the fear of God and love of his children but the manner of putting them in execution is neither approoved in holie Scripture nor was in it selfe justifiable nor is to bee imitated of us it beeing no more lawfull to save a mans life by a lie than by theft both which without repentance in themselves deserve death eternall Et quomodo non perversissimè dicitur saith S. Augustine ut alter corporaliter vivat debere alterum spiritualiter mori How can it be but a perverse assertion to say That one should incur the death of the soule to free another from that of the body And not farre off in another place Quanto fortius quaÌ„to excellentius dices Nec prodam nec mentiar ut Firmus Episcopus Tagastensis How much more courage and constancy doth it shew for a man to say I will neither betray the truth nor my friend as did Firmus Bishoppe of Tagastum Firmus nomine firmior autem re Firm in name but more firm indeed The truth heerof will the better appear if we consider the greatnes of the offense the second thing which I proposed in as much as it is first directly against God himselfe secondly against the Scriptures the Oracles of GOD thirdly against nature the workmanship of God and fourthly against civill society the ordinance of God Against God it is both essentially and personally taken Against God the Father This is eternall life that they knowe thee to bee the onely true God Iohn 17. 3 Against God the Sonne I am the way the truth and the life Iohn 14. 6 Against God the holy Ghost When hee is comne who is the Spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth Iohn 16. 13. And as God is the Father of truth so is the Divell the father of Lies when hee speaketh a Lie then hee speaketh of his owne for hee is a lier and the father thereof Ioh. 8. 44. No marvell then that one of those seven things which the Lord hates and his soule abhorres is a lying tongue Pro. 6. 17. Secondly it is against the Scriptures the Oracles of God And therefore are they truely called Verbum veritatis the word of truth Eph. 1. 13 not onely because they were indited by the Author of all truth or because they contain so much supernaturall truth as is requisite for our salvation but withall because they excite us to the imbracing practising of truth Cast off lying and speake every man truth unto his neighbour Ephes. 4. 25. Ly not one to another Col. 3. 9. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle saith our Prophet Even he that speaketh the truth from his heart Psal. 15. Thirdly it is against nature the workmanship of God It is the priviledge of Mankinde above all Creatures that hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a creature capable both of reason and speech and as reason was ordained to bee the guide and directer of our speech so was our speech to be the expounder and interpreter of reason And therefore the Grammarians make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth speech to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which gives light to the notions of the understanding If then wee speak one thing and think another if wee expresse one thing with our lips and conceive another thing in our hearts it is against the end for which God created speech Fourthly and lastly it is against Civill society the ordinance of God a maine part wherof consisting in Conference in Consultation in Contracts Fractavel leviter imminuta authoritate veritatis omnia dubia remanebunt saith Saint Augustine The credit and soverainty of truth being never so little crackt or the practice of lying never so little couÌ„tenanced a man can build upon nothing but all things will bee full of doubt and distrust Rightly then saith the same good Father Nunquam errare tutius existimo quam cum in amore nimio veritatis reiectione nimia falsitatis erratur A man cannot lightly erre more safely then in too much love of truth hatred of lies Truth is a salt which serveth for the seasoning of every action and maketh it favorie both to God and man and in the 6. to the Ephes. it is compared to a girdle or a Souldiers belt whereby they knit together and close vnto their middle the upper and lower peeces of their armour And these belts as they were strong so were they set with studs being faire large There is then a double use of them one to keepe the severall peeces of armour fast and close together to hold the loynes of a man firm steddy that hee may be able to stand the surer and holde out the longer the other to cover the ioynts of the armour that they might not be seene The first use was for strength the second for ornament and thus truth is both an ornament to a Christian souldier and also an excellent meanes for strength to uphold and assure him in the day of trial Therfore wisely doth Solomon advise us To buy the truth but in no case to sell it Pro. 23. 23. The last thing which I promised is the punishment and that surely cannot but much aggravate the grievousnesse of the sinne It is both the punishment of other sinnes and other sinnes the punishment of it When God would punish Ahab for his wickedness presently the Divell offers himselfe for the execution of the service I will goe and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets 1. King 22. And those that would not beleeve and love the truth he punisheth with strong delusions that they should beleeue lies 2. Thess. 2. And as it is the punishment of other sinnes so did hee punish it with other sinnes in those Philosophers of the Gentiles who because they turned the truth of God into a lie therefore God gaue them up unto vile affections Rom. 1. 25. And the rule is general The mouth that lieth slayeth the soule Wis. 1. 11. Thou shalt destroy them that speake lies Psal. 5. 6. And Revel 22. 15 Without shall bee dogs and enchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth or maketh lies And if God thus shutte them out of his presence not without cause doth our Prophet promise They shall not tarry in his sight It is the prayer of Salomon Prov. 30. Remoue from mee vanity and lies and his position in the 29. of the same book veâ—s 12 Of a Prince that hearkeneth to lies all his servants are wicked And if wee are to shun the practice of lies much more the doctrine of lies Teaching lies through hypocrisie 1. Tim. 4. 2. One effect whereof is the confident relation of their lying miracles and that Golden Legend compiled by a leaden braine and published by a brazen forehead I will conclude with Saint Augustines conclusion of his two Treatises de mendacio ad Consentium Aut cavenda sunt mendacia recte agendo aut confitenda sunt poenitendo non
