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spirit_n	holy_a	lead_v	truth_n	7,417	5	5.9440	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70779	A treatise of oaths containing several weighty reasons why the people call'd Qvakers refuse to swear : and those confirmed by numerous testimonies out of Gentiles, Jews and Christians, both fathers, doctors and martyrs : presented to the King and great council of England, assembled in Parliament.	Penn, William, 1644-1718.; Richardson, Richard, 1623?-1689.; Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.; Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1675 (1675)	Wing P1388; ESTC R17219	94,426	174

since there may be some Truth and Sincerity we cannot but acknowledge and embrace And we hope the Reasons and Authorities of others they bring and the Concessions and Confessions they make may and indeed ought to be of Weight in that Point at least to shew that it is no new strange or unreasonable Thing for us to refuse Oaths And though some might with a Mixture of Sup●rstition and W●ll-worship undertake and maintain that Strictness and Preciseness which some of the holy Ancients by the Spirit of Truth were led to practise the ancient Hist●ries of whom from Eye-Witnesses as the Word signifies of some of them we in a great Part believe And some later more Enlightened and Zealous Men taking Offence thereat but especially at the Hypocrisie and Abomination palliated by such fair Pretences have streined much in Opposition to that Evangelical Doctrine yet is the Doctrine nevertheless a Truth in it self Nor can we believe that all that were accounted Hereticks were out of the Catholick or Universal Church for the Word Catholick signifies Vniversal containing all that are in the Church that is in God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in all Times and those were not all of the same Mind in all Things as may be read in the Holy Scriptures and also in Eusebius and other Ecclesiastical Histories where Men are commended for Holiness and Virtue yet at much Difference in some Things Synesius though he believed not the Resurrection was chosen to minister and afterward was made a Bishop the Charity of Christians was so great in that Age. And some accounted Hereticks suffered Martyrdom that are commended or excused by Eusebius one in particular that dyed with Polycarpus and another called Asclepius called Marcionites See also the beginning of his eighth Book concerning the Divisions among them that afterward suffered for the Testimony of the Universal or Catholick Truth nor can we receive their Judgment that branded those with the Name of Hereticks Pelagians c. who denyed Swearing in those declining Ages and suppressed their Works under that Name and Aspersion only not allowing them to speak for themselves to us of latter Times We see how unjustly we our selves are aspersed in almost every Doctrine we hold and that under Pretence of serving God particularly with seeking to work our Salvation by our own Power and when they have made us this Belief they bestow Pelagianism upon it for Fathers have Right to name their own Children whereas of all other People we especially disclaim our own Ability and wait to be renewed and guided by the Spirit of Christ and to be found in his Righteousness and therefore on the other hand reputed Phanaticks Enthusiasts c. and mocked for being moved by the Spirit following the Light c. But let their Example or Authority be as it will or however they were in other Respects the Doctrine of the ancient primitive Fathers and Practice of that Church as also the Doctrine of famous Men among themselves neither of which Sort dare they condemn for Hereticks do sufficiently defend them from the Aspersion of Heresie in that Particular And so we shall come to our remaining Testimonies it being our Business not to maintain every one of their Principles we cite but this Doctrine of Swear not at all to have had the Voice of several Ages to confirm it The ancient Waldenses reputed to have continued Vncorrupted with the Grosness of the Apostacy ever since the Apostles Times see their History in P. Perin S. Moreland and Bp Vsher de Succes we have good Cause to say denyed the taking of any Oath in what Sense the Primitive Christians and Fathers refused and that was altogether Sure their Enemies charg'd them with it for above three hundred Years and we cannot find they then denyed the Charge We suppose none will attempt to prove they did Though one of our Adversaries joyns with theirs traducing them for Perjurers and with them abuses that worthy and learned Man Bp. Vsher who defends them from that improbable and contradictory Aspersion of Lying and Forswearing and yet of Denying to Swea● who sayes that they were as far from