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§. 119. Of the severall kinds of swearing.
AN oath may be distinguished, according to the ground, matter & manner of it.
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1. The ground of an oath is either a 1.1 imposed or free.
An oath may be imposed by such as have authority, or such as pretend damage.
By reason of his authority, Abraham made his servant to swear, Gen. 24. 3. and Iacob his Son, Gen. 47. 31. Thus might the High-Priest under the Law impose an oath, Numb. 5. 19. and publick Judges, Exod. 22. 8. This power publick Judges ever had and still have.
Upon pretence of damage, one neighbour might require an oath of another, 1 King. 8. 31, 32.* 1.2
A free oath is that, which one on his own pleasure taketh to move others the more to believe what he saith. This may and must be done, when the matter makes to the glory of God, 1 King. 22. 14. or our neighbors speciall good, 1 Sam. 14 45. or our own suspected integrity, 1 Sam. 26. 10.
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2. The matter of an oath is something past or present: or else something to come.* 1.3 The former end of an oath is called assertory: whereby something is affirmed or deni∣ed; thus David by an oath affirmed, that he was in danger of death, and the wi∣dow of Zarephath denied by oath that she had not a cake, &c. 1 King. 17. 12.
The latter kind of oath which concerns things to come, is called promissory, 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.4 when King Zedekiah sware that he would not put Ieremiah to death, Ier. 38. 16.
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3. The manner of swearing hath respect to circumstances; as the Persons betwixt whom the oath is made: the Place where: the Time when: the occasion why, with other the like. Thus an oath is publick or private.* 1.5
A publick oath is many wayes differenced, as when a Nation, or congregation swear to God, 2 Chro. 15. 14. or when one Nation sweareth to another, as the Is•…•…∣lites did to the Gibeonites, Iosh. 9. 15. or subjects to their Governors, as the Gil•…•…∣dites to Iephthah, Judg. 11. 10.
A private oath is betwixt particular persons, as that which was made between I•…•…∣nathan* 1.6 and David, 1 Sam. 20. 42.
The evidences of all the forementioned kinds of swearing, being approved in sa∣cred Scripture, give proof that they are all warrantable.