lefactors or evil-doers. And that it is as well the office of charity to rebuke, punish, and correct them that be evil, as it is to cherish and reward them that be good and harmless, St. Paul declareth, writing to the Romans, saying, That the high powers are ordained of God, not to be dread- Rom. xi. ful to them that do well, but unto malefactors, to draw the sword to take vengeance of him that committeth the sin. And St. Paul biddeth Timothy stoutly and earnestly to re- 1 Tim. i. buke sin by the word of God. So that both offices should be diligently executed, to fight against the kingdom of the Devil, the preacher with the word, and the governors with the sword: else they neither love God, nor them whom they govern, if, for lack of correction, they wilfully suffer God to be offended, and them whom they govern to perish. For as every loving father correcteth his natural son when he doth amiss, or else he loveth him not; so all governors of realms, countries, towns, and houses, should lovingly correct them which be offenders under their governance, and cherish them which live innocently, if they have any respect either unto God and their office, or love unto them of whom they have governance. And such rebukes and punishments of them that offend must be done in due time, lest by delay the offenders fall headlong into all manner of mischief, and not only be evil themselves, but also do hurt unto many men, drawing others, by their evil example, to sin and outrage after them: as one thief may both rob many men, and also make many thieves; and one seditious person may allure many, and annoy a whole town or country. And such evil persons that be so great offenders to God and the commonweal, charity requireth to be cut from the body of the commonweal, lest they corrupt other good and honest persons; like as a good surgeon cutteth away a rotten and festered member, for love he hath to the whole body, lest it infect other members adjoining unto it. Thus it is declared unto you what true charity or Christian love is, so plainly, that no man need to be deceived; which love, whosoever keepeth, not only towards God (whom he is bound to love above all things) but also toward his neighbour, as well friend as foe, it shall surely keep him from all offence of God, and just offence of man. Therefore bear well away this one short lesson, That by true Christian charity, God ought to be loved, good and evil, friend and foe, and to all such we ought, as we may, to do good; those that be good, of love to encourage and cherish, because they be good; and those that be evil, of love to procure and seek their correction and due punishment, that they may thereby either be brought to goodness, or at the least that God and the commonwealth may be less hurt and offended. And if we thus direct our life by Christian love and charity, then Christ doth promise and assure us, that he loveth us, that we be the children of our heavenly Father, reconciled to his favour, very members of Christ; and that, after this short time of this present and mortal life, we shall have with him everlasting life in his everlasting kingdom of heaven. Therefore to him, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen. Ꭺ SERMON AGAINST Swearing and Perjury. ALMIGHTY God, to the intent his most holy name How and in what causes it swear. should be had in honour, and evermore be magnified of the people, commandeth that no man should take his name vainly in his mouth, threatening punishment unto him that unreverently abuseth it by swearing, forswearing, and blasphemy. To the intent therefore that this commandment may be the better known and kept, it is lawful to shall be declared unto you, both how it is lawful for Christian people to swear, and also what peril and danger it is vainly to swear, or to be forsworn. First, when judges require oaths of the people for declaration or opening of the truth, or for execution of justice, this manner of swearing is lawful. Also when men make faithful promises, with calling to witness of the name of God, to keep covenants, honest promises, statutes, laws, and good customs, as Christian princes do in their conclusions of peace, for conservation of commonwealths; and private persons promise their fidelity in matrimony, or one to another in honesty and true friendship: and all men when they do swear to keep common laws, and local statutes, and good customs, for due order to be had and continued among men; when subjects do swear to be true and faithful to their king and sovereign lord; and when judges, magistrates, and officers swear truly to execute their offices; and when a man would affirm the truth to the setting forth God's glory, (for the salvation of the people) in open preaching of the Gospel, or in giving of good Deut. vi. Psalm lxiii. John iii. Gen. xxi. Heb. vi Jer. iv. What conditions an oath counsel privately for their souls' health: all these manners of swearing, for causes necessary and honest, be lawful. But when men do swear of custom, in reasoning, buying, and