Lying and Forswearing as their Enemies were from Mod●sty and Truth which did appear in that they were charg'd by them Not to swear at all Peruse that part of his Book de Successione where he treats of them and where also you may read of their Succession how that the Syrians Armenians came out of the East into Thracia thence in process of Time into Bulgaria and Sclavonia thence into Italy and Lumbardy and were called by several Names of several People or at several Times as Manichees Waldenses Albingenses Cathari or Puritans Patrins Publicans Humiliati c. who were charged with denying Swearing And how that several of the better sort of the Clergy and of the nobler Laity who refused the present Use of Baptism and the Lord's Supper were burnt under the Name of Manichees Suarez also reckons-up the Catharists Alba. Bagnald and others which Prateolus and Castro relate the Waldenses the Anabaptists c. And which Jansenius also out of Augustine Epist 89. the Pelagians out of Hilary Syracusanus Epist 88. Bernard homil 69. on Cant. The Fathers sayes he seem to favour this Opinion especially Basil hom in Psal 14. Chrysostom hom 19.78 ad popul and 17. on Mat And Theophylact on Mat. 5. Origen Tract 35. Mat. Tertullian de Idololat Clem. Rom. l. 6. Constitut Apost Maldonat on Mat. 5.34 saith the Anabaptists the Wickliffists some Syracusans a kind of Pelagians denyed Swearing and that Origen was not far off that Opinion Here the Hereticks as accounted and the Fathers are reckoned up together as holding the same Opinions Sure in this they were not Hereticks for then the Fathers should be condemned with them and called Hereticks too as well as they or else these Men are partial and contradictory On Jam. 5. of the words of the Apostle thus Ser. 30. Perhaps it is meet for the Lord alone to swear who cannot forswear And so he goes on to shew how hard it is for men to avoid Perjury In Serm. 3. ad competentes Let them not only abstain from Perjury but from Swearing because he doth not Lye who saith A man Swearing much shall not depart from Iniquity and the Plague shall not depart from his House Eccles 23. But if it were an August Act of the Worship of God he would on the contrary have exhorted at least if not commanded them to swear which we never read any Command for but in Opposition to Idols even in the time of the Old-Testament-Writings as the Testimonies before alledged declare and in the time of the New no Command at all but on the contrary a Prohibition by the Lord himself and another by his Apostle nor any Example for that of Paul's was but an Asseveration as by the Testimonies already produced and to be alledged appears For besides

not another Gospel then their Master's who prayed that those who believed might be sanctified THROUGHOUT in Body Soul and Spirit which is a perfect Removal of the Ground of Swearing and they were exhorted to press after the Mark of the Price of this High and Holy Calling until they should all come unto a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ Jesus For even hereunto saith Peter were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that ye should follow his Steps who did no Sin neither was Guile found in his Mouth And saith John As he is so are we in this World If No Guile be found in our Mouths then No Oaths for they came because of Guile And if we ought to resemble him in this World then must our Communication be Yea Yea and Nay Nay that is we must live the Life of Truth and speak the Words of Truth which ought to be of greater Force then Oaths that come of Evil. If the Righteousness of the Law ought to be fulfilled in us we ought not to swear because we ought to be so Righteous as not to Lye This is Evangelical for as he that conceives not a foul or revengeful Thought need not to purge himself of Adultery and Murder Neither is there any Reason that man should purge himself of Lying by Sweating that doth not so much as countenance an untrue Thought The Language of the same Apostle to the Ephesians further explains this Evangelical Evidence But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him have been taught by him as the Truth is in Jesus That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is Corrupt according to the Deceitful Lusts be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind that you put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Wherefore PVTTING AWAY LYING SPEAK EVERY MAN TRVTH with his Neighbour Beyond which there can be no Assurance given or desired And if Christians ought never to Lye it is most certain they need never to Swear for Swearing is built upon Lying Take away Lying and there remains no more Ground for Swearing Truth-speaking comes in the room thereof And this not only the Christian-Doctrine teaches and requires