An oversight, and deliberation upon the holy prophet JonahAn ouersight, and deliberacion vpon the holy prophete Ionas

And in case it be damnable in a naughty matter to swear by creatures, is it not the same trow ye, daily and foolishly of ⟨p. lviii⟩custom to swear by a mans hand, his head, by the mass, and such like? The more vile the thing is we swear by, the more is the oath detestable before God. Wherefore in things not necessary, and required lawfully, to swear by any thing, is sin. In weighty matters to swear by any thing except by god, is no less offence. That may we see .iiii. manner of ways. By reason, y• holy scripture, examples, & the Canon law. By reason thus: to swear is to protest & promise the thing we swear to be true before him y• knoweth the thoughts and cogitations of the heart, that knoweth only and solely God: therefore is it blasphemy to swear or attribute the same to a ⟨image 68⟩creature as they do that sweareth by creatures.

And in case it be damnable in a noughty matter to sweare by creatures, is it not the same trow ye, daylye and folyshly of ⟨p. lviii⟩custome to sweare by a mans hande, hys heade, by the masse, and suche lyke? The more vile the thynge is we sweare by, the more is the othe detestable before God. Wherefore in thinges not necessarye, and requyred lawfully, to sweare by anye thyng, is synne. In wayghtye matters to sweare by ani thing except by god, is no lesse offēce. That may we see .iiii. maner of wayes. By reason, y• holy scripture, exāples, & the Canon law. By reasō thus: to sweare is to protest & promise the thing we sweare to be true before hym y• knoweth the thoughtes and cogitacions of the harte, that knoweth onlye and solye God: therefore is it blasphemye to sweare or attribute ye same to a ⟨image 68⟩creature as they do that sweareth by creatures.