The reviler rebuked: or, A re-inforcement of the charge against the Quakers, (so called) for their contradictions to the Scriptures of God, and to their own scriblings,: which Richard Farnworth attempted to answer in his pretended Vindication of the Scriptures; but is farther discovered, with his fellow-contradictors and revilers, and their doctrine, to be anti-Scriptural, anti-Christian, and anti-spiritual. By John Stalham, a servant of the great bishop and shepherd of souls, appointed to watch his little flock at Terling in Essex.

Section 50.

THey take up Christs words (as I noted) Mat. 5. 34. Swear not at all, (as they do other Scriptures against his meaning) to fight against all Oaths be∣fore a Magistrate, in any case, upon any occasion. And now comes forth R. F. * 1.1 and fights with his shadow, [Thou says, he forbids Oaths onely by Creatures, Heaven,* 1.2 Earth, a mans head, &c. The same meaning hath James, Chap. 5. 12.

Rep. My words were plain enough to him that hath a minde to understand, First (said I, which word [first] he leaves out) he forbids oaths by creatures; and I added* 1.3 [onely] because the Lord doth onely there, i. e. ver. 34, 35, 36. make exception of Creatures; Heaven, Gods throne; Earth, his footstool; Jerusalem, the city of the great King; the Head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

R. F. * 1.4 returns me this non-sense for answer; Here thou art a lyar of Christ, and his words bear testimony, against thee, for he doth not forbid swearing by Creatures onely, but he forbids swearing by all things else, whatsoever: for he saith, Swear not at all, neither by heaven, nor by earth, &c. And

he that swears not by heaven, must not swear by what is con∣tained in it; and he that swears not by earth, must not swear by what is contained in it.

Rep. The reason he gives why swearing by creatures one∣ly, is not here forbidden, is because the Lord forbids swear∣ing by all things else; which is a reasonless reason, for hea∣ven, and earth, and the creatures contained therein, are all but creatures; and my assertion stands good, That Christs words (in the above-mentioned verses, 34, 35, 36. of Mat. 5.) do not absolutely inhibit all oaths before a Magistrate, while he forbids onely swearing by creatures, heaven and earth, and all creatures therein. I am aware of what Familistical* 1.5 conceits these men have of God, and his Essence, as mixt with the creatures; and hereupon they may think, that, if creatures are not to be sworn by at all, at any time, in any case; neither may we swear by the name of God at all, at any time, in any case: But,

1. Although Gods essence is where the Creatures essence is, yet he is a most simple un-compounded Being: and though he is in heaven, and in earth, yet he is not contained, bounded, or limited therein.

2. Our Lords scope is to wipe and wash off the dusty Glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees, which they had cast up∣on the glass of the Law, and particularly concerning oaths; for ver. 33. you will finde it had been an old tradition, they might swear by any thing, so as they did not forswear themselves. And again, (by comparing Chap. 5. with 23. 16. &c.) we finde how they distinguisht about oaths, some were nothing (they said) or not binding, as to swear by the Temple, by the Altar, &c. but to swear by the Gold of the Temple, or by the Gift upon the Altar, that was a binding oath; and made the man that swore, a debtor; and if he kept not his oath, he was guilty: Now against these, and such like Glosses, Christ opposeth with a prohibition, I say unto you, (who am to be heard and believed before Phari∣sees) Swear not at all; that is, neither by the Temple, nor by the Gold of it; not by the Altar, nor by the Gift upon the Altar, &c. nor by any creatures whatsoever. And yet while he is clearing out the third Commandment, (which

forbids not onely perjury, but all profanations of Gods name) and directing to the right use of an oath, he doth* 1.6 not repeal, null, or make void the first Commandment, which requireth swearing by God, and unto God alone: For, as it requires prayer to the God we have, so an oath is also there commanded (upon special occasion) it being an appeal to God, or a solemn attestation and calling of God to witness, and judge, about the truth affirmed or denied. And if we have a God, we swear our selves to him, and are to swear by his name, Deut. 6. 13. and 10. 20. Swearing is such a part of worship, and so eminent, that it is put by a Synecdoche (or figurative speech of the part for the whole) for the whole worship of God, Psalm 63. 11. and Christ was far from overthrowing the whole worship of God, or any part of it.

3. The sense of the prohibition, Swear not at all, is given forth, Mat. 5. ver. 37. But let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay. Communication * 1.7 there, is as much as ordi∣dinary speech; from whence I granted, that not onely swearing by creatures, is forbidden, but all kinde of oaths in ordinary communication, (as, by God, or, by the Lord) and it was the furthest (I said) that I finde one of the Qua∣kers * 1.8 seems at least to carry the sense, Art thou come to yea and nay, in thy common occasions?

