as if it were true Four degrees of Perjury or maintain that which is true to be false knowing it to be true or lastly promise with an Oath what they mean not to perform or what they have lawfully promised then intending a performance of it when they made the promise yet afterwards even when the thing is possible and in their power to do perform it not but wickedly fall from their word These are the four degrees or parts of perjury in the proper and strict acception of the word There is another degree or kind of it which I find in St. Chrysostom How 14. ad Popul Antioch who concludes excellently in an Homily to the people of Antioch That not only those who themselves take a false Oath are guilty of perjury but they also who occasion the like sin in others and that two manner of wayes First by forcing them through fear of death losse of goods imprisonment or the like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ibid. to take a false Oath against their consciences Secondly by swearing the contrary to that which another has sworn to do and so opposing the same man by force and might that he cannot effect what he has tyed himself to by Oath As if a School-master it is St. Chrysostoms instance should swear that his Scholar should not eat a bit of bread untill he had fully obeyed his commands by performing what he had enjoyn'd him for his good Now if the Father of that child knowing that his Master had taken such an Oath should rashly swear the contrary and fondly there being no fear of danger for want of food feed the young Scholar having not perform'd his Task the Father of the child would be guilty as well as the Master And such men who cause others to sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. do as boyes that contend for a long rotten rope some tugging at one end of it and some at the other so that the rope at length breaks asunder by which means they fal all to the ground in a confused manner bruise their bodies in some one part or other And this last kind of perjury when we are the cause that others are perjur'd we may call Perjurium occasionale occasional Perjury as there is Homicidium occasionale occasional Murther which is committed by thee when thou illegally actest contrivest that which occasions a poor man either to lose his own life or to kill his Brother But to return to my purpose and to discover more fully the hainousness of this crying sin of perjury It is a compounded sin a sin as hath been said made up of an Oath and a Lye a Monster amongst sins ugly and odious to God and man the Devils snare so called by St. Chrysostom in his eleventh Homily on the Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby he catches poor sinfull deceived souls and hurries them to infernal darkness Falsa juratio sayes St. Austin non est leve peccatum Serm. 10. in Decollat Johan Bap. imo tam magnum est peccatum jurare falsum ut propter reatum falsae jurationis Dominus prohibuerit omnem jurationem i. e. Perjury is no light nor trivial sin nay it is so great and horrid a crime that to prevent the guilt and danger of it Christ forbad the use of all Oaths he means such as are vain and idle ones when he said Swear not at all Hast thou seen a stone sayes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzen thrown down a steep hill or precipice never ceasing from its precipitate hasty motion untill it arrived at the hills foot or bottom Of such a speedy nature or quality is every sin chiefly that of Swearing to which the tongue that is accustom'd in its unruly motion will at last fall into that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he calls it that profound gulf of perjury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Perjury the greatest down-fall and most dangerous precipice A gulf indeed for whoso is plunged in it i.e. whose soul is loaded with the weight of so great and heavy a guilt that man without a special hand of mercy will hardly ever raise himself by repentance to recover Gods grace but will sink deeper and deeper waxe worse and worse adde sin unto sin and thereby provoke God to punish him both outwardly in his body goods and good name with sicknesses poverty and disgrace and inwardly in his Soul with horror and perplexing grief with disconsolate sadness c. untill at the last despair sink him into the bottomless pit I will conclude this point with that of St. Bernard Si pejerare times Serm. de modo bene vivendi 32. nunquam juraveris si nunquam juraveris nunquam pejerabis If the fear of perjury does possesse and trouble thee never swear if thou never swearest thou shalt never be forsworn And perjury he can hardly avoid who hath an unbridled tongue accustom'd to take Gods name in vain Qui saepe jurat saepe oportet pejeret To this good counsel of St. Bernard I shall only adde that of St. Chrysostome to his Auditors the Antiochians whom he bespake thus in his forenamed 14 Homily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I