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truth_n	world_n	write_v	yield_v	35	3	6.2100	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42450	An examination of the case of the Quakers concerning oaths propounded by them, A.D. 1673, to the consideration of the King, and both Houses of Parliament : with a vindication of the power of the magistrate to impose oaths, and the liberty and duty of all Christians to swear by God reverently : humbly submitted to the judgment of His Most Sacred Majesty, and the two Houses of Parliament / by Charles Gataker ...	Gataker, Charles, 1614 or 15-1680.	1675 (1675)	Wing G305; ESTC R40267	35,338	42

given as due Do they not dissolve or weaken those bonds of civil societies which Christ by his Gospel hath tied streighter than the Law of Nature did Do they not violate Christian Charity by Damning all that are not of their combination To say nothing of their reviling all Ministers of the Gospel Hath this Precept of not Swearing swallowed up the whole Body of their Christian Religion Or shall the observance of it pass current for universal and uniform obedience to the compleat Law of Liberty Jam. 1.25 Is not then something else in the bottome besides the tenderness of the Reputation of Christianity Let this be well thought on But another thing is yet more remarkable Who would not think but that these hot Zealots for Christs Doctrine of the Gospel who suffer such hard things rather than break Christs Commandment did make the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament which Christ and his Apostles have by practice and precept commended to our study for the confirming of our Faith and the regulating our Lives and those of the New Testament superadded to them joyntly to be the Foundation on which we are built up to be that Temple Eph. 2.19 whereof Jesus Christ is the chief corner stone or the compleat Rule of Faith and Manners For indeed without the Scriptures now who can assuredly know what is the good and acceptable and perfect Will of God And how came these Men to be acquainted with this very Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles but by the Scriptures But after all this you will find your self much mistaken if you imagine that these Men make the written Oracles of God their principle of Religion or Rule of Life For the heads of them in several Books set up the Light of God within them for the only infallible Rule and they disparage the Holy Scriptures which they allow to be at the best but a shadow of Gods will Again their dissimulation of what they dare not deny to be the Word and Will of God concerning Swearing together with their impious despising of the same Holy Word is apparently visible in their Sophistical conclusion thus exprest with all the subtilty that the old Serpent could inspire into them So though it viz. Swearing was allowed in the Law viz. of Moses which is opposed by them in the precedent sentence and here to the Gospel Christ and his Apostles forbid it in his Gospel Here is a double fallacy in the first Member of the conclusion They would induce a conceit that as Divorce was by God and Moses permitted to the Jews to pass unpunished Mat. 19.8 Mal. 2.16 for the hardness of their hearts which yet was not approved by God as good in it self and therefore it is regulated by a Law for the security of the Woman which Law doth but permit the divorce but enjoyn the giving a Bill so Swearing was but allowed barely with prescription of forms for Solemnity and not commanded Deut. 6.13 10.12.20 Whereas Swearing by the Name of God was commanded which is devoted by the Fear of God in Scripture as a solemn part of his Holy Worship whereby Man gives God the Glory of his Sovereignity Providence Omnipresence Omniscience Omnipotence Veracity Justice and Equity The Prophets also who reached to the depth of the Law which was * Rom. 7.14 Jer. 4.2 12.16 Spiritual commanded Swearing under the Old Testament and * Esa 19.18 45.23 65.16 foretold in their Evangelical Sermons that way of serving God and Christ under the dispensation of the New Covenant when the Gentiles turn to the Lord mark the words of Esaiah which according to the Hebrew run thus He that blesseth himself in the Earth shall bless himself in God Amen as we render it not amiss but not to the full importance of the word Esa 11.9 the God of Truth and he that Sweareth in the Earth when it shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea in the new state of the Church when God calls his Servants by another Name Esa 65 16 17. And what is that new and blessed name but Christians Shall Swear by God Amen Christ himself expounds the word when in his Heavenly Epistle to the Church of Laodicea Apoc. 3.14 he takes to himself that glorious Title Amen The true and faithful witness who is invoked as a Witness and Judge of the Heart in every Oath made by his Name It is not to be omitted that the Oaths which God commanded to be used in judicial proceedings are enjoyned as fit means in their own nature for the discovery of truth Heb. 6.6 and decision of controversies which benefit and effect is common to all Nations in all Ages who are