Canon 19 of the Synod of Aachen, c.801 CE.

Canon 19 of the Synod of Aachen, c.801 CE.

Source:  PL 97:220 [Translation mine.]


19. That no priest swear an oath, but speak all things simply, purely, truly.

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19. Ut nullus sacerdos quicquam cum iuramento iuret, sed simpliciter cum puritate et veritate omnia dicat.

Erasmus, Paraphrase on Matthew 5:33-37

Erasmus, Paraphrase on Matthew 5:33-37.

Published in 1522 CE, at the behest of Matthäus Schiner, Cardinal and bishop of Sion.

Source: Desiderius Erasmus. 2008. Paraphrase on Matthew, p. 106-108. Edited by Rober D. Sider. Translated by Dean Simpson. Vol. 45. Collected Works of Erasmus. University of Toronto Press.

Hear now another thing also. You have heard that your forbears received from tradition the simple precept that you should not swear falsely, but if they take an oath they should discharge it, inasmuch as they were now responsible to God, and not only to a human being. Hence among the Jews only perjury is punished; one who cheats his neighbour without committing perjury is not punished by the assembly. But the gospel law does condemn and punish such a person, for in order to protect you more completely from perjury, the gospel law utterly condemns all oath swearing. As a result, it is now not permitted to swear either by God or by those things that are commonly thought as having less binding power, that is, either by heaven since it is the throne of God, or by earth since it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem because it is the city of the great King, that is, of the one who created and directs all things. Nor would you swear, as the Barbarians do, by another’s head, over which you have no authority, but which is sacred to God who has created all things as he wished, whereas you are not able to make one black hair white, nor one white hair black. Since all things are sacred to God the creator, to swear by anything at all ought to be a matter of scruple.

Yet what need is there for any swearing among people not one of whom is distrustful thanks to his integrity, or desires to deceive thanks to his honesty (even if this could be done with impunity), especially in respect to those things for which they profess contempt? Therefore, a simple statement ought to be holier and more binding among ou that an oath can be among the Jews, however solemnly it is sworn, for since among you there should be nothing on your lips that is at odds with your thoughts, there will be no other use for words than to indicate to one another what is on your minds. In contracts there is no need to add oaths or curses or anything similar that serves through fear to bind the one who promises, and serves to give confidence to the one who demands the promise. Two words, yes and no, are quite enough to say that you will do what you have, with a simple statement, pledged to do, and that you will not do what you have promised not to do. For the one person is no less bound b a simple, unadorned word than is a Jew who swears by everything holy, and the other has no less reason to trust than if an oath had been interposed. But if anything is added to these simple words, it necessarily comes from sin. For either he who swears thinks ill of the one for whom he swears, or he who demands the oath has no trust. Neither is befitting you whom I want to be perfect in every way. And so although I absolutely forbid swearing, I do not abolish the law that forbids perjury, but I render the law more complete, and I move people farther away from that which the Law punishes.

Glossa Ordinaria on Matthew 5:33-37

Glossa Ordinaria on Matthew 5:33-37

Compiled in Laon in the early Twelfth century. Used widely in the Middle ages. Translation forthcoming from Jacob Wood.

Source: From the first printed edition of the Glossa Ordinaria, the Strasburg Incunable, prepared by Adolph Rusch c. 1480/1481 CE. Transcribed courtesy of those working on the Glossa Ordinaria project over at Glossae.net. The Glossa on Matthew 5:33-37 is available here, at pages 90-92.

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Iterum audistis quia dictum est antiquis:

Non periurabis : reddes autem Domino iuramenta tua.

Item in hoc non solvo sed suppleo legem

Ego autem dico vobis, non iurare omnino,

Longe facio a periurio dum iurare prohibeo. Sermo fidelis pro iuramento debet haberi. Iustum

neque per celum, quia thronus Dei est :

Et ita in eum Deum iuras.

neque per terram, quia scabellum est pedum eius :

Per peccatorem.

neque per Hierosolimam, quia civitas est regis magni:

Quando iuras per eam non propter eam sed quia culture Dei deputata est.

neque per caput tuum iuraveris,

Quamvis ad te nichil magis videatur pertinere.

quia non potes unum capillum album facere, aut nigrum

Quasi diceret : ‘quomodo nostrum est qui postestatem faciendi vel commutandi non habemus ?’

