5 gr rt tif v ii hd st 256 Chap. 3. Of taking Gods Name by an Oath,. Com, 3, pent, 19.15.1hed.And becaufe that many anytimesnot only otherproofs byarguments,but by wineffes alfo is wanting : there is a necefiity ofcalling God to witneffe,which is by an oath. So God appointed that incafe of fealoutie or fufpitionof awomans honelty by her bus- Num.S.r; 39. sand, though the were not taken in the deed, nor the aft could be proved, yet the fhould clear her felt by oath, and fwcar the had not defiledher fell. Now this neceffity of appealing toGod by an oath, as it is fometimes in regard of the adtion which is hid from others, fo likewife it is needful in two other cafes ; as when atfurance or certainty is to be had, De aceultif cordium, of the ferret thoughts and purpofes of theheart,which cannot be known by external proof,for who jet. 17.9. knows the heart, faith the Prophet, fave God alone, who is adei:4vmsns, the fearcher of the heart : and fecondly, when it is to be concerning things to come ; for, as the Wifeman faith, who knoweth what flail be ? ÍTo man is omnifcient he cannot know the heart, nor forefee future contingents. In thefe cafes therefore, when the fads is hidden, or not evident, or when the intention of the heart mutt be made ap- pear, or athing futurebe afcertained, there can be noCsRa,ro,t, no confirmation but by oath, other proofs do here fail and come lhort, And here, if the matterof the oath bedefatto, or relate to what is [Aft, it is called j uramentum affertorium,an oath of Affertion : ifit be defattero, of fomething to come, it is called yuramentum promiforium, an oath promitfory or of promife. And in both their, when other arguments or teftimonies fail, there is no other way but to fly to God, to make hima witnes, and not only awitnes,but a ¡age and avenger alto, if we call him to witnes anuntruth ; for an oath is nothing elfe, but a callingof God to wi:- nefs the truth of what we fay, and to be avenged on us, if we fpeak an untruth,or per- form not what we fay. a And here in the next place comes to be confidered the two parts ofan oath, accor- Thebpartf ofan ding to thefe two For firft God is called as a witnefs, whether the thing be true and 2. he is called forth as an avenger, ifthe thing be faltalk., Nam. 14. at. a The firff is fub Deo tefie, a contestationor taking God to witnefs, ufed by God Jadg.8. to. himfelf, As I live, faith the Lord, and by the fathers and holy men in the Old teftament,who ufed to fay,vivatDominut,As theLord livetb, I will do this or that &c. 2. The fecond is, fish Deo vindice, which is called execration, that is, the calling of a curfe upon themfelves, ifit be not true which they fpeak. And what thefecuries are we may read in Levir 26. and Dan. 28. Where there are whole catalogues of threatnings ofrevenge. The phrafe therefore was in the old teftament, Sicfacia mi. hi dominue et addat, God do fo to me and more alto, if this be not truth&c. Let God 1 Sam, ;. 19 adde to the firft plague the fecondalfo. This formwas ufed by Eli to Samuel, God do fo to thee and more, if thou hide any thing from me. Nowwhen one is brought to this, that he hath calledGod towitnefs the truth of what he (peaks, and to be an avenger, if he have called him to witnefs an untruth, then according to the Greek word oçeos, an oath, which properly liignifies a hedge or inclofure, he bath hedged in and doled himfelf withGods truth and juftice to per- forme it, and fohe that [wears is holden and bound perfifiere in dill., & Frei-tare pollicito, toperfift in his laying, and to perform his promife. And as an oath is an hedge to him that fweares,fo tohim to whom the oath is made or given, it is a fatisfying or fatisfaaion a according to the Hebrew word ,'ly]t6 S'hebugnah, juramentum, or roptff Shibegnah, fatentas, which comes of y]lff Shabagn, faturari, to be filled or fatisfied, becaufe the party to whom one ¡wears, ought to be fatisfied herewith; to which agrees the Latine tranflation of Saint Hierome, pro jure habere, that is, now that I have put him to anoath, I have bound my Pelf, as it were by a law to reft therein. And thus an oath comes robe wipes ätn- 5oyfas, an end ofcontroverfy. And thus we fee the caufes which make an oath neceffary in refpedh ofmen : but be- 3' caufe our neceffity is not enóugh tomake it an adgood and lawful, unleffe God have Xeogg1se b for by it ; therefore we muff know in the neat place, that an oath duly made bringglory to gl y Y P , Y > God. -brings muchglory to God. E. For fidt, it isa rule in reafon, that nihil confirmatur nifi per certius a thing cannot be confirmed. but by what is more certain : this then brings great honour to Cod, that when all other purpofes and demonftrations fail, ,bis name is acknow- ledged
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