A copy of a paper sent to John Otway, Justice of the Peace, concerning swearing Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669. 1666 Approx. 18 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A70287 Wing H3155A ESTC R21667 12121858 ocm 12121858 54449 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A70287) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 54449) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 591:14b or 2209:8) A copy of a paper sent to John Otway, Justice of the Peace, concerning swearing Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669. [8] p. s.n., [London : 1666?] Caption title. Signed at end: Francis Howgill. This item appears at reel 591:14 bound following Wing C1514, "A journal of the life of ... Will. Caton," and at reel 2209:8. Reproduction of originals in Huntington Library and Earlham Collge Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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My Friend , THo I am little known to thee , or acquainted with thee , as to any Converse or Conversation , yet hearing of thy sobriety , and readiness to hear and enquire into those things which are scrupled among Christians ; and what may be said for or against any thing wherein every true Christian ought to be satisfied in his mind , before he can believe and receive it as a Truth ( to have his Conscience obliged thereby ) which I account a point of Wisdom , and not to take things upon Trust , and Hear-say , and Tradition as many do , without any further enquiry ; Also understanding , that thou hast not a hand in Persecuting thy Neighbour , in bringing them into Bonds , and others which I know thou mightst have done , had not somthing in thy self limited thee beyond either Law or Examples , which I hope thou wilt never have cause to repent thee for : For the Meek shall inherit the Earth ; and to the Merciful God sheweth Mercy . And If ever there was an Act of Mercy , this is one , To be tender of them that are tender of Gods Glory and Worship , when so great severity hath been used against them that fear the Lord in their hearts , which is the Seat of the Lords Judgment in Man. Likewise hearing , that thou at a publick Session at Kendall lately , in thy Charge or Speech in the Court , spoke something about Oaths , and the lawfulness of them , and said that some gave false Glosses upon Matth. 5. and James 5. and did assert the Morality of them among Christians , and how the Angel Swore after Christ had given that Command ; and shewed a necessity of them among Christians . The Consideration of these things , with some other , was an inducement unto me , to write these few things unto thee , and shall leave them to thy Consideration , , and to the Spirit of the Lord in thy self to Judge according to that , and seeing I am a Sufferer at this day , and a great one too , upon this account , which If I were not certainly perswaded upon good ground of the truth of that I have believed in this particular , I neither could nor would suffer for it ; but I must not forcean implicit Faith upon any , only Judging it may induce thee the more to consider what I say . I have had my share of long Contests about this thing amongst my Brethren , and much hath been written about this particular by divers Hands , whether any of them ever reached thy hand or not ; but however , I would not be tedious unto thee , and therefore shall contain my self in as narrow a compass as may be in so weighty a matter , for which many thousands have and are like to suffer . First of all , There was a time when there was no Oaths , When Man was made in the Image of God , which consists in Righteousness and true Holiness , Equity , long suffering , Patience , Goodness , Mercy and Truth , wherein man was in a capacity to believe in God , and men to believe one another : this was in the beginning after the Heavens and the Earth was made , and all things that are therein ; Then there were no Oaths , neither needed any , for Truth lived and man in it , and that spoke ; and a certainer Testimony there could not be , nor a greater : and this was before Sin and Unbelief entred . 2. Whosoever comes to witness a restoration again into the same Image by Christ , the second Adam , as all that are born of God and are true Christians indeed do come to , there will be nothing but Truth speaking and ruling in the heart , and in the words : and Oaths ends . 3. But after man had transgressed , and eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil , and went from the power of God , and had broken the Covenant of God , he lost his wisdom , and folly entred ; he lost Truth and a Lye entred and Unbelief : so that he believed not God , neither the Sons of Adam in the Fall could believe one another ; and Sin being entred , and Death by it , Deceit grew fast and Unbelief , and but a few in a Generation bore the Image of God before the Flood , as Abel , Enoch and Seth , and some few in comparison ; and the rest generally corrupted their waies , and bore another Image , and went after the imagination of their own hearts , and set up Images and Idols ; and also after the Flood when the earth began to be replenished , the cursed Seed grew faster , and many great Nations became ignorant of the True God , and made Gods of Gold and Silver , Wood and Stone , and reverenced them , and Worshipped them , and stood in fear of them , and had them in esteem ; and Swore by them as the greatest thing , and gloried in them . 4. Abraham who feared the Lord , and hearkned unto his Voice , whom the Lord singled out of many people , as a righteous Root of whom he would raise up a righteous Generation ; and more righteous than the rest of the Nations , and made a Covenant with him , and he was called The Father of the Faithful , and was the Original of all the Tribes of Israel , and the thousands of the people ; but the most of them became vain also , and as corrupt as other Nations . And the four hundred years that they had lived among the Egyptians , they learned too much their manners , and were much corrupted and darkned in their understandings , and therefore the Lord was wroth with them , and few were made partakers of the Promise , because of their Unbelief . 