is that is forbidden by the Lord Christ when he saith Swear not at all To which if it shall be answered that he only forbad Swearing in common communication I shall to that say That that kind of Swearing was never lawful And in his forbidding that which was never lawful he shall reiterate that which was alwayes unlawful and had nothing at all to say to it when he had nothing at all to say to it when he had named it seemeth to me to be an Impertinency and to say that he spake Impertinencies to me it seems altogether Impertinent Here are two things spoken of first Forswearing Secondly Swearing in Common Converse or Communication and both being unlawful we must rationally conclude that by the Lord Christ they are both forbidden and if so then let us set our Reason on work to consider seriously how these two unlawful things are forbidden he saith not thou shalt not forswear thy self as it was said to them of old to the one and to the other Swear not at all if he had then Swearing might have been lawfull now as well as of old for a forbidding to Forswear implyes a lawfulness to swear but if Swearing be not lawful then there is no room for a forbidding to forswear Forswearing is then out of doors for no swearing and therefore no possibility of forswearing Now I say let us consider of these two unlawful things Forswearing and Swearing in Common Communication And let us see how they are forbidden and then I hope there will appear some light in the case that by the Assistance of the Lords Light thou Henry Den and thy Brother Jeremiah may see Light We usually say in our common Proverb It is good killing two birds with one stone And the Lord Christ doth the same thing in effect in this place for he forbids both these unlawful things though different in one breath when he sayes Swear not at all as if he should have said to both of them distinctly thus Swear not at all as to common communication because never lawfull And Swear not at all in other things lest possibly you may in Swearing forswear your selves But because the difference in the Translation is the main thing upon which thou wouldest turn the sense of the letter of this Scripture upon I shall once more for a more perfect clearing up of the case take thine own terms in thine own translation and read the sentence according to them and therein I hope there will appear so much contradiction of truth as that thou wilt change thy â—â—nd and be ready to say it is in vain to kick against the pricks it is an evil thing and a bitter to be found fighting against God by endeavouring to pervert the way of truth to the turning the blind and ignorant out of the way to the bringing Gods Curse upon thine own head Deut. 27.18 Therefore in the fear of the Lord and with mature deliberation and due consideration let us reade the sentence in thine own words Let your Communication be wholly and altogether without Swearing Either by the true God lest ye take the Name of God in vain or by any other Oath lest ye become Idolaters in setting up something else to swear by instead of the true God Therefore swear not at all neither by this that or any other Oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay for whatsoever is more than this cometh of Evil or from that Evil one And to the other thus according to thy Greek rendring Forbear Swearing wholly and altogether lest possibly in Swearing ye Forswear your selves but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay for what is more than this cometh of Evil or of or from that Evil one Now let the Rational judge both of thy Translation and thy Application and my Answer In the next place I shall lay before thee thine own words and shall desire thee to be thine own Judge in what thou hast gone contrary to Truth in And seeing they are the things of God that we are upon be perswaded to lay aside thy Humane Learning and thy great Scholarship The which far be it from me to condemn either as unlawful or unprofitable in their places yet in this case I would have them take no place at all because it is the work of another yea so saith our Apostle 1 Cor. 2.10 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him Even so or just in the same manner the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God And if it be the Spirit of God only then it is not Humane Learning And if it be the Spirit only that searcheth all things yea the deep things of God then it is not great Scholarship nor strength of parts that doth it And if thou findest not such a fulnesse of the Spirit as to search out the depth of the deep things of God then consider with thy self what hath been hitherto omitted by thy self and what by thy Brother Jeremiah Ives and hath been publickly Disputed against as to be of and from the Devil and that which hath been slighted undervalued and Disputed against and by some of those that are now the chiefest and the greatest sticklers perswading persons to Swear both in Print and by Verbal perswasions I say Consider of things seriously in the Fear of the Lord and the Lord make both Thee and Them wise In page the sixth Thou craveâ—â— our Patience whilest thou examinest the Grounds that we who cannot Swear at all do bottom upon till thou weighest them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary And all the Ballance that we find thee weighing them in is the Translation the which I have hitherto found as to thy purpose too light yet true as to the sence of the Letter of the Scripture as is aforesaid shewed saying Swear not at all or let your