As  we  confess  that  vain  and  rash  swearing  is  forbidden  Christian  men,
by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  James  His  Apostle,  so  we  judge  that
the  Christian  religion  doth  not  prohibit  but  that  a  man  may  swear
when  the  magistrate  requireth,  in  a  cause  of  faith  and  charity,  so  it  be-
done  according  to  the  prophefs  teaching,  in  justice,  judgment,  and
truth.
An  oath  is  an  appeal  to  God  for  the  truth  and  sin-
cerity of  what  is  said  or  promised.  As  an  appeal
truly  made  is  a  sort  of  committing  the  matter  to
Him;  so  di,  false  oath  is  an  open  defiance  of  Him,  or
a  presumptuous  venturing  upon  His  wrath.  Hence
an  oath  is  the  highest  degree  of  confirmation  of  faith

•  2  Thess.  iiL  10.
448  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  pabtiy.
between  man  and  man,  and  is  a  very  powerful  mean
for  preserving  justice  and  order  in  the  world ;  and
the  administration  of  oaths,  in  judicial  matters,  has
prevailed  universally.  The  practice  is  not  contraiy
to  Scripture.  Oaths  were  used  by  the  Patriarchs ;
e.  jr.  Abraham  sware  by  Ood  to  Abimelech,  that  he
would  deal  faithfully  with  him  *.  There  was  a  spe-
cial constitution  under  the  Law,  by  which  a  person
in  authority  might  put  others  under  oath^  and  adjure
them  to  declare  the  truth.  Thus  the  High  Priest
adjured  Christ  to  tell  him  whether  He  was  the  Mes-
sias ;  and  then  He  declared  Himself  to  be  what  He
truly  was,  though  He  had  been  silent  before  t-  St.
Paul  says,  that  "  an  oath  for  confirmation  is  the  end
of  all  controversy."  He  also  frequently  calls  God  to
witness  the  truth  of  what  he  says.
