A20559:208
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thus much for taking Gods name in vain by speech, without an oath. Now follows that taking of his name in vain, which is with an oath: and this three ways, by swearing either vainly or wickedly, or falsely. Vain swearing is, when one in his common and ordinary talk, mingle words & fills up his sentences with needless oaths, which though men account as a small sin, yet it is a most notorious dishonour of God, and proceeds from the devil, he is the father of it, ⟨image 59⟩as Christ saith, Mat. 5. Let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay, for whatsoever is above, comes from the evil one, j. the devil. So that the root of it is exceeding evil, and therefore the branch it self, is not any thing commendable, and then if you will know the fruit of it, S. James shows it in his 2. chap. verse. 11. Swear not (saith he) my brethren, neither by heaven nor earth, nor any other oath, but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay, least you fall into condemnation. So that the devil is the author of vain oaths, damnation is the end and fruit of vain oaths, & he that is willing to be lead by such a guide, and come to such an end, he may take his liberty to use them: but one may say, I do not swear great oaths, as by God, and by the blood and wounds of Christ, and such fearful oaths, but petty and small oaths, as by my faith and truth, by this bread, this fire, this light, &c. and such trifling things. But Christ answers for this, that we must not swear neither by the temple, nor the gold, nor heaven, nor earth, no not so much as by any hair, because God is the author and maker of all things, and there appears such a Majesty and power of God in the simplest of his creatures, as no man can express, and must therefore reverence them more, then so lightly to abuse them. So that whether greater oaths or lesser oaths, if they be idle oaths, Gods words hath condemned them, and they shall without repentance bring damnation. I but I swear that which is true, it is not a lie: be it so; that if it be the very truth, yet God hath not bound you only not to take up his name falsely, but also not to take it up idly & vainly:
Thus much for taking Gods name in vaine by speach, without an oath. Now followes that taking of his name in vaine, which is with an oath: and this three waies, by swearing either vainely or wickedlie, or falselie. Vaine swearing is, when one in his common and ordinarie talke, mingle words & fils vp his sentences with needelesse oathes, which though men account as a small sinne, yet it is a most notorious dishonour of God, and proceeds from the diuell, hee is the father of it,