An Invective Against Swearing

The Inuectyue speakethe.

The Inuectyue.

W Hense shall I take my beginning, while I lament the corrupt manners of this most wretched world, more aptely and fytter for the purpose, than of y ^e Prophet Jeremiah, and with weeping tears and sorrowful heart cry out with him, saying. Oh who shall give my head water enough, & a well of tears for mine eyes, that I may weep night and day for the slaughter of my people?

The Prophet doth not here bewail them, that have their bodies slain with sword, or with ony other kind of violence, but he lamenteth the to much wretched and damnable state of such as are slain in their souls withe the multitude of sins (for what so ever the sword is unto the body, even the very same is sin unto the soul (as it manifestly appeareth by his words that follow. For he calleth them adulterers, and a company of wicked trāsgres • ours. They bend their tongues like bows, saith he, to shout ou • e lies. As for the truth, they may nothing away with all in the world. For they go from one wickedness unto another, & hold nothing of god. They are so false and crafty, tha • every one had need to keep himself from another. No man may safely trust his own brother, for one brother vndermineth another, and one neighbor begyleth another, yea one dissembleth with another, and they deal w ^t no truth, They have practiced their tongues to speak lies, & have taken great pains to do mischief. They have set their stool in the myddest of deceate, and for very dissemblynge falsehood they will not know the Lord. Theyr tongues are like sharp arowes to speak deceat. Wyth their mouth they speak peasably to their neighbor, but privily they lay wait for him.

These words of the Prophet declare evidently, that he bewaylethe thē that are slain in their souls, by the reason of the manifold wickedness, wherewith they are wounded inwardely & slain, that is to say, cast away from the favor of God, & condemned unto perpetual death, except they repent, believe & amende. So likewise I at this time using the words of the Prophet do not lament such as have tasted the death of the body and are gone, but them that are yet alive in this world as concerning their bodies, but dead thorough sin as towchynge their souls. These I lament, these I bewail, these I sorrow & sygh for • oth day and night. These make me to lay aside all myrthe and joy, & to walk as one desolate▪ and confortelesse. These cause me to with that I being one & a private parson might be banished, yea cursed from Christ, so that so great a multitude might be saved My faith is y ^• I am written in the boke of life, and numbered among the vessels of mercy, notwithstondyng would God I might be wiped out, so that these y ^e are slain in the soul thorough sin, might be saved. What one man having but a carnel of Christian salt in his breast wyssheth not so? Who desyrethe not rather being one parsonne to be damned, than so great a number should perish? What need I rehearse here the tender affeccion of Moses, Christ and Paul, which they bare toward the salvation of other, whom all we ought to follow? Moses whan the Israelites had offended God for worshipping of the golden calf, prayed for them on this manner: Forgyue them, oh Lord, this fault, or e • les wype me out of the boke, wherein y ^u hast written me. Christ by the Prophet saith, Judge I pray you betwyxte me and my vyneyard. What more could have been done for it, y ^• I have not done? S. Paul wished himself to be banished from Christ for his brethren and kynnesfolke as pertaynyi • g to the flesh, which are the Israelites. Certes he is no true Christian mā, that provideth for his own salvation, and carethe not for the health of other. God, saith Chrysostom, will not that a Christ̄ mā should be contemed with himself alone, but that he also edifye other, not by teaching only, but by living and cōuersacion also. Charite, saith saint Paul, seaketh not her own. Agayne, let no man seek his own, but the profit of other. This made all the holy fathers in times past to be so desirous of the health of other that they wished even with y ^e loss of their own health, the salvation of their Christian brothers. who being of their mind, and godly enspired wisheth not y ^• same at this hour For even as the Prophet Hieremye did lament the wickedness of y ^e people which lived at that time, even so I am sure, do so many as are godly minded, bewail the ungodliness that reign among us at this day. For consider what sin and howe manifolo reygned at that • yme, evē the very same w ^t a great heap more reigneth yea & triumpheth in these our days, so greatly hath wickedness prevailed and got̄ the vppermoost hand.

If I should descend & go down in to the great Occean and main see, which overfloweth the whole world with thaboundans of all euelles, so should I never be able to sail and pass thorough. I will therefore at this time take upon me only to search the several sea of one sin only, although it may seme to be both great, large, broad, depe, bottomeles, & not able to be sailed thorough of ony mā, and show howe many dangers and grievous perrelles abide them, that presume to pass in that cruel & fearse see. And this sin is the most wicked and detestable vice of swearing, which now reigneth so greatly in every place, that I fear all admonicions, exhortacions, warnynges and councils are frustrate and vain, so evil is a noughtye & perverse custom, so rare a thing is it to heal that pocke, which is rooted by the bonne. Notwythstondyng although some {per}adventure shall laugh at this my labor as a song sunge to them that are deaf eared, yet for as much as my trust is, y ^• all which be entangled with this vice, are not of a desperate mind, nor so overwhelmed with the waves of this unmerciful sea, but that they may be called again, & brought unto amendment, evē for their sake, and to wyn their souls unto glory, will I speak somewhat in this matter, & declare how greatly the abhominable sin of swearing is to be detested, and abhorred of every true Christian heart. Therefore I sha • l most intierlye desire all faithful and Christian people that shall read this my work to mark diligently what so ever they shall here find, and to repose it in y ^• bottom of their hearts as a grave & weighty matter pertaynyng unto the health of their souls. If ony man will not amend after this our admonition, his damnation f • ll upon his own head. For I am free frō his blood, and have done my duty in this behalf.

After that God had brought his people the Israelites out of Egypt, myndyng to institute & appoyn • e a new public weal, that should be governed after his deuyse and appointment, he ordined certain ceremonies and ordinances, which they should observe, and by the obseruasis thereof show and outwardly declare their obediente heart toward him. Among all other for the right instituciō of their life, he gave them by his servant Moses ten commandments, which by no means they might transgress, except they would fall into his great displeasure, wrath & indignation. To the kepers of those commandments he promised all good, fortunate and prosperous things, but to the trāsgressours & such as breke them, he threatened all troublous, grievous and painful things, as we may se in the books of Moses & of y ^• other Prophets. Amōg all other he gave a commandment, which is this.

As though he should say, Behold I am y ^• Lord thy God, which have done the many great & singular pleasures. I have made the like unto myn own similitude, lykenes and image. I have preserved the frō eternal damnation, unto the which thou haddest made thyself bound thorough the offense of thy first father Adam, which he committed in Paradise. I have fed the in thy mothers womb. I have norysshed the hitherto. I have sent the thy health, & saved the from all dangers. And now at the last also evē of mine own mere mercy & free goodness. I have delivered the out of Egypt that lond of servitude & extreme bondage, evē out of the hands of that thy most cruel & vnmercyful enemy Pharaoh I feed the with meat from heaven I give the drink out of the hard & stony rock, & now I hast with all main to lead the into the lond of y ^• Canaanites, even such a lond as floweth with milk and honey, & abundethe with all good things, where (thine enemies caste out before thy face) thou shalt live & reign like a most wealthy Prince & rulare of the earth. Look therefore that thou keep my commandments & ordinances, Hear my voice. Flye the voices of strangers. Look thou have none other God's besides me. Take me • or thine one & alone god. Fear, honor & worship me alone. Love me with all thy heart, myade strength, power, soul. &c. Hange on me. Seake for all good things at my hand. Beleue me to be that God alone, which am omnisufficient, plēteous to give and needy of nothing. Make the no graven • mage unto y ^• lykenes of ony thing in heuē, earth or elles where. Do no reverence nor honor unto them. But above all things loke thou take not y ^• name of me thy lord God in vain. For if y ^u so do verily thou shalt not escape vnponyshed. I will be revenged of thy wickedness. For by no means will I suffer my name to be polluted & de • iled with thine abhominable & unlawful oaths. And that thou mayst take my name into thy mouch with honor, and reverence it whan it is named, remember that I am a Lord, terrible in asp •• e, great in power, righteous in judgment, ready to take vēgeaūce on y ^• wicked, & such one as am acōsumīg • ire, & by no means cā suffer iniquity▪ And as for the workers thereof I hate, detest, and utterly abhor. Agayne thou art a miserable, wretched and vile sinner, begotten, conceived & borne in sin, full of all filthiness, wicked in all thy thoughts, words and deeds, deseruyng at every hour by thine abhominable living to be caste into hell fire, were not I called away from taking vengeance by my great mercy, and long suffering what art thou than O man, which being so so vile, wretched, sinful & stynkyng dareste presume to take my name, which am king above all kings, & Lord above all Lord's, into thy polluted mouth, seeing it is a name, that excellethe all other, seeing also that unto it every knee that is in heaven earth, or hell bow and give reuereuerence unto it, agen seeing that the dignity, greatness, & virtue there of can by no means be comprehended? Use not therefore my name unreverantly, but magnify, laud, praise, honor and worship it hath day and night. Flye unto it as unto a strong Bulwark, and holy anchore in all thine aduersite. Seake for remedy, aid, and succoure of a • l thy diseases at the goodness of that. If thou dost otherwise, know that I am the living God, into whose hands it is a dreadful thing to fall. For I will visit the with most grievous affliccions. I will ponysh the with many intolerable diseases upon thy body in this world. I will smyte the, thy wise, thy children, thy cattle. All that ever thou hast, will I bring to naught. Of all men living will I make the most vile & wretched. What so ever thou goest about, shall not prosper, but come to an evil end. So that in this world my vengeance, that is to say, corporal plages shall fall upon the, & after this present life, shalt thou w ^t out fail be caste into utter darkness, where weeping and gnasshynge of tethe shall be, where the fire shall never be quenched, where thy tormētes shall never have ende, where the worm that gnaweth thy conscience, shall never die.

Whose eyes send not forth large fountaynes of tears to hear these things? Yea whose heart faynteth not for distyllyng of bloody tears, to hear so great & so grievous threats, yea and that from the mouth of God, which is y ^• self truth, which cannot lie, which is faithful in all his words? What mā is so infected with the abhominable sin of sweryng, that doth not now tremble, shake, and quake for sear, to hear what grievous and intolerable pains abide him: Who hath an heart so indurated and hardened thorough the detestable & vicious custom of swearing, which is not now ready so cease from hensforthe so wickedly to abuse the most holy and blessed name of God, and to honor, reverence and worship it ever after? Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vain.

God hath given ten commandments, ye • have none of them all cōminacions & threats subjoined expressly unto thē, but two only, which are the seconde & the third, one for Idolatry, the other for the unjust vsurpacion and unlawful using of the name of God, whereby he manifestly declareth how great the sin of Idolatry and of swearing is in his sight above all other vices. Who is now so at defyaunce with the christen religion, & so little estemeth the glory of the most excellent name of God, that he will not cease from his wickedness of swearing, & learn from hensforth to glorify the most blessed name of God, if not for lous, yet for fear of the most grievous & intolerable plages that shall undoubtedly fall upon him?

God speaketh these words with a marvelous great & vehement▪ emphasis, because he would have us imprynt this his precept in our memory. And because we should hark̄ the more unto it, he addeth a threte and saith,

This is a grievous threat, & shaketh all y ^• partes of a Christ̄ mannes body, y ^• is led w ^t ony fere at all toward god. Now let us lern • what it is to take y ^• name of our Lord God in vain, y ^• we faul not into that sin, & receue a reward worthy our wickedness. To take the name of God in vain, is to caull God a witness in unjust and trifelynge matters, vaynely to swear by his most blessed name, to take it in our mouths without a necessary & urgent cause, and to obscure the glory of it thorough wicked & ungodly oaths. All they that thus do, shall not escape vnponysshed. O Lord God howe many are there at this time that transgress this holy precept? Howe many caull God a witness in unjust & trifelyng matters? Howe many pollute & defile (y ^• in them is) the glory of God's most blessed name? How many swear continually not only by God, & all y ^• ever he made, again not only by his dearly beloved son our Lo • d & savior Jesus christ, but also, w ^t honor & reverence I speak it, by all y ^• holy menbers of his most glorio{us} body: How common an oothe now days is God's flesh, God's blood, God's heart, God's body, God's wounds, God's nails, God's sydes God's guts, and all that ever may be rehearsed of God? O wickedness. O abomination. What parte of Christ's most blessed body do these wicked & abhominable swearers leave vnrēt and vntorne? They are much worse thā the Jews, which cried, Tolle, tolle, crucifige eum. Awaye, away, to the gallows with him, crucifye him, torment him, leave not one part whole of him. For they only cried vpō Pylate to have hī crucified, but these swearers them selves crucify him, rent, and tear him. The Jews crucified him but once, and than their fury ceased, but these wicked caytiffes crucify him daily with their unlawful oaths, neither doth their malice & cruelnes cease at ony time S. Agustine saith, They syn no less, which blaspheme Christ reygnyng in heaven, than they, which crucified him walking on the earth. Yea there want not, which have so great pleasure in swearing, y ^• they think thē selves no men, except they face crake and brag out their matters with large and shameless oaths.

They judge it a point of elogancye, ciuilite and good nourtoure to enterlase their talk with abūdās of oaths. They recount him an asse a dastarde, and an hobbe of the country, that cannot swear valeauntly, so greatly hath vice prevailed, so greatly hath wickedness rooted herself in the hearts of men, so little authority bearethe virtue & godliness now a days in the world. The mā of occupacon feareth no thing at all to swear by God & to call him a witness in a vain and trifling matter, whan he byeth or selleth ony thing, so that he may get but a penny by this means. O Lord what doth it profit a man to wynne all y ^• whole world, & to loose his soul? How customably is this heard daily among them that be byers and sellers. By God's soul man take it unto the, & say not, but that thou haste a friendly penny worth. For by the blessed body of god thou hast it as good chepe as ever I bought it? And yet are all together stark lies. But let it be granted, that their ooth were true, is it therefore convenient, y ^• in worldly matters & for every light trifle, we should thus abuse the name of god, whom we ought never to have in our mouths without great reverence, and for urgēt & weighty causes? There ought to be so great sincerite, faythfulnes, truth & singleness among Christian men, that yea yea, nay, nay, should be sufficient. But alas there is so much craft, deceate, suttelty, falsehood, and doublenes reygnyng in the world at this time, that none dare trust another, no though they promise never so fair, except they swear, no nor than nether, except they have them bound in black & whyght, as they say, O Lord unto what point are we come, whan all truth & credence is so far banysshed from the bounds of Christianite, y ^• there is more faith & trust given to an obligaciō or such other trifle, than to y ^• word and promise of a Christian man? It is even as the Prophet saith, there is no truth vpō the earth, but swearing, cursyng, & liēg. Every man is a lyare. Every man that lyuethe is nothing but vanite, nether is there ony trust in him. Do ye think, saith Christ, that the son of man shall find ony faith on the earth, whā he shall come? Verily I think but a little, which is an evident tokē that the day of the great & terrible judgment is not far of.

More • uer howe is God rent and torn by blasphemous oaths not only among men in bargaynynge, byeng and selling, choppyng and cha •• gyng. &c. but also in playeng & yole matters? How will the diser swear rather than he will loose one caste? Howe will the carder tear God on pieces, rather than he will loose the profit of one carde? Howe will they that stonde by & behold, forswear them selves for the love y ^t they bear to one of the parties?