but Christ the blessed Author of it is ready to work in the Hearts of the Children of Men would they but come and learn of him who is Meek Lowly filled with Grace and Truth And we must needs say It is a shameful thing and very Dishonourable to the Christian-Religion that those who pretend themselves to be the Followers of Christ for so true Christians ought to be should so degenerate from his Example and Doctrine as to want and use scarcing Asseverations dispenced with in some of the weakest Times of Knowledge and such horrible Imprecations never known to ancient Jews and Christians to ascertain one another of their Faith and Truth Religion must needs have suffered a great Ebb and Christianity a fearful Ecclips since those brighter Ages of its Profession For Bishop Gauden himself in his Discourse of Oaths confesses That the ancient Christians were so strict and exact that there was no need of an Oath among them yea they so kept up the Sanctity and Credit of their Profession among Vnbelievers that it was Security enough in all Cases to say Christianus sum I am a Christian But to fortifie what we have hitherto urged in Defence of our Judgment and Practice and to the End it may more fully appear that our Tenderness in this great Case of Oaths comes not from any Sower Sullen or Superstitious Humor or that we would trouble the World with any New fangled Opinion we shall produce the concurrent Testimonies of several Famous and Good Men for above these Two Thousand Years among Gentiles Jews and Christians enough to make an Occumenical Council We shall cite them out of the best Editions we have been able to procure and as truly and punctually as we can render them digested in Order of Time Memorable TESTIMONIES against Swearing collected out of the Writings of Gentiles Jews Christians some of which were deliver'd to the World several Ages before Swear not at all was writ by Matthew or spoaken by Christ which makes Swearing but especially Punishing for not Swearing among Christians so much the more Disallowable The Whole publisht not only in Favour of our Cause but for the Instruction of the World and to their Just Honour that said writ them as durable Monuments of their Virtue I. The Sayings of the Gentiles or Heathens in Dislike of Oaths Our two first Testimonies shall be the Practice of two great People the Persians and Scythian Diodorus Siculus lib. 16. I. AMong the Persians saith Diodorus Siculus Giving the Right Hand was the Token of Truth-speaking He that did it Deceitfully was counted more Detestable then if he had Sworn Which plainly implyes that Swearing was Detested among them as well as that they needed not to Swear who so much used Truth-speaking Quint. Curt. in vit Alex. II. The Scythians as it is reported by Q. Curtius in their Conference with Alexander upon Occasion of an expected Security told him Think not that the Scythians confirm their Friendship by Oath They Swear by keeping their Word Which is not only a Proof of their Disuse of Common Oaths but Swearing at all even in Matters of greatest Importance Plutarch Rom. Quest 28. III. So Religious was Hercules saith Plutarch that he never swore but once If it was Religiously done to swear but once in a Man's Life it had been more Religiously done not to swear at all How just and severe a Censure is this out of an Heathen's Mouth upon the Practice of Dissolute Christians Hesiod Theogon p. 88. IV. Hesiod in his Theogonia places an Oath amongst the Brood of Contention An Oath saith he greatly hurts men Again presently An Oath goes with corrupt Judgments or an Oath flyes away together with cotrupt Judgments that is when Justice appears among men Oaths vanish as his Scope in that place shews Seciad in Stob. 28. V. It was one part of the Doctrine of the Seven Sages so famous in Greece That men ought not to Swear Stob. Serm. 3. VI. Solon the famous Law-giver of Athens and one of those Seven Sages exhorted the People to observe Honesty more strictly then an Oath As if he had said Honesty is to be preferred before Swearing as another Saying of his imports A good Man should have that Repute as not to need an Oath it is a Diminution to his Credit to be put to Swear Bp. Gaud. of Oaths p. 41. Theognis ver 660. VII Theognis the Greek Poet writing of a Person Swearing saith Neither ought he to swear this or any thing This Thing or Swearing it self shall not be What is this less then Swear not at