Communication be wholly or altogether without Oaths And now I shall proceed farther by the assistance of that Spirit which through mercy I received by the Laying on of the Hands of the Presbitery Yea I say again not by Humane Learning for I have it not nor by mine own Wisdom which is but foolishnesse but by the assistance of that Spirit which through Mercy I received by the Laying on of the Hands of the Presbitery I shall take a farther view of thy account that thou givest us of thy work after thy weighing and how thou dost apply it and how much it doth amount to that so thou mayest have a due reward for the Labourer is worthy of his hire Thou hast told us that the Greek renders not at all to be wholly or altogether as aforesaid And now the Application thou makest of thy Translation is this That in the proper sence it should be read Swear not wholly or altogether let not your Communication be interwoven with Oaths So that thy Speech implies no less than this to wit That
into a Gulf of abominable Idolatry for he that setteth up a false God to Swear by is an Idolater for he preferreth that Thing or Person he so setteth up before his God by whose strength only he can and must expect power to perform his Oaths and Engagements And hence it is that the Lord Christ saith Swear not at all neither by Heaven nor by Earth nor by Jerusalem because they by their power or strength are not able to give strength nor ability to perform the which I judge might be convincing to any rational man in reason to conclude that to call God to Witness a thing is not to implore his help to perform that thing and to assert the certainty of a thing by the certainty of the Lords living is not to crave his assistance in the least to make good that thing that is already certain and therefore not a Swearing by God to make good the certainty of what is already certain And therefore I would have Henry Den Jer. Ives John Tombs and Theophilus Brabourn know That their asserting that Calling God to Witness is Swearing in the Apostles saying God is my Witness or I take God to Record or in saying as the Lord liveth or as the Lord is true The which I resolve God assisting to handle more fully in my further Answer to Theophilus Brabourn his Book which will more fully treat the naâ—ure of an Oath and in which will be contracted that which in this Book lyeth more confused and scattered in which something shall be more fully yet very briefly Answered to John Tombs and also Jer. Ives although as to the main Argument of Gospel-Disciples Swearing I have to him said sufficient in my Answer to Col. 2.24 the which had it been here inserted would have swelled to something too large a Bulk Thus having by divine Assistance scanned over thy Work fully in every Particular and therein in plainness of Speech according to the Ability received in a measure cleared up every thing that may seem Cloudy or dark that so thou with others maist have a clear sight of Truth from Error herein and that thou with others may say with me and some others as saith the Lord Christ Mat. 5.34 with another of his faithfull Servants James 5.12 Swear not and Swear not at all And if in what I have said I have grated something too hard upon thee and the rest as to Humane Learning I must tell thee I did it not that I undervalue Humane Learning for I own it in its place to be of singular use neither do I so beat it down because I have it not for had I it my self I should with the Apostle Paul in this place as to the Things of God undervalue it and come only in the demonstration of the Spirit And therefore know that what I have said as to that I said it on purpose and in the faithfulness of my soul for thine and their good if possible to beat thee out of a Dependancy upon it hath so thou mightest come out of thy self and as I may so say to Plow with Gods Heifer in the things of God and use that only in and about thy Drugs Distillations and Chymical Extractions and other secular Affairs and let that Doctrine that thou dost manage on in that Society thou belongest to be only Compounded by the Spirits finger whose only and alone work will best become it And if upon tryal thou find not such a measure of it as may discover to thee the deep things of God to the stopping the mouths of the Gain-sayers that thou go to God in his own Way for the attaining of it the which for a long time thou hast rejected that so thou mayest speak and write the things that appertain to sound Doctrine to the glory of God the good of Souls and thine own Eternal well-being Which is the desire of him who is willing according to the Ability received to spend and be spent for the propagating the TRUTH for the benefit of Souls HENRY ADIS. A WORD to Theophilus Brabourn FRIEND HAving Read thy Sheet concerning the Lawfulnesse of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and having a Resolution to make some Answer thereunto I caused the Printer to insert thy name with the rest in the Title Page of this my Book intending to have said so much to it as should have Answered the Substantial part of it but it coming not to my hands till this Answer was going to the Presse and finding I had Answered much of it the which being out of my hands I could not insert thy name in those parts wherein I had Answered to others in the same Cases I shall therefore desire thee to busie thy self but a little in order to thy Satisfaction in what I have said to others of thine own judgment till I procure the Presse to go for thy further Satisfaction And shall rest thy Friend so far as thou art a Friend to thy self in Owning and Standing for Truth in this Crooked and Adulterous Generation And shall Subscribe my Self therein Thy FRIEND HENRY ADIS. From my Contended Castle the Gate-House Dungeon till Traytors and Offenders Fees be mittigated and taken off my Discharge running Being found Guiltless paying due Fees which is THE END