5. The Law was added because of Transgression four hundred and thirty years after the Promise was made ; or as some account from the Creation two thousand years , which Law was given at Sinai to Israel , and not to the Gentiles ; as it is written to Jacob , He gave his Law to Israel , his Statutes to every Nation he did not so ; which Law some of latter times have divided into three parts , Moral , Judaical , and Ceremonial : which distinction I do not read of particularly in the Scripture . Moral , as that which pertaineth to the manner of Israel , how they ought to Worship God , and walk towards their Neighbour . Ceremonial , that which pertained to the Priests and People , as to Form or Discipline , which was shadowy . Judaical , as that which belonged to their Policy or State. The two last generally are acknowledged ( if I may say parts of the Law ) to be ended , and is not binding unto Christians ; but the first part , some have said , is Moral and perpetual ; the discussing of which would take up more time and reading than I intend to trouble thee with . 6. Seeing the Law , all of it was added because of ( Transgression ) that was the cause its evident , If there had been no Transgression there had needed no addition of a Law , as a limit or rule : so whosoever comes thro Christ Jesus , to witness Transgression finished , and an end of Sin , they become dead to the Law ( tho they are not without a Law to God ) for it hath power over a man as long as he lives , to convict him , and Judge him ; but being come to the Image of God against such , there is no Law , tho they are not without one , as I said , to God and his Christ. 7. But because the Lord would not suffer Israel to walk according to the Heathen , he in love to them , gave them a Law sutable to the State they were in before the Seed Christ was manifest , and the Covenant was sutable to their state ; their minds was outward ; and their Covenant was outward : their minds was mutable , their Covenant was so ; and these pertained to a part above the Seed , and were shadows of good things to come , which ended all in Christ ( tho not destroyed ) so the Tabernacle , Temple , Priests , Oblations and Offerings ; Sabbaths , Fasts , Feasts , Oaths , Tythes , Circumcision , and the like , tho they were all real Commands of God in their time , and continued unto the time of Reformation , that is , till the Law ended , and the Priesthood , Covenant and Hebrews . 8. It is granted by us in the Covenant , the Jews might Swear , and did in Truth and Righteousness , and were Commanded so to do , to Swear by the true God , and reverence his Name and sanctifie it ; and least they should Swear as the Heathens did by their false Gods , and reverence them that are no Gods , he Commanded to Swear , and fear and reverence his Name that was the living God ; and I look upon it as the low condescention of God , or stooping to them in their state they were in , because there was Unbelief in them ; therefore to end strife they might Swear , and it was permitted them , even as it was to have a King when their hearts was set upon it ; so the Lord considering their state , the Lord Swore by himself , for their sakes , and as they Swore by the greatest ; so he by himself , being there was no greater to confirm the Truth of his words , because of the weakness of their Faith , or rather Unbelief . 9. But we do not read of all the Oaths amongst the Jews for some there was that feared an Oath , that ever they were imposed under any outward penalties , as they have been of late among Christians in name ; but for all the Scriptures and Examples that have been or can be brought , to prove Oaths lawful under that Ministration and Covenant to save all men the labour , who would contend for the Jews Swearing , we allow the same and assent to them ; so thus them that will contend and prove Swearing , then they shall contend without an Adversary for me or that People I own in Judgment . 10. But the great thing that seems to carry all the weight on its back , is the Morality of it still among Christians , as some plead ; unto which I answer , Was not the Sabbath of the Jews , as Moral of that of Oaths , or any other Command in the Ten , or elsewhere , which I have heard some Parish Priests say was Moral and perpetual among Christians , and yet they themselves break it by practice ; the Command reached only to the Seventh day , and whoso alters it , lets up another thing , and then how is it Moral . The like Doctrine they teach about Oaths , and hath darkned peoples understandings without distinguishing betwixt time and time , and Ministration and Ministration ; but some say , Christ came not to destroy the Law Moral but to fulfil it ; it is granted again , some say , tho they very far strain the words in the third Commandment , we are not only forbidden to take Gods Name in vain , but to sanctifie by praying , praising , and Swearing upon occasion : If I grant all these under the Gospel in force , in the substance as under the Law ; I say , leave nothing of the shadow , or Type , or Ceremony , as to be standing or binding among Christians ( as it is not . ) It s granted , the substance of all had nothing of force under the Gospel : For the Law had a Shadow of good things to come that came by Moses , but the Grace , the Truth came by Jesus Christ , the substance ( and he is the substance ) and he living in a Christian , speaks and testifies the Truth , and there need no other in any Judicature , and that was never denied by us but often profered , but seldom received . Incense was the Ceremony of praying and praising , but the substance is lifting up the heart to the Lord , from the motion of his Spirit ▪ and Praising is making melody in the heart to the Lord. And Circumcision of the heart is the substance of the Circumcision in the Flesh , Rom. 2. And Christ the substance of the Passover ; and Christ is the substance of that Shaddow or Ceremony of Swearing , and that which every Christian ought to do , is to speak the Truth , and to testifie the Truth from the heart , and this is the substance , and that which is required under the Gospel ; and this we never refused , and this divers learned men hath confessed is the sum ; read Isa. 45. 