General though he had exasperated and enflamed his enemies by the faithful and profitable Counsel he had given his friends in Rome returned again to Carthage according to his promise and word given there to be used at their discretion which he was certain could produce no other effect then to the taking away of his life in a most cruel manner Wherefore being arrived and a full relation of all the passages made in the open Senate by their Embassadours he was presently not onely seized upon with as much violence as their transported spleens could hasten their Officers to execution but presently put to death with all the exquisite torments could be devised by inraged and mercilesse people that were deceived and cousened in their expectation This act certainly exprest not only a world of magnanimity in his person but an intire noblenesse and truth in his disposition as well concerning that faithful counsel he gave his friends and Country to whom he conceived himself obliged for his birth and employment as in the punctuall observation of his words promise which he had given and made to his enemies who he knew would revenge it to the uttermost of their power In this manner did this brave Roman give a remarkable testimony to all posterity what obligations are due in point of honour to words and promises Now if this part of Morality was accustomed to be so strictly observed amongst the Pagans having little or no Religion to regulate their actions what may we conjecture of the duty of Christians whose Professions are to serve the onely God of Truth that without doubt can never be pleased with any manner of falsifications neverthelesse we see this miserable age is so far corrupted in this nature as I may say without any kind of apprehension of honor that it is almost grown a maxime never to speak what a man thinks or do what he sayes But as I have mentioned this one example of a Heathen I must also remember in this place another of a Christian not onely of a memorable consequence but the more to be regarded for that it was chiefly grounded upon a religious duty Which was that of Lewis King of France surnamed the Saint when he made war in the Holy Land who being in the like manner as the former taken prisoner by the Infidels with most of his Nobility at last by hard labour and with much difficulty he made shift to contract for his Ransome and liberty though at an excessive rate yet esteemed better then to end his dayes in a miserable and horrid captivity But when according to the agreement the mony came to be tendred which was procured with difficulty from the estates and fortunes of his people the Commissioners whom he employed in the service used such dexterity in their office and employment that they over-reached the enemy in the account though by no fraudulent deceit whereby they reserved a considerable sum to the Kings use of capacity perhaps sufficient to have defrayed a great part of the journey homewards which being related to the pious Prince with all the circumstances thereunto belonging However he was upon his departure yet considering it might prove some scandal to his Religion he resolved not to put to Sea until the full of the contract was performed in every particular And to that purpose he not onely sent the residue of the mony to his adversaries but withal commanded his Treasurers in his name to excuse the Act as done without his order and privity Which being exactly effected the Pagans fully satisfied he joyfully took shipping with the rest of his company Now though this pious deed I must confesse was beyond any obligation yet in regard the contrary might have bred some jealousie and suspicion in the thoughts of the Saracens concerning the actions and intentions of this good King whereby his Religion might have been dishonoured certainly it may seem a most pious and laudable resolution and truly cannot be but a worthy and admirable exemple not onely to teach other Princes their duty but also may serve in some sort to instruct all people what considerations ought to be had in performance of promises especially when they are made upon equal and just confidence of both sides For if this tye be not observed after a strict manner there is no possibility left to be assured either in contracts or conversation Which is the reason that in the accidents and chances of war souldiers after they are taken oftentimes are let go upon their words however in prisons the same persons are perhaps kept by strong guards Gamesters who for the most part are men not to be secured by any Bonds and Writings concerning the payment of debts yet when they borrow mony of their companions upon their words onely for the most part will be sure never to break as esteeming it a point of honor belonging to Society and conversation not to be violated by any means Nay very thieves are so punctual in this observation that they will scarse deceive a person whom they had determined to rob if they have made any engagement to that purpose and yet our poor Country that was one famed beyond all other Nations in this particular is now grown to that infamy by reason of this false way of conversation that the people can neither be trusted by others abroad or be at all confident of themselves at home Concerning the breaches of trusts upon special confidence and obligation THe next and last falshood I shall mention is breach of trusts when others put confidence in our truth and integrity which was the crime of Architophel King David's esteemed