S66 Ob[ervat. VI RJ.IZo An Expo.fition, 'WithNoteJ mak!r ofall things, and to[wear by him; Bnt that it was la~fu!/ to f\ve(lf,r by o11r Par~ntl,bJ He11.ve~ and the StarJ. So it is obferved of fome of the anttent Greeks, that they did not 'iJ'fo7rs7f1~ op.vJHv ~ ~~ :J-:;Jr;, ib..Ad.. xJ1 ~ 6'm7VJI)(.d..v6v,.~v , that they dtd not c:afily fwear by the Gods,but by the creatures, and things before their eyes, and then that there was no harm, and no folemn obligation in thefe oaths, vain pretences , and excufes; for though the name of God was notimerpofed, yet it is implyed;M,u.~3.w,zr,22.Mat. 5. 34, 35. the creature being Gods Creature , and in an oath made by them , implidcely called upon to be Gods in.O:rument of venge– ance, in cafe ofperjury; that orher claufe [nor bJ tin] other oath] is meant ofother oaths of that kind, fo that the note out ot the whole, is, That[wearing by tbe ·creaturer is unlawf~ll; fwearing is an ACl: of worthip • and therefore it muft be only done in weighty cafts, by the name of God; Dem.6. q . Thou fhalt fear the Lord thy God, andfwear by his name: So the Prophet reproveth thok that [wear by the fin ofSamaria, meaning the Idol; Amos S. 14. in fuch oaths the creature is made ufe of in!h~ad of God , whether it be byWay of~tJTertion,as when we fay, tufure as there is heaven, or there is light in heaven , or by way of(xecration. As, let Hea- . 'lJt7a blaft me, Earth[w~tllo'W me, or Devil tak.f me,&c. In all chefe rude fpeeches there is a double evill, a ralh oath , and an oath made by the creature infiead o( God; and yet what more common then fuch forms amongfi us? i'-might inUance in many , the Popilh oath by the Virgin Mary, and our common wordYes Marty; fo alfo thofe fottilh vulgar forms, By my Head, BJ thi& Light, BJ this Candle, This Brettd, By my Faith; &c. Reader, thou arc entreated to take notice , That the Author bc:– ing fenfible that this book grew fomewhat bulkilh, purpofely omit– ted chafe larger difcourfcs which he conceived upon this verfe, con– cerning the lawfulneffe of oaths, the abufe of them in ordinary com– merce and Courts ofcivill judicature, as alfo the dtfcuflion of thofe quefiions, \'Jvhethcr the OldTeftamentdidonly forbid perjury, m1d t~e N e\\1 added to the f,,w, the prohibition ofrafh and unntcef{ary o-rths ? as PJpills, Socinians, andfomt oflate thin{; as alfo, Whe– ther it is in any cafe la\vfu.tt to f\tvear by the creatures ? a~~ whe.. t!Jtr o.tt!JS fo made be v alid and obligatory? All thefe enqutnes he purpoftly omitted, and would rather appear in this curt and con– rrad~.J form, thm be burdcn(ome; efpectally ~here being large difcour(es
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