ought to have a care that that which is intended for his glory be not turned to his dishonour as 't is a most wicked impiety when Men swear falsely by God's Name so 't is a sinful compliance and unpardonable neglect for those whose duty 't is to punish such crimes not to do it for God is deprived of his Nature and of his Truth when he is made or suffered to be made an Wittnes to and approver of a lie whereby his glorious Name is most abominably prophaned Perjury and False Swearing which as it was the occasion so 't is the chief subject of the present discourse is of so high a concernment that of the Ten Commandements it takes up no less then two for as in the Third we are forbidden to take the Name of God in vain so in the Ninth we are prohibited to bear False Wittness against our Neighbour See how both these God's Honour and our Neighbour's Safety are twisted together for as thereby such men sin against God so they extreamly wrong their Neighbour which is contrary to that rule of Justice contained in our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount all (q) Mat. 7.12 things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Now certainly no Man would have another to Swear him falsely out of his good Name Liberty Fortune and Life therefore they should not do so to others But this People care neither for the Law nor the Prophets nor for Jesus Christ or God himself if False Swearing against and wronging our Neighbour in private be forbidden much more in publick in a Solemn way under notion of Justice and in Courts of Judicature whereby every thing a Man hath is laid at Stake Poor (r) 1 Kings 21.10 13. Naboth by two False Wittnesses who are well and properly called Sons of Belial was Sworn not only out of his Vineyard but also out of his Life for indeed one who is a False Wittness to Swear another out of his Estate will make no difficulty to Swear him out of his Life If there had been no False Wittness the High Priest Scribes and Pharisees had wanted a pretence to accuse our Blessed Saviour which to compass (Å¿) Mat. 26.59 they sought for false Wittnesses and therein found an occasion to put him to death according to the Prophecy long before [t] Psal 35.11 False Wittnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not as David had also said before [u] Psal 27.12 False witnesses are risen up against me This generation of Men were of all Ages as old as the Devil their Father who from the beginning was a Liar and is the [w] Job 1.6 7. Rev. 12.10 slanderer and false accuser of God's People as we see it in the case of Job Certainly God will avenge himself and Men for that wherein they are so abominably wronged in every thing belonging to them even in the Mind and Judgment of some who thorough false swearing are imposed upon for the perjured Man doth cheat and deceive seduce and impose upon Reason it self both to the Ruin of private men and overthrowing of whole Nations for not only some privave men but also the publick doth suffer Some Jews do write how when upon Mount Sinai the Tables were given as soon as the Law against Perjury was pronounced the whole World was shaken as if this had been the most important of all If Men would but read and consult Scriptures thereby to be guided and make God's Word their rule there would not be so much cause in the World to complain as there is about this matter They might read how positive how clear and how full it is thereupon They might find therein grounds enough to be disswaded from it the hainousness of the Sin that ends in blasphemy its Character of those who commit it namely God's Enemies [x] Psal 139.20 Thine Enemies take thy Name in vain the Curse they undergo the punishment they must expect and so many more such Circumstances which attend that sin How many in the World that make no Conscience at all to swallow down an Oath who know not mind not and care not for the bitter Consequences thereof a hundred to one are such for there are more wicked then good and honest Men and this thing our Juries should seriously consider of and weigh more then number Evidences Though there be some in the World who like the unrighteous Judge fear neither God nor Man or if they do rather Man then God yet these few things I shall lay before those who happen to read these lines and may be concerned in what I say we have to do with a just and true God who seeth heareth and remembereth all and will call us all to an account for what we think speak and do for after Death follows Judgment we all must certainly die the time when we know not for we have no certain lease of our lives all our days are in God's hand So a Forsworn Man may happen to go out of this World with a False Oath in his mouth and thus appear before God to receive his private Judgment and then O fool though thorough Perjury thou shouldest gain the whole World what profit is it for thee if it be with the loss of thy Soul (y) Deut. 5.24 Chap. 9.3 Heb. 12.24 For the Lord our God is a consuming fire and a jealous God of his Name of his Honour and of his Truth naked such as it is without painting or disguising how beautiful is it in it self unstained 't is an Attribute so Essential and so acceptable to God as belongs to the Nature and to the Three Persons the God of Truth Christ the Truth the Spirit of Truth and that excellent Truth so much commended by St John in his 2d and 3d. Epistles The Law (z) Tim. 1.9 10. saith Scripture is made for liars for perjured persons and the worst sort of Men so according to this Law they shall be judged in the mean time God in his word doth not simply forbid the crimes of Lying and perjury but thunders Threatnings against those who commit them 't is said (a) Mat. 5.33 Exod 20.7 Levit. 