Yet R. F. apprehends the Apostle James his words, Chap.* 1.9 5. 12. are express against all kinde of swearing at any time, because he saith, Swear not at all.

Rep. The words of the Apostle are strictly thus; But above all things, my brethren, swear not; neither by hea∣ven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; but let your yea, be yea; and your nay, nay: the latter words* 1.10 explaining the scope and sense of the former. His scope is, particularly, to suppress expressions of impatiency under afflictions and persecutions, which from ver. 7, to 14. he was dealing with, and having commended Jobs patience, ver. 11. he addeth, ver. 12. Swear not, &c. that is, in your afflictions, under sense of pain, trouble, or torture; beware of vain and rash swearing (as at all times, so) when you think your selves provoked to it by the smart of afflictions:

Beware of swearing by any oath, directly by God, or indi∣rectly by creatures, in the greatest provocations; and much more avoid it, when you are not provoked: barely, we are to affirm, or deny, according to truth, at some extraordinary seasons, and always in ordinary course.

4. Of lawful oaths, there are two sorts; Assertory, and* 1.11 Promissory.

1. Assertory, when the truth of a thing is solemnly af∣firmed* 1.12 or denyed, by invocation of God alone for a witness and a judge, in such a case, and at such a time, as a Contro∣versie* 1.13 cannot be ended without it. Heb. 6. 16. where the Apostle doth not so bring a comparison from the men of the world, to whom, an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife, as to shut out Saints from being men in the world, or disoblige them from their common humanity; but by alluding to the use of an oath, for such a lawful end, among men, he gives a hint of one of the hinges or sinews of Humane society, which Saints have not been wont to throw off, or cut asunder: but upon weighty occasions, they have asserted and confirmed the truth of their speech by an oath. Such is that of Paul to the Romans, Chap. 1. 9. God is my witness, &c. And to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 1. 23. Moreover, I call God for a record, &c. And to the Philippi∣ans, Chap. 1. 8. For God is my record, &c. And to the Gala∣tians, Chap. 1. 20. The things which I write unto you, be∣hold, before God, I lye not. And to the Thessalonians, 1 Thes. 2. 5. God is witness. In all these forms of speech, there is the former part of an oath exprest, calling God to wit∣ness, the other part is implyed, appealing to him as a Judge.

2. A Promissory oath, is when the truth of the hearts* 1.14 intention, and of the lips expression, to do a kindeness, or keep promise, is solemnly confirmed by attestation of God, and appeal to him alone: such was that of Abrahams ser∣vant to his master, Gen. 24. 3, 9. Of David to Saul, 1 Sam. 24. 22. and to Bathsheba, 1 Kings 1. 29. Hence no warrant, for vain and rash swearing by the Lord, can be collected; as for any to take up these forms of speech ordinarily, [Before God] or, [As God shall judge me,] but sufficient

grounds for using of an oath in the same judgement, truth, and righteousness, that the Saints of old and new Testament have sanctified Gods name by.

5. Mixt oaths, by God and Creatures, are forbidden, for* 1.15 the Lord threatneth to stretch out his hand in judgement against them that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Mal∣cham, Zeph. 1. 5. i. e. joyned God and idols (Milchom, or Moloch, the abomination of the Ammonites) together: But God hath promised to establish this part of his true and pure worship, to swear by him alone, and that in truth upon the earth. Isaiah 65. 16. He who blesseth himself, shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth, shall swear by the God of truth.

R. F. makes other inferences; If a man must not swear at all, then he must not swear by a Book, or any other thing.

Rep. Had he reasoned from Christs and the Apostles words [Swear not at all] in their true meaning; If a man must not swear by Creatures at all, then he must not swear by a Book, or any created being, he had complied with the truth; but to reason, and make inferences to no pur∣pose, is to lose time, and consume pen and paper in vain. If it may gain him, or any of his Sect, to the love of truth and peace, I shall nakedly present my thoughts and desires: As* 1.16 I had nothing before of Swearing by a Book one way or other, so never did I say, that a Book was lawful to be sworn by; but I heartily wish such a stumbling-block were every where in the Land, taken away by the Magistrates, for much profanation of Gods name hath been occasioned thereby. I remember William Thorp * 1.17 (one of J. Wickliffs followers) in conference with a Popish Archbishop, was in the right when he bare witness against swearing by a Book: And so was the Master of Divinity, of whom he tells the story, who said to the Lawyer,

"It is not lawful either to give or to take any such charge upon a Book; for every Book is nothing else but diverse Creatures of which it is made; therefore to swear upon a Book, is to swear by Creatures, and this swearing is ever unlawful. This in effect will be found in Chrysostom, as his judgement, bla∣ming Book-oaths, and them that bring forth Books to

swear upon. The aforesaid William Thorp * 1.18 (though he was ready to swear as God commanded it, yet) refused so much as to lay his hand upon the Book, seeing to touch a Book in that case, is to swear by it.

