An invective against the most wicked [and] detestable vice of swearing, newly co[m]piledAn inuectyue agenst the moost wicked [and] detestable vyce of swearing, newly co[m]piled

God in the old law among the gross Ives could not abide a fa••e¹ witness,² but commanded y• he should dye the death. If he can not abide a false witness, which may testify with out an oath, •owe than can he abide th•, which do not only here fal•e witness, but also in the conf•rmacion thereof addeth an oath, yea and that a false oath, and maketh God to be a witness in an unjust & wrong matter,³ so that by this means y• wretch is willingly perjured & falsely for sworn, God is blasphemed, God's most holy name is abused, justice• subverted, trueth is oppressed, false hood is maintained, wrong sentē • is pronounced, the contrary part although the trueth be on his side is condemned, the man is utterly impoverished, and for ever after beggared, both he, his wife, and all his ch• drē, if he hath any: Are all these th• ges ⟨p. lix⟩but trifles? Are all these things light matters, and things of small importance? Is it but a trifle to bear false witness? to swear? to be perjured? to be falsely forsworn? to blaspheme God? to abuse his holy name? to subvert justice? to oppress y• trueth? to maintain falsehood? to pronounce wrong sentence? to condemn the guiltless parson? to impoverish and utterly beggar both him and so many as pertain unto him for ever and ever?⁴ Do all these things, which God so greatly abhor, deserve no punishment? 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 plagues, so that they are not punished so soon as they have committed the offence, yet let them be well