Again howe depely do men of law swear unto their Clientes, y ^• they have labored their matters earnestly to the Judges, whan many times they have not spoken one word, but still prolonge the matter that their auauntage may be the greater?

Howe doth the pressed swear, that if it had not ben for the love of such & such an honest man, and for y ^• good report that he hath heard before of the Parysh, he would never have bē person of 〈◊〉 ? And yet it is not unknown, that the most part of the love their paryshners so dearly, that after they be once • ure of their benefyce, they care not although they never se none of thē after, so that they may have the auāuntage of the benefice, except peradventure of their deuocion it be at harvest, whan the tythe barns are full, or elles at Easter to search howe good the Easter boke will be that year. This once done, hense go they again, & leave asyr John Lack latin in their stead which teachethe not much more, than the hill mouethe. The wolffe may come, and easily rent, tear & devour the poor sheep. For the shepparde hath got̄ the milk & wolle, and he is gone. He hath lycked the fat from his paryshners berdes, & hath taken his journey. Take thought for the flock who lysteth. O Pastor & Idolum derelinquens gregem. O shepeparde & Idolle, that thus forsaketh his flock. But alas what consciences have these men, which take so much and do so lytyll? If they will reap carnal things, so must they sow spiritual things, saith y ^e scripture. The laboring plow mā & not the idle lubber must receive of the fruits, saith S. Paul. They that rule well are worthy double honor chefely they that labor in word & doctrine. For the Lord hath ordined that they, which preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel. Woe be to me, saith S. Paul, if I preach not y ^• Gospel. Shall these good men thā, & God will, escape free, seeing they do naught, and yet receive so great fruits, commodities and rewards? what do we, O ye sheppardes, saith S. Gregory? How may we be bold to receive wages, & yet be no work men? We take the profytes of holy church for our daily stipende, & yet do we labor no thing at all in prechyng for the everlasting Chyrche. Let us consider and weyghe, what great damnation it is to take here the reward of labor, and to do no thing for it. Behold we live of y ^• oblaciō of y ^• faithful, but what do we labor for y ^• souls of the faithful? we take for our stipend what so ever the faithful have offered to redeem their sins, and yet do we not once show ony diligence against those sins ether by the study of prayer or preaching. Let beneficed men, which give so little attendaunce upon Christ's flock, mark well thafor said words of the holy Doctore, & consider with them selves whither they may justly receive so much & do so little for it, or not. Agayne the same Doctore saith the priests, to whom the Lord's people are committed, must watch with great diligence upon the Lord's sheep, that they be not rent and torn with the bytynges of the wolf, that is to say, with the mocions of the devil. God give them grace once to be priests & sheep herdes, not only in name & apparel, but also in work and truth.

Among serving mē also above all other, what wicked and detestable oaths are there heard? If there be ony of that sort, which fear God & love his word, & therefore abstain from vain oaths, how doth his cōpanye lout him. Loke what an asse is among a sort of apes, evē the very same is he among his fellows. They think him not worthy to wear a sword & buckelare, that cannot face out the matter with plenty of oaths. He y ^• can swearebest, & soonest give a blow, he is counted an hardy fellow, and fit to do a Gentyll man se • uyse, whan to say the truth, of all men he is most wretch and coward, and most of all vnapte to do such a Gentyll man seruyse as • oueth God and his holy laws. Yea such pestilent swearers and filthy blasphemers of God and his creatures ought all honest and virtuous Gentle men to put out of their houses, unless they bring the vengeance of God vpō their whole family, wife, chyldrē, servants. &c If they know that onye man have been in that place, where the plage reigneth, & would come into their houses, they spear the gates against him, they shut him ou • , by no means will they suffer him to enter. And why? Verily because they will not have y ^• plage brought in among them, unless they should be infected and so die. Alas for pure pite, to die we are all borne, and die we must at one time or other, whither it be by the plage or otherwise, & therefore it may seme that the death of the body ought not so greatly to be feared why than rather do they not put out of their houses these pestiferous caytisses, which thorough their abhominable swearing infecte all their family, not only their bodies, but their souls also, and provoke God to pour out his most fearse & grievous plages vpō them? Is not this the saying of the wise man, the mā that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity, and the plage, y ^• is to say, the vengeance of GOD shall not go away from his house? Awake therefore, O ye gentle men, awake, & ye men of nobilite awake, suffer no swearers in youre houses, eschew them more then a venomous serpent, feed a dragō sooner in your house, than ony such one as hath pleasure in swearing. For as towchyng the one, it only hurteth the body, the other destroyeth the bodies & souls of so many as be under you, & dayelye provoke the vengeance of God against you and all that ever ye have in town, field or else where. He that toucheth pytche, saith Jesus Syrache, shall be defiled of it. And he that keepeth company with them y ^• are proud, shall learn pride. Lykewyse they that accompany such as be swearers and blasphemers of God's most holy name, must needs prove like unto them, and therefore run into like damnation. Awaye therefore with such out of your houses, except they will amend. Mayntayne none that shall bring y ^• plage of God vpō your house. Suffer not the tender breasts of youre children to be poysonned in their young age with the pestilent and damnable cōmunicacion of these abhominable swearers. But above all things look that ye youre selves have the name of God in so great reverence and honor, that by no means ye abuse it at ony time by your vain • oaths unto the evil example of your • family.

Agayne, whan the common sort o • people in a parysh are gathered tog • there at ony time to make merry, a • the custom in many places is to do chefely on the Sondayes, & other h • lie days at after noon, whan the • ought rather to be occupied in servant prayers, or else in the reading or hearing of the holy Scriptures what shameful & wicked oaths do they swear? Whā they are once set upon the alebenche, and well whytled in their brains thorough the many cups that have been filled in, howe fall they then to swearing? What parte of Christ's most blessed body is lease vntorne? He is taken for ioylyest fellow, that can best swear. I let pass their other filthy talk, dronckēshyppe, and excess. O wickedness. Are these Christian mē? Not much before, they were in the Temple, and full solemnly went up & down patteryng with a pair of • eades in their hands, and whan y ^• priest red the Gospel, although they understood not one word, yet of custom they stood up like men, and whan the pressed named Jesus in the Gospel, and they saw him for y ^• reverence of it, make curtesy, they also full mannerly bowed their knees, as devout parsonnes, pretendyng by that means that they have the name of Jesus among them in great honor, yet straight ways go they unto the alehouse, and by their wicked oaths, do they there the gretest dishonor to the name of Jesus that can be done in the world. These people may well be resembled to those Jews, which in despyte strypped Christ, & put on him a purple robe, & platted a crown of thorns & put it upon his head, & a reed in his right hand, and bowed their knees before hī & mocked him, saying, Ave rex Iudeorum, hail king of the Jews. God amende these crooked customs.

Furthermore this damnable use of swearing hath so greatly prevailed among them that profess Christ that it is also exepte into the breasts of young children. It is not a rare thing, now a days to hear boys & mothers tear the most blessed body of Christ with their blasphemo▪ oaths, even from the top unto y ^• too. What meruel is it thā, though they be abhominable swearers, whā they come to age? But whense learn they this? Verily of their parētes and such as bring them up. Cursed be those parents which so behave them selves either in word or deed, that they give ony occasion of evil at all unto their children. Great is their dānation. The blood of their children shall be required at their hands. Better were it for such fathers and mothers, if they had a mylstone teyed about their necks and so to be caste into the sea, thā blaspemously to abuse the name of God unto y ^• evil example of their children. Is it ony marvel therefore though we be so greatly plagued, seeing the name of God is so much blasphemed among us now a days of every degree and age? Howe can we be bold to say, y ^• we believe in God, whan we live no thing according unto his word? Wyth what forehead may we be bold to call upon the name of God in our aduersite, seeing we without all honor and reverence do so shamefully abuse it with ungodly oaths? Howe may we hoope that Christ's body was offered up to God the father a sweet smellyng Sacrifice for our sins, whan we so unreverantly swear by it? How may we boldly say, that all our iniquities be wasshed away by Christ's blood, whā it shameth not us wickedly to swear by it, & to obscure the virtue of it by our unlawful oaths, so much as lieth in our power? Wyth what coūtenaūce shall we be bold at y ^• dreadful day of judgment to behold & loke vpō y ^• most glorious face of the everlasting & righteous Judge Christ whose honor we have so oft defaced w ^t our vain & idle swearing? Vndoubtedly these swearers and blasphemers of the name of God are in a far worse case, than they appere before the world. The world by the reason of the longe custom & continuance thereof, think it no sin ydelly to swear, nether doth it judge them that are swerers to be in onye worse case, than the other sort be, but the word of God judgeth other wise of them. God's word declareth them to be the most grievous enemies of god, of his most blessed name, of Jesus Christ his son, and of his most bitter passion. God's word uttereth them to be the chyldrenne of wrath, fire brondes of hell, captives of Satan, and right heirs of eternal dānation. God's word showeth manifestly, y ^• they have in no parte y ^• celestial heritage, but are already judged to hell syre, if they do not in this life repent, bewail their wretchedness, confess their abhominaciō desire marcy, and believe faithfully to have forgyuenes. For heavē and earth shall pass away, but y ^• word of the Lord abideth forever. Therefore this comminacion and threate, which accompanieth the commandment, must needs be true, & come to pass. The Lord will not

Let not these swearers therefore glory in their wickedness, and think y ^• they shall escape vnponished, because God takethe not vengeance on them straight ways, but rather let them think that their damnaciō shall be so much the more grievous, seeing they escape so longe without punyshment. The rich glo • tonne of whom we read in the Gospel of Luke, lived in this world according to his fleshly appetyte, and wanted nothing that might satisfy y ^• beastlyke desire of y ^• flesh, yet y ^• end of him was everlasting dānaciō. So shall it chaūse to all thē y ^• be wicked trāsgres • ours of this holy precept of God

This thret of god is not to be laughed at. For if there be a God, as I am certainly {per}suaded there is, I am sure that these abhominable Swearers shall not escape vnponysshed, let thē esteem their sin as light & as little as they liest, yea I am sure, y ^e vengeance of God hangeth over their heads, where so ever they be. And although God take the not vengeance on them straight ways, yet am I sure that they shall not escape, if in this world, yet not in the world to come, so righteous a Judge is God, so faithful is he in all his words. Howe can it otherwise be? We se by daily experience that if ony man blasphemeth an earthly Prince, or speak • evil of his name, he dieth y ^• death straightways without mercy. If such honor and reverence be givē unto a worldly Prince, which is earth, & unto earth shall return agē, what is thā to be thought of thē which blaspheme y ^• name of y ^e most high & celestial king, which is king of all kings. and Lord of all Lord's? The blasphemy done to a mortal man is ponyshed with sword, and shall the blasphemy done to god escape, think you, with a fylyppe in the forehead, or with the knock of a lytyll woden betyll: as it began in certain monnes houses to be ponyshed now of late? Na verily. It is no fylyp matter, except ye will admyt such a fylyppe, as shall fylyppe them down into the botome of hell fire. God is no popette nor no babe. It is not a fylippe, that can wype away y ^• blasphemy of his most blessed name before his high throne & glorio{us} majesty. Woe be to thē y ^• syn, and keep not my comaundementes, saith the Lord, for I will not surely spare them. In the old law God gave this commandment for the blasphemers of his name. Who so ever curseth his god, saith he, shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall die for it. All the multitude shall stonne him to death. Whyther he be Citizyn or stranger, if he blasphemethe the name of the Lord, let him die y ^• death. What will the blasphemers of God say to this precept? Do they think that God is a sleape, so that now he careth not for the glory of his name? Na let them be sure. GOD tendereth now his glory so much as ever he did, and abhorreth wickedness now no less thā he hath done ever heretofore. He is a jealous god, & will not suffer thē to escape vnponysshed, that pollute & defyse his most glorious name. S. Austē saith, they sin no less, which blaspheme Christ reygnyng in heaven, than they, which crucified him wall king in earth. A certain writer also in the Hebrew tongue called Rabbi Ibn Ezra writethe on this manner: Certes this is the custom in Egypt even unto this day, that if ony mā doth swear by the head of the king and doth not fulfill his saying, he shall be the child of death. If that he would offer for his ransom a great sum of gold, yet shall he not live, seeing he hath despised the king openly. If a king doth so, which is flesh and blood, whose beginning & ende is vanite, and whose kingdom is vanite, much more, yea a thousand times more ought a man to take hede, y ^t he offend not God w ^t his tōg, y ^• he doth not so order his mouth, y ^• he maketh his flessh to sin by remembering God in vain. Agē he saith, there are many, which think it no great offense if a mā taketh y ^• name of god in vain. But I will show thē, y ^• it is greter & more grievous thā y ^• brekyng of all y ^• cōmaūdemētes y ^t follow. For he y ^• is a mansleare or an adulterer, which surely are great offēses, he cā not slay nor play y ^• whoremonger at all times, for he is in fear. But he that hath accustomed him self unto vain oaths, he committeth in one day in numerable oaths, & he is so greatly in use w ^t this fault, that he perceaueth it not, whan he swereth. And if thou rebukest him & sayst, wherefor haste thou now so sworn? He straightways sweareth that he sware not, yea and that for the to much use of sweryng. For such before they bring forth ony word, they swear first, thynkyng that it garnyseth their communicacion very pleasauntely so to swear. But if there were in Israel no more faults, but this one alone, it were enough to prolonge our captivity, and cause y ^• we should be plagued every day more & more. These are the words of the Hebrew Interpretoure, whereof we may learn howe great an offense it is vainly to swear, and howe it heapeth up on us the plages and vengeance of God more then the breaking of ony other commandment, except it be for ydolatry, which sin this also matcheth. But let us return to the scriptures of God.

Hear me, oye children, saith the wise man. I will give you a doctrine how ye shall order your mouth Who so kepethe it, shall not perysshe thorough his lips, nor be hurt thorough wicked works. As for the sinner, he shall be taken in his own vanite. He that is proud and cursed, shall fall therein. Let not thy mouth be accustomed with swearing. For in it there are many faulles. Lette not the namyng of God be continually in thy mouth. For like as a servant, which is often ponyshed, can not be w ^t out some sore, evē so what so ever he be, that sweareth and nameth God, shall not be clean purged from sin. A man that useth much swearing, shall be filled with wickedness, and the plage shall never go from his house. If he begylethe his brother, his faute shall be upon him. If he knowledged not his sin, he maketh a double offense, & if he sweareth in vain, he shall not be found righteous. For his house shall be full of plages. The words of the swearer bring death (God grant that it be not sound in the house of Jacob) but they that fear God, exchewe all such, and lygh not weltryng in syn. Use not thy mouthe unto dishonest a • d filthy talking. For in it is the word of sin.

Here the wise man plainly affirmeth, t • at they, which swear and take y ^• name of God in vain, shall be replenyshed with wickedness, & the grievous plages of God's vengeance shall • aul upon them. So that their house shall be visited with diverse ponyshmentes and plages. O terrible layeng. To much saxeous & stony is his heart, that tremble the not at the hearing of these words. The Prophet Zacharias also saith, I turned me, lyftynge up mine eyes, and looked. And behold a flyeng book. And he said unto me, what seest y ^u ? I answered, I se a flyeng boke of .xx cubits long, and ten cubits broad. Than said he unto me, this is the curse that goeth forth over y ^• whole earth. For all thieves shall be judged after this boke, and all swearers shall be judged according to the same. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hoostes, so that it shall come upon the house of the these, and upon the house of him that falsely sweatethe by my name, and shall remain in y ^• myddest of his house, and consume it with the timber & stones thereof.

