But, continues the Swearer, if I swear not, I shall not be believed.
Answ. But (‘tis replied again) Belief is better wanted, than purchased at so dear a rate as sin; since he that parts with Heaven, makes over a bad bargain, tho (Matth. 16. 26) the whole world were the accepted Price. But alas! unless men will construe their disobediences for arguments of your obsequiousness, how unlikely is it, that (by believing you speak truth, because you use to swear you do not lye) they should take your readiness to transgress one of God’s Commands, for a proof that you dare not break another.
How ridiculous would men esteem that Merchant, that should be confident to gain Credit amongst Lenders, by giving Bond for every trivial Sum, for which others are trusted upon their bare word? For in Oaths (as in most other things) too constant a frequency depreciates that authority which their rareness as well as nature gives them: That not being held a sufficient Security for the belief of a doubted or important truth, that is lavish’d to authorise every trivial and impertinent assertion; nor thought a convincing attestation of a questioned truth, that flows rather from a custom of sinning, than design of confirming. No, no; he needs not many Oaths, that uses few; for to be known to make a Conscience of an Oath, will gain your words more credit than the swearing of a thousand; it being a visible and remarkable Judgment of the offended. Deity upon Oaths, that their Number discredits that Truth it self would persuade.
Since then ‘tis your habitude of swearing needlesly, that alone engages you to a necessity (as you call it) of swearing to be believed, let your discontinuance remove that obligation Custom only has contracted; and believe me, that the most persuading asseveration of all, is so to live as not to need to swear. That sociableness which you alledge to extenuate your fault, but aggravates the heinousness of the crime; by confessing Customary Oaths to be like jealous Tyrants, whom we cannot entertain, without giving admittance to their Retinue and their Guard, since in this Vice you acknowledge the act an engagement to a repetition; and (Heb. 6. 16) that Oaths which are the ultimate and highest Confirmations of Truth in their nature, must yet (by this fine Policy) themselves derive an Authority from their Multitude; which is very unnecessary where the Assertor is believed, and usually does but create distrusts where the Veracity is not credited.