19.12 Deut. 15.21 Thou shalt not forswear thy self and ye shall not swear by my Name falsely and among other grievous things for which God calls people in question this is one (b) Jer. 7.9 Will ye swear falsely and if to convince those that are such you want Evidences I will help you to some without exception for (c) Mal. 3.5 I will come near to you to Judgment and I will be a swift Wittness against false Swearers and he will himself Judge not only false Wittnesses but also corrupt Judges and Juries Take notice of a Temporal judgment upon this account (d) Zech. 5.3 4. I will bring forth saith the Lord of hosts a Curse into the
of all their Judgments And as the Understanding ought to be Sound and the Heart Upright so must the Conscience to love search find out and judge according to Truth be very wary and cautious to do nothing against it rather detest abhor and punish all Lies Falshood and any thing conttary to 't Besides these they must not want Moral Vertue but avoid things contrary thereunto Now Justice is one of the Four Moral Vertues and as nothing is so apt to pervert it as Covetousness for it makes men seek after Bribes and both Blindeth the Eyes and Corrupteth the Heart so they that are appointed to do Justice ought not only to be free from but also to (s) 1 Coloss 3.5 Hate Covetousness which by the Apostle is well called Idolatry because Riches is the god of adored and served by the Covetous Man in few words the same Apostle calls the Love of Money which is Covetousness the Root of all Evil. This is the most pernicious Rock of all which Judges can run upon This very same Sin though they had every other Quality for the Place doth Unqualify them for it and highly declares them Uncapable of Except they hate Covetousness all other good Qualities are Insignificant and it is Pity a great Shame and Scandal to any Court of Judicature that any one who ever was Branded with and Convicted of Bribery should be suffered to sit upon the Bench and have Daily Occasion to satisfy his Covetousness and Pervert Justice and Judgment of such speaks David when (t) Psalm 26.10 he saith Their Right-hand is full of Bribes but Fire shall Consume the Tabernacles of bribery Job 15.34 We have in Scripture another most considerable Charge though to the same Purpose as Moses's in King Jehoshaphat's Instructions to his Judges thus (u) 2 Chron. 19.5 6 7. And he said to the Judges take heed what ye do for ye judge not for men but for the Lord who is with you in the Judgment Wherefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no Iniquity with the Lord our God nor Respect of Persons nor taking of Gifts This is very full and comprehensive first to shew how Cautious Judges and Juries must be of what they do not to be Rash or Hasty or Corrupt in their Judgments and though they be appointed by men as Princes c. as those Princes and Kings themselves are appointed by God so Justice is Originally in and derived from God for that saying of Divine Wisdom of the Son of God is most true (w) Prov. 8.15 16. By me Princes Rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth by me Kings reign and decree Justice Not only from but by me in my Name and Authority Wherefore Jehoshaphats Reason is very true First Negatively Ye judge not for men Then Positively but for God with this weighty Consideration that God is with them in the judgment If Judges should judge for Men that is for those who appointed them for that Office then they would judge for the Absent for Princes who gave them their Places are not present at their judgments and therefore if they have a mind to know what passes in such Courts they stand in need of being informed by others for they cannot know it by themselves but when they judge for God 't is for him who being every where is always with them heareth seeth and observeth all their Proceedings and knows all by himself and therefore needs not being informed by men of what passeth there (x) Heb. 4 13. for There is not any Creature or thing that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do Therefore Judges in the Discharge of the Duty of their places ought to look upon and eye God and not men or at least God chiefly and primarily Wherefore this good King Jehoshaphat would have not the fear of himself be upon his Judges as if he would turn them out of their places or undergo his Displeasure if they did not Right but he would work upon them out of a more noble and higher Motive not out of a Principle of Interest but of Conscience and that makes him point at the very Spring of all Justice Equity Rewards and Pains when he saith let the Fear of God be upon you and they ought to have a great care and it ought to be their whole and constant Study to do 't by a Reason drawn from the Purity of the Nature and Actings of God for there is no Iniquity with the Lord our God as the Spring is so the Streams derived from it ought to be God's Representatives upon Earth in administring of Justice ought to imitate him and not suffer Justice