Be pleased to observe how Chryfoftom, a zealous and famous man, both for his books, and the perfecution that he suffered, being Patriarch, or prime overfeer of the church at Conftantinople, one of the four of the chiefeft in the world, ufes no diftinction of private and public oaths, the common talk of our impofers; for here he labours against drawing any to fwear at all, even in Judicature, because it was not lawful to fwear fo at all, no not as the Jews fwore, much lefs as the Gentiles.

Again, Let none fay to me, What if any lay on me a Neceffity of fwearing? and what if he do not • believe?'

Certainly where the Law is violated, one must not • make any mention of neceffity: for there is one una• voidable neceffity, not to offend God. Moreover, this I fay, that in the mean time we may cut off fuperfluous oaths, those I mean, which are made rafhly, and without any neceffity, amongst friends and fervants: and if thou take away thefe, in the other thou 'fhalt need me no more: for that mouth which hath learned to fear and flee an Oath, if any would compel it ten thousand times, it will never admit of falling into that custom,' &c.

But if thou fear nothing else, at least fear that Book, which thou takest in thy hands, bidding another to Swear; and when thou turneft it, and markeft what Chrift hath there commanded concerning Oaths, † Quake, and Forbear.'

• What doth it say, then, of Oaths?'

• Anfwer,' "But I fay unto you Swear not at all." • Doft thou make that Law an OATH, which forbids to fwear? O injurious, O unjust thing! for thou doft as if a man fhould take for his companion, a Law-giver that forbids to KILL, and command him to be made a • Murderer. As therefore, when a fight is begun, although we are often reviled, yet we endure it well, and we fay to him that doth it, That patron of thine

+ Chryfoft. exhorts to be right Quakers, by trembling, and not fwearing.

hath

‹ hath hurt me, he holds my hands; and this serves us for folace. After the fame manner, if thou wilt ex• act an Oath of any, restrain thyself, and withhold; and fay to him that is about to fwear, What shall I do to thee, fith God hath commanded neither to fwear, nor to compel to fwear; he now withholdeth me? This is enough for the lawgiver's honour, for thy fecurity, and his fear who fhould fwear *.'

Do thus much for me therefore, that they that ⚫ come hither may fay, That is not to be feen in any city, which is at Antioch; for they that inhabit that city, had rather their tongues fhould be cut out, than an Oath should proceed out of their mouth, &c.

What is it?" "Thou fhalt render unto the Lord "thy oaths:"That is, in fwearing thou fhalt speak 'true :' "But I say unto you, Not to fwear at all:" And then, to put off the hearers, that they should not fwear by God, he faith,' "Neither by Heaven, "for it is the Throne of God; nor by the Earth, for "it is his Foot-ftool." &c. for he faid not, Because ⚫ the Heaven is Fair and Great, nor because the Earth is Vile; but because That is the Throne of God, and This his Foot-ftool; by all which he drives them to the Fear of God.'

Obj. What then, if any require an oath, and im* pofe a neceffity of fwearing?

Anf. Let the fear of the Lord be more forcible to thee than all Neceffity or Compulfion: for if thou ⚫ wilt always object fuch-like occafions, thou wilt keep ⚫ none of those things which are commanded: for thou ⚫ mightest also say it concerning thy Wife; What if she be a Scold? What if fhe be Nice and Curious? And of thy Right Eye; What if I have a Delight in it, and be inflamed with the Love of it, &c.? and fo < thou wilt trample upon all things that are command

He differs much from thofe that punifh us for not fwearing. On Mat. Homil. 17.

⚫ed.

ed. But in the laws which men command, thou dareft alledge no fuch thing; as, What if this or that, &c. and if thou wilt keep the law of Christ, thou wilt not fuffer any compulfion to hinder thee ⚫ from the obfervation thereof; for he that heard the bleffednefs that is before, in the fame fermon, and fhews himself fuch an one as Chrift commandeth, he • shall suffer no fuch compulfion from any, seeing he is < venerable and admirable with all men.'

Obj. What then fhall we fay is beyond Yea and Nay

• Anfw. Without doubt an Oath, not Perjury; fiththis is altogether manifeft, and none needs be taught that it is of Evil; and not fo much fuperfluous, as altogether contrary. Now, that is fuperfluous which is added needlefly, and too much; which furely is an Oath.'