beseech and exhort you to represent to your thoughts the Head of St. John the Baptist bleeding in a Charger and suppose or imagine that you heare this voyce or exhortation utter'd from his Tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hate and abhor an Oath which was my murtherer Herods rash Oath of which he should have repented and not kept it was the cause of the Baptists death And he that is given to much swearing murders his own Soul deprives it of Gods grace which is the Souls life and being guilty of many other sins which accompany rash swearing as lying c. he intitles it to everlasting death the wages of unrepented sins and if to forsake our sins be truly to repent and the only mark of a sound and unfeign'd repentance we may safely say that few Swearers can be named that ever truly repented Therefore cast out this poyson out of thy mouth banish this sin speedily from thy tongue before it be habituated in thee and so get the mastery or dominion over thee that it never leave thee but die and lie down in the grave with thee The third Reason Thirdly as the sin of Swearing is most injurious to God most dangerous and hurtfull in respect of our selves in that it is the parent or cause of other crying sins as lying and perjury and likewise the productive and provoking cause of Gods just and heavy Judgments or punishments upon our souls and bodies so it is a most scandalous sin in respect of our Neighbours or Brethren Quanta est notitia reputatio de Deo in hominibus tantum nominatur per vocem exteriús Raym. with whom we have daily Conversation and Commerce Raymundus in his
6. To speak nothing but what is Necessary to be spoken Profitable to be heard 7. To bridle our Passions chiefly that of Anger the cause of as many other sins so especially that of Swearing 8. To avoid Drunkenness and to be lovers of Temperance 9. To shun the Company and Society of those that are given to Swearing 10. To consider the manifold and great miseries such blasphemers bring upon the Kingdom Places and Families wherein they live 8. A Diet for the Tongue being cured consisting in these three things 1. To be slow to speak 2. To be circumspect in speaking 3. To use few words when we speak 9. The benefit that will redound to us by observing this Religious Diet which is two-fold If we respect First our bodily Estate we procure to our selves hereby reputation and peace Secondly if we respect our Souls health hereby we shall free it from the guilt of many a sin 10. The Conclusion of all comprising an exhortation to this duty of not Swearing in regard that we are Gods Saints elected His Sons adopted His Servants redeemed by the blood of his Son Christ Jesus Therefore in all and for all God is to be glorified by us which is chiefly done by Invocation and Thanksgiving the two parts of Prayer and the Christians best Sacrifice A Prayer To be used by one that is addicted to the Sin of Swearing O Eternal Omnipotent Lord God who in thy self art the fulness and perfection of Glory and Happiness who needest no Tongue to praise thee no Pen to express thee and no Work to magnifie thy Greatness before whose glorious Name that is * Vid. Psal 20.1 Rom. 10.13 thy self an infinitely Great and Glorious God Angels and Arch-Angels bow with an humble lowly dejected reverence to which thy blessed Spirits and Saints of thy Triumphant Church sing perpetual Hallelujahs Rev. 19.1 so that Heaven rings and resounds with their Hymns Praises I a poor sprig of disobedient Adam who am as vile as sin can make me and deserve what curse thy wrath can lay upon me do here presume to take thy holy Name into my defiled lips that Name which I have dishonoured in my words disparaged in my thoughts and profaned in my actions yet knowing that thou art a jealous God and a consuming fire burning with love to a poor humble sinner and believing that as thou art fearful in thy Judgments so faithful in thy promises I fly upon the wings of this Faith from mount Ebal to mount Gerizim Deut. 11.29 from the dreadful Name Jehovah which I have abused to that gracious Name of Jesus wherein thou art well pleased In that most sweet and soul-refreshing Name O God I present my supplications unto thee beseeching thee not to remember what I have said or done but what my Saviour hath suffered for me in his Agony and bitter Passion O let his bloody sweat anoint my bleeding wounds and accept of his death as a full satisfaction to thy Justice for my sins Cleanse thou my heart O God from the stain of this bosom-darling-bosom-darling-sin whose custom begun with a wanton imitation and being continued with an habitual presumption had almost taken out of my guilty Soul a sense of it and of thy displeasure against it O my God now that I have begun to have a taste and sight of the foulness and danger of my crying sin afford me I beseech thee that measure of thy Grace which may work in my heart a fear of thy displeasure and beget in me an