Church of England, First Book of Homilies [1543], Homily 7 Against Swearing and Perjury

Church of England, First Book of Homilies, Homily 7 Against Swearing and Perjury [1543]

From the first authorised book of homilies of the Church of England. Written by Thomas Cranmer (or under his supervision) in 1542/1543. First published and authorised in 1547 with minor emendations in the following decades. In this critical edition, textual emendations are indicated by a combination of italics for deletion and bold type for additions. The year and edition in which the change was made is indicated in square brackets after the alteration in question. Thus for example attestation calling to witness [1559] indicates that in 1559 the word ‘attestation’ which had appeared in previous editions, was altered to ‘calling to witness.’ Those who want the original text need only ignore the words in bold type but keep those in italics, whilst those who want the currently authorised text will do the opposite – include the words in bold type but ignore those in italics.

Source: Bray, Gerald. The Books of Homilies: A Critical Edition. ISD LLC, 2016

7. Against Swearing and Perjury.

1. Almighty God, to the intent his most holy name should be had in honour and evermore be magnified of the people, commandeth that no man should take his name vainly in his mouth, threatening punishment unto him that unreverently abuseth it by swearing, forswearing and blasphemy. To the intent therefore that this commandment may be the better known and kept, it shall be declared unto you both how it is lawful for Christian people to swear and also what peril and danger it is vainly to swear or to be forsworn.

First, when judges require oaths of the people for declaration (or opening) [1559] of the truth or for execution of justice, this manner of swearing is lawful. Also, when men make faithful promises with attestation calling to witness [ 1559] of the name of God to observe keep [1559] covenants, honest promises, statutes, laws and good customs, as Christian princes do in their conclusions of peace for conservation of commonwealths, and private persons promise their fidelity in matrimony, or one to another in honest and true friendship; and all men when they do swear to keep common laws or local statutes and good customs for due order to be had and continued among men; when subjects do swear to be true and faithful to their king and sovereign lord, and when judges, magistrates and officers swear truly to execute their offices, and when a man would affirm the truth to the setting forth of God's glory for the salvation of the people in open preaching of the gospel, or in giving of good counsel privately for their soul's health; all these manner of swearings for causes necessary and honest be lawful. But when men do swear of custom, in reasoning, buying and selling, or other daily communication, as many be common and great swearers, such kind of swearing is ungodly, unlawful and prohibited forbidden [1559] by the commandment of God, for such swearing is nothing else but taking of God's holy name in vain.

And here is to be noted that lawful swearing is not forbidden but commanded of Almighty God. For we have examples of Christ and godly men in Holy Scripture that did swear themselves and required oaths of other likewise. And God's commandment is: 'Thou shalt dread thy Lord God, and shalt swear by his name.' ¹ And Almighty God by his prophet David saith: 'All men shall be praised that swear by him. '² Thus did our Saviour Christ swear divers times, saying 'verily, verily'.³ And Saint Paul sweareth thus: 'I call God to witness. '⁴ And Abraham, waxing old, required an oath of his servant that he should procure a wife for his son Isaac, which should come out of his own kindred, and the servant did swear that he would perform his master's will.⁵ Abraham also, being required, did swear unto Abimelech the king of Gerar that he should not hurt him nor his posterity, and so likewise did Abimelech swear unto Abraham.⁶ And David did swear to be and to continue a faithful friend to Jonathan, and Jonathan did swear to become a faithful friend unto David.⁷

Also God once commanded that if a thing were laid to pledge to any man or left with him to keep, if the same thing were stolen or lost, that the keeper thereof should be sworn before judges that he did not convey it away nor used any deceit in causing the same to be conveyed away by his consent or knowledge.⁸ And Saint Paul saith that in all matters of controversy between two persons, whereas one saith yea and the other nay, so as no due proof can be bad of the truth, the end of every such controversy must be an oath ministered by a judge.⁹

