Sermons on Evil Speaking - Isaac Barrow
It is also not seasonable, or civil, to be jocund in this way with
those who desire to be serious, and like not the humour. Jocularity
should not be forcibly obtruded, but by a kindly conspiracy (or
tacit compact) slip into conversation; consent and complaisance give
all the life thereto. Its design is to sweeten and ease society;
when to the contrary it breedeth offence or encumbrance, it is worse
than vain and unprofitable. From these instances we may collect
when in other like cases it is unseasonable, and therefore culpable.
Further--
5. To affect, admire, or highly to value this way of speaking
(either absolutely in itself, or in comparison to the serious and
plain way of speech), and thence to be drawn into an immoderate use
thereof, is blamable. A man of ripe age and sound judgment, for
refreshment to himself, or in complaisance to others, may sometimes
condescend to play in this, or any other harmless way; but to be
fond of it, to prosecute it with a careful or painful eagerness, to
dote and dwell upon it, to reckon it a brave or a fine thing, a
singular matter of commendation, a transcendent accomplishment,
anywise preferable to rational endowments, or comparable to the
moral excellencies of our mind (to solid knowledge, or sound wisdom,
or true virtue and goodness), this is extremely childish, or
brutish, and far below a man. What can be more absurd than to make
business of play, to be studious and laborious in toys, to make a
profession or drive a trade of impertinency? What more plain
nonsense can there be, than to be earnest in jest, to be continual
in divertisement, or constant in pastime; to make extravagance all
our way, and sauce all our diet? Is not this plainly the life of a
child that is ever busy, yet never hath anything to do? Or the life
of that mimical brute which is always active in playing uncouth and
unlucky tricks; which, could it speak, might surely pass well for a
professed wit?
The proper work of man, the grand drift of human life, is to follow
reason (that noble spark kindled from Heaven; that princely and
powerful faculty, which is able to reach so lofty objects, and
achieve so mighty works), not to soothe fancy, that brutish, shallow
and giddy power, able to perform nothing worthy much regard. We are
not (even Cicero could tell us) born for play and jesting, but for
severity, and the study of graver and greater affairs. Yes, we were
purposely designed, and fitly framed, to understand and contemplate,
to affect and delight in, to undertake and pursue most noble and
worthy things; to be employed in business considerably profitable to
ourselves, and beneficial to others. We do therefore strangely
debase ourselves, when we do strongly bend our minds to, or set our
affections upon, such toys.
Especially to do so is unworthy of a Christian; that is, of a person
who is advanced to so high a rank, and so glorious relations; who
hath so excellent objects of his mind and affections presented
before him, and so excellent rewards for his care and pains proposed
to him; who is engaged in affairs of so worthy nature, and so
immense consequence: for him to be zealous about quibbles, for him
to be ravished with puny conceits and expressions, 'tis a wondrous
oversight, and an enormous indecency.
He indeed that prefers any faculty to reason, disclaims the
privilege of being a man, and understands not the worth of his own
nature; he that prizes any quality beyond virtue and goodness,
renounces the title of a Christian, and knows not how to value the
dignity of his profession. It is these two (reason and virtue) in
conjunction which produce all that is considerably good and great in
the world. Fancy can do little; doth never anything well, except as
directed and wielded by them. Do pretty conceits or humorous talk
carry on any business, or perform any work? No; they are
ineffectual and fruitless: often they disturb, but they never
despatch anything with good success. It is simple reason (as dull
and dry as it seemeth) which expediteth all the grand affairs, which
accomplisheth all the mighty works that we see done in the world.
In truth, therefore, as one diamond is worth numberless bits of
glass; so one solid reason is worth innumerable fancies: one grain
of true science and sound wisdom in real worth and use doth outweigh
loads (if any loads can be) of freakish wit. To rate things
otherwise doth argue great weakness of judgment, and fondness of
mind. So to conceit of this way signifieth a weak mind; and much to
delight therein rendereth it so--nothing more debaseth the spirit of
a man, or more rendereth it light and trifling.
