Seeing than that God will so grievously punish all kind of oaths both vain & unjust, both idle swearing & perjury, what will these idle swearers & false forsworn creatures say unto this matter? With what conscience will they appear before the high throne and righteous judging place of Christ? What will they lay for them selves? What excuse will they make? What shift will they invent? Will they fly unto ⟨image 62⟩the custom,1 and say, that it is y• fashion 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.2 Now they that follow the fashions of y• world, are none of Christs disciples, so followeth it that all swearers pertain not unto Christ, seeing they so diligently follow the manners of th• world.3 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 trueth of Gods word willeth us to do. Follow not the common sort of people, saith the scripture, for to do evil. Again, do not ye those things, which they have done, that were before you,4 nether be ye polluted & defiled in them. The Prophet Zechariah also saith, Be not ye like your forefathers, neither follow ye ⟨p. lxi⟩the fashions of them.5 The •oly Martyr S. Cyprian saith, undou•••d•y we must •othe 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 thin ges that I command you, In y• no more call ye servants but […]. And that Christ alone ought to be hea•d, the father from heaven testifieth, saying: This is my […] beloved so•e,6 in whom I am fully satisfied, hear ye him. I• that Christ alone ought to be heard, we ought not to ma•ke, what any man before us thought best to be done, but what Christ did first, which is before all men.7 Again he •ayth, a custom with out trueth, is an old error. Therefore leaving the error, let us •o• low the trueth. When the trueth is once come to light, saith S. Austen, let the custom give place to y• ⟨image 63⟩trueth. For Peter also, which did circumcise, gave place to Paul preaching the trueth.8 Therefore seeing y• Christ is the trueth, we ought rather to follow the trueth than the custom. If thou dost lay against me the custom,9 saith S. Gregory, thou must mark what the Lord saith, I am the way, trueth & life.
Seyng thā that God wyl so greuously ponysshe all kynde of oothes bothe vayne & vniust, both idle swearyng & periury, what wyll these idle swearers & false forsworne creatures saye vnto this matter? Wythe what cōscience wyll they appere before the high throne and ryghteous iudgyng place of Christ? What wyll they laye for them selues? What excuse wyll they make? What shyfte wyl they inuent? Wyll they flye vnto ⟨image 62⟩the custome,1 and saye, that it is y• fashon of the worlde so to do? I aunswere, Christ sayd to his disciples, ye are not of the world, but I haue chosen you out of the worlde.2 Now they that followe the fashons of y• world, are none of Christes disciples, so followeth it that all swearers pertayn not vnto Christ, seynge they so diligentely followe the manners of th• worlde.3 And where as they obiecte, that it is the custome so to sweare, this can nothyng excuse them. For we may not looke what the custome but the trueth of Gods worde wylleth vs to do. Followe not the cōmō sorte of people, saythe the scripture, for to do euell. Agen, do not ye those thinges, which they haue done, that were before you,4 nether be ye polluted & defyled in them. The Prophet Zachary also sayth, Be not ye lyke your forfathers, neyther followe ye ⟨p. lxi⟩the fashons of them.5 The •oly Martyr S. C•pr•an sayth, vndou•••d•y we must •othe heare & do that, that Christ hath done, & that he hath commaunded to •e done, seynge that he sayth in his gospel, if ye do chose thī ges that I commaunde you, In y• no more call ye seruaūtes but . And that Christ alone ought to be head, the father from heauen testifyeth, sayeg: This is my beloued soe,
- 1Excuses of swearingExcuses of swearinge
- 2Joan. xvIoan. xv
- 3Of the custom Not•.Of the custome Not•.
- 4E•o. xxiii. Lem. xviii Zacha. i
- 5Lib. Epist ii. Epist. iii ad Ca•c••
- 6Math xvi• Mar•. ix Luk. ix ii. Pet. i
- 7Epist. ad pomp. cō tra Steeple Dist. viii Can, ConsuetadoEpist. ad pomp. cō tra Stepl• Dist. viii Can, Consuetado
- 8D•c unico bap. lib. iiD•c vnico bap. lib. ii
- 9Guiel. Avers. Dist viii. Can S•consu•Guiel. Auers. Dist viii. Can S•consu•
