The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…

Page 30, 31. 1. Simplicity above all things beseemeth an Oath: That is, The nature and obligation of an Oath is such, that whoever shall bind himself by so sacred a bond to do any thing, he may be altogether held by the Religion of an Oath, and seriously from his heart intend, and as much as in him lieth, diligently endeavour faithfully to do all that which he hath promised ⟨p. 325⟩to do, without all craft, fraud, or ill deceit or dissimulation. (See the rest there)

PAge 30, 31. 1. Simplicity above all things beseeineth an Oath: That is, The nature and obligation of an Oath is such, that whoever shall bind himself by so sacred a bond to do any thing, he may be altogether held by the Religion of an Oath, and seriously from his heart intend, and as much as in him lyeth, diligently endeavour faithfully to do all that which he hath promised ⟨p. 325⟩to do, without all craft, fraud, or ill deceit or dissimulation. (See the rest there)

Page 32, 33, 34. Contrary to this simplicity of an Oath, are two sorts of simulation; one as to the foregoing part, which is either antecedent or concomitant with the act of swearing: of which, though the former be the worser, yet neither of them is free from perjury. David seemeth to comprehend both in Psal. 15. and 24. [He that sweareth not deceitfully, that is, with a mind to deceive—And He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not] that is, who when he hath bound himself by an Oath, will rather, even to his own great loss, perform that which he incommodiously swore, than for any temporal commodity violate his faith.—These things the greater part of men now in being, seem to me not to think of, or not seriously; who fear not to swear without any ambage prolixly, and in the very words, whatsoever is proposed to them, by such as have power to do them hurt: Yea and think themselves the only wise men, and disdainfully deride their simplicity and vain fear, who, lest they hurt their consciences, forsooth, do seek a knot in a rush, and vex (or solicit) the forms prescribed by such as can proscribe them: And they securely free themselves from all crime and fear of Perjury, and think they have well cared for themselves and their consciences, if when they swear, like the Jesuits, they can but any how defend themselves, by tacit equivocations, or mental reservations, or subtle forced interpretations, and quite alien from the words: Or else after they have sworn, can find out some artificial evasion, as a hole to get out by, as the [Greek or Hebrew], by which so to defraud the Oath,