phets, that people were to swear by the Lord, and perform their oath unto him, which was the true oath and swearing which Christ forbad, much more all other oaths.

And so then whatever men swear by, if it be by Baal, are they not to perform their oath to their Baal? and if they swear by the book, are they not to perform their oath to the book, or the contents of it? and if they swear by the altars, or the gift on the altar, are they not to perform their oath to the altar? and the gift on the altar? and if they swear by the temple, are they not to perform their oath to the temple? and if they swear by heaven or earth, are they not to perform their oath to heaven, or to the earth? and if they swear by their head, are they not to perform their oath to their head?

So are not all people, whatsoever they swear by, to perform their oath unto it that they swear by? though all those that swear by any thing but the Lord, were judged both by God, and his law, and prophets; and Christ Jesus cried woe against those blind guides and fools, that taught to swear by other things as aforesaid; but the oath which was to be performed unto the Lord, (and men were not to forswear themselves in,) was the true oath of God, as God commands by his law, which was the oath that Christ forbids, and says, 'swear not at all,' and sets up yea, yea, and nay, nay, instead thereof.

And the apostle James followed Christ in his doctrine, and saith, who writes to the twelve tribes, which were the Jews that were to 'swear by the Lord, and perform their oaths to him,' he saith to them; 'above all things my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by the earth:' it seems these were customary oaths; (now he comes farther with his word,) 'neither by any other oath :' so all oaths are concluded here, the true, the false, and the vain, but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, least you fall into condemnation.'

So this is agreeable to Christ's words, 'yea, yea, and nay, nay, and whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil,' saith Christ, and least ye fall into condemnation,' saith the apostle.

So though swearing was lawful in the time of the law, as other things and offerings, but in time of the gospel is forbidden; and if they swear they go into evil and fall into condemnation; and therefore the way to shun evil and condemnation, is to keep to yea and nay, and not to swear at all, as Christ and the apostle commands; for the apostle saith, 'neither by heaven, nor earth, nor any other oath:' (mark, any other oath :) so see what a stress the apostle lays upon it, and Christ, to keep people from swearing, and out of the evil and condemnation; though swearing as I said before, was lawful in the old time of the law, being performed unto the Lord amongst men, for it ended the strife and did not begin it; but Christ who comes to perform the oath of God, who sware by him

self, he ends the oath that men were to swear by the Lord, and sets up yea, yea, nay, nay, instead thereof: Christ commands this to the multitude, and his disciples; and the apostle to the twelve tribes which were to 'swear by the Lord, and perform their oath to the Lord,' as in James v. and Mat. v.

And therefore, as I said before, keep out of the evil and condemnation, and be obedient to Christ's command, and the apostles' doctrine, not to swear at all, nor any oath, and keep to yea, yea, nay, nay, in all your communications, and so say, and so do; not so swear, and so do, as they that shall be judged according to the law of liberty. James ii. 12.

Now Christ sets up an order in the church, amongst the christians who deny the true oath, and forbids the swearing which was to be performed to the Lord, for the ending of differences and trespasses, as you may see in Levit. xix. and this is Christ's order.

Moreover, saith he, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault betwixt thee and him alone, and if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother: but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'

which

So Christ doth not say, in the mouth of two or three swearers, he had forbidden before; but in the mouth of two or three witnesses every thing shall be established,' in his church, which he is head of, as in Mat. xxviii.

So this was the order that Christ set up in the church, that forbids swearing, to end differences, and trespasses amongst the christians. And the apostle saith to the church, Gal. xiii. in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.'

And so we never read in all the scriptures of the New Testament, that people were commanded to swear, but forbidden.

And Christ saith, in Luke xxiv. to them that were his ministers, and received their ordination from him to preach freely, as they had received freely, he told them, they were witnesses of these things that he suffered.

And when they chose another disciple, and cast lots, the 'Lord gave the lot to Matthias, to be a witness of his resurrection,' Acts i. and in Acts ii. the apostles were witnesses that God had raised Jesus from the dead' and in Acts iii. and xv. he speaking to the Jews that had killed the Prince of life, whereof we are witnesses,' saith he, and in Acts v. and xxxii. speaking of Christ, the apostle said, 'we are his witnesses of these things, and so also is the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him' and in Acts xiii. but God hath raised him from the dead,' (to wit, Christ,) and 'he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem,' who are his witnesses to the people: and in Acts xxvi. Paul in his confession, said, 'I continued unto this day

witnessing unto small and great;' and 'we are witnesses of all things which he did, (to wit, both in Jewry and Jerusalem,) whom they slew and hanged on a tree so these were chosen witnesses of God and Christ. Acts xix.

And so here you may see the ministers of Christ were not made by an oath, which were preachers and witnesses of his birth, sufferings, death and resurrection; so they were not swearers of it, or confessors of it upon oath, but witnesses of the truth of it in the truth.

And so Christ witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate, and did not swear a good confession, for he denied swearing, who was God's oath.

And the apostle speaks to Timothy, in 2 Tim. ii. 2. and the things thou hast heard of me amongst many witnesses, the same commit thou unto faithful men, who shall be able to instruct others also:' he doth not say the things thou hast heard amongst many swearers, but witnesses: the same commit unto faithful men, but not upon oath, men that shall so say, and so do.

And whereas, the apostle saith, 'against an elder, receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses;' so he doth not say before two or three swearers. 1 Tim. v. 19.