awful reverence of thy Name Let all my communication be ordered as in thy presence let thy Holy Spirit govern the words of my mouth and so sanctifie my thoughts with the continual meditation of thy Commandments and of those fearful plagues which thy word denounceth against Swearers that I may be ever hereafter of the number of those thy servants who sanctifie the Lord in their Hearts 1 Pet. 5.15 who love and fear thee above all things in Heaven and Earth who delight with trust and affiance in thee above all worldly stayes and comforts and praise thee evermore with joyful lips Lord I desire to praise thee O heighten these desires I resolve by thy assistance no more to blaspheme thee O strengthen this good resolution for the time to come and avert those judgments from me which thy word hath threatned and my sin my black and filthy sin hath deserved And mortifie all those unruly passions which provoke me to offend thy Goodness especially that of Anger which if immoderate and carried on with precipitate rashness benights the Soul darkens Reason and hurries a man to the acting of those things that displease thee Therefore dear God kill this Fury in me and leave only so much life in it as to be zealous for thy Glory Quicken my Soul with faith in thy promises inflame my affections with love of thee for thy mercies fill my mouth with prayers to thee and praises and crown my weak desires of praising thee with the all-sufficient power and strength of thy Grace that glorifying thy Name with my Tongue and by an holy conversation I may escape that vengeance which thy Justice threatens against my sin here and obtain that happiness which thy mercy hath promised hereafter Lord grant these my requests for the merits of thy Son Christ Jesus in whose Name and Prayer sanctified with his sacred lips I beg these mercies and whatsoever else thou knowest requisite for me and for thy Church saying Our Father c. A Prayer For the whole Kingdom MOst glorious Lord God who delightest not in the death of one single sinner nor takest pleasure in the destruction of any Creature thou great and mighty God Jer. 32.18 whose name is the Lord of Hosts who rulest over all and governest all things in Heaven and Earth look down I humbly pray thee from the Throne of thy Glory and behold this sinful Kingdom wherein we live with an eye of mercy and pity Thy goodness and bounty O Lord have displayed themselves to us in many great and undeserved National mercies by restoring to us our most gracious King and Him to His Royal Dignities and redeeming thy Church from that Disorder and Confusion by means of proud and unquiet men whicn threatned our utter ruine and vastation for so great deliverances we are obliged to make returns unto thee of a thankful obedience by reforming our sinful lives and obeying thy commands But we as if we had forgot what thou hast done for us have done nothing for thee but rather much against thee by rebelling against thy word by resisting thy holy will by abusing thy Creatures through our wanton excess by profaning thy Sabbaths and blaspheming thy most sacred Name which ought to be ever hallowed and had in an awfull reverence by us These are our National personal crying sins which like so many infectious Vapours have mounted up to Heaven and being condens'd into a thick Cloud of
will not pardon thy old ones not passe by thy former transgressions Secondly compare thy great unthankfulness with thy Makers bounty and goodness this may beget in thee a detestation or loathing of thy former sins and lewdnesse whereby thou didst reject Gods commands who if thou servest Him will save thee and obeyedst the Devils suggestions who will for thy service everlastingly torment thee When thou hast attain'd to this the first and best ingredient of Repentance a Detestation of thy former impieties as Cursing Swearing Lying and the like then draw near to the Throne of Grace meekly upon thy bended knees with teares in thine eyes and sorrow in thy heart saying with blind Bartimaeus in the Gospel Mark 10.48 Jesu thou Son of David have mercy on me forgive me all my sins past whereby thy holy name has been dishonour'd thy word ill spoken of and my Neighbour injur'd When thou hast thus made thy approach to God with hearty sorrow for thy sins doubt not but that he will draw near to thee with mercy and forgiveness Jam. 4.8 doubt not of a pardon since Truth itself has made the promise Ezek. 18.27 28. Ezek. 18. When the wicked turneth away from his wickednesse c. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his wickednesse which he hath committed he shall surely live he shall not dye he meanes the death of the Soul which is an eternal separation of it from God the fountain of joy and happiness which in the Word are implyed under the name of life He shall surely live he shall not dye a sweet and gracious promise distrust not Gods performance of it if thou truly repentest Daturus est non fallet quia veritas promisit ask and thou shalt receive Aug. for he that is most true will perform what he has promised because he will not he cannot deceive nor be deceived And thus relying upon his gracious promise of hearing and granting our devout Prayers and Petitions our humble requests for his pardoning and purifying grace in the third place beg earnestly of him the assistance of the same grace which is likewise preventing and strengthning to keep thy tongue from all profanenesse cry with holy David Psal 141 3. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips From which humble request of the Prophet we may collect this that as our lips in that they open and shut are the Souls gate through which our inward thoughts break forth apparel'd in the dresse of outward words so as a gate is for the most part shut our lips should never open but to the glory of God and our Neighbours good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. This by the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a learned Rabbies glosse on the Text. Now if you demand what kind of watch it is which David desires God to set before his lips the acute Eusebius Emissenus shall answer this Quaere Euseb Homil cont diversa vitia p. 138. and clear this doubt Si cordi statueris adhibere custodiam ori non laborâris imponere disciplinam i.e. set a watch to guard thy heart and there will be no need to fence thy mouth Illud siquidem voce depromitur quod prius in officinâ cordis formatur The heart is as it were the Master of the Mint which first sets a stamp upon thy words which are current if they bear Gods image if they carry in their sound the note or mark of Piety and goodness if otherwise i.e. if they be profane and impious they are not allowed of by God being condemned in the holy Scriptures The Tongue is the Hearts servant Mat. 12.36 37. which like that Centurion saies to the Tongue by a kind of command Speak this and it speaks it Run in the Praises of God and it runneth Swear and it sweareth Say nothing and it is silent The Tongue is but as the hammer in the Clock which strikes not of it self but keeps time and moves according to the motion of the wheels within The VI. Gen. part The method which is to be used in the Cure To cure then the unbridled motion of the Tongue begin with the Heart the which if it be as Davids was fixed upon God Psal 108.1 the tongue will cease to lash out into Cursing and Swearing but will as it followes there in the same verse sing and give praise to God for his manifold mercies and blessings which we have received By the heart as hath been explain'd is to be understood the whole Soul which is fixed and setled upon God when it seriously considers his Almighty wonder-working Power and Greatness who created out of nothing this great Universe consisting of Heaven and Earth by his powerful word and sustaines all things in being by his providence This Meditation is an act of the Intellect and may beget in us an awfull fear of his Majesty which ought to be feared The will is fixed upon God when considering and weighing his many and great benefits we devote our selves wholy to his service submitting our wills to him in all things loving him without wavering praise him without ceasing for his mercy goodness And lastly the Affections are fixed upon God when they wander not through loose desires of fading earthly vanities but are chiefly taken up and possessed with an holy delight in God and his Saints on Earth and fed with a firme hope of enjoying Gods presence of seeing Him one day face to face in his Celestial Paradise This Hope is not a barren grace but begets in a man a religious Care not to offend God and to abstain from any the least Sin to which his Nature is most prone because it may lead him into other sins and separate him from the love of God and at last procure his everlasting banishment from those joyes which he believes are unspeakable and hopes to enjoy in the glorious presence of the blessed Trinity together with the blessed Angels and company of the elect Saints to all eternity Which most happy and joyful Fellowship rather then he would lose a good Christian if he were put to his disposall would choose to suffer all the most exquisite torments that ever have been invented by the bloody wit of Tyrants nay he would rather sustain for many thousand yeares even Hells paines Let fire and wild beasts racks and strapadoes yea and all the torments of Hell seize upon me and torment me so I may win Christ it is the triumphant saying of Ignatius the martyr recorded by Eusebius This holy martyrs brest burnt with a love of God and a desire of Heavens happinesse That love caus'd him to feare nothing but Gods displeasure which followes upon our sins by means whereof he might be deprived of everlasting joyes and debarr'd from the enjoyment of Gods most glorious presence In a word the soul that hopes to attain Heaven and desires to reign there for ever with God will