PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

UathJ.
firmed, by a passage in the twenty-third chapter
of the same Gospel, where a ~imiiar distinct!on,
made by the Scribes and Pharisees, is replied to in
the same manner.
s. Our Saviour himself beL,g "adjured by the
Jiving God," to declare whether he was the Chri .. t,
the Son of God, or not, condescended to answer the
high priest, without making any objection to the
t;at:! (for such it was) upon which he exa.'11ined
him. " God is my WitlleS$," says St. Po"l to !he Romons,
" that without ceasing I make mention of you
in my prayers :" and to the Corinthians still more
strongly, " I call God for a record upon my soul, that to
~pare you, I came not as yet to C(;Tinth." Both these
expressions contain the nature of o;;.ths. The epistle
to the Hebrews speaks of the custom of swearing
judiciaHy, without any mark of censure or disapprobation:
"Men verily swear by the greater, and
an oath, for confirmation, is to them an end of all
strife."
Upon the strength of these reasons, we .?xplain
our Saviour's words to relate, not to judicial oaths,
but to the practice of vain, wanton, and unauthorized
swearing, in common discourse. St. JomeJ'
words, chap. v. 12. are not so str0I\g as our Saviour's,
and therefore admit the same explanation
with more ease.
IV. Oaths are nugatory, that is, carry with them
· no proper force or obligation, unless we believe, that
God will punish false swearing with more severity
than a simple lie, or breach of promise; for which
belief there are the following reasons:
]. re1~ry_t~-~!t- Qfgrea_te~._deli!>~a~i?1h The
juror has the thought of God and of rehglOn upon
his mind at the time; at least, there are very few
\vho can shake them off entirely. He offends, therefore,
if he do offend, with a high hand, in the face,
that is, in defiance of the sanctions of religion. His
offence implies a disbelief or contempt of God's