And moreover God by the prophet Jeremiah saith: 'Thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, in righteousness.'¹⁰ So that whosoever sweareth when he is required of a judge, let him be sure in his conscience that his oath have these three conditions and he shall never need to be afraid of perjury. First, he that sweareth must swear that he sweareth [1547/3] truly, that is, be must, secluding setting apart [1559] all favour and affection to the parties, have the truth only before his eyes and for love thereof say and speak that which be knoweth to be truth, and no further. The second is, he that taketh an oath must do it with judgment, not rashly and unadvisedly, but soberly, considering what an oath is. The third is, he that sweareth must swear in righteousness, that is, for the very zeal and love which he beareth to the defence of innocency, to the maintenance of the truth and to the [ 1547 /6] righteousness of the matter or cause, all profit, disprofit, all love and favour unto the person for friendship or kindred, laid apart. Thus an oath, if it have with it these three conditions, is a part of God's glory which we are bound by his commandment to give unto him, for be willeth that we shall swear only by his name. Not that he hath pleasure in our oaths, but like as he commanded the Jews to offer sacrifices unto him, not for any delight that he had in them, but to keep the Jews from committing of idolatry, so he, commanding us to swear by his holy name, doth not teach us that he delighteth in swearing, but he thereby forbiddeth all men to give his glory to any creature in heaven, earth or water.¹¹

Hitherto you see that oaths lawful are commanded of God, used of patriarchs and prophets, of Christ himself, and of his apostle Paul. Therefore Christian people must think lawful oaths both godly and necessary. For by lawful promises and covenants, confirmed by oaths, princes and their countries are confirmed in common tranquillity and peace. By holy promises, with attestation of God's name calling the name of God to witness [1559], we be made lively members of Christ when we profess his religion, receiving the sacrament of baptism. By like holy promise the sacrament of matrimony knitteth man and wife in perpetual love, that they desire not to be separated for any displeasure or adversity that shall after happen. By lawful oaths which kings, princes, judges and magistrates do swear common laws are kept inviolate, justice is indifferently ministered, innocent harmless [1559] persons, orphans fatherless children [1559], widows and poor men are defended from murderers, oppressors and thieves, that they suffer no wrong, nor take any harm. By lawful oaths mutual society, amity and good order is kept continually in all commonalities, as boroughs, cities, towns and villages. And by lawful oaths malefactors are searched out. Wrongdoers are punished and they which sustain wrong are restored to their right. Therefore lawful swearing cannot be evil, which bringeth unto us so many godly, good and necessary commodities.

Wherefore, when Christ so earnestly forbad swearing, it may not be so understanded as though he did forbid all manner of oaths, but he forbiddeth all vain swearing and forswearing, both by God and by his creatures, as the common use of swearing in buying, selling, and in our daily communication; to the intent every Christian man's word should be as well regarded in such matters as if he should confirm his communication with an oath. For 'every Christian man's word', saith Saint Jerome, 'should be so true that it should be regarded as an oath.'¹² And Chrysostom, witnessing the same, saith: 'It is not convenient to swear, for what needeth us to swear when it is not Lawful for one of us to make a lie unto another?'¹³

Peradventure some will say. I am compelled to swear, for else men that do common with me or do buy and sell with me will not believe me. To this answereth Saint Chrysostom, that he that thus saith showeth himself to be an unjust and a deceitful person, for if he were a trusty man and his deeds taken to agree with his words, he should not need to swear at all.¹⁴ For he that useth truth and plainness in his bargaining and communication, he shall have no need by such vain swearing to ring himself in credence with his neighbours, nor his neighbours will not mistrust his sayings. And if bis credence be so much lost indeed that he thinketh no man will believe him without he swear, then he may well think his credence is clean gone. For truth it is, as Theophylact writeth, that 'no man is less trusted than he that useth much to swear.'¹⁵ And Almighty God by the wise man saith: 'That man which sweareth much shall be full of sin, and the scourge of God shall not depart from his house.'¹⁶

But here some men will say, for excusing of their many oaths in their daily talk, Why should I not swear when I swear truly? To such men it may be said that though they swear truly, yet in swearing often, unadvisedly, for trifles, without necessity and when they should not swear, they be not without fault but do take God's most holy name in vain. Much more ungodly and unwise men are they that abuse God's most holy name, not only in buying and selling of small things daily in all places, but also in eating, drinking, playing, commoning and reasoning, as if none of these things might be done, except in doing of them the most holy name of God be commonly used and abused, vainly and unreverently talked of, sworn by and forsworn, to the breaking of God's commandment and procurement of his indignation.