What will swearers and blasphemers of Godsmoost holy name, say unto these words of the Prophet? Here may they se, that the terrible curse of God is come abroad for all Theues and swears, so that it shall fall upon their house, and consume it with all that ever pertain unto it. Here may they learn, that they judgment is at hand, that their dānation cannot be exchewed, except • they shortly repent, believe & amend. For the boke of curses slieth abroad. It is no lenger kept in secret, and it shall undoubtedly fall on the houses of so many as vaynely swear. God can no lenger abide this abomination, it is so great, and grown • up into such an heygh • , Woe be unto all swearers for their oaths. Fo • a daggar pryckethe not so sharply, saith Chrysostom, as the nature of an ooth doth. A sword sleath not so cruelly, as the plage of an oothe doth. For a swearer, although he seemeth to live, yet is he dead already and hath receued his deadly wound. And as he that taketh an halter before he goeth out of the City, and cometh unto the place of execucion, & hath the Hangman following him, is dead, so soon as he goethe out of the place of judgment, so likewise is he that is a swearer. The oothe is not so soon come out of the mouth, but that the swearer is condemned straightways unto eternal damnation.

What will these blasphemers of God's most holy name say to this golden mouthed Doctore, which cōparethe all swearers to thieves, and saith that they are like unto a these that is condemned unto death, and wereth his halter ready to be hanged? Are not these swearers come now unto a fair promocion? They be like thieves condemned to die, saith the holy Doctore Chrysostom. The Judge hath given sentence. They be condemned. So that although they be yet free from y ^• plays of gods vengeance, as the these is before he cometh unto the gallows, yet they may be as sure not to escape them, as though they were now already in their necks. And the longer their punyshment is differed, the more grievous shall it be, whan it cometh. Many, I grant, in this world are not ponysshed for their great abhominable swearing, yet have there not wanted examples in our time, which have abundantly declared, howe greatly the sin of swearing displeasethe God. There live at this day, which have known certain mē to be great swear • rs of whom some many years before they died, were grievously punished with strange and innumerable diseases, some by y ^• strong hand of God had their houses, as y ^• Prophet Zacharias saith, consumed w ^t fire, some lost their speech before they died, another sort certain days before they died, had such an heat and brēning in their mouths that by no means they could suffer to have them speared. Theyr tōge & all that ever was within their mouthe, was so black as a cool. Were not all these manifest tokens of God's wrath and vengeance for taking his holy name in vain? Woulde God they y ^• were thus punished, might be an example unto us for to leave the wicked and ungodly custom of swearing. If we will not cease, but still provoke god unto anger, surely we shall prove & feale those same plages, and much more grievous. And would god our pains might cease in this world, that we might be free from everlasting damnation. We all profess Christ, and caull our selves Christians, why do we not thā those things, that Christ commandeth us? Christ saith, he that is of God, heareth the words of god. Agayne, any sheep hear my voice. Also in another place, everyone that is of the truth, hereth my voice. If we therefore be of God, why do we not hear the words of God? If we be y ^• sheep of Christ, why do we not hear our sheppardes voice? If we pertain unto Christ, which is y ^• self truth, why do we not hear his voice?

Christ saith, ye have heard, that ii was said to them of y ^u old time, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but perform unto the Lord, that y ^• haste sworn. But I say unto you, swer • not at all, neither by heavē, for it is the throne of God, neither by earth for it is the footstool of his feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the citis of the great king, nether shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou art not able to make one hear whyght or black. But let your communicaciō be yea, yea, nay, nay. For what so ever is more than that, cometh of evil. Herevnto agreeth S. James saying, before all things, o my brethren, look ye swear not nether by heuē, nor by earth, nor by ony other ooth. Let your cōmunicaciō be yea, yea, nay, nay, that ye fall not into dissimulacion.

Here are we forbyddan to swear by ony thing that ever God made. If it be not lawful for us to swear by ony thing y ^• ever Godmade, thā is it not lawful for us to swear by him that made all things. If it be sin to swear by the creatures thā must it needs be damnable to swear by y ^• creatore. Why do we not remember these things, and leave our great swearing? It is a shame to se christen men live so contrary to their profession. It shall be more tolerable to Tyrus and Sidon, to Sod • me & Gomorre at the day of judgment, than to us, except we shortly repent, believe and amend. For that servant which knowethe his masters will and doth it not, shall be beaten w^ many strypes. Swearyng hath ever been counted a thing of so great absurdite, that the very Ethnyckes and Gentiles did deteste it, in so much that a certain Greke Poet writeth on this manner, fly swearing, although thine ooth be rygh • & according to the truth. What a saying is this of an Infidel? Shall not he and such other rise up at the day of judgment, & condemn us, seeing they were Infidelles, and we Christian men? Our Lord be merciful unto us. All hunt after worldly promocions, and seek to live in pleasure and wealth, but no man seaketh howe to lede a godly & innocent life, howe to leave their swearing, and to magnify the most glorious name of God. For we go forth still to sin, as though there were no punishment ordined for it at all. We blaspheme y ^e name of god, as though he were so chyldysh, that he would never caull us unto an accoūtes for our ungodly blasphemies. We so • ear Christ and all the partes of his most blessed body, as though he should never come unto the judgment for to reward the good, & to condemn the evil. Christ saith, that we shall give an accoūtes at y ^• day of judgment for every idle word, that we have spoken, what is thā to be thought of our abhominable oaths whereby God is so greatly dishhonoured? What accosites shall we give of thē? Howe narrowly shall we be examined of them? What will we answer in this behalf? What will we say?

what excuse will we make? I fear unless we shall be ready of our own free will, to run hedlong into hell syre, before the terrible sentence of damnation be given, our conscience shall so condemn us. Lord hold thy holy hand over us, & give us grace to amende.

Sayente Paul's saith, let your speech be well favored and powdered with salt, that ye may know howe to answer every man. What place hath this commandment of thapostle among them, which so powder their words, y ^e there come nothing out of their mouths, but vain oaths & wicked blasphemies? The communicaciō of these men savor little of salt, whereby is vnderstonde the wisdom of God's word, it is so fresh & unsavory. Yea would God these abhominable blaspemers of God's most holy name, were not extreme enemies to gods word, chosyng rather to remain dastardes still in the folyshnesse of the world, than to become wise and prudent in the wisdom of gods word. All swerers therefore are enemies both to god and his word. A Christian man may not acquaynte himself with such manners, nor so wyckedly abuse his tongue. For our tongue is given us, not that we should swear, lie, blaspheme, ieste, rail, scoff, mock, & use ungodly talk, but y ^• we should only speak those things, which may both turn unto the glory of god, & the health of our neighbor. And this is it that S. Paul saith let your speech be well favored and poudered with salt. Our speech is well savored, semely, honest & comely, whan there appear the nothing in it that may offend the ears of ony true Christian man, but is agreeable in all points to godliness and honest. It is poudered with salt, whē it vttreth those things, which are godly, wise, and edifye so many as are the hearers of it. Let all swerers mark this, and amende their cōmunicacion, unless they be that unsavory salt, which shall be caste out and trodden under foot.

Agayne he saith, let no sylthye cōmunicacion proceed out of youre mouths, but that which is good to edify with all, whan need is, that it may have favor with the hearers If no filthy communicacion ought to proceed out of our mouths, much less ought ony vain dothes, ungodly swearynges, blasphemies. &c. come forth out of them. If our words ought to be good to edify with all, thā ought they not to be such as should destroy both our selves & the hearers, which many times chaunseth thorough wicked oaths. Let not dome, saith he, and all uncleanness or covetousness, or fylthynes, or foolish talkynge, or iestynge be once named among you, as it becometh saints, but rather thanks giving.

If these things may not once be named among us, surely much less, yea a M. times much less ought oaths, swearynges & blasphemies of God's most holy name be named among us and heard in our daily speech. If the wrath & vengeance of God be wont to fall upon the children of vnbeleue for these things aforesaid, as S. Paul testifieth, certainly let all swearers be certenlye assured that they shall not escape the plages of God's vengeasice, and their damnation shall be y ^• more grievous, for as much as they profess godliness, and live nothing according thereunto. What are they ony other, than blasphemous mockers of God? They say that they know God, but withe their deeds they deny him, seeing they are become abhommable and disobediente, and enell minded unto all good works, as S. Paul writeth. They are welles without water, clouds carried about of a tempest, to whom y ^• myst of darkness is reserved forever. They are trees without • rute at gatheryng time, twice dead & plucked up by the roots. They are the raging waves of the sea somyng out their own shame. Howe can they than escape the vengeance of god? The Sodomites & Gomorrians sinned against nature, & therefore were they consumed with fire & brymestonne frō heavē, the swearers sin against the God & maker of nature & is it to be thought, that they shall escape vnponyshed? If such as committee the lessest sin, be punysshed, howe can they than escape, which of send in the greatest? They may be sure, if they do not amend, not only to be plagued with fire & brymestone, but also to suffer all other kinds of intolerable pains, yea and that in hell, where is no redemcion nor marcy to be had. The Lord, saith David, seeth both the righteous & ungodly, but who so delyghteth in wickedness, him his soul abhorreth. Upon the ungodly he shall reign snares, fire, brymestonne, storm & tempest, this reward shall they have to drink. For the Lord is righteous and he loveth righteousness, his cos • tenauce beholdeth the thing that is just. Agayne he saith, God is a righteous Judge, and God is ever threatenyng. If men will not turn he hath whet his sword, he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath prepared him the weapons of death, & ordined his arrows to bestroye.

We rede in the forth boke of Moses, that whan the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gatherynge styckes upon the Sabbath day. And they that found him gatheryng styckes brought him unto Moses and Aaron & unto all the congregation, & they put him inward. For it was not declared, what should be done unto him. And the Lord said unto Moses, the man shall die. Let all the multitude stone him with stones without the hoost. And all the multitude brought him without the hoost, & stoned him w ^t stones and he died, as the Lord commanded Moses. If the man that gathered styckes upon the Saboth day for transgressyng that commandment, which notwythstondynge was but a ceremonial law serving but for a time, and a figure of our spiritual quietness and reast, which we ought to have continually in our consciences toward God, which precept also is now abolyshed, & stond in none effect (so that we are Lord's of the Sabothe day, and may appoint what day it shall please the head rulers to cease from labor, y ^• we may the more cōueniently come together unto the temple for to pray, to hear the holy word of God, to se the blessed Sacraments ministered. &c.) If the man that gathered styckes, I say, upon the Sabothe day was stoned unto death by the commandment of God for transgressynge that precept, howe may these swearers than persuade themselves that they shall escape vnponished, although they swear & abuse God and all his creatures by their unlawful oaths? The other precept was ceremonial, & is now of no strength, but this commandment is moral and abideth still in perfect strength, and so shall do so longe as the world stondeth, shall y ^• transgressiō of this than escape vnponyshed? The other was punished by death, and shall this escape free & without punyshment? Let the wicked worldlings laughe at the matter so much as they liest, there liveth a god, against whom the offense is committed, which will not suffer the blasphemies of his holy name and of his creatures to escape unpunished And well were it with these abhominable swearers, which go forth in their wickedness & will not amend, if in this world they might he consumed with fire and brymestone frō heaven, as the Sodomites were, or stoned unto death, as the transgressor of y ^• Saboth day was, so that their plages and pains might on this manner ende, & they afterward enjoy everlasting life. But it is to be feared, that after this life they shall feale more grievous torments, than ever the Sodomites did ether suffer in this world, or where they be now. God be marcifull unto them, and give them grace to amend.

Hytherto have we heard howe grievous an offense it is be • ore God for to swear, & to take his most blessed name in vain, or to abuse onye of his creatures by vain & unlawful oaths. We have heard also, how God will not suffer by ony means them to escape vnponished that wickedly swear and break this godly commandment.

Now seeing that GOD will so sharply ponysh them that take his name in vain, or fear not to swear for every little trifle by him or by his creatures, what is than to be said of per •• ry? What is to be thought of them, which both falsely and wyllyngely forswear them selves? Into howe great ponyshment shall they fall, which fear nothing at all to swear in a false matter upon the holy Euangely that most • lyssed word of everlasting truth, yea & to call God and all his holy saints to be witnesses in that behalf? In howe troublous and raging sea sail these wretches & miserable caytisses? What intolerable plages abide them? What fearse punyshmētes and cruel torments are prepared for thē? Howe is it possible, that they may escape the most extreme ven • eaunce of GOD? Not only to swear, but also falsely to swear? Not only falsely to swear, but also to swear upon the holy Euangely? Not only to swear upon the holy Euangely, but also to caul God & all his holy saints to be witnesses, yea & that in a wrong matter? O detestable abomination. O wickedness, more than can be expressed. O shameful sin worthy all kind of punyshment. O incomparable vice worthy to be reu • ged not with papers wearyng only, but with the most bitter & intolerable pains, that are prepared in hell for Satan and his ministers. Thou shalt not forswear thyself, saith the scripture. It is not lawful for us vainly to swear shall we than presume falsely to forswear our selves?

Althoughe the comp • ny of them, which suffer them selves to be perjured I trust, be not to be compared in number unto the multitude of them y ^t be y ^e customable swears yet want there not at this day, which are gilty of that faute, and would God it were not so in England What is to be said of those men, which for a little trifle will forswear them selves, & give their souls from god to the devil? Howe miser • ble agay • e are they, which although they know the matter to be wrong, will for a little money or for favor of the • arty willingly take an oothe upon a • oke, & falsely forswear themselves ••• rary to their own conscience? Are not there, think you, in the world, which for covetousness of temporal possessions make claim to other men's lands, fordge false evidence, invent wrong titles, and bring in false witnesses with them to swear upon a boke, that all is truth, whan they know the contrary, and their conscience condemneth thē for so swearing? What abhominable wretches are all these? What perjured caytiffes may these be counted? What ponyshmente can be invented sufficiciētly great for their detestable wy • kednes?

Thus by their perjury and false witness is the true owner deceived of his right, deprived of his goods caste into pouerte, made a wretch, & throne into such misery, that nether he, nor his wife, nor yet his childrē are able to live, but many times perish for hunger. O wretched creatures. O insatiable wol •• es.

Whyle they have respect only unto their covetous affeccion, and labor to satisfy that, they neglect & despise both the health of their own souls, and the wealth of their neighbor. What for all that? Yet by this means have they obtained their purpose, and set the other beggarly fellow besides the sadle. Now they are men of fair londes. They are Gentle men's fellows. They are able to live without their dame. They shall be are a rule in the country, and be counted among y ^• most honest mē of the Paryshe. They shall have now, whereof to live at their hearts ease, so longe as they live.

And whan they die, they shall leave their heirs such livings, that y ^• best Gentle men in all the country shall be glad to marry their daughters unto them.

