and continue in are the Bodies and Minds of true Christians and the chosen People of God according to the Doctrine of the Holy Scripture declared in the First Epistle to the Corinthians Know ye not saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 3. that ye be the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any Man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy For the Temple of God is Holy which ye are And again in the same Epistle Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost dwelling in you whom ye have given you of God 1 Cor. 6. and that ye be not your own For ye are dearly bought Glorifie ye now therefore God in your Body and in your Spirit which are Gods And therefore as our Saviour Christ teacheth in the Gospel of Saint John John 4. they that worship God the Father in Spirit and Truth in what place soever they do it worship him aright For such Worshippers doth God the Father look for For God is a Spirit and those that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and Truth saith our Saviour Christ Yet all this notwithstanding the material Church or Temple is a place appointed as well by the usage and continual Examples expressed in the Old Testament as in the New for the People of God to resort together unto there to hear Gods Holy Word to call upon his Holy Name to give him thanks for his innumerable and unspeakable benefits bestowed upon us and duly and truly to celebrate his Holy Sacraments in the unfeigned doing and accomplishing of the which standeth that True and Right Worshipping of God aforementioned and the same Church or Temple is by the Holy Scriptures both of the Old Testament and New called the House and Temple of the Lord for the peculiar service there done to his Majesty by his People and for the effectuous presence of his Heavenly Grace wherewith he by his said Holy Word endueth his People so there assembled And to the said House or Temple of God at all times by common order appointed are all People that be godly indeed bound with all diligence to resort unless by sickness or other most urgent causes they be letted therefore And all the same so resorting thither ought with all quietness and reverence there to behave themselves in doing their bounden duty and service to Almighty God in the Congregation of his Saints All which things are evident to be proved by God's Holy Word as hereafter shall plainly appear And first of all I will declare by the Scriptures that it is called as it is indeed the House of God and Temple of the Lord. He that Sweareth by the Temple saith our Saviour Christ John 2. Matth. 23. John 2. Sweareth by it and him that dwelleth therein meaning God the Father which he also expresseth plainly in the Gospel of Saint John saying Do not make the House of my Father the House of Merchandize And in the Book of the Psalms Psal 5. the Prophet David saith I will enter into thine House I will Worship in thy Holy Temple in thy Fear And it is almost in infinite places of the Scripture especially in the Prophets and Book of Psalms called the House of God or House of the Lord. Somtimes it is named the Tabernacle of the Lord Exod. 25. and somtimes the Sanctuary that is to say the Holy Place or House of the Lord. And it is likewise called the House of Prayer Levit. 19. 3 Reg. 8 2 Par. 6. as Solomon who builded the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem doth oft call it the House of the Lord in the which the Lords Name should be called upon Isaiah 56. Matth. 12. Matth. 21. Mark 11. Luke 19. Luke 18. Luke 2. And Isaiah in the Fifty sixth Chapter My House shall be called the House of Prayer amongst all Nations Which Text our Saviour Christ alledgeth in the New Testament as doth appear in Three of the Evangelists and in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican which went to pray in which Parable our Saviour Christ saith They went up into the Temple to pray And Anna the Holy Widow and Prophetess served the Lord in Fasting and Prayer in the Temple Night and Day And in the Story of the Acts it is mentioned Acts 3. how that Peter and John went up into the Temple at the Hour of Prayer And Saint Paul praying in the Temple at Jerusalem was wrapt in the Spirit and did see Jesus speaking unto him And as in all convenient places Prayer may be used of the Godly privately So it is most certain that the Church or Temple is the due and appointed place for common and publick Prayer Now that it is likewise the place of Thanksgiving unto the Lord for his innumerable and unspeakable benefits bestowed upon us appeareth notably at the latter end of the Gospel of Saint Luke Luke 24. Acts 22. and the beginning of the Story of the Acts where it is written that the Apostles and Disciples after the Ascension of the Lord continued with one accord daily in the Temple always praising and blessing God And it is likewise declared in the First Epistle to the Corinthians Cor. 11. that the Church is the due place appointed for the use of the Sacraments It remaineth now to be declared that the Church or Temple is the place where the lively Word of God and not Man's Inventions ought to be Read and Taught and that the People are bound thither with all diligence to resort And this proof likewise to be made by the Scriptures as hereafter shall appear In the Story of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 13. we read that Paul and Barnabas Preached the Word of God in the Temples of the Jews at Salamine And when they came to Antiochia