2. You have been taught in the first part of this sermon against swearing and perjury what great danger it is to use the name of God in vain, and that all kind of swearing is not unlawful, neither against God's commandment; and that there be three things required in a lawful oath; first, that it be made for the maintenance of the truth; second, that it be made with judgment, not rashly and unadvisedly; thirdly, for the zeal and love of justice. Ye heard also what commodities cometh of lawful oaths and what danger cometh of rash and unlawful oaths. Now as concerning the rest of the same matter, ye shall understand that And [1549] as well they use the name of God in vain that by an oath make unlawful [1576] promises of good and honest things and perform them not, as they which do promise evil and unlawful things and do perform the same.

Of such men that regard not their godly promises confirmed bound [1559] by an oath, but wittingly and wilfully break them, we do read in Holy Scripture two notable punishments. First, Joshua and the people of Israel made a league and faithful promise of perpetual amity and friendship with the Gibeonites; notwithstanding, afterward in the days of wicked Saul many of these Gibeonites were murdered, contrary to the said faithful promise made.¹⁷ Wherewith Almighty God was so sore displeased that he sent an universal famine hunger [1559) upon the whole country which continued by the space of three years, and God would not withdraw his punishment until the said offence was revenged by the death of seven sons or near kinsmen of King Saul. Also, whereas Zedekiah king of Jerusalem had promised fidelity to the king of Chaldaea, afterward, when Zedekiah, contrary to his oath and allegiance, did rebel against King Nebuchadnezzar, this heathen king, by God's permission and sufferance [1559], invading the land of Jewry and besieging the city of Jerusalem, compelled the said King Zedekiah to flee, and in fleeing took him prisoner, slew his sons before his face and put our both his eyes, and binding him with chains led him prisoner miserably into Babylon.¹⁸ Thus doth God show plainly how much he abhorreth breakers of honest promises confirmed bound [ 1559] by an oath made in his name.

And of them that make wicked promises by an oath and will perform the same we have example in the Scripture, chiefly of Herod, of the wicked Jews and of Jephthah. Herod promised by an oath unto the damsel which danced before him 'to give unto her whatsoever she would ask', when she was instructed before of her wicked mother to ask the head of Saint John Baptist. Herod, as he took a wicked oath, so he more wickedly performed the same and cruelly slew the most holy prophet.¹⁹ Likewise did the malicious Jews 'make an oath, cursing themselves if they did either eat or drink until they had slain Saint Paul. '²⁰ And Jephthah, when God had given him victory of the children of Ammon, promised of a foolish devotion unto God, to offer for a sacrifice unto him that person which of his own house should first meet with him after his return home. By force of which fond and unadvised oath he did slay his own and only daughter, which came out of his house with mirth and joy to welcome him home.²¹ Thus the promise which he made most foolishly to God, against God's eternal everlasting [1559] will and the law of nature most cruelly he performed, so committing against God double offence. Therefore, whosoever maketh any promise binding himself thereunto by an oath, let him foresee that the thing which he promiseth be good, honest and not against the commandment of God, and that it be in our his [1547/2] own power to perform it justly, and such good promises must all men keep evermore assuredly. But if a man at any time shall either of ignorance or of malice promise and swear to do anything which is either against the law of Almighty God or not in his power to perform let him take it for an unlawful and ungodly oath.

Now something to speak of perjury. To the intent you should know how great and grievous an offence against God this wilful perjury is, I will show you what it is to take an oath before a judge upon a book. First, when they, laying their hands upon the gospel book, do swear truly to inquire and to make a true presentment of things wherewith they be charged and not to let from saying the truth and doing truly for favour, love, dread or malice of any person, as God may help them and the holy contents of that book, they must consider that in that book is contained God's everlasting truth, his most holy and eternal Word, whereby we have forgiveness of our sins and be made inheritors of heaven, to live for ever with God's angels and his saints in joy and gladness. In the gospel book is contained also God's terrible threats to obstinate sinners that will not amend their lives nor believe the truth of God, his holy Word and the everlasting pain prepared in hell for idolaters, hypocrites, for false and vain swearers, for perjured men, for false witness bearers, for false condemners of innocent and guiltless men, and for them which for favour hide the crimes of malefactors evildoers [ 1559], that they should not be punished. So that whosoever wilfully forsweareth himself upon Christ's holy evangely, they utterly forsake God's mercy, goodness and truth, the merits of our Saviour Christ's nativity, life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension; they refuse the forgiveness of sins promised to all penitent sinners, the joys of heaven, the company with angels and saints for ever; all which benefits and comforts are promised unto true Christian persons in the gospel. And they, so being forsworn upon the gospel, do betake themselves to the devil's service, the master of all lies, falsehood, deceit and perjury, provoking the great indignation and curse of God against them in this life, and the terrible wrath and judgment of our Saviour Christ at the great day of the last judgment, when he shall justly judge both the quick and the dead according to their works. For whosoever forsaketh the truth for love or displeasure of any man, or for lucre and profit to himself, doth forsake Christ and with Judas betrayeth him. And although such perjured men's falsehood be now kept secret, yet it shall be opened at the last day when the secrets of all men's hearts shall be manifest to all the world, and then the truth shall appear and accuse them, and their own conscience, with all the blessed company of heaven, shall bear witness truly against them; and Christ the righteous judge shall then justly condemn them to everlasting shame and death.