If R. F. and his fel∣lows* 1.19 would be as rational and Christian-like as William Thorp, when they come before a Magistrate, to deny the Superstition, and minde the Institution; refuse not the oath, but the oath by, or upon a Book, they might well be born with.

But R. F. concludeth, (after he hath talkt of my Self∣confutings, and manifest Contradictions, but proved no∣thing) * 1.20 We take Christs words according to his minde, and so deny oaths, and abide in his Doctrine.

Rep. Whether it were Christs minde and Doctrine, ab∣solutely to deny the use of an Oath, may appear (by what hath been said) to the contrary; no part of the moral Law Christ came to destroy; to swear by Gods name, nature, or being, was and is a part of the indispensable Law of God, that is to be obeyed and fulfilled in a Gospel-way of wor∣ship, fear, love, and thankfulness. James Nayler (of whom I had once some better thoughts) in a sheet of his * 1.21, tells his Novices, In the old Covenant swearing in truth was an ordinance of God: And the Apostle who was come into the new Covenant, and did witness the oath of God fulfilled, said, Above all things, my brethren, swear not any oath whatsoever, lest ye fall into temptation. The place in the Apostle James* 1.22 hath been cleared already, and the consideration of his rea∣son, doth further vindicate the prohibition from these mens opinions: Lest ye fall into temptation; as if he should say, Swear by any, but by God, or swear by God, rashly, pas∣sionately, in a strait and extremity, and ye will fall into temptation: from swearing ye may be tempted to curse God, and yet further blaspheme him; and from swearing by Creatures, ye may be tempted openly to worship them, and run from the true God to plain idols and idolatry; and from presumption, ye may be tempted to despair; therefore patiently endure, do not passionately rap out oaths. But as to J. Naylers distinction of the time, when an oath was lawful, when not; I must send him to Section 17. to let him

know, that the old Covenant and the new, was the same for substance; even the same Covenant of grace, which obli∣geth now as then, by way of love and thankfulness, to swear by the Lords name: and if we live under a clearer and larger administration of the Gospel-covenant, wherein God hath fulfilled his oath, that he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by sending his Son; and that he made to his Son, to consecrate him a high Priest for ever; we should reckon our selves more obliged to swear our selves to the Lord for ever, then those that lived under the old Testament. To conclude,

• They that will not expound Scripture by Scripture, and compare the Precepts and examples for Swearing, with the Prohibition against it, fall into Scripture-contra∣diction:
• But neither R. F. nor J. Nayler (with others) will ex∣pound Scripture by Scripture, nor compare Precept, &c. for Swearing, with the Prohibition against it;
• And therefore, R. F. and J. Nayler, with many others, are fallen into Scripture-contradiction.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Page 23.
• * 1.2

  Swearing by Creatures forbidden.
• * 1.3

  Mat. 5 34, 35, 36. vindicated.
• * 1.4

  Page 24.
• * 1.5

  Gods essence is not mixed with the Creatures.
• * 1.6

  Swearing by God com∣manded.
• * 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Mat. 5 37. cleared.
• * 1.8

  A few words by J Nayler, pag. 16.
• * 1.9

  James 5 12. vindicated.
• * 1.10

  God not to be sworn by in ordinary speech.
• * 1.11

  Two sorts of lawful oaths
• * 1.12

  1. Assertory.
• * 1.13

  Heb. 6. 16. vindicated.
• * 1.14

  2. Promissory.
• * 1.15

  Mixt oaths forbidden.
• * 1.16

  Swearing by a Book unlaw∣ful.
• * 1.17

  See Fox, Acts and Mo∣numents, vol. 1. p. 701 col. 2.
• * 1.18

  Page 702. as above.
• * 1.19

  Swearing up∣on a Book superstitious.
• * 1.20

  Page 24.
• * 1.21

  All v. in Janglers p. 8.
• * 1.22

  James 5. 12. vindicated.