they entred on the Sabbath-day into the Synagogue or Church and sate down and after the Lesson or Reading of the Law and the Prophets the Ruler of the Temple sent unto them saying Ye Men and Brethren if any of you have any Exhortation to make unto the People say it And so Paul standing up and making silence with his Hand said Ye Men that be Israelites and ye that fear God give Ear c. Preaching to them a Sermon out of the Scriptures as there at large appeareth And in the same Story of the Acts the Seventeenth Chapter is testified how Paul preached Christ out of the Scriptures at Thessalonica And in the Fifteenth Chapter James the Apostle in that Holy Council and Assembly of his Fellow Apostles saith Acts 15. Moses of old time hath in every City certain that preach him in the Synagogues or Temples where he is read every Sabbath-day By these places ye may see the usage of Reading the Scriptures of the the Old Testament among the Jews in their Synagogues every Sabbath-day and Sermons usually made upon the same How much more then is it
Lies Deceits Uncleanness Filthiness Dung Mischief and Abomination before the Lord. Wherefore Gods horrible wrath and our most dreadful danger cannot be avoided without the destruction and utter abolishing of all Images and Idols our of the Church and Temple of God which to accomplish God put in the minds of all Christian Princes And in the mean time let us take heed and be wise O ye beloved of the Lord and let us have no strange gods but one only God who made us when we were nothing the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ John 17. who redeemed us when we were lost and with his Holy Spirit doth sanctifie us For this is life everlasting to know him to be the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Let us honour and worship for Religions sake none but him and him let us worship and honour as he will himself and hath declared by his Word that he will be honoured and worshipped not in nor by Images or Idols which he hath most strictly forbidden neither in kneeling lighting of Candles burning of Incense offering up of Gifts unto Images and Idols to believe that we shall please him for all these be abomination before God But let us honour and worship God in Spirit and in Truth John 4. fearing and loving him above all things trusting in him only calling upon him and praying to him only praising and lauding of him only and all other in him and for him For such worshippers doth our Heavenly Father love who is a most pure Spirit and therefore will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth And such worshippers were Abraham Moses David Elias Peter Paul John and all other the Holy Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all true Saints of God who all as the true Friends of God were enemies and destroyers of Images and Idols as the Enemies of God and his true Religion Wherefore take heed and be wise O ye beloved of the Lord and that which others contrary to Gods Word bestow wickedly and to their damnation upon dead stocks and stones no Images but Enemies of God and his Saints that bestow ye as the faithful Servants of God according to Gods Word mercifully upon poor Men and Women Fatherless Children Widows sick Persons Strangers Prisoners and such others that be in any necessity that ye may at that great day of the Lord hear that most blessed and comfortable saying of our Saviour Christ Come ye blessed into the Kingdom of my Father prepared for you before the beginning of the World For I was hungry and ye gave me meat thirsty and ye gave me drink naked and ye clothed me harbourless and ye lodged me in Prison and ye visited me sick and ye comforted me For whatsoever ye have done for the poor and needy in my name and for my sake that have ye done for me To the which his Heavenly Kingdom God the Father of Mercies bring us for Jesus Christs sake our only Saviour Mediator and Advocate to whom with the Holy Ghost one immortal invisible and most glorious God be all Honour and Thanksgiving and Glory World without end Amen AN HOMILY FOR Repairing and keeping clean and comely adorning of Churches IT is a common custom used of all men when they intend to have their Friends or Neighbours to come to their Houses to eat or drink with them or to have any Solemn Assembly to treat and talk of any matter they will have their Houses which they keep in continual reparations to be clean and fine lest they should be counted sluttish or little to regard their Friends and Neighbours How much more then ought the House of God which we commonly call the Church to be sufficiently repaired in all places and to be honourably adorned and garnished and to be kept clean and sweet to the comfort of the People that shall resort thereunto It appeareth in the Holy Scripture how Gods House which was called his Holy Temple and was the Mother Church of all Jewry fell sometimes into decay and was oftentimes profaned and defiled through the negligence and ungodliness of such as had the charge thereof But when godly Kings and Governors were in place then Commandment was given forthwith that the Church and Temple of God should be repaired and the Devotion of the People to be gathered for the reparation of the same We read in the fourth Book of the Kings 4 Kings 12. how that King Joas being a godly Prince gave commandment to the Priests to convert certain Offerings of the People towards the reparation and amendment of Gods Temple Like commandment gave that most godly King Josias 4 