Promise was made him that his sonne Salomon should succeed him and that his seed should bee established in the throne Were not these strong motives to puffe up flesh and blood to make himselfe conceited and proud of his owne worth Yet heare what himselfe professeth of his humility the ground-worke of all his other vertues and abilities Psalme 131 I am not high minded I have no proud lookes I doo not exercise my selfe in great matters which are too high for mee but I refraine my soule and keepe it lowe like as a childe that is weaned from his mother yea my soule is euen as a weaned childe But what was it that kept him so lowe notwithstanding his greatnesse and so many rare excellencies and perfections wherewith he was endowed The first no doubt was the grace of God for as he gives his grace to the humble so it is his grace which makes them humble The second was those Crosses and aâ—â—lictions both outward inward wherewith GodÌ„ fro time to time had exercised him From my youth upward thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled minde The third was the consideration both of his naturall corruption I was borne in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conctived mee as also of his actuall transgressions They are moe than the haires of my head and mine heart hath failed mee The fourth was the acknowledgement of his owne frailty Hee knoweth whereof we are made hee remembreth that we are but dust The fift was the contemplation of Gods greatnesse the greatest among the sonnes of men being lesse in comparison of him than the silliest worme that crawles on the face of the earth in comparison of them The sixt was the often exercising of himselfe with fasting with prayer with divine meditations and holy soliloquies with sackcloth and ashes with making his teares his drinke and minling his bread with weeping The seaventh was his studying day and night in Gods lawe according to the commandement given to the king Deut. 17. 20 that his heart might not bee lifted vp above his brethren and esteeming it above the hony and the hony comb above gold an silver yea much fined gold and precious stone The eightth and last was a full assurance free confession that God was privie to all his thoughts that hee would reward him according to his works that hee was both the Author Maintainer and Finisher of whatsoever good either in his bodie or in his soule or in his estate according to that memorable speech of Saint Paul l. Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou which thou didst not receiue and if thou didst receive it why doost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Let our conclusion then still be in regard of all the good we either haue or doe Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tâ—o da gloriam Not unto us O Lord not vnto us but unto thy Name give the praise Verse 6. Mine eyes shall bee upon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with mee hee that walketh in a perfect vvay hee shall serve me OVr Prophet having in the verse going before made knowne in part what they were whom he would not receive into his family and seruice Hee comes in this verse to tell us of what condition they should be whom hee purposeth to admit Mine eyes shall â—e to the faithfull of the Land c. It is not good that man should bee alone sayes God himselfe Gen. 2. 18. And Woe be to him that is alone saith the wise Salomon Eccles. 4. 10. And Solus vel Deus vel Daemon saith Aristotle He that desires to be alone is either of a more base or divine metall than men commonly are made of Vpon this foundation of mans sociable nature Kingdomes and CoÌ„mon-wealths are built consisting of cities and townes and parishes and they againe of housholds and families and they againe of husband and wife parents and children Masters and Servants of which last relation I am chiefly to speake at this time Though the name and nature of a Servant were first brought into the world by the ungratiousnesse of Cham Gen. 9. 25 Yet is the impression of superiority and subjection so universally stampt upon the face of Nature that it reacheth up to heaven there being a greater light to rule the day and a lesser light borrowed from and subordinate to the greater to rule the night If wee ascend higher to the Angels there are among them principality domination nay more than so it pearceth downe to hell where wee reade of Beelzebub a Prince of Divels And experience hath farther observed that even among unreasonable creatures this forme is kept The birds being by a naturall instinct subject to the Eagle the beasts to the Lion and the Bees marvailously obeying and reverencing their Master But this truth shines yet more clearely in man him himselfe a little map or module as it were of the great world his members being subject to the head his body to the soule his appetite to reason And this principle is so deeply ingraven upon the conscience of all that the very barbarous nations who retaine any sparke of civility willingly subscribe vnto it Whether then wee looke upward to heaven or downeward to hell or outward to the creatures or inward to our selves we shall every where finde characters imprinted of superiority and subjection command and obedience domination and service To take it then as granted to bee a thing not lawfull onely but commendable nor commendable onely but as the case now stands in a manner necessary I will proceed to the unfolding of the words themselves And first of the former part of the verse Mine eyes shall be to the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with mee Faithfulnesse in holy Scripture is taken in diverse senses Sometimes for steadfastnes and assurance of beleefe Put forth thine hand and put it into my side and bee not faithless but faithfull Iohn 20. 