Are not these great commodities? who would want these pleasures, & may have them by one means or other: O miserable wretches, which for a little easy lynynge, & that they may leave their children wealthy behind them, fear nothing at all to cast their souls into hell fire.

What doth it profit a man to wyn all the whole world, and at the last to lose his soul. To much a wretch is he, which for wordly possessions will put his soul in danger: To far estranged is he from GOD, which regardeth the goods of this world more than his own souls health. And what commodity shall he have by those goods wrongfully gotten, which he hath leafte unto his son, whan his soul lyghethe brennyng in hell fire, and grievously ponyshed with all kind of cruel & intolerable pains? The son is counted a Gentle man before the world for the goods sake, y ^• father is reckenned before God and his holy saints a fire bronde o • hell. The son is Lord of many possessions, y ^• father is a wretch & hath nothing. The son is replenyshedde withe deynties, joy and pleasures, the father is filled full of bitter sorrows grievous pains and intollerable torments. The son syngeth, playeth daunceth and maketh merry, the father weapeth lamenteth, soroweth, and wisheth himself never to have ben borne. Behold what is the ende of evil gotten goods. Behold how Dame Periury rewardethe her servants at the latter ende. Behold unto what point falsehood bringeth them, that use it. Why do not mē remember these things, & labor to live justly, righteously & of their own? Godliness is great riches, saith S. Paul, if a man be content with that he hath. Oh that mē would once be wise, and remember their latter ende. So would they not hūt about to get the goods of this wretched world by hook or by crook, as they do now a days, but rather lay up treasures for them selves in heavē, where nether rust nor moulthes corrupt, and where thieves nether breke up nor steal. Treasures that are wickedly gotten profit nothing but righteousness delyuereth from death, saith Salomō. Let not therefore those men think, which so gredely gather together the goods of the world, yea & that vnryghteously, that those possessions can longe endure in their stock, kynred & lynage. For we have both heard and seen, that goods wrongfully got̄ be soon dispersed abroad & come to naught. Is not this a common saying among us: Euel gotten goods will never come to good proof. Again, the goods, which are wrongfully gotten, the third heir shall scasely enjoy. The Latinistes also say, Male partum peius perit. A thing that is evil gotten, never thryueth, but y ^• spendyng of it is worse, thā the gettynge was. The Poet Claudianus have very godly verses pertaynyng unto this our matter, which I will here now rehearse.

That is to say, the perjuries of the father escapyng punishment in this world, • aull upon the son, in so much that the son is plagued for that the father hath offended. And look what riches the tongue of the deceatfull father hath gathered together, even the very same hath the tongue of the son paid home agen and wastefully spent. The Greke Poet Hesiodus also saith, that that mā which wrongly testifieth and falsely forsweareth himself, doth not only hurt Justice, but he himself also is so hurt, that he can never be healed after. Moreover he saith, that all his posterite and children shall be of th • less reputaciō ever after, so that they shall live in ignominy, & their renown shall be obscure, dark and of no price before all men.

Who now therefore is so mad as falsely to forswear him self for a little dungelyke mucke, seeing that by this means he shall not only provoke God's wrath unto him self, condemn his own soul, cast himself into everlasting damnation, but also procure plages for his children y ^t succeed him? Oh that men would once be wise, and learn this lesson of S. Paul and follow it, having meat, drink, & cloth, let us be contented. For we brought nothing in to the world, neither shall we carry ony thing out of it. Fear not, o my son, said Thobias, we live a poor life in this world, notwithstondyng we shall have many good things, if we fear God, and go away from all sin and do well.

But would God, would God that Lady Periury did exercise her unmerciful and tyrannical • r • elnes only in gettyng and scra • chyng • p together falsely and contrary to all justice the goods of this world.

Wolde God, would God, she did not also thorough her vnryghteous violence & churlysh malice thyrst, shede, and suck up innocent blood. Wolde God that thorough her false witness bearing, true men were not put unto death causeless. Hath it not been heard, yea known and seen, think you, that of very malice, & thorough the perjuries of false forsworn caytiffes, which have taken an oothe & testified contrary to the truth, and given false evidence at syses, sessios or else where, many men both honest and true have been hanged, or other wise rydde out of the way? yea and that without a cause, as it hath ben proved afterward? Some also have been condemned for Heretykes, and 〈…〉 , for speaking against A ••• christ and Idolatry. &c. What will mē say unto this? Is not this a thing worthy to be lamented?

Wolde not here be a redress in this behalf. De • er • ethe this malicious perjury to be wy • ked at, a • d not rather to be ponyssh • d according to y ^• de • ertes thereof? Awake, awake, ye Quest mongers, and take hede you give a true, just & right verdi • . Remember that ye go vpō life & death, and the • fore ought ye to do nothing rathly. Remember that it is not the blood of an o • e or a calf that shall be sh • d but the blood of a Christian man, for whose life and health our Lord & savior Jesus Christ did suffer his most pricious blood to be shed, and in whose heart the holy Ghoste dwelleth. Remember that he is the Image of god, which hath h • s life put into youre hands ether to be saved, or to be cast away. Remeber that if ye defile the Temple of God, & handle a Christian man otherwise, thā right require, surely god will destroy you. The blood of that innocent, whom ye so cruelly have murdered, shall cry for vengeance against you both day & night, as the blood of Abel did upon Caym, & neu • r cease until God hath takē vengeance on you. Remember that with what measure ye mete to other wych the same shall it be measured again unto you. Therefore take ye hede. Be not rash nor hastye in giving your verdit. Be prudent, wise & circumspecte. Ponder all things with a right up conscience. Weyg • the matter in the balance of justice. Mark all parties. Beleue not every lygh • e tale streyghtewayes, but boulte out with all diligence the original o • it. Lette nother the riches, nor the fame, nor the dignity, nor yette the gifts of that man, which putteth in the inditement against another, move you ony thing at all to give the more credence unto his words, & by that means to caste away the partye accused, until ye have thoroughly boulted out y ^• truth of the matter. Shew such indifferency, y ^t ye may not be found at the dredefull day of judgment gyltye of the shedyng of ony righteous blood, but blameless and with a pure conscience.

Ye Judges also execute youre office according to equite. Suffer not the confortles to be oppressed. Lette justice conjoined with a fatherly pity and tender compassion reign in your breasts. Suffer no matter of vnryghteousnes to prevail before the seat of your judging place. Remēber that while ye sit in judgment, ye are no private persons. Ye represent the parson of God. Ye execute God's office. Ye are the Image of God. Yea ye are God's and the sons of the most highest, as the scripture calleth you. Your iudgynge place is the judging place of God. Your mouth is the mouthe of God. Beware therefore what sentence ye pronounce. Lette all things be done with great deliberacion. Gyue not judgment so hastily, y ^t ye shall afterward repent you thereof. Remēber that as ye judge, so shall ye be judged. God hath set you in authority, that ye should righteously judge of all things. Remember that God hath given you two ears, one to hear the accuser, & another to hear him that is accused, that by this means ye should not be percial nor wedded to one tale, but indifferentely to hear both parties. Remember that for as much as ye occupy the place of God, ye ought not to {per}uert judgment, but to do the office of God, and to execute justice, unless the high Judge for youre vnryghteous sentence pronounced condemn you and caste you into hell fire. For GOD, saith the scripture, shall appear to you, O ye rulers and Judges, very dredfully, yea and that without ony longe tariauns. Wonderful hard judgment shall they have, y ^• bear rule. To the mā of small power mercy is granted, but as for the mighty, they shall suffer mighty and exceadyng great torments. For God which is rulare of all things, will not regard one parsonne more thā another, nether will he fear y ^• greatness of ony mā, for he made both the lytyll and the great, and he hath a like care for all. Notwythstandyng surely the men that be in authority, shall have the greater ponyshment. Therefore ye that judge y ^• earth, take hede, love righteousness. Judge truly, o ye sons of men. Seake all means possible, that no innocent blood be shed. Admitte no f • lse witnesses, none unlawful oaths, no false swearynges, no malicious perjuries to be brought & received before youre judging place, which is the seat of God, so long as ye judge truly, and do youre office according to equite.

Whan ony matter is brought before you, first weygh, ponder & consider it yourself diligently, and afterward deliver it to the Quest mōgers according to the course of the law, and exhort them in the name of God christenly, charitably, friendly, righteously, indifferently, and w ^t a single eye and incorrupte conscience to look upon the matter, and to deal so vpryghtly in that behalf and to give so true & just verdit, evē as though it should be presented and offered up to the high & everlasting Judge Christ. • eclare unto them how great an offense it is before god to give up a false verdit, & by that means to have innocent blood shed and their own souls condemned.

Let the Questmongers have convenient • easure to debate the matter among them selves soberly, di • cretely and prudently, and so after much consultacion and long deliberacion give an answer according to truth & justice. And let such as shall be upon the quest, be honest men, sober, sage, faithful, wise, discret, prudent, godly, merciful, righteous, loving indifferent, pitiefull, brotherlyke, & evē such as fear god, love his word, have knowledge in his holy law, walk with a right up conscience both before God and man, and have alway been of good report and honest fame among their neighbors This undoubtedly, (all things handled according to equite and justice) shall not only maintain true and righteous judgment, but also make greatly unto the preservation of innocent blood, so that God the high Judge shall highly be glorified in all our judicial affairs. But let us proceed with our matter.

Not only these aforsayd are perjured parsonnes, which falsely forswear themselves, and testify in unjust and wrong matters, but also so many as have taken upon them just & lawful oaths, and by them promised to do some righteous and godly thing, and yet leave it undone, and work contrary to their godly promise. As for an example, the Magistrates and head officers of the public weal promise with a solemn ooth to do all things according to equite and justice, and to accept no parsonne in judgment, but to do all things vpryghtly, to maintain the good, and to ponysh the evil, to exalte virtue and to suppress vice, now if they contrary to their ooth work unrighteous • es, oppress the socourlesse, judge for favor, condemn the good, save the evil, persecute the favorers of God's word maintain the Papists, neglect virtue, uphold vice. &c. so are they falsely forsworn, & shall not escape the plage of Periury.

The Bishops and priests promise faithfully to be earnest Preachers & setters forth of God's word, and to live according unto y ^• same, now if they do the contrary, that is to say, not labor in the harvest of the Lord's word, nor lede an honest and ver • uous life unto y ^• good example of other but seek after worldly promociōs, live ydelly vpō their benefices, walowe in all • bestial pleasures, tumble thenselves in all kind of sin, hate thē that are prechers of God's word, drive men from reading the holy Bible. &c. so are they fall • ely forsworn, & shall not escape y ^• plage of perjury.

The man & wife have promised faith and • routh between thē, that they will be just, and true one to another, the mā to love his wife as himself, and to • old him contented w ^t her, the woman reverently to fear and obey her husbonde, now if they break this promise, so that one delyghtethe not in another, but ech of them seek after strange flesh, so are they falsely forsworn, and shall not escape the plage of perjury.

All Subiectes have promised to their rulars unfeigned obedience & willing seruyse, now if contrary to their promise they resist the high powers, become disobedient, and repugn against thē, so are they falsely forsworn, and shall not escape the plage of perjury.

Al these heretofore rehearsed are gylty of the sin of perjury, if they do contrary to the ooth, which they have made, and therefore may they be sure to receive a reward worthy their blasphemous tongue.

Some man will say peradventure, are all oaths to be observed? Shall a man fall into the sin of perjury, if he performeth not, what soever he hath promised? I answer nay, not so. God forbid, y ^• all oaths promised & vows should be performed. For many are folysh, wy • ked & ungodly. Therefore as such • displeased God, so ought they to be broken. These are they, which fight against God's word, which also inarle the consciences of so many as keep thē, and make them that accomplysh thē to commit impiete and wickedness. These by no means are to be kept of ony christen man, except he will offend GOD grievously by the obseruaunce of them. For an unfaithful & folysh promise, saith Solomon, displeaseth God. In evil promises break thy faith, saith Isydorus, in a filthy vow, change thy determinacion. That thou haste vowed unadvisedly, look thou do it not. For that is a wicked promise, which is fulfilled w ^t sin. A • ayne he saith if ony man doth rashly define to do ony of those things that please not God, let him be sory for it, & seeing that his determinaciō was done contrary to the commandment of god, let it be called back again, & stond in none effect. S. Jerome also saith, thou shalt do better, o brother, if thou dost abstain from the ungodly act, than if thou dost styffely perform folysh words and perilous vows. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Agustine, it is a point of great wisdom for a man to call that again, which he hath evil spoken. S. Ambrose also saith, It is against all godly honest many times to perform the oothe that is made, as Herod, which sware that he would give to the daughter of Herodias, what so ever she would ask. He therefore s • ue Iohū, because he would not deny his promise.

In concilio Toletano it was decreed, that it is better not to fufyll the vows of a folysh promise, than by the obseruaunce of them to commit ony wickedness. That oth, promise or vow therefore, which displeaseth God, repugnethe the divine verite, fight against the Lord's word, provoketh unto sin, condemneth the conscience of the keeper, and cannot be performed without wickedness, ought by no means to be observed & kept, but reject as a thing much dangerous and hurtefull both to the body and soul.

Suche an oath, promise, or vow made Iepte, that if God would deliver the children of Amnon into his hands, whan he came home again in peace, what so ever thing cometh first out of his doors, should be the Lord's, and he would offer it up for a burnt offering. At his return it fortuned that his daughter being his only child came out against him with tymberelles and dances.

Whan he saw her, he was much amazed and greatly sorrowful because of his vow, that he had made to god Notwythstondyng he said, I have opened my mouthe unto the Lord, and can not go back. So that to fulfill his foolish and wicked vow he committed the grievous sin of manslaughter, and cruelly •• ue his own daughter contrary to y ^• law of God, whan it had ben better and much more godly to have brokē his foolish vow, and to have kept his hands clean from the blood of his daughter, and to have given God right hearty thanks for the victory that he had gotten over his enemies. For it is the sacrifice of praise that honourethe God. The calves of our lips are acceptable sacrifice and welcome unto god, I mean thankes giving. For he delyghtethe not in the slaughter of ony creature, but rather willeth, that they should live unto that use and end for the which they were made. God the father by the Psalmograph saith, hear, o my people, let me speak, let me testify among you, O Israel: I am god, yea I am even thy God. I will not reprove the because of thy sacrifices, thy burnt offerings are always in my sight. I will take no bullocks out of thy house, nor goats out of thy feldes. For all the beasts of the field are mine, and thousands of cattle upon the hylles. I know all the souls upon the mountains, & the wild beasts of the field are in my sight. If I be hongry I will not tell the, for the whole world is mine & all that therein is. Thynkest thou, that I will eat the flesh of oxen, or drink the blood of gotes? Offer unto god the sacrifice of praise, and pay thy vows unto the most highest. And call upon me in the time of trouble, so will I hear the, that y ^u shalt thanke me. The Psalmograph himself also saith, in me, o god, are thy vows, which I shall pay unto the, even very hearty praises & thanks giving. He calleth the vows, y ^• we should offer unto God for his benefits, praises & thanks giving, and not the kyllyng and offryng up of our children, or the performynge of such folysh & wicked vows which cā not be performed without sin and ungodliness.