Kings 22. concerning the reparation and re-edification of Gods Temple which in his time he found in sore decay It hath pleased Almighty God that these Histories touching the re-edifying and repairing of his Holy Temple should be written at large to the end we should be taught thereby First that God is well pleased that his People should have a convenient place to resort unto and to come together to praise and magnifie Gods Holy Name And secoâ—dâ—â— he is highly pleased with all those which diligenâ—ly and zealously go about to amend and restore such places as are appointed for the Congregation of Gods People to resort unto and wherein they humbly and joyntly render thanks to God for his benefits and with one heart and voice praise his Holy Name Thirdly God was sore displeased with his People because they builded decked and trimmed up their own Houses and suffered Gods House to be in ruine and decay to lye uncomely and fulsomly Wherefore God was sore grieved with them and plagued them as appeareth in the Prophet Aggeus Thus saith the Lord Agge 1. Is it time for you to dwell in your cieled Houses and the Lords House not regarded Ye have sowed much and gathered in but little your meat and your clothes have neither filled you nor made you warm and he that had his wages put it in a bottomless purse By these Plagues which God laid upon his People for neglecting of his Temple it may evidently appear that God will have his Temple his Church the place where his Congregation shall resort to magnifie him well edified well repaired and well maintained Some neither regarding godliness nor the place of godly exercise will say The Temple in the Old Law was commanded to be built and repaired by God himself because it had great Promises annexed unto it and because it was a figure a Sacrament or a signification of Christ and also of his Church To this may be easily answered First that our Churches are not destitute of Promises forasmuch as our Saviour Christ saith Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst among them A great number therefore coming to Church together in the name of Christ have there that is to say in the Church their God and Saviour Jesus Christ present among the
a more perfect Service and Honouring of God and more pleasing to God than the keeping of God's Commandments Such hath been the corrupt inclination of Man ever Superstitiously given to make new Honouring of God on his own Head and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that than to search out God's Holy Commandments and to keep them And furthermore to take God's Commandments for Men's Commandments and Men's Commandments for God's Commandments yea and for the highest and most Perfect and Holiest of all God's Commandments And so was all confused that scant well learned Men and but a small number of them knew or at the least would know and durst affirm the Truth to separate or sever God's Commandments from the Commandments of Men. Whereupon did grow much Error Superstition Idolatry Vain-religion Overthwart-iudgment great Contention with all ungodly living An exhortation to the keeping of God's Commandments Wherefore as you have any Zeal to the right and pure Honouring of God as you have any regard to your own Souls and to the Life that is to come which is both without pain and without end apply yourselves chiefly above all things to read and hear God's Word mark diligently therein what his Will is you shall do and with all your endeavour apply your selves to follow the same A brief rehearsal of God's Commandments First you must have an assured Faith in God and give yourselves wholly unto him love him in prosperity and adversity and dread to offend him evermore Then for his sake love all Men Friends and Foes because they be his Creation and Image and redeemed by Christ as ye are Cast in your Minds how you may do good unto all Men unto your Powers and hurt no Man Obey all your Superiors and Governors serve your Masters faithfully and diligently as well in their absence as in their presence not for dread of punishment only but for Conscience sake knowing that you are bound so to do by God's Commandments Disobey not your Fathers and Mothers but Honour them Help them and Please them to your power Oppress not kill not beat not neither slander nor hate any Man But love all Men speak well of all Men help and succor every Man as you may yea even your Enemies that hate you that speak evil of you and that do hurt you Take no Man's Goods nor covet your neighbor's Goods wrongfully but content yourselves with that which ye get truly and also bestow your own Goods charitably as Need and Case requireth Flee all Idolatry Witchcraft and Perjury commit no manner of Adultery Fornication or other Unchastness in Will nor in Deed with any other Mans Wife Widow or Maid or otherwise And travelling continually during this life thus in keeping the Commandments of God wherein standeth the pure principal and right Honour of God and which wrought in Faith God hath ordained to be the right trade and pathway unto Heaven you shall not fail as Christ hath promised to come to that blessed and everlasting life where you shall live in Glory and Joy with God for ever To whom be Praise Honour and Empery for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Of Christian Love and Charity OF all things that be good to be taught unto Christian People there is nothing more necessary to be spoken of and daily called upon than Charity As well for that all manner of