fully supply where it is received Nay there is much more surety to our Neighbour by true witness-bearing than by swearing because a true witness will not lye The fourth Argument is thus formed Arg. 4. That interpretation of our Saviours words Swear not at all which renders the following words vain and impertinent is false c. Answ. That Christ intended what he said I hope no Christian will deny And that those words Swear not at all were spoken by Christ and are in themselves a prohibition of all swearing whatsoever is evident And that they were spoken by Christ not by way of compliance with what had been said before to them of old time but in the contrary thereof is apparent by the words But I say unto you Swear not at all Which words if they signifie nothing but what was before said Then should they not only be to no purpose but hurtful by making the case of swearing more dark and questionable than it was before under the Law which for any man to affirm were a great injury to Christ Jesus the Wisdom of God And therefore Christ having spoken all those words But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven c. And that in the contrary of what was said before as the word but and the words not at all do import It is manifest that Christ did in that command Swear not at all forbid somewhat that was not forbidden by the Law And consequently all swearing whatsoever whether by the Lord or by the Creatures And that Christ added neither by Heaven the Earth Jerusalem the Head they being the chiefest of the visible Creatures all the other creatures being the lesser or inferiour are included the greater comprehending the less so that the words following and precedent are all significant and useful For being the words of Christ not any of them are to be rejected but all and every word established And therefore it were more beseeming Christians to give all diligence to observe the Law and Command of Christ then to invent and frame Arguments against his words which are in themselves plain and have no ambiguity in them and being so according to the rule when in words there is no ambiguity there no Exposition is to be made against the words expressed For in doubtful speech we utter not a doubtful sence but only that which we mean Therefore he which speaketh one thing and meaneth another neither doth he utter that which the word signifieth because he meaneth not so neither that which he meaneth because he speaketh it not Which for any man to affirm of the words of Christ Swear not at all were as before is said a great injury to Christ the Wisdom of God and to the Spirit of Truth from which the Scriptures of Truth were given forth All which words of Christ being in themselves prohibitions of Swearing and no exceptions as the words of Christ in the case of Divorcement were where it 's said Except for the cause of Fornication do the more confirm and illustrate the extent of the Command And being the words of Christ the Wisdom of God they are neither vain nor impertinent No more than those words in the fourth Commandment In it thou shalt do no manner of work nor thy Son c. All which were included in those general words before-going Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Or the enumerating all those words written in the Tables of Stone which were all briefly comprehended in those few words Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart ' And thy Neighbour as thy self And yet the Wisdom of God which is wiser than men knowing whereof we as men have need spoke all those words in the Law And where the Law-giver hath made no exception he to whom the Law is given ought not And so I conclude That the Law of Christ Swear not at all is perfect and a full prohibition of all swearing unto his Disciples and being perfect no man ought to add any thing thereunto or diminish any thing from it And so I proceed to the fifth Argument Arg. 5. Nothing that of it self is not intrinsically evil is forbidden by Christ and that is proved by induction But Swearing is not of it self intrinsically evil And therefore Christ did not forbid it Answ. The thing in Dispute is not Whether Christ did ever forbid any thing that was not of it self evil But whether Christ hath forbidden all Swearing Which that Christ hath forbidden all swearing his own words which are the interpreters of the heart do prove And one single testimony of the Scriptures of Truth is of more strength than a thousand surmises or meer humane witnesses And therefore Swearing being forbidden by Christ Mat. 5.34 it is the duty of Christians to apply themselves to yield obedience to his Command and not to frame Arguments to evade the same or to ask a Reason wherefore he so did And yet we read That God commanded Circumcision and Sacrifices which in themselves are not evil and yet forbidden in the New Covenant And we also read That God forbad Adam to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil which Tree and its Fruit of themselves were not intrinsically evil And the use of several other Creatures under the Law was forbidden the People of Israel And what God the Father did forbid it was by his Word And Christ the Word and Power of God he forbid his Disciples to go into the way of the Gentiles and not to enter into any of the Cities of the Samaritans Mat. 10.5 And he charged his Disciples they should tell the Vision to no man until c. Mat. 17. 9. And that they should call no man Master upon the Earth Mat. 23. 9. None of which of themselves were intrinsically evil But that which concerns us as Christians and so under the Law of Christ is not so much to enquire whether or no such a thing be good in or of it self But whether or no it be good for us to practice yea or nay For as said the Apostle What is not of Faith is Sin And therefore that is good for Christians to do which the Lord requires of them But to proceed to the sixth Argument the force whereof is this Arg. 6. Either Christ forbad not the taking of an Oath upon just occasion or else St. Paul though assisted by the Holy Ghost understood not the Text. Or If he understood it he acted against it and that not rashly but upon deliberation Because in his Epistle he calls God to witness which is a formal Oath Answ. That the Apostle Paul did know the mind of Christ in that Precept Swear not at all is believed But that he acted contrary contrary thereto when he said God is my witness or called God to witness is denied For as he knew Christ had forbidden all swearing he also knew that Christ was the true and faithful Witness the first and the last
