(¶ 14.31)
The force of words being (as I have formerly noted) too weak to hold
men to the performance of their covenants, there are in man's nature
but two imaginable helps to strengthen it. And those are either a fear
of the consequence of breaking their word, or a glory or pride in
appearing not to need to break it. This latter is a generosity too
rarely found to be presumed on, especially in the pursuers of
wealth, command, or sensual pleasure, which are the greatest part of
mankind. The passion to be reckoned upon is fear; whereof there be two
very general objects: one, the power of spirits invisible; the
other, the power of those men they shall therein offend. Of these two,
though the former be the greater power, yet the fear of the latter
is commonly the greater fear. The fear of the former is in every man
his own religion, which hath place in the nature of man before civil
society. The latter hath not so; at least not place enough to keep men
to their promises, because in the condition of mere nature, the
inequality of power is not discerned, but by the event of battle. So
that before the time of civil society, or in the interruption
thereof by war, there is nothing can strengthen a covenant of peace
agreed on against the temptations of avarice, ambition, lust, or other
strong desire, but the fear of that invisible power which they every
one worship as God, and fear as a revenger of their perfidy. All
therefore that can be done between two men not subject to civil
power is to put one another to swear by the God he feareth: which
swearing, or oath, is a form of speech, added to a promise, by which
he that promiseth signifieth that unless he perform he renounceth
the mercy of his God, or calleth to him for vengeance on himself. Such
was the heathen form, Let Jupiter kill me else, as I kill this
beast. So is our form, I shall do thus, and thus, so help me God.
And this, with the rites and ceremonies which every one useth in his
own religion, that the fear of breaking faith might be the greater.
(¶ 14.32)
By this it appears that an oath taken according to any other form,
or rite, than his that sweareth is in vain and no oath, and that there
is no swearing by anything which the swearer thinks not God. For
though men have sometimes used to swear by their kings, for fear, or
flattery; yet they would have it thereby understood they attributed to
them divine honour. And that swearing unnecessarily by God is but
profaning of his name: and swearing by other things, as men do in
common discourse, is not swearing, but an impious custom, gotten by
too much vehemence of talking.
(¶ 14.33)
It appears also that the oath adds nothing to the obligation. For
a covenant, if lawful, binds in the sight of God, without the oath, as
much as with it; if unlawful, bindeth not at all, though it be
confirmed with an oath.