Exercise or Mastery Let us keep these things that we attain both present and future good things by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with whom to the Father with the holy Spirit be Glory Dominion Honour now and forever and ever Amen These Precepts were because of the Jewish Depravation but those perfect ones to despise and relinquish Riches stand manfully lay down thy Life for Preaching despise all Earthly things have nothing to do with this present Life do good to them that unjustly afflict thee if thou be defrauded bless thou if any slander thee honour thou him be over all things It was fit to hear these and such like things But now we discourse concerning an Oath And it is even as if when a man should come to Philosophy he should draw him away from those his Teachers and make him spell with Letters and Syllables Consider now what a Confusion it would be for a man that hath a w●ighty Scrip and a Staff and a Gown to go to the Grammar-School with Boyes and to learn the same things that they do would it not be a Matter of much Laughter but more from you for there is not so great a Difference betwixt Philosophy and the Elements of Speech as between the Jewish Matters and Ours but as much as is between Angels and Men. Tell me now if any should call down an Angel from Heaven and tell him That he must stand and hear our Sermons as if he must be thereby instructed would it not be a ridiculous and confused thing And if it were a ridiculous thing to be yet instructed by these tell me now how great Condemnation and how great Confusion were it not to give Attention to those former And how then is it not Confusion that a Christian must be instructed that he must not swear But let us repress our Affections that we be not more laught at Let us now discourse concerning the Jewish Law to day What is that will he say Do not use thy Mouth to Swear nor be familiar with the Holy Name Why For as a Servant if he be continually scourged shall not be clear from Marks so neither he that sweareth Consider the Wisdom of that Wise Man He said not Do not use thy Mind but thy Mouth because he knew it to be all of the Mouth and which is easily amended c. The Punishment here that is opposed to it tells us that it is not Perjury but Swearing that is here to be removed Therefore TO SWEAR IS A SIN Verily the Soul is full of such Wounds and Scars But if thou swear because he doth not believe say thou Believe or if thou wilt not swear by thy self and I do not say that thou art contrary to the Law-giver Far be it for saith he Let your Word be YEA YEA and NAY NAY that herein I may condescend to you and bring you to this that I may free you from this Tyrannical Custom Will you learn why they allowed them of old to Swear not to Forswear It was because they swore by Idols You must not be confounded in these Laws in which they that were weak were conversant For if I now take a Greek I do not forthwith enjoyn him this but now I admonish him That Christ must be known But a Believer and one who hath learned him and heard if he should use the same Indulgence and Liberty as the Greek What Profit and Advantage would there be Christ hath made a Law that NONE SWEAR Tell me now what is done about this Law lest perchance coming again as the Apostle saith I do not spare We hope none will dispute whether Chrysostom was against All Swearing or that he understood Christ's Doctrine as we do yet no Body can Promise for them that endeavour to squeeze Swearing out of Christ's SWEAR NOT AT ALL. We have been the larger in this Authority partly because he excellently disputes it and partly because our Case needs it and lastly to show Christians their Apostacy that they may reform Jerom. Libr. Epistol part 3. Tract 2. Epist 2. Of Obedience Knowledge and Revenge LII Thou saidst if I mistake not That on this Account thou mayst justly render Evil for Evil and oughtest to swear with them that swear because the Lord sometimes swore and rendred Evil for Evil. First I know that all things are not fit for us that are Servants which are agreeable to the Master c. I know the Lord oftentimes swore who hath forbidden us to Swear Nor must we rashly speak Evil of or Blaspheme in this that he forbad another what he did himself because it may not be said the Lord swore as Lord whom none forbad to swear It is not lawful for us as Servants to Swear because we are Forbidden by the Law of our Lord to Swear But lest we should suffer an Offence by his Example since the time he forbad Us to Swear neither did he himself ever Swear c. Upon Zachary Book 2. Chap. 8. And love ye not a False Oath As to the Lord 's commanding in the Gospel But I say unto you Swear not at all but let your Word be YEA YEA NAY NAY He that shall Never Swear can never Forswear But he that sweareth let him hear that which is written Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in a vain thing for 〈◊〉 these things I hate saith the Lord according to the words of Malachy saying And ye did all that I hate In Precepts which belong to Life and are clear we ought not to ●eek an Allegory lest we seek a Knot in Rush as sayes the Comick On