imbrued with an apprehension and fear of God as Judge of the World It is therefore an Imposture of these Wolves in Sheep-skins to attempt the persuasion that Swearing was only allowed and not as expresly commanded in the Law as these Dreamers Dream it to be forbidden in the Gospel Their second piece of juggling is this that by their taking no notice of the practice of all Nations not debauched into direct Atheisme and of the constant practice of Gods best servants who used Oaths for firm binding themselves and others in publick Confederacies and private transactions which were made between Gods servants on both sides and also between the people of Gado on one side and Idolatrous people on the other part of which proceedings the Sacred History of the World before the Law given by Moses Rom. 15.4 2 Tim. 3.15 1 Cor. 10.11 Heb. 10.1 Col. 2.17 yields a full Harvest of Precedents they divert us from looking after those things which as St. Paul says were before written for the instruction conviction reformation teaching and admonition of us upon whom the ends of the World are come Therefore though Jesus Christ brought that Grace and Truth whereof Moses in the Ceremonial Law by Gods wise contrivance gave the Jews a Shadow and that Shadow vanished when the Body of the Son of Righteousness appeared above the Horizon of the Church yet Christ in his Gospel did not diminish any thing of that natural Religion the seeds whereof God had once sown in the Hearts of all Mankind for the keeping up the Faith of his Providence and the fear of his Judgment which are the two Pillars of Justice without which no civil society can firmly subsist I now proceed to animadvert the false Doctrine either insinuated secretly by supposition or expressed openly by profession First It is falsly supposed that the Law of Moses doth not in any part of it concern or oblige us Christians I shall hereafter shew that Christs prohibition of Swearing in familiar Discourse and St. James's restraint of the Tongues outrage in passionate heates is no forbidding of what the Law commands But if the Law of Swearing oblige Christians or be but a precedent to direct them we must observe

here that God when he takes an Oath deals with Men after the manner of Men out of a gracious condescention to Humane infirmity that complying with Men's weakness he may cure their infidelity with an Oath as an Antidote against Vnbelief and a cordial strengthener of Faith Now though there be Truth in this and I will not say that this Doctrine is unsound yet I will say and prove that it is too short or narrow an explication of the mystery of God's Swearing For the Scripture informs us that God hath sworn not only to us who are mere Men sometimes in Mercy as to Abraham and to his Seed for the confirmation of his promises and to David and others and sometimes in wrath as to the incredulous and murmuring Jews to shew the irreversibility of that sentence whereby they were excluded out of the promised Land ●●l 95. ● Heb. 3. ● 18 ●● because they had forfeited their Title to it by Infidelity But God the Father hath also sworn to God his own Son when he was designed to be made Man and being invested with our Flesh to be the Saviour of the World Now the Eternal Son of God being the brightness of his Fathers Glory Heb. 1. ●4 was more excellently Pure than the very Angels who although as Gregory Nazianz speaks they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spotless mirrors of God's Holy Light in their original estate yet were as experience proved by the ruine of some capable of foul darkness and therefore Christ stood not in need of such means to preserve his fixed Purity as we do to restore and secure our health which depends upon our Faith on God's word Yet God for other reasons did swear unto Christ Thou art a Priest for ever ●●l 110. after the Order of Melchisedeck It is impertinent to say that God swore only for our assurance and encouragement to rely upon the alsufficient atonement of this High Priest and for binding us to serve and obey this King of Peace and Righteousness For by that Oath as we do not swear Fealty and Allegiance to God or Christ so God doth not swear to us that Christ shall be a Faithful High Priest but the Holy Scripture reveals the transaction which past in the Court of Heaven for setling the Mediatorship upon Christ how the Father swore unto his Son ●●b 7. ●● 25. Thou art a Priest c. And the Apostle gives us some account of the matter for from this Oath of God in the constitution of the Messiah to be King and Priest joyntly he infers the Dignity of Jesus Christ's Priesthood above the Levitical because these Priests were ordained without an Oath to a temporary successive and at last a transitory and failing Priesthood whereas Christ by an Oath was consecrated to an unpassant and eternal Priesthood Here is no shadow of imperfection in this grand affair of State in the Kingdom of God nor any appearance of God's condescention to humane infirmity in the business but a manifestation of the Riches of God's wisdom and Mercy in the Divine Counsel concerning the salvation of miserable mankind by the Mediation