Qneftions and Aníwers 3. Command. Ihould minifler Oathcs to men in cuery light trifling caufe for more fpeede, becaufe they will not Rand to (catch and examine the matter otherwife, and fhould either doe it themfelues, or fit and heare their feruantsdoe it, in fuel) hudling,poafling,andvn- reuerent manner, as that aman cat, fcarce tell what he faith. Whereas amongf Chri- flians it werevery commendable, if there werefome pithie and godly admonition (tither longer or fhorter) to aduife them of the nature of an Oath,what honour it is to God, ifit be as it ought to be, and what dreadfull woe it pulleth vpon them, if it be Ex.2210II otherwife. The fccond is prouedbytheLaweofGod,prouided andfet downeto Ieretn. 5.7, that end. The third is proued by the Prophet leremie,by whole mouth the Lord corn- Amos 8, r4. playneth, that therefore he was forfaken ofthcm,becaufe they fware by them that are Sopho4.14. no Gods. And markeit well :Is the Mother ofChrifla God ? Are Peter and Paul, Saint and Angell whatfoeuer, fo many Gods ? Is the Rood a God, the Maffe a God, your faith and truth aGod &c. Is the body of Chrifl a God ? Is his blood a God,his armes, fide, fette and heart, fo many Gods Ifthey be not, how fweare we by them then fo vfuallyand fearfully ? We heare what God faith by the Prophet,namely,that they that fweare by any thing that is not God, do flatly forfake the true God himfelfe, and will we not mark eit? Shall it not frarevs from fofouleacu Home ?I hope itfball. Lal ofall,that myaffeftion fhould be good,vcry reafon may affure me. For ifI come to fweare, not for any care or loue to the glory ofGod, to the trueth ofthe caufe, and peace & right of my neighbour, but in choler, in malice, for fpite and enuy, certainly how foeuer my Oath doth good, yet fhallthe Lord neuer afcribe that good to me, but in wrath pumfh me for doing a good thing with fo euill a mincie. Thus then wefee how we mull fweare if God be pleafcd and honoured by vs in that a &ion, and how if we doe other tvife,we breake this Commaundement,and take his name in vaine. (Inert One gaefircn by the way let me at! eyoa, whether may a Chr f ian admit an Oath by an Idoll,haroing to deale with an Infidel, or no? Anfw. TheCiuiilLawe (theyfay)permittethRrangers to fweare by theirowne Gods. ? er ;ulian in the bookeof Idolatrie faith, we ought not to contend with them ouermuch about this matter. Auguflínein an Epiflle faith plainly, it may be admitted ofa Chriflian, and we See it in wordc, that when Jacob and Laban fware each to other, Jacob fw,eareth by the true God, and Laban by the God ofNachar, befides other ex- amples. s,,uefl. Then togoe forward, certaineit is that we are not onely bound to the affirmatiae, that is, euery way with moll high renerercetovfe the name of God, and namely in fwcaring, but alfo to the negatiue, noway to foliate his name, and thrifty not in 'wearing. Haring then heard how by Oaths: he is d(honoured, I pray jots what other breach doeyouknowe of this Commaurd ment&fidevrgodlyfwearing? Ar f: Truly Gods name is taken in vaine, difbonoured, & this Commaundement Prayer. broken, in praying alto afwell as in fwcaring : for powrc outa forte ofwordes with- out feeling, or any burning intire affe &ion, if I drawe neere with my lips, & my heart be farre away,certainly I abufe the holy name of my God in fo calling vpon him, and I amguihie of the breach of this Lawe. For betide that, reafon teacheth God careth Eplief, 6.18. not for lip-labour, it is the rule of the holy Ghofi, that when we pray, we (mould pray in fpìrit, that is, with heart andaffe&ion. Quell. Hornelfe? Anf. Againe, Gods name is taken in vaine and polluted, when - foeuer it is called Coniaria*, vpon in coniuring,witchcraft,forcerie,charming and fuch like. For the wordes ofthe Dew' 18' I °. Lawe are plaine, Lit none be found amongll you thatmaketh his forme and his daughter to mac' gee through the fire, or that vfeth witchcraft, or a regarder of times, or a marker ofthe flying of foules, or a forcerer, or a charmer,'or that eery, faileth with f iries,or a fouthfayer, or that asketh counfaileif the dead, Forall that doe frchthinges are anabhommation vntothe Lord, and becaufeofthefe abhominattons, theLord thy God doch call them eut before thee. And many othernotable teflimonies hash your booke quoted in the margens. ttcP. why bursts earnefl (to let the ref? pap) doeyounitthink,e much good isdone, and may be done by charming, that is, by venue of fame reholfome prayers, as a Pater nofier, r two
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