This sin of perjury Almighty God, by the prophet Malachi, doth threaten to punish sore, saying unto the Jews: 'I will come to you in judgment and I will be a swift witness' and a sharp judge 'upon sorcerers, adulterers and perjured persons.'²² Which thing to the prophet Zechariah God declareth in a vision, wherein the prophet saw a book flying which was twenty cubits long and ten cubits broad, God saying then unto him: 'This is the curse that shall go forth upon the face of the earth for falsehood, false swearing and perjury; and this curse shall enter into the house of the false man and into the house of the perjured man, and it shall remain in the midst of his house and consume him, the timber and stones of his house. '²³ Thus you see how much God doth hate perjury and what punishment God hath prepared for false swearers and perjured persons.

Thus you have heard how and in what causes it is lawful for a Christian man to swear; ye have heard what properties and conditions a lawful oath must have, and also how such lawful oaths are both godly and necessary to be observed; ye have heard that it is not lawful to swear vainly, that is, other ways than in such causes and after such sort as is declared, and finally ye have heard how damnable a thing it is either to forswear ourselves or to keep an unlawful and unadvised oath. Wherefore let us earnestly call for grace, that all vain swearing and perjury set apart, we may only use such oaths as be lawful and godly and that we may truly, without all fraud, observe keep [1559] the same according to God's will and pleasure. To whom with the Son and Holy Ghost be all honour and glory. Amen.

 

---

1. Deut.6:13.

2. Psa. 63:11.

3. John 3:3, 11.

4. 2 Cor. 1 :23.

5. Gen. 24: 1-9.

6. Gen. 2 1:21- 31.

7. I Sam. 18:3, 20: 12- 17, 42.

8. Ex. 22:10-11.

9. Heb. 6:16.

10. Jer. 4:2.

11. Isa. 42:8; Psa. 150:6.

12. Comm in Matt., 5.34--37.

13. Chromatius, Tractatus in Matt., 9.11. The mistaken reference to Chrysostom is probably the result of a confusion arising from the fact that both names begin with the same three letters. There is a similar confusion in the Corpus iuris canonici, X, 2.22.5.

14. John Chrysostom, Hom in Eph., 2. See also his Hom ad populum Antioch., 7 and Hom in Acta, 9.

15. Theophylact ofOchrid, Comm. in Matt., 5.37.

16. Sir.23: 11.

17. Isa.9:3-15;2Sam.21:l-14.

18. 2 Kings 24: 17 and 25:7.

19. Matt. 14:6-11.

20. Acts23: 12.

21. Judg. 11:30- 39.

22. Mai. 3:5.

23. Zech. 5: 1-4.

James Gallagher, Sermon XV – Against Swearing

James Gallagher, Sermon XV – Against Swearing

Sermon from James Gallagher, Bishop of Raphoe (later of Kildare) published in Irish in 1736. Translated by James Byrne.

Source: The Sermons of... Dr. Gallagher, Translated from the Original Irish by J... - James O'GALLAGHER (successively R.C. Bishop of Raphoe and of Kildare.) - Google Books p. 165-177

 

AGAINST SWEARING.

“Above all things, my brethren, swear not.” – St. James, v. 12

Jesus Christ, in the 13th chapter of St. Matthew, informs us of a husbandman who sowed good wheat in his field, and that the enemy came by night and sowed tares among the wheat. When the servants were about to pick up the tares, and banish them from the wheat, he forbid them to do so till the harvest day, and that then they should make bundles of the tares, and burn them. Matt. xiii. 30.

