DISCOURSE VIII,

Against Swearing and Perjury.

A

JAMES V. 12.

Above all things, my brethren, fwear not.

LMIGHTY God, in order that his most holy name fhould receive due honor, and evermore be reverenced by his creatures, has given a pofitive command, that his name fhould not be used in vain, and hath threatened punishment to all, who employ it lightly, either in the acts of fwearing, and blafpheming, or of forfwearing, or perjury. To the intent, therefore, that this commandment may be thoroughly understood, and better obferved, than it is by many, who are guilty of the above wicked practices; I fhall take this opportunity of explaining to you, (1.) in what fenfe even a Chriftian may make ufe of oaths, without committing fin; and (2.) the great danger of accuftoming ourselves to any kind of fwearing that is needlefs, and forbidden.

Firft; all fuch oaths as magiftrates require of the people, with a view of afcertaining facts, or for the due discharge of justice; this mode of fwearing, is not to be efteemed unlawful. Thus again when men bind their honeft engagements, by calling on God to witness the truth of their defigns,

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figns, to add authority to their covenants; and confirm the faithfulnefs of their promifes: or when they borrow the fanction of the facred name, to eftablifh publick flatutes, and useful acts, Chriftian Princes are accustomed to do in making peace for the prefervation of the common-wealth; and as private perfons pledge fidelity in marriage; or as one man bindeth himfelf to another, in various upright obligations, and the fincerity of friendfhip. Further, when men folemnly covenant to keep the common laws; the wife, and wholefome appointments of the legislature under which they live, and other useful inftitutions for the prefervation of good order in the world :-Namely, when fubjects make oath to be true and faithful to their King and Sovereign; when Judges, and officers in power, engage to execute their feveral duties truly. And lastly, when minifters in openly preaching the Gofpel, for the falvation of the people, or in giving private good advice for the benefit of men's fouls, do in fupport of truth, and the exaltation of God's glory, apply his holy Name to Arengthen thofe folemn purposes. In all thefe inftances, fuch fwearing, and calling upon God, being used for valuable ends, is ftrictly lawful.-But when men fwear through vicious habit, either in reafoning, talking, buying and felling, or any other daily practice, (as is dreadfully the cuftom of the prefent times) fuch oaths are clearly impious, and forbidden by God's commandment, becaufe it is exprefsly taking his Name in vain.

Here, then, is evidently a diftinction. Lawful, or religious oaths, are not forbidden, but permitted by God himfelf; and holy fcripture affords abundant proof, both in the example of Chrift, and pious men, that they fometimes made ufe of oaths themfelves, and alfo required them of others. And for this we have the Lord's pofitive commandment in Deut. vi. 13. Theu balt fear the Lord thy God, and

ferve him, and fhalt fwear by his name. And the Almighty likewife, when fpeaking by his fervant David, Pf. lxiii. 11. faith, Every one that fweareth by Him, fhall glory.

The form of oath, or atteftation, fo frequently used by our bleffed Savior, carries a degree of exemplary propriety in its expreffion. It extended only to verily, verily. The manner in which St. Paul was wont to confirm the truth of bis affertions, was this: I call God to witness. And from the example of Abraham, recorded in Gen. xxiv. we fee that when he required an oath of his fervant, that he should procure a wife for his fon Ifaac, which fhould be of his own family, the fervant fwore to him concerning the matter. And in the xxift chap. we have another inftance of his fwearing to Abimelech, king of Gerar, that he would not deal falfely by him, or his pofterity and Abimelech alfo fwore the fame to him; they exchanged and confirmed their mutual vows of peace and good-will, in the like folemn manner, by an oath. We likewife read, that David fwore that he would continue a faithful friend to Jonathan the fon of Saul; as did Jonathan in return, that he would preserve inviolable friendship towards him.

Further, it was the command of God, in the old Jaw, that if a thing was given as a pledge, or fecurity to any man, or only left to his care, that in cafe the faid thing was ftolen, or loft, the keeper of it fhould be worn before the Judges, that he neither had made away with it himself, nor through any artifice, or deceit, was acceffary to its being taken, or loft.

It is St. Paul's advice in all matters of difpute between two perfons, that if one party denies what the other affirms, fo that no clear proof can be had of the truth, the decifion of fuch difference muft be by oath before the magiftrate or judge; and an path for confirmation is to them an end of all ftrife. And

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when God fpeaketh on this fubject by his prophet Jeremiah, he faith, iv. 2.-Thou shalt fwear as the Lord liveth, in truth, and judgment, and in righteousness. The lawfulness of the act itself, being thus plainly established by these few examples, out of the vast number that might be brought, it only remains, that whofoever is called upon to fwear before the proper officer of justice, fhould be very careful to be affured in confcience, that his oath is qualified by the following conditions, which will refcue him from any fear of being perjured.

First then, he must fwear truly; that is, fetting afide all favour and affection whatsoever for the parties, he must place the truth alone before his eyes, and being entirely governed by the love of what is right, he must offer nothing but what he ftrictly knows is true.

Secondly, whofoever taketh an oath, should dọ it in fober and found judgment, not rafhly, but cautiously, duly confidering the ferious nature of an oath.And

Thirdly; he who fweareth, muft do it in righteoufness, or uprightly; that is, for the pure regard he beareth to the caufe of innocency, and for the fake of juftice in the fuit in which he is engaged; being totally free from any defire of undue benefit to bimfelf, or difadvantage to the other fide; and Jaying apart every. degree of partiality, through friendship or kin, as well as any revenge or perfecution from diflike or enmity. When, therefore, an oath is guarded by thefe particular marks or properties, it may be fafely taken to the glory of God; and this indeed we are ever obliged to confider chiefly by virtue of his own commandment; for he hath manifefted his will in Scripture, that we fwear only by his Name. Not that God hath any particular delight in oaths; but in like manner, as he ordered the Jews to offer facrifices to Him (without any poffible pleasure he could receive

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from fuch a practice) by way of keeping them from falling into idolatry; fo by permitting us to confirm the moft ferious actions by calling upon. his most holy Name, he confines the honor to himself alone, (as juftly due,) and forbids our giving it to any creature in Heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth.

From what has been advanced, no poffible doubt can be admitted, but that God gives fanction to every lawful oath. Since the practice of the holy patriarchs and prophets, of Chrift himself, and his Apostle St. Paul, upholds us in concluding that every oath of this defcription, receives religious warrant for its ufe: and great is the value derived from these serious authorities. By thefe, the most folemn treaties and engagements between princes and their people are ratified, and the kingdoms of the earth preferved in fecurity and peace. Through that holy covenant which is fanctified by invoking God's name to witnefs our defign, we become lively members of Chrift and his Church, when we profefs his religion in the Sacrament of Baptifm. It is by a moft facred promife made before God, that the ceremony of matrimony enjoineth perpetual love between man and wife, fo that they may not defire feparation for any inconvenience or adverfity that may happen to either of them in time to come. In fhort, it is by fuch fwearing as this, that the higher powers of this world are bound, no less than thofe of low degree; that the laws of countries are kept inviolate; that juftice is regularly adminiftered; and innocent perfons, orphans, widows, and the poor, are defended from wrong and harm. It is in confequence of the refpect to legal oaths, that mutual fociety, friendship, and much good order, is greatly preferved in all communities. It is by them also, that wicked doers are difcovered and condemned; and they who have been injured are often reftored to

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