Officious Mayor by virtue of whose Jehu like Zeal to make the King amends for his Abingtons hasty Mornings Work and that Tender Respect he shewed to the late KING his FATHER at Holmby House I say That when Jeremiah Ives was frightned into a perswasion to Swear neither John Doe nor Jeremiah Ives must Swear before the supposed Judge no otherwise but as Jeremiah Ives Sware before that Officious and double-diligent Officer as aforesaid not by the Lord but by the Contents of that Book yea even by what was Contained in that Book For this is the Form of the Oath You shall Swear by the Contents of this Book to speak the Truth the whole Truâ—h and noâ—hing but the Truâ—h so help you God Now I querie although I think I need not because he that perswaded him to go out of Gods way to Swear could as easily perswade him to go out of Gods Way to Swear by that which is no God yet I shall querie whether Jeremiah Ives did so much as open the Book to see whether it was a Divine Service-Book as they call it or a Bible as it is usually bound with the Old and New Testament and the Apocrypha with or without the Service-Book as aforesaid or the Singing Psalms Compiled by Thomas Sternhold John Hopkins William Wade and others who were said to be Musical Servants to Queen Elizabeth I say whether all some part or which part of all these Jeremiah Ives Swore by and whether Jeremiah Ives did consider what a strong Oath he took and by how many Gods he Swore And for brevity sake we will omit the Common-Prayer and begin at Genesis and consider that there is a Serpent and his Words several false Heathenish Gods as Dagon Molech Baal Ashtrosh Chemoth Rimmon Diana of the Ephesians with several Great and Mighty Men as the Children of Anack Goliah Jepthah Sampson with many Giants and several Kings Good and Bad as Sihon Og Agag Saul Agrippa Herod Pharaoh c. the Multitude of whose Armies and Fighting-men are innumerable with the several sorts of Birds Beasts Fish and Fowl with many more things of several kinds with Herbs Flowers Plants and Trees both Men and Women good and bad with several Stones both Pretious and Common which are contained in the Old and New Testament as they are occasionally Discussed of by the Great Iehovah his Holy Prophets the Lord Christ and his Apostles for the Holy Scriptures are laid down to us Prophetically Prometically Typically Allegorically Historically Parrabolically as well as by Precept or Command in all which Cases all things aforesaid must be named and yet all Lawful Godly and of Christian use and such as are well pleasing to God and many of them uttered by the Lord Christ himself as for Example one had bought a piece of Land and another a Yoak of Oxen and another had Married a Wife and therefore they could not come to the Supper spoken of to what end these are spoken the Rational may Judge that they were of Singular and Holy use But to Swear by that Land that Yoak of Oxen or that Wife or that Supper is as Prophane and as much forbidden as to Swear by Heaven or Earth or Jerusalem because it is of some other thing And he that Swears by the Contents of the Bible Swears by what ever is contained in that Book and must Swear by all things therein bad as well as good as well by the meanest things as by the holy Commands But to our Supposal as aforesaid the Bond being before the Judge the Jurors are Sworn according to Henry Den his Translations neither Wholly Altogether nor in every way and John Doe and Jer. Ives their hands upon the Book are Sworn neither Wholly Altogether nor to speak the truth in every way by what means doth Henry Den suppose by his Translation to have his 100 l. when neither Judge for him we must suppose also to be thus lamely Sworn I say by what means can Henry Den suppose to have his 100 l. by such a Judge Jurors and Witnesses who are thus Sworn to Halves neither Wholly Altogether nor every way But if Richard Roe and Henry Adis whose yea is yea and their nay nay shall in the presence of the great Jehovah according to Henry Den his Translation and according to the Sense of our Text Mat. 5.34 without Swearing at all wholly and altogether and in every way speak the Truth the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth in every Circumstance both of time place and person when where who and what So â—hat by such a Judge Jurors and Evidence Henry Den may expect his 100 l. from Theoplilus Brabourn And here it would be well minded by the People of God that they consider what they that have Sworn have Sworn By in so Swearing and that they lay all carnal reasonings aside and not withstanding the Kings Proclamation that they speedily Repair to their Respective Meetings with all the Members that they possibly can get together that so they may make a great Outcry to the Lord in the behalf of the King and his People that so God may pass by and wink at these OATHS of Ignorance and for the time â—o come that it may be so much taken notice of as that it be never acted in by any as a Sin of Wilfulness neither by him that shall Administer it nor by them to whom it shall be Adminstred And if any men shall oppose you in your so doing let them know that you are going to pray