Hence if we must be venting pleasant conceits, we should do it as if
we did it not, carelessly and unconcernedly; not standing upon it,
or valuing ourselves for it: we should do it with measure and
moderation; not giving up ourselves thereto, so as to mind it or
delight in it more than in any other thing: we should not be so
intent upon it as to become remiss in affairs more proper or needful
for us; so as to nauseate serious business, or disrelish the more
worthy entertainments of our minds. This is the great danger of it,
which we daily see men to incur; they are so bewitched with a humour
of being witty themselves, or of hearkening to the fancies of
others, that it is this only which they can like or favour, which
they can endure to think or talk of. 'Tis a great pity that men who
would seem to have so much wit, should so little understand
themselves. But further--
6. Vainglorious ostentation this way is very blamable. All
ambition, all vanity, all conceitedness, upon whatever ground they
are founded, are absolutely unreasonable and silly; but yet those
being grounded on some real ability, or some useful skill, are wise
and manly in comparison to this, which standeth on a foundation so
manifestly slight and weak. The old philosophers by a severe father
were called animalia gloriae (animals of glory), and by a satirical
poet they were termed bladders of vanity; but they at least did
catch at praise from praiseworthy knowledge; they were puffed up
with a wind which blew some good to mankind; they sought glory from
that which deserved glory if they had not sought it; it was a
substantial and solid credit which they did affect, resulting from
successful enterprises of strong reason, and stout industry: but
these animalculae gloriae, these flies, these insects of glory,
these, not bladders, but bubbles of vanity, would be admired and
praised for that which is nowise admirable or laudable; for the
casual hits and emergencies of roving fancy; for stumbling on an odd
conceit or phrase, which signifieth nothing, and is as superficial
as the smile, as hollow as the noise it causeth. Nothing certainly
in nature is more ridiculous than a self-conceited wit, who deemeth
himself somebody, and greatly pretendeth to commendation from so
pitiful and worthless a thing as a knack of trifling.
7. Lastly, it is our duty never so far to engage ourselves in this
way as thereby to lose or to impair that habitual seriousness,
modesty and sobriety of mind, that steady composedness, gravity and
constancy of demeanour, which become Christians. We should
continually keep our minds intent upon our high calling, and grand
interests; ever well tuned, and ready for the performance of holy
devotions, and the practice of most serious duties with earnest
attention and fervent affection. Wherefore we should never suffer
them to be dissolved into levity, or disordered into a wanton frame,
indisposing us for religious thoughts and actions. We ought always
in our behaviour to maintain, not only [Greek] (a fitting decency),
but also [Greek] (a stately gravity), a kind of venerable majesty,
suitable to that high rank which we bear of God's friends and
children; adorning our holy profession, and guarding us from all
impressions of sinful vanity. Wherefore we should not let ourselves
be transported into any excessive pitch of lightness, inconsistent
with or prejudicial to our Christian state and business. Gravity
and modesty are the senses of piety, which being once slighted, sin
will easily attempt and encroach upon us. So the old Spanish
gentleman may be interpreted to have been wise who, when his son
upon a voyage to the Indies took his leave of him, gave him this odd
advice, "My son, in the first place keep thy gravity, in the next
place fear God;" intimating that a man must first be serious, before
he can be pious.
To conclude, as we need not be demure, so must we not be impudent;
as we should not be sour, so ought we not to be fond; as we may be
free, so we should not be vain; as we may well stoop to friendly
complaisance, so we should take heed of falling into contemptible
levity. If without wronging others, or derogating from ourselves,
we can be facetious, if we can use our wits in jesting innocently,
and conveniently, we may sometimes do it: but let us, in compliance
with St. Paul's direction, beware of "foolish talking and jesting
which are not convenient."
"Now the God of grace and peace . . . . make us perfect in every
good work to do His will, working in us that which is well pleasing
in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen."
AGAINST RASH AND VAIN SWEARING.
"But above all things, my brethren, swear not."
St. James v. 12.
