A20760:39
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…
Four treatises tending to dissuade all Christians from four no less heinous then common sins; namely, the abuses of swearing, drunkenness, whoredom, and bribery. Wherein the greatness and odiousness of these vices is discovered; and the means and remedies, which may either preserve, or wean men from them, are propounded. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of anger. By John Downame Bachelor in Divinity, and preacher of Gods word.Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common sinnes; namely, the abuses of swearing, drunkennesse, whoredome, and briberie. Wherein the greatnes and odiousnesse of these vices is discouered; and the meanes and remedies, which may either preserue, or weane men from them, are propounded. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of anger. By Iohn Dovvname Batcheler in Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods word.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for William Welby, 1609
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.
So likewise he refuteth their false doctrine concerning oaths, and showeth that we must not in our ordinary communication swear at all, no not by the creatures, because in these oaths the name of God is obliquely and indirectly taken in vain, there remaining in them some prints and characters of Gods power and Majesty: for they who swear by heaven, swear indirectly by God, because heaven is his throne; so they what swear by the earth, swear also by him, because it is his footstool; and in like manner the Temple and Altar belong to his worship, and our heads they are his workmanship; and consequently his name in them is taken in vain by usual swearing in ordinary communication, and much more in perjury and false swearing, though not directly, yet indirectly and obliquely.
So likewise hee refuteth their false doctrine concerning oathes, and sheweth that we must not in our ordinarie communication sweare at all, no not by the creatures, because in these oathes the name of God is obliquely and indirectly taken in vaine, there remaining in them some prints and characters of Gods power and Maiestie: for they who sweare by heauen, sweare indirectly by God, because heauen is his throne; so they what sweare by the earth, sweare also by him, because it is his footstoole; and in like manner the Temple and Altar belong to his worship, and our heads they are his workmanship; and consequently his name in them is taken in vaine by vsuall swearing in ordinarie communication, and much more in periurie and false swearing, though not directly, yet indirectly and obliquely.
But they further urge that our Saviour expressly forbiddeth us to swear at all,1 and therefore we must not swear neither by the creatures, nor by God himself, neither truly nor falsely, neither in ordinary communication, nor yet before a Magistrate. To which I answer, that these words, at all, are not to be referred to the oath it self, as though Christ should forbid to swear in all cases, which reference; as I have showed, implieth many absurdities: but it is to be referred to the form and manner of the oath, namely, that we must not swear at all falsely, rashly, and usually in our ordinary communication, neither directly by the name of God, nor indirectly by the creatures, which notwithstanding the Pharisees taught to be lawful. For that our Saviour speaketh here only of private oaths it is manifest, in that they did not in their public oaths before the Magistrates swear by the creatures, but by the name of God alone. And so also it may