dronkerde after he hath wel belched doeth degorge the vyllaine broth whiche charged hys stomake euen so these wycked men after they haue detracted thys holye estate whiche the Lorde hath so muche honored finallye wyth full throte they do spewe out excedynge deformed blasphemies The gouernaunce saye they of the Magistrates is after the fleshe and that of Christen men is after the spirite Me thinketh nowe that I do here the paynted pope blasphemynge agaynste holye mariage For he vseth these tearmes But thys is nothyng coÌ„pared to that whiche foloweth The habitacion of Magistrates saye they is permanent in this world but the habitacion of the Christians is in heauen And such like I beseche you by the name of God all fayeth ful men and I admonishe you wel to consider those thynges whyche Sayncte Peter and Sayncte Iude haue wrytten of certayn corrupters whyche in their tyme peruerted the fayeth of the simple and by ther wordes I praye you make comparison wyth those thynges whiche I wyl recite of the Anabapstes In thys thinge I wyl say nothinge but that whiche euerye man shall perceiue to be true that is that the one secte differeth nothing from the other in this thynge But because euery man hath not the bokes at hand I wyll here set the places together The fyrst sayeth thus they shal be presumtuous and stobborne dispraysaynge them that are in authoritye and they haue no sham to blaspheme agaynst all dignitie lyke vnto brute beastes dispraysynge those thynges whiche they knowe not And Sainct Iude sayeth they shal reiect the signeuries and blaspheme against the dignites Nowe Michel the archangell pledynge agaynst the diuell for the bodye of Moyses durst not geue raylinge sentence against him but sayd the Lorde rebuke the Sathan But these speake euyll of those thynges whyche they knowe not and those thynges whiche they knowe naturallye as brute beastes in those thynges they do corrupte them selues These be the wordes of Apostles whyche be so truelye verified vppon our Anabaptistes that it myght well apere that they were expresselye spoken of them In that they saye that the habitation of princes is permanente in the worlde howe often tymes doeth Dauyd proue them lyers where he protesteth that hys meditacion was holye to tend and aspire vnto spiritual lyfe It is verye certayne that the other good kynges haue done likewis God coÌ„maunded Daniel to exersice his office of earthly gouernauÌ„ce in the kinges court of perâ—e till giuing attendaunce ouer those thynges whyche were reueled vnto him and fynallye the daye of the rsurrection And Moises the prince of prophetes ceased not to haue hys conuersatioÌ„ in heaueÌ„ by hope desire thoughe here beneth he had the ciuile gouernauÌ„ce of the people I wyl therefore laye before the Anabaptistes Moyses Dauid Ezechias Iosias Ioseph Daniell all the kynges and Iudges of Israell to se howe they can mayntaine their cause to know whether they were banyshed the kingdome of god bicause thei had the office of the swerd in thys world In that they say be that al prynces cares of this world Esaias reproueth theym where he promiseth that the earthly kynges shall serue to mayntayne the heauenly and spiritual kyngdome of Christe Euen so saynte Paule in exhortynge that prayers shoulde be made for all such as be in estate of preheminence that we may lyue a peaceable lyfe vnder them in the feare of God and holye lyfe doeth declare that the pryncypall ende of Magistrates is not to kepe theyr subiectes in peace after the fleshe but rather to procure that God be serued and honoured in theyr contrye and that euery man leade a good and honest lyfe Therfore in thys poynte we se howe false and peruerse the allegations of the Anabaptistes be to condempne the vocation of the Magistrates whyche God hath so well approued Furthermore we se howe the deuyl speaketh by theyr mouthes to thend to turne awaye the Prynces and to hynder them to do theyr dutye For in stede to exhorte theym to indeuer theym selues and take payne that the name of God myght be exalted and that he myghte raygne ouer theym in suche wyse that they shall be but as hys vessels and officers come these and woulde make theym beleue that thys appertayneth nothynge vnto them and that they shoulde in no wyse meddle or busye them selues wyth the honour of God I wyl saye but two wordes touching the ende whereunto they pretende that in it they do shewe theÌ„ selues the enemies of god and of mankinde For it is to make warre agaynste God to be in wyll to brynge oute of reputation that whych he hath honoured to be in wyll to throwe downe that whyche he hath exalted And a man can not better go about the destructioÌ„ of the world and it were introduce a theuery ouer all then so laboure to abolyshe the cyuyl gouernaunce or power of the swerd whych is in dede thrust downe if it be not lawefull for a christian manne to exercyse it ¶ The seueÌ„th Article of Swerynge WE be this farre agreed touchynge an oth that it is a confirmation whiche oughte to