Jeremy 4. Book 1. chap. 3. And thou shalt Swear the Lord liveth in Truth and Righteousness and Judgment c. And how doth the Gospel forbid us to Swear But ●ere it is said for a Confession thou shalt Swear and for the Condemnation of Idols by which Israel swore Lastly Offences are taken away ●d he sweareth by the Lord and what is said in the Old Testament the Lord liveth is an Oath to the condemning of all the Dead by whom all Idolatry sweareth And it is also to be minded that an Oath hath these Companions Truth Judgment and Righteousness if these be wanting it is not Swearing but Forswearing Also on Matth. Book 1. chap. 5. But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven c. The Jews had alwayes this Custom of Swearing by the Elements as the Prophet's Speech often reproves them He that sweareth either reverenceth or loveth him by whom he sweareth In the Law it is commanded that we must not swear but by the Lord our God The Jews Swearing by the Angels and the City Jerusalem and the Temple and the Elements did worship the Carnal Creatures with the Honour and Observance of God Lastly consider that here the Saviour forbad not to swear by God but by Heaven c. and this was allowed by the Law as to little

those of the Fathers and other Doctors of late Bp. Ro. Sanderson in his Oxford Lectures shows that is sometimes used in the Form of an Oath which is no Oath and so he defendeth Joseph from breaking God's Command that is not to have sworn so and therefore not to have sinned but to have used an Asseveration as if he had said as sure as Pharaoh liveth ye are Spyes So may Paul be defended against the breaking Christ's Command as if he had said as sure as ye or as some Greek Copies have it We Rejoyce in Christ Jesus For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they translate I protest by hath sometimes the same signification that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea hath as may be seen in Scapula For he sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated I protest by is a Particle sometimes of granting and affirming sometimes it is put for verily indeed and he interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the same word which is translated yea which Scapula saith is also sometimes used in Swearing and cites Aristophanes and Xenophon for it And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used also in Composition for affirming as in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profusus lavishing which cannot signifie Swearing And how easily might the Transcriber through that common Use alter a Letter being of the same signification seeing in that very Verse in some Copies there is not only in another word an Alteration of a Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our and your but in another word five Letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referring it to the Verse before yea a whole Word of Seven Letters added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And of about Thirty Greek Copies there are not Two of them that agree but they interfer some in one place some in another insomuch that there are Thousands of various Readings which many of the ancient Fathers diversly follow some one some another See the various Lections Variae Lectiones Graec. Nov. Test in Bp. Walton's Polyglot vol. 6. also the Preface and Beza's Epistle therein And consider how hard a thing it is to construe limit and lay the Interpretation of the Sayings of Christ and his Apostles and the Weight of a Doctrine and that as men would avoid Penalties too upon a Letter which yet alters not the Signification upon Credit of the Transcribers especially in Paul's Epistles wherein Peter sayes many things are hard to be understood and wrested by the Vnlearned which he must needs intend in such Learning as he himself had and that was not of Worldly Academics but from the Holy Spirit And these words which are joyned with that Particle are not such words as men use in Swearing but for a Ground of his Fidelity and a Remedy against their Incredulity and questioning of the Weight of his Assertions amongst whom other Teachers were preferred and who compelled him to speak as a Fool he says even to commend himself So that it is not strange if to them and not to other Churches he used such forcible Asseverations from the Testimony that they had of him of the Truth and Work of Christ in ●im and the Record thereof upon his Soul and his Joy therein that he spoak the Truth to them and did not lye so that he brings his Perfections against their Imperfections to gain Belief which can amount to no more then a Voluntary Condescension for the time being and cannot prove or countenance a Compulsory Promissory Formal Ceremonial Oath to be exacted or taken up