Fides Catholica, or, The doctrine of the Catholick Church in eighteen grand ordinances referring to the Word, sacraments and prayer, in purity, number and nature, catholically maintained, and publickly taught against hereticks of all sorts : with the solutions of many proper and profitable questions sutable to to [sic] the nature of each ordinance treated of / by Wil. Annand ...

Quest. 1. Whether swearing be an ordinance of or under the Gospel

There are them that live about us and among us, who denies that swearing is any part of Gospel worship, and therefore though called thereunto, refuse least they should sin, but erroneously. For,

• 1. Swearing was no part of the Ceremonial law, but used long before Moses, and the ends of it are morall, and therefore it is not abolished by the death of Christ.
• 2. It is prophesyed that the Church of the Gentils shall swear by the Lord, and by the God of truth, Isa. 65.16. Ier. 4.16. Implying that whereas they did swear by Baal and other false gods, they should by knowledge be brought from that Idolatry and give that point of worship to the God of Heaven who alone is the true God.
• 3. By a holy Apostle it is frequently done, even by him who was an eminent preacher of the Gospel; (viz.) St. Paul, an oath is nothing but a calling of God to witnesse of the truth of that which is done or spoken, that it may be received with the greater belief, now how often doth that eminent servant of the

• Lord Jesus, deliver himself in the very substance of an oath: as God is my witn••sse, Rom. 1.9. God is my record, P••il 1.8. God is my witnesse, 1 Thes. 2.5, 10. God knoweth, 2 Cor. 11, 11, 31. Before ••od I lie not, Gal. 1.20. I say the truth in Ch••isti••n Christ I lie not, Rom. 9.1. As the truth of Christ is in me, 2 Cor. 11.10. I speak the truth in Christ and lye not, 1 Tim. 2.7. All which are as substantial oaths as any we read of in the o••d ••••••pensation.
• 4. Even in the close of the Gospel we find a holy Angell to swear, Rev. 10.6. we pray that the will of God may be done by u•• as it is done by the ho••y Angels, and hear we have an An••ell for greater certainty sealing his threatning by an oath.

From these reasons we may without errour conclude that the o••dinance of swearing is in full force and power un∣der the Gospell, to all intents and purposes, any thing that our adversaries can b••ing to the Contrary notwithstand∣ing.

Those texts Math. 5.34. and Iames 5.12. speaks of swear∣ing in our common communication, and of such oathes as are sworn by the creatures, as may appear by the contexts, not of Judicial swearin•• o•• any other kind of oathes, when necessi∣ty and authority draws men to it, for clearing of the truth and ending of controversie against which the Gospel speakes not one word but confirms it by severall passages, yea, St. Paul writing to the Hebrews says. Heb. 6.16. That an oath for con∣firmation is to men an end of all strife, not that it was, but it is (q.d.) while I am writing and preaching, now when the found of the Gospell is gone over all the world, is an oath the end of strife, and that not to some only but to men (i.e.) to all sorts of men whether Jew or Gentile, now had it been a sin to have used an oath under the Gospell, for that end we should have heard of it in this most proper place, or in some other.

And if any will be contentious, let them consider that Pauls, before God I lye not, 1 Gal. 20. and the Angells by him that lives for ever is more then yea, yea? and yet who dare reprove either of them of sin.

To this doctrine consents the reformed Churches of Helva: Art. 30. of Ausp. Art. 16. of England. Art. 39. the Art itself. is this,

Art 39. of the Church of England.

As we confesse that vain and rash swearing is forbidden Chri∣stian men by our Lord Iesus Christ, and James his Apostle so we judge that Christian religion doth not prohibit, but that a man may swear when the Magistrate requireth in a cause of faith and Charity, so it be done according to the Prophets teaching, in Iu∣stice, Iudgement and truth.