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
and came to restore the true witness-bearing as at the first which was and is the Righteousness of the Law of Oaths And the Apostle being an able Minister of the Spirit not of the Letter he was come to see the End of that which was abolished and preached the everlasting Gospel the word of Faith which was and is the Word of Truth the Author of true witness-bearing which was before any Oath or Swearing was And so as Christ his Lord and Master had done before when he said unto Pilate For this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness unto the Truth Joh. 18.37 He in obedience to his Lord and Master did bear witness to and of the Truth And in witness-bearing did as the Servants of the Lord do call God to witness or appeal to the witness of God in men concerning the truth of what he declared without observing any set forms of words And as Sarai had done before when she said unto Abram The Lord judge betwixt thee and me yet did not swear at all But A. S. saith That calling God to witness is a formal Oathâ— because there is an attestation of the Name of God Answ. That the Name of God was used in witness-bearing before any Oath or Swearing was doth appear Gen. 3.3 where Eve before the Fall in witness-bearing used the Name of God when she said God hath said Ye shall not eat c. yet did not swear at all And Sarai after the Fall did use an attestation of the Name of God in witness-bearing when she said unto Abram The Lord judge betwixt thee and me Gen. 16.5 and yet Sarai did not swear at all in so doing And therefore the calling of God to witness or saying God is my witness c. without adding of somewhat more is neither Oath nor Swearing For if such attestations or mentioning the Name of God without somewhat more were swearing then it would follow That People did swear oftentimes in their Prayers As when they use that expression Oh God the Father of Heaven c. O God make haste to help us Amen Amen c. which for any to affirm were a great injury to the People Again If a bare attestation of the Name of God by what terms soever expressed were an Oath and Swearing without adding of some what more Then would the Magistrates in Judicial proceedings in cases where an Oath and Swearing is by the Law required receive such Attestations of the Name of God without denying them for Oaths and Swearing But such Attestations or the like without adding somewhat more is denied by the Magistrates in Judicial proceedings c. Therefore they are no formal or legal Oaths without addition of somewhat more which somewhat more being more than yea and nay cometh of evil For it must be confessed and it is the chiefest ground or cause that is alleadged for the lawfulness of some swearing under the Gospel that it is necessary for the ending of Controversies and Strife in Judicial proceedings c. That if an Oath or Swearing were lawful in any case whatsoever it must be in Judicial proceedings c. And I do not find in the Scriptures of Truth That any Oath was lawful but in such proceedings or the like emergent occasions All vain and prosane Oaths being forbidden by the Law And as the lawful use of Oaths under the Law was in legal or judicial proceedings so the definition or determination of what was a legal Oath or Swearing and what was neither Oath nor Swearing was by the Law and the Ministers of it and not by private or particular men For at this day there are several kinds or forms of Oaths required by the National Laws And yet the bare Attestation of the Name of God without addition of somewhat more is not answerable to any of them neither doth fully answer the requiring of the Law as the daily practise of the Law in the Courts of Judicature doth manifest which practice doth declare what a legal Oath is in the judgment of the National Laws And for illegal Oaths A. S. I hope will not contend By which Laws also it doth appear That the Law doth put a difference betwixt an Oath or Swearing and Witness-bearing and doth not confound them together as many men do As for instance in one particular When a Party or a Witness doth appear to answer a Libel or to give Evidence in the Ecclesiastical Courts upon his Appearance in the Court he is required to take his Oath and then the Book being held the Party having laid his hand thereupon some words being spoken to him by the Judge of the Court and after the Party having kissed the Book then is the Party said to be Sworn or to have taken his Oath And being so Sworn he is admonished to give in his Answer or his Evidence as the Case is at or before such a time so that the Evidence after given into the Court is the Witness-bearing and not the Oath which Evidence or Answer as the Case requires if he neglect or refuse to give he is proceeded against for refusing to give his Evidence or Answer And not as one that refuseth to Swear or take an Oath he having Sworn or taken his Oath before which Evidence if given is the Witness-bearing and not the Oath For if he refuse to swear he is proceeded against for refusing to swear although he offer to give his Evidence without swearing So that the Evidence is the witness-bearing and not the Oath By which it doth appear That an Oath is in and of it self a distinct thing from Witness-bearing which was before any Oaths was and is but a Bond or Tye for true Witness-bearing and not the substance For when the Evidence is given if what is Evidenced be false the Oath taken before or after doth not make it true And if it be truth that is Evidenced the refusing to take or add an Oath or give a Token Sign or Pledge doth not detract any thing from it By which it may appear to the unprejudiced in mind That the laying aside of an Oath and Swearing which was added for a time under the Law in witness-bearing because men had transgressed or gone from the Truth of God which was in the beginning before any Oath was in witness-bearing is not to destroy true witness-bearing but the reducing it to its primitive purity as it was in the beginning So that the true Witness Christ Jesus being made manifest all that believe in him and receive him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God and by his Spirit which is Truth and leads into all Truth he enableth them to do the Truth confess the Truth and speak the Truth from the heart unto their Neighbour or before a Magistrate in witness-bearing as it 's written A good man out of the good treasure in his heart he bringeth forth good things So that our Neighbour