23. and compare Rom. 14. & 11. and so is Confession of a Truth , and testifying the same about any matter , be not equivolent with an Oath under the Law. 11. As for Matthew 5. and James 5. we give no glosses upon them , but do receive the words as they are , the Precepts of Christ and James ; and we cannot allow all those Glossers , who would pervert their words from their jenuine sence , which we take clearly to be a limitation from all Swearing whatsoever under the Gospel ; and not only in Communication , but even before all men , and at all times ; not only from vain Oaths , and false Swearing , and by the Creatures , but from all Swearing whatsoever , the Scripture is so evident and so clear , that its much that any should stumble at the Commands ; the very stop of the Chapter clears the thing ; yea , even some who have contended against us , have been made to confess that the perfection of obedience required under the Gospel , was above that the Mosaical Law did exact or teach ; and from these Scriptures , so Dr. Gauden and Vsher , the one contended against the Quakers , the other for the Waldenses against the Romanists . Christ saith of old time it hath been said , Thou shalt not kill ; Thou shalt not commit Adultery ; Thou shalt not for swear thy self , nor by the Creatures ; and if they were not to Swear by them alone , nor the Altar , neither Head nor Foot , then , why now by the Bible or upon a Book , seeing that it s made of Creatures ? But it s said by the Contents of the Book what doth the Book contain more then true words ; and if the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him , I am sure the Book cannot . Away with this Imposed Traditional Ceremony . But Christ saith , Whosoever is angry with his Brother , is in danger of Judgment . And again , Love your Enemies ; And whoso looks upon a woman , and lusteth after her , hath committed Adultery : But I say , Swear not all , but let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , whatsoever is more cometh of Evil ; So that its evident he speaks of a further perfection of obedience under the Gospel , than under the Law : For if it be only vain Oaths and false Swearing , and by the Creatures that he prohibits , then the Law had said as much , and he said no more than the Law , for these were reproved by the Law ; but its manifest he required a more exact obedience than under the Law ; and likewise those things that had been permitted because of the hardness of their hearts , he took away and brought them by his Doctrin to that state which was in the beginning before darkness and hardness was . And as concerning the Angels Swearing , to which of the Angels said he , Thou art my Son , this day have I begotten thee ? And again , I bring forth my first begotten Son , and let the Angels worship him : and therefore the Ministration of the Son is above the Angels , and both Angels and their Ministration are to give way unto Christ , and he must be worshipped ; and no example of either Angels or men ought or can violate the Commands of Christ. 12. It was a Doctrin believed and received among the Primitive Christians not to Swear at all , that there was no question made of it , tho in the times of Persecution , when their Liberties and Lives lay upon it , yet they denied to Swear , and keep in the first Gospel Doctrin taught , and would not violate it . A Cloud of Witnesses I might bring to confirm the truth of what I say in that particular , but that I intend this only as a Manuscript and no further ; so I will not be tedious , but only take a few Fathers whose Doctrin is generally received . Origen saith , It behooves not a man , who lives according to the Gospel , to Swear at all . Chrysostome forbids not only Swearing , but to Swear at all . Jerom , The Gospel Truth admits not of an Oath . Austin , Any man that is a common Swearer , no more credit can be given than to a Lyar , a thing too much in use in our Age , yet none debarred from Swearing in Judicature . Jerom upon Mat. 5. and James 5. These are his words , It was permitted to the Jews , being in wickedness and infancy to offer Sacrifice to God , least they should Sacrifice to Idols , so they might Swear by God , not that it was righ ful so to do , but because it was better to Swear by the Lord , than by false Gods or Devils ; but the great Evangelical Sincerity and Truth admits not of an Oath , since every True Saying is equivolent thereunto . Theophalact , Hillary , Athanasius , Theodoret , and Lactantius , and others taught much against Swearing without any limitation . Polybius observes in the best and purest times , and simpler Ages of the World , Oaths were never used in Judicature ; but after Unbelief and Lying increased , Oaths increased . Justin Martyr saith , It was enough security in all Cases to say , I am a Christian ; and if any Oath either for matter or manner was tendred , they repeated this as the only satisfaction they could give , I am a Christian. Polycarpus and Basilides , both Martyrs , denied to Swear at all , and what is this become such a strange , new , and dangerous Doctrin amongst us in those days that profess Christianity ; as that now are reckoned good Members either of Church or State but Swearers , But I have done , desiring thee to peruse these things over in the same love that I writ them , and what ever thou dost hold thy hand from Persecution , for assuredly God will bring a rebuke upon the Nation for it , and all them that withstand the Lord in his People . Farewel . Thy True Friend , Francis Howgill .