A TRUE TESTIMONY CONCERNING Oaths Swearing c. AS ALSO An Answer to the subject matter contained in Twelve Arguments or Reasons laid down in a Sermon preached at Carliste Aug. 17. 1664. by Allan Smalwood D.D. as he stiles himself to prove That our Saviour did not forbad all Swearing Wherein is fully cleared The Command of Christ and his Apostle Iames Swear not at all Matth. 5.34 Iam. 5.12 from the corrupt glosses limited sence and meanings of the said A. S. in his said Sermon and in his Reply to F.H. his Book called Oaths no Gospel Ordinance c. And also The unsatisfactoriness and unsoundness of the aforesaid Arguments fully discovered and the Command of Christ Swear not at all manifested to be an universal prohibition of all Oaths and Swearing whatsoever to his Disciples Written in the year 1668. By Ger. Benson Psal. 89.49 50. Remember O Lord the rebuke thy servants have wherewith thine enemies have blasphemed thee and slandered the footsteps of thiâ—â— Anointed London Printed in the Year 1669. To the READER READER VVHat I have written in this little Treatise not being after man neither by me received of man nor from man I have therefore made no use of the inticing words of mans wisdom neither of any mans testimony for the confirming the same but as the testimony therein born is for God the truth of his sayings not for man I have made use of no other witness than the Scriptures of truth which proceeded from the spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is truth and being so can neither deceive nor be deceived which spirit being of God is greater than man and so knoweth more For the things therein treated of are matters of faith therefore stands not in the wisdom of words or of men but in the power of God who shuts no man can open opens no man can shut Neither indeed is fallen man especially a swearer a competent witness in this controversie about swearing no man being a competent witness in his own cause Read then without prejudice own with understanding or answer in the ground without contending about words to no profit For the Kingdom of God consisteth not in words but in power neither in meat drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost A true TESTIMONY concerning Oathes and Swearing c. IN the day that Almighty God created Man before man was in his Image and according to his own likeness created he him male and female created he them and having finished the works of Creation he looked upon all that he had made and lo it was very good And having also made the Man of the Dust of the Earth He planted a Garden Eastward in Eden where he put the Man whom he had made And that Man might learn Obedience the Lord commanded him saying Thou shalt eat freely of every Tree of the Garden but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Now in that day there was no strife or controversie for what the Lord commanded it was done as it 's written Psal. 33.9 For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast And God was all in all and over all the Law-giver Judge and King And as then there was no sin in the World which God had made so neither was there any controversie or strife betwixt Man and his Maker or amongst the Creatures of God neither was there any Oath or Swearing nor any other outward or visible Sign Shadow Type or Figure in or by which the Lord was to be worshipped nor any need thereof for the Lord God who is the substance of all was all in all and over all God blessed for ever who was worshipped not in words but in deeds not with Oaths and Swearing neither in set Forms Shadows Signs or Figures but in Spirit and Truth in Love and true Obedience which was and is better than Sacrifice or the fat of Rams And in that day the Law of the Spirit which is Eternal and nor Moral was the rule and guide of Man in his Worship and Service of God with whom Man in his Spirit had unity and fellowship in the Light Life and Truth that is eternal and unchangeable And as it was in the beginning even so it is and shall be in the day of restauration of all things by Jesus Christ who is and was and is to come the Almighty Alpha and Omega the first and the last the true and faithful Witness the Author of all true witness-bearing But Man being in honour continued not for the Serpent being more subtile than any Beast of the field deceived the Woman with his limitted sence and meaning which he then gave to the positive Word and Command of God even as the spirit that now ruleth in all the Chileren of disobedience with his limitted sense and commodious interpretations as they are called of the Scriptures of Truth doth deceive the simple that lends an ear unto him and thereby brought her then as that spirit doth people now into the transgression of the Word and Command of God unto which no man ought to add any thing neither to diminish ought therefrom Deut. 4.2 Rev. 22. 18 19. And the Woman having eaten of that which in its self was good and therefore not intrinsically evil mark that gave unto her Husband with her and he did eate who having eaten contrary to the Word and Command of God sin entered into the world and the world into mans heart and death by sin the first ground or cause of unbelief And now in that day the Candle of the wicked being put out Death and Darkness passed over the Life and Truth of God in Man so that the Word and Truth of God the ground of true witness-bearing which was and is Eternal not Moral was hid from their eyes who had sinned And now Man being deprived of the Glory of God and ignorant of his Righteousness went after his own Inventions so that as it is written Death reigned from Adam until Moses Rom. 5.14 And now in that day the Lord had a Controversie with Man by reason of his sin and Man in his sin was in unbelief of the Word and Truth of God the ground of true witness-bearing Insomuch as that in process of time when Men began to be multiplied upon Earth the wickedness of Men waxed great so that they went into strife and contention one against another until blood touched blood And in this estate of Man Abimelech King of Gerar who was in the unbelief of the Word and Power of God and observing that God was with Abram he was afraid as it is written The workers of Iniquity are afraid where no fear or cause thereof is Psal. 53.4 5. and having a controversie against Abram concerning Sarah Gen. 20.9 said unto Abram Swear unto me here by God
