Cori. 3. Of taking Gods name byan Oath. Chap.;. 2 4 3 prefumption, because Cain had born malice to Abel, and being examined, his 4. S. countenance bewrayed him. tO' In that of the Sodomites upona fame. Clamor eft mulrru, the crye is great, God r8. ao, ai. will go down and enquire. And this is warranted by God, not onelyby his own example and pradife, but by his command too : in twoplaces of the Law. If thou íhalt hear, and, if it (hail be told theeof fuch and fuch a fault, then thou limit enquire, and make fearch, and Dent. r;. t3, askdiligently, e;c. the proceedings muff be perfcrutando c interrogando, by inter- +4, rogatories miniftred to the party upon whom the fame went. r' ¢ Milder the Gospel elfo in the cafe of incest. The Apoftle layeth for his ground, it tor: g r is reported commonly among you. So that if there be no acculer, yet the Judge by Gods example and commandment, and the pradife of the Church, is ex officio of duty, to fearchout offences, upon force or any of these grounds mentioned. The next queftion is, how shall the Judge interrògate, whether upon the bare wordof the party, or whether may he lawfully minister an oath, to find out evil, that it may be takenaway. In afin again ft the feventh Commandment, inthe cafe of a Woman fufpeftedtö Num.4.r4, rp. deal fall It with her Husband, and that upon no other ground but her Husbands jea- loufre, the Judge was authorized to examine her upon oath, and to make her abjure it by execration. In a cafe againft theeighth Commandment, between man and man. If the one EXOd 22. it were perfwaded that theother had falfified his trust, he might convent him before Lev. e. ;.. the Judge, who ( at the plaintiffs instance) was toput the Defendant to his oath. r Res. B.; t. And fo it teems to hold in the cafe of things found belonging toanother man. And Ezra ro. S. in an ationof trefpard the like. As aifo in a cafeof Matrimony, and Ufury upon Nthem.I. is. promife of reftoringpart to theBrethren who were in need and want. Before the Law, the first oathwe findgiven, was that of Abraham tóhis Servant, Gems ;.,; for his true dealing inamarriage for his Son : I will make thee fware,faiththe text. a': The fame form in adminifiringanoath didyscob ufe to yofeph concerning his Burial. aS 3$ Another oathwe fee given byyacab to Elan concerning his Birth- right. If then thiscourse Of proceeding betweenman and man be allowed, then much more afortiori from a stronger ground, in cafes tendingto'the publick good. Beforethe Lawof Mofes, in thePatriarchs time. In a matter of State, yofepb Gen.4s. &4 . charged his ten Brethrenas (pies, and, withoutan accuser, put them to their tryal. So after it, in the cafe of Lisas, who was fufpeded to be the cause of the long and great drought. The King caused afearch to be made for him all the Land over, tó apprehend him, and no mans denyal of him would ferve, but he put them to 'theit r Reg r B. os, Oaths. But is cafes that concern the life Of the party fufpe ed, ehetendring anoath would Peer hard. For we fee in thecafe of Achan, where the thing. concerned his Jon, 7. Y9 life, yofhuí Paid not to him, fwear to me, but tell me what thouhaádone. And t sam r that of yonarhan, unwittingly tranfgreffinghis fathers rashadjuration, Saul raid, tß11 4 43- me what thouhaft done, not fwear to me. And foKing Zedekiah to yerrmy, I Will , 38 rq. ask of thee a thing hide nothingfromme. All there by interrogatories onlywithout the tye of an oath. For as the Devil in robs cafeanfwered God. Skin for skin, yea jot, s. 4. all that a man hathwill hegive for his life. And therefore to avoidperjury, anoath in thefecafes would be (pared. Betides publick oathes judicially taken, there are oathes private and voluntary, which may lawfully be ufed. And this-is warranted by the example and pradife of Privare aad the Saintsof God, as St. Paul. God is mywitnefs, whom! ferve in truth, &v, and voluntary Others, by whom this kind & manner of invocation orcalling God tówitnefs bath Rom ,, s ever binacceunted to.haee been equivalent to anoath. Fhila faith it amòngothers fas jurandum efl teftifcatio dei de re controverfa, it isnoother butan attestation of God to what we aver.Andof this fort of oathes youhave many in Scripture. As in the Covenant between Labdn and yacab,& of that between the Elders of Gilea4 Gen:; r.4g and yopthah. The Lord be witnefs between us. And of St. Paul i (ay the truth l°a ra, ro. in or by Chrift. And.I call God towitnefs, or for a Record upon my Soul, that, to "cm' g. '- a , Phil r. 8. or. r. a3. fP you, &c. And God is my Record , greatly i Y I lon g you all. Soalfö theAngels and God himfelf, as was touched before. And the Angel, ( faith St. in h 2 yobn)
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