This husbandman, mentioned in the Gospel, my brethren, signifies the Almighty God. The wheat be sowed in the field of the Church, signifies not only the elect and the righteous, but also all efficacious ways and means he has given us towards our salvation; which are, an abundance of grace, the virtues, and the sacraments. The enemy that came by night and sowed tares among the wheat, is the devil, that sows among the members of the Church, not only wicked and vile livers, but also sins, vices, and iniquities, -- Matt. xiii. 25,

O my brethren, how excellent is the wheat that Jesus Christ has sowed amongst you; how many efficacious means has he given you for your salvation; how often has he excited your conscience with his divine grace to avoid sin, to perform prayers and penance, to frequent confession, and to receive his most sacred body. But O, how often doth the enemy, the devil, come and sow the tares of sin amongst you! But if ever he has sowed these tares, I am certain from the beginning of the world until the present time, it were not possible for him to sow them more frequently and abundantly than at present; because there never was a time when iniquity could more abound, vice be more frequent, or sin be more abominable than at present:” Since iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall wax cold.”

But among all the sins the devil sows amongst us, there is one sin that neither young nor old, rich nor poor are free from, which is the abominable sin of swearing; this is the sin that damns millions of souls, and draws them to hell; this is the sin which the infants imbibe with the mother's milk; they sooner know how to give their souls to the devil than to God, or to bless themselves. The mouths of the most part of the people now - a - days are so habituated to and so tractable at swearing, that they cannot relate a story or speak in jest without an oath; they cannot ask a question, or give an answer, or transact any sort of business without mentioning the devil, or some fiend, a curse or an imprecation at the beginning or ending thereof. There is no person now in being more clever or manly than he who blasphemes God, and utters imprecations against himself. There is no other sin which a person commits, openly or publicly, that he is not ashamed of except this sin. You would imagine it confers on him great honour, or that he expects great reward for giving abuse and disrespect to God every hour of the day. He has a reward to get certainly, but the reward is, that that wicked tongue which he has employed in blaspheming God, shall eternally be burning and consuming in the raging fire of hell.

Then, since swearing is a sin so destructive and abominable in itself, I intend this day to set the axe of the Gospel to the root of this wicked tree, in hopes I may eradicate it out of the garden of the Church; as I shall endeavour to do, after dividing my subject into two parts.

1st Part. The fruit of this tree of swearing is evil, because it is sinful.

2nd Part. It is sinful, because it draws the vengeance of God on those addicted to it.

But, because it is a tree that spreads its branches so widely, and strikes its roots so deeply in the hearts of the people, that it is only by the great power of God it can be eradicated; in order that he may destroy this wicked tree, let us have recourse to him, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by repeating the Hail Mary, &c.

1st Part - Christians, it is not possible, if the people knew what sin is, or the evils derived from it, that they would be so prompt in committing them; especially this sin, in which there is neither pleasure nor benefit to man --- the abominable sin of swearing.

Sin is committed by any thought, word, or deed, contrary to the will or law of God. Man sins by thought, when he thinks of a bad deed with a wilful desire of committing it, if it were in his power. “Whoever looketh on a woman, (says Christ,) to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.” - Matt. v. 28. We sin by words, false oaths, lies, detraction, calumny, blasphemy, and swearing; and we sin by actions, when we commit the evil deeds, which we are forbidden by the law of God and of nature.

If all the evils of this life were put together in one heap - sickness, diseases, poverty, affliction, plague, famine, scandal, reproach, and every other evil which the mind of man can think of or invent, still they are as nothing compared to the evil and injury one mortal sin inflicts on the soul. And why so? Because mortal sin changes the most beautiful and honourable man, into the most abject, despicable, and contemptible being; in stead of his being a son of God after baptism, and sanctified with grace, he is made heir of hell, a slave, and a son of the devil. By sin, he loses the benefit of prayer, fasting, and every good work which he performs; sin banishes all grace, all virtues, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost out of his soul. - Eccles. ix. 18. Sin changes the soul from being a noble, beautiful pearl, after the image and like. ness of God, to be a hideous, loathsome monster, in the form and image of the devil.- Isai. i. 22. Mortal sin kills the soul and members; it wounds the intellect; in a word, by it we lose God for ever unless we repent.

O wretched man who sin! when you lose God, you know not your loss; you lose the eternal beatitude, the enjoyment of divine grace, the golden treasure of mercy; and all the wealth and happiness in the universe, are want and misery without God.