of Faith Gal. 3.12 And so as it s written The Promise is sure to all the seed and not to that only which is of the Law but also to that which is of the Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.16 although they were never under the Law of any carnal commandment nor never dwelt in Canaan For all who are of Christ they are Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise Gal. 3.29 And so he is our peace who hath made both Jew and Gentile one and hath broken down the middle Wall of Partition betwixt them having abolished in his flesh the enmity the Law of Commandments contained in the Law written That so both Jew and Gentile through him might have access unto the Father by one Spirit and not by Swearing or observing any carnal Commandment and might worship the Father who is a Spirit not in the oldness of the letter but in the newness of the Spirit the Law and Power of the endless Life which was in the beginning with God before any Oath or Swearing was from which Word and Power of God that is Eternal not Moral Man departed when he sinned And as Christ is our Peace he is also our Peace-maker by taking away sin and finishing transgression the ground or cause of the Controversie betwixt God and Man and one man with another and bringing into the Heart everlasting Righteousness he reconcileth man unto God and one man unto another turning the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the Just. And Christ Jesus coming to do the will of God he fulfilled the Law which could not in any wise pass away till it was fulfilled Mat. 5.18 and having fulfilled the Law not destroyed it as he that fulfills and performs his Covenant in every particular he doth not destroy it although the Covenant once fulfilled is no longer obligatory to him that hath fulfilled it according to the will of God who gave the Law he took it away or out of the way and disanulled the first Covenant or Testament written in Tables of Stone that he might establish the second Heb. 10.9 called the new Covenant written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God not in Tables of Stone but in fleshy Tables of the Heart according to 2 Cor. 33. Heb. 8.10 10.16 And in that he saith a new Covenant he hath abrogated the old Covenant or Testament Heb. 8.13 For being Testaments they were not be of force both together the latter being in its self a revocation of the former and where a Testament is revoked there every Legacy or Gift therein contained is also revoked and taken away and not some particulars only but the whole which Testament or Covenant is established upon better Promises That so what was impossible for the Law or first Testament to do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.2 3. And thus Christ Jesus according to the will of God having fulfilled the Law not destroyed it which was not of Faith and therefore was not to abide for ever And the end of God in giving the Law which was but to continue for a time as a School-master to bring to Christ being accomplished in Christ he took away the Law or first Testament that made nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 which was not of Faith being changeable and in the stead or place thereof he established the second Testament or new Covenant upon better promises which perfecteth for ever them that are Sanctified according to Heb. 10.9 which being the Law of Faith is unchangeable and abideth for ever So that Christ Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament the faithful dispenser of the manifold Graces of God unto all that believe came not only to reform the abuses of the Scribes and Pharisees in Swearing in the Temple in the first Priesthood and other things under the first Covenant but also to take away the things that were changeable which they had so abused and in the stead and place of them to establish that which is unchangeable the New Testament upon better promises Heb. 8.6 And in that he faith a New Testament he hath abrogated the Old Heb. 8.13 And therefore when Christ Jesus the true and faithful Witness was come who was to restore all things as in the beginning was set down on the Mountain and his Disciples whom he had chosen out of the World to be his Witnesses came to him and he being to make known unto them that were to bear witness of him the true Witness-bearing as it was in the beginning before any Oath or Swearing was amongst other his gracious words he said unto them who were of the Jews and then were come to be his Disciples and not to the multitude Ye are the Salt of the Earth ye are the Light of the World let your Light so shine before men that they seeing your good Works may glorifie your heavenly Father And that they being Iews might not be offended at what he was to say unto them He told them He was not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfil them And that not one jot or tittle should pass from the Law till it should be fulfilled mark that In which words is plainly shewed That as the Law was fulfilled by Christ it was to pass away being only given by God and added because of transgression for a time viz. till the Seed should come that was out of transgression and so the Law being temporary was changeable And having so prepared their minds he told them among other Precepts in the Law That it had been said of old time Thou shalt not for swear thy self but shalt perform thine Oaths to the Lord But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is the Throne of God neither by the Earth c. but let your yea be yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil Mat. 5.34 c. By which words which are the interpreters of the heart it is evident that the Oaths which they were under the Law to perform unto the Lord and which Christs words had reference unto were such Oaths as were required by the Law and those Oaths the Law required were by the Lord and not by the Creatures for all swearing by the Creatures was by the Law forbidden Which being so then the words following But I say unto you who were to be Lights of the World Swear not at all must needs be a prohibition of all Swearing by the Lord. And that he added Neither by Heaven c. Christ giveth a reason for the same Mat. 23.22 where he faith He that sweareth by Heaven he sweareth by the Throne of God and by Him that sitteth thereon who is the Lord And