Herod also made a promise to the daughter of Herodias, whā she daūced & salyed so plesantly before him and his Lord's at a certain banket, that he would give her, what so ever she would ask even unto y ^• half of his kingdom. She by the council of her wicked mother asked the head of John̄ Baptist. So that the king, because he would not go back of his word, suffered the holy Prophet of God to be slain, & no cause why, but only y ^• he thought it would not stonde with his honor & royal dignity to break his promise. Ah folysh vow and more folysh king. Ah wicked promise and more wicked king. Better had it been for him a thousa • d times to have gone back of his word, to have brokē his wicked vow and to have lost all his royal dignity, than so virtuous a man should have been slain. We • e to all those vows and promises, which are not fulfilled without sin and wickedness.

Agen we rede in thactes of the apostles, that there were mo than forty men, which had conspired against Paul, and made a solemn vow, an earnest promise, and a foul devout ooth, that they would neither eat nor drink, until they had slain • Paul. For we are ready, say they, to kill him, before he come nygh unto us by a mile. Here was a whotte brennyng zeal. They thought every hour a thousand yere, till they might mete with tholy Apostle, and shed his blood, they were so loath to be found double in their words, & so sory that he should teache ony more such new learning and late sprong up heresy unto the great confusion of their holy synagoge, and the utter shame of y ^• fool d • uout fathers the Pharisees, Scribes, Lawers, bishops, priests, rulars of the Temple, elders of the people. &c. To prevent these high inconveniences and to suppress y ^• great enormities newly reysed up by the meās of Paul's doctrine, ye will not easily believe, what pains these good men toke. They could not rest nether night nor day. As for meat drink and sleep was gone with them. B • merry at their hearts they could never until they had slain Paul y ^• great Heretyke, that teacher of new learning, that brynger in of new laws that destroyer of all the old laudable customs, that troubler of the common peace, that sower of discord, y ^• peruertour of the holy old religiō, that enemy of all good deuocion, &c. Therefore made they a solemn vow, in good time might it be spokē, that they would taste nothing, no not so much as a pore ale bery for y ^• comfort of their heart, until they had slain Paul, in so much that they were gone so far in deed, that they had rather slay Paul, and cast their souls into hell fire for doing that mischievous act, than they would once break their vow. For they judged by this means to do God an high sacrifice. Surely I think that if the porke of Rome had at that time 〈◊〉 reygnyng, and in his full power scaulled, they would scasely have believed that he had ben able to dispēse with their vow, it was so solemn, fervent, and spronge out of the heart root. Is it not to be thought, that they were hot in their matters, whā they could not keep their mischievous pretence secrette, but came unto the chief priests and elders, as covers worthy such cups, & gostly fathers fit for such a confession, and told them that they had bound them selves with a vow, that they might eat nothing until the had slain Paul? Had it not ben great pity, think you, that these men should have died for • onger, seeing they fasted for so good a purpose? O holy votories. I marvel howe they could ever pacify their consciences afterward, seeing they made so solemn a vow, and yet brake it. For they never slue Paul, so mighty a Lord is God to defend his serualltes from the cruel hands of bloody tyrants. But the holy religious men are to be hold̄ excused, for as much as their will was good, although they could not bring it to pas • e. Voluntas reputatur pro facto. There will was taken for the very act. So y ^• before the world they were counted godly parsonnes, because they had a mind to pay their vows, and did the best that in them was to perform their promise so solemnly made and takē, and before god were they recounted malicious and cruel bloody manslears. Nam uoluntas reputatur pro facto.

Now in all such folysh, wicked & ungodly vows, oaths & promises ought there to be no faith kept, seeing the ende of them tend unto a noughty purpose, and plain wickedness, as holy Bed a testifiethe. I • it shall chaūse, saith he, at ony time y ^• we swear or promise ony thing unadvisedly, which being kept should turn unto an evil ende, • et us know that that w ^t more wholesome council ought to be changed freely and without ony scruple o • conscience, and wh • n necessity doth compel us, we ought rather to forswere our selves than for the eschewing of perjury, we should fall into ony other more grievous sin. For David did swear by • od that he would slay Nabal a folysh and ungodly mā and destroy all that ever pertained unto him, yet at the first intercession of A biga • l being a wy •• woman, he straight ways let go his threats, put again the sword •• to the scabb • rde, nether sorowed he ony thing at all, as though he had committed ony fault at all for such perjury. Here unto pertaynethe the saying of S. Ambrose, that David did not fulfill his ooth by the shed dynge of blood, it was the greater godliness. I se that David being a godly and holy man did fall into rash swearing, and yet that he had rather not to do that he had sworn than to fulfill his ooth by the shed dyng of man's blood. S. Jerome saith, that an oothe ought to have

For this sentence of the preacher abydethe alway true. An unfaithful and folysh promise displeaseth God.

Thus perceive we, what oaths, promises or vows ought to be observed, and which they are y ^• should be rejected. So that all godly oaths and promises ought to be observed. They that do not labor to fulfill them, forswear them selves, & shall not escape the plage of perjury.

Now will I return thither, frō whense I made digression.

God in the old law among the gross Jews could not abide a fa •• e wirnes, but commanded y ^• he should die the death. If he cannot abide a false witness, which may testify w ^t out an ooth, • owe thā can he abide th • , which do not only here fall • e witness, but also in the conf • rmacion thereof addeth an oath, yea and that a false ooth, and maketh God to be a witness in an unjust & wrong matter, so that by this means y ^• wretch is willingly perjured & falsely for sworn, God is bla • phemed, God's most holy name is abused, justice • subverted, truth is oppressed, false hode is maintained, wrong sent̄ • is pronounced, the contrary parte although the truth be on his syd • is condened, the man is utterly empoueryshed, and forever after beggr • d, both he, his wife, and all his ch • drē, if he hath ony: Are all these th • ges but trifles? Are all these things light matters, and things of small • mportaunce? Is it but a trifle to bear false witness? to swear? to be piured? to be falsely forsworn? to blaspheme God? to abuse his holy name? to subuerte justice? to oppress y ^• truth? to maintain falsehode? to pronounce wrong sentence? to condemn the gylteles parsonne? to empouerysh and utterly beggare both him and so many as pertain unto him forever and ever? Do all these things, which God so greatly abhor, deserve no ponyshment? These perjured wretches shall not escape, let them believe me, they shall not escape from the terrible vengeance of God. For although y ^• day go on their side, and God differeth his plages, so that they are not ponyshed so soon as they have committed the offense, yet let them be well assured, they shall not escape, surely they shall not escape. The Poet Tibullus being but an Ethnycke, and yet not ignorant of the greatness of this abhominaciō, and certainly persuaded that perjury cannot escape vnponysshed, be it never so secretly handled, and craftily dawhed, writeth on this manner.

Ah wretch, saith he, although a mā at the first doth keep his perjuries & false oaths never so secret, yet may he be sure at the last that they will come to light unto his great shame, so that punyshment will come vpō him before he be awars for his wickedness. The Greke Poet Phocylides also saith, forswere not thyself neither ignorantly nor willingly. For the immortal God hatethe the false swerer, what so ever he be that sweareth. Agayne Cicero y ^• famous Prince of ornate eloquence & most eloquent Orator saith, the pain of perjury before god is everlasting damnation, & before men perpetual dishonor, shame, reproach & ignominy. God hate the perjury so greatly in every condition, that he grievously ponyshed Zedekiah, because contrary to his oothe he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylō.

Seyng thā that God will so grievously ponysshe all kind of oaths both vain & unjust, both idle swearing & perjury, what will these idle swearers & false forsworn creatures say unto this matter? Wythe what conscience will they appere before the high throne and righteous judging place of Christ? What will they lay for them selves? What excuse will they make? What shyfte will they invent? Wyll they fly unto the custom, and say, that it is y ^• fashon of the world so to do? I answer, Christ said to his disciples, ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Now they that follow the fashons of y ^• world, are none of Christ's disciples, so followeth it that all swearers pertain not unto Christ, seeing they so diligentely follow the manners of th • world. And where as they object, that it is the custom so to swear, this can nothing excuse them. For we may not look what the custom but the truth of God's word willeth us to do. Followe not the cōmō sort of people, saith the scripture, for to do evil. Agen, do not ye those things, which they have done, that were before you, nether be ye polluted & defiled in them. The Prophet Zacharias also saith, Be not ye like your forefathers, neither follow ye the fashons of them. The • oly Martyr S. C • pr • an saith, vndou ••• d • y we must • oath hear & do that, that Christ hath done, & that he hath commanded to • e done, seeing that he saith in his gospel, if ye do chose things that I command you, In y • no more call ye servants but 〈◊〉 . And that Christ alone ought to be he • d, the father from heaven testifieth, say • g: This is my 〈◊〉 beloved so • e, in whom I am fully satisfied, hear ye him. I • that Ch • ist alone ought to be heard, we ought not to ma • ke, what ony man before us thought best to be done, but what Christ did first, which is before all men. Agayne he • ayth, a custom w ^t out truth, is an old error. Therefore leaving the error, let us • o • low the truth. Whan the truth is once come to light, saith S. Agustine, let the custom give place to y ^• truth. For Peter also, which did circūcyse, gave place to Paul preaching the truth. Therefore seeing y ^• Christ is the truth, we ought rather to follow the truth than the custom. If thou dost lay against me the custom, saith S. Gregory, thou must mark what the Lord saith, I am the way, truth & life. He said not, I am the custom but y ^• truth Now hath Christ said to us in his holy Gospel, thou shalt not swear at all. Why than do they not follow y ^• truth & doctrine of Christ, thā the wicked & ungodly custom? But many are so addicte to customs & old usages now a days, y ^• although they se y ^• scripture manifestly condemn their crooked customs & wicked usages, yet will they by no means give place to the truth. If a man object and lay the scriptuagaynst them, and would so reform them charitably, than are they ready straightways to accuse him of heresy, and to bring him unto a fagot of so little authority is the most holy word of God recounted w ^t these bely God's and wicked worldlings now a days, & so hard a thing is it to speak against a custom, be it never so wicked and ungodly.

Another sort glory and rejoice so greatly in their wickedness of swearing▪ that they fear nothing at all to take upon them for to mayntayn it by the scriptures. Sayth not the Psalmograph, say they, Laud abuntur omnes qui iurant in eo? All y ^• swear by hī, shall be praised? Doth not god y ^• father also give a commandment & say, Dominum Deum tuum timebis, & per illius nomen iurabis? Thou shalt fear thy Lord God, and swear by his name? As concerning the first text, which they allege, I answer, theyse glorious & famous swearers differ no thing from their father y ^• devil. For as he wrested the Scripture, wha • he tempted Christ, so likewise do they. The words of y ^• p • almographe are these, all that swear i • him • hal be 〈◊〉 . He • ayth not all that swear by him, but in him. To swear in God, is to call God a witness in a just, righteous & earnest matter, to take an oothe for the glory of God, for the promocion of his word, for the mayntena •• ce of the Christian faith, or else for y ^e helch of our neighbor. They that thus do, swear in God, and they shall not be condemned but praised for their oothe.

As towchynge the seconde text, wherein they say, they are not only suffered freely to swear, but also commanded so to do, I answer: Whan evil things began to increase in the world, as Chrysostom writeth, whan there was a confusion made in every place, and no order, whan men fell unto the seruyse & worshipping of Idolles, whanne all saith was lost, and all vnfaythefulnesse reygned, than began the Infidelles, seeing that one would not trust and believe another in matters of cōtrauersy, to call upon their God's for witnesses, protestynge thereby that they spake truth, forasmuch as they called their God's to witness in the matter, (whom to name they thought it not lawful but in serious, earnest, grave, weighty and necessary matters) and by this means obtained they faith one of another. Now for as much as God had selected the Israelites from the Gentiles to be his people, and would by no means that they should in ony point follow their wickedness, unless thereby they should be allured from the true worship of god unto Idolatry, he gave a commandment to thē, y ^• in all matters of controversy, and in such affairs as should make unto his glory, and the health of their brothers, they should not call ony of those false God's, whom the Ethnyckes worshipped, unto witness, nor swear by their names, but call him a witness, and swear by his name, & so everyone to believe another for the reverence and honor that they owe to his most holy and blessed name.

What is this to y ^• purpose? what refuge can these abhominable swearers have here? Thys commandment only serveth for grave, weighty, serious & ernest matters, & they abuse it to cloke & cover their wicked & abhominable custom of swearing. Is this allowable before God? will this go for good payment? No surely, GOD will not thus be mocked.

God will not suffer his most glorious name so wickedly to be abused. God will not abide that his worship, honor, renown, glory and magnificēs should so be obscured, defaced & blotted. God is a jealous God, & he can not abide that he should be dishonored by ony means. I am y ^• Lord, saith he, this is my name. I will give my glory to none other. Here therefore have these swearers no refuge, but still run hedlongs into everlasting damnation.

Another company, that use swearing, say, we think no harm, whā we swear, and therefore can it be no great fault. I answer. Yet are ye not so fauteles nor excused. For the scripture saith, that we shall give a straight count at the dredefull day of judgment for every idle word that we speak. What is than to be thought of our idle & vain oaths? I pray you? Shall we not give an accounts of them? Yies we may be sure, & also condemned for them, if we do not repent, believe and amend Agayne. Of thy words shalt thou be justified, and of thy words shalt thou be condemned. Howe gothe it thā with our oaths? In what case stond they? The scripture saith, the mouth that lieth, slayeth the soul. Do not vain oaths so in like manner.

And where as it is said, we think no harm. I answer, the scripture saith: Of thabundans of the heart, the mouth speaketh. A good mā out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things. What will we say to this? Are we not here plainly condemned?

Another sort excuse them selves & say, few or none will believe us, except we swear. To this answereth Chrysostom on this manner: An ooth maketh not a man worthy to be believed, but y ^• testimony of his life, the integrite & pureness of his conversation, & a good mind. For many oftentimes have sworn and entangled themselves greatly, and yet have they not made men to believe them Other have only made as it were but a beck, and have appeared moche more worthy to be believed, thā they which have so greatly sworn.

These words declare manifestly that swearing among faithful and honest men neadeth not, and for thē that are unfaithful & regard no honest, surely all the oaths in y ^• world will not make them to be believed of them that are virtuous & godly disposed. Therefore this can be none excuse for these swearers. Among the faithful, oaths need not, & among the unfaithful, they profit not. For he that believeth not a man without an oothe, nether will he believe him, though he sweareth never so moche. But alas for pytie, that ever faith should be so decayed among Christ̄ men, that one will not believe another, except they pollute and de • y • e the glorious name of our Lord God yea and that in triflynge matters. It is high time for the world to be at an ende, whan one man trust the not another. Do ye think, saith Christ, that the son of man shall find ony faith on the earth, whan he shall come?

Thus sewe that all excuses, which are invented to maintain y ^• dyuellysh custom of swering, are nothing worth. Oure damnation abydethe still. The heat of God's vengeance toward us is nothing abated. So that if we will be saved, there is no remedy but to leave our wicked sweryng, to reverence the name of God, and thanckefully to use his creatures, ever setting before our eyes this commandment of GOD.

