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1.

Angel, which I Saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth, lifted up his hand to Heaven, and Sware by him that liveth for ever and ever. And our Blessed Maker is pleased to deliver himself after the fame manner above Seventy times in the Old Testament. But from all these Places of Scripture, I say, 'tis abundantly evident, that the Prohibition in my Text is not exclusive of all Swearing whatsoever, but that 'tis to be understood with some Limitations and Restrictions. For undoubtedly it can be no Sin to walk in that Path, which the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the Apostles, the Holy Angels, our Lord himself, and God the Father have chalk'd out to us.

3. This is likewise evident from the Practice of the Primitive Christians. They engag'd themselves in their pub

(P) Ep. lib. lick Afssemblies (as (p) Pliny tells Trajan) 10. Ep.97. by Oath, not to commit any trespass either against God or Man. And though they could not be induced to Swear by the Emperors Genius, because they knew

it to be a Dæmon or Evil Spirit; yet they (9) Vid. (q) (Bafilides, a new Convert in SeveEuf. Ecc., rus's time, excepted) never refus'd, when commanded by the Imperial Laws, to

Hift. lib.6. cap. 5.

Swear

fil. 10, 29,

Swear either by the Name of God, or by the Emperors Safety. This (says (r) (r) Apol. Tertulian) they were always ready to cap. 32. do; and for this they were never condemn'd, by any of the Bishops and Pastors of their Souls. St. Basil indeed, and his dear Friend Gregory Nazianzen, seem in some places to interdict all Swearing whatsoever. But then 'tis plain from the Canonical Epistles of the (s) (3) Vid. One, and the Treatise Πρὸς πολυόρκες of Can. S. Bathe Other, that they never intended 64, 82.2 those Expressions of theirs should be u- pud Bal. niversally understood, but that they still allow'd the taking of an Oath, when commanded by Lawful Authority, and pioufly performed. Nay, they were so far from censuring or reproving their Flocks for this, that they both authoriz'd it by their Practice, and also forc'd some Men to it by their own Constitutions. Thus the Ephefine Council caus'd Nestorius and Victor to Swear: Athanasius did it voluntarily and most vehemently in his Apology to the Emperor Constantius : and the Fathers at Chalcedon by the Health of their Princes. But now is it possible for any Judicious, Sober, Intelligent Person to conceive, that these Fathers and Councils, fome of which were

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Swearing,

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advanced to their Seas by the immediate appointment and Direction of the Holy Ghost, and who were all profess'd, abfolute irreconcileable Enemies to all Heretical and Unchristian Doctrines, should either allow themselves, or countenance others in a Practice any ways repugnant to the Laws and Principles of their most Holy Religion.

If it be be faid, (as by a late (t) Au(t) Dr. thor 'tis more than suggested) that they Wake in his pract. did, because they scrupled not to Swear Difcoufe of by the Health or Safety of their Empepag.61.62, rours, as well as by the Name of God; 63,70,71. I answer, that in this they followed the Examples, not only of good Jofeph, and of Davids faithful Soldier and Servant Uriah the Hittite, as you may fee Gen. 42. 15, 16. and 2 Sam. 11.11. but affo of the great Apostle St. Paul, and of the Prophet Elisha; both which, to affure us, that where we are allow'd to Swear by the Name of God, there (tho' only there) we may lawfully express our Oath in the Form of advocating the Creature, as it relates to God, (fuch an Oath by Implication calling, as our Lord declares in the 23d of St. Matthew, the God of that Creature himself to witness)

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have plainly deliver'd themselves in such Forms of Swearing. As the Lord liveth, and as thy Soul liveth, (u) says the Lat-(4) 2. King. ter no less than three times to his Master2. Elijah, I will not leave thee. And the (m)(w) 1 Cor. former to his Corinthians, Καθ ̓ ἡμέραν 15. ̓ αποθνήσκω, νὴ τὴν ὑμετέραν καύχησιν, ἦν ἔχω ἐν χρισῷ Ιησε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. i.e. By your Rejoycing, or by the Rejoycing, which upon your Account I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. And (by the way) we of this Nation act at this day by the same Rule, when taking an Oath in the Courts of Judicature, we lay our hand (as the (x) Primitive (x) Vid. Sozom. Ecc. Christians did before us) upon the Holy Hift. lib.6. Bible, and say, So help me God, and cap. 30. the Contents of this Book. And let any Annotatio. Man, who duly confiders it, impugn this in locum. Rule, if he can.

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4. This doth farther appear from the Custom of the Jems, which occafion'd the Prohibition in the Text. Their Doctors allow'd them to Swear upon any trifling, inconfiderable occafion, provided the subject Matter of their Oath was true: yea, if they Sware not by the Name of God, nor by any Gift immediately confecrated to him, they permitted

& Valefii

them not only to Swear Commonly, but Falfly too. Qui jurat per Cœlum & Terram liber est, sed qui jurat per Dei Nomi na tenetur, says their Talmud. Now our Lord came to rescue the Law from their false Glosses and Comments, and to fill it up, or to restore it to its full sense and meaning. Accordingly we find him in the fore-cited Chapter of St. Matthew severely upbraiding and threatning them for this Custom. Wo unto you, says he, ye blind Guides, who say, Whosoever shall Swear by the Temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the Gold of the Temple, he is a Debtor. And, whosoever Shall Swear by the Altar it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the Gift that is upon it, he is a Debtor. And in my Text he expresly forbids it. I say unto you, fays he, Swear not at all: neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne; neither by the Earth, for it is his Foot-Stool: neither by Jerusalem, for it is the City of the Great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy Head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. For that he levels this Prohibition, not simply and absolutely against all Swearing whatsoever, but against this Sophistical and impious, this Common and perjurious Custom of the Jews, the