Chapter 28

1We Christians ought not to swear by the names of the (false) gods, nor make mention of their The title of this chapter in i ip.”” names with our lips, nor b ow before them, nor fear them, for he who so doeth and serveth (false) gods, shall be far from God, the giver * of life. Howbeit they are not gods, but the work of men’s hands, and spirits of Satan. For God said concerning’ the children of Israel, ‘They have forsaken me, and have sworn by strange gods, and have provoked me to anger by their gods.” * For despised and hateful and impure (is accounted) in the Scriptures every one that worshippeth and serveth (false) gods, and that sweareth by their And not these only (are so accounted), but also astrologers‘ and magicians who practise superstition. [Serve them not nor worship them.] § And moreover it is said, “ When thou regardest the heavens, worship not the sun, and the moon, and the stars. “Walk not then in the way (And elsewhere it is said), of the nations, nor learn their works, nor fear the signs of the heaven.” ’ For created the sun, and the moon, and the stars, to give light to men, and not that they should worship them. For Israel in the wilderness bowed down before the idol, the molten calf, and they worshipped also the stars and the sun, even as Ezekiel saith,® Beasts that speak not they made for themselves as gods. And in like manner the Egyptians worshipped many (other) gods and (also the god with) the dog's face.* And in Judah (they worshipped) gods of gold and silver, as God saith by the mouth of the prophet, “The gods of the nations are of gold and silver, the work of the hands of men. They have mouths, and speak not; they have eyes, and see not; they have ears, and hear not; they have noses, and smell not; they have hands, and handle not; they have feet, and walk not; neither speak they with their throat; and there is no breath in their mouths. Like unto them be all they that make them, and all they that trust in them.” ?° Behold, then, beloved brethren, ye have heard what God saith, that evil and defiled are all they that worship idols, and bow down to the sun and the moon, and the stars. But Christians who love God ought not to swear by the sun and the moon, nor by the stars of heaven nor by the earth. And our Master hath bidden.us never to swear by anything. Behold then let our words be prudent, for our Lord saith, “Swear not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King; neither shalt thou swear by thy head,” 1! for the foolish Jews swear by their heads. For He hath commanded that the words of the faithful should be one, either yea, yea, or nay, nay; and whatsoever is more than these is evil. For he that sweareth falsely transgresseth the law, and honoureth the (false) gods as the truth, since God hath made them to err in the blindness of their hearts and in the evil of their doings, that they may do that which is unseemly.