which is pure in it's Source to be corrupt and defiled by themselves as the Pipes thorough which it is conveyed for as it is Written Be ye Holy as I am Holy so they are Commanded Be ye Just for I am Just or else thorough his just Judgment they may happen to be Infatuated and deprived of their Understanding a heavy Punishment for (y) Job 12.17 God maketh the Judges Fools Now as to Witnesses besides what I have already said upon the matter the Charge is (a) Exod. 23.1 Put not thine Hand with the Wicked to be an unrighteous Witness Which argues how sometimes there is amongst the Wicked a Combination to be false Witnesses to pervert Right and Justice (b) Prov 24.28 Be not a Witness against thy Neighbour without Cause and Deceive not with thy Lips Without a just Cause and a lawful Call men ought not to intrude to be Witnesses against any one no Enmity Envy or Jealousy should prompt us to it but when we are Summoned then have a care not to tell Lies but to speak the Truth from the Heart The â—inth Precept is very Positive and Universal renewed and confirmed in several other places (c) Exod. 20.16 Deuter. 5.20 Matth. 19.18 Luke 18.20 Rom. 13.9 Not to bear false Witness The Character which Solomon gives of a False Witness is this (d) Prov. 2â— 18. A Man that beareth false Witness â—gainst his Neighbour is a Maul and a â—word and a sharp â—rrow A Dart a â—â—ammer and not barely an Arrow but a Sharp one ail these Offensive Arms whereof some break things in pieces others divide and this to shew the Mortality of the Wound made by such False Tongues Now such Villanies as these are the more Abominable because there is nothing to be pleaded for to excuse it 't is no Mischance no Ignorance no Mistake nor Infirmity but it proceeds out of a rotten Principle out of a corrupt Spring from the Heart wherein it is designedly deliberately and maliciously Contrived and Hatched For saith the Lord Jesus out of the Heart proceed among other horrid Sins (d) Matth. 15.19 False Witness and Blasphemies The wise King makes
Condemneth the Wicked that is him who Prophaned his Temple and his Altar by a false Oath then Execution followeth the Sentence for he brings his Way upon his Head And also he justifies the Righteous and gives him according to his Righteousness Let all men that are brought to their Oath take a special notice of this that God is both Witness and Avenger wherefore there must be an awful Reverence of God's most Holy and Sacred Name which is made use of upon Occasion not upon Common and Trivial but only necessary just and weighty Accounts Wherefore the Nature and Use of an Oath are to be known before one Sweareth First the Nature by considering three things the Person to be Sworn by that is GOD the Parts of the Oath or the several Actions included and implied in it which are Four 1st An Assertion by way of Affirming or Denying either barely or with Obligation to or from something The 2d An Acknowledgment of God's Omniscience Almightiness Justice and other like Attributes The 3d An Invocation of him to bear Witness to the Truth of what we say The 4th an Imprecation against our selves if we do speak Falsly that is a referring over and offering ourselves into his Hands to be Punished by his power and justice Then the Purpose or Use to which these Actions are to be applyed are to be Considered that is the ending of a Controversy which otherwise cannot be conveniently ended So that an Oath is a Religious Service of God whereby we refer ourselves unto him as a competent and fit Witness and Judge of the Truth and Falshood of our Speeches about a Controverted matter for the ending thereof Now the Use of an Oath must be known in Two Things 1st Of just Occasions of using it as when the matter is of moment either in it self or in the Consequents and Effects of it as for the Satisfying of another that requires and will accept of it or binding of one's self either to another as (a) Gen. 47 31. Jacob caused Joseph to Swear or to himself (b) 1 Kings 2.23 as Solomon Sware that Adonijah should Dye 2ly We must know the just manner of an Oath in regard of using it upon such an occasion and that in the Three ways I mentioned before which men cannot be too much put in mind of namely in Judgment that is in a serious Consideration of the Cause of our Swearing and Greatness of the Name of God by which we Swear in Truth that is a perfect Agreement betwixt the meaning of the words of him that Sweareth and betwixt both these and the things themselves of which the Speech is and that also according to the Intention of him that tendereth the Oath so far as he shall manifest his Intentions to him that Sweareth Also in Righteousness that is in Reverence to God Care of doing Good not Hurt unto our Neighbours by Swearing and Aiming at the right end which is quietly determining of a Doubt by interposing God's Name to shew our high Opinion of him for thus God and Man have their due and that is Righteousness in every act that every one whom it concerns may have that which is due to him therein It must be observed how in matter of Oaths there are an Affirmative and a Negative part that is Things Commanded and Things Forbidden for every one of the Ten Commandments when it commands a Vertue doth at the same time forbid the Vices contrary to it and when a Vice is forbidden the Vertues contrary are commanded though