee for it a thousand and a thousand times Doest thou expect to have Christ thy Redeemer and Advocate when thy conscience tells thee that thou hast seldome remembred him but to blaspheme him and more often named him in thy oaths and curses then in thy prayers Swarer Surely if I did sweare it was but faith and troth by our lady the masse the roode the light this bread by the crosse of the silver or the like which is no great matter I hope so long as I sweare not by God nor by my Saviour Messenger That 's your grosse ignorance of the Scriptures for God expresly forbids it and that upon paine of damnation James the 5.12 First our Saviour Christ in his owne person forbids it Mat. 5.34 35 36.37 I say unto you sware not at all neither by heaven for it is Gods throne nor by earth for it is his footstoole nor by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou sweare by thine head because thou canst not make one haire white or black but let your communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more then these commeth of evill and then by his Apostle Above all things my breathren sware not neither by heaven nor by earth â—or by any other oath but let your
third quick while they are blaspheming him though I might give you many examples of Gods vengance upon swearers even here men harden themselves in their sinnes and thinke that God allowes of their doings But O fooles though he comes softly to judgement yet he will come surely and in the end what he wanted in swiftnesse shall be supplied in severenesst Yea such mens very deliverance from judgement is a worse judgement then the judgement from which they are delivered for it argues either Gds utter forsaking them as disperate patients are given over by the Physitian as in Isay 1.5 or else it argues a reservation of them for some more fearfull plagues as it is Levit. 26.18 to 40 and Esay 6.10.11 and the examples of Cham Lots wife Absolom and Pharoah sufficiently prove As what did it availe Pharoah that himselfe was not smitten with many of those judgements wherein others perished it was far from being a mercy yea it was a reservation to the greatest temporall judgement of all here and to that eternall judgement also in the burning lake from which there is no redemption God owes that man a greivious payment whom he suffers to run on so long unquestioned and his punishment shall be the greater when he comes to reckon with him for all his faults together When God will give over men to his iudgements he first gives them over to the iudgement of an hard and impenitent heart Thou hast smitten them saith the Prophet but they have not sorrowed Thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a stone and have refused to returne Ier. 5 3. Which is now Englands case for though its back be all blew and sore with stripes yet still it persists and presumes no repentance no reformation understand it of the generality nor will wee be warned without our full vengance As filching leaves not the pilâ—â—erer with raw sides but brings him to a broaken necke They will not beleeve that are ordayned to perish As tell me of so many millions of notorious sinners as were in this land how many or where are any who from the beginning of these bloody and unnaturall warrs these sad and calamitus distempâ—â—s have left off their drinking swearing whoreing prophaning of the Lords day cheating and the like can you name tenn yea or two of a thousand which you partly knew no certainly for he that was a drunkard before is a drunkard still he that was a swearer before is a swearer still he that was filthy before is filthy still c. Though such a judgement in a different age wherein religion it selfe and the power of godlynesse was not countemptible as now it is would have caused an universall repentance and reformation as the like only threatned not executed did in the Nine vites Jona 3 But what doe I speake of their repentance and reformation or of their being the better when they are much the worse for this greivious judgement When the greatest number sweare curse even in a presumptious bravery as neither regarding Gods wrath nor waying his heavy displeasure Being like so many mad doggs that fly in their masters face who keepes them Yea when they will scoff at jeere and persecute any that shall refuse to run with them unto the same excesse of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 even living as if they were neither beholding to God nor afraid of him both out of his debt and danger Oh the small hopes that we have of Gods sheathing his sword and the many and woeful symetomes of an universall distruction of our whole Nation whom God hath more honoured with the meanes of grace then any nation under heaven for this we may build upon that God will never leave smiting till we smite that which smiteth at his honour Was it the Lords complant against Ierusalem when he threatned her destruction by Nebuchadnezar I called to weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and girding with sackcloth but behold joy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinkeing wine Isay 22.12.13 For which he was so highly offended that he tells them this their iniquity should not be purged till death verse 14 what then may wee justly looke for when we drinke and sweare cheate and whore as if there were no God to judge nor hell to punish nor heaven to reward which sinnes at any time were abominable but now and that upon dayes of humiliation they are most execrable Yea what other is this then to imitate the Thraâ—ians who when it lightens and thunders shoot arrowes against heaven thinking by that meanes to daw God to some reason And yet these men professe and call themselves Christians and looke that others should esteeme them so yea they dare call God father and expect that he should give them the Kingdome of heaven and not only shew their faces in the Temple but with their mouthes receive as they thinke the sacred body and blood of the Lord of life But will God owne such wicked and prophane wretches for his children no such matter He will one day if they repent not turne them over to the god of this world Ephes 2.2 2 Tim. 2 26 Iohn 12.31 and 14 30. And say to them as once Christ to the Jewes Iohn 8.44 Yee are of your father the Devill Neither can he be a good God who hath such evill sonnes As the Indians told the Spaniards when they first came amongst them after they had observed their conditions But I need say no more you have heard what God himselfe hath both said and sworne in his word And in case you beleeve not Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles you would never be perswaded although one should be sent unto you from the dead to testifie what a place of torment you are without repentance going unto Luke 16.31 Wherefore doe you beleeve there is a God and that he speakes as he meanes in his word are you a Christian if you be there is an hell in your creed If there be an hell how dare you tare heaven with your blasphemies and bandy the dreadfull name of God in your impure and miry mouth by your bloody oathes and execrations Doe not stifle your conscience nor stop your eares against the mennases and threats of God in his word Flatter not your heart with an opinion that he is all mercy but beleeve peremptorily and fully what the word speakes as well the commands and threats as the promises And not what Satan and his adherents the world and the flesh suggests of meeting with heaven at the last houre when all your life long you have gallowped in the beaten road towards hell Or to use our Saviours owne words Doe not stop your eares and winke with your eyes least you should see with your eyes and heare with your eares and understand with your heart and so should be converted Mat. 13.15 Acts 28.27 Yea if you beare any good
