The law unsealed

More largely again, a man may be said to forswear himself. 1. When he sweareth to perform a thing, which is simply impossible; especially while he knoweth it to be so: For as the former is not a swearing in Judgement and Truth; so this is a profane and wicked swearing, against Light and Judgement, of a manifest lye and falsehood: So that betwixt his Promise to perform such a thing, and the performance, there is implied a Contradiction. As for one to swear, to be to morrow at Rome, who is to day at Glasgow▪ the very swearing is forswearing. 2. When one sweareth an unlawful or wicked thing▪ or confirmeth it with an Oath; like those forty that swore to kill Paul; especially if that Oath be contrary to some ⟨p. 86⟩Duty which lieth formerly by Oath on the Person swearing: For, that is not to swear in Righteousness and Justice: Beside, that it draweth on a necessity, either of breaking that Oath, and •o of being perjured, or of going on to fulfil it; and so of being doubly perjured. 3. Men are forsworn and perjured, when they fulfil a wicked Oath, as Herod did, Matth. 14 in beheading John the Baptist; for, though he seemed not to over-turn, and make void his own Oath, but to keep it: Yet this (as also the former) over-turneth and maketh void, the scope and Nature of an Oath in general, and is a plain Contradiction to it, and maketh an Oath, which should be Vinculum Aequ•tatis, a Bond of Equity: (there being Nulla Obligation but ad Officium, no Obligation but to Duty,) to be Vinculum Iniquitatis, a Bond of Iniquity: And so thwarteth with the very end wherefore such Oaths are appointed▪ In which respect David did better in not executing his rash Oath, but keeping the general scope of all Oaths, when he refused not to hearken to Abigails Counsel, even to the Non-performance of what he had sworn.

More largely again, a man may be said to forswear himself. 1. When he sweareth to perform a thing, which is simply impossible; especially while he knoweth it to be so: For as the former is not a swearing in Judgement and Truth; so this is a prophane and wicked swearing, against Light and Judgement, of a manifest lye and falshood: So that betwixt his Promise to perform such a thing, and the performance, there is implyed a Contradiction. As for one to swear, to be to morrow at Rome, who is to day at Glasgow the very swearing is forswearing. 2. When one sweareth an unlawful or wicked thing or confirmeth it with an Oath; like those forty that swore to kill Paul; especially if that Oath be contrary to some