III. Whosoever taketh an oath, ought duly to con-

iT the weightiness of so solemn an aet, and therein avouch notliing but what he is fully persuaded is the t'lith^'. Neiilier may any man bind himself by oath to ; V thing but what is good and just, and what he believeth lo be, and what he is able and resolved to perform ''.
Yet
' ¥.y.ci\ XX. 7. [.S\. -• -.,, ■., J i.
". How shall I pardon thee for
? thy children have forsaken me,
! sworn by them that are no
: when I fed them to the full,
then conmirtted adultery, and
iihlcd themselves by troops in
iiarlots' houfccs. Matth. v. 34.
I say unto you, Swear not at
rcither by heaven, for it is
^ throne. Vtr. 37. But let your
fuuiiication be, Yea, yea; Nay,
r. ; : for whatsoever is more than
t' -e cometh of evil. James v. J 2.
above all things, my brethren,
r not; neither by heaven, nei-
by the e.irth, neither by any
r oath ; but let your yea l>e yea ;
your ,uay, nay ; lest ye fall into
•omation.
Hcb. vi. \6. For men verily
r by the greater: and an oath
jnlirmatioi! is to tht-m an end of
rife. 2 Cor. i. iiS, [Ser Utter h.]
.XV. \6. Tljat he who blc^&eth
If m ti^e earth, bhall bless hira-
.1 the God of truth ; and he that
reth m tlie earth, shail swear by
■ od oi truth ; btcaute the former
les ..re forgotten, and because
ai;^ hid from mine eyes.
1 K njrs viii. 31. If any man
tce^pass sigainst his i.eigUbour, ^lA
an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house. Neh, xiii. '25. And I contended wirh them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, say- ing, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take'their daugh- ters unto your i^ons, or for yourselves, Ezra X. 5. Then arose Ezra, and made* the thief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word • and they sware.