The Anabaptists, Mennonites, and Quakers understand the precept to forbid all oaths, even in the civil court. To this, Christ's precept ultimately looks. All unnecessary appeals to God, as well as careless and profane swearing, are forbidden, as coming either from bad passions within or a want of reverence. Yea and nay' is occasioned by the presence of sin and Satan in the world. There is no more striking proof of the existence of evil than the prevalence of the foolish, low, useless habit of swearing.
Men use their protestations because they are distrustful one of another.
11 Gen. iii. This document is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College. Last updated on April 13, 2001.