Peter Cantor, Verbum Abbreviatum, 127

Peter Cantor, Verbum Abbreviatum, 127

Written c. 1187 CE as a moral guide for the clergy of Paris.

Source: PL 205:321-323 [Translation mine; first draft]

127. The Avoidance of Oaths

Do not accustom yourself to swearing with your “face set toward Jerusalem” [Luke 9:53], for “in many words there shall not be want of sin.”[Prov. 10:19], for in many oaths, there will be perjury.

It appears that all swearing is prohibited by the words of the Lord [in Matth. cap. V]: “you have heard that it was said to them of old, Thou shalt not forswear thyself: but thou shalt perform thy oaths to the Lord.” By Him, but not by idols or creatures shall you swear. “But I say to you do not swear at all,” etc. and in James [cap. V]: Above all my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or by earth” etc. Likewise the grievous account of Origen’s disciple, [Basilides, in Eusebius HE VI.5] when after a time, an oath of fidelity was required of him and he responded that he had a change of heart; for he was a Christian, so it was not permitted for him to swear at all, for this was added to the perfection of the law.

If you say that the Gospel is the same as the Law and prohibits false swearing "do not lie, do not give false witness." And if it prohibits swearing, it is only out for necessity for the frequency of swearing and that it is the same as this "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." Yet, under the Gospel, for all our imperfection, men swear far more frequently and frivolously, than under the Law. If we should swear an oath for the benefit of the hearer, because of its authority when men are slow to trust, then it is licit to use an oath for what is usefully persuaded; but of what nature may this use be? Not for the temporal, but for the spiritual. In such a case it is lawful to swear as in the example of the Apostle [1Cor XV] but not for a temporal or transient matter, but rather I say only if it adds to the perfection of the Gospel. As the Apostle induces “the oath is the end of all controversy," not for himself, but for others.

The Lord also said: 'Let your speech be Yes, yes; No, no; for whatsoever is more than those comes from evil' (Matt. v. 37) – evil, not on the part of him that swears, but rather of him that makes another swear. Therefore, it is from evil when the Canon [law] compels the oath when it requires him to bear witness, as all witness are required to swear. It is also of evil, whenever a prelate compels a man to swear; and it appears to compel another to transgress the Lord’s precept. Likewise, by my own wish, I can undertake all other evangelical perfections; why not this one? Why do we proclaim any man who keeps this a Cathar?

Some oaths are from creeping habit, others from deliberation. Men plead that the first is merely in jest, but it would appear to be a crime. A simple word would suffice to communicate the joke, the addition of the oath makes it more than a joke. The oath has three companions: truth, judgment and justice; yet this oath has no such companions; it is perjury Furthermore, in some courts it is forbidden with a punishment of five shillings to swear by the limbs of the Lord. Some however prefer to have their own brand of detestable oath to distinguish themselves. A cleric tricks a Jew, when they make an agreement, he catches the Jew without an oath for he says he is forced to abstain from oaths; yet he has many blasphemies on his heart and mouth and pisses many oaths. Following the encounter with the Jew, he immediately returns to his blasphemies.

Likewise, Ecclesiasticus stigmatises habitual swearing [Sir. 23] “Let your mouth not be accustomed to swearing: for there are many falls” and ruins, “in it. Do not let the name of God be continually on your tongue, and trifle not with the names of saints, for you shall not escape them. Just as a servant who is constantly under scrutiny will not lack bruises, so also the person who always swears and utters the Name,” the name of God, “will not be purged of sin. A man that swears much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house. And if he makes it void against his brother, his sin shall be upon him: and if he dissembles it, he offends doubly. And if he swears in vain, he shall not be justified.” In the same work [Sir. 27]: “The speech that swears much shall make the hair of the head stand upright: and its irreverence shall make one stop his ears.” Also, in Wisdom [Wis. 14] “He has sworn unjustly, in contempt of justice. For it is not the power of the things by which people swear, but the just penalty for those who sin, that always pursues the transgression of the unrighteous."

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CAPUT CXXVII. De vitando iuramento.

