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Laftly, out of Cajetan. The Lord perfecteth this precept of not Forfwearing, by taking away not only Perjury, but the Occafion of it, and taking away the care for where there is no Swearing, there is no need of care of Rendering.'

"O! how fincere and true would the Lord make his Christians, that all Affirmations should be included in Three Letters only; all Denials in other Three, that the Truth fhould be fo familiar to us, as to be included in the compendium of Three Letters.'

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XCIX. Francifcus de Mendoca, Olyfiponenfis, Dr. Theol. in Eburenf. Academia, Sacr. lit. Interpres, in 4 lib. Reg. Tom. 3. Speak,' faith he, of me,' &c. in the Hebrew it is i. e. teftify, from the verb May which not only fignifieth to speak, but also to bear teftimony, as it is to be feen Exod. xx. n. 14. 'Deut. xix. n. 15. Job xvi. n. 9. et paffim alibi, and many other places; as if there were no difference with the Hebrews of Speaking and testifying, nor 'without caufe; for there ought to be fo much veracity of good men, that their fimple speech may be accounted fworn, and their private conference be accounted a public teftimony; which was to be accounted the fidelity of Cato, who was believed in a court cafe even Unfworn; which alfo S. Jerom, in his Epiftle to Celantia, inculcates;'"Let there be," 'faith he,' "fo much love of truth in thee, that "whatsoever thou fayeft, thou mayeft think to be "fworn." The fame Jerom to that of Mat. v. Swear not, &c.' "The Gospel Truth," faith he,’ doth not receive an Oath, fith every Faithful Speech " is for an Oath." To which opinion is agreeable the ⚫ doctrine of Philo Alex. in his book of the Decalogue,' "It will be most profitable," faith he,' " and most "agreeable to the rational nature, to abstain Alto

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gether from Swearing; and be fo accustomed to "Truth, that one's fingle Word may have the force " of an Oath." The like relateth Jofephus, in the • fecond book of the Jewish War, chap. 7. De his Effenis, moft fincere worshippers of truth (vericultoribus):

VOL. II.

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⚫ the Hebrew Elders also, when they would make their 'innocency appear about the man killed by an un⚫ known person, testified with an Oath, as the Rabbins, 'Solomon, and Mofes, in Lyran, affirm, Deut. xxi. 'Nevertheless, they are brought in by the fcriptures, affeverating it only with fimple Speech;'" And they fhall fay,' ‹ faith_he,' “ Our hands have not shed "this blood, nor our eyes seen it." Because the simple and naked Speech of a wife man, is equivalent to an oath; which St. Bernard vehemently commended in • Comite Theobaldo, in Epift. 38. to the fame,' " And "indeed," "faith he,' "in other princes, if at any time "we take a word of lightnefs or falfenefs, we account "it neither new nor wonderful: but with Count The"obald, we do not impatiently hear Yea and Nay, to "whom, as it is faid, fimply to speak is to fwear; and "a light lie is accounted an heavy Perjury; for among very many enfigns of virtue, which do very much "ennoble your dignity, and make your name renown⚫ed and famous throughout the world, the conftancy of "truth is especially praised in you." 3. Certainly God himself hath (tantundem) fo much, to speak nakedly, and to fwear by himself holily: for that he 'promised with an Oath an offspring to David, which fhould fit on his throne, is read no where in the fcripture: and yet Abner, 2 Kings iii. n. 9. acknowledges an offspring fworn to David,'" The Lord do fo to "Abner," "faith he,' " and add these things to him, "unless as the Lord hath fworn to David, fo I do with "him." And in Pfalm lxxxviii. God himself faith,' "Once have I fworn in my holiness, if I lie to David," &c. Alfo the land of Canaan is no-where found in the holy fcriptures promised to the ancient fathers with an Oath; but God promised it fimply to Abraham, Gen. xii. 13 and 17. to Ifaac, Gen. xxvi. to Jacob, Gen. xxviii. Yet Mofes, in Deut. i.'" Possess,” faith he,'" the Land, for which the Lord sware to your fathers." Philo Alex. in the book of Abraham, at the end looses the knot notably;' “That "therefore the fimple Promife of God in those places

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" is called an Oath, because it hath the Force of an "Oath."