Sit autem sermo vester,

Qui iurare prohibuit loqui docet. Quando necessitas non cogit.

est, est, non, non,

De re que est. De re que non est.

quod autem his abundantius est, a malo est.

quia aliquando necesse est iurare et Paulus iurat licet a malo fiat.

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Reddes autem. Si iurare contigerit per creatorem iurabis, non per creaturam. Hoc enim per quod iurat quilibet veneratur, hoc amat, hoc timet. Ideo lex precipit ut non iuretur nisi per Deum. Iudei enim per angelos et Hierusalem et elementa iurantes, creaturas venerabantur honore Dei. Sicut enim victimas Deo immolabant ne eas ydolis immolarent, sic parvulis concessum est iurare per Deum, non quod recte hoc fiat, sed quia melius est hoc Deo exhiberi quam creaturis. Christus vero omnino iurare prohibet, id est ne quis quasi bonum appetat iusiurandum, et assiduitate iurandi, labatur in periurium. Iurat enim Paulus dum Deum testem facit , non quod bonum sit iurare, sed quod necessarium, dum nisi iuretur homines sunt pigri credere quod est eis utile.

Qui non iurat peierare non potest, sicut qui non loquitur non potest mentiri.

Ego autem dico vobis. Docet nil tam vile in creaturis quod quis peierare debeat, dum a summo usque ad imum iuramentum vetat, id est a celo usque ad capillum. In Deum peierare convincitur cuius thronus est celum et cuius est quicquid est. ‘In celo’ dicitur ‘Deus sedere terramque calcare’, non quod habeat membra sic locata, sed quia in corpore mundi maxima species est celi, minima terre. Dicitur ‘sedere’, quasi excellentiori presentior pulcritudini, minimam iudicet et ordinet in infimis. Sedes enim Dei iudicium significat. Mystice : celum est anima iusti, terra peccatoris. Et quia ‘Spiritualis omnia iudicat, et a nemine iudicatur’ , ‘sedere’ dicitur. Peccator, quia per iusticiam in infimis ordinatur et sub lege ponitur, ‘scabellum pedum’ dicitur.

Per celum quia. Illi, vel celum plus aliquid suspicabantur, vel per illud iurantes non putabant se iuramento teneri, ideo sententiam sic temperat, ut et celum creatura Dei credatur, non plus aliquid, et quia thronus eius est, periurium timeatur. Sic et de terra, quia scabellum pedum eius. Qui ergo per creaturam iurat, illi debet iuramentum qui eam creavit et regit nec alii recte putatur reddi.

Non iuremus per creaturas ut veneremur eas ultra quam debemus. Non iuremus per eas ut viles existimemus ut scilicet cum per eas iuremus nichil iura reputemus.

Neque per terram. Alii per salutem pharaonis, qui Dei iudicio positus est in infimis. ‘Non est potestas nisi a Deo’ , et in hoc Deum iuras.

Neque per caput tuum. Quod non est tuum opus sed Dei, et ita in minimis Deum iurando, periurium incurrere potes.

Qui per caput iurat illi debet cuius figura et potestas in eo manet.

Quia non potes etc. Hec predicta cum sint ardua et difficilia, nemo sine spiritu fortitudinis servat.

Compellit ad perfectionem, dum tollit iurandi occasionem.

Est est, non non. Ideo bis dicit, ut quod ore dicis operibus probes, quod verbis negas factis non comprobes vel confirmes.

Non penitus iurare prohibuit, sed occasione periurii, quod perfectius est docuit, ostendens quod ulterius est a malo esse. Apostolus iurat ut fidem persuadeat, ecclesia etiam pro federe pacis ac fidei suos inurare concedit. Sed Christus quod perfectius est docuit, quod infirmitatis indulsit, quod supersticiosum, resecavit.

Veritas evangelii iuramentum non recipit, sed alterius infirmitas id cogit, dum veritati non credit.

A malo est. Non quidem malum, quia etsi non bonum, tamen necessarium sed a malo est, non tuo sed illius a quo cogeris iurare, id est ab infirmitate illius que malum est.

Pseudo-Maximus the Confessor, Loci Communes, Logos 33 - On Oaths

Pseudo-Maximus the Confessor, Loci Communes, Logos 33 - On Oaths

Greek florilegium compiled in 10th century. Translation forthcoming.