to the great King of Heaven and Earth by the help of the Holy Spirit in the name of King JESUS for King Charles the Second that so in the name of King Jesus God may shower down his Blessings upon King CHARLES the second under whom you yet hope to lead a peaceable quieâ— and godly life in all godliness and honesty and that God may enlighten the Eyes of their Understanding in these things so as that the Judgments of God come not speedily down upon the Nation for such Oaths as these Thus the Lord having given this in by the Incomings of his Spirit I could not chuse but lay it down that so there may be a Conviction upon the Consciences of all that are herein guilty that so they may go to God and beg his pardon for this Sin of Ignorance Wilfulness oâ— what it may be called And I earnestly beg you who ever you are into whose hands this shall come that you Improve the best of your Interest to see that this be brought to the Kings view that so at present there be some speedy Consideration therein had that so Englands Subjects be no longer forced to Swear hand over head by that which is not GOD to the ensnaring of the Simple of the Land to the pulling down the heavy Judgments of God upon them for their Ignorance in their pretended acceptable serving of him in this pretended Swearing by his Name by which means they are plunged
A Fannatick's Testimony AGAINST SWEARING Being An ANSVVER TO FOUR BOOKS Published by John Tombes Jeremiah Ives and Theophilus Brabourne But more especially to that by Henry Den. By HENRY ADIS a Baptized Believer undergoing the Name of a Free-Willer and also most ignomineously by the tongue of Infamy called a Fannatick or a mad man Above all things my Brethren Swear not Jam. 5.12 For because of Swearing the Land mourneth Jer. 23.10 But speak the Truth every man to his Neighbour Ephes 4.25 And lye not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds Col. 3.9 And so speak ye and so do as those that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty Jam. 2.12 LONDON Printed by S. Dover in Martins Le Grand near Aldersgate 1661. A Fannaticks Testimony AGAINST SVVEARING Henry Den THou in the back-side of thy Title Page of thy Epistle speakest something of the deplorable Condition of Thousands of honest quiet peaceable People that have been driven by Troops into Prison-Holes both in Cities and Countries the which England never saw the like before And all this occasioned by that late Fantastical Wicked and Bloudy Insurrection which occasioned the Ministers of Justice though contrary to all Justice Equity and good Conscience to Execute their Pleasures not Justice upon these Persons the Innocency of whom as thou sayest hath appeared many wayes as well by the Confession of the dying Offenders as by their own Protestations and the Confession of those men that would be glad to find occasion against them but are not able neither will they in any thing save in the things pertaining to the Worship of their God Yet sayest thou They are kept in Bonds as with a snare which at this day holds them in and shuts the Prison Doors against them in that they as thou sayest are taught That it is not lawful upon any Occasion or before any Person to take an Oath insomuch that when the Oath of Allegiance to the KING is tendered to many who are at Liberty they rather chuse Imprisonment than to take an Oath and many who are in Prison and have Liberty proffered upon Condition of taking the Oath do rather chuse to conâ—inue there than purchase their Libertiy with swearing And that all may prevent the impendent evil Consequences necessarily following Thou sayest in Page 3. That thou wilt prove the lawfulness of an Oath in a serious and weighty Matter which cannot otherwise be determined And in the next place thou sayest thou wilt Answer those Objections which are the Pillars that uphold the negative part In all which that thou hast hitherto said I cannot but commend thee as once John the Revelator did those Seven Churches in Asia Rev. 2. and Rev. 3. Because thou hast said that which is really true as to the Innocency of that great number Imprisoned yet give me leave in the words of the same John to let thee know That there are a few things against thee And first Because that in Page 3. thou speakest that which is not altogether true in saying That an Oath is nothing else but a Religious Promise made in the presence of the living God whom sayest thou we call to witness the truth of our words In which Assertion thou wouldest if possible beget Persons to a belief that if a man call one to Witness a thing that such a calling to Witness is a Swearing by that Person whom we so call to Witness As if John Tombs should make Henry Den a Religious Promise to Preach at their Meeting at such a time and call Henry Adis to Witness this Promise will Henry Den dare to say that John Tombs did SWEAR by Henry Adis when John Tombs only called Henry Adis to WITNESS But John Tombs Henry Den or Henry Adis either or all of them may Safely Honestly or upon a good Accompt say and that without fraud that such a Promise was made and that such an one was Witness to that Promise And further if calling or setting up a Witness be a Swearing by that Witness then Jacob and Laban Swore Jacob by the Pillar of Stone and that heap of Stones Gen. 31.45 to 49. And I shall Appeal to the Judgment of any rational man to judge whether Laban in vers 49. did Swear by the Lord when he said The Lord shall Watch between us Or whether he Swore by the Lord in vers 50. when he said the Lord is