Also the saying of Christ, swear not at all, nether by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nether by earth, for it is the foot stool of his feet, nether by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great Kynge, nor yet by thy head shalt thou swear, for y ^u canst not make one hear nether whyghte, nor black. But your communicacion shall be, yea, yea, nay, nay. For that is more than this, cometh of evil.

Some man peradventure will here demand & say, are all oaths taken away from Christian men? Yea forsothe all oaths y ^• are vain and triflynge, false & vnrygh • eous. Is it not lawful than for a Christ̄ man to swear in no condiciō? Yies verily. God forbid that all kind of swearing should be takē from Christian men, as the ungodly Anabaptists hold, which affirm that it is not lawful for a Christian man to swear by no means. This will not the scripture. Agenst this fyghteth the word of God. We are not forbydden to swear, but vaynely, idly, falsely & vnryghteously to swear.

saith the scripture. Mark that it is said • n • ayn • & for the health both of himself and of other, so often as it shall make unto the honor and glory of God also. For the glory of God in all our oaths is most of all to be looked upon & considered. We ought not to desire ony thing, except it maketh unto the glory of God, mochelesse ought we to swear for it. I will make this matter more evident and plain by familiare examples.

If a Christian man were among the Jews, Turks, Saracens or ony other Infidelles, preaching the word of God purely unto them, and earnestly laboring to turn them from their Idolatry unto the true seruyse of God, if they would by no means believe him, except he • ydde swear by the name of that Lord his God, whom he preached unto them, that all is truth that he preacheth, he may lawfully in this point take the name of God unto witness, and swear that it is truth that he precheth. For this oothe thus taken & believed, turneth both unto the glory of God, and also unto the health • of many souls and therefore is it not vain and idle, but righteous & godly. On this manner did God the father him self in the old Testament, the Patriaches and Prophets, in the new Testament Christ and his Apostles swear, and after this manner may all the saints and faithful of God swear. He that perceaueth, saith S. Austē, that an oothe ought not to be had in good but in necessary things, let him refrain him self so moc • e as he can, that he do not use it, except it be in necessity, whan he seeth that men are slow to believe that, which is profitable for them to believe, except it be confirmed with an oothe.

Agayne, if it did so chance that two Christ̄ men were at debate for some matter that is in controversy between them, and the third did know that the one did the other plain injury, and wrought against him contrary unto the rule of equite and justice, and so made declaracion thereof unto y ^• Judge. The Judge in this behalf may lawfully require an oothe of that wythnes bearer, & he that so testifieth may w ^t a right & good conscience swear in this behalf. And this his oothe is both righteous and godly. For by that is peace, amite, concord & Christian charity brought again between thē that were at debate, and the work of the devil is destroyed, that is to say, dissensiō & strife is takē away. An oothe, saith S. Paul, is y ^• ende of all controversy.

Moreover if heresy, treason, theft, manslaughter, whoredom or ony other notable vice were laid to a christē man's charge, whereof he knoweth himself gyltlesse and nothing • auty, he may lawfully take an oath and swear unto the contrary for y ^• defense of his honest name and godly report. And this hisooth is both righteous and godly. For it doth not only defend his own purite & innocence of life, but also it setteth forth the glory of God. For as God is dishonored thorough the wicked acts of them • hat profess him, so is he glorified thorough the good deeds of them, which do both profess him & also live according to their professiō. The Greke Orator Isocrates giveth an excellent & very notable commandment concerning swearing, which I will here rehearse, that Christian men redyng the words of an Ethnycke may once be ashamed of their wickedness. His words are theyse:

What a saying is this of a Gentile? Howe little dissente the this from the holy scriptures? Howe doth this condemn them, which for slender auauntage or lytyl money will not only straight ways swear, but also for swear thenselves? S. Agustine saith, doth not he take y ^• name of God in vain, which for the love of a temporal thing (that is plain filthiness to a Christian mā) taketh God for a witness. The law hath forbyddē, that thou shuldest once couyt. Doste thou not couit, if thou byndest thyself with an oothe, that thou mayst keep thy substance? Every creature is subject unto vanite. And is not this for vain things? Ergo he sweareth in vain, which for creatures calleth God a witness. &c. S. Jerome also saith, the Evangelical truth receiveth no oath, seeing every faithful word is for an oth. Here unto pertaineth y ^• saying of our golden mouthed Doctor, the cause of an oath is this, saith he, that every one that sweareth, sweareth for this intent, that he may speak y ^• which is truth. And therefore y ^• Lord will have no difference between an ooth and our speech. For as in an oothe it is not convenient that there be ony falsehood or breaking of promise, so likewise in our words ought there to be no lie. For both perjury & lyeng is condemned with the pain of the divine judgment, as the scripture saith, the mouthe that lieth, slayeth the soul. Who so ever therefore speaketh the truth, swearethe. For it is wrytt • n, a faithful witness will not • ye.

Finally, so often as ony civil magistrate or head officer requireth an oothe of us for the preservation and maintenance of the common weal or ony other necessary & urgēt cause we ought gladly and willingly for to swear according to this commandment of Christ, Paye that to Caesar, which is due to Caesar. But here are they to be monyshed, which shall require the ooth of y ^• subjects, that it is their duty before the other be sworn to declare the matter with manifest words unto thē, that they may well perceive, that they shall not swear in vain, but for weighty and necessary matters concerning ether the glory of God or the profit of the common weal. For mē ought not to be called forth to swear for every light trifle, nor yet to swear as many do, they cannot tell what nor wherefor. The to much customable use of sweryng, hath brought it so to pass, that as many care but lytyl to swear, so forse they not moche to forswear thē selves. The cause for the which men should swear, ought not only to be good, but also necessary, and so openlie proved unto them, before they be brought unto their oothe. Thys should make men to have the name of God in y ^• higher reverence, to take an ooth with the godlyer mind, and to have the office of the head rulars in y ^• greater estimation. For to make mē swear by compulsiō, before they know the matter, whither it be good, lawful, godly, necessary or otherwise, let other men judge, that be better learnedde than I, whither it be agreeable to the word of GOD or not. But this dare I be bold to say, that an oothe cannot be taken with to moche reverence & aduisemente, in as much as by it, God is called upon to be a witness in that behalf. Therefore ought men not to be compelled rashly to swear, unless by that means they provoke the vēgeaunce of God both against them selves, and those also that cause them so unadvisedly for to swear, but to come unto their oothe with great sobriete and deliberacion.

Thus lewe for what causes it is lawful for a Christ̄ man to swear, whatsoever oothe cometh forth out of our mouthe, if it be not for one of these causes aforsayd, it is damnable & plain sin. Therefore let all men take hede. Let no man from henseforthe take the name of our Lord God in vain. for who so doth, shall not surely escape vnponyshed.

Let the rulars of the comō weal find some honest remedy, that the name of God be no more blasphemed among their subjects. Let thē consider howe loath they are, that they them selves should be evil spoken of and blasphemed. Lette them weygh with them selves, howe moche God excelleth them, & how far his dignity doth exceed their dignity. If ony man defacethe their renown, they are ponyshed straightways, & not without a cause. But how chaūseth it, that the Lord of all Lord's and Kyng of all Kynges is no more feared? How cometh it to pass, that his most holy & blessed name is so universally blasphemed, yea & y ^• freely and without punyshment? Were it not, think you, convenient, that the civil magistrate should earnestly provide, that the name of GOD might have his due honor, and y ^• it might no more be abused withe abhominable & unlawful oaths in their Realms, but praised & magnified, seeing that by it we obtain all our health and salvation? God by his holy spirit mought vouchsafe to breathe into the hearts of all Prynces, Kynges and rulars, that whan they be godly assembled together for matters concerning the glory of god & the public weal, they may also entreat of this thing in their Sinodes, Congregacions, Parliamentes, councils, &c. that God may be glorified, & his most blessed name exalted of all nations from the Easte to the Weaste. By this means shall they not only expulse vice and make their Realms to flourish with vertu unto the great glory of God and the high consolaciō of all the faithful, but also they shall acquire and get to them selves a crown of immortal glory forever and ever. Amen.

Agayne, let all Bishops, Parsonnes, Vicares, Curates, Paryshe priests, & so many as are ministers of God's word, in all their Sermons & other exhortacions unto the people, above all things rebuke this abhominable sin of swearing. • declare unto them how great an offense it is, & howe the plage of God and his vēgeaunce shall not depart from the houses of them, y ^• use this most detestable sin of swearing. Let them consider that they have hene the chief occasion both of this sin and of all other, seeing they have not according to their office diligently watched upon the Lord's flock, preached God's word, rebuked the wickedness of the people, told thē their faults, exhorted thē unto repentance, & amendment of life. For whā the preaching of gods word faileth, saith Solomon, thā doth the people perish and go to hanocke. Christ had much pytie on the people, whan he saw that they were destitute and dispersed as sheep, not having a shepparde. For as sheep, whan they be without a shepparde, wander they cannot tell whither, hang on every bushe, are rent with every bryer, and in danger to be denoured of the ravening wolf at all times, even so likewise, those people that are without a Preacher & teacher of God's word, run astray w ^t out order, hear the voice of every stranger, fall in all kind of vicious abomination, are rent & torn with wicked spirits, & ready at every hour to be swallowed up of Satan our old adversary, which sleapeth not, but watcheth diligently, & walketh about like a roryng Lyon seakyng whom he may devour. Surely great is the damnaciō that hangeth over the hedes of these sluggyshe sheppardes. Christ the high priest said, Oportet me euangelizare, n • in hoc missus sum. I must preach the gospel, saith he, for I am sent for this purpose. What shall the baser sort of prestis do than I pray you? shall they live in pleasure and idleness? in delicious fare & sluggyshnes? Doth not Oportet also pertain unto thē • Certes if they will not meddle with Oportet euangelizare, they are like to have no parte of Miserere. S. Paul also that good Bishop said, Vae mihi, sinō euangelizauero. Woe unto me, if I preach not the Gospel. And shall our Rabines think to escape without pouyshment, though they preach nothing at all? I fear that if they will not medle with Euangelizare, they are like to cry another day, Vae, Vae, Vae, quantae sunt tenebrae. Woe, woe, woe, howe great are these darkenesses? God the father, God the son, God the holy Ghost with all the Prophets and Apostles cry out upon priests for to preach the holy scriptures, exhorting thē to be diligent in that matter. Cry, saith God the father, cease not. Lyfte up thy voice as a trōpe. Shew the people their sins, and declare unto them their wickedness. Agayne he saith, O Jerusalem I have set watch men upon thy wan • les, they shall not hold their peace nether night nor day. Christ said to his Apostles, go thorough out the world and preach the gospel to every creature. S. Paul saith, take hede to yourselves and to all y ^• flock, upon whom the holy Ghoste hath made you ouersears, to feed the congregation of God, whom he purchased with his blood. For I know y ^• after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in among you not sparing the flock. And even among yourselves shall there arise men speaking perverse things, y ^• they may lede away the disciples after thē. Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three whole years I did not cease to monish everyone of you both day and night even with tears. Agen he saith, give attēdance to thyself & to doctrine, contine we in these. For if thou dost so, y ^• shalt both save thyself & them that hear the. Preache the word, be fervent be it in time or out of time, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all softenes & doctrine. Speke those things that become wholesome doctrine. S. Peter also saith, ye Prestes se that ye feed Christ's flock, which is among you, taking the ouersyght of them not as though ye were compelled there to, but willingly, not for the desire of filthy lucre, but of a good mind, not as though ye were Lord's over the paryshes, but that ye be an ensāple to the flock. And whā the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive an incorruptible Crown of glory.

These texts of the holy scripture declare manifestly how fervent, busy, studious and diligent all true priests ought to be in the preaching of God's word. The men godly enspired knew right well, that so longe as God's word is preached to the people, it must needs go well with the Christian religion, but if it once cease, than farewell all godliness, farewell all virtue and goodness. Of this thing, alas for pity, have we had experience many a yere unto our great discomfort, and yet lytyll redress. For many of the priests go forth to be as sluggysh as ever they were, neither have they ony godly care for Christ's flock committed unto thē. So they may have the profytes, they care for no more. Bo nusest odor lucriexre qualiber. So y ^• by this means the sheep are like to die for meat. But alas howe should they teach other, whan they them selves know nothing. They are even as the Prophet saith, dumb dogs not once being able to bark. Many again of them there are, which are learned, and know their duty, and yet I know not with what spirit moved they hold their peace, they speak nothing, they se their sheep run astraye before their faces, walk in all kind of wickedness, & yet have they no pity. I wonder w ^t what forheades these men will appere before the high pressed and great Judge Christ at the dredefull day of judgment. I pray God they be not Epicures both in living & judgment. But let us hear what the holy and catholic Doctors say unto this matter.

S. Jerome saith, if ony mā will be a Bishop not only in name but also in deseruynge, let him follow Moses, and let him follow Aaron. For what is said of them, that they went not from the tabernacle of the Lord. Ergo Moses was continually in the tabernacle of the Lord. What business had he there? Verily that ether he should learn somewhat of God, or else teache the people. These are the two works of a Bishop, that he should learn of god by reading the divine scriptures & by having his continual meditacion in them, or elles teache the people, but yet ought be to teache those things, that he had learned of god, and not of his own heart or man's wisdom, but those things that y ^• holy Ghoste teacheth. There is another work also that Moses doth, he goeth not unto y ^• wars, he fightethe not against the enemies, but what doth he? He prayeth. And while he prayethe, his people overcometh, if he do once slake & let down his h • des, thā are his people overcome and chased away. Let y ^• priest of the church therefore pray without ceasyng, that the people, which are under him, may overcome there invisible enemies the Amalechites, which are dyuels that do impugn and fight against them, that will live godly in Christ.

O howe true, sweet and godly are these words of the holy Doctore? Here may all Bishops & Prestes lern what theyre duty is, not to be idle, not tohsit & hawk, not to dyse & card not to bācket and live voluptuously, not to play the ruflyng galātes and to be entangled with wordly busynesses, but to be continually in the tabernacle of the Lord, that is to say, to study and to have their perpetual meditacion in the holy scriptures even both day & night. as David saith, and with all diligence to teache the people committed to their Spiritual charge, not men's traditions, not their own fantasies, but God's most holy word, even the holy scriptures, and such things, whereof y ^• holy Ghost is the Author. Lette them therefore look well to their office. For if they be true Bishops and Prestes, this is the work committed unto them, even continually to study the holy scriptures, and purely to preach thē unto the people. If they leave this office undone, & do the works prescribed of man, so do they show thē selves to be y ^• servants not of god, but of man. Let thē therefore look, what answer they will make to the high Judge and great priest Christ at the terrible day of judgment.

Moreover it is their duty feruētly and without ceasyng to pray for the people, that they may prevail against Satā & his ministers that fight daily against thē. How cold y ^• prayers of many of thē are, I will not now dispute. For they are more open to the whole world, than they need here to be rehearsed. Whā Moses held up his hands and prayed his people did overcome. Whyther our Prestes hold up their hands & pray, as they ought, let other mē judge. Of this am I sure, y ^• sins the world begā, therneuer reigned more sin and abhominaciō than there doth at this day, which is but a slēder argument that we get the victory of our enemies. God give all Bishops and Prestes grace once to look upon their office diligently, y ^• they may both earnestly study the holy scriptures, teache them syncerly unto the people, and continually occupy thē sel • esin fervent prayers. Than shall it not only be well w ^t Christ's flock, but also with them selves at the dredefull day of judgment, whā they shall appere before y ^• high Bishop Jesus Christ, and give accoūtes unto him of their behavior in the office that was committed unto them in this world.

