19

rece

ces and

the

swear, for else men that do common with me, or do buy and sell with me, will not believe me. To an answer. this answereth St. Chrysostom, that he that thus saith sheweth himself to be an unjust and a deceitful person: for, if he were a trusty man, and his deeds taken to agree with his words, he should not need to swear at all. For he that useth truth and plainness in his bargaining and communicashaltion, he shall have no need by such vain swearing to bring himself in credence with his neighbours, nor his neighbours will not mistrust his sayings. And, if his credence be so much lost indeed that he thinketh no man will believe him without he swear, then he may well think his credence is clean gone. For truth it is, as Theophylactus writeth, that "no man is less trusted than he that useth much to swear." And Almighty God by the Wise Man saith, That man which sweareth Ecclus, xxii. much shall be full of sin, and the scourge of God shall not depart from his house.

it

II.

But here some men will say, for excusing of Another obtheir many oaths in their daily talk, Why should

jection.

I not swear when I swear truly? To such men an answer. may be said that, though they swear truly, yet, in swearing often, unadvisedly, for trifles, without necessity, and when they should not swear, they be not without fault, but do take God's most holy Name in vain. Much more ungodly and unwise men are they that abuse God's most holy Name, not only in buying and selling of small things daily in all places, but also in eating, drinking, playing, commoning, and reasoning; as if none of these things might be done, except in doing of them the most holy Name of God be commonly used and abused, vainly and unreverently talked of, sworn by and forsworn, to the breaking of God's commandment, and procurement of his indignation.

THE SECOND PART OF THE SERMON OF

SWEARING.

You have been taught in the first part of this Sermon against swearing and perjury, what great danger it is to use the Name of God in vain; and that all kind of swearing is not unlawful, neither against God's commandment; and that there be three things required in a lawful oath; first, that it be made for the maintenance of the truth; second, that it be made with judgment, not rashly and unadvisedly; thirdly, for the zeal and love of justice. Ye heard also what commodities cometh of lawful oaths, and what danger cometh of rash and unlawful oaths. Now, as concerning the rest of the same matter, ye shall understand that as well they use the Name of God in vain that by an oath make lawful promises of good and honest things and perform them not, as they which do promise evil and unlawful things and do perform

Lawful oaths and promises

would be

better regarded,

Josh. ix.

2 Sam. xxi.

1-14.

the same.

Of such men that regard not their godly proImises bound by an oath, but wittingly and wilfully breaketh them, we do read in holy Scripture two notable punishments. First, Josue and the people of Israel made a league and faithful proImise of perpetual amity and friendship with the Gabaonites: notwithstanding, afterward in the days of wicked Saul many of these Gabaonites were murdered, contrary to the said faithful proImise made. Wherewith Almighty God was so

sore displeased, that he sent an universal hunger upon the whole country, which continued by the space of three years; and God would not withdraw his punishment, until the said offence was revenged by the death of seven sons or next kinsmen of king Saul. Also, whereas Sedechias king

17-XXV. 7 Chaldea, afterward, when Sedechias, contrary to

ON OF

نہیں

77

his oath and allegiance, did rebel against king Nebuchodonozor, this heathen king, by God's permission and sufferance, invading the land of Jewry and besieging the city of Jerusalem, compelled the said king Sedechias to flee, and in fleeing took him prisoner, slew his sons before his face, and put out both his eyes, and binding him with chains led him prisoner miserably into Babylon. Thus doth God shew plainly how much he abhorreth breakers of honest promises bound by an oath made in his name.

promises are

kept.