Propitiation Intercession and Redemption of the Son of God incarnate who is our King and Priest and is by oath inaugurated into both If this be duely weighed we shall find that there is no reason to say that Christ took away swearing from Christians to advance them to a state of Perfection above the Jews But this proud affectation of Phanaticks to be above Oaths surmounts the pride of Lucifer in the Prophet Esay who said I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will be like the most high Esa 14.12 13 14. Dan. 12.7 Apoc. 10.5 6. For not contented with excelling the Angels in Heaven who did swear by the living God nor satisfied with being like unto God they will be above swearing that their single testimonies shall pass for creditable This indeed if it were obtained would not be the perfection of Christian Religion which Christ hath adopted to the condition of all Mankind yet full of imperfections but of these singularists who would be above as they are cross to all the world and above God himself who is not above swearing and counts it no disparagement to the Glory of his Truth I will conclude this discourse with the Pious Meditation of Tertullian O nos faelices quorum causà jurat Deus sed miserrimos si Deo juranti non credimus O how happy are we for whose sake God himself doth swear but oh the wretched misery of us if we do not give credit to God when he swears to win our belief But because not Divine but Humane Oaths are at present in question their special nature is to be examined Now Man's Oath is plenarily described by a very Learned Divine to be an extraordinary part of Religious Worship wherein God is solemnly called in to be a witness with us of the Truth and Sincerity of our speaking upon the peril of his wrath to be inflicted on us if we deal not sincerely Cicero Offic. l. 3. says an Oath is Affirmatio Religiosa 1. It is a part or act of God's worship because it is not a bare naming of God or making use of his name as pious persons may often do who yet may live many years without swearing but it is an act of Religion wherein the name of God is taken up on purpose for his Honour in the acknowledgement of his Presidency over Humane affairs Thus it agrees with Adoration Deut. 32.40 Ex. 17.16 Numb 14.30 Deut. 6.13 and was of old accompanied with such Ceremonies as import an Adoration as lifting up the hand to Heaven or laying the hand on the Altar for which cause the lifting up of the hand to Heaven is ascribed to God who is a Spirit when his Swearing is intended to be exprest It is such an eminent act of Religious Worship that it is put sometimes for the whole service of God 2. 1 Thess 17. It is an extraordinary piece of Worship not of so frequent use as Prayer is which is enjoyned to be in a manner uncessant but restrained to certain weighty occasions so that it is more like Physick than Food And for this cause Christ forbids it in ordinary communication It is not the common language of a Christian nor the embellishment of familiar discourses but a Holy weapon to be taken up for the defence of Truth and Justice when the security of either doth require it 3. As to the special nature of this Religious Act an Oath is an Appeal to God with a Penalty It is first an invocation of God to bear witness with us And so we acknowledge God to be videntem veri one that sees and knows the truth of the thing doubted of for it is in vain to call in one for a witness who knows nothing of the matter and also a searcher of Secrets a tryer of the Hearts

o● the World should move Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not t● use it at full liberty but sparingly with self-denial 1 Co● 7.31 abuse Oathes or rather take our full liberty of Swearing For also in frequency of Swearing a Man shall readily fall into perjury But keeping of Oaths follows upon the sparing use of them For a Man will either not Swear or when he doth will Swear aright neither will his Tongue by custome out run his mind neither will his Mind be overthrown by the violence of his intemperate passions This the good Mans Vertue will correct and the customary abstinence from Swearing will cure the other But Swearing aright becomes the Honour of the Gods before given in Charge we must remember the Heathen Philosopher speaks of God in the plural number it being bred together and a companion of Piety Reverence an Oath by not over freely and hastily using it that you may be accustomed to swear aright to wit when there is a fit and just occasion by not accustoming your self to Swear For Swearing aright is no small part of Piety Thus the Philosopher hath secured the Reverence due to Oaths religiously taken by abstinence from rash light vain and customary Swearing without banishing an eminent piece of Piety and Honour due to God out of the Life of Men. This one Testimony of Hierocles I shall oppose to the many examples in the Quakers Case not for any esteem I have of the person but for the solidity of his reason which gives us a precedent to reconcile the Reverence of an Oath with abstinence from customary dangerous and prophane Swearing which is the taking of Gods Name in vain and as much