be done onely in the name of God and in truth not in liyng after the commaundemente of lawe but to chistian men all other are forboden by the Lorde Iesus Christe ☞ The confutation At the fyrste shewe it appeareth that there is no euyll in thys Article We se at this day the worlde sore geuen to othes there is no good herte whyche is not greaued to se the name of God thus coÌ„temned by whych it is brought to passe that euerye othe what so euer it be is become odious More ouer ther is a certayne apparaunce in these wordes of our sauioure Iesus whyche they do alledge that all othes in general are forbydden and it appeareth true if a man do not take good hede vnto the censes But touching the firste parte it is true that such an enorme and disprayse worthye dissolution and licence as is nowe adayes in the worlde in the matter of othes ought excedyngely to displease vs. And it were muche better not to swere at all then so vaynelye to swere for euerye cause or rather wythoute cause Notwithstandynge we must note this that the meane to repreheÌ„d correct an abuse is not to mingle coÌ„fouÌ„d it with the good vse to coÌ„demne indiffereÌ„tly the one and the other togither Ther is now adaies an excessiue pompe and superfluitie amoÌ„ge many in eatyng and drynking chiefly in theyr bankets dâ—onkeÌ„nes which is a villayne dishoneste vice doeth nowe a dayes raygne in manye people If a man for to reproue these abuses would wholly condemne the vse of wyne and all good meates should it not be a blasphemyng of god so to vituperate and reproue the good creatures whych he hath destined to our vse Asmuch or more is it of an othe The Lorde hath ordeyned it to confirme and ratifie the truth when there is nede thereof Suche a maner of swerynge turneth is hys
beginning If it be graunted touchinge swearyng Iesus Christ hath simplye interpreted the commaunddement of God his father and hath added nothinge thereunto as we muste neades confesse then haue we won that whych we requyre For the lawe forbiddeth not to take the name of God in no cōditiō but forbiddeth to take hys name in vayne signifiynge that ther is a lawful way to take vse his name the whyche he hathe also permitted Notwythstandynge it is necessarye that we expounde the wordes of our sauiour Iesus bycause that at the fyrste syght it appeareth that he woulde forbydde all othes Nowe to haue good and perfecte vnderstandyng it behoueth to knowe the occation whych moued hym thus to speake The Scribes and Phariseis as it appeareth thorowe oute the fyfte chapter of saycnte Mathewe hadde by theyr faulse gloses so corrupted the people that menne made no conscience to do manye thynges agaynste the commaundementes of God so that they coulde make any excuse or coloure to couer them selues So comunelye they thought it not euyll done to sweare in vayne and folyshly by heauē and by the earthe so that they dyd not directlye sweare by the name of God Nowe the Lorde Iesus sheweth that it is a folyshe cauillation and sophistry to thinke so to purge them selues before God seynge that vnder heauen and earth his name is indirectly comprysed So when he forbyddeth to swere at all thys worde at all is referred vnto the maner of speache or to the wordes whyche men vse whyche maye be proued by that he addeth cōsequently nother by heauē for it is the throne of God nor by the earth for it is hys fote stole Nowe the Anabaptistes do peruerslye applye thys to the motif or to the cause as thoughe it were forbydden to swere for anye cause that myghte be whyche is contrary to the minde of the Lord and contrarye to the sence whyche hym selfe doeth gyue in the processe and deduction of hys wordes In the meane whyle they would make vs beleue that we do glose thys place as thoughe we shoulde haue sayed that it is euyll done to sweare or by the earthe but to sweare by God it is permitted Or at leaste wyse they do lay this vnto our charges before the simple Idiotes whyche haue nothynge hearde or sene of vs to Iudge by And then hauyng caste oute thys faulse reporte of vs they crye out saiynge Oh blynde foles whiche do not perceiue that God is greater thē hys throne To whom do they speake thys but to them selues seynge that they no body else haue forged thys in theyr fantasticall braynes bycause it foloweth in the wordes of our Sauiour Iesus Christ that no man shal sweare by hys heade bycause no man can make one heere whyte or blake Beholde saye they the cause why all othes be forbydden is for that we canne not performe that whiche we promise But I saye contrarye that if Beastes could speake they would speake more wiselye Fyrste there is a manifest contradiction in that whiche they babble For thys reason is speciall for all othes where wee promise to do a thynge to come Therfore it foloweth that that oth by whiche I testifie of a thynge whych is already done is not euyll Doeth it not appeare I praye you that they are altogyther wythoute wit to reason thus we canne not performe that whyche we promise therefore