And what I've fworn to bear, forbear,
And fo b' Equivocation fwear;

. 547, &c. (Dr. B.) Archbishop Bramhall (fee Preface to his Serpents Salve, Works, p. 520.) fays, "That the Hypocrites of those times, though they magnified the Obligation of an Oath; yet " in their own Cafe difpenfed with all Oaths Civil, Military and Religious: We are now told, fays he, that the Oaths we have "taken are not to be examin'd according to the Interpretation "of Men: No! How then? Surely accordingly to the Interpre"tation of Devils. Let them remember Rodolphus the Duke of "Savedeland, his Hand in Cufpinian." The Fact as follows: Porro Rodolphus vulneratus in Manu Dextrâ, fugit Marcipolim, mortique proximus, dixit ad familiares fuos. Videtis Manum Dextram meam de vulnere fauciam; hac ego juravi Henrico Domino, ut non nocerem ei, nec infidiarer gloriæ ejus: fed juffio Apoftolica, Pontificumque petitio me ad id deduxit, ut juramenti tranfgreffor, honorem mihi indebitum ufurparem: quis igitur finis nos exceperit, videtis; nam in manu unde juramenta violavi, mortale hoc vulnus accepi. (Chronic. Slaver. lib. 1. cap. 29. p. 25.) Mr. Walker obferves of the Independents, (part 2. p. 1.) That they were tenable by no Oaths, Principles, Promiffes, Declarations, nor by any obligations or Laws divine or human.

. 58. And fo b' Equivocation fwear.] Bp. Sander fon (Obligation of Promillary Oaths; reprinted by Mr. Lewis, 1722. vol. 1. p. 40.) girds them upon this head; "They reft fecure (fays he) abfolving

themselves from all Guilt and Fear of Perjury: and think, they "have excellently provided for themselves, and Confciences; if "during the Act of Swearing, they can make any shift to defend "themselves, either as the Jefuites do, with fome Equivocation, or "Mental Refervation: or by forcing upon the Words fome fubtle "Interpretation: or after they are fworn they can find fome Loop"hole, or artificial Evafion; whereby fuch art may be used with "the Oath, that the Words remaining, the Sense may be cluded "with Sophifm, and the Senfe utterly loft." which he proves to be contrary both to the Chriftian Theology, and Morality of the Hea thens.

With many a Mental Refervation,

You'l maintain Liberty, reserv'd (your own)

For the Publick Good: thofe fums rais'd you'l difbarfe,
Refera'd (the Greater part for your own Purse)
You'l root the Cavaliers out, every Man,
Faith, let it be referv'dhere, (if you can.)
You'l make our Gracious Charles a Glorious King,
Referv'd (in Heav'n) for thither you would bring
His Royal Head: the only secure Room

For Kings, where such as jon will never come.

Or whether 't be a lesser Sin,
60 To be forefworn, than act the Thing,
Are deep and fubtil Points, which must,
T' inform my Confcience, be difcuft;
In which to err a Tittle, may
To Errors infinite make way:
65 And therefore I defire to know
Thy Judgment, e're we further go.
Quoth Ralpho, Since you

do injoyn 't,
I fhall enlarge upon the Point;
And for my own Part, do not doubt
70 Th' Affirmative may be made out,
But first, to state the Cafe aright,
For beft Advantage of our Light;
And thus 'tis: Whether 't be a Sin
To claw and curry your own Skin,
75 Greater, or lefs, than to forbear,
And that you are forfworn, forfwear.
But first, o' th' firft: The Inward Man,
And Outward, like a Clan and Clan,

To keep th' Eftates of Subjects you pretend,
Referv'd (in your own Trunks :) you will defend,
The Church of England, 'tis your Proteftation,
But that's New England, by a small Reservation.

(Mr. Cowley's Puritan and Papift, 2d edit. p. 2.)

Honeft Fim makes mention of an Equivocation-Office. (fee Frag menta & Memorabilia, prefix'd to the Second Part of the Dialogue, &c.) where all manner of Evafions, Shifts, Diftinctions, Explanations, and double Entendres were exposed to Sale. One would imagine from the foregoing Representation that they had fuch an Office in those times. The Pagan Egyptians might have fhamed fuch Mock Chriftians, who punished Perjury with Death: Diodori Siculi Rer. Antiquar. lib. 2. chap. 3. See the 13th Satyr of Juvenal imitated by Mr. Oldham, 6th edit. p. 303.

*. 77, 78. The inward Man,-And Outward, like a Clan and Clan,] Alluding to the Outrages committed upon each other by the Clans in Scotland. (fee Camden's Britannia, vol. 2.

p. 1246.

Have always been at Daggers-drawing,
80 And one another Clapper-clawing:
Not that they really cuff, or fence,
But in a spiritual Mystique Sense;

Which to mistake, and make 'em squabble,
In literal Fray 's abominable :

85 'Tis heathenish, in frequent Use
With Pagans, and Apoftate Jews,
To offer Sacrifice of Bridewells,
Like modern Indians to their Idols:
And mungril Chriftians of our Times,
90 That expiate lefs with greater Crimes,
And call the foul Abomination

Contrition, and Mortification.