commanded Swearing the Son surely hath not forbidden it The Argument runs thus Whatever the Father hath commanded that the Son hath not forbidden But the Father hath commanded Swearing Deut. 6.13 Therefore the Son hath not forbidden it Answer And in the first place I say the Argument in this Case is not fairly stated Secondly That there is a difference between the Law of God which was and is eternal and so unchangeable as the Will of God in itself is and the Commands of God under the Law which was given to the People of Israel for a time onely and so were temporary to wit till the Seed came to whom the promise was made Gal. 3 19. to be a Schoolmaster to bring them to Christ that they might be justified by faith Gal. 3.24 But after the saith was come they were no longer by Gods ordination to be under the Schoolmaster vers 25. So that when Christ the Seed to whom the promise was made was come c had fulfilled all that was written concerning him in the Law in the Prophets and in the Psalms the Law of Commandments that was not of faith Gal. 3.12 was to be taken out of the way the end for which it was given being accomplished according to the will of God So that although God the Father commanded Swearing under the Law till Christ the true and faithful Witness was made manifest in the flesh and restored the true Witness-bearing as it was in the beginning before Swearing was unto his Disciples whom he had chosen out of the World to be his Witnesses and that Christ Jesus the Son of God in that Precept Swear not at all did forbid all Swearing to his Disciples yet there neither was nor is any mutability or change in the Will of God nor contrariety in the Will of the Son to the Will of his Father for what the Son did command it was according to the Will of and what he received of his Father Now that Swearing was commanded by the Law A. S. confesseth And that an Oath and Swearing was to pass away or to be taken out of the way when the true Witness and Witness-bearing was made manifest which was before any Oath or Swearing was is before fully manifested So that the Argument in this case truly stated runs thus That what God the Father did command to his People Israel only for a time and for such an end the time being fully come and the end accomplished the Command so given is no longer of force nor obligatory And therefore there is in this case no contrariety or mutability in the Will of the Father nor contrariety in the Will of the Son of God to the Will of his Father in that Command Swear not at all That Command of God the Father Deut. 6.13 which was temporary being according to the Will of God first taken out of the way That the Command of Christ Mat. 5.34 might be established for ever according to Heb. 10.9 He taketh away the first that he might establish the second And the Prophesie Psal. 108. Judah is my Law-giver That so the servant who was not by God's appointment to abide in the house for ever might give place to the Son who is to abide in the house for ever And that God the Father did give several Commands only to be observed and to continue for a time without any mutability in his Will is evident from the testimony of the Scriptures of Truth As Gen. 22.2 where the Lord commanded Abram to take his only son Isaac and offer him for a burnt offering c. And in vers 12. the Lord commanded him not to lay his hand upon the Child neither do any thing unto him And Mat. 2.13 Ioseph was commanded to take the Babe and his Mother and flee into Egypt and be there till mark I bring thee word c. And in vers 19. When Herod was dead he was commanded to take the Babe and his Mother and go into the Land of Israel And yet there was no change or contrariety in the Will of God although there was several and contrary Commands the one To flee into Egypt and the other To return into the Land of Israel So likewise Gal. 4.1 2 c. it 's said That the Heir as long as he is a Child differeth nothing from a Servant though he be Lord of all but is under Tutors and Governors until the time appointed of the Father By which it is evident That though Israel according to the Will of God was to be under the Law which was not of Faith for a time as a servant yet it was never the Will of God their condition should alwayes be so but only until the time appointed which time being come they were to be freed from that Law that they might receive the adoption of sons For although the Lord had forbidden Moses and all others to add any thing to or diminish any thing from what was written in the Law yet He had not limitted himself but that he might add to or take from what he had given in command and that without any mutability in his Will And if the Father at sundry times did give forth several Commands and that contrary one to another without any mutability in his Will in that sense which A.S. doth affirm Then the Son who doth whatsoever he seeth the Father do did not give forth that Command Swear not at all contrary to but in obedience to the Will of his Father For although the words of the Commands Mat. 5.34 and Deut. 6.13 in themselves are contrary yet the Will of the Father and the Son was in perfect unity without any contrariety But the contrariety is in that mind that is Carnal and therefore neither is nor can be subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 which being in the Spirit is Spiritual and Eternal and not Moral So that such now whose minds are alienated from the Light and Life of God are ignorant of the Righteousness of God as the Jews formerly were who had Moses read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day for where Moses is read the vail is upon the heart to this day 2 Cor. 3.15 so that such do not see now no more than the Jews did then the end of that which is abolished Nevertheless now as then all whose minds are turned to the Lord and believe in his Light that shines in their hearts for to give unto them the Knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ and of the Law in the Spirit written not in tables of stone but in the heart which Law was before the Law of Moses was written or any vail was They in the Light Eternal see the end of the Law which was not of Faith and the Law abolished under which an Oath for confirmation was to be unto them that were under it an end of all controversie and strife And also in the Light that was before any Oath or Swearing was they see and know