• Obj. Why then fhall this be faid to be of Evil? And if it was of Evil, how was it commanded in • the Law?'

'Anfw. Thou wilt fay that also concerning thy Wife ; how is it now adultery, which was fometime fuffered? What then fhall we fay to these things; but that many of those things which were then spoken, the • Weakness of them that received the Law required: for it is a thing very unmeet for God to be worshipped with the Smell of Sacrifices, even as it is not congruent for a Philofopher to ftutter and babble: there⚫fore fuch a Divorce is now called Adultery; and an Oath now comes of Evil, when the Increasings of Virtues are come to their Perfection. But if these things had been the laws of the devil from the beginning, they had never come to fuch proficiency; for unless those things had gone before, thofe other had never been fo eafily received. Do not therefore defire the virtue of thofe things, whofe ufe is now past. They were available indeed then, when the time required, yea, if thou pleafeft, now alfo; for now their virtue is fhewn in that fame thing also, VOL. II. • where

Dd

• wherein we moft accufe: for that they now appear 'fuch, is their great praife: for, unless they had nursed us up well and profitably, and had made us fit for the receiving of greater things, they would not now feem to us to be fuch. For as the nurse's teat, when it hath done all its office, and brought the child to the measure of the ftronger age, feems to be un' profitable; and the parents, who formerly judged the teat to be neceffary for their child, do afterwards < pursue it with very many fcorns, and ufually do not only make it uncomely in words, but also befmear it with certain bitter juices of herbs, that when they cannot bridle the eager unfeasonable defire of the child about it, they may quench it at least with those things: fo alfo Chrift faid,' " It was of Evil," not that he might fhew the old Law to be of the devil, but that he might recall them more vehemently from the old Vilenefs: and these things he faid unto his Difciples; but unto the ftupid Jews, and them that perfift in the fame impiety, as with a certain bitterness, he fo compaffed their city, they being captivated with fear, as that he made it inacceffible: and because he could not hereby restrain them, but that they again defired to fee it, as children running back to the teat, he took it quite away; destroying it, and scattering them, most of them, far away from it; as men ufually fhut up calves from their dams, that they may gain them to be weaned from their accustomed food of milk *.'

But if the old Teftament were of the devil, he would not have forbidden Images to be worshipped; but on the contrary, have brought in and commanded fuch a worship as this; for the devil would have 'fuch a thing to be done. But now we see that the 'Law did the contrary: and for that cause also the

*This is true Chriftiau doctrine. With Chriftians it ought to be fo. What evil is it then to hale men back again upon penalties?

way of Swearing was in times paft permitted*, left men fhould worship images, and fwear by them;' "Swear," faith he," " by the true God." So the Law brought not a mean good to men, but a very great one, if it fought to bring them to folid meat.' Obj. What evil therefore hath Swearing?'

Anfw. Much evil, without queftion: but now, at • this time, after fo great Manifeftations of Power; not then, by any means.'

<

Obj. Thou wilt fay; How can it be, that the fame is fometimes good, fometimes not?'

Anfw. I will also produce against thee, How is it that the fame thing is fometimes good, fometimes not good? Doth not all that is in the world proclaim the fame; as, Educations, Arts, Fruits, and all other things?'

• Therefore first weigh that in our own nature: for <to be carried in one's arms, is a good part in the first age; afterwards a very pitiful thing. To ufe chewed meats in the beginning of one's life is good; after‹ wards very full of indecency and loathfomeness: to be fed with milk, and to flee to the nourishment of the teats, at the first is profitable and wholesome; but afterwards hurtful and noifome. Thou feeft how the fame things are fometimes good, according to the times, and fometimes appear to be of another nature for it is a comely thing for a Child to wear a Child's Vesture, but fhameful for a Man. Wouldeft thou also learn, on the contrary, how those things < are not fit for a Child, which are for a Man? Give a Man's vesture to a Child, and great laughter will follow thereupon, and greater danger in going, making him to reel this way and that way: commit 'unto him the care of civil bufineffes and affairs, either to traffick, or fow or reap, and again it will be very

* The reason why God admitted oaths. No ordinance of God or man originally, but corruption infenfibly brought it; and God only fuffered it by a true Deity till the times of reformation. reafon, our reafon.

+ His