Third Commandment. ture it is by fo much the worfe. No Oath is in it felf limply good, and voluntarily to be ufed · but only as Medicines are, *in cafe of neceffity. But to ufe it ordimril y a~d indifferently, without ~eing ~onfrrained ~y any cogent Ncce{fl'i:y, ;q~U:~;,[" or called to it by any lawful Authonty, IS fuch a Sm as wears off all Re- rmhi •:.lidc• verencc and Dread of the great God; and we have \rery great caufe to fi1fpetr, tur)m!Jgne thlt where his Name is fo much upon the Tongue, there his Fear is but little in neuf!i:ste the Heart. ~ , , ;:;::t;; nan mihi endi tli{ift~tinm, &~i q11i ttJihi non tndlt non exfrtdiflquodmn e~edit. Aug. Serm. :::8 J~ verb. Apoll. M~'-~'l'u J Jei~ ;~ ?~i:v ~ G"r~to~ .,-tbct.;, -r~ ~~~ ;rui'-v~f, p.11~i rJ; hv?!:,E ~~~~~~ ~ gf~""' ~11~~ ,am 'T~If ~7~~~:r~::~iv/:~~u~~;;:~~~~T~O:/if/~~~:;~ :;:~~;J~;~~~~;~;j(l~;:.;a~~v;JT;~J;?;~~ii: ~ ~fX.~ dAIIB,l:t.~. Hierocles in C.um. Pyth. l• · • 2. Secondly, Thou~h thou fwearefl: that which is true, yet cufl:om:try Swe.ning 2 · to * Trnths win infcnfibly bring thee to fwcar Falfhoods ; for when once thou art habituated to it, an Oath will be more ready to thee than a Truth; and fo when thou rafhly bolteft out fomcwhat that is either doubtful or falfe, thou wilt feal it up, and confirm it with :111 Oath, before thou haft had time to confider what thou haft f:tid, or what thou art fwearing: For thofe who accuftom themfelves to this Vice, lofe the obfcrvation of it in the frequency ; and if you reprove them for Swearing, they will be ready to fwcar aga in, thJt they did not fwear. And therefore jt is well obfcrvcd of St. Auguftine: Me/ius nee verum juratur quttm jurandi confuuudine, G- in perjuriam [tepe ~aditur, & ~mp~r perjurio ropinqutttur: We ought to forbear Sweanng that whtch IS Truth, for by the cuftom of Swearing Men often times fall in toPerjury, and are ahvays in danger of it. .. Ev T'ii O'uvsx et':.: 7~ op.- :•t.k~,, p!f..Jl l~, «.v ~"!11,m7olT1" ~h t17.7~f~tittv. F;r n>huh rt~· fon ht forbldl Mm IO /wem.r 'om· ' mmlr, that tbq mal mt fwtar falfl!· O~T<.. y') J.v Tllf{,· fTtU~ ~ dd ~'oex.,:;~, ,.; ,..~.~) X.etntX,flltToi(olt9a.Tol' Op:.ot~. Ui~~;~sj~ ~:&-·. P!~%~~ Now to dehort you from this Sin ofcommon Swearing, confid,er, eJ' JmaeJ!.Itt. Phory. Epin.'; 1. Aug. ad Hi/grj1m. Bp. 89. proptfinmt, Firft, That it is :1 Sin which hath very little or no tem{ltation to commit it.: The two great Ba its by which the Devil all11res Men to \:Vickednefs, arc ProJit and Pleafure: Bur now this common rarh Swearing is the moft unprofitable harren Sin in the \.Vorld: VVhat Fruits brings it forth, but only the Abhorrence and Dete!btion of all ferions Pcrfons, and the tremendous Judgment of God? The Swearer gains noth ing by it ~t prefcnt, but only the reputa~ion of being a Devil inc:u·nate; ·and for the future, hi-; gains flnll be only the torments of'tbofc Devils and damned Spi· rits, whofe Language he h:zth Iearn'd and Ij)eaks. He that fows the \Vind of an Oath, !hall rc:1p the \:Vhirlwind of God's Fury. . A~a i n, What Pie~fure is thc:c in it? Which of his Sen.fcs doth it plea re :;~nd gratlfie.? Were I an Ept.wre (* falth one) 1 wouldh.ttfc Stvearm.. e;. We~·e Men refolved ~ !!nhm's to g1ve themfclves up to all manner offenfiul Delights, yet there IS fo ljttlc that Ch:,rch. cm he 11raincd from this common Sin, that certainly un!efs they intended t() do Pmh. the Devil a plcafure, rather than thcmfelves, they would never fet their black mouthS againll: Heaven, nor bh~fpheme the great God who fits inthroned there. Ask them why they indulge theJufelves in fuch a provoking Sin; VVhy fome cannot ~or bear out of meer cul1om; and .others a.~e pleas'd with the lofty Sonnd, and gcntLlc phrafe of an Oath, an~ coUnt It a fpcctaJ grace and orfi<L!TICUt of Speaking: And what! are thefe Temptations? Are thefefi.tch frrong and mtghty Provocations that you cannot forbear ? Shall the holy Name of the great God be torn in piece; by you, only to patch and fill up the rents ofyour,idle Talk? If this be the motive and inchtcetucnt that make~ you commit ~o great a Sm, (JS commonly there is no' other) know, that you penfu as Fools penlb, and fell your Souls to Damnation and eternal Perditioi;l, for very nothing. ' Others perhaps will pl<:ad for thei~ Excufe, That they never ufe to fwear but \Yhen they are vcx'd, and put into a paffion. But what a madnefs is this ~hen Men anger thee, to fhike at God, and to provoke him far mor·c than oth~rs' can provoke thee? If thou art never fo highly incenfed, why fhouldfr thou throw thy poifonous foam in God's fJce? Haft thou no other way of venting thy paffion, but
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=