Among other precepts of good life (directing the practice of virtue
and abstinence from sin) St. James doth insert this about swearing,
couched in expression denoting his great earnestness, and apt to
excite our special attention. Therein he doth not mean universally
to interdict the use of oaths, for that in some cases is not only
lawful, but very expedient, yea, needful, and required from us as a
duty; but that swearing which our Lord had expressly prohibited to
His disciples, and which thence, questionless, the brethren to whom
St. James did write did well understand themselves obliged to
forbear, having learned so in the first catechisms of Christian
institution; that is, needless and heedless swearing in ordinary
conversation, a practice then frequent in the world, both among Jews
and Gentiles; the which also, to the shame of our age, is now so
much in fashion, and with some men in vogue; the invoking God's
name, appealing to His testimony, and provoking His judgment upon
any slight occasion, in common talk, with vain incogitancy, or
profane boldness. From such practice the Holy Apostle exhorteth in
terms importing his great concernedness, and implying the matter to
be of highest importance; for, [Greek], saith he, "(Before all
things), my brethren, do not swear;" as if he did apprehend this sin
of all others to be one of the most heinous and pernicious. Could
he have said more? would he have said so much, if he had not
conceived the matter to be of exceeding weight and consequence? And
that it is so, I mean now, by God's help, to show you, by proposing
some considerations, whereby the heinous wickedness, together with
the monstrous folly, of such rash and vain swearing will appear; the
which being laid to heart will, I hope, effectually dissuade and
deter from it.
I. Let us consider the nature of an oath, and what we do when we
adventure to swear.
It is (as it is phrased in the Decalogue, and elsewhere in Holy
Scripture) an assuming the name of God, and applying it to our
purpose; to countenance and confirm what we say.
It is an invocation of God as a most faithful Witness, concerning
the truth of our words, or the sincerity of our meaning.
It is an appeal to God as a most upright Judge whether we do
prevaricate in asserting what we do not believe true, or in
promising what we are not firmly resolved to perform.
It is a formal engagement of God to be the Avenger of our
trespassing in violation of truth or faith.
It is a binding our souls with a most strict and solemn obligation,
to answer before God, and to undergo the issue of His judgment about
what we affirm or undertake.
Such an oath is represented to us in Holy Scripture.
Whence we may collect, that swearing doth require great modesty and
composedness of spirit, very serious consideration and solicitous
care, that we be not rude and saucy with God, in taking up His name,
and prostituting it to vile or mean uses; that we do not abuse or
debase His authority, by citing it to aver falsehoods or
impertinences; that we do not slight His venerable justice, by
rashly provoking it against us; that we do not precipitately throw
our souls into most dangerous snares and intricacies.
For let us reflect and consider: What a presumption is it without
due regard and reverence to lay hold on God's name; with unhallowed
breath to vent and toss that great and glorious, that most holy,
that reverend, that fearful and terrible name of the Lord our God,
the great Creator, the mighty Sovereign, the dreadful Judge of all
the world; that name which all heaven with profoundest submission
doth adore, which the angelical powers, the brightest and purest
Seraphim, without hiding their faces, and reverential horror, cannot
utter or hear; the very thought whereof should strike awe through
our hearts, the mention whereof would make any sober man to tremble?
[Greek], "For how," saith St. Chrysostom, "is it not absurd that a
servant should not dare to call his master by name, or bluntly and
ordinarily to mention him, yet that we slightly and contemptuously
should in our mouth toss about the Lord of angels?
"How is it not absurd, if we have a garment better than the rest,
that we forbear to use it continually, but in the most slight and
common way do wear the name of God?"
How grievous indecency is it, at every turn to summon our Maker, and
call down Almighty God from heaven, to attend our leisure, to vouch
our idle prattle, to second our giddy passions, to concern His
truth, His justice, His power in our trivial affairs!
What a wildness is it, to dally with that judgment upon which the
eternal doom of all creatures dependeth, at which the pillars of
heaven are astonished, which hurled down legions of angels from the
top of heaven and happiness into the bottomless dungeon: the which,
as grievous sinners, of all things we have most reason to dread; and
about which no sober man can otherwise think than did that great
king, the holy psalmist, who said, "My flesh trembleth for Thee, and
I am afraid of Thy judgments!"