Commanding is expressed in Affirmative Terms as Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it Holy The Forbidding is declared in Negative Terms Thou shalt not wherein is contained every other Precept of the First and Second Tables of the Law of God Now men ought to take Notice how Negative Precepts are of a larger extent and more binding than Affirmative for these bind only Semper non ad Semper at Certain Times not at all Times but the Negative do bind Always and at all times as I am bound to Help and Assist and be Charitable to my Neighbour but that is only when he wants my help and as far as I am able which I am not always neither doth he always stand in need of being helped but the Negative Precept goes further for I stand bound never to hurt him to do him Wrong and Injury at no time whatsoever This I now take notice of in relation to the Third Commandment not to take the Name of the Lord in vain which I shall have occasion to speak of as being the Ground which in this matter I am to go upon for therein the Abuses of an Oath are forbidden and 't is Abused in Two ways 1st In the Taking 2ly In the Keeping thereof In relation to the First as to the matter for it's Object or Subject for the Object the Thing or Person Sworn by for the Subject whether Affirmative or Promissive As to the First the Thing must be True and the Oath Necessary not Trivial which deserves not an Oath As to the Second the thing Promised ought not to be either Impossible or Unlawful As to the manner of using the Oath it must not be taken 1st Ignorantly 2ly Without Cause or just Inducement thereto 3ly Irreverently 4ly Ragingly or in the bitterness of Passion 5ly Maliciously with a Design of Hurting any Man 6ly Nor Falsly Have a great Care of Negative Oaths wherein lays a great danger of Forswearing therefore not to be tendered nor taken for they can be no Proofs only sometimes strong Presumptions Indeed one may well say I never heard such a man say so or I never saw him do so but no man may say He never said or did so he might say and do so though you never heard or saw him speak or do 't A Negative Assertion may by a good Consequence be drawn from a Positive thus Such a man at such a time to my certain Knowledge was in the City therefore at the same time he was not in the Countrey for at once he could not be in both places but I may not Swear such a one at such a time was not in the City because I did not see him for he might be there and you not see him only in this Case if the place be within such a narrow compass that he cannot be in 't when you are there but you must see him as for Instance At such a Day and such an Hour we were Twelve at Table in such a place he was none of the Twelve therefore he was not there though one may say he was not at Table yet he may not say he was not in the Room for he might be hidden in some secret part thereof All this I say to shew how Cautious men ought to be in point of Oaths but I see this matter is so Copious as I find it draws me very far wherefore I must restrain it only to my present Purpose namely Perjury
Perjury is when God is called upon for a Witness to an Untruth which the Prophet speaks of (c) Isai 48.1 Hear ye this O House of Jacob which Swear by the Name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in Truth nor in Righteousness And 't is Perjury either when one Sweareth that to be true which he thinks or knows to be False or that to be False which he thinks or knows to be True or else when he Swears to do that which he doth not intend to perform or afterwards upon Second Thoughts and for some Wordly Considerations thô he at first intended yet breaks his Oath and Promise this is expresly Forbidden (d) Lev. 19.12 Ye shall not Swear by my Name falsly neither shalt thou Prophane the Name of thy God A Crime so odious unto him as the contrary Vertue is so acceptable that for the sake of those that are endued therewith God forbears inflicting his Punishments upon Cities and Nations these â—stand in the Breach when God is ready to break in we have his Word for it (e) Jer. 5.1 Run ye to and fro thorough the Streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad Places thereof if ye can find a Man â—f there be any that executeth Judgment thak seeketh the Truth and I will pardon it Judges are Sworn to judge according to Law and to do Justice and Witnesses to Swear the Truth yet saith God there (f) verse 2. Though they say the Lord liveth surely they Swear falsly Would to God that was not so True as 't is here But now there is as much Cause as ever for God to Expostulate among other things (g) chap. 7.9 Will ye Swear Falsly So then Perjury is a False Swearing or a known or imagined Untruth Confirmed by Oath with Deâ—eit which was either Purposed and Intended before the Oath was made or Resolved on afterwards which â—oth contain Two Things First the Matter which â—s an Untruth and the Manner that gives Being â—o't a false Oath with a Design and against Knowledge Now there is a Logical Untruth when we â—o not speak as the Thing is or when our Speech â—oth not agree with the Truth of the thing There â—s a Moral Untruth when our Speech agrees not â—ith our Mind that is when we Speak not as we Think or Know and this last chiefly makes the wilful â—nd malicious Perjury for one being imposed upon â—r-mistaken may happen to Swear an