The summe of Christian religion: deliuered by Zacharias Vrsinus in his lectures vpon the Catechism autorised by the noble Prince Frederick, throughout his dominions: wherein are debated and resolued the questions of whatsoeuer points of moment, which haue beene or are controuersed in diuinitie. Translated into English by Henrie Parrie, out of the last & best Latin editions, together with some supplie of wa[n]ts out of his discourses of diuinitie, and with correction of sundrie faults & imperfections, which ar [sic] as yet remaining in the best corrected Latine.

4 Whether all oathes are to be kept.

OATHES conceiued or made rightlie of thinges lawfull, true, certaine, waightie, and possible, are to be kept. For if once thou hast acknowledged and testified thy selfe to bee iustly bound to keepe thy promise, and hast called god to record hereof, when as afterwards thou wittingly and wil∣lingly breakest thine oath, thou doest violate and breake a iust bonde, and doest either accuse god, the witnes and maintainer of this bond, of vanity and lightnes, or prouoke him to punish thee. Psal. 15.4.5. He that sweareth to his owne hinderance and changeth not, shall neuer be moued. Numb. 30.3. Whosoeuer voweth a vowe vnto the Lord, or sweareth an oath to bind himselfe by bond, hee shall not breake his promise, but shall doe according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

But oathes that are male of vnlawful thinges, either by an er∣ror, or by ignoraunce, or through infirmitie, or against the consci∣ence, it is sinne to keepe them. And therefore such oaths are to be retracted and recalled, least we adde thereby sinnes vn∣to sinnes. For he that keepeth an oath made of vnlawful things, heapeth sinne vpon sinne, both in that he sware, and so hath a wil to sinne, and also in that he endeuoureth to do that which he sware, and so confirmeth that will of sinning by an oath. For what thinges GOD forbiddeth, those thinges hee will not haue men either sworne or vnsworne to perfourme: and what hee forbiddeth vs to will, or promise, or sweare, so much the more doth hee forbidde vs to doe the same, how much the more grieuous a thing it is to doe them, than to will or promise them. They therefore who keep that which they haue ill sworne, heape sinne vnto sinne; as did Herod putting Iohn Baptist to death by pretence of keeping his oath: and likewise such as keepe monastical vowes, where∣by they haue sworne Idolatrie, and impious single liuing. Neither is this argument of any force: An oath is necessarilie to be kept, but they haue sworne these thinges: therefore they must needes keepe them. For the Maior is true of a lawfull oath. But an oath, which is made of a thing forbidden by god, is not to be kept: because it is not a lawful oath; which also is

amended and corrected by repenting thereof, and by de∣sisting from an euil purpose, not by persisting therein, or by perfourming it: according as it is saide, Eph. 4.28. Let him that stole, steale no more; and according to the example and doctrine of Dauid, 1. Sam. 25. who sweareth that hee will destroy Nabal together with his familie, Saying: So and more also doe God vnto the enimies of Dauid; for surelie J wil not leaue of all that he hath, by the dawning of the daie, anie that pis∣seth against the wall: But after hee had heard Abigail speake, he giueth thankes to god, that the executing and fulfilling of his oath was hindered by her, and confirmeth by a new oath, that this is gods blessing and benefite, saying: Blessed be the Lord God of Jsraell which sent thee this daie to meete mee; and blessed be thy counsels, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this daie from comming to shed bloud, and that mine hand hath not saued mee. For indeede, as the Lord God of Israel liueth, who hath kept me backe from hurting thee &c. Obiection. 1. He that sweareth to doe a thing, which is in his power to doe, and yet dooth it not, maketh God witnes of a lie. Answere. He that sweareth indeede ought that is lawfull and is in his power, and doth it not, maketh god witnes of a lie: but if it be an euil thing which he sweareth, the recalling thereof is better than the keeping. Obiection 2. The oath of peace which was made to the Gibeonites, Iohn. 9. was against the commaundement of God. Jt is lawful therefore to keepe an oath made of thinges vn∣lawfull. Aunswere. 1. They were not excluded from peace if anie of those Nations, which God hath commaunded to be destroyed, did aske peace of the Israelites, and did em∣brace their religion. Now the Gibeonites desire peace, and are adiudged to serue the tabernacle for woodcleauers and drawers of water perpetually. Therefore the peace which was promised them, albeit it was obteined by fraude and guile, yet was it not repugnant to Gods commaundment. 2. The Israelites doe not therefore keepe this oath, as that they were bound thereby, because they sware it being de∣ceiued, and thinking the Gibeonites to haue beene of an∣other countrie: but first for auoiding of offence, whereby the name of God might bee disgraced among the Heathen, if the Iewes had not kept their oath. and then, because it was lawful and iust to saue them, which desired peace, and embraced

their religion, although no oath had beene made at all.

Out of those thinges which haue beene spoken concer∣ning the keeping of lawful oathes, aunswere is made vnto this question, Whether oathes extorted from men against their wils are to be kept. Extorted oathes are to bee kept, if they containe nothing in them that is vnlawfull, or if they haue the forealleaged conditions, although they be vnprofitable and hurtful to vs. But vnto wicked oathes no man ought to be forced: neither verilie should wicked oathes be extorted by anie tortures from vs, but we must choose to die rather. But if anie wicked and impious oathes be made, through feare or infirmitie, against our conscience, those doe not bind, and are to bee recalled; because what is impious to be done, that is impious to be sworne; neither is one sinne to be heaped on another. Now extorted oathes, that are not impious, which are made of things lawful and possible, though hurtfull and harde, are doubtlesse to be kept, because thou art bound by Gods Law to chuse the lesser euil. If it bee iust to doe, which thou through con∣straint hast promised, it is iust also for thee to promise by oath to doe it. For what we may lawfully doe, the same also we may lawfully promise by an oath to do. As, if a man fal∣ling into the hāds of a theef, shuld be required by the thief to giue a peece of mony for the redeeming of his life; verily he not only may, but also ought, if he be able, to perfourme that which the theef requireth. And if this be lawfully per∣formed vnto a theef, it is lawfully also performed vnto him by an oath. Likewise, it is lawful also to promise by oath si∣lence vnto the theefe, and such an oath made for the kee∣ping of silence promised vnto the theefe, both may, and ought to be kept.

Obiection. That which is hurtful vnto the common wealth, is not to be promised, or if it haue been promised, it is not to be kept: Such silence promised vnto the theefe is hurtfull to the common wealth: therefore it is not to be promised, or if it haue beene promi∣sed, it is not to be kept. Aunswere. 1. That which is hurtfull to the common wealth is not to bee promised, that is, if wee may doe it without the hazard and danger of our life; And further, if at that instant, when a man is in such daunger of his life, hee bee not rather to prouide for his owne safety, than to reueile such a thing. 2. It is rather profitable than hurtful vnto the common wealth to promise silence vnto

the theefe, and to keepe promise. For hee, which hath pro∣mised silence by oath vnto the theefe, is by this meanes saued. Moreouer if he should not promise by oath silence vnto the theefe threatning him death, he shoulde thereby neither profit the cōmon welth, nor himself. Wherefore to promise silence by oath vnto the theef, & to keepe it, see∣ing it is the lesser euil, is of the two rather to be chosen.