How prodigious a madness is it, without any constraint or needful
cause, to incur so horrible a danger, to rush upon a curse; to defy
that vengeance, the least touch of breath whereof can dash us to
nothing, or thrust us down into extreme and endless woe?
Who can express the wretchedness of that folly, which so entangleth
us with inextricable knots, and enchaineth our souls so rashly with
desperate obligations?
Wherefore he that would but a little mind what he doeth when he
dareth to swear, what it is to meddle with the adorable name, the
venerable testimony, the formidable judgment, the terrible vengeance
of the Divine Majesty, into what a case he putteth himself, how
extreme hazard he runneth thereby, would assuredly have little heart
to swear, without greatest reason, and most urgent need; hardly
without trembling would he undertake the most necessary and solemn
oath; much cause would he see [Greek], to adore, to fear an oath:
which to do, the divine preacher maketh the character of a good man.
"As," saith he, "is the good, so is the sinner; and he that
sweareth, as he that feareth an oath."
In fine, even a heathen philosopher, considering the nature of an
oath, did conclude the unlawfulness thereof in such cases. For,
"seeing," saith he, "an oath doth call God for witness, and
proposeth Him for umpire and voucher of the things it saith;
therefore to induce God so upon occasion of human affairs, or, which
is all one, upon small and slight accounts, doth imply contempt of
Him: wherefore we ought wholly to shun swearing, except upon
occasions of highest necessity."
II. We may consider that swearing, agreeably to its nature, or
natural aptitude and tendency, is represented in Holy Scripture as a
special part of religious worship, or devotion towards God; in the
due performance whereof we do avow Him for the true God and Governor
of the world; we piously do acknowledge His principal attributes and
special prerogatives; His omnipresence and omniscience, extending
itself to our most inward thoughts, our secretest purposes, our
closest retirements; His watchful providence over all our actions,
affairs, and concerns; His faithful goodness, in favouring truth and
protecting right; His exact justice, in patronising sincerity, and
chastising perfidiousness; His being Supreme Lord over all persons,
and Judge paramount in all causes; His readiness in our need, upon
our humble imploration and reference, to undertake the arbitration
of matters controverted, and the care of administering justice, for
the maintenance of truth and right, of loyalty and fidelity, of
order and peace among men. Swearing does also intimate a pious
truth and confidence in God, as Aristotle observeth.
Such things a serious oath doth imply, to such purposes swearing
naturally serveth; and therefore to signify or effectuate them,
Divine institution hath devoted it.
God in goodness to such ends hath pleased to lend us His great name;
allowing us to cite Him for a witness, to have recourse to His bar,
to engage His justice and power, whenever the case deserveth and
requireth it, or when we cannot by other means well assure the
sincerity of our meaning, or secure the constancy of our
resolutions.
Yea, in such exigencies He doth exact this practice from us, as an
instance of our religious confidence in Him, and as a service
conducible to His glory. For it is a precept in His law, of moral
nature, and eternal obligation, "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God;
Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave, and shalt swear
by His name." It is the character of a religious man to swear with
due reverence and upright conscience. For, "The king," saith the
psalmist, "shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by Him
shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be
stopped." It is a distinctive mark of God's people, according to
that of the prophet Jeremy, "And it shall come to pass, if they will
diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name . . .
then shall they be built in the midst of my people." It is
predicted concerning the evangelical times, "Unto Me every knee
shall bow, every tongue shall swear:" and, "That he who blesseth
himself in the earth, shall bless himself by the God of Truth; and
he that sweareth in the earth, shall swear by the God of Truth."
As therefore all other acts of devotion, wherein immediate
application is made to the Divine Majesty, should never be performed
without most hearty intention, most serious consideration, most
lowly reverence; so neither should this grand one, wherein God is so
nearly touched, and His chief attributes so much concerned: the
which indeed doth involve both prayer and praise, doth require the
most devotional acts of faith and fear.
We therefore should so perform it as not to incur that reproof:
"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me
with their lips, but their heart is far from me."
When we seem most formally to avow God, to confess His omniscience,
to confide in His justice, we should not really disregard Him, and
in effect signify that we do not think He doth know what we say, or
what we do.
