But the perfons who fcruple to fwear, disclaim resistance also: and in this they are confiftent at least, if they be not wife. It is written, If any man will fue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. - Are they willing to deliver up their property always to the first invader? Of these rights they are fometimes, and with reafon, a little more tenacious. 31. Let all wrath, and anger be put away Eph. iy. from you, fays the Apoftle Paul; yet he himself had written but a few lines before, be ye angry, and fin not. And our Eph. iv. Lord himself, when they watched him, Mark iii. whether he would heal on the fabbath day, 5. looked round about on them with anger, be 26. 17. ing grieved for the hardness of their hearts. Honour all men: love the brotherhood. Huf- 1 Pet. ii. bands love your wives, even as Chrift alfo Eph.v.25. loved the Church. Children obey your parents: honour thy father and mother. — and vi. 1, 2. yet, If any man come after me, and hate not Luke xiv. his 26. his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and fifters, yea, and his own life alfo, he cannot be my difciple. It is not the mere found of a word, that we can rely upon for the knowledge of what the fcripture teaches in any cafe: the nature of the subject, the fcope of the writer, the lights afforded from other parts of fcripture, and from reafon alfo, delerve all to be attended to. So that the true. interpretation of a paffage is fometimes very different from that, which may be firft fuggefted to a hafty heedlefs hearer. The ufe of caths is not prohibited in the third commandment. The name of the Lord cannot be laid to be taken in vain, when it is used in the fupport of Truth, upon occafions of Importance. Secondly, Nor is there any thing like fuch a prohibition in all the Old Teftament: though it is certain, that oaths were in ufe among other nations, and among among the Jews, both before the giving of the Law, and under it. Thirdly, On the contrary, there are many examples recorded in the book of Genefis, and other parts of fcripture, of the best men, who made use of oaths, or exacted them of others; Abraham, Ifaac, Jacob, and Jofeph, and many more. Befides example, we meet with directions and precepts relative to the use of oaths, together with other marks of the approbation of them. If a man vow a Numb. vow unto the Lord, or fwear an oath, to bind his foul with a bond; he shall not break his word: he shall do according to all that pro XXX. 2. 13. ceedeth out of his mouth. Thou shalt fear Deut. vi. the Lord thy God, and ferve him, and shalt fwear by his name. Lord, who shall dwell Pf. xv. in thy tabernacle, or who shall rest upon thy holy hill? Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life he that fweareth unto his neighbour, and difappointeth him not. Unto me every Ifai. Ixv. knee 16. 2. knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. He that fweareth in the earth, fhall fwear by Jer. iv. 1, the God of truth. - If thou wilt return, O Ifrael, faith the Lord, return unto me — and thou shalt fwear, the Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness. And they fware unto the Lord with a loud and all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they had fworn with all their heart, and fought him with their whole defire: and he was found of them; and the Lord gave them reft round about. 2 Chron. voice XV. 14, 15. An oath indeed is justly confidered as an act of Religion. First, It is an acknowledgment of the power and divinity of the Being we invoke. Secondly, It is an acknowledgment of his moral attributes, and providence ; that he is a lover of truth and justice, that he marks our actions, and will call us to account for them. Thirdly, Thirdly, It is an acknowledgment of this, made in a publick manner, before many witneffes, and with great folemnity. Oaths therefore are ufeful; or may be so, if the fault be not in ourselves; both by impreffing fentiments of Religion, and by strengthening the fidelity, and mutual confidence of men in each other; and this in cafes fometimes, to which no other bonds but these of Religion and confcience can reach; in contracts of the very highest importance, among private perfons, and between princes and kingdoms. Had our Lord defigned to put an end to all oaths abfolutely, would He not have forbidden us to fwear by Almighty God himself? Of this oath He is filent. Ijay unto you fwear not at all, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other fuch like, vain, fantastic, absurd oath. The Apostle Paul, who furely underftood our Lord's intention on this fubject, fcruples not even in his epiftles to the |