Counsellour who betrayed his Masters secrets to his unnatural son Absolon in which wickednesse and rebellion they both miserably perished by the just judgement of Almighty God Again we read that as Sampson was deceived by his wife whom the Philistians had craftily put upon him for that effect so themselves were most remarkably punished by reason of their being Authors of the Treason insomuch as he destroyed most of the Nobility in his last end And this was effected no doubt by the meer instigation of Heaven as a just reward for so unnatural a trechery though withal I cannot deny but that they were most pernicious people and enemies to Gods worship King David did so abhor this infidelity and breach of trust that he put to death the young man that brought him word of Saul's destruction only for that he seemed to rejoyce in his Kings fall notwithstanding he himself was to enjoy thereby the Kingdome without obstacle and hinderance Also he slew the two Thieves Buana and Rechab because they had killed trecherously Ishbosheth however he was not alone his mortal enemy but sought the Crown from off his head which justice he rather executed upon them because they had been both Saul's servants These certainly were not only religious demonstrations of a noble disposition but testimonies of his opinion of this duty
severity of God Almighties justice when he would not fall upon any other means for our Redemption however we see that although the Son of God was designed to perform this mysterious service to his Father for our benefit which goodness is not to be comprehended by all the mortal thoughts in the world much less to be requited by any humane action or endeavour yet for all this excessive love expressed to mankind God was not pleased presently to bring him into Heaven or place him again in his earthly Paradise but on the contrary enjoyned him a continual penance which was to get his living all the days of his life by the sweat of his brows and withal ordained his wife to bring forth children with pain and travail as temporal punishments designed to each whereby they might also in their own persons satisfie Gods justice in regard of their own first disobedience over and besides the sufferings of our Saviour which playnly demonstrateth that this great God of ours will not be so easily pacified however the presumption and lunatick fancies of many may suggest to their overweening appetites a hope to enter into heaven accompanied with all the delights of the world as if we were here only for our pleasures and not for the necessary maintenance of a pilgrimage upon earth which is to work forth our salvation with industry care and trembling Again we may consider Cain the first man that was born of a woman who however his sin was extraordinary yet the original proceeded from a kind of penuriousness in his nature onely to preserve his best things from the consuming fire of Sacrifice which notwithstanding was so resented by his Lord and Maker that he not onely permitted him to fall into those horrid crimes of envy and murther but presently chased him from the society of all good people with a kinde of a loathing terrour to himself laying a general curse upon his whole posterity who after were totally destroyed in the universal stood with those they had corrupted for whose punishment that deluge was sent upon the face of the earth as an apparant mark of Gods indignation against wicked persons who are not alwayes alone chastised for the offences they commit but also oftentimes in their posterity since it is not to be doubted but some of those that perished in the general destruction pleased God in their actions as is intimated by the second Epistle of St. Peter Next we will remember Cham the unfortunate son of Noah who onely for his irreverence to his fathers frailty was eternally punished upon which occasion receiving his curse he was instantly banished from his presence and for his offence became the father of a most impious and rebellious Nation both against God and man insomuch as tyrannical Nimrod his grandchild after he had presumptuously made war against heaven in the building of that stupendious Tower of Babel where his proud works were confounded by the diversity of languages he set up the first Idolatry causing himself to be worshipped as a God from whence hath proceeded errour wickedness and damnation ever since to people until the force of our blessed Saviours bitter Passion absolutely destroyed all those lying Oracles that so long deluded the earth with the false opinions of that pretended true Religion Here we must introduce the story of the Jewes A people particularly elected out of mankinde to be the objects of Gods love and care as another example of his justice for however their punishments were but proportionable to their knowledge of his Divine essence in regard they were not so perfect as Adam to understand his will and pleasure who in Paradise had absolute power to forbear sin and do good so were their chastisements for the most part but temporary and worldly not imposed upon them and their posterity eternally as his was yet if we look upon their many sufferings and captivities we shall finde notwithstanding that God Almighty did not forget their offences permitting but two of all that numerous Army that came out of Aegypt to enter into the Land of Promise the onely hope and desired period of all their tedious travels in which number Moses that most excellent servant of God and indefatigable