Now, my brethren, you have a little insight into the nature and venom of sin; and if I prove to you that swearing is a sin, will you not detest and abhor yourselves for so frequently committing this sin? Will you not be alarmed and terrified before the vengeance of God for so often abusing him with your wicked tongues? Will you not repent of this sin, and guard against relapsing into it for the future? If not, I cannot say that you are Christians, that you care for the happiness of paradise, or that you regard the mercy of God. of God. You have already heard, that every wilful thought, word, or action, contrary to the law of God, is a sin, and very frequently a mortal sin.

Why, then, if swearing be not against the law of God, I know not what is. Jesus Christ has commanded us, in the 5th chapter, 34th verse of St. Matthew,” not to swear at all;” and he has not only forbidden us to swear by the name of God, or of Jesus Christ, but he has ordered us not to swear by the firmament, nor by the earth, neither by the head nor the foot, neither by the stick nor the stone And why so? Because it was God that created them, and they manifest his goodness and omnipotence.” Swear not by heaven, because it is God's throne; nor by the earth, because it is his footstool.”. Matt. v. 34.

O Lord! if it be certain that we are not permitted to swear by any creature, what shall become of those who rashly and daringly swear by the name of the Almighty God, and of Jesus Christ, and a great number of other impious oaths, that I cannot express without shuddering, and which are sufficient to make the hair of my head stand erect? They bestow their souls to the devil, and pray that he may snatch them away; and, moreover, you will hear a thousand oaths and curses, such as damning their souls, &c., in the mouths of persons that, perhaps, can speak no more of the English. Can you say they are free from sin when they blaspheme the majesty and good ness of God? Can you say they are not in a state of damnation, and that hell will not be the end of their career, if they do not reform their lives, and sincerely repent of the abuse they have made of the holy name of the Lord? -Matt, v. 34.

The apostle St. James follows the footsteps of his divine Master Jesus, in the 5th chapter of his Epistle, where he forbids all mankind to swear at all. Let us not let a word of these sayings pass away in oblivion. “Above all things, (says he,) I forbid you to swear.” As if he would say, you should not, under pain of your condemnation, swear at all, unless great necessity should require it, and even so, you should have truth, justice, and judgment on your side.

I know not, my brethren, what you may judge from the sayings of this apostle; but, I think, from what I have read in the Old and New Testaments, that he could not have forbidden us the most odious sins, which are, conspiracies, murder, adultery, or thievery, in words more strenuous than those in which he has forbidden us to” Above all things, says he, ) swear not.”

O noble apostle! your admonitions are in vain, and so are mine. It is a useless thing for you to forbid the people of these times to swear, for their mouths and their tongues are so tractable at swearing, that you would imagine they have learned no other prayer, and had no other occupation since they left the cradle than swearing. There is no state or calling, young or old, free from this sin. The devil never has got his will of the world more complete than through the means of this sin. - Psal. xii. 3.

My brethren, if this evil be not immediately destroyed; if this plague be not immediately healed, that has been so multiplied among you; if this cursed tree of swearing be not plucked up by the roots, is it possible that the deluge will not come a second time on the world, or that fire from heaven will not descend to consume the people, as it did the great cities of Sodom and Gomorah through their sins? Psal. xiii. 3.

You perceive, my brethren, what a strict law Jesus Christ made against swearing: “Do not swear at all.” And after Christ, how the apostle St. James has besought us, “above all things, to swear not,” It cannot then possibly be said, that the violaters of this law are obedient children of Jesus Christ; it cannot be possible they are proper Christians who are addicted to this sin. More. over, of the ten commandments which God has left us, as a rule for our conscience, he commandeth us in the second,” not to take God's name in vain.” - Exod. xx. 7. That is to say, that we should not express or mention the name of God, but when we are praising and supplicating him; that we should mention it but with reverence and honour; and, above all things, that we should not swear by it unless through real necessity.

This most sweet name of the Lord, which you, vile sinner, mention with your wicked mouth during your passion, anger, madness, and impatience; to whom you give dishonour and reproach, instead of reverence and respect; whom you call to witness a lie as often as the truth; is so inestimable and glorious, that the angels, who are above man in estimation of dignity and honour, dare not mention, nor hear this name mentioned, without kņeeling and covering their faces: and even the devils in hell, notwithstanding their hatred to the Lord, kneel at the mentioning of the name of Jesus:” At the name of Jesus every knee shall bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and in hell.” -- Phil. ii. 10.

