and Pharisees, who restrained it to for swearing onely. So farre had they learned to goe by the letter of Moses law, ye shall not sweare by my name falsly, nor prophane the name of my God. They made therefore great conscience of periu∣rie and forswearing, which they knew to be a fearefull defi∣ling of the reuerend name of God, which hee would by no meanes put vp. But our Lord Christ, knowing right well, what awfull respect ought to be giuen to that glorious name no wayes to be taken vp in vaine, nor made to trot (as com∣monly it is) for euery trifling and friuolous matter; know∣ing also what truth and simplicitie ought to be among men, forbiddeth in ordinarie communication, to sweare at all by the name of God, not onely directly, by vsing, or rather abusing any of his titles, but indirectly, by any creature, as heauen, earth, Ierusalem, his head, and such like, in which, as in all other creatures, the glory of God shineth, and his ho∣ly name is engrauen as it were: so that he which sweareth by any creature, sweareth by the Creator, as wee see plainely, Mat. 23. 20, 21, 22. Which exposition of Christ condemneth them of most hainous offence, with whom it is ordinarie to sweare by their faith, troth, honestie, by bread, light, and such like, (for vaine people haue their fantasticke fashions for oathes, as they haue for their apparell:) much more con∣demneth it such as vse oathes of louder blasphemie, by God, by Iesus, Gods wounds, bloud, heart, death, (horresco refe∣rens) an honest heart, cannot speake or heare such things without horror. No lesse condemneth he oathes, sauouring of idolatrie, by the Masse, yea, or no, by Saint Anne, by Saint Mary, or by abbreuiation, yea or no Mary, and ma∣ny such formes, whereby the name of an idoll or creature is substituted in Gods place.
To finish this tractate, our great Prophet, Christ Iesus, who shall sit, as Iudge, at the last day, setteth a most feare∣full brand, not onely vpon such blasphemies, and idolatrous practises, but vpon euery exorbitancie, or going out of the way, in this kinde, Whatsoeuer (saith he) is more then yea or nay, that is, then plaine affirmation, or deniall, in ordina∣ry