all othes are forbidden The replication to this is easye that there is one kind of othe in whych ther is no question to be bounde to do any thing but onely to wytnes the truth of a dede past Also that it is the most vsed othe Secondly the sence is farre otherwise thē they do imagyn For the Lord Iesus proceadeth forth to shewe euen as he hathe begun that if a manne sweare by hys heade it is as wel to take the name of God indirectly as it is to sweare by heauē or the earth or by Ierusalem ☞ Therefore as he hathe sayed that heauen is Gods throne the earth hys fote stole Hierusalem his holy citye euen so cōsequētly he declareth that a mans heade is a portiō of his seignory for as much as he alone doth dispose it after hys wyll As thoughe he woulde saye who so euer doeth thynke that when he doeth sweare by hys heade he sweareth by a thynge that doeth pertayne vnto hym selfe and that hys othe doeth not touche God is abused For God hathe also there his rule in suche wyse that man can do nothynge Therfore it is all waies to take the name of God We se how the Lorde hathe styl continued hys purpose These braynelesse menne woulde transport it wyth theym for to make it leape quickelye from the cocke to the Asse The conclusion is that our wordes shold be yea yea naye naye and that what so euer is more then that cometh of the euyll These wordes are easye to vnderstand were it not that these hogges do ouerthrow them wyth theyr groynes in suche wyse that they make them all confused For they say that this is as much as if he had sayed that our purposes shoulde be yea and naye that it is euil done to admore thē that Nowe the Lord Iesus putteth eche of these wordes twyse to signifie that we oughte to be fyrme and constaunte in oure purposes As thoughe he woulde saie do not chaunge to retracte euery tyme your wordes and that there be no leasynge or hypocrisye in youre purposes But let your yea be yea and youre nay nay And in dede I Iames beyng in wil to geue the same doctrine speaketh euen so worde for worde Let your yea sayeth he be yea and your naye naye by whiche he signifieth that all fayethfull men ought to haue a certen truth in their wordes Which loyalty and trueth if it were amonge vs all othes shold be superfluous For this simplicitie of wordes shoulde suffice to affirme and denye wtout swearyng It must nedes be therefore that the trueth raigneth not where othes be frequented Therefore it is not wythout a cause that our sauiour sayth that this thing doeth procede of euyl And to saye troth the cause whiche induceth vs to sweare is for that the whole worlde is so full of lying cantels fayninges and falsheades that scant is ther any that dare truste his owne brother Thus one euyll draweth to hym an other But in al thys the Lorde Iesus meaneth nothynge of lawefull othes whyche were permitted by the law but onely doeth reprehend and correcte that vnlawefull libertye of swerynge whyche the people beyng euyll instructed by euyll teachers dyd vse fyrst thincking that it was none othe to take the name of God in directlie and thā after made no matter of periuries esteminge also these vayne and lyghte as nothynge ☞ Nowe that I haue sufficientlye ouerthrowen all the foundations vpon whyche the Anabaptistes goyng about to condemne all othes wythout anye distinction or exception do leane it resteth nowe that by good reasons and testimones of
the scriptur I do shewe howe a Christian maye lawefullye swere wythout offendyng God Here I proteste agayne that thynge whiche I haue said before that is that I intende not to vnbridel the worlde to induce it to abuse the name of God in makynge othes at pleasure and rashelye I knowe that that vyce is to common and therfore we oughte rather to studye to represse it than to agmente it I knowe also that it is no smalle faute to take the name of God in vayne and therfore that we ought so much the more to trauell by all meanes to let suche an euyll But howe To condemne that whyche is good whan we woulde take a waye the abuse is no good waye to procede Wherefore whan I saye that it is lawefull in a certayne case for a Christian to swhere I woulde euerye man shoulde thyncke that I meane of the righte vse whych is ioyned wyth the feare and reuerēce of the name of God that no man take occasion of my wordes to make vaine superfluous or vicious othes To define the matter more playnelye whan I saye that a Christē man may swhere wythout offence fyrste I meane whan it behoueth to geue testimonye vnto the trueth Secondlye if the thynge do require it the whyche consideration oughte to haue respecte vnto the honoure of God loue of our neyghboure That is to say if it be expedient and profitable to swere as well for Goddes honoure as to conserue charitie amongeste vs. Thirdelye that necessitye do require it that is to saye that it be nedefull to vse suche a confirmacion Fourthlye that the deliberacion and intent of hym that swereth be such Finalli that it be done in feare reuerence with a desire to sanctifie