works of Righteousness be contained in it as also that the decay thereof is the ruin or fall of the World the banishment of Virtue and the cause of all Vice And forsomuch as almost every Man maketh and frameth to himself Charity after his own appetite and how detestable soever his life be both unto God and Man yet he persuadeth himself still that he hath Charity Therefore you shall hear now a true and plain description or setting forth of Charity not of Men's Imagination but of the very words and example of our Saviour Jesus Christ In which description or setting forth every Man as it were in a Glass may consider himself and see plainly without error whether he be in the true Charity or not Charity is to love God with all our Heart What Charity is The love of God all our Soul and all our Powers and strength With all our Heart that is to say That our Heart Mind and Study be set to believe his Word to trust in him and to Love him above all other things that we love best in Heaven or in Earth With all our Life That is to say that our chief joy and delight be set upon Him and His Honor and our whole Life given unto the Service of him above all things with him to live and dye and to forsake all other things rather than him For he that loveth his father or mother Matth. 10. son or daughter house or land more than me saith Christ is not worthy to have me With all our Power That is to say that with our Hands and Feet with our Eyes and Ears our Mouths and Tongues and with all our Parts and Powers both of Body and Soul we should be given to the keeping and fulfilling of his Commandments The love of thy neighbor This is the First and Principal Part of Charity but it is not the whole For Charity is also to love every Man Good and Evil Friend and Foe and whatsoever cause be given to the contrary yet nevertheless to bear good Will and Heart unto every Man to use ourselves well unto them as well in Words and Countenances as in all our outward Acts and Deeds For so Christ himself taught and so also he performed indeed Of the love of God he taught on this wife unto a Doctor of the Law that asked him which was the great and chief Commandment in the Law Love thy Lord God Matth. 22. said Christ with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind And of the love that we ought to have among ourselves each to other he teacheth us thus You have heard it taught in times past Matth. 5. Matth. 5. Thou shalt love thy friend and have thy foe But I tell you love your enemies speak well of them that defame and speak evil of you do well to them that hate you pray for them that vex and persecute you that you may be the children of your father that is in Heaven For he maketh his Sun to rise both upon the evil and good and sendeth rain to the just and unjust For if you love them that love you What reward shall you have Do not the Publicans likewise And if you speak well only of them that be your brethren and dearly beloved friends what great matter is that Do not the Heathen the same also These be the very words of our Saviour Christ himself touching the love of our neighbor And forasmuch as the Pharises with their most pestilent Traditions and false interpretations and glosses had corrupted and almost
unlawful and forbidden by the Commandment of God For such Swearing is nothing else but taking of God's Holy Name in vain And here is to be noted that lawful Swearing is not forbidden but commanded by Almighty God For we have examples of Christ and Godly Men in Holy Scripture that did Swear themselves and required Oaths of others likewise Deut. 6. and God's Commandment is Thou shalt dread thy Lord God and shalt swear by his Name And Almighty God by his Prophet David saith Psal 63. All Men shall be praised that swear by him Thus did our Saviour Christ Swear divers times saying Verily John 3. Verily And St. Paul Sweareth thus I call God to witness 2 Cor. 1. And Abraham waxing old required an Oath of his Servant Gen. 24. that he should procure a Wife for his Son Isaac which should come of his own kindred And the Servant did Swear that he would perform his Masters Will. Abraham also being required Gen. 21. did Swear unto Abimelech the King of Geraris that he should not hurt him nor his posterity and likewise did Abimelech Swear unto Abraham And David did Swear to be and continue a faithful Friend to Jonathan and Jonathan did Swear to become a faithful Friend unto David Also God once commanded that if a thing were laid to pledge to any Man or left with him to keep if the same thing were stoln or lost that the keeper thereof should be Sworn before Judges that he did not conveigh it away nor used any deceit in causing the same to be conveighed away by his consent or knowledge Heb. 6. And St. Paul saith That in all matters of controversie between two Persons whereas one saith Yea and the other Nay so as no due proof can be had of the Truth the end of every such Controversie must be an Oath ministred by a Judge And moreover God by the Prophet Jeremy saith Thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in truth Jer. 4. in judgment in righteousness So that whosoever Sweareth when he is required of a Judge let him be sure in his Conscience that his Oath have three Conditions and he shall never need to be afraid of Perjury First he that Sweareth may Swear truly that is What conditions an Oath ought to have he must setting apart all Favour and Affection to the Parties have the Truth only before his Eyes and for love thereof say and speak