That Weought tofweare by the sameofrodalone. i 3 thefupreme Iudge and foie Monarch ofall theworld . Of the former the Lord accufeth the people of Iuda, Ier.5,7. Ies.5.7. Thy children haueforfakenme, CJ" fworne by them that areno Clods-. Whereby is plainly implied,that they who fwear by any thingbefides the Lord, doe renounce him andhis true worfhip;and for the latter he threatneth deflru6tion,Zeph. zeOh.t 4 5. 1.4.5.1mill cut ofthem that worfhip andfweareby theLord, andfweareby Malcham. For theLord being thepeerelelfe foueraigne ofheauen and earth, cannot indure that any o- ther fhould haue,or (hare with him inhis glory,as himfelfe altoprofeffeth,Eia.48. i t. Efa.48.t t. Here therefore are condemnedall othes-which arenot by §.SeEt.s. the name ofthe trueGod;ofwhich thereare many kinds: pettieand lira thofe petty,diminutiue, & childifh othes which are fo dbitd:/h cthes much in vfe in thefe daics ; bodkin , lakin , by cock, bymy vntawful4 fey,and fuch like ;; al which are the fruits ofignorance and fuperflitió : for men feeing the vnexcufableeuil ofpropha- ping the gloriousname ofGod,in their ordinarycommu. nication,vpon euery trifling occafion,and hauing fo enu- red their tongues to fwearing , that they thinke there is a kindofneceflity ofvfing fornekind ofothes,either for or. nament offpeech,or togainemore creditto their words; they imagine that Godwil excufe them ifthey donot di- redly take hisname in vaine,but vfe only thefe trifling and pettieothes in their ordinarie fpeech . But what is this but to left withholy things, and to mocke the Lord whowill not bemocked ? As thoughhe regarded thepronunciati- on and outward found more then the oth it felfe, or being difpleafed,to haue his titles &attributes commonly vied, fhould becontented to haue them nick-named in a ridica- lous manner . What is it but quite to ouerthrow the law- ful! vfe ofan othwhich is ordained byGod, onely for the confirmation ofaweighty and neceffary truth,and not to hevfed ordinarilie, and vpon euery trifling occafion ? fo that ifthe matterbe light and vaine, we muff not fweare at all; if fo mighty that we may lawfully fweare,then like- wife is it lawful! to vfe the glorious name ofGod in a holy and religious manner. C 4 5econdlyq
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=