1) A lawful oath is a part of religious worship,
wherein the person swearing in truth, righteousness, and
judgement, solemnly calleth God to witness what he
sweareth,a and to judge him according to the
truth or falseness thereof.b
(a Exodus
20:7, Deuteronomy 10:20, Jeremiah 4:2;
b 2
Chronicles 6:22,23)
2) The name of God only is that by which men ought to
swear; and therein it is to be used, with all holy fear and
reverence; therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious
and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any other thing, is
sinful, and to be abhorred;c yet as in matter
of weight and moment, for confirmation of truth, and ending all
strife, an oath is warranted by the word of
God;d so a lawful oath being imposed by lawful
authority in such matters, ought to be
taken.e
(c Matthew
5:34,37, James
5:12; d Hebrews
6:16, 2
Corinthians 1:23; e Nehemiah
13:25)
3) Whosoever taketh an oath warranted by the Word of
God, ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act,
and therein to avouch nothing but what he knoweth to be truth;
for that by rash, false, and vain oaths, the Lord is provoked,
and for them this land mourns.f
(f Leviticus
19:12, Jeremiah
23:10)
4) An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense
of the words, without equivocation or mental
reservation.g
(g Psalms
24:4)
5) A vow, which is not to be made to any creature, but
to God alone, is to be made and performed with all religious care
and faithfulness;h but popish monastical vows
of perpetual single life,i professed
poverty,j and regular obedience, are so far
from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are
superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may
entangle himself.k
(h Psalms
76:11, Genesis
28:20-22; i 1
Corinthians 7:2,9; j Ephesians 4:28;
k Matthew
19:11)