S. Agustine also saith, cōsyder that it is the office of priests, whan they be demanded of y ^• law, to answer. If he be a Preste, let him know the law of the Lord, if he knoweth not the law of the Lord, he declare the evidently that is he is no priest. For it pertaineth unto y ^e Lord's priest to know the law, and whan he is asked, to make answer of y ^e law. Lord be merciful unto us, what will a great number of our priests say to these words of S. Agustine? I fear moche, that if he were not so ancient a Doctore, and a sayncte all ready approved by the Chyrche, surely many priests for madness would nothing fear to accuse him of here • y, and to affirm that he preacheth heretical doctrine, so iopardous a thing at this time is it to speak agēst these ignorant Rabines, which although they know nothing, yet will they be Judges over all men, and ready streyghtewayes to condemn them. It is not the long robe, the flaryng typpet about the neck, the annoyntynge of the fingers, the broad shauynge of the crown, that make the the Preste, but knowledge and con • ynge in the law of the Lord, and so called unto prestehode. The Prophet Malachi saith, the lips of a Preste keep knowledge, and at his mouthe shall they require the law, for he is the messanger of the Lord of Hoostes. So saith S. Austē here that Prestes ought to be so well learned in the holy scriptures, that whā ony man demandeth a question of them concerning the law of God, they should be able to answer. If he be a priest, saith he, let him know the law of the Lord. If he knoweth not the law of the Lord, he declareth evidently, that he is no priest. S. Agustine here affyrmethe, that he only is a priest, which hath knowledge in the law of the Lord. If there want the knowledge, it is an evident argument, saith he, y ^• there is no Preste. It is happy that saint Austē is gone and a sayncte. For if he were now alive & a Bishop again, as he was in times paste, and should go on visitacion thorough out the diocese, I think surely he would depose a great sort of Prestes, as mē more fytte for y ^e carte than for the church. For S. Agustine measureth all priesthood by knowledge. It pertaynethe unto the Lord's Preste, saith he, to know the law, and whan he is demanded, to make answer of y ^• law. He may be a Preste of Baal, of the • omysh Bishop, and of man, but of the Lord he can not be, except he hath knowledge. If ony mā fealethe him self grieved at this matter, and cannot abide his scalde & scurvy back thus to be rubbed, let him know that they be not my words, but the words of S. Agustine, a man in his time not only godly enspired, and excellently learned, but also of great authority before the world. I only rehearse his & other holy Doctors words, because I would gladly have men to do truly their office, and to set this saying of the Psalmograph ever before their eyes, Be not like a horse & a moil, which have no understanding. For ignorance in all men is to be abhorred, but in Prestes chefely. If after the mind of thapostle Paul, saith S. Jerome, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God, it followeth well, that he that knowethe not the scriptures, knoweth not the power of God and the wisdom of him. For the ignorance of the scriptures, is the ignorance of Christ • Leo the Bishop saith, if ignorance seemeth intolerable even in lay mē, how much more is it worthy nether of excuse nor of forgyuenes in them that bear rule? I therefore desire all Prestes that be good and virtuous and tender the glory of God, & the salvation both of their own & other Christian men's souls, that they will not be moved with these words, which come from a breast, that wisheth well unto them all, but earnestly look upon their office better, caste away blind ignorance, study for y ^• knowledge of holy scriptures, and labor with all main to do that, which God requireth of them.

Moreover saint Gregory saith, y ^• shepparde, which doth not rebuke them that offend, without doubt he sleath them by holding his peace Agayne he saith, we that are called Prestes, besides these euels that we have of our own, we add also other men's deaths. For we slay so many as we se daily go unto death, & yet are sluggyshe & hold our peace. He • e is terrible saying, that they, which are appointed to save Christian mennes souls do cruelly slay thē by their negligence & holding their peace. Oh that the Bishops of every diocese would diligently look vpō this matter, the easier much should be their accounts at the dredefull day of judgment. The holy Ghost mought breth it into their minds.

In concilio t • lerano we read on this manner, Ignoraunce the mother of all errors is most of all to be exchewed in the Prestes of God, which have taken upon them the office of teaching among the people of God. Prestes are warned to rede the holy scriptures, as Paul thapostle saith unto Timothy, give attendaunce to reading, & exhortaciō & lernyng, & continue always in these. Let Prestes therefore know y ^• holy scriptures and canons, and let all their work, business and travail consist inpreaching and doctrine, & let them edify all men so well with the knowledge of faith, as with the good information of works. O godly decree. Here may all priests learn, that their work doth consist in preaching and doctrine, in edifi • ng the people and in giving them godly examples of virtuous living. God send us mo such councils.

Bishop Nicolas writeth on this manner, the distribucion of the heavenly seed is enjoined us. Woe therefore be unto us, if we do not spryncle it abroad. Woe be unto us, if we hold our peace. Here is eternal dānation thretened priests, if they do not sow abroad the heavenly seed of God's word in the feldes of christen men's hearts. Let them look well to their office, for they stond in a perrillous state. Many of them think it a great pleasure to receive yearly so great profits of their benefices, but let them remember the commō proverb, sweet meat must have sower sauce. Woe be to you, saith Christ, that laughe now, • or ye shall mourn & weep. Woe be to you that are filled, for ye shall hunger. Woe be to you rytthe men, which have your consolaciō. Woe be to you, whan all men praise you.

Platina in the life of Bishop Innocentius the syxt, writeth on this manner: Innocentius the syxt did not give the ecclesiastical benefices but unto such Prestes, as ware thoroughly proved & tried both in life & learning. And he made a constituciō that all prelates and so many as had benefices should go home to their own Paryshes under pain of cursyng. For he said, that no hyrelyng but the very own shepparde ought to keep his own sheep. Here was a wonderful godly cōstituciō. Wolde god it were o • served thorough out all Christendom. Than should Christ's • lock be much better fed than they are at this time. Than should not y ^• Parsōs & Vicars be absēt frō their benefices as they are now a days. Than should y ^• goods of y ^• Paryshes be spent among the Paryshners, & not abroad as they be now a days, no man can tell where about. Than should the poor people be better looked upon. Than should Prestes be more diligent to maintain hospitalite. Than should the beneficed mē more quietly apply their minds unto the study of holy scriptures & other godly meditaciōs. Thā should servant love, which is now almoost universally decayed, spring up new again between the priests and the lay men. Than should priests be honored as fathers, and lay men count thē selves as their children, giving them reverence and double honor as the scripture commaūdeath. Thā should God's word florysh, and the glory of God he sought of all men. Ah shall we not once se this joyful day in England? Whan might it ever be brought to pass better and more conuenie • tly, than now under this our most excellent Kyng, which hitherto hath so both godly & prosperously like another Hezekiah trauayled in the byldyng again of our Lord God's temple, in throwynge down the works of Hypocrisy, superstition, and Idolatry, and in setting up again the pure and Christian religion? Lord, grant that it may come to pass, yea & y ^• shortly.

Thus se we both by the holy scriptures, the ancient Doctors, and the godly old councils, how greatly all Bishops and Prestes ought to be occupied in studȳg and preaching God's word. But to this their godly preaching they must also join a virtuous and pure life, unless they edify not so much with their preaching, as they destroy with their wicked living. It is a shame for a Phisiciō to be so spotted & pocky, that it shall may justly be said to him, Phisiciō heal thyself. God said to the sinner, saith the Psalmograph, why dost thou preach my laws, and take my Testament in thy mouth: Thou haste hated to be reformed, and thou haste caste away my words behind the. If y ^• sawest a these, thou rannest w ^t him, and with adulterers dyddest thou lay thy portion. Thy mouth did abound with cursed speaking, and thy tongue did couple craftily together deceates. Thou dyddest sytte, & speak against thy brother, & agēst thy mothers son dyddest thou lay a stomblyng block. These things haste thou done, and yet have I hold̄ my peace. Thou wyckedly thoghtest, that I would be like unto the, but I will reprove the, & come face to face against the. O vnderstonde these things, ye that forget God, unless he pluck you away, & there be none y ^• can deliver you. Sayncte Paul also saith, thou that teachest another, teachest not thyself. Thou that preachest that men should not steal, stealest thyself. Thou that sayste that whoredom should not be committed, playest the whoremonger thyself. Thou that abhorrest Images, robbest God of his honor thyself. Thou that gloryest of the law, thorough breaking of the law, dishonorest God. For y ^e name of God is evil spoken of among the Gentiles thorough you.

Of these things it is evident, y ^• it is not sufficient for priests to preach God's word, except they also lead a virtuous & godly life. Who so ever doth and teacheth, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven, saith the scripture. Christ doth not only call priests the salt of the earth, but also the light of y ^• world. Wythe their preaching they season the people, but with their light of godly conversation they show men howe they ought towalke and live. Therefore immediately is it subjoined, let your light so shine before men, that they may se your good works & glorify your father, which is in heaven. Be an example of the faithful, saith Paul, in word, in conversation, in love, in Spirit, in faith. Kepe thyself pure. Study to show thyself commendable to God, a work man that neadeth not to be ashamedde. He that preacheth Christ, saith S. Ambrose, ought to show him self wholly estranged from all kind of vices. S. John̄ Chrysostom also saith, it is a great shame for Prestes, and for so many as be of the Clergy, whan lay men be found faythfuller & more righteous than they are? Howe can it otherwise be than a shame for them to be inferioure to the lay people, whom to be like unto them, it is also a shame? Agē. S. Gregory saith, the light of the flock is the flame of the shepparde. For it becōmethe the Lord's shepehearde and a Preste to • hyne in manners and living, that in him as in y ^• glass of their light, the people that is committed unto him may both discern what they should follow, and also se what they should correct and amende. Hereof is it evident, what great purite and innocence of life ought to be in priests, that their life may correspond and in all points answer to their preaching.

But here is an answer to be made to the unsavory talk of certain men now a days, which because they se the manners of the Preachers not agreeable in all points to their sermons, fall at defyaunce with gods word, blaspheme it as heresy, rail upon the preachers and absent them selves from the hearing of all godly exhortacions, warnynges and councils. These parsons hynder no man so moche as them selves. They may well be compared to a folysshe man, which cometh unto the market for to bye meat. But whā he beholdeth the butcher, and perceaueth him to have some deformite in his face, as one of his eyes to be out, or to be balde, or elles to hold his neck awrye, gothe straight home again, & chosethe rather to die for hunger, than he will bye meat of such a butcher although the meat be never so pure, clean, commestible & wholesome. But let us hear what the holy scripture saith. In the chayer of Moses sit Scribes and Phareses. All the • fore that they command you to keep, loke that you keep and do, but according to their works do ye not. For they say, but they do not. Here christ commaundethe us not to abstain from the hearing of God's word, though they be never so wicked and evil, that preach it. For who were more ungodly, and greater enemies to Christ, than the Scribes & Phareses, yet Christ commaundethe to hear them so longe as they sytte in the chayer of Moses. To sit in the chayer of Moses is truly & syncerly to preach those things that Moses did, to enterpret the law according to the right vain of the holy scripture, and only to seek the glory of God & the profit of the faithful. So long as they that are preachers do this, they are to be heard, though their life be never so abhominable. For it is not the preacher, to whom we must have pryncipall respect, but to the word of God. Nother do we come into the Temple to gase upon the Preacher, but to hear the holy scriptures declared, and so learn to lede a godly life. If he were one of the ministers of Satan, yea Satan himself that preacheth, so longe as he bryngethe in Scriptum est, so long as he teacheth purely the divine scripture without wreastyng or corruptynge of the same, he is to be heard. We ought not so greatly to mark the teacher, as that which is taught. If he teachethe well, it is ours, & we have that we came for, if he liveth well, it is his own, and he shall receive the reward. But let us hear what Chrysostom saith to this matter. If the priest • live well saith he, it is their auauntage, but if they teache well, it is yours. Be not curio{us} to boul • e out that, which pertaineth unto another man. For oftentimes good learning comethe forth from an evil man, as vile earth bringeth forth precious gold. Is precious gold despised for the vile earth? Therefore as the gold is chosen, and the earth forsakē, so likewise take you the learning, & leave the manners. Agayne he saith, let us take the doctrine but not the manners. Herbs are not necessary for the bees, but the flowers are. So you likewise gather the flowers of doctrine, and leave their fashons of living. Here this holy Doctore willeth us not to despise y ^• word, though the Preacher be evil. Lette us take that is ours, and let go that is his. The doctrine is ours, y ^• life is his I had rather have a syncer preacher of God's word, which shall declare Christ unto me purely, rebuke my sinful living, comfort me with the sweet promises of GOD, show me howe I ought to institute my life according to y ^• will of god. &c although his manners be somewhat corrupt and dissent from his preaching, thā to have a wicked Papist, a pestilent Pharese & a superstitious Hypocrite, which shall outwardely like a crafty fox pretend a certain grauite, and a popeholy manner of living, and yet corrupt the holy scriptures, confound God's word with men's traditions, lede the people into superstitious errors, flatter the herers, preach for lucre, manckle the doctrine of Christ, & obscure the way of truth. Of such Christ warneth us to take hede in the Gospel of Matthew, saying, Beware of false Prophets, which come unto you in shepes clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Agenst these Christ in another place thondereth, saying, woe be to you Scribes and Phareses, hypocrites, for ye are like painted sepulchers, which outwardly appere beautiful, but within are full of bones of dead men and of all fylthynes. So ye likewise appere outwardely righteous to mē, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisye and wickedness. Agayne, ye are they, that justify yourselves before mē, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which seemeth praise worthy before men, is abhominable before God. Therefore so long as y ^c preacher sytteth in the chayer of Moses and not in the chayer of pestilence, he is to be heard for the words sake, be his life never so wicked & ungodly. Notwythstondyng I exhort all Christian Preachers, and so many as unfeignedly tender the glory of god, and the promociō of his most b • yssed word, that they do their endeavor not only to set forth God's truth in word & tongue, but also in work and verite. Let them be the same in life, y ^t they profess in word. For he takethe upon him the name of a Christian man in vain, saith sayncte Agustine, that followethe not Christ. For what doth it profit the to be called that thou art not, & to usurp a strange name? If y ^u haste a pleasure to be a Christian man, do those things that pertain unto Christianite, and than hardly take upon the the name of a Christiane. S. Ambrose also saith, it is a shameful lie before ony man to call himself a Christian man, & not to do the works of Christ. Hereto {per}laynethe the saying of S. Cypriane, no man is truly called a Christiane, but he which laboreth, so moche as lygheth in his power, to show himself conformable & like to Christ in his manners & conversation. He y ^• saith, y ^• he dwelleth in Christ, saiths. John • ̄, ought to walk as he hath walked.

