A.D. 1175. JUDGMENT PBONOT/NCED AO AINSI TEE AEBIGENSES. 435 llie heart, and from a priest; and that baptism ought to be performed by the priest, and in churches ;" and that, if anything more could be pointed out to them, as supported by the authority of the Gospels or the Epistles, they would believe the same and would confess it. In consequence of this, fresh authorities of the New Testament were quoted against them by the above-named Catholic persons. After the authorities had been so heard on both sides, the above-named bishop7 4 arose and pronounced judgment to the following effect :— " I, Jocelyn, bishop of Lodevé, by the command and mandate of bishop Alberic, and of his assessors, do pronounce judgment, and do here affirm, that these heretics are wrongly informed on the subject of an oath, and that, if they wish to do right, they ought to take the oath, and that an oath ought to be taken when a person's faith is in question. And, inasmuch as they are infamous and notorious for heresy, they are bound to prove their innocence ; and, returning to the unity of the Church, they are bound to uphold their faith upon oath in such way as the Catholic Church maintains and believes ; in order that the weak who are in the Church may not be corrupted, and that the diseased sheep may not contaminate the whole flock. And this is neither contrary to the Gospel nor to the Epistles of Saint Paul. For although it is said in the Gospel ' Let your communication be yea, yea, nay, nay ;' 7 3 'neither shalt thou swear by the heaven, nor by the earth,'76 still it is not forbidden to swear by God, but by his creatures. For the Gentiles were in the habit of worshipping the creatures, and, if it had been allowed to swear by the creatures, the reverence and honor that are due to God alone would be paid to the creatures, and, in consequence, idols and creatures would be adored as God. Por we read m the book of Eevelation, that an angel 'Lifted up his hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever ; ' 7 7 and Saint Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews,7 8 says, ' Because God could swear by no greater, he sware by HimseB'. For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.' Where God has wished more abundantly to show to the heirs of His promise the immove "* This is an error ; he has not been previously mentioned. '· St. Matt, v. 37 ; James v. 12. 7 6 St. Matt. v. 34,35. " Rev. χ 5 6. ;» Heb. vi. 13, lu.