Atten. Then it seems, though as to the matter of fact, a man swears truely, yet if he sweareth lightly and groundlesly, his Oath is evil, and he by it, under sin.
Wise. Yes; a man may say, {32b} The Lord liveth, and that is true, and yet in so saying, swear falsly; because he sweareth vainly, needlesly, and without a ground. To swear groundedly and necessarily, (which then a man does, when he swears as being called thereto of God,) that is tolerated of the Word: but this was none of Mr. Badmans swearing, and therefore that which now we are not concerned about.
Atten. I perceive, by the Prophet, that a man may sin in swearing to a Truth: They therefore must needs most horribly sin, that swear to confirm their Jests and Lies; and as they think, the better to beautifie their foolish talking.
Wise. They sin with an high hand; for they presume to imagine, {32c} that God is as wicked as themselves, to wit, that he is an Avoucher of Lies to be true. For, as I said before, to swear, is to call God to witness; and to swear to a Lie, is to call God himself, to witness that that Lie is true. This therefore must needs offend; for it puts the highest affront upon the Holiness and Righteousness of God, therefore his wrath must sweep them away. This kind of Swearing is put in with lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing Adultery; and therefore must not go unpunished: {32d} For if God will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain, which a man may doe when he swears to a truth, (as I have shewed before,) how can it be imagined, that he should hold such guiltless, who, by Swearing, will appeal to God, if Lies be not true, or that swear out of their frantick and Bedlam madness. It would grieve and provoke a sober man to wrath, if one should swear to a notorious lye, and avouch that that man would attest it for a truth; and yet thus do men deal with the holy God: They tell their Jestings, Tales and Lies, and then swear by God that they are true. Now this kind of Swearing was as common with young Badman, as it was to eat when he was an hungred, or to go to bed when it was night.
Atten. I have often mused in my mind, what it should be that should make men so common in the use of the sin of Swearing, since those that be wise, will believe them never the sooner for that.
Wise. It cannot be any thing that is good, you may be sure; because the thing it self is abominable: {33a} 1. Therefore it must be from the promptings of the spirit of the Devil within them. 2. Also it flows sometimes from hellish Rage, when the tongue hath set on fire of Hell even the whole course of nature. {33b} 3. But commonly Swearing flows from that daring Boldness that biddeth defiance to the Law that forbids it. 4. Swearers think also that by their belching of their blasphemous Oaths out of their black and polluted mouths, they shew themselves the more valiant men: 5. And imagine also, that by these outrageous kind of villianies, they shall conquer those that at such a time they have to do with, and make them believe their lyes to be true. 6. They also swear frequently to get Gain thereby, and when they meet with fools, they overcome them this way. But if I might give advice in this matter, no Buyer should lay out one farthing with him that is a common Swearer in his Calling; especially with such an Oath-master that endeavoureth to swear away his commodity to another, and that would swear his Chapmans money into his own pocket.
Atten. All these causes of Swearing, so far as I can perceive, flow from the same Root as doe the Oaths themselves, even from a hardened and desperate heart. But pray shew me now how wicked cursing is to be distinguished from this kind of swearing.
Wise. {34a} Swearing, as I said, hath immediately to do with the Name of God, and it calls upon him to be witness to the truth of what is said: That is, if they that swear, swear by him. Some indeed swear by Idols, as by the Mass, by our Lady, by Saints, Beasts, Birds, and other creatures; but the usual way of our profane ones in England, is to swear by God, Christ, Faith, and the like: But however, or by whatever they swear, Cursing is distinguished from Swearing thus.
To {34b} Curse, to Curse profanely, it is to sentence another or our self, for, or to evil: or to wish that some evil might happen to the person or thing under the Curse, unjustly.
It is to sentence for, or to evil, (that is, without a cause): Thus Shimei cursed David: He sentenced him for and to evil unjustly, when he said to him, Come out, come out thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial. The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned, and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and behold thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. {34c}