for the future But Mark that the word Oath or Swear used both by Christ and the Apostle James in their Prohibition is never used by Paul in his Asseverations neither doth he ever apply it to Brethren b●t speaking to them of the Oath that was in old time and of men indefinitely that use to swear he saith Men swear and to them an Oath is for Confirmation that is as among the Jews and Heathen he doth not say to Vs or to You or We or Ye swear who are not in Strife which if had that been true it might have stood the present Oath-Advocates in stead So that such as will have it that Paul swore must being the word swear or Oath to prove it But if they could his Example then were not enough to invalidate to us now the Command of Christ for the Abolishing of Swearing no more then his shaving his Head at Cenchrea because he had a Vow or his purifying himself in the Temple and offering with the four Jews that had a Vow or his circumcising of Timothy because of the Jews can warrant us to the Observation of those legal Rites and Ceremonies which so long since are not only dead but deadly as the Fathers and Bp. Sanderson distinguish about them And those that would therefore bring in Swearing and Vows might under the same Colour bring in sacrificing and circumcising too LIV. ISIDORUS PELUSIOTA who as Euagrius Schol. writes lived at the same time with Cyrill and that the Fame of his Sayings and Doings was spead far and near and rise in every man's Mouth that He led on Earth the Life of an Angel and wrote many notable Works amongst which are his Epistles in one whereof he writeth against Swearing thus If thou art of our Flock and art ordered under a good Shepherd deny the Nature of Wild Beasts and obey his Voice that Forbiddeth to Swear AT ALL. Moreover not to Swear is not to require an Oath of another Now if thou wilt not swear neither require thou an Oath of another for two Causes either because he who is asked loves Truth or on the contrary to Lye If the man speaks Truth usually he will alwayes speak Truth without an Oath but if he is a Lyar he will Lye though he Swear Therefore for both these Causes one ought not to require an Oath LV. CHROMATIUS Bishop of Aquileia about or not long after that time upon these words But I say unto you Swear not at all paraphraseth thus The Law saith he given by Moses received a Growth Proficiency or Perfection by the Grace of the Doctrine of the Gospel In the Law it was commanded not to Forswear but in the Gospel NOT TO SWEAR Which very thing heretofore the Holy Ghost did premeditate that Solomon should command or teach saying Let not thy Mouth use to Swear And again As a Servant beaten continually is not lessened from the Paleness of his Stripes so every one that sweareth shall not be purg'd from Sin Wherefore it is not meet for us to Swear AT ALL For what need is there for any of us to Swear seeing that it is not at all LAWFUL FOR US TO LYE whose Words ought always to be so True so very Faithful that they may be accounted for Oaths And therefore the Lord not only forbids us to Forswear BUT EVEN TO SWEAR that we may not seem to speak Truth ONLY

when we swear That we may not think that those whom he hath appointed to be True in all their Speech may have Liberty to Lye without an Oath For this is the Cause of an Oath Because that every one who sweareth doth swear to this End that he will speak that which is true and therefore the Lord would have no Difference to be between their Oath and their Word Because as in an Oath there ought to be no Perfidiousness so in our Words there ought to be no Lye in that both Perjury and Lying is condemned by the Punishment of the Judgment of God seeing the Scripture saith The Mouth which Lyeth killeth the Soul Therefore whosoever speaketh Truth sweareth because it is written A Faithful Witness doth not Lye And therefore holy Scripture not without Cause often relates that God hath sworn because whatsoever is spoaken of God who is true and cannot lye is counted for an Oath because all which he speaks is true Now we find God sometimes swearing but it is for the Perfidiousness of the Jewish Infidelity who think that all Truth consists in the Credit of an Oath Therefore also God would swear that they who would not trust God speaking might trust him when he swore Therefore our Lord saith Ye have heard it said of old Thou shalt not Forswear But I say unto you SWEAR NOT AT ALL c. LVI THEODORET on Deut. 6. pag. 57. Why doth the Law command that they should swear by God Lest they should swear by false Gods For he said the same by the Prophet If thou takest the Names of Baalam out of thy Mouth and shalt swear The Lord liveth with Truth And here when he had said Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve and shalt cleave unto him and shalt