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C. Jacobus Faber; It is the part of a spiritual man, ⚫ not only not to swear in a Vain thing, but also not in any Serious thing; for you which are fuch, are true: unto true men it is fufficient that a true man gain belief, if he fay, that the Lord hath commanded Yea, Yea, in affirming; Nay, Nay, in Denying*: but • if with incredulous and evil men a speech also he had ⚫ concerning a serious and neceffary matter, why fhall

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one fwear for their badness, that he may gain belief < with them? Who ever fpake more seriously than our • Saviour? Who more neceffary things? Yet he never • used other speech than that,'" Verily, Verily, I fay " unto you," or fome other fuch-like, which was a true ⚫ form or manner to them, that swore not. Therefore, ⚫ that now some swear, to gain belief concerning fome profitable and neceffary things, which they think is to be given rather to the Oath than to the Person; perhaps also there is a danger when an oath is required in judgment, left he that exacteth it, fin: for if it be manifeft, that he that is called into judg•ment be verily good and true, it is enough to hear of him Yea, or Nay; but if that be not evident, or that it be evident that he is bad, perhaps that is required ⚫ of him which ought not to be required. What then? It is lawful to Adjure: for the Lord made answer to an Adjuration, but he did not Swear; and Adjurations are found in the New Law: but if any one, being adjured of another, speak the truth, by answering Yea, or Nay, or by declaring the thing required, neither the one nor the other offendeth; but if he speak a falfity, he offends, and incurs the offence of a false • teftimony; but perchance he finneth lefs, than if by Swearing he had also fallen into the guilt of Perjury: for, as he that (being adjured) anfwereth in Truth, ⚫ doth not Swear; fo he that anfwereth in Falseness, ⚫ doth not Forfwear, but he is a Falfe Witness: but

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* On Mat. v. p. 23, 24.
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⚫ he also who hath adjured, is altogether guiltlefs; for there is no doubt but he hath required that which ' was lawful to require. And although it is not my purpose to contradict the ordinances of judgment, yet I may think this to be more chriftian, both not to fwear at all, neither to compel to fwear, to be more fpiritual: but yet, if the badnefs of men would permit it, although you would have this fentence of the Lord concerning not fwearing, to be applied to the believers common and daily custom of speaking (for he speaks to his difciples) which is very true, especially if the Old Law, which the Lord declares,' "Thou shalt not forfwear, but fhalt render to the "Lord thine oaths," was given concerning common ⚫ and daily speech; but afterwards the Lord amendeth another thing, which was written in the Old Law, that the Law might be perfect, and that he might fhew he hath fulfilled it; and it may be fulfilled of others, as Matthew fhews.'

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CI. Suarez. He affirmeth, Chrift did not fwear because that which he could not lawfully do, he could not fimply do: but he could not lawfully fwear, therefore he could not at all: but that he ⚫ never fwore, is proved, because that he himself com'manded or counfelled,' "Not to fwear at all; but "fimply to speak, Yea, it is; Nay, it is not," &c. therefore ought to go before for an example. It is • spoken of him only fometimes that he said Amen, or Truly, or Verily, which we have before fhewed to be no particle of fwearing.'

It is not only commanded in the New, but also in the Old Teftament,'" not to fwear," as Hof. iv. Zach. v. quoted by Tertullian, lib. de Idololat. cap. 11. faying, "I am filent about Perjury, feeing that indeed "it is not lawful to fwear."

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And thofe very words of Chrift,' fignify this; feeing he fubjoins,'

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"Swear not at all," "Neither by hea

ven, &c. As if he had faid, Not only greater

* De quæft. jur. Chrift. p. 306.

‹ oaths,

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• oaths, but also these, which feem less, you are to take heed of: and it is apparent from the reason which he adjoins, faying,' "Neither by heaven." • If there'fore Chrift forbiddeth to fwear by Heaven, because • God dwells therein, much more he forbiddeth to fwear by God, &c *. Now he forbiddeth all manner of fwearing by the Creatures, and every oath by • God himself, as Greg. Nyffen rightly argues, and • Chrift himself hath plainly fo declared, Mat. xxiii.' Laftly, The following words of Christ are appofite,' "Let your word be Yea and Nay;" for by them he ⚫ declareth, that he before forbad the addition of any Oath. 2dly, Jerom anfwers,' "Swearing was per"mitted to the Jews, as to Children; but evangelical "verity receives not Swearing, feeing every faithful "Word is for an Oath." The fame doctrine and ex⚫ pofition doth Chryfoftom follow. Theophylact, after Chrift,'"It is an evil to Swear, as to be Circumcifed, "and in brief, whatsoever is Jewish." Beda, alfo Caftro and Druthmarus confefs, and Bernard himself denies not, that it is the counsel of Christ,' "not to swear:" and precepts are not contrary to counfels.'

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Libr. 1. cap. 14. 282. Whether an Oath be an explicit Act of Religious Virtue?'

There may be a reafon of doubting, because every < act of religion is principally intended for the worship of God: but an oath is not made primarily, and of • itself (per se) for the worship of God; but for confirming, &c. as Heb. vi. from whence it seems plainly to follow, that an oath is not an act of re<ligion.'

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It may be declared by reason, because,

Firft, It is impoffible that man can bring God for a witness, although he would never fo fain: therefore ⚫ the name of God is taken in vain, as often as it is ⚫ taken to fwear: therefore it is evil in itself (per se.)'

Secondly, Grant this were poffible, to bring God <for a witness; it feems diforderly to bring the per

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