An Exortation against Swearing.

Almighty God, to the intent of his most holy name should be had in honour and evermore be magnified of the people, commandeth that no man should take his name vainly in his mouth, threatening punishment unto him that unreverently abuses it by swearing, forswearing and blasphemy. To the intent therefore that this commandment may be the better known and kept; it shall be declared unto you both how it is lawful for Christian people to swear and also what peril and danger it is vainly to swear or to be forsworn.
The Commandment. Exodus 20, v.7.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who taketh His name in vain.

Entries in various Dictionary's with regard to the use of "Goodness."
1. An Universal Etymological English Dictionary, by N. Bailey, Glasgow, 1802.
Goodlyhead; goodliness, goodness.
Goodness: the state or quality of being good, kindness, favour, benevolence,
piety.
Good Wine Needs no Bush.
This proverb intimates, That virtue is valuable for itself; and that internal
goodness stands in need of no external flourishes or ornaments; and so we
say, A good face needs no band.
Note: It appears from the entries in this Dictionary and the above Proverb, that
the flourishes we use today in relation to Goodness were unheard of in 1802.
2. Chambers Dictionary, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd., 2003
Goodness; Virtue; excellence; benevolence; etc., etc. Substituted for God in
certain expressions such as; for goodness sake; my goodness; good gracious.
3. Oxford English Dictionary unabridged and complete in 20 vols., Oxford University
Press, 1971.
Goodness; that which is good in anything, the strength or virtue of it. In
cooking, remove the goodness out of it.
In various exclamatory phrases, in which the original reference was to the
goodness of God, as; Goodness gracious; Goodness (only) knows! For goodness;
For goodness sake! In the name of goodness! I (wish) to goodness! Surely to
goodness! Thank goodness! or simply Goodness!
The sense of for goodness' sake may be merely 'in order to be kind' and in
the second of the same play, it is rather; as you trust in the goodness of
God.
For mercy's , pity's sake, where there is a similar equivoque, the phrases
are not now in dignified use.
Flip; Nothing serious.
Dang. An euphemistic substitute for darn.
Darn. Perversion of Damn.
Damn. a profane imprecation.
4. Fowler's Modern English Usage.
Goodness (knows) has two curiously diverg ent senses. In Goodness knows who it
can have been it means God only knows and I do not; In Goodness knows it
wasn't me it means God knows and could confirm my statement. Ambiguity is
unlikely, but not impossible.
Flippant; implies mockery of what should be taken seriously, and want of
consideration for others.

Swearing is not forbidden, but commanded of by almighty God. For we have examples
of Christ and godly men in Holy Scripture that did swear themselves and required
oaths of others likewise. God's commandment is ; Thou shalt dread thy Lord God
and shalt swear by His name. Almighty God by his prophet David says; All men
shall be praised that swear by Him.

I delight to do thy will, O my God. Psalm 40:8. It was a sad, sad day for mankind
in general and Christians in particular when part of the line of this verse was
used in the context it is used in today. It is a frightening prospect that these
words, uttered in a blasphemous way, could find their way into the Dictionaries
as part of everyday language.