Untruth which â—e believes to be a Truth and so it may be called a â—ash and Prophane Oath yet not strict Perjury because the Speech agrees with the Mind though not â—ith the Truth of the thing And thus though a â—an Swears that which is False yet may not strictly â—e said to Swear Falsely because without a Design â—o Deceive However though herein the Sin be the â—ast yet still a Sin it is that from men deserves Puâ—ishment by reason of the Evil Consequences for â—ometimes a Man's Life and Fortune may happen â—hereby to lay at Stake besides that this is the way namely fear of Punishment to make men more Cautious how and what they Swear 't is the ready and proper way to speak in David's words (h) Psal 63.11 to have The Mouth of them that speak Lies to be stopped And this is the more to be minded that in such Cases the Cause is not only between Man and Man between the Subject and the King whose Office is to punish the Guilty but chiefly between God and Men whose Holy Name is thereby abused for the end of Perjury whether Assertory or Promissory is Falsehood and Deceit If Vain Swearing be a Sin much more False Swearing Several Questions are put about matters of Oaths which here I shall not meddle with because not tâ— my purpose as whether unlawful or unpossible Oath are Binding which I conclude for the Negative and whether violent and extorted which I declare for the Affirmative if only they import a Wordly Cause and no detriment to God's Glory for which (i) Psal 15.4 David is my Security nor to other man's Rights Of all Sins Perjury is one of the most grievous and abominable and he that commits it is not Satisfied to make himself a Lyar but also must proclaim himself to be such with a Witness To caâ— the God of Truth to be a Witness to a Lie which no Man of Honour could endure of himself is to caâ—â— and in as much as in one lyes to make God a Lyaâ— like himself which is the highest degree of Blasphemâ— for [k] Tit. 1.2 God cannot Lie this is to Rob him of hâ— Truth one of his most Essential Attributes which he is so tender of and to deprive him of his Nature for take away Truth from God and he ceaseâ—â— to be God for his true Character and Mark 〈◊〉 Distinction from all is to be the True GOD. And if God himself [l] Exod. 19.26 Heb. 12.18 upon the Mount amidst Lightning Thunder Fire a Cloud Blackness Darkness and Tempest with the Voice of a Trumpet exceeding loud declared he will not hold him Guiltleâ— that taketh his Name in Vain that is he will noâ— leave them Unpunished what will he not do to him who in the highest degree doth thorough Perjury Prophane it seeing he Thunders such a Threatning against the least degree thereof And 't is observable that the Word in the Original in Vain which in the Chaldaick Syriack and Arabick is rendered Falsely with a Lie Precipitently or Rashly signifies the Breach of that Commandment in the least Degree But we are to take a special Notice of the dreadful Penalty contained in the reason annexed to the Commandment that God will not leave this Sin unpunished that he will not justify cleanse and expiate according to the Expressions of the other Languages we named but just now And this is the only Precept whereunto such a Threatning is annexed to shew how detestable that Sin is in the sight of God this is (m) 1 Kings 2.9 David's Expression when he gave Solomon charge about Shimei hold him not Guiltless that is Punish him So as to Perjury though men neglect to Punish it yet as to the Sinner he shall not escape his just and fearful Judgment for as the Sin is Grievous so God will Grievously punish it And if taking his Name in Vain by abusing it in every Trifle is to meet with so severe a Judgment as we said before so I say again what will it be and how heavy when that Holy Name is by some men Impiously made use of to Confirm their Lies In that Third Commandment by the Name of God are understood his Nature Attributes Works Word and all Divine Perfections whereby God hath made himself known unto us As we are Forbidden to Abuse so are we Commanded to make a Right Use thereof which consists in the inward Frame and Religious Disposition of our
if men neglect to do 't God himself will set his Hand to 't and do the Work If the Distemper be but Personal the Punishment of that Person will satisfy God but if it be Epidemical then the Vengeance shall be General nay sometimes the Innocent of that Crime are involved with the Guilty as in the Case of the Gibeonites though they had deceived Joshua with their Lies yet notwithstanding the People had a general Order to destroy all those Nations 't is said (s) Josh 9.15 16 18 19.20 They Smote them not because the Princes of the Congregation had Sworn unto them by the Lord for they said We have Sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touch them lest Wrath be upon us because of the Oath which we have Sworn unto them They understood what an Oath is and how dangerous to break it and how long after was the Breach of it by Saul avenged wherefore God sent a Famine for Three Years and being inquired by David declared it is for Saul and his bloody House because he Slew the Gibeonites So for this same Sin the Breach of Oath the whole Land suffered and Seven of Saul's Sons lost their Lives to expiate for it Among the several Instances we have in Scripture of God's signal judgments for breach of Oaths