forbidden by God in the Third Commandement as perjury which the Scribes and Pharisees accounted to be the only crime struck at by Moses And this is all that I have at present to say to the Question concerning the lawfulness of Oaths under Christianity I shall briefly recollect the summe of the whole discourse into these Corollaries 1. The Quakers may justly be suspected of a false pretence when they ascribe their disobedience to authority in refusal of Oathes to their consciencious regard of and to obedience to Christs Command because they do not with equal Zeal obey Christs Ordinances of Worship and Church Government 2. They do very ill consult for the reputation of Christian Religion Tim. 6. ● Pet. 2. ● when by their alledging Christianity it self for the ground of their disobedience they make the way of Truth to be evil spoken of 3. They blaspheme Christ and his Holy Gospel by fathering their pernicious Errors and Heresies upon the truth it self 4. They reproach the Footsteps of the Lords Anointed by charging him with persecution when he uses the Sword for the punishment of evil doers 5. The nature of an Oath justifies Swearing to be an act of Piety and an instrument of Justice 6. The Gospel of our Lord Jesus confirms the Magistrates power to exact an Oath of his Subjects 7. The same Doctrine binds all Subjects to obedience when an Oath is in due manner tendred to them 8. The Christian Liberty of Swearing upon some occasions is not taken away by Christ and his Apostles 9. Abstinence from Oaths in ordinary communication is commanded by the Gospel not as a special perfection of any order of Men but as a common Duty of all Christians who are obliged to bridle their Tongues and to endeavour to arrive at this perfection 10. The Religion of Quakers who refuse sober Oaths but their mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness who incessantly spit forth the poyson of Aspes with unbridled Tongues is according to St. Jams's Sentence a vain Religion from which good Lord deliver us Amen AN APPENDIX Of an Useful Consideration THe course of my Building required a large discourse first for the digging up and clearing the Ground of the Rubbish of erroneous conceits and then for laying my Foundation deep and firm that it might be able to bear and strengthen the Superstructure Now this being finished I have thought fit for a Coronis to add one clear Evidence of their impertinencies who soever alleadge our Saviours and his Apostles prohibition Swear not at all to defend a refractory refusal of a Reverent Oath exacted by Authority Let this parallel be considered Mat. 7.1 Rom. 14.10.13 Our Blessed Saviour in the same Sermon gives another prohibition Judge not that ye be not Judged St. Paul seconds him and says Why judgest thou thy Brother For we shall all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ Therefore let us not judge another And St. James on the same ground re-enforces the restraint of judging Jam. 4.12 Gen. 18.25 There is one Law-giver and consequently one Judge who is able to save and to destroy to wit God the Soveraign Absolute and Almighty Judge of all the World who art thou that judgest another These words of Christ and his Apostles are in their sound universal or indefinite yet that they may be reconciled to the word of God elsewhere revealed their sence must be restrained by such distinctions as are grounded upon Scripture For if the Law did not limit we durst not It will not be lost labour to see this made out more fully There are several distinctions observable for the due limitation of this Interdict Judge not First the Persons both judging and judged are to be distinguished Persons are either of a Private quality and considered in that state which is general to all Men and indeed the most of Christs Auditors and of Christians in the days of the Apostles were private Men and were so considered by Christ and his Apostles according to their station in privacy in regard of the World Or else Men are of a Publick quality invested with Authority Now if we consider Christians in their Private quality every Man is by God made his own Judge and is bound to Judge himself by a certain Rule of Truth and Righteousness which God hath given him He is therefore bound to judge of his own Faith and of his own Duty In order to this he is to try the Spirits whether they be of God 1 Joh. 4.1 2 Cor. 11.13.14.15 Heb. 5.14 1 Thes 5.21 Rom. 6.13 2 Tim. 1.13 Eph. 2.20 1 Pet. 1.11.12 least he be deluded and seduced by false Teachers who may pretend to be Ministers of Righteousness and boast of Gods Spirit when they are indeed the actors for the Lying Spirit Christians therefore should have sences exercised by study of Gods Word to discern good and evil that they may prove all things and hold fast that which is good which is agreeable to the form of wholesom Doctrine which the Prophets and Apostles and Christ the inspirer of both have taught every Christian therefore for his own security must exercise a judgment of Discretion that he may discern the Wolves although clad in Sheeps cloathing from the good Shepheards of the Lords Flock And this is not a judgment