Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

Eleventhly, We would carefully take heed that we do not baffle and prostitute Conscience, either by swearing at all by our Conscience, let be ordinarily and customarily, (too much incident to many pro•est Christians, to the great scandal of Christian Religion) which beside the un-necessariness of it, at least in most cases, is never in any case warrantable; Conscience, though Gods Deputy, being but a creature, as Heaven, Earth and our Heads are, Math. 5. v. 34, 35, 36. (by which we ought not at all to swear, being expressly forbidden by the Lord to do so) and so never to be sworn by; Swearing being a piece, and a very solemn piece of Gods Worship, and often put for the whole Worship of God, in the Scriptures, where we are called to swear by him only: Deut. 6. v. 13. and 20. v. 10. or where swearing by it is much, or altogether abstained from & it may be somewhat abhorred, yet we would not dare to debase, vilify and (as I said) to prostitute Conscience ordinarily, & on every light & trivial occasion, by saying in conscience, or on my conscience; which in common discourse, without any the least necessity, is sure more then Yea and Nay, and so according to the Lords own determination (precisely to be stood too) cometh of evil; neither will they really be found to be amongst the tenderest or most truly religious and conscientious persons; whatever be their professions of, or pretensions to Religion or Conscience, to whom this is most familiar; for by this customary and habitual solemn asserting every light, minute, and trifling matter (when withal it is offensive to tender ears) men may be tempted in other things to make too bold ⟨image 20⟩with their Conscience, which they thus debase, if not, even upon such petty occasions now and then to swear by it: Conscience is a very tender thing, and would be very tenderly dealt with, and in nothing in the least bourded or dallied with; and we are expressly commanded to abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thes. 5. v. 22.

Eleventhly, We would carefully take heed that we do not baffle and prostitute Conscience, either by swearing at all by our Conscience, let be ordinarlly and customarily, (too much incident to many proest Christians, to the great scandal of Christian Religion) which beside the un-necessariness of it, at least in most cases, is never in any case warrantable; Conscience, though Gods Deputy, being but a creature, as Heaven, Earth and our Heads are,