selling, or other daily communications, (as many be common and great swearers) such kind of swearing is ungodly, unlawful, and forbidden by the commandment of God: for such swearing is nothing else but taking of God's holy name in vain. And here is to be noted, that lawful swearing is not forbidden, but commanded by Almighty God: for we have examples of Christ and godly men, in holy Scripture, that did swear themselves, and required oaths of others likewise; and God's commandment is, Thou shalt dread thy Lord God, and shalt swear by his name. And Almighty God by his Prophet David saith, All men shall be praised that swear by him. Thus did our Saviour Christ swear divers times, saying, Verily, verily: and St. Paul sweareth thus, I call God to witness: And Abraham, waxing old, required an oath of his servant, that he should procure a wife for his son Isaac, which should come of his own kindred: and the servant did swear that he would perform his master's will. Abraham also, being required, did swear unto Abimelech the king of Geraris, that he should not hurt him, nor his posterity; and likewise did Abimelech swear unto Abraham. And David did swear to be and continue a faithful friend to Jonathan; and Jonathan did swear to become a faithful friend unto David. Also God once commanded, that if a thing were laid to pledge to any man, or left with him to keep, if the same thing were stolen, or lost, that the keeper thereof should be sworn before judges, that he did not convey it away, nor used any deceit in causing the same to be conveyed away, by his consent or knowledge. And St. Paul saith, That in all matters of controversy between two persons, whereas one saith yea, and the other nay, so as no due proof can be had of the truth, the end of every such controversy must be an oath ministered by a judge. And, moreover, God by the Prophet Jeremy saith, Thou shalt swear, the Lord liveth in truth, in judgment, in righteousness. So that whosoever sweareth when he is required of a judge, let him be sure in his conscience that his oath have three conditions, and he shall never need to be afraid of perjury. First, he that sweareth may swear truly; that is, he ought to have. must (setting apart all favour and affection to the parties) have the truth only before his eyes, and, for love thereof, Why we be willed in Scrip ture to swear God. name of say and speak that which he knoweth to be truth, and no further. The second is, he that taketh an oath, must do The second. it with judgment; not rashly and unadvisedly, but soberly, considering what an oath is. The third is, he that The third. sweareth, must swear in righteousness; that is, for the very zeal and love which he beareth to the defence of innocency, to the maintenance of the truth, and of the righteousness of the matter of cause: all profit, disprofit, all love and favour unto the person for friendship or kindred laid apart. Thus an oath (if it have with it these three conditions) is a part of God's glory, which we are bound by his commandments to give unto him: for he willeth that we shall swear only by his name; not that he hath pleasure in oaths; but like as he commanded the Jews to offer sacrifice unto him, not for any delight that he had in them, but to keep the Jews from committing idolatry; so he, commanding us to swear by his holy name, doth not teach us that he delighteth in swearing, but he thereby forbiddeth all men to give his glory to any creature in heaven, earth, or water. Hitherto you Isaiah xlii. see, that oaths lawful are commanded of God, used of patriarchs and prophets, of Christ himself, and of his Apostle Paul. Therefore Christian people must think lawful oaths both godly and necessary. For by lawful promise and covenants, confirmed by oaths, princes and oaths made and their countries are confirmed in common tranquillity and peace. By holy promises, with calling the name of God to witness, we be made lively members of Christ, when we profess his religion, receiving the sacrament of baptism. By like holy promise the sacrament of matrimony knitteth man and wife in perpetual love, that they desire not to be separated for any displeasure or adversity that shall after happen. By lawful oaths, which kings, princes, judges, and magistrates do swear, common laws are kept inviolate, justice is indifferently ministered, harmless persons, fatherless children, widows and poor men, are defended from murderers, oppressors, and thieves, that they suffer no wrong, nor take any harm. By lawful oaths, mutual society, amity, and good order is kept continually in all commonalties, as boroughs, cities, towns, and villages: and by lawful oaths malefactors are searched out, wrong doers are punished, and they which sustain wrong are restored to their right: therefore lawful swearing cannot be evil, which bringeth unto us so many godly, good, and necessary commodities. Wherefore when Christ so Vain swearing earnestly forbad swearing, it may not be understood as Commodities had by lawful observed. is forbidden. |