Non habet « faciem euntis in Ierusalem (Luc. IX) » assuefactus iurare. Sicut enim « in multiloquio non deerit peccatum (Prov. X) , » sic nec in multiiurio periurium. Quod autem omnino sit nobis prohibitum iurare videtur ex verbis Domini in Matth. cap. V: « Audistis quia dictum est antiquis (Exod. XX) : Non peierabis; reddes autem Domino iuramenta tua, » per illum, non per idola, non per creaturas iurando: « Ego autem dico vobis non iurare omnino, » etc. Item Iacobus cap. V: « Ante omnia, fratres mei, nolite iurare, neque per coelum, neque per terram, » etc. Item, exemplo discipuli (Is fuit Basilides, de quo Eusebius Hist. eccl. l. VI, c. (0322B) 4; Ruffin., cap. 5) Origenis implicati ratiociniis curiae. A quo cum exigeretur iuramentum de fidelitate villicationis, respondit: Mutatus sum in virum alium; Christianus sum, nec licet mihi omnino iurare: quod si modo licet, quaere quid additum sit perfectioni legis. Si dixeris quod Evangelium falsum iurare prohibeat, et hoc idem lex prohibet ibi: « Non mentieris, non falsum testimonium dices. » Si prohibet iurare, non nisi ex necessitate, et ita frequentiam iurandi; et hoc idem lex ibi: « Non assumes nomen Dei tui in vanum; » imo econtra ad imperfectionem nostram, sub Evangelio multo pluries, et frequentius, et in minoribus causis iuratur quam sub lege. (0322C) Si propter utilitatem audientis iurandum est, eo quod habeat auctoritas, cum pigri sint homines credere, licet iuramento astruere, id quod utiliter persuadetur; sed de utilitate rei cuiusmodi? Non temporalis, sed fidei et spiritualis. In hoc casu licet iurare exemplo Apostoli (I Cor. XV) , non autem pro re temporali et caduca. Ita dico, si aliquid additum est perfectioni evangelicae. Quod autem inducit Apostolus: « Omnis controversiae finem esse iuramentum (Hebr. VI) , » non sub persona sua, sed aliorum, hoc ponit. Dominus etiam ait: « Sit sermo vester: Est, est; Non, non; quod amplius est, a malo est (Matth. V) , » iurare facientis, non iurantis. (0322D) Ergo a malo est canonis, qui cogit iurare, quia et testimonium ferre; nec est testis nisi iuratus, ergo a malo cuiuscunque praelati iurare cogentis, et ita cogi videmur transgredi praeceptum Domini.

Item, si omnes alias perfectiones evangelicas ex voto possum suscipere et implere; quare et non similiter hoc consilium perfectionis? Vel, cur hoc observantem statim proclamamus Catharum? Iuramentum autem quoddam fit ex obreptione, quoddam ex deliberatione. Primum dicunt esse verbum iocosum, cum tamen videatur esse crimen. Simplex enim verbum per se prolatum, iocosum est: ergo iuramentum ei additum, facit illud esse plus quam iocosum. Item, iuramentum tres habet comites: veritatem, iudicium et iustitiam; sed hoc, hos non habet comites, ergo periurium est. (0323A) Sed et in curiis quorumdam principum inhibitum est sub pretio quinque solidorum in poenam constituto, ne quis iuret per membra Domini. Quidam tamen, quasi charactere et iuramento proprio, et exsecrabili ab aliis distinguuntur. Clericus etiam ludens cum Iudaeo ex condicto pro pecunia, ne eam raperet Iudaeus, abstinuit a iuramento; dicens ei: Abstinendo a iuramento, quasi coactus, maiores blasphemias locutus sum de Deo in corde quam in ore, si iurare me permisisses. A quo Iudaeus, tanquam a blasphemo statim recessit. Item Ecclesiasticus sugillans assuefactionem iurandi, ait cap. XXIII: « Iurationi non assuescat os tuum: Multi enim casus » et ruinae « in illa. Nominatio vero Dei non sit assidua in ore tuo, et nominibus sanctorum non admiscearis, quoniam non eris immunis ab eis. (0323B) Sicut enim servus interrogatus assidue a livore non minuitur, sic omnis iurans et nominans, » nomen Dei, « in toto a peccato non purgabitur. Vir multum iurans implebitur iniquitate, et non discedet a domo illius plaga; et si frustraverit fratrem, delictum illius super ipsum erit, et si dissimulaverit, delinquet dupliciter; et si in vacuum iuraverit, non iustificabitur. » In eodem, cap. XXVII: « Loquela multum iurans horripilationem capiti statuet, et irreverentia ipsius obturatio aurium. » Item Sapientiae cap. XIV: « Iniuste iurantes contemnunt iustitiam. Non enim iurantium est virtus, sed peccantium poena perambulat semper iniustorum praevaricationem. »