If we do presume to offer this service, we should do it in the
manner appointed by himself, according to the conditions prescribed
in the prophet, "Thou shalt swear, the Lord liveth, in truth, in
judgment, and in righteousness:" in truth, taking heed that our
meaning be conformable to the sense of our words, and our words to
the verity of things; in judgment, having with careful deliberation
examined and weighed that which we assert or promise; in
righteousness, being satisfied in conscience that we do not therein
infringe any rule of piety toward God, of equity toward men, or
sobriety and discretion in regard to ourselves.
The cause of our swearing must be needful, or very expedient; the
design of it must be honest and useful to considerable purposes
(tending to God's honour, our neighbour's benefit, our own welfare);
the matter of it should be not only just and lawful, but worthy and
weighty; the manner ought to be grave and solemn, our mind being
framed to earnest attention, and endued with pious affections
suitable to the occasion.
Otherwise, if we do venture to swear, without due advice and care,
without much respect and awe, upon any slight or vain (not to say
bad or unlawful) occasion, we then desecrate swearing, and are
guilty of profaning a most sacred ordinance: the doing so doth
imply base hypocrisy, or lewd mockery, or abominable wantonness and
folly; in bodily invading and vainly trifling with the most august
duties of religion. Such swearing therefore is very dishonourable
and injurious to God, very prejudicial to religion, very repugnant
to piety.
III. We may consider that the swearing prohibited is very noxious
to human society.
The great prop of society (which upholdeth the safety, peace, and
welfare thereof, in observing laws, dispensing justice, discharging
trusts, keeping contracts, and holding good correspondence mutually)
is conscience, or a sense of duty toward God, obliging to perform
that which is right and equal; quickened by hope of rewards and fear
of punishments from Him: secluding which principle, no worldly
confederation is strong enough to hold men fast, or can further
dispose many to do right, or observe faith, or hold peace, than
appetite or interest, or humour (things very slippery and uncertain)
do sway them.
That men should live honestly, quietly, and comfortably together, it
is needful that they should live under a sense of God's will, and in
awe of the divine power, hoping to please God, and fearing to offend
Him, by their behaviour respectively.
That justice should be administered between men, it is necessary
that testimonies of fact be alleged; and that witnesses should
apprehend themselves greatly obliged to discover the truth,
according to their conscience, in dark and doubtful cases.
That men should uprightly discharge offices serviceable to public
good, it doth behove that they be firmly engaged to perform the
trusts reposed in them.
That in affairs of very considerable importance men should deal with
one another with satisfaction of mind, and mutual confidence, they
must receive competent assurances concerning the integrity,
fidelity, and constancy each of other.
That the safety of governors may be preserved, and the obedience due
to them maintained secure from attempts to which they are liable (by
the treachery, levity, perverseness, timorousness, ambition, all
such lusts and ill humours of men), it is expedient that men should
be tied with the strictest bands of allegiance.
That controversies emergent about the interests of men should be
determined, and an end put to strife by peremptory and satisfactory
means, is plainly necessary for common quiet.
Wherefore for the public interest and benefit of human society it is
requisite that the highest obligations possible should be laid upon
the consciences of men.
And such are those of oaths, engaging them to fidelity and constancy
in all such cases, out of regard to Almighty God, as the infallible
patron of truth and right, the unavoidable chastiser of
perfidiousness and improbity.
To such purposes, therefore, oaths have ever been applied, as the
most effectual instruments of working them; not only among the
followers of true and perfect religion, but even among all those who
had any glimmering notions concerning a Divine Power and Providence;
who have deemed an oath the fastest tie of conscience, and held the
violation of it for the most detestable impiety and iniquity. So
that what Cicero saith of the Romans, that "their ancestors had no
band to constrain faith more strait than an oath," is true of all
other nations, common reason not being able to devise any engagement
more obliging than it is; it being in the nature of things [Greek],
and [Greek], the utmost assurance, the last resort of human faith,
the surest pledge that any man can yield of his trustiness. Hence
ever in transactions of highest moment this hath been used to bind
the faith of men.
Hereby nations have been wont to ratify leagues of peace and amity
between each other (which therefore the Greeks call [Greek]).