j sq.% Chap. 3. or takingGoclr name by an oath. Corn. ;. A s for Gods glory, fo for mans benefit andneceffity ; as 77' ufe Ofd r . For the publick good. As firft in tl a cafe of a league and confederacie, as o- "e1Ft that between Abraham and Abimelech. 2. In a publick confpiracy,,The men of o¡ men. Gen. ar. aç. Ifrael fware,faying, None of us íhall give his Dauhter to the Benjamiter to Wife. 3orn. 9. z9. 3. For receivingorunitingNation to Nation, as in that of yoJhua, the Princes, and 2 Sam. al. 2. people of frael withthe Gibeonites : thebreach of which ( though it were furrep- tioufly gotten, yet ) was feverely punifhect, becaufe it was confirmedby an oath. a Meg I I. 17. 2. Or for reciprocal duties between Prince andpeople. 4. Of the Prince to the people, that of fehoiada in the behalf of the young King Kii,t 4 22. fogs to the people.. a Sam. 21. 17. And inthe fame Chapters, of the people for their obedience toYeas. I King s. 39. Of the Subject to the King ; that of David to King Saul. And of the people for prefervation of King Davids life. And of the people in confirmation - of Solo- mons fucceffion to the Crown. ioil -24. ra 3. Or laftly, for the fafety and benefit of our Neighbour, as in cafe of prefer- f' Gen. 3 vatronof life and goods , as was that of the Spies withRahabthe Harlot. And for juít and true dealing in matter pf truft, as was that of Abrahams fervant tohis Eso. 22 8 : i Matter. And in deciding controverfresbetween man andman; for Meum 6- 7uum, The very word jets jurandum for an oath, being derived from Law or right ; for in- Deut. r ç. s5. deed in cafe of controverfie, where eachparty for his own advantage to maintain that he hathgotten, will conceal the truth from the Judge : theirby the mouths of twoor three witneffes flail the matter be eftabliftaed, and confirmed more fore ; it cannot be then by the oaths of fuck witneffes. But though in thefe cafes an oath beallowed by molt, yet diverfe make doubt, whether a man may be lawfully en- forced to anfwer upon oath, in matters that concern hirnfelf, which we commonly call the oath ex officio, which we called before, ipat i5cb.TOr, an oath of impofation; fuch as that 2. Chronicles 6. 2?. see 4 le fled The lawfulnefs and neceffity of it we (halt fee the better, if we confider the d, te; m nation reafon whereupon it is grounded, namely, the removing of evil, which ought to be of this qull'in the fcope and end of all Courts of Juftice. Intereft Rei publica ( faith the Heathen tyde Aatocur man ) Mt malefict tollantur, the Commonwealth fhould.take care to cut off Male - a,t the pu5ln ;' factors: It being as moft necelfaryto purge the Civil Bódy fromevil perfons, as the C ebst g canibcidge Natural fromevil andpeccant humours. Godhimfelf held thiscour3'e in his Corn- mhoc59t in- monwealth. _It is often repeated by him in-the Old Law, -Sic tolletis malean de medio rer ,PY,a poi} Ifraehs fo.fhallye take away evil in Ifrael. And St. Páals rule alfo to the Corin- Euma.Tne Cd1i' thians in the cafe of Inceft was, VC'S astern auferetis malumevobis, therefore put Cent. , 7. 12. away that evil peí.fon from among you. 22.2 r. =4. If theevil mutt be removed, it mutt be known Phboomed, tians cure not the difeafe r Co, 5 r ? they know not ; And if it muff be known before it booed, furely the goilty will ,t s.., not by their-goodwills be the parties that (hall difcovèr it hide itas much as they _ can they will. We fee it plainly in the firft offenders. They were more careful by far how to conceal, than how to avoid committing their fault. And the like Londe take all offenders ever line. Beides we know that fome tranfgreffions efpecially are opera tenebraram, works of darknefs : few or none' ;come to the knowledgeof then;. If then inbe tobe removed, and that cannot be done if' not : known, : and not to be difcoverecl,'but from the Delinquents, in refped of the fecrecy, and they not willingto diféöver them : and that, thoughTome may take notice of therm yet they ' Deut.13.8ct7,. will be loth to accufe, becaufe it is accounted to be anodiousoffice, to be accufator ' 1 & 19. fratrutes anaccufer of the Brethren ; What courfe then ,remains to findout evil, that i it may 1 e removed, but the, Magiftrates power, who are.Gods Delegates to en- 'i ! quite. 1st: NowGodhimfelf, hath fet them a pattern how this enquiry fheuld bemade; F I J) 3'á T'a whothough nothingbe hid from his all-feeing eyes, and that he knoweth all things d' Xj 3 without any fet-form of Inquïfition,yet to'prefcribe usa form,hath taken this tour e, Id In the cafeof Adam, upon fufpicion, becaufe of his fleeing into a Thicket. And of Eve, who upon Adams examination,was found to bepárticeps cramenis, aeeellbry by, way of detection, without accufation, God thought' fit: fo enquire of'both. In the cafe of 4iicI umrther, which was evident, enquiryrwitSmade by God upon
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=