And of them that make wicked promises by an Unlawful oath, and will perform the same, we have example oaths and in the Scripture, chiefly of Herod, of the wicked not to be Jews, and of Jephthah. Herod promised by an Matt. xiv. 6oath unto the damsel which danced before him to 11. give unto her whatsoever she would ask, when she was instructed before of her wicked mother to ask the head of St. John Baptist. Herod, as he took a wicked oath, so he more wickedly performed the same, and cruelly slew the most holy Prophet. Likewise did the malicious Jews make an oath, Acts xxiii.12. cursing themselves if they did either eat or drink until they had slain St. Paul. And Jephthah, Judg. xi. 30when God had given to him victory of the chil- 39. dren of Ammon, promised, of a foolish devotion unto God, to offer for a sacrifice unto him that person which of his own house should first meet with him after his return home. By force of which fond and unadvised oath he did slay his own and only daughter, which came out of his house with mirth and joy to welcome him home. Thus the promise, which he made most foolishly to God, against God's everlasting will and the law of nature most cruelly he performed, so committing against God double offence. Therefore, whosoever maketh any promise binding himself thereunto by an oath, let him foresee that the thing which he promiseth be good, honest, and not against the commandment of God, and that it be in his own power to perform it justly: and

Against perjury.

such good promises must all men keep evermore assuredly. But, if a man at any time shall, either of ignorance or of malice, promise and swear to do anything which is either against the law of Almighty God or not in his power to perform, let him take it for an unlawful and ungodly oath.

Now something to speak of perjury. To the intent you should know how great and grievous an offence against God this wilful perjury is, I

will shew you what it is to take an oath before a An oath be- judge upon a book. First, when they, laying their fore a judge. hands upon the Gospel book, do swear truly to inquire and to make a true presentment of things wherewith they be charged, and not to let from saying the truth and doing truly for favour, love, dread, or malice of any person, as God may help them and the holy contents of that book, they must consider that in that book is contained God's everlasting truth, his most holy and eternal word, whereby we have forgiveness of our sins, and be Imade inheritors of heaven, to live for ever with God's angels and his saints in joy and gladness. In the Gospel book is contained also God's terrible threats to obstinate sinners, that will not amend their lives, nor believe the truth of God, his holy word, and the everlasting pain prepared in hell for idolaters, hypocrites, for false and vain swearers, for perjured men, for false witness bearers, for false condemners of innocent and guiltless men, and for them which for favour hide the crimes of evildoers, that they should not be punished. So that, whosoever wilfully forsweareth himself upon Christ's holy Evangely, they utterly forsake God's mercy, goodness, and truth, the merits of our Saviour Christ's nativity, life, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension; they refuse the forgiveness of sins promised to all penitent sinners, the joys of heaven, the company with angels and saints for ever; all which benefits and comforts are promised unto true Christian persons in the

Gospel. And they, so being forsworn

upon

the

79

ere Gospel, do betake themselves to the devil's service, the master of all lies, falsehood, deceit, and perjury, provoking the great indignation and curse of God against them in this life, and the terrible wrath and judgment of our Saviour Christ at the great day of the last judgment, when he shall Tjustly judge both the quick and the dead according to their works. For whosoever forsaketh the truth for love or displeasure of any man, or for lucre and profit to himself, doth forsake Christ, and with Judas betrayeth him. And, although Though per such perjured men's falsehood be now kept secret, cape here unyet it shall be opened at the last day, when the espied and secrets of all men's hearts shall be manifest to all it shall not the world; and then the truth shall appear, and accuse them; and their own conscience, with all the blessed company of heaven, shall bear witness truly against them; and Christ, the righteous Judge, shall then justly condemn them to everlasting shame and death.

jury do es

unpunished,

do so ever.

This sin of perjury Almighty God by the Prophet Malachy doth threaten to punish sore, saying unto the Jews, I will come to you in judgment, and Mal. iii. 5. I will be a swift witness and a sharp judge upon sorcerers, adulterers, and perjured persons. Which thing to the Prophet Zachary God declareth in a vision, wherein the Prophet saw a book flying, Zech. v. 1-4. which was twenty cubits long and ten cubits broad, God saying then unto him, This is the curse that shall go forth upon the face of the earth for falsehood, false swearing, and perjury; and this curse shall enter into the house of the false man and into the house of the perjured man, and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and consume him, the timber and stones of his house. Thus you see how much God doth hate perjury, and what punishment God hath prepared for false swearers and perjured persons.

Thus you have heard how and in what causes it is lawful for a Christian man to swear; ye have heard what properties and conditions a lawful oath