Witness between us Any more than he and Jacob Swore by the heap of Stones when they said This Heap shall be a Witness And whether the Apostle Paul did Swear by the Lord when he calls God to Record or Witness 2 Cor. 1.23 and Phil. 1.8 any more then Jacob and Laban SWORE by the Heap of Stones as aforesaid Or whether Moses Swore by the Song of Deliverance when he said That that Song should be a Witness against Israel Deut. 31.19 21. But I need not say more to this for notwithstanding in Page 3. thou dost affirm that an Oath is nothing else but a calling God to witness c. Yet in Page 5. thou tellest us that the Apostle Paul in weighty matters frequently used Expressions equal to an Oath as in Rom. 1.9 where he saith God is my witness c. So that in one Page thou tellest us That calling God to witness is Equal to an Oath And in another Page thou tellest us That an Oath is nothing else but a calling God to Witness And so doth thy Brother Jeremiah Ives deal with us He telleth us in his Book Page 6. positively what an Oath is from Gen. 23.4 when Abraham caused his Servant to Swear BY the Lord. And David Sware to Saul BY the Lord 1 Sam. 21.23 And the Spies Swore BY the Lord to Rahab Josh 2.12 And Abraham Swore BY the Lord to Abimelech Gen. 21.13 And yet in Page 10. he Asserteth under his Fourth Reason that he giveth Why Swearing is lawful now under a Gospel Dispensation he Asserteth that a Calling God to witness is a Swearing and yet when he hath Asserted it then he comes and tells us that if calling God to witness be not Swearng he saith he knows not what is when in Page 6. he did shew what was Swearing For John Tombs and Henry Den may both wear Black Coats and have humane Learning and both may be very like one another as is supposed they are in other things also and may both write in and about one and the same Oathes as they do yet Henry Den and John Tombs are not one in them although they both aim at one and the same End by them And I Query Whether the Learning ye speak by be the Spirits Dictates because ye speak not the Spirits Language which is not Yea and Nay but Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus as aforesaid I would I knew where to find you yet by this I see when persons be out of Gods way they begin to be in a bewildred Condition running to and
he hath Sworn is a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec And being thus laid down as aforesaid not that they should Swear as men or the World Sware but to make use of what the Lord Sware to as men make use of their Swearing to put out of doubt that which is Sworn to to be a real absolute and final conclusion and that which in due time without dout will be by him made good and if laid down for this end and not as a Rule Pattern or President for them to act by why then is this Scripture made use of and so often brought to the Eyes and Ears of Gospel Disciples to prove the lawfulnesse of Swearing contrary to the requirements of the Lord Christ and his Apostles who say Swear not and Swear not at all and that by thy self Henry Den page 4. John Tombs in his Book and Jeremiah Ives page 11. and John Sturion and others by discourses who are Teachers of Congregations and Leaders of People and such as for Humane parts and especially for Syllogistical Discourses are eminent and all or most of them in Print upon that account And if either of you judge I have wronged you in what I have here said or the mind of the Spirit in the Text Your mouths are open and the Presse is free In the mean time I shall in Christian Love earnestly beg you and either of you that you do not so comply with present self Interests as that you bank your own Consciences nor willingly extinguish that Light you have received nor publish that in Print nor privately discourse that which may be instrumental to draw Souls from their Integrity by poysoning them with a carnal Indifferency in the things of God either by your precept or example as some of you have hitherto done with the help of your Apostatized brother Samuel Oats to the hindring of multitudes from entring into the Church of Christ by your so violently opposing that Principle of Laying on of Hands But more of that in its due place the which that I may come to Henry Den I shall say something to thy pleading for the lawfulnesse of Oaths amongst Believers upon the account of the frequentnesse of Swearing amongst Infidels by which Carnal Reasons and Arguing thou mayest as well plead for the lawfulnesse of Jews Worship and Popery as do the Church of Rome from the Universality of their Church to be the True Church as with my self several have done In page the fifth thou urgest the use of an Oath in all Nations whatsoever whether Jews Gentiles or Barbarians between Prince and Subjects Enemies and Friends for the reconciling differences ending of Controversies and assureance of Faith one towards the other Now sayest thou How great is this Authority namely The Consent of all Nations It is doubtlesse a demonstration of the second Rate at least some there are thou tellest us who account it of the first Rate viz. That the Confent of Nations is to be of Divine Authority the which however some may so assert yet for thee who pretendest thy self to be what thou doest and to say doubtlesse it is of Divine Authority and of the second Rate at the least to me it seems no better than Abomination And that will be evident when we consider seriously the sad consequences of it for Nations generally consent to Idolatry as is evident and this those of the Papal