Is't not enough we're bruis'd and kicked,
With finful Members of the Wicked;
95 Our Veffels, that are factifi'd,

Prophan'd and curry'd Back and Side;
But we must claw our felves with shameful
And Heathen Stripes, by their Example ?
Which (were there nothing to forbid it)
100 Is Impious, because they did it ;

This therefore may be justly reckon❜d

A heinous Sin. Now to the fecond,

p. 1246. edit. 1722. Clan and Highlands, Abridgment of Scotch As of Parliament, at the end of Sir Thomas Murray's Laws of Scotland, edit. 1681. p. 10. 20.)

.92.-Abbomination] in the four first editions.

*. 97, 98, 99, 100. But we must Claw ourselves with shameful And Heathen Stripes by Their Example?—Which (were there nothing to forbid it)—Is impious, because they did it.] A Sneer upon the Puritans, and Precifians, who held the ufe of any thing unlawful, that had been abused by the Papifts, notwithstanding that Abuse had been taken away.

That Saints may claim a Difpenfation To fwear and forfwear, on Occafion, 105 I doubt not, but it will appear

With pregnant Light: The Point is clear. Oaths are but Words, and Words but Wind; Too feeble Implements to bind ; And hold with Deeds Proportion, fo 110 As Shadows to a Subftance do.

115

Then when they strive for Place, 'tis fit
The weaker Veffel fhould fubmit:
Although your Church be oppofite
To ours, as Black-Friars are to White,
In Rule and Order: yet I grant

You are a Reformado Saint;

And what the Saints do claim as due,
You may pretend a Title to :

But Saints, whom Oaths and Vows oblige,

120 Know little of their Privilege;

. 103, 104. That Saints may claim a Difpenfation-To fwear and forfwear on Occafion.]

For

* A Presbyterian.

Pow'r of difpenfing Oaths the Papifts claim,
*Cafe bath got leave of God to do the fame.
you do hate all Swearing fo, that when
You've fwore an Oath, you break it freight agen.
A Curfe upon you! which hurts more thefe Nations
Cavaliers fwearing, or your Proteftations?
Nay, though by you Oaths are fo much abhorr’d
Yallow G-d-m me in the Puritan Lord.

E. of P-mb-ke

(Mr. Cowley's Puritan and Papist, pag. 2.)

. 107. Oaths are but Words, and Words but Wind.] The Oaths of Lovers, are represented fuch, by Tibullus, 1 Eleg. 4. 17, 18.

Nec jurare time, veneris perjuria venti

Irrita per terras, & freta fumma ferunt.

. 114. As Black Friars are to White] Friars [Freres Fr. Brethren.) Monks, or Religious Perfons, of which there are four Principal Orders. First Friar Minors, or Francifcans: 2. Grey Friars, or Auguftins 3. the Dominicans, or Black Friars: 4. the Carme tes, or White Friars.

*. 136.

Further (I mean) than carrying on
Some Self-advantage of their own:
For if the Dev'l to ferve his Turn,

Can tell Truth, why the Saints fhould fcorn,
125 When it serves theirs, to fwear and lye;
I think there's little Reason why:
Elfe h' has a greater Pow'r than they,
Which 'twere Impiety to say.

W'are not commanded to forbear 130 Indefinitely, at all to fwear;

But to fwear idly, and in vain,
Without Self-intereft or Gain :
For breaking of an Oath and Lying,
Is but a kind of Self-denying,
135 A Saint-like Virtue, and from hence

Some have broke Oaths by Providence:

. 136. Some have broke Oaths by Providence.] When it was first moved in the Houfe of Commons to proceed capitally against the King, Cromwell stood up, and told them: "That if any Man

moved this with Defign, he should think him the greatest Tray"tor in the World: But fince Providence, and Neceffity had caft "them upon it, he should pray to God to bless their Counfels." (Hiftory of Independency. part 2. p. 54.) And when he kept the King clofe Prifoner in Carisbrook Castle, contrary to Vows and Proteftations, He affirmed, The Spirit would not let Him keep his Word. And when contrary to the Publick Faith, they murdered him, they pretended, they could not refift the Motions of the Spirit: Hiftory of Independency, part 3. pag. 22. Thefe Wretches were like the Sanctimonious Pyrate, (fee Shakespear's Measure for Meafure, act 1. vol. 1. pag. 314.) who went to sea with the Ten Commandments in his Pocket, but fcraped out the Eighth, Thou shalt not Steal: Or the Wild Irish, (fee Foulis's Hiftory of the Wicked Plots, and Confpiracys of the Pretended Saints, book 3. pag. 181. Camden's Britannia, 1695, p. 1045.) Who, When they went a Stealing, prayed to "God for good Fortune, and if they got a good Booty, used to re"turn God Thanks for affifting them in their Villany; which they "looked upon as the Gift of God." Ralphe feems to have been in this Way of thinking, (see Hudibras at Court, Remains, 1727, P. 7.)