swear by his Name he subjoyned Ye shall not w●k ●ter other or strange Gods which are of the Gods of the Nations which are round about you Lyra saith the same LVII Ordinary Gloss on Mat. 5.37 hath this Sentence A Faithful Speech ought to be accounted for an Oath LVIII Johannes Damascenus Parallel lib. 3. cap. 16. bringeth a Testimony of one Nilus against Swearing There was one nam'd NILUS in Aegypt a Martyr mention'd by Eusebius Another Bishop of Constantinople spoaken of by Socrates both very famous the words are these It is not profitable to Swear but very pernicious and execrable and abominable Wherefore hereafter make an End of Swearing nor commit such a thing as that thy Tongue use Oaths In the same place he alledgeth Testimonies out of J. Chrysostom Hom. 13. ad Populum Antiochenum LIX CYRILL whom Evagrius Scholast styles Renown'd in his Commentary on Jeremy the 4th And shall swear the Lord liveth in Truth and in Judgment and in Righteousness saith Let us look who swear how we do not swear in Judgment but without Judgment so that our Oaths are by Custom rather then Judgment we are lashed therefore and the Word reproving that same thing saith and if he shall swear the Lord liveth in Truth in Righteousness and Judgment For we know it is said in the Gospel by the Lord unto his Disciples But I say unto you that you Swear NOT AT ALL. But let us consider also this Saying and if God grant both shall be rewarded For perhaps it first behoveth to swear in Truth in Judgment and in Righteousness and after one hath made Proficiency he may be made worthy NOT TO SWEAR AT ALL but may have YEA not needing Witnesses that IT IS SO and may have NAY not needing Witnesses that IT IS VERILY NOT So. And sayes Cyrill further Let none because he hears that God swore to Abraham use to swear For as that which is called Wrath in God is not Wrath nor doth it signifie a Passion but a Punishing Power or some such like Motion so neither is Swearing SWEARING For God doth not Swear but shews the Certainty that what he saith shall come to pass certainly For the Oath of God is his own Word filling the Hearers and making every one believe that what he hath promised and said shall surely come to pass LX. CASSIODORUS on Psalm 94. saith Hence it is that men are forbidden to swear because by their own Power they cannot perform their Promises This Cassiodorus was Famous about the year 500. LXI OLYMPIODORUS was also Famous about the same time who on Eccl. 8. saith thus Keep the Mouth of the King and do not study concerning the Word of the Oath of God but go far from the Face of it viz. of an Oath that is Refrain and depart from it and do not AT ALL endure to take an Oath into thy Mouth LXII ISIDORUS HISPALENSIS was famous about that time and liv'd with him they calld St. Gregory who disliked the bringing in the Title of Universal Bishop and also the Use of Swearing his Words are these Many are slow to believe which are moved at the Belief of the Word But they do grieveously offend who compel them to Swear that speak to them LXIII ANTIOCHUS said to be a Man famous for Holiness Learning living in Palestine about the time of Heraclius the Emperor that was about the Year 614. In his Pandects of Scripture Hom. 62. concerning Swearing saith thus in the Greek which see for the Latine Translation is in some things imperfect The old Law as giving Laws to Children which for their Age were not capable of more holy Doctrine not unseasonably commands To Swear nothing to their Neighbour in Deceit But us our Lord and Saviour commandeth NOT TO SWEAR AT ALL neither out of Season nor in Season for he saith to us Let your YEA be YEA and your NAY NAY for whatsoever is more is of the Evil. And saith he to the first People of a Stiff Neck I commanded Thou shalt not forswear but shalt perform thy Vows unto the Lord as to them that were Hard-hearted and Disobedient to me But to you that believe in me to whom I have given Power to become the Sons of God that are born again of the holy Spirit I command NOT TO SWEAR AT ALL neither little nor great Oaths that a Difference may plainly appear who are Bastards and who true Sons Let us therefore Dear Friends fear him who hath vouchsafed us so much Honour even the Lord and Father with all Fear as sincere ingenuous Servants let us keep his Commandments NOT TO SWEAR AT ALL lest he say as in Isa 1. I have nourish'd and brought up Children and they have rebell'd against me Let 's not be Sleighters and Despisers of this Commandment of the Lord for those things that are said and done without an Oath are more credited by Men and more pleasing to God LXIV In the next Century BEDA an English man the most famous of those Dayes and styl'd Venerable in his Exposition upon these words Before all things my Brethren swear not c.