hom you convince, which infirmity is indeed an
evil. Accordingly He did not say: 'That which is over and above is
evil,' but 'is of evil.' For you do no evil; since you make good use
of swearing, by persuading another to a useful purpose: yet it 'comes
of the evil' of the person by whose infirmity you are forced to
swear."

Reply Obj. 3: He who swears tempts not God, because it is not without
usefulness and necessity that he implores the Divine assistance.
Moreover, he does not expose himself to danger, if God be unwilling
to bear witness there and then: for He certainly will bear witness at
some future time, when He "will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of hearts" (1 Cor.
4:5). And this witness will be lacking to none who swears, neither
for nor against him.
_______________________

THIRD ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 89, Art. 3]

Whether Three Accompanying Conditions of an Oath Are Suitably
Assigned, Namely, Justice, Judgment, and Truth?

Objection 1: It would seem that justice, judgment and truth are
unsuitably assigned as the conditions accompanying an oath. Things
should not be enumerated as diverse, if one of them includes the
other. Now of these three, one includes another, since truth is a
part of justice, according to Tully (De Invent. Rhet. ii, 53): and
judgment is an act of justice, as stated above (Q. 60, A. 1).
Therefore the three accompanying conditions of an oath are unsuitably
assigned.

Obj. 2: Further, many other things are required for an oath, namely,
devotion, and faith whereby we believe that God knows all things and
cannot lie. Therefore the accompanying conditions of an oath are
insufficiently enumerated.

Obj. 3: Further, these three are requisite in man's every deed: since
he ought to do nothing contrary to justice and truth, or without
judgment, according to 1 Tim. 5:21, "Do nothing without prejudice,"
i.e. without previous judgment [*Vulg.: 'Observe these things without
prejudice, doing nothing by declining to either side.']. Therefore
these three should not be associated with an oath any more than with
other human actions.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Jer. 4:2): "Thou shalt swear: As
the Lord liveth, in truth, and in judgment, and in justice": which
words Jerome expounds, saying: "Observe that an oath must be
accompanied by these conditions, truth, judgment and justice."

_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 2), an oath is not good exc