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DIues. Why forbedeth Cryste men for to swere by creatures ¶Pauper. Ther is two ma¦ner of swerynge. One is takynge of wytnesse of a thynge that a man swe¦reth by / & so it is not lefull for to swe¦re by ony creature. For saynt Poule sayth. Hoīes {per} maiorē suū iurant. ad Hebre .vi. Men swere sayth he by theyr more / that is to saye by hym that is more of credence & of reuerence than they ben them selfe. But only god is more in dygnyte and more in ordre of
kynde than man / for he is bothe god and man. And therfore he wyll that we take in swerynge no wytnesse but only of hym / for he is souerayne treu∣the. And therfore suche maner sweryn¦ge is a dyuyne worshyp that longeth oonly to god and to no creature. For god wyll that whan men may haue no wytnesse of treuthe that is nede∣full and prouffytable to be byleued / that they take hym to wytnesse and swere by hym as by souerayne treuth and by no creature. For suche maner swerynge is a dyuyne worshypp that longeth to god and to no creature. As the glose sayth Mathei. v. su{per} illud. Non {per}iurabis. And as saynt Austyn sayth in the same place. Who so swe∣reth by ony creature / he swereth by god that made yt creature. And therfo¦re Cryste badde y• men sholde swere by no creatures / for yf they do lyghtly they fall in double synne / both in ydo¦latry & in periury. Fyrste in ydolatry for the worshyp that longeth only to god / they do it to creatures. Also they falle of••e so in periury / for men drede lesse to lye & to forswere them whan they swere by creatures / than whan they swere by god allone.