So here was the practice of the church according to Christ's command, to witness the truth, who denied swearing; and here was the practice of his ministers to be witnesses to the truth without swearing, and what was to be committed to the faithful men, was without an oath, and concerning accusations and trespasses, it was by two or three witnesses, and not two or three swearers.

And when the Jews stoned Stephen to death, the witnesses laid down their clothes; it doth not say they swore, but witnessed against him. -Acts vii. 58.

And when they put Christ to death, there came 'two false witnesses when the high priest had examined Christ, whether he was the Christ the Son of God; and Jesus said unto him thou hast said: nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of God, and coming in the clouds; then the high priest rent his clothes, and said, he hath spoken blasphemy, what need have we of farther witnesses?'

So these murdering Jews that crucified Christ, and martyred Stephen, we do not read they received witness against them upon oath.

And the apostle saith, 1 Tim. ii. 7. 'I speak the truth in Christ and lie not: a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity,' so he doth not say, I swear the truth.

And the apostle saith, 'speak every man truth to his neighbour; and

put away lying, for we are members one of another.' Eph. 4. Not every man to swear the truth with his neighbour.

So if all christians in Christendom, so called, would so say, and so do, and speak the truth as it is in Jesus, who is the truth,' and every man speak truth with his neighbour, this would shew that they that profess themselves christians, were members one of another,' and that Christ was their head, and this would ease them of many idle words, and of all oaths, if they obeyed Christ's command, and the apostle's doctrine, in keeping yea, yea, nay, nay, in all their communications.

And now if you say that the apostle speaks of swearing in Heb. vi. mark what was his end in it; for when God made a promise to Abraham, because he could not swear by a greater, he sware by himself,' &c. For 'men verily sware by the greater, and an oath for confirmation, is to them an end of strife.'

So this oath of God was a confirmation to them, and an end of strife to them, not to us; for witnesses end the strife in the time of the gospel, as oaths did in the time of the law; (so not the beginning of strife, as oaths are now,) and men sware by the Lord which was the greater, and were to perform their oath to him, which Christ ends.

And so the apostle brings this but as a similitude, wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath,' &c.

And in Heb. vii. where you may see the priests were made without an oath, but Christ with an oath, that said of him, the Lord sware, and will not repent, thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.' So he is made a surety of a better testament than the first; so the Old Testament has the old things, the New Testament has the new things, as a new priest, the new blood, the new and living way, Christ, who was made with an oath, who ends the oath, that men of God sware by, to bind them, and tie their souls up to God: so Christ is the way up to God, that says 'swear not at all,' and let your yea be yea, and nay, nay; and the apostles, and martyrs, and all the faithful followed him in his doctrine, who dare not swear, because Christ and the apostle hath forbidden it, who cannot call him Lord, unless they do as he commands, and says to them.

But now if you say Abraham sware, Christ saith, before Abraham was, I am;' and he says, 'swear not at all.'

And if you say Jacob and Joseph sware; Christ reigns over the house of Joseph and Jacob, who saith, 'swear not at all,’

And if you say Moses, the servant of God, and the priests did swear in the time of the law, and old covenant, Christ ends the first priesthood, and is the Son of God, and is above Moses, the servant; and his New Testament, is a greater testament than Moses', or the law, and a 'better VOL. V.-22

surety than the blood of bulls and goats,' who offered up his own blood himself once for all;' he says, 'swear not at all,' who redeems people by his blood up to God, and they have faith in him, and it, and not in the blood of bulls and goats.

And now if you say, that the prophets sware in the time of the law, in the Old Testament, I say, Christ, who ends the prophets and the law in his New Testament, says, 'swear not at all.'

And now if you say the angel sware, 'I bring forth my first begotten into the world, saith the Lord, let all the angels worship him,' that says, 'swear not at all;' and, ‘learn of me,' saith Christ, 'I am the way,' and 'this is my beloved Son,' saith God, 'hear ye him in whom I am well pleased,' who fulfils the oath of God, and in him God performs his oath, whose righteousness is beyond that of the law of swearing, who is the glory of Israel,' if they will receive him; and the light of the Gentiles, to whom God never gave an oath; but to the Jews, unto whom he gave the rest of the types; and therefore should all the converted Jews and Gentiles hear him, the oath of God, and the law, and the prophets in the old time, and all the promises of him, who 'is set up from everlasting to everlasting, the first and last, the amen;' and therefore all christians, mind Christ's words, and hear and obey him that God hath sent, and believe that he is he that God hath sent, and obey his commands, for God hath performed his oath in him who came to fulfil the oath of God, that he gave to men in the Old Testament, who saith in his New Testament, 'swear not at all,' but let your yea be yea, and nay, nay, and whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil.'

And so the apostles were made 'able ministers of Christ, and of the New Testament, and not of the letter;' of the prophets and the law in the Old Testament in which there was swearing; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.'

'But if the ministration of the law written and engraven in stone was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away, [mark,] that glory was to be done away;' and do you think that swearing and oaths were not to be done away? if that glory was to be done away by Christ, how shall not the ministration of the spirit be glorious? for if the 'ministration of condemnation be glorious,' much more doth the 'ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.'

Now were not oaths and offerings, and all those figurative things in this ministration of condemnation?

For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the 'glory that excelleth,' &c. as you may read in 2 Cor. ii. 3. so 'Christ takes away the first, that he may establish the second:' so he takes away those oaths and offerings commanded of God in the first testament, and established in the second and New Testament in the