An oath should be true and weighty ; but that is not enough, it must be in matters indeterminable. For if a thing may be determined without an oath, we should never use it. The end of an oath is lo end controversies ; for if St Paul could have persuaded them of his gracious and loving heart, that he stood affected as he did, he would not have used an oath ; but having no other means to do it, he goes to heaven for a witness.
It were but misspending of time to shew that an oath is lawful. Have we anabaptists among us, that call this into question ? No ! we have many atheists. It is dangerous atheism in the anabaptists to question whether they may take an oath. We have the example of St Paul, we have the example of God himself ; shall we think it unlawful when God himself swears, and the angel swears, and Christ swears, and the apostle swears ?
Where it is forbidden that we should not swear, it is meant that we should not swear in our ordinary talk, where we need not seal every light speech with the solemnity of an oath. Men will not put on their best apparel every day ; so men ought not to use solemn matters upon every occasion, but only upon holy and grand occasions.
Our Saviour Christ forbids swearing, first by the creature at all, and swearing in ordinary talk at all. ' Whatsoever is more than yea and nay,' in ordinary talk, is sin. Mat. v. 37. Therefore, considering that St Paul doth it in a serious matter, we ought to learn not to swear, except it be in great matters : when we are called before a magistrate, or when we are to purge ourselves from evil suspicion of our Christian friends ; as we see here St Paul doth to the Corinthians : he calls God to witness against his soul, if it were not true.
Ohj. But you will say, Men will not believe me except I swear, and there- fore I swear so oft.
Aus. Then live better for shame, that men may believe thee for thine honest life. If thy honest life be not better than thy oath, they will not believe thee for swearing ; for he that swears oft swears false, and ' in many words there cannot want iniquity,' Prov. x. 19, much more in many oaths there cannot want iniquity ; and he that swears much, out of doubt he oft forswears.
Ohj. Oh ! it is my custom, and I cannot break a custom,
Ans. Use that apology to a judge. Though malefactors be none of the modestest creatures, will any of them say. It is my custom to rob and steal ? Will not the judge say it is his custom to cut them off? Thou sayest it is thy custom. It is God's custom to damn such persons. Therefore that is an aggravation of thy sin.
But here we that are ministers may take up a complaint, that when we have to deal with the wretched disposition of men in things concerning their
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Bouls and a better life, do what wc can, wc cannot prevail with them to leave that that they have no prolit nor no pood by ; they are not ])ut u])on it by any I'car. It is only out of Huperlluity of pride and malice against God, out of the abundance of profancncss.
Can wo thiidv to prevail with men to deny themselves in gi-eater matters, to forsake their unlawful gains, or to venture the suffering ill for a good cause, and to renounce pleasures that are lawful, do we think to gain upon men for these things, when wc cannot for superfluities that they are not forced to by any violence, that they have no gain nor credit by, except it be among a company of debauched men like themselves ? Yet it is our case ; wc deal in the world with a company of persons to leave that that they have no gain by, except it be the wrath of God, and yet we cannot prevail.
Olij. Oh, but you will say, I live with such company that I must swear.
Alts. What a shame is it for thee that carnal company should prevail more with thee than the vengeance of God, and the authority of God in the ministry ! What a heart hast thou tliat a base person like thyself should move thee to do that that God himself and the authority of his ordinance cannot move thee to forbear ! It is an argument of a base nature. How darest thou look God and Christ in the face another day, when for his sake thou wilt not leave a superfluous, profane oath ? Thou regardest a wicked companion more, because thou wilt not be mocked of him ; thou wilt swear for compan}'', or because thou wilt please him, that he may think thee to be so and so, a companion fit for him ; to please him, thou wilt displease God and Christ, before whom thou shalt be judged ere long. If people were not mad and sold to destruction, they would consider these things.
Indeed, these things are so clear, and so odious in themselves, that we need not press them. We should spend that little time we have to preach of more sublime matters than to come to dissuade men from swearing. Alas ! under the glorious gospel that we have lived so long, have we gained so little that we are forced to spend our time to dissuade men from swearing ? We should look to the mysteries of religion, and draw men to further per- fection ; but such times we are fallen into, and we must be content with it, and I would we could gain anything by discovering the danger of these things.