and condemneth in this sort his Neighbour, or that wisheth him
evil, curseth, condemneth, and wisheth evil to the Image of God,
and consequently judgeth and condemneth God himself.

Suppose that a man should say with his mouth, I wish that the Kings
Picture was burned; would not this mans so saying, render him as an
Enemy to the Person of the King? Even so it is with them that, by
cursing, wish evil to their neighbour, or to themselves, they
contemn the Image, even the Image of God himself.

Atten. But do you think that the men that do thus, do think that
they do so vilely, so abominably?

Wise. The question is not what men do believe concerning their
sin, but what Gods Word says of it: If Gods Word says that
Swearing and Cursing are sins, though men should count them for
Vertues, their reward will be a reward for sin, to wit, the
damnation of the soul.

To {37a} curse another, and to swear vainly and falsly, are sins
against the Light of Nature.

1. To Curse is so, because, whoso curseth another, knows, that at
the same time he would not be so served himself.

2. To Swear also, is a sin against the same Law: for Nature will
tell me, that I should not lie, and therefore much less Swear to
confirm it. Yea, the Heathens have looked upon Swearing to be a
solemn Ordinance of God, and therefore not to be lightly or vainly
used by men, though to confirm a matter of truth. {37b}