Captain also was included by reason of some small defect in the execution of his Office which not onely shews the impartiality of God Almighties justice as well towards those he loves as to them he hates but may very cleerly admonish us against the fancy of presumption in that our Creator can no more comply with sin or pardon it without our repentance and satisfaction then he can leave off the Attributes of his own Divinity and Omnipotency Again we may consider the rigid severity of his justice in the further progresse of this story however to avoid prolixity we shall onely name a few examples of those particular persons he seemed most to favour and to this purpose passing by many others most exemplar we will begin with Eli Samuels master who was a man neither of an ill inclination or visibly much defective in his Office yet we read that by reason of that remissnesse he used in not punishing and reforming his children and those Priests under his charge being admonished thereunto he not onely was chastised with the lamentable news of the death of both his sons the taking of the Ark by the Philistins according as it was foretold but suddenly broke his neck falling from his seat as the report was made unto him of those misfortunes next we may reflect upon King Saul whom God Almighty had onely pickt out to be the Prince of his people though afterwards he became the subject of his wrath for not enduring to hear the praises of David whom he seemed to envy preferring his own vain-glory before the will of God in a short time he fell to be such a â—â— wards became a also monument of destruction in only looking back upon that dreadful spectacle contrary to Gods commandment perhaps with some repining appetites in regard of those pleasures she was unwillingly forced to foregoe Again it is to be noted that the children of Israel having freed themselves from their intolerable slavery of Egypt by their miraculous passing the Red Sea under the conduct of Moses yet because in their journey with too much sensuality they called to minde the flesh pots they had left behinde were not onely continued wandring in the Desarts of Arabia for forty yeers together bitten with Serpents and often times pined with hunger but at last lost their lives and wasted out their dayes in that peregrination insomuch as but two persons onely of the whole numerous company as I said before born in Egypt were permitted by the just judgement of Almighty God to enter into the Land of Promise which flowed with milk and honey notwithstanding God Almighty had designed them to be his elected people and whose posterity afterward accordingly did supplant other
so impudent a reprobate that he not onely against the rules of nature and humanity shed the blood of his innocent and vertuous brother but was so unfortunately mistaken that he even thought to have couzened God himselfe by his dissimulation however he was invited to the acknowledgment of his offence Whereupon wee may conclude that scarce can there be any crime of a high nature committed but for the most part something of deceipt must accompany the action and to shew how much God Almighty doth abhor all manner of falsification he would not prosper the Jewes Army or grant them any more Victories against their enemies untill deceiptfull Achan was brought forth before the people to be stoned to death and his goods consumed with fire because he had concealed part of the Riches gotten in the City of Iericho contrary to his commandement We may also remember what desperate impieties Saul contracted to himselfe after he practised those deceipts against David untill at last they brought him to be his own murtherer whilst in the interim he possest his Kingdom whom he most hated and feared of all others The Scribes and Pharisees who were designed instruments for Christs death and passion as we read came to St. Iohns preaching with false and dissembling hearts amongst the rest of the multitude which was the cause why he called them a generation of Vipers Our Saviour himselfe most earnestly warned the people to take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees as foreseeing they would prosecute him to the very end in the spirit of dissimulation and hypocrisie not onely by often tempting him with deceiptfull questions but at the last act of his condemnation in professing themselves servants of Caesars to obtaine greater credit and beliefe when as it was well known they hated nothing more in the world then to be under that jurisdiction which was afterwards verified in their many rebellions Iudas also began his wicked purpose in dissembling when he murmured amongst the rest at the losse of the sweet oyntment that was poured upon our Saviours head pretending hypocritically the cost had been better bestowed on the poore though his intention was onely to have had the money at his own dispose being purs-bearer which covetous disposition of his sufficiently appeared by betraying of his Master for so small a summe And yet this man was so transported by the opinion of his own craft and subtilty that when he was told particularly he had resolved in his minde to be the Traytor he had neither wisdom nor grace to repent or be admonished but of the contrary went presently out of the room to execute his determination to which purpose a while after being accompanied with a Troop of Souldiers he bestowed upon his Master a trayterous kisse by way of salutation the chiefe signe agreed between them as a distinction for his