Faction have urged to my self in several Discourses to wit that their way of Worship is the Truth because owned generally by all Nations Now if this general consent of all Nations is to be to the Disciples of Christ of Divine Authority Then I querie first Whether this be not to cross and make void the sayings of the Lord Christ Luke 12.32 Who saith Fear not little Flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom And John 15.19 I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world shall hate you And many are called but few are chosen Mat. 20.16 And strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leads to Life and few there be that find it because wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth to Destruction and many there be that go in thereat Mat. 7.13 And therefore Secondly I querie Whether it be not of sad consequence to take the consent of Nations for Divine Authority which say that generally all the Nations that are in that part of the world called Christendom are Christians and that they are all Believers when Christ saith that Christians and Believers are a little Flock and that when the Son of Man cometh he questions whether he shall find Faith on the earth Luke 18.8 and are such as do generally condemn the Generation of the Just The next thing thou comest to in page five is to prove the lawfulness of Oaths in Gospel Disciples saying What doth it prove less then that the taking of Oaths is one of the Dictates written and engraven in the Heart of man by Natures Finger To which I answer That when persons are wrought upon by true saving justifying Faith then it turns out Nature I would not here be mistaken I do not say that Grace doth make a man unnatural for that is a distinguishing character of a Reprobate condition who are without understanding Covenant breakers without Natural affection implacable-unmerciful Rom. 1.31 So also saith our Apostle such are without Natural affection Truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good 2 Pet. 3.3 but where True Grace comes it works up Souls to a quickening who were dead in trespasses and sins among whom also they had their conversion in times past fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by Nature the children of Wrath as well as others such are raised up together and are made to sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2 1 2. By all which we see that what Nature Teacheth is generally destroyed by Grace that is such things as are unnatural such things as are contrary to the Mind of God such things as are conâ—rary to his Requirements his word of Truth such things in which men knowing by Pure Nature they corrupt themselves Jude 10. And for thee to assert the dictates of Nature to teach Gospel Disciples to Swear because Nature teacheth them to Swear to me it seems preposterous and that which is inconsistent with the word of Truth For what Nation is there Considered as a Nation that at this day acteth according to pure Light of Nature Nay what particular Persons are there that act near it but some few of that People called QUAKERS only I shall Appeal to the Judgements of all herein and shall justifie that People for that and that above those that do pretend to a Form of Godliness and do deny the POWER thereof for they acting onely and alone by the LIGHT within and not Conforming at all to that
Gospel Disciples in their Communication by the allowance of Christ may Swear nay must Swear for that thou bringest it to prove as will be evident anon though that Communication must not be overballanced with Oaths so as that the greatest part of our Communication be Oaths for thy tearms wholly and altogether doth admit of some Swearing and that thou doest no lesse then say thy self for these terms wholly and altogether thou bringest in opposition to Christ words Swear not at all to prove the lawfulnesse of some Swearing so that thou sayest our Communication should not be interwoven with Oaths as much as if thou shouldest say every other word or every other sentence should not be an Oath yet thy speech is as good as if in so many words thou shouldest say that the verity of every three or four sentences must be confirmed with an Oath or at the least some Oaths must be used by the appointment of Christ for the Confirmation of our Communication by which Translation of thine thou wouldest perswade Gospel Disciples to be of another conversation than Christ requires they should for Christ saith Swear not all or let your Communication be wholly and altogether without Oaths thou sayest talk what you will but Swear not over much yet be sure you Swear in your Communication yet let not your Communication be wholly nor altogether interwoven with Oaths And now must I say to thee Comparatively as once the Lord spake to Adam in the Garden Gen. 3.9 and say Henry Den where art thou art thou in and amongst the Briery Bushes of Humane Learning whilst thou shouldst be in the Garden of God disclosing the things of God by the assistance of the Spirit of God Art thou covering thy self with the Fig-leaves of thine own Wit when thou shouldest have been cloathed upon with that cloathing that is from Above Art thou thus Goliah-like fighting in thine own strength when the Lord Christ saith That without Him thou canst do nothing John 15.9 therefore know that it is hard to be found fighting against God Acts 5.39 What is the cause thou art found asserting things thou knowest not how to prove for in page the third thou tellest us that to prevent the impendent