Source: PG 91: 892-893.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΓ´.

Περί ὄρκου.

Ματθ. ε´. - Λέγω ὑμῖν μή ὁμόσαι ὅλως, μήτε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὅτι θρόνος ἐστί τοῦ Θεοῦ, μήτε ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὅτι ὑποπόδιόν ἐστι τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ.

Ἰακ. ε´. - Πρό πάντων δέ, ἀδελφοί μου, μή ὀμνύετε·  μήτε τόν οὐρανόν μήτε τήν γῆν, μήτε ἄλλον τινά ὄρκον·  ἔστω δέ ὑμῶν τό, Ναί, ναί, καί τό, Οὔ, οὔ.

Σολομ. ιδ´. - Ἀδίκως ὤμοσαν ἐν δόλῳ καταφρονήσαντες ὁσιότητος. Οὐ γάρ ἡ τῶν ὀμνυομένων δύναμις, ἀλλ᾿ ἡ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων δίκη, ἐπεξέρχεται ἀεί τήν τῶν ἀδίκων παράβασιν.

Σιράχ κγ´. - Ὥσπερ οἰκέτης ἐξεταζόμενος ἐνδελεχῶς, ἀπό μώλωπος οὐκ ἐλαττωθήσεται·  οὕτως ὁ ὀμνύων καί ὀνομάζων Θεόν διαπαντός ἄνθρωπος, ἀπό ἁμαρτίας οὐ καθαρισθήσεται.

Σιράχ κγ´. - Ἀνήρ πολύορκος πλησθήσεται ἀνομίας, καί οὐκ ἀποστήσεται ἀπό τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ μάστιξ.

Πιστούμενος τό ψεῦδος διά τῶν ὄρκων, κακόν ἐμπόρευμα τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας τήν ἐπιορκίαν προσκτᾶται.

Βασιλ. - Αἰσχρόν γάρ παντελῶς καί ἀνόητον ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορεῖν, ὡς ἀναξίου πίστεως, καί τήν τῶν ὄρκων ἀσφάλειαν ἐπιφέρεσθαι.

Θεολ. -- Ὁ μέν γάρ εὐορκῶν, τυχόν ἄν ποτε καί παρασφαλείη·  ὁ δέ μή ὀμνύων, τόν τῆς ἐπιορκίας κίνδυνον διαπέφευγε.

Ὁ νόμος φησίν, Οὐκ ἐπιορκήσῃς·  σύ δέ Οὐδέ ὀμῇ τήν ἀρχήν, οὐ μικρόν οὐ μεῖζον·  ὡς τοῦ ὄρκου τήν ἐπιορκίαν τίκτοντος.

Χρυσόστ. - Οἱ συκοφάνται τό ψεῦδος πιπράσκουσιν·  ἀλλήλους ψευδόμενοι τούς ὄρκους ἀνήλωσαν, εἰς τό ὀμνύειν, καί μόνον, τόν Θεόν ἐπιστάμενοι.

Σωκράτης. - Δεῖ γάρ τούς ἀγαθούς ἄνδρας, τρόπον ὄρκου πιστότερον φαίνεσθαι παρεχομένους.

Ὅρκον ἐπακτόν προσδέχου διά δύο προφάσεις·  ἤ σεαυτόν αἰτίας ἀπολύων, ἤ φίλους ἐκ μεγάλων κινδύνων διασώζων.

Ἕνεκεν χρημάτων μηδαμῶς Θεόν ὀμόσῃς·  μηδ᾿ ἄν εὐορκεῖν μέλλεις·  δόξεις γάρ, τοῖς μέν ἐπιορκεῖν, τοῖς δέ φιλοχρημάτως ἔχειν.

Ἀμφίδος.- Ὅστις γάρ ὀμνύοντι μηδέν πείθεται, Αὐτός ἐπιορκεῖν ῥᾳδίως ἐπίσταται.

Οἱ πολλοί τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τό εὐόρκους εἶναι παραινοῦσιν·  ἐγώ δέ καί τήν ἀρχήν μηδ᾿ εὐπετῶς ὀμνῦναι ὅσιον ἀποφαίνομαι.

Εὐσεβίου. - Τρόπου καλοκαγαθίαν, ὅρκου δεῖ. Πιστοτέραν ἔχειν.