more certaine and easie apprehension Which shews that God Almighty in detestation of this manner of sinne is oftentimes pleased to give over such people to their own perdition in the very spirit of ridiculous folly not suffering them in any kind to reflect upon their own misery and impiety as it were being drunke and infatuated by a certain overweening conceit that they are by cunning and dissimmulation able to deceive not onely men but Heaven it selfe Which no doubt was also the opinion of Ananias and Saphira when they concealed part of the money from the Apostles wherein appeared a most remarkable judgement of God upon their persons Yet not because they had no mind to have bestowed so much to charitable uses but for that after they had seemed to have given before the multitude ' they endeavoured again a dissembling way to have couzened the expectation of their gift For it was plainly told them that they might have chosen at the first whether they would have contributed or no but they were undoubtedly punished in that they had lied to the holy Ghost wherein they committed sacriledge by reason of their intentionall deceipt Truly if we reflect but upon the constancy and suffering of old Eleazer in the Machabees we may have by that martyrdome a sufficient example to instruct our beliefe concerning this duty who rather then he would consent to the seeming onely of eating Swines-flesh though in act he should not have been obliged thereunto he chose to die a most cruell and violent death as fearing else the scandall that might have risen thereby to young people of his Nation to whom he desired to be a worthy and memorable testimony of goodnesse and piety Muchlesse certainly ought we to premeditate dissimulation as an introduction to all our actions and designes which is a custome now adaies so much in fashion that I have observed it sometimes affected without any intention at all of compassing benefits but as it were onely to be esteemed wiser then other persons in worldly affaires neverthelesse oftentimes it doth of the contrary destroy what is most coveted and desired since it ingenders so much distrust between parties treating that it is unpossible to have sufficient confidence of one another to conclude almost in any thing to purpose which is the reason generally that there are so few differences of law and contention compremised for each person according to his own secret intention of deceipt believes the same thoughts are in his adversarie and so consequently feares to be couzened O horrid custome as I may say and as much bewitched imagination that thus perverts the institution of common society to the depriving us of the greatest delight of mankind upon earth in regard we cannot conveniently make use of our reason and naturall knowledge but must be forced to live with one another like ravenous beasts alwaies watching either occasions to entrap or seeking out waies to prevent Whilst in the interim sweetnesse affability and security are not to be expected by the good and as little intended by the bad But perhaps it may be thought that notwithstanding these Scripture examples Abraham who was one of God Almighties chiefe servants seemed not onely intentionally but actually to dissemble when he affirmed Sarah to be his sister whereas she was really his wife unto which I answer that as he was not bound to discover himselfe so farre to his enemies whereby an eminent prejudice might have befallen his person so of the other side I am of opinion that if the thing had not been also true which he averred in regard according to the Jewes custome she might be held his sister by reason of the neere kindred and affinity between them he could not have been altogether freed from the sin of dissimulation For if the Text be considered he did not deny her to be his wife onely tacitely concealing it but affirmed her to be his sister because she was so to be esteemed also by his Country lawes which priviledge he was content to make use of to saye his life being in the hands of barbarous Tyrants Besides there appeared no intention
in him to injure a third person and therefore was at the more liberty to use his own discretion without declaring an apparent untruth which certainly he could not have done lawfully though it had been to have saved his own life There is no doubt but a man may in some sort deceive and couzen the expectation of thieves and murtherers by seeming sometimes one thing and doing another in cases of necessity or conveniency without any manner of danger to his religion and honesty however the common practice thereof in triviall things in my opinion is naught and not to be used for feare of the habit that at last may render a man too insensible of failings in this nature whereby his nature is in danger to be brought by degrees to a kinde of falsnesse in conversation that as I said before is a means to destroy all civill society or confidence necessary to be expected in matters of greatest weight and consequence and at the best it diminisheth love abates charity and destroyes friendship which I may say are the chiefe ties belonging to humanity Since there can be no indifferency in communication where one party takes upon him a liberty to dissemble and the other professeth all manner of freedome and integrity both in words and intentions But much more is this falshood to be abhorred when it is practised with a trayterous heart to the ruine and destruction of innocency Of the breaches in conversation