evil consequences necessarily following of those that cannot Swear at all thou shalt labour to prove the lawfulnesse of an Oath in a Serious and Weighty Matter which cannot otherwise be determined and yet in conclusion this Mountainous pretence of a Serious and Weighty Matter that cannot otherwise be determined is nothing else but a meer nothing of frivolous Communication Thy pretence was to prove that Swearing that was Lawful under the Law to be Lawful under the Gospel in opposition to those sayings of CHRIST Mat. 5.34 Swear not at all And this thou hast endeavoured to do by bringing in an Exception to the Translation and that under a pretence that thou hadst the Ballance of the Sanctuary to try it by but thou and thy Ballance being all weighed in the true Ballance thou as to what thou wouldest prove art found too light but thy translation to wit wholly and altogether is found full weight and such as in reason agreeth with the Lip of Truth which saith Swear not at all In opposition to whose words in p. 6. and in p. 7. thou bringest several Scriptures to prove the truth of the Translation as 1 Cor. 5.1 and 1 Cor. 6.7 and 1 Cor. 15.29 the which is a good evidence for what I say seeing the Translation speaketh so much Truth and doth so well agree with the Word of Truth So that instead of proving that SWEARING to be Lawful under the GOSPEL that was allowed under the Law thou in so many words endeavourest to prove that that Swearing is Lawful under the Gospel that was never Lawful under the LAW for it was never lawful to Swear in Communication yet when thou hast proved what thou canst prove it is nothing else but Swearing in Communication so that that Scripture Job 28.2 may be fitly applyed to Thee for who art thou that darknest Counsel by words without knowledge yea the counsel of that HOLY CHILD JESUS upon whose shoulders the Government of the Gospel-Church is who is that same that is Born unto us Isa 9.6 and is called Wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace who as a Son over his own House Heb. 3.6 hath given this Word of Counsel Mat. 5.34 Swear not at all but let your yea be yea and your nay nay I say notwithstanding this word of Counsel what he would not have us to do and what he would have us to do that is that we should be of a singular Conversation walking in the Integrity of our Souls as in the presence of the all-seeing God the Searcher of all Hearts So as that we shew forth his Praise and shine as Lights in the World adorning the Gospel of Christ by an Honest Peaceable Innocent Quiet Harmlesse True and Spotlesse Conversation both in Words and Actions for our Conversation as to men is nothing else but our Conversings with the Sons and Daughters of men and that is by Words and Actions and as he requireth our Actions should be Innocent and Harmlesse True and without Fraud So also our Tongues that they speak Truth without either Swearing or Forswearing truly and without guile A part of which Counsel thou endeavourest to darken by thy deep Learning The which that thou mayest the better effect thou tellest us that thou hast one thing more to add to help thee which is That it is concluded by the Antients that the Gospel of Matthew was written in the Hebrew Tongue as Hierom more then Ten Times and Eusebius saith the same that he wrote his Gospel in his own Country Language and he cites the same out of Papia Saint Johns Auditor and out of Irenias who was the Scholar of Policarpus who was the Scholar of Saint John and the rest of the Apostles also telling to us that thou hast many other Witnesses saying that thou hast consulted the Hebrew Copy which thou hast received from the hands of Sebastian Munster which he rescued out of the Hands of the JEWS I could wish thou wouldest stick to something that so I might know where to find thee first thou tellest us that the Greek is the true Translation and anon the Hebrew one time this is an Oath and anon that which was an Oath is now something equivolent to an Oath now thou wilt shew us this then that is the way now thou art up then thou art down and thus when thou hast pleaded for the Greek then thou tellest us that the Hebrew renders it Swear not in every way and that is the Truth I Answer If it were found in the Greek then not in the Hebrew if in the Hebrew then not in the Greek and upon this account thou tellest us that our first Pillar stands upon a doubtful nay upon an unwarrantable Interpretation But
if he shall think to make any rational man believe that if Henry Adis doth prefer Jesus Christ above or before John the Baptist that these two befores can be brought to one and the same for then we must read the former supposal thus Henry Den and Jeremiah Ives came into York above Henry Adis the which to say is meer nonsense And yet this is nothing less then what Henry Den in effect doth assert for Henry Den bringeth a Before which respecteth Time to disprove our Above which respecteth not Time but Estimation but Henry Den may plainly see that if he had brought a Before which respecteth Estimation he would then have read our Text Jam. 5.12 as doth the Rhemist TESTAMENT which readeth thus Before all things my Brethren Swear not which is Henry Den's own Language without any contradiction in the least And what need then all this ado about the Translation as if the Translation did so much alter the sense of the Text as if it should or did alter the thing in ended which the Spirit of God layes down as a Prohibition Swear not so as to be a possitive command ye shall Swear for that