Four treatises tending to dissuade all Christians from four no less heinous then common…Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common…

The like may be said of oaths made by Idols,¹ and false gods; for howsoever it is unlawful to swear by them, yet whosoever hath sworn by them, as by true gods, he is bound ⟨p. 63⟩to perform his promise: not for the Idols sake, but for Gods sake before whom he sweareth; not because they are true gods indeed, but in that they are so in the swearers opinion; and therefore the Turk swearing by Mahomet, is perjured, if he do not perform his oath; and so likewise the Papists, swearing by the Idol of the Mass.

The like may bee said of oathes made by Idols,¹ and false gods; for howsoeuer it is vnlawfull to sweare by them, yet whosoeuer hath sworne by them, as by true gods, he is bound ⟨p. 63⟩to performe his promise: not for the Idols sake, but for Gods sake before whom he sweareth; not because they are true gods indeed, but in that they are so in the swearers opinion; and therefore the Turke swearing by Mahomet, is periured, if he doe not performe his oath; and so likewise the Papists, swearing by the Idoll of the Masse.

1. 1§. Sect. 13. Of oaths made by Idols and salse gods.§. Sect. 13. Of oathes made by Idols and salse gods.

The seventh question is, whether oaths made in societies and companies, to maintain their statutes and orders,¹ do bind the conscience; and whether those who swear to such orders, are perjured if they do not observe them? To which I answer, that amongst these statutes there are some absolute, requiring simple obedience; some penal and conditional, requiring either performance, or submission to undergo the mulct and punishment; some substantial, and essential, which are the fundamental laws and orders, upon the performance whereof the good continuance and being of the corporation is grounded: which being obeyed, the society is preserved, but being broken and violated, it is overthrown and destroyed. Others are ceremonial, tending only to order, and decency, and rather for ornament, then for necessity. Now as the lawgivers require simple and absolute obedience unto the former kind, namely, such as are fundamental, & essential, and for the better performance of such statutes, require an oath of the whole society; so according unto their intention, the particular members of the corporation taking their oath, are bound to yield simple and absolute obedience unto such statutes, being not contrary to the word of God, and if they do not, they are perjured. But as the lawgivers require not simple obedience unto such statutes as tend only to order & comeliness, but conditional, that they must obey or undergo the mulct; so they swearing according to the lawgivers intention, do perform their oath in some manner, when they bear the penalty for their nonperformance: although not as they ought, seeing the true end of laws, is obedience, and not punishment; nevertheless, they are hereby acquitted of perjury, and in some cases wholly excused, as when some necessary and important cause moveth them to omit a ceremonial duty.