Seyng than that so great purite and innocence of life is required of all men that profess Christ, surely in Prestes and in thē that are preachers of God's word, it ought to excel above all other. Men light not a candle, and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, & it shyneth to so many as are in the house. So likewise Prestes are not called unto the office of preaching, that their conversation should be dark and w ^t out light, but that it shuldbe so garnished with godly virtues & good works, that it might light to so many as are in the house of God.

Christ the high priest & everlasting Byshoppe grant it may so be.

But as I may return unto our matter of swearing, let them that be Preachers, I say, above all things rebuke this abhominable sin of swearing, & declare unto the people what a great offense it is, & howe the plages of God and his vēgeaūs shall not depart from the houses of them, that use this most detestable sin of swearing.

Furthermore let all fathers and mothers give earnest diligence that their children may from their very cradles learn to worship and honor y ^• most blessed name of god, and never to have it in their mouths without great reverence done unto it, either by putting of their cappes or elles by boweynge their knees. Let them not be suffered by ony means to swear by God or by onye of his creatures, but let your cōmunicacion be yea, yea, nay, nay. If they at onye time swear, let them first of all be admonysshed of their faute, and told how great an offense it is before God wyckedly and vaynely to swear. If they will not so amende, let the parents ponyshe them sharply. Better were it, that their bodies in this world should suffer a lytyll pain, than after this life to have both their bodies and souls caste into hell fire. If all fathers and mothers will thus diligently watch upon their chyldrē, it shall cause them not only not to be defiled with the most grievous sin of swearing, but also that the most holy name of GOD shall be had in high reverence, great estimation & perpetual honor forever after so longe as they live. But above all things let the parents them selves be an ensample in this behalf unto their children, and show evermore such reverence unto the name of God, that the yonglynges may well perceive, that it is no vain thing, that they are taught.

Let all masters and mastresses & so many as have servants under their dominion, provide that by no means they suffer their servants at ony time to swear nether by god nor by ony of his creatures. Let thē show unto them what a great danger it is, and howe that the vēgeaūs of God shall not depart from those houses, where swearers are, nether can there ony thing prosper, but all things must needs go to havoc. Let them also teache them to have the name of God in so great honor & reverence, that it never be named among them but honorably and reverently. Let them at the least put of their cappes so often as they name God, Christ, or ony part of his moste precious body. If ony of their servants will not leave their swearing, and learn to have the name of God in honor, than let them be put out of their houses, unless they bring the vengeance of God upon so many as are in their company.

For as the godliness of one man is many times thoccasiō, that God is marciful to many, so is the wickedness of one man oftentimes y ^• cause y ^• many are ponyshed. Therefore it is not enough that the masters & the mastresses of the house be virtuous and godly, except the servants be so likewise. It becometh a master to have Seruauntes like unto his own manners, unless his goodness profyteth not so moche in the right institution of his family, as y ^• wickedness of the other destroyeth. It is well, whan one plantethe & another waterethe, but it is evil, whan one planteth and another plucketh up. Myne eyes are unto the faithful of the earth, that they may dwell w ^t me, saith David, and who so ledeth a godly life shall be my servant.

There shall no disceatfull parsonne dwell in my house, he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

Wolde God all masters were of this mind.

Let all mē of occupaciō abstain from swearing in their byinge and sellynge. For it is a shame, that the mā of God should be esteemed among Christian men of so small price, that for the valoure of a lytyll temporal auauntage and wordly lucre, men should abuse it and vaynely take it. Woe be to that man, which for his own private lucre doth blaspheme the name of God, or ony of his creatures. There ought to be so great sincerite and faith among Christian men, that there should need no oaths in their bargaynes and worldly businesses. A Christian man's word ought to be better and surer than ony obligaciō. God grant that we may once se this come to pass in Englonde.

Let them that swear, because it is the custom so to do, leave their swearing, and no more follow the wicked custom, but the truth of God's word, which saith, swear not at all. Let your communicaciō be yea, yea, nay, nay.

Lette them that glory & rejoice so much in their swearing, that they will take upon them to maintain it by y ^• scripture, abstain frō their idle oaths, and wreaste no more the holy scripture, unless they following the manners of Satā, receive a reward worthy their wickedness.

Let them that say, though they swear, yet we think no harm, leave their swearing and remember that they shall give accoūtes at the dredeful day of judgment for every idle word that they have spoken, so that they shall not escape vnponished for their idle oaths.

Let them that say, few or none will believe us, except we swear, rather meddle with few or none, thā they should transgress the commandment of God, & bring damnation upon their own heads.

To conclude, let all oaths be taken away from the minds of Christian men, except they be taken for those causes, which I have expressed before. If we will th{us} do, we shall easily exchewe the most detestable vice of perjury, and frendely live together in all truth, sincerite and faith, as it become the saints, & so many as profess Christ. For he that will not swear, will not lyghtelye falsely swear, and be forsworn.

And that we may be the more encouraged to forsake all vain & idle oaths, let us remember, that God, which is y ^e everlasting truth, hath promised, that he will glorify them, which honor him and have his name in reverence: Agen, that they shall come unto dishonor & a shameful ende, that despise him and blaspheme his most holy name. Now if we will that God glorify us, that is to say, be our good Lord, defend preserve, keep & govern us, blysse us, lyghten his gracious coūtenās upon us, send us all things necessary for our living in this present world, and after this life give us eternal glory: than is it convenient that we do not abuse y ^• name of god by our vain & unrighteous oaths, but always laude, praise, commend, magnify & blysse it, caull upon it, fly unto it as unto an holy anchore in all our aduersite, and never to have in our mouths, but with high reverence and great honor. If we do the contrary, y ^t is to say, blaspheme his most holy name, than shall we undoubtedly come unto dishonoure & a shameful ende. In this world the plage and vēgeaūce of God shall not go away from our houses, we shall be stryken with many grievous diseases in our bodies, our goods and cattle, yea and all that ever we have shall come to noght, our kind of living shall be despised with all good men, our death shall be painful, miserable and wretched, & after these so great and manifold plages, we may be sure for our wicked sweryng to be cast into hell fire, where the flames of it shall ne • er be quenched, where weeping and gnashyng of tethe shall be, where the worm y ^t shall gnawe our consciences shall never die.

Therefore I beseech all Christian mē by the tender marcyes of God and by the most precious blood of our savior Jesus Christ, whereby alon • we are redeemed, made pure, and delivered from all our sins, that they from hensforth leave their abhominable swearing ether by God or by ony of his creatures. Let them never take God to witness, except it be in a necessary and earneste matter, I mean such a matter as maketh unto the glory of God. Let their cōmunicacion be yea, yea, nay nay. Let so great syncerite, truth, and faith reign among thē, that one may believe another without an oothe, even by a word. Let thē have God in such reverence and honor, and so order their tongues in this world, unto the glory of God, that after this life thorough the mercy of God they may be found worthy to be in the number of those blessed spirits, which without ceasyng sing perpetual praises to the moste holy name of God on this manner: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God almyghty, righteous & true are thy ways, o king of saints. Who shall not fear the, O Lord, and magnify thy name? For thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the glory and honor, & power, for thou haste made all things, and for thy will they are and were made. To him that sytteth in the throne, and to the lamb, be blyssynge, and honor, and glory & power worlds w ^t out end.

Acts against customable swearers made in times past by divers excellent Prynces, and their honorable council.

Remedies against swearing.

IF thou be bent to leave the wicked custom of swearing, first pray feruentely unto God, that he will take away that thy heart, which is defiled on such sort, & so hardened with the customable usage of synnyng, that there can enter no virtue nor godliness into it.

Secondly desire him for his great mercies sake to create in the a new heart, & to pour his spirit so abundantly into thy breste, that by the influence of it, thou mayste be able to drink in virtue, and all that ever shall be plesasit to the divine ma • este.

Thyrdly be so at defyaunce with all vice & sin, that by no means at any time thou have pleasure either to think, hear or talk of it, so far let it be from the to medle ony thing at all w ^t it in thought, word or deed.

Fortely set this saying of Christ ever before thine eyes, that at the day of judgment accōptes shall be givē of every idle word, that is spoken. Thys shall bring unto thy remembrance, howe gre • ous accoūtes shall be required of them, y ^• customably swear, vaynely usurp the name of God, blaspheme GOD, be falsely forsworn. &c.

Fyftly, that thou mayst the more easily exchewe swearing, fly the company of them, that use customablye to swear, or have a pleasure to enterlase their talk w ^t blasphemous oaths. And what so ever thou hatest in other, look that by no means thou dost the same.

Syxtely, busy thyself continually in giving praysesvnto God, and in setting forth the glory of his name. Delyght thou in no thing so much, as in doing those things, y ^• make unto the auauncemēt of the divine majesty. This shall not a lytyll make unto y ^• deposiciō of swering, & make the to have a mouth, which shall be the organ and instrument of the holy Ghost, to set for the and publysh the glory of God.

Finally, let nothing come forth of thy mouthe, until it be thoroughly soddē in thy breste, as Epictetus the Greke Philososopher warneth, and so order both thy tongue and thyn acts in all thy conuersaciō, that it never repent the afterward of onye thing that thou haste done. So shalt thou not only exchew the damnable custom of swearing, but also garnysh thy life with all kind of virtues unto the great glory of God and the health of thy soul. So be it.

A Table wherein thou shalt find all the principal things contained in this boke.

• THe Inuectyue speaketh. Fol • io. i
• The Preface unto the boke. fol. eodem
• The Inuecty • e. Folio. viii
• Vice greatly increased. follo. x
• Saye not but that ye are warned. fol. xii
• A comparison between God & man. fol. xiiii
• Idolatry and swearing are the most gr • uous sins. Fol. xvi
• What it is to take the name of God in vain. folio. eodem
• Menne of occupacion. Folio. xviii
• O extreme abomination. fol • eodem
• What truth and faith ought to reign among
• Christian men. fol. eod • m
• Dysers and Carders. Folio. xix
• Menne of law. fol. eodem
• Prestes and beneficed men. Folio. xx
• Reruyng men. folio. xxi
• An admonition for Gentle men. Fol. xxiii
• Paryshuers. fol. eodem
• Chyldren. Folio. xxiiii
• The world and God's word judgeth diversely of sw • arers. folio. xxvi
• Swearers are like thieves condemned to be hanged Folio. xxxii
• Examples of swearing ponyshed in our time.
• Folio eodem
• Our damnation is great. Folio. xxxiiii
• What salt sign • fyeth. folio. xixv
• Swea •• rs are enemies to God's word.
• Folio xxxvi
• Of Per • ury. Folio. xi
• Who so swearethe by God, that is the truth & righteousness, and takethe him to wy • nesse to maintain his lyeng disceat and vnryghteousnes, he is a periure, ill, light, and such one, y ^• lytyll regardethe God's truth and his commandments. Folio. xii
• A comparison between the father & the son.
• Folio folio. xiiii
• Periury thyrsteth innocent blood. Folio. xiv
• True men are sometime hanged. fol. eodem
• An admonition for • ues • mongers. Fol. xivi
• An admonition for Judges. folio. xlvii
• Why GOD hath given men two ears. 〈◊〉 Howe Judges shall behave them selves, 〈◊〉 ony matter is brought before them. Fol. xlviii
• What men Questmong •• s ought to be.
• Folio xlix
• • ag • strates. fol. eodem
• Bishops and Prestes. Folio. l
• Maryed fold. fol eodem
• Subiectes. Folio. ii
• A demand whither all oaths, promises and vows are to be performed. fol. eodem
• What oaths, promises and vows ought to be broken. fol. eodem
• God desyrethe thanks giving, & not blo ••• s sacrifices. Folio. iiii
• • owes oftentimes in the scripture are taken for praises and thanks giving. Folio. liiii
• A hot zeal in deed, but not according to knowledge. Folio. lv
• An oothe ought to have three compagnions.
• Folio lvil
• What incommodities rise of perjury.
• Folio lviii
• Per • ured persons shall not escape vnponyshed. folio. li •
• Excuses of swearing. Folio. lx
• Of the custom, fol. eodem
• O bloudsoupers. Folio. l • ii
• What it is to swear in God. fol. 〈◊〉
• Howe swearing came up first. fol. eodem
• Why God suffered the Jews to swear by him.
• Folio Folio. lciii
• Dothes among the faithful need not, among the unfaithful they profit not. Folio. l ••
• Whyther all oaths are takē away from Christian men. folio. lxvi
• The error of the Anabaptists. fol. eodem
• For what causes a Christian man may swear.
• Folio lxvii
• Example for the glory of God. fol. eodem
• Example for the health of our neyghboure.
• Folio lxviii
• An example for the health of our selves. eodem
• Agustine for swearing. Folio. l • ix
• The Magistrate may lawfully require an oothe. folio. l • x
• An admonition for them that shall require the oothe. fol. eodem
• Magistrates. fol. ixxi
• Bishops, Parsonnes, 〈◊〉 &c. Fol. lcxii
• Mark this comparison. fol. lcxiii
• The preaching of God's word causethe the Christian • eligion 〈◊〉 florysh. fol. lcxvi
• The wor • ke of a Byshoppe is to study the holy scriptures, pur •• to preach the unto the people, and •• ently to pray. fol. lcxvii
• Learn your duty here O ye priests fol. lccviii
• The prayers of many Prestes are coide now a days. fol. eodem
• • restes ought to be learned in the law of 〈◊〉
• Folio lcx •
• Who is a pr • ste af •• r Sayn ••• Augustine's mind Folio eodem
• Wolde God we had into such Iunocentes.
• Folio l ••••••
• Prestes must both preach sincerely, & also live godly. fol. lxxxiiii
• Pristes are not only called the salt of y ^• earth, but also the light of the world. fol. lcxx •
• What it is to sytte in the chayer of Moses
• Folio l • xxvii
• Every man that preachethe the scripture truly, is to be heard, be his life never so wicked.
• Folio lxxxviii
• Fathers and mothers. fol. xc •
• Masters and Mastresses. fol. eodem
• What servants Christian men ought to have
• F • l • o xcii
• Menne of occupacion. folio xciii
• Swearers of custom. fol eodem
• Swearers for pride. fol. eodem
• Swearers •• anyng no eueil. fol. eodem
• Swearers, that they may be believed. fol. eodem
• The ron 〈◊〉 of the boke. folio. xciiii
• God to glorify us. what it is. fol. eodem
• What euyls shall chance unto us, if we vainly swear. fol. eodem
• Acts against customable swearers made in times paste by divers excellent Prynces & their hono ••• ble council. folio. x • vi
• Of • ynge 〈◊〉 the fyste. fol. eodem
• Woulde God t •• s • tatute were observed and kept now a days, not only in the court, but also thorough out England. fol. eodem
• Of Kynge Edmunde.
• Folio eode •
• Of Donaldus Kynge of Skottes.
• Folio xci
• Saint Lodowycke Kynge of France.
• Folio eode •
• Of Philippe Kynge of France.
• A godly Proclamacion, GOD send us ma • such. Folio. xc •
• Of Philippe Earl of Flaunders.
• Folio eode •
• Of Maximilianus the Emperor.
• Folio eode •
• The council of Josephus.
• Folio xcviii
• Remedyes against swearing. Folio. xc ••
• Rede the third Chapter of Sayncte James
• Epistle. fol. eodem