is the thing Henry Den intended to beget us to a belief of for he quarrelleth with the Translation for no other end but to prove some Swearing in Communication Lawful but not so much as to have our Communication interwoven with Oaths as in page 6. line 26. is evident which is to prove that Lawful under the Gospel which was never lawful under the Law So that Henry Den I see any thing will serve turn to patch up thy Opinion bare Terms or words without distinctions the which when men use to darken the Counsel of God they run into Confusion as thou doest who by thy Scholarship would make us believe that some Swearing is lawful under the Gospel but I plainly see the good Word of the Lord made good which saith he taketh the Wise in his own Craftinesse and thus the Counsel of the Froward is carried headlong they walk in darknesse in the day time and grope at none-day as in the night Job 5.13.14 The Wisdom of the Humane Learned Wise is brought to nothing and the understanding of the Prudent men is become folly for God hath chosen the Foolish the Weak base things and things that are not to bring to naught the things that are and his end in all this is that no Fleshly Carnal Humane Learned Persons should Glory in his Presence that so his Son and his Spirit alone may be exalted being manifest in the weakness of his People And whereas thou tellest us in thy last page That all these things considered the Ground appears not so sure as it was Fancied To which I Answer That the Ground yet through Mercy standeth firm and those Objections the Pillars thou speakest of in page 3. the which in page 6. thou namest to be Mat. 5.34 and James 5.12 are yet as firm as ever and are as so many STANDING MONVMENTS in the house â—f God which is the Church of the Living God that Ground and Pillar of Truth notwithstanding thy Artificial Workman-ship with thy Greek and Hebrew Translations togegether with the help of thy Brother Jeremiah Ives who followed thee and much mended thy work too yet all in vain for he was but a Learner at the work and although he formerly had bidden Defiance to the Faces of GENERALS COLLONELS and COMMANDERS in open Field in the behalf of his late Masters probably to the gaining of that which now to keep he durst not withstand the assaults of a single MAJOR and his small company and thus betraying his trust in that work in which he was a Master-Builder he very then began this Trade of Undermining when he followed Thee the which although he was so forward to undertake yet he had needed both He and Thy self too to have gone to the University again to have studied to distinguish between things that differ for taking a Vow a Testimony an Asseveration and an Adjuration for an Oath you run Babel-Builders-like into a Confusion and so may pull an old house on your heads in conclusion Samson-like Judg. 16. probably to the wounding and slaying thousands As for Sophistical Syllogistical Science that your fore-runner the Captain of your Work John Tombs as blind as your selves in distinguishing hath been hewing these Pillars withal yet the Foundation is not moved for it was Emanuel that God-mans work to raise them and he must be more then a man that can pull them down And whereas thou tellest us that the ground is not so sure as it was fancied I Answer That in pretending to shâ—ke the Foundations thou hast had many Fancies for that thou hast done is meer Fancie and that which never grew in Truths Garden the Holy Scripâ—ures but was fetched out of the muddy Channels of Humane Learning and whereas thou tellest us that if the Quaker saith the Light within forbideth him to Swear the consent of Nations thou sayest confuteth him Having already to thy Consent of Nations said so much as I have I shall leave that QUAKER that I heard is answering thy Letter to answer for himself and his Light within and shall onely answer for my self and in the behalf of those that plead Scripture for their Warrant which thou sayest is so weak and shall let thee know that ordinary Grammar School-boys can tell us that as there is weak and weaker so there is also weakest of all even so there are three that have born Testimony against this Truth John Tombs Jeremiah Ives and HENRY DEN and therefore I must continue my Speech to thee and in thine own following words shall say Beware you that have so done lest ye hear who hath required these things at your hands they are thine own words make the best use of them thou canst it is a good caution Physition cure thy self And I shall farther say as thou sayest That Christ forbideth all those Exorbitant and Exâ—ravagant Oaths whereof now the Streets and Houses are full a sad presage of some Judgement at hand it was hoped by some that the Kings Proclamation would hâ—ve restrained such Debauchery but alas it is not so but had the Fiery Zealous Mayor of London and his Officers with the Iustices of Peâ—ce of the City and Liberty of Westmnister and the Out-Parishes with them of the several Shires and Counties been but half as careful to have put the Penalty of that Proclamation into Execution and have followed it to the height as they have done the Observation of that Proclamation for shutting up the Peaceable Innocent Harmlesse Meetings of us the Despised Abused Baptists and in their so Eager and Inhumane Committing us to Prison even to the Ruine of our Families unlesse we who are in the Gate-House Prison be willing to pay Traytors Fees I say If the Mayor and Iustices as aforesaid had been but as Zealous for Gods Glory the Gooâ— of the King and