O joyful name of Jesus! which renders exultation throughout the heavens, which strikes hell with terror, which is adored by the angels, and is revered by every creature. O wicked man! where is your sense? where is your faith? where is your feeling? When you give dishonour and reproach to the glorious name of Jesus! when you make this name instrumental to your condemnation, by which alone you can be saved; when you swear, without dread nor fear, by the name of Jesus Christ, it seems you understand not what you do, nor the horrid mischief of swearing, nor the great vengeance which God executes upon the swearers. But be so no longer: I shall give you an insight thereof in the second part.

2nd Part.--- Christians, in order that you may perceive how great and heinous the sin of swearing is, you have no more to do than to behold the majesty of God on the one hand, and the impotency of man on the other, and the mercy and goodness of God towards man. This God is the Creator of heaven and earth -- this God is the Supreme Lord and Ruler of the whole world. His constant study is to confer all kind of goodness on man, to share with him the happiness of divine grace, and to make him an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, man is a poor, indigent creature, a handful of clay, a vessel full of filth, and the food of worms and maggots. - Job. 17. If you thus behold God and man, I say, and every obligation God hath on man, you will be surprised at the ill nature of man, that he is so ready at provoking God, especially by a sin that is so reproachful to God, and so fruitless to man, as the sin of swearing is; you will be surprised at God's great patience with man, that he does not destroy him from the face of the earth, or that he does not consume him with fire from heaven, when he offers to insult and abuse him with his evil tongue, in return for all his goodness towards him. Isai. v. 4.

My brethren, you will agree with me, that there is no act more abominable than for a man to beat and abuse his father; and that the crime is still greater, for a poor despicable slave to offer to beat or abuse his king or his lord. You would abhor and detest this man - you would spurn his company - and not even this, but you would think the greatest punishment too little for him. Then, this is the case with him who swears; this profligate son dishonours his eternal Father, who drew him out of the abyss of nothing. This vile slave strikes the supreme Lord of the universe with the weighty, deadly blows of his tongue; he tramples under his feet the most royal blood of Jesus. When he swears by him, he crucifies Jesus Christ anew, and sets his wounds to bleed afresh; he commits treason against God, by breaking his commandments; he proclaims war against God, when he gives himself, or any other creature, to his adversary the devil; he defies God when he desires to damn himself or any other creature. He is no more intimidated nor in dread before God, than if he were a god made of a stick or a stone. In a word, he returns evil for all the blessings his Lord confers on him.

God forbid, my brethren, there is any vile traitor among you who thus revolts against his Creator. If there is, can it be possible but you abhor and detest him, for dishonouring and insulting your Father? Can it be possible but the hair of your head stands on an end when you see Jesus Christ crucified and mangled with the cursed tongues of those people? You are not obedient children to Jesus Christ if you see him abused, and do not strive, as far as in you lies, to prevent those who are thus tearing and tormenting him; and if you cannot prevent them, I am sure you will shed tears for their madness. You will weep, I am sure, along with Jesus, who shed tears of blood from his eyes, and from all his members, weeping for the sins of those who are this day reviling and reproaching him. - Luke, xix. 41.

Do not imagine, Christians, that I am augmenting this sin, or exaggerating it beyond its nature. Surely I cannot half describe to you its evil and malice. It is no less a sin than profanation and blasphemy against the divinity of 1 ^!; God; and where is the sin can exceed in wickedness the sin of blasphemy and profanation? Is there a sin that draws down the scourge and vengeance of God upon man, like unto the sin of blasphemy and profanation? Certainly not. God had patience with Balthazzar, the proud king of Babylon, in all his gluttony and debauchery, in all his tyranny and cruelty, and in all the conspiracies and murders he had done; but as soon as he ordered the sacred vessels, which his father had robbed out of the temple of Jerusalem, to be brought to his hoard, for him self and his wicked courtiers to accommodate themselves with wine drinking, he saw, at the same moment, a hand, writing the sentence of his condemnation on the wall. - Dan. v. 25.

Christians, blasphemy is to give dishonour or reproach to God, or to his saints; and, O man, can you possibly give greater dishonour to God, than to have his holy name in your mouth at the beginning of every sentence, and to be swearing by him in both truth and lies? Can you give God greater abuse than when you bestow the price of his blood to his adversary the devil? Certainly you cannot; and, therefore, the accounting day will come, when you will beg of Lazarus, like the rich man mentioned in the Gospel, to afford you one drop of water from the tip of his finger to cool your tongue, that will be burning in the raging fire of bell. - Luke, xvi. 24.

