Here endith a compendiouse treetise dyalogue. of Diues [and] paup[er]. that is to say. the riche [and] the pore fructuously tretyng vpon the x. co[m]man̄mentes ...

The v. chapter.

DIues.

Folke these dayes in iii. maners excuse hem of swerynge. Sūme saye y^t they swere soo ofte for the loue y^t they haue to god to haue hym ofte in mynde Sūme say why may nat I swere for I swere soth Sū¦me say but I swere ther wol no man leeue me

Pauper.

These been noo excusationes / but gre∣uous accusacions & aggregyng of syn. For as for the first poynt it is fals For suche fals swerers loue nat their god / for they kepe nat his cōmaundemente And they haue him ful lytel in mynd & swere many an horrible othe in vanytie & shrewydnesse bicause of mys vse / whāne they thynke nat of god And therfore that ex¦cusation is an open scorne / and high blasphemye to god For if thy seruaunte had done a thyng that thou haddest forboden him the ofter that he dyd it the worse thou woldest be payed. And if he scornyd the and sayde y^t he did it for thy loue to haue y^t in mynde / thou woldest holde it a ful grete scorne / & be moch the more offendyd with him / name∣ly if thou were his liege lord and his kynge Mochmore than god y^t is lorde & king of al thinges is offēdyd w^t them y^t so swere ayēst his forbode / and excuse them so scornefully saynge that they do it for to haue god in mynde And therfore is for to drede that they shalbe put oute of mynde from among goddes chosen For crist pleyneth hym of suche folke to

his fader in heuene / & saith thus Qm̄ quē tu {per}cussisti {per}secuti sūt: et su{per} dolorē vulnerū meorū ad diderūt. Fader in heuene saith he for asmoche as these wycked swerers / haue pursued with their wyckyd tonges. hym that thou smytest & sendyst to suffre dethe for saluacion of mankynd / and putte newe sorowe aboue the so¦rowe and y^e bytter peynes of my woundes / that I suffryd for her synne and their sake / therfore fa¦der putte thou synne to synne. That is to saye. lette theym fal fro synne to synne / and let them nat entre into thy rightwysnesse for to be sauyd Put theym oute of the boke of lyf / from amonge them that shalbe in blysse with∣outen ende Lete theym nat be writen with the rightwyse folke that shalbe saued These ben cry¦stes wordes plenyng hym to the fader in heuen of suche foul swe¦rers. p̄o. lxviii.

Diues.

It se¦myth herby that suche swerynge is fulle orrible synne and ful pe¦rilous. But what sayst thou of the secunde excusation.

Pau{per}.

We ben boūde neuyr to lye. and no thynge say but sothe Nathe∣lesse we ben nat boūde to say al the sothes / ne we owe nat to swe¦re for eurry sothe / that we speke For as saith seynt Thomas. de¦veritate theologie. Bothe he y^t forswerith him ayenst the treuth and he that swerith w^t the treuth withoutē grete cause bothe they take goddes name ī veyne For he that forswerith him wytingly he nameth souerayn treuth / and that is god and dispiseth it And he that sweryth withouten grete cause takith his name ī ydelship For he swerith withouten gode cause / and whan him nedith nat And so bothe lytel or nought set by goddes name / and so they ta¦ke it in veyne