not to take the glorious name of God in vaine nor place any other creature in his roome though the Divell should say unto you as once he did to Christ all this will I give thee For it is not enough that we abstaine from evill unlesse we hate it also and doe the contrary good Sanctifie the Lord God in your heart 1 Pet. 3.15 Make a Covenant with your mâ—uth as Ioh did with his eyes and set a watch before the doore of your lips that you thus offend not with your tongue Psal 141.3 Which if you do rightly the like care to avoyde all other sins will necessarily follow because he that feares to commit one sin out of conscience and because God forbids it will upon the samâ— ground feare all that his law forbids and as heartily and unfainedly desire that he may never commit it as that God should never impuce it 2 Tim 2.19 Neither can a regâ—nerate mâ—nd consist with a determination to continue in any one sinne as when Christ cast out one Devill wee read that he cast out all even the whole Legion Marke 5 2 And he that makes not some conscience of all sinne makes no true conscience of any sinne And the same is to be understood also of duties commanded for the same law which injoynes us to hate and forsake all sinne commands us also to strive after universall obedience to every precept And it is a true rule he that hath not in him all christian graces in their measure hath none and he that hath any one truly hath all He that is not sanctified in every part is truly sanctified in no part 1 Pet. 1.15 2 Pet. 3.11 Mat. 5 48. 2 Tim. 3.17 2 Cor. 7.1 And the least sin alowed of be it but a vaine thought or one duty omitted is enough to cast thee into hell for the wages of sinne any sinne be it never so little is death Rom. 6 23. James 1.15 Yea admit thou hadst never acted any the least evill in all thy life it were not enough to save thee from hell much lesse to bring thee to heaven for we need no more to condemne us then what we brought into the world with us Gen. 2.17 Psâ—l 51.5 Rom. 5.12 Whence the new borne child in the law was commanded to offer a sinne offering Levit 12.6 Which grace if you would obtaine First lay to heart the things formerly delivered Beleeve thine estate dangerous and that there is but one way to help thee viz. to repent what thou hast done and never more to do wilfully or premedetately what thou hast repented not fostering one knowne sinne in thy soule For the only way to become good is first to beleeve that thou art evil and by accusing our selves we prevent satan by judging our selves we prevent God Scondly If thou beest convinced and resolvest upon a new course let thy resolution be pâ—remtory and constant and take heed thou hearden not againe as Pharoah the Philistems the Yong man in the Gospel Pilate and Judas did Resemble not the Iron which is no longer â—oft then it is in the fier be not like those which are sea sicke who are much troubled while they are on shipbord but presently well againe when they come to shore for that good saith St. Gregory will doe us no good which is not made good by perseverance If with these premonitions the spirit shall vouchsafe to stir up in thy heart any good motions and holy purposes to obey God in letting thy sins goe quench not grieve not the spirit 1 Thes 5.19 returne not with the dog to thy vomit least thy latter end prove seven fold worse then thy beginning Mat. 12.43.45 As it fared with Iulian the Apostate and Iudas the Traitor Oh it is a fearfull thing to receive the grace of God in vaine and a desperate thing being warned of a rock will fully to cast our selves upon it Thirdly Let not Satan perswade you to defer your repentance no not an houre least your resolution proves as a false conception that never comes to bearing for as ill debtors put off their creaditors first one weeke and then another tell at last they are able to pay nothing So deale delayers with God Besids Death may be suddain even the least of a thousand things can kill thee and give thee no leasure to be sicke 2. Or if death be not suddain repentance is no such easie worke as to be put off to sicknesse And though true repentance be never too late yet late repentance is seldome true And indeed there is small hope of repentance at the houre of death where there was no regard of honesty in the time of life and millions are now in hell who thought they would repent hereafter not being wise enough to consider that it is with sin in the heart as with a tree planted in the ground which the longer it groweth the harder it is to be pluckt up or a nayle in a post which is made faster by every stroake of the hammer Can the Blackamore change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill saith the Lord Ier. 13.23 3. Or suppose after many yeares spent in the service of sinne and Satan thou art willing to relinquish thy lusts and offer to God thy service and best devotions at the last gaspe Will he accept of them No he hath expresly told us the contrary Pro. 1.24 to 32. Yea is 〈◊〉 likely that God will accept of thy dry bones when Satan hath suâ—kt out all the marrow that he will give his heavenly and spirtuall graces at the houre of deah to those who have câ—ntâ—mned them all their life Yea is it not most just and equall â—f God will not be found of those that were content to loosse him If he shut his eare against their prayers calling to hâ—m for pardon that stopt their eares against his voice calling upon them for repentance The Lord hath made a promise to late repentance not of late repentance If thou convertest to morrow thou art sure of grace but thou art not sure of to morrowes conversion If in any reasonable time we pray he will heare us if we repent he will pardon us if we amâ—nd our lives he will save us but for want of this consideration Dives prayed but was not heard Esau wept but was not pitied the foolish Virgins knockt but were denied And so thousands have cried unto God at the houre of death and found no acceptance but they died as they lived and went from â—ispayer unto distruction Wherefore as you tender the good of your owne soule set upon the worke presently provide with Ioseph for the Dearth to come With Noah in the dayes of thine heâ—lth build the arke of a good conscience aganst the floods of sicknesse Imitate the Ant who provides her meat in sommer for the winter following Yea doe it whilst the yearning bowells the bleeding wounds compassionate armes