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

But here is an answer to be made to the unsavoury talk of certain men now a days, which because they see the manners of the Preachers not agreeable in all points to their sermons, fall at defiance with gods word, blaspheme it as heresy, rail upon the preachers and absent them selves from the hearing of all godly exhortations, warnings and coū cels. These parsons hinder no man so much as them selves. They may ⟨p. lxxxvii⟩well be compared to a foolish man,¹ which cometh unto the market for to bye meat. But wham he beholdeth the butcher, and perceiveth him to have some deformity in his face, as one of his eyes to be out, or to be bald, or else to hold his neck awry, goeth straight home again, & chooseth rather to dye for hunger, than he will bye meat of such a butcher although the meat be never so pure,² clean, comestible & wholesome. But let us hear what the holy scripture saith. In the chair of Moses sit Scribes and Pharisees. All therefore that they command you to keep, look that you keep and do, but according to their works do ye not. For they say, but they do not. Here christ commandeth 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 ⟨image 89⟩more ungodly, and greater enemies to Christ, than the Scribes & Pharisees, yet Christ commandeth to hear them so long as they sit in the chair of Moses.³ To sit in the chair of Moses is truly & sincerely to preach those things that Moses did, to interpret 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 abominable. For it is not the preacher, to whom we must have principal respect, but to the word of God. Neither do we come into the Temple to gaze upon the Preacher, but to hear the holy scriptures declared, and so learn to lead a godly life. If he were one of the ministers of Satan, yea Satan himself that preacheth, so ⟨p. lxxxviii⟩