The day will come when the children will curse their fathers and mothers, for not reproving them in time for this sin, and for the bad example they had given them by all the evil imprecations and oaths they had sworn in their presence. The day will come when the servants will curse their masters and their mistresses for not reprimand ing them for this sin. The day will come when one neighbour will curse the other for his drawing him into this sin, and for his bad example. The day will come when the swearers will cry out wo to themselves, and wish that they had been born dumb, when they shall bear the doleful sentence which the Judge of the living and the dead will pass on them: Depart from me, ye cursed, into the devouring flames of hell, as a reward for your blasphemy and your swearing.-- Matt. xxv. 41.

There is no side on which I behold him who is addicted to swearing, but I find him an object of tears and compassion. He cannot escape the everlasting pains of hell in the other world, if he die impenitent; and he most commonly draws destruction and the wrath of God upon himself in this world, which are, sickness, distempers, tribulations, adversity, and poverty. If you do not believe me, you will believe the Holy Ghost, who affirms,” He who swears frequently, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house. - Eccles. xxiii. 12.

Moreover, he who is addicted to swearing, is denied the sacraments; because, absolution cannot be given to him who is addicted to habitual sin, and is not resolved to amend his life. Swearing brings contempt and scandal on the person who practises it; it deprives him of all Christian respect; no proper person is willing to keep company with him who is inclined to this sin. He looks not whether he has truth or untruth, and, consequently, frequently perjures himself.

O merchants and dealers of these times, behold with astonishment the dangerous state you are in! Do you not perceive that you are often guilty of perjury, when you swear that your wares cost you so much, and you conscious at the same time they did not, nor, perhaps, half so much! And you tradesmen, who promise expeditiously to have the articles lying in your bands ready made at such a time, and not even promise, but seal it with oaths; can you deny that you do not charge God with bearing false witness, or that you perjure yourselves?

O Christian people! behold with astonishment the dangerous state of your conscience, and you will perceive that no one can be considered free from sin who is addicted to swearing, and not a sin like unto every other sin; he commits profanation and blasphemy; and you perceive what scourges God inflicts on swearers in this world, andin the next. And, O! to my grief, you will perceive at the same time, that there are none of yourselves who have not taken a draught too much of the deadly poison of sin; you perceive bow firmly this wicked tree of swearing has struck its roots in your conscience; and how widely its branches are spread amongst you. But, in beholding the filthy state and the deadly diseases of your souls, you will, I hope, endeavour to cleanse yourselves of this leprosy, and seek to be healed. - John, v. 6. If you do, here is Jesus Christ ready to heal you --- here is the Doctor and Physician of your souls, and his arms are extended on the cross to confer on you health of body and soul. But it is necessary for you first to wash your wounds with the water of penance. This is the antidote Jesus Christ requires of you against each disease and infirmity; but it is a part of this remedy to have a real abhorrence of this malady for the future. Let no other oath be heard from your mouths henceforward than “yes, yes,” or “no, no.” If you do this, you shall obtain a reward from God in this life, and happiness in the next.

Pope Francis I – On Mt. 5:33-37– 12 February 2017

Pope Francis I – On Mt. 5:33-37– 12 February 2017

Source: https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2017/documents/papa-francesco_angelus_20170212.html

Jesus then tells his disciples not to swear, as swearing is a sign of the insecurity and duplicity with which human relationships unfold. God’s authority is exploited so as to guarantee our human narrative. Instead, we are called to establish among ourselves, in our families and in our communities, a climate of clarity and mutual trust, so that we can be considered sincere without resorting to greater tactics in order to be believed. Mistrust and mutual suspicion always threaten peace! –

---

Gesù, poi, dice ai suoi discepoli di non giurare, in quanto il giuramento è segno dell’insicurezza e della doppiezza con cui si svolgono le relazioni umane. Si strumentalizza l’autorità di Dio per dare garanzia alle nostre vicende umane. Piuttosto siamo chiamati ad instaurare tra di noi, nelle nostre famiglie e nelle nostre comunità un clima di limpidezza e di fiducia reciproca, così che possiamo essere ritenuti sinceri senza ricorrere a interventi superiori per essere creduti. La diffidenza e il sospetto reciproco minacciano sempre la serenità!