§.SeE.3. Whether we may'Je the name of a creature in our 'then. ,Sae:i.t,a6. and zs,iz. §.SeEf.4. Our tithes are vnlawfull whenwe [weave by any tbingbefrdes tht tree God, or ioyneany thingwith him, 12 rhat we ought tofweareby thenameof god alone. creatures;vnto this we mayanfwere,Fitft that Iofeph to the end hemight continue vnknowne vnto his brethren, took vpon him the cuftotne ofthe Epyptians, and therein finned through infirmity, & therefore his example is no prefident for vs. Secôdly,Iofeph may be excufed by the mauer ofhis fpeech ; for he doth not fay by the life ofPharaoh, butPha- raoh liueth,or,fo let Pharaoh liue,as you (hall not go hence; which is not properly an oth , but a praier added to an oth,whereinhe defireth God to grant that Pharaoh might ascertainely liue, as they fhould not depart . Fourthly, whatfoeuer we fweareby, that we deifie , in communica- ting vnto it Gods incommunicableattributes, as his otn- niprefence , omnifcience, omnipotence, wherebyhe can powerfully prote& his truth,and punifhall falfhood , all which are fopeculiar to God as that they cannot be com- municated withany creature. But is it then fimply vnlawfull to vfe the name of any creature in our othes? I anfwere, that it is vnlawfull to fweare by them firuply& dire&ly ; neuerthelelfe theymay be lawfully vied ina compound forme ofan oth , when as Godbÿthem is inuocated,as whenwe pray for louse good tobefal vs,or themwho are deare unto vs, upon the con- ditiô ofour truth:or imprecate fonne euill,ifwe (peak fall- ly,or when we oblige thofe things of which wee make greatefl efleeme to Gods iuftice, as fureties of our truth,. Examples whereofwehaue i.Sam i.aG.and 25.22. In refpe& thenof theobie&we fweare lawfully, whêwe fweareby the true Iehoasah onely , and confequently our othes arevnlawful,whé as we fweare diree?lyby any other. thing . In which regard thereare two kinds ofvnlawfull othes ; firfi, when as we fweare by any thing befides the trueGod ; fecondly,when as in our othes we ioyne any o- ther with him, they whovfe the former kinde offwearing commit themoil impious kindeoftheft, robbingGod of his glory,tobestow it vpon an Idoli : the otherPhew their gracelefle follie in making bate Idols, andf llie creatures,. corrivals inhonour and compeeres in the throne ofiuftice, 'into the Lord, who is the Creator ofheauen & earth,and the
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