the name of god In such a case and none otherwyse I saye that the vse of swerynge is permmitted to Christen men Yf anye bragger do abuse it it shal be to hys condemnacion ☞ For confirmation of my saying I wyll alledge the cōmanndement of God in which I wyl abide That is wher he ordeyned and commaundid that men shoulde swere by his name whan anye lawful cause were Out of thys I conclud that to swer is not a thinge simple and of it selfe euyll For it cannot be that the thinge which is euil shoulde at anye tyme please God Moreouer seynge it is a kynde of homage whiche the fayethfull do geue vnto God as it is often tyme shewed in the Prophetes it is to manifest a resistaunce vnto the truth to saye that it is a vyce and synne The probation is easye whyche is that it is expedient manitymes that the veritie which other wyse is doubtfull be confirmed and ther is none other meanes but by othe That which the Anabaptestes do alledge touchynge the correction of thys commaundement is a manifeste blasphemye For so shoulde it follow that Iesus Christe shoulde retracte that whiche was once established by God hys father Whyche as we haue shewed can be by no meanes tollerable And in dead the Apostle speakyng of an oth thoughe he speake there of incidentlye treatynge an other matter doeth not say that the vse therof is abrogate but calleth it the ende and decision of al controuersies betwene men I praye you whan the Apostel spekynge to Christen men doeth pronounce that an othe is to make an ende of al controuersies doeth he not sufficiently signifie that it is an order approued of God the whiche hath place in the Christen churche What folishe boldnes is it than to be agaynste it and to reiecte thys remedye which is geuen vs as thoughe it were a damnable vyce ☞ Wyth this doctrine ther be also the exemples as well of God as of all hys seruantes Men sayth the Apostel in the place before alleged do swere by the name of god because he is aboue them God swereth by hym selfe because he hath no superioure but is aboue al. Touching God the Anabaptistes do answhere that he maye well swere for as much as he maye well accomplishe all that he sayeth and so is out of daunger of periurye for as muche as he is fayethfull and wyll kepe all that he promiseth but it is otherwyse with a mortall man the whyche manye tymes can not performe that whiche he hath promised all thoughe he woulde and therefore it is foleshe raishnes for hym to swere byndynge hym selfe to that whyche is aboue hys power Whan they haue blasted out into the eyre thys solution they thyncke they haue done and that they haue stopped oure mouthes But the replication is redye that they cannot saye the lyke of all the Patriarches Prophetes holye kynges and aunciente fathers whyche haue also sworne after the insample of God beholde Abrahame the father of all fayethfull menne whyche hath sworene Beholde Isaac beholde Iacob Dauyd Ezechias and Iosias whyche haue done lykewyse What difference is there bewene them and vs Therefore it maye well apere that ther answer here aboue is a meere cauillacion ☞ Yf to auoyde thys they wyll alledge that these be exemples taken out of the olde Testamenete and that nowe in the Christen churche we haue a harder brydell thoughe thys erroure be all redye refuted yet wyll we shewe that it helpeth theym nothynge For we wyll brynge forth for vs the Apostles whyche haue also vsed othes yea euen in theyr wrytynges when neade required Nowe lette vs heare theyr prety excuse whyche they make to auoyde thys Saynte Peter and S. Paul saie they dyd not sweare to promyse anye thynge but onely to assure the promyse made by god Here may we clearly se howe they whiche do deliberate to speake agaynste the trueth do wrepe them selues in a thousande absurdites and yet haue no shame of theyr impudencie Fyrste in that they make such an answer they graunt vnto vs that ther be some lawefull othes that is when a manne doeth wytnesse thynges paste For it foloweth of theyr wordes that then onely is the oth euil when we promise a thynge to come Are they not paste shame so euidently to lye goynge aboute to perswade that we see not that thynge whyche we se ii Cor. i. Saynte Paule sweareth vnto the Corhynthyans that he came not vnto them bycause he would spare them Rom. ix He sweareth vnto the Romayns that he woulde be contente to be caste oute from Christe ii Cor. xii that the Iewes myght be saued To confyrme hys loue whyche he bare vnto the Phyllyppians he sware also Also vnto the Corhynthyans he swaer that hys conuersation was amonge them in a good conscience Also he sweareth vnto the Thessaloniās that he came not vnto theim for couetuousnes or for any profytte and calleth God to wytnes howe holylye he lyued amonge theim These phreneticalles do saye that the Apostles dyd neuer swere to affirme any thynge touchyng theyr owne matter but onely whē they shold testifye the couenaunte of God I praye you what doeth suche impudency deserue At the least are they worthye that a