The Westminster Confession of Faith
CHAPTER 22
Of lawful Oaths and Vows.
I. A lawful oath is a part of religious worship,a
wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth God
to witness what he asserteth or promiseth; and to judge him according
to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth.b
a Deut. 10:20.
b Exod. 20:7; Lev. 19:12; 2 Cor.
1:23 , 2 Chron. 6:22 ,23.
II. The name of God only is that by which men
ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and
reverence;c therefore to swear vainly or rashly
by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any other
thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred.d Yet as,
in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the word of
God under the New Testament, as well as under the Old;e
so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters,
ought to be taken.f
c Deut. 6:13.
d Exod. 20:7; Jer. 5:7; Matt.
5:34,37; James 5:12.
e Heb. 6:16; 2 Cor. 1:23; Isa. 65:16.
f 1 Kings 8:31; Neh. 13:25; Ezra
10:5.
III. Whosoever taketh an oath, ought duly to
consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch
nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth.g
Neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good
and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and
resolved to perform.h Yet it is a sin to refuse
an oath touching any thing that is good and just, being imposed by
lawful authority.i
g Exod. 20:7; Jer. 4:2.
h Gen. 24:2,3,5,6,8,9.
i Num. 5:19,21; Neh. 5:12; Exod.
22:7-11.
IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common
sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation.k
It cannot oblige to sin; but in any thing not sinful, being taken, it
binds to performance, although to a man's own hurt;l
nor is it to be violated, although made to hereticks or infidels.m
k Jer. 4:2; Ps. 24:4.
l 1 Sam. 25:22,32-34; Ps. 15:4.
m Ezek. 17:16,18,19; Josh. 9:18,19
with 2 Sam. 21:1.
V. A vow is of the like nature with a promissory
oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be
performed with the like faithfulness.n
n Isa. 19:21; Eccl. 5:4-6;
Ps. 61:8; Ps. 66:13,14.
VI. It is not to be made to any creature, but to
God alone:o and that it may be accepted, it is
to be made voluntarily, out of faith, and conscience of duty, in way of
thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtaining of what we want;
whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties, or to
other things, so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto.p
o Ps. 76:11; Jer. 44:25,26.
p Deut. 23:21-23; Ps. 50:14; Gen.
28:20-22; 1 Sam. 1:11; Ps. 66:13,14; Ps. 132:2-5.
VII. No man may vow to do anything forbidden in
the word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or
which is not in his own power, and for the performance whereof he hath
no promise of ability from God.q In which
respects, Popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed
poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher
perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no
Christian may entangle himself.r
q Acts 23:12,14; Mark 6:26;
Numb. 30:5,8,12,13.
r Matt. 19:11,12; 1 Cor. 7:2,9; Eph.
4:28; 1 Peter 4:2; 1 Cor. 7:23.
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