that which he knoweth to be Truth and no further The Second The Second is he that taketh an Oath must do it with judgment not rashly and unadvisedly but soberly considering what an Oath is The Third is The Third He that Sweareth must Swear in Righteousness That is for the very Zeal and Love which he beareth to the defence of Innocency to the maintenance of the Truth and of the Righteousness of the Matter or Cause all Profit Disprofit all Love and Favour unto the Person for Friendship or Kindred laid apart Thus an Oath if it have with it these three Conditions is a part of God's Glory Why we be willed in Scripture to Swear by the Name of God which we are bound by his Commandments to give unto him For he willeth that we shall Swear only by his Name not that he hath pleasure in Oaths but like as he commanded the Jews to offer Sacrifice unto him not for any delight that he had in them but to keep the Jews from committing Idolatry So he Commanding us to Swear by his Holy Name Isai 42. doth not teach its that he delighteth in Swearing but he thereby forbiddeth all Men to give his Glory to any Creature in Heaven Earth or Water Hitherto you see that Oaths lawful are Commanded of God used of Patriarchs and Prophets of Christ himself and of his Apostle Pauâ— Therefore Christian People must think lawful Oaths both Godly and necessary Commodities had by lawful Oaths made and observed For by lawful Promise and Covenants confirmed by Oaths Princes and their Countries are confirmed in common Tranquillity and Peace By Holy Promises with calling the name of God to witness we be made lively Members of Christ when we profess his Religion receiving the Sacrament of Baptism By like Holy Promise the Sacrament of Matrimony knitteth Man and Wife in perpetual Love that they desire not to be separated for any displeasure or adversity that shall after happen By lawful Oaths which Kings Princes Judges and Magistrates do Swear Common Laws are kept inviolate Justice is indifferently ministred harmless Persons Fatherless Children Widows and poor Men are defended from Murderers Oppressors and Thieves that they suffer no wrong nor take any harm By lawful Oaths mutual Society Amity and good Order is kept continually in all Communalties as Boroughs Cities Towns and Villages And by lawful Oaths Malefactors are searched out Wrong doers are punished and they which sustain wrong are restored to their right Therefore lawful Swearing cannot be evil which bringeth unto us so many Godly Vain Swearing is forbidden Good and necessary Commodities Wherefore when Christ so earnestly forbade Swearing it may not be understood as though he did forbid all manner of Oaths But he forbiddeth all vain-Swearing and forswearing both by God and by his Creatures as the common use of Swearing in Buying Selling and in our daily Communication to the intent every Christian Man's Word should be as well regarded in such matters as if he should confirm his Communication with an Oath For every Christian Man's Word saith St. Hierom should be so true that it should be regarded as an Oath And Chrysostome witnessing the same saith It is not convenient to Swear For what need we to Swear when it is not lawful for one of us to make a lye unto another Peradventure some will say An Object I am compelled to Swear or else Men that do commune with me or do buy and ell with me will not believe me An Answer To this answereth St. Chrysostome that he that thus saith sheweth himself to be an unjust and a deceitful Person For if he were a trusty Man and his Deeds taken to agree with his Words he should not need to Swear at all For he that useth Truth and Plainness in his bargaining and communication he shall have no need by such vain Swearing to bring himself in Credence with his Neighbours nor will his Neighbours mistrust his Sayings And if his Credence be so much lost indeed that he thinketh no Man will believe him without he swear then he may well think his Credence is clean gone For Truth it is as Theophylactus writeth that no Man is less trusted than he that useth much to Swear Eccles 33. And Almighty God by the Wise Man saith that Man which Sweareth much shall be full of Sin and the scourge of God shall not depart from his House But here some Men will say Another Objection An Answer for excusing of their many Oaths in their
daily talk Why should I not Swear when I Swear truly To such Men it may be said that though they Swear truly yet in Swearing often unadvisedly for trifles without necessity and when they should not Swear they be not without fault but do take God's most Holy Name in vain Much more ungodly and unwise Men are they that abuse God's most Holy Name not only in buying and selling of small things daily in all places but also in eating drinking playing communing and reasoning As if none of these things might be done except in doing of them the most Holy Name of God be commonly used and abused vainly and unreverently talked of sworn by and forsworn to the breaking of God's Commandment and procurement of his Indignation The Second Part of the Sermon of Swearing YOu have been taught in the First Part of this Sermon against Swearing and Perjury what great danger it is to use the Name of God in vain And that all kind of Swearing is not unlawful neither against God's Commandment and that there be three things required in a lawful Oath First that it be made for the maintainance of the Truth Secondly that it be made with Judgment not rashly and unadvisedly Thirdly for the zeal