this is a considerable one God's Anger was moved with a witness and would not be appeased till after the Gibeonites had Hanged before the Lord those Sons of Saul (t) 2 Sam. 21.14 which by David's Command had been delivered up to them for then and not before the Lord was intreated for the Land for thereupon the Famine ceased Thus we see that where the Magistrates suffer Faults especially Perjuries to go unpunished there God's judgments lay upon the Land for all that might be pretended to excuse it as here for the Gibeonites had with a Notorious Lye cheated and imposed upon Joshua and the People (u) v. ◠Saul had done it in his Zeal to the Children of Israel and Judah and so long after the Oath had been Sworn All this is I hope Sufficient to shew how God in his Law not only Threatneth but also actually Punisheth the Abuse of his holy Name thorough Perjury in such a publick and solemn a Manner as whole Kingdoms and Nations are therein concerned I pray to God that for that very Sin which is so common in the Nation and no due care taken to prevent and Punish it that Threatning of God by the Prophet Jeremiah already Quoted doth not reach us to bring a Nation upon us not from far but from near I mean that to whom belongs the Character of a bitter and hasty Nation by the Prophet (w) Habek 1.6 given the Chaldeans for our Neighbours in their Nature are Hasty and in their Successes Bitter and Insolent Once God us with the Spaniards blessed be God that he repented him and cast the Rod into the Fire but now he hath gotten another nearer our backs Let us remember that Swearing Falsly is a Nation destroying Sin which God punishes either mediately by Men or immediately by some Extraordinary judgment These publick judgments are upon extraordinary Cases when Kingdoms have contracted this Sin and no due care is taken to stop and punish it the want of punishing it in private Persons ends at last in the Ruine of whole Nations which I pray God may in due time seriously be considered but because the occasion of my Discourse is about things not altogether so universal as chiefly relating to the Courts of Judicature and not to the Politick part of the Government I shall conclude this Head with what God ordered in his Law to be done in the Case of False Witnesses because one man might out of Enmity or desire of Revenge Swear against another God declared one Evidence not to be sufficient but provided there should be Two or Three as being supposed that Number would not so easily design a Man's Ruin as one single Man Well God's Rule which is certainly the wisest and the best that any Man or Nation can follow about False Witnesses is this (x) 〈◊〉 19 15 16 17 18 c. If a False Witness rise up against any man to Testify against him that which is Wrong then both the Men beeween whom the Controversy is shall stand before the Lord before the Priests and the Judges which shall be in those Days and the Judges shall make diligent Inquisition and behold if the Witness be a False Witness and hath Testified falsly against his Brother then shall ye do unto him as he thought to have done unto his Brother So shalt thou put the evil away from among you And those which remain shall hear and fear and shall henceforth commit no more any such Evil among you And thine Eye shall not pity but Life shall go for Life Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth Hand for Hand Foot for Foot This contains several very important Things First That sometimes and too often some men do rise to Wrong their Neighbours which when it happens as no man may be a judge in his own Cause so the Plaintiff to be Righted must take lawful Courses and prosecute his Adversary before Legal and Competent Judges those who at that very time are in Office and Authority Here besides the Civil Judges the Priests are named for though the Civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions be of a different nature and not to be Confounded yet matter of Oaths and Swearing being a part of God's Worship they to whom the Care of things relating to Religion is committed God would have them not excluded but to be present to mind that which concerned his Service the more because at that time the Government of the Jews was Theocratical or Divine God so eminently and visibly directing and ruling over them and therefore 't is said both the men in Controversy shall stand not only before the Judges but before the Lord the true Competent Judge for upon all such occasions the great Judge is ever present to observe how the Judges behave themselves who here are commanded to make diligent Inquisition not perfunctoriously and lightly but to mind and make it their Business for to speak in Solomon's words [a] Prov. 25.2 as 'T is the Glory of God to conceal a thing so the Honour of Kings and of Judges and Juries too is to Search out the matter till the Truth be found out which being Effected judgment and punishment are to follow thereupon and the Mischief the Guilty maliciously intended against his Brother is justly to be retorted upon him Thus this abominable Crime of Perjury is a great Evil to be put away from among a People for fear a whole Nation do suffer for the Wickedness of one or some few particular men and thus Justice being executed upon the Guilty they shall be made Examples unto others who Hearing shall Fear and out of a Terrour of the