proceeding from the falsifying of words and promises AS I have sufficiently demonstrated the inconvenience of this custome of dissimulation I must speak of those breaches in conversation that proceed from engagements by word which as I may say are certaine religious ties belonging to honour whereupon depend for the most part the entrance into leagues and contracts before they come to more absolute obligations however without them it is unpossible to proceed to periods and conclusions since words and promises must first passe before intended agreements can any way be finished depending meerly upon a noble faith which is the reason that the word of a Prince and a Gentleman hath been held in all ages in a manner sacred and far more binding then prisons or writings in regard it is to be supposed that penalties belong unto the one and nothing but a mans own honour obligeth him to the other which makes a difference between us and inferiour creatures who have chaines and other means ordained to keep them in order whereas we ought to have no constraint but reason and the freedom of the soule wherein holy King David was so punctuall that he would not himself put to death Shimei who had most wickedly cursed him in his adversity because he had promised the contrary However no doubt by some propheticall inducement he advised his son Solomon to bring him to his grave with blood for his offences after his death We finde that Ionathan observed his promises so inviolably to David before he was King that neither regarding his fathers present anger or the losse of his own inheritance he could not be brought to falsifie the least word that had passed between them If we consider the wonderfull magnanimity of Iepthes daughter we may behold an admirable example left to posterity concerning this duty for perceiving her most loving father had engaged himselfe though rashly to her destruction whereat he seemed excessively afflicted she bid him with constancy perform the execution since as she said having opened his mouth to God it was meet he should punctually fulfill his promise without any consideration of her particular and the more was this invitation to be admired in regard it was unpossible she should be any way weary of her own life being a beautifull young Virgin and the onely childe of the chiefe Prince of the Countrey Neither doe I believe the people of that age would have suffered Iepthe so lamentably to have sacrificed his sole daughter without they had conceived it a most necessary thing to have all solemne promises words given to be performed in every particular and however this may be thought a vow and therefore the more strictly to be observed yet neverthelesse it was but meerely voluntary at the first without any obligation exacted either by right or command which made it differ no further from a bare promise but that it was better attested in regard it was made before the face of all the people by which meanes it could not be concealed in respect of the ceremoniall part though inwardly I conceive it no more binding to Iepthe then if he had resolved upon such an action in his private chamber But however it may be esteemed a greater obligation what we promise to God then what we assure to men yet certainly among the very Heathens themselves we shall finde a most punctuall observation of this common duty which in a manner doth unite and tie together all morall and humane society as may appeare by many examples in prophane Authors However I doe not believe their actions in this point were regulated by any of our rules of religion but rather were carried on to the maintenance of their honour and the conservation of their faith by a certain gallantry and noblenesse ingrafted in their natures and dispositions by those principles given them in their education and breeding amongst the rest There was a Roman Generall being taken prisoner by the Carthaginians and having formerly promised all fidelity to the Senate of Rome concerning the execution of his office and charge for their best advantage who continuing thus a Captive for some time amongst his enemies at last they began to thinke his good usage and releasment might produce some beneficiall effects towards a peace which they earnestly desired to make with their adversaries by reason the Warres had exhausted their Treasure and drawn their Commonwealth low in many other particulars however they could not conceal it from the knowledge of their prisoner To which purpose having first conjured him to be their friend towards the obtaining of their wishes they set him at liberty to return again to Rome with some Embassadours they intended to send with certain Propositions of amity and friendship though with this Proviso that if they should not obtain their desires he was to promise them upon his honour to render himself as before into their hands The conditions being accepted he went along with their Messengers and being there arrived contrary to their expectation instead of perswading the Senate to hearken to any agreement he declared it to be their disadvantage and dishonour to make any Peace at all with the Carthaginians in regard of their enemies disabilitie to make longer war assuring them he was sufficienlty informed of his relation by many reasons and circumstances So that this Oration absolutely broke off all manner of Treaty between the two Commonwealths whereby either insued a new war or at leastwise the continuance of the old yet nevertelesse this brave and honest