and love of Justice Ye heard also what commodities come of lawful Oaths and what danger cometh of rash and unlawful Oaths Now as concerning the rest of the same matter you shall understand that as well they use the Name of God in vain that by an Oath make unlawful promises of good and honest things and perform them not As they which do promise evil and unlawful things and do perform the same Of such Men Lawful Oaths and Promises would be better regarded Josh 6. that regard not their Godly Promises bound by an Oath but wittingly and wilfully break them we do read in Holy Scripture two notable punishments First Joshua and the people of Israel made a League and faithful Promise of perpetual Amity and Friendship with the Gibeonites Notwithstanding afterwards in the days of wicked Saul many of these Gibeonites were murthered contrary to the said faithful Promise made Wherewith Almighty God was sore displeased that he sent an universal Hunger upon the whole Country which continued by the space of three years And God would not withdraw his punishment until the said Offence was revenged by the death of seven Sons 2 Kingâ—â— Chap. 25. or next kinsmen of King Saul And whereas Zâ—dechias King of Jerusalem had promised Fidelity to the King of Chaldea afterward when Zedechiaâ— contrary to his Oath and Allegiance did rebel against King Nebuchadonosor This Heathen King by God's permission and sufferance invading the Land of Jury and besieging the City of Jerusalem compelled the said King Zedechias to flee and in fleeing took him prisoner slew his Sons before his Face and put out both his Eies and binding him with chains led him prisoner miserably into Babylon Thus doth God shew plainly Unlawful Oaths and Promises are not to be kept how much he abhorreth breakers of honest Promises bound by an Oath made in his Name And of them that make wicked Promises by an Oath and will perform the same we have example in the Scriptures chiefly of Herod of the wicked Jews and of Jeptha Matth. 14. Herod promised by an Oath unto the Damsel which danced before him to give unto her whatsoever she should ask When she was instructed before of her wicked Mother to ask the Head of St. John Baptist Herod as he took a wicked Oath so he more wickedly performed the same and cruelly slew the most Holy Prophet Likewise did the malicious Jews make an Oath Acts 23. Judges 11. cursing themselves if they did either eat or drink until they had slain St. Paul And Jeptha when God had given to him victory of the Children of Ammon promised of a foolish Devotion unto God to offer for a Sacrifice unto him that Person which of his own House should first meet with him after his return home By force of which fond and unadvised Oath he did slay his own and only Daughter which came out of his House with Mirth and Joy to welcome him home Thus the Promise which he made most foolishly to God against God's everlasting Will and the Law of Nature most cruelly he performed so committing against God a double offence Therefore whosoever maketh any Promise binding himself thereunto by an Oath let him foresee that the thing which he promiseth be good and honest and not against the Commandment of God and that it be in his own power to perform it justly And such good Promises must all Men keep evermore assuredly But if a Man at any time shall either of Ignorance or of Malice Promise and Swear to do any thing which is either against the Law of Almighty God or not in his power to perform Let him take it for an unlawful and ungodly Oath Now somthing to speak of Perjury to the intent you should know how great and grievous an offence against God this wilful Perjury is I will shew you what it is to take an Oath before a Judge upon a Book Against Perjury First when they laying their hands upon the Gospel Book do Swear truly no enquire and to make a true presentment of things wherewith they be charged An Oath before a Judge and not to let from saying the Truth and doing truly for favour love dread or malice of any Person as God may help them and the Holy Contents of that Book They must consider that in that Book is contained God's everlasting Truth his most Holy and Eternal Word whereby we have forgiveness of our Sins and be made inheritors of Heaven to live for ever with God's Angels and Saints in Joy and Gladness In the Gospel Book is contained also God's terrible threats to obstinate sinners that will not amend their lives nor believe the Truth of God's Holy Word and the everlasting pain prepared in Hell for Idolaters Hypocrites for false and vain Swearers for perjured Men for False Witness-bearers for False Condemners of innocent and guiltless Men and for them which for favour hide the crimes of evil doers that they should not be punished So that whosoever wilfully forswear themselves upon Christ's Holy Evangely they utterly forsake God's Mercy Goodness and Truth the Merits of our Saviour Christ's Nativity Life Passion Death Resurrection and Ascension they refuse the forgiveness of Sins promised to all penitent Sinners the joyes of Heaven the company with Angels and Saints for ever All which Benefits and Comforts are promised unto true Christian Persons in the Gospel And they so being forsworn upon the Gospel do betake themselves to the Devils Service the Master of all Lies Falshood Deceit and Perjury provoking the great Indignation and Curse of God against them in this Life and the terrible Wrath and Judgment of our Saviour Christ at the great day of the last Judgment when he