Page [unnumbered]Page [unnumbered]TO THE READER.
THat many good and very learned Men have doubt∣ed the lawfulness of Kissing or Touching the Book in taking a solemn Oath, cannot be deny'd; those great and famous Divines, Rivet, Pareus, Voetius, have all written against it; and that worthy Confessor and Mar∣tyr, Mr. William Thorp, did refuse to comply with the mentioned Mode of Swearing; and he saith, that Chrysostom was against the Book-Oath, as he styles it; he thus argues,
If I touch the Book, the meaning of that Ceremony is nothing else but that I swear by it, when as it is not lawful to Swear by any Creature,
vid. Fox
's Martyrol. Vol.
1. p. 705,
&c. In
Scotland and other Reformed Churches abroad, that Ceremony is not used; and in our own Courts of Admiralty, another Form of Swearing is frequently practised. That some here in
England forty years ago were scrupulous about this matter, we may be as∣sured, in that the Parliament in the Year
1649. in the Oath which they enjoyned on Mayors and other Magistrates, inserted a Proviso as to the Mode in Swearing, that so doubting Consciences might not be ensnared,
vid. Scobel
's Collections, chap.
51. It is well known that those famous Divines, Dr.
Thomas Goodwin, Mr.
Philip Nye, and
Page [unnumbered]Mr.
Jeremiah Burroughs, did judge the impleaded Rite to be unwarrantable by the VVord of God; and why should it be imposed, when thereby the King may be deprived of the service of many good Subjects, who have perhaps weak but tender Consciences? But as for Papists, they say, that to swear on a
Protestant Bible is no more than swearing on
Aesop's
Fables. It seems also to be of weighty Con∣sideration, that
Kissing in a religious way is a gesture of Adoration: Hence the
Israelites kissed the Calves of
Dan and
Bethel, Hos.
13.2. The
Gentiles (and after them the
Papists) were wont to kiss their Images, as a signifi∣cation that they did VVorship them. But though we ought to reverence the blessed
Bible above all other Books, yet we may not VVorship it, but the Author of it only.
Atha∣nasius of old would not use any other Rite in Swearing besides that of lifting up the Hand to Heaven.
The Reader (I hope) will find satisfaction in that brief and nervous Discourse which is emitted herewith, and was written by a judicious and worthy Hand. It is likewise to be hoped that this Disputation may excite others to enquire into, and further clear the controverted Question, which is the thing designed in this publication.
