Sermons upon Deuteronomy

The thing which is expressly required §40here, is that when oaths are to be used, we must use them with such sobriety as God may be glorified, and that whensoever we swear, we must bear in mind that God is to be reverenced as our judge, and offer our selves in such wise before him, as he suffer not any falsehood to abide unpunished, and as we yield unto him the office of searching even our hearts. If we deal so: then shall our oaths be holy unto him, and accepted as a part and portion §50of the service that he requireth and alloweth. And by that means we shall abhor and loth not only the blasphemies whereby he is spited out of measure: but also all fond and trifling oaths, that are made without cause or reason. Thus we see in few words what we have to note, and how this text is to be put in ure.

The thing which is expresly required §40heere, is that when othes are to bee vsed, wee must vse them with such sobrietie as God may bee glorified, and that whensoeuer wee sweare, wee must beare in minde that God is to bee reuerenced as our iudge, and offer our selues in such wise before him, as hee suffer not any falshoode to abide vnpunished, and as wee yeelde vnto him the office of serching euen our heartes. If wee deale so: then shall our othes be holie vnto him, and accepted as a part and portion §50of the seruice that he requireth and alloweth. And by that meanes wee shall abhorre and loth not onely the blasphemies whereby he is spyted out of measure: but also all fonde and trifling othes, that are made without cause or reason. Thus wee see in fewe words what wee haue to note, and howe this text is to bee put in vre.

Now Moses addeth immediately, Ye shall not follow any other Gods, the Gods of the heathen §60which dwell round about you. When he sayeth, ye shall not follow any other Gods: he showeth us that we cannot mingle the true religion with any abuses, or with any thing devised by unbelievers, but by and by all is marred, and God disavoweth it, as soon as we swerve one way or other from the plain trueth, and from the rule that he hath given us. For it is not said simply, you shall not renounce your GOD: but they be forbidden to follow any other Gods. So then let us mark well, that if we intend to serve the living God, we must hold our selves to him alone, and worship him with such uncorruptnesse, as all idols be utterly cast down, and all superstitions cut off and cast behind us. And if this were well observed, we should no more be put to such pains, neither should we have so many bickerings as we have. For what causeth the troubles that are nowadays in the world, and that there is such division between us and the Papists? For both of us confess that there is but one God: that ground is common to us both, both of us name him the maker of heaven and earth, and both of us take Jesus Christ for our redeemer: and yet notwithstanding we be at so great odds, that the Turks and the Jews are not more divided from us than the Papists are. Whereof cometh this? Not that the Papists do utterly renounce GOD: but because they will needs make a mingled and confused hotchpotch of all the Religions of the world. They have raked together all abuses, all Satan's trumpery, and all the superstitions that ever have been: and that term they the service of God. It is no part of their meaning to hold themselves to the pureness of the holy scripture, and of the Law and the Gospel: but to the things which they have devised of their own brain. They will needs have those things mingled with the pure seed: and that is such a corruption, as God is utterly shaken of by it. Although men think it not or at leastwise confess it not with their mouth: yet hath he no more place where those things are. So then (as I said afore), if this saying which forbiddeth us to follow any other Gods were well observed: we might easily agree nowadays with the Papists. For the controversy here concerneth not the only name.