27 Somtimes for truth of speech Fidelis est hic sermo This is a true faithfull saying 1. Tim. 4. 9 Sometimes for the profession of Christian religion If any faithfull man or faithfull woman have widowes let them minister unto them 1. Tim. 5. 16 Sometimes for certainty constancy in performing what a man promiseth Let us keep the profession of our hope without wavering for hee is faithfull that hath promised Heb. 10. 23 Sometimes for perseverance in the truth Bee thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the crown of life Rev. 2. 10. And lastly sometimes for a carefull and conscionable discharge of ones duty in that place whereto he is called thus Christ is said to have been a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things concerning God Heb. 2. 17. And Paul testifies of Tychicus that he was a faithful minister in the Lord Ephes. 6. 21. And in this sense I take this word specially to bee understood heer in my Text Mine eyes shall
and deare as his right hand or his right eye yet if hee fell to lying away he must hee would would bee so farre from shewing him any favour that hee should not so much as enjoy the sight of his countenance A wonder it is to consider that the imputation of a lie should bee so odious and yet the practice so frequent among men specially those who stand most upon their reputation the name so hatefull and the use so common that men should be so tender and sensible of the giving of the lie as to think it presently worthie the stabbe or the chalenge and yet to be so careless and unconscionable in the making of it a strange kinde of vanity I say it is and a marvailous repugnancy and contradiction in the nature of man to bee so hot in the pursuite of the one and so colde in the other Wherefore either seeme to bee as thou art or be as thou wouldst seeme either have a care and conscience that thou make not a lie or bee content that a man call a Spade a Spade a Lier a Lier This vice of all other is so universally spread over the face of the world not onely among servants but all sorts of men that what our Prophet spake in his haste I said in mine haste all men are Liers Psalm 106. 10 that the Apostle spake advisedly Rom. 3. 4 Let God bee true and every man a lyer But we must know it is one thing to lie and another to make a trade or custome of lying one thing to slip into it unawares another deliberately to forge and conceive it and which is worse to defend it and stand in it being done The one may proceed from the common frailty incident to mankinde yet not without some striving against it and repentance for it in such as are sanctified by Gods spiâ—it but the later is onely proper to the unbeleeving and unregenerate Therefore sayes our Prophet not Loquens mendacium in the singular number but mendacia in the plurall Now in the handling of this point wee may first consider the nature and diverse kindes of a Lie Secondly the greatnesse of the offence how slightly soever we esteeme of it And lastly the punishment alwaies due unto it many times inflicted upon it A Lie to speak properly is the speaking of an untruth with an intent to deceive For the clearer unfolding of which definition we are to call to mind a fourefolde truth mentioned in holy Scripture of Iudgement of Affection of Action of Speech The truth of Iudgement is opposed to Error of Affection to Hypocrisie of Action to Dissimulation and of Speech to Lies or Falshood If a man speak that which is false without an intent to deceive supposing it to be a truth it is a material lie If he speak a truth with an intent to deceive supposing hee spake a falshood it is a formall lie But if hee speake a falshood knowing it to be a falshood with an intent to deceive this is a full a flat lie it hath the whole essence the matter the forme the soule and the bodie of a lie The materiall lie is lyable to the censure of men but excusable before God at least à tanto though not à toto in as much as it proceeds out of ignorance the tongue agreeing with the understanding but the understanding disagreeing from the thing The formall lie is punishable by God though acquitted by men in as much as the understanding disagrees from the speech though the speech agree with the thing but the full lie including both the matter and the forme deserves punishment both from God and men in as much as in it both the understanding disagrees from the speech and the speech from the thing Which ground being laid I see not how the most cunning Sophisters in the world can free their equivocations and mentall reservations at leastwise from the formality of a lie which is indeed the life of it if there may bee life in such a dead work For to grant that the thing which they speake is true yet they cannot denie but they speake it with an intent to deceive and then Linguam ream facit mens rea It is a guilty minde that makes a guilty tongue according to that of Augustine Ex animi sui sententia non ex rerum ipsarum veritate aut falsitate mentiens aut non mentiens iudicandus est A Lyer is to bee iudged not so much by the truth and falshood of things as by the purpose and intent of his minde It matters not then whether my lye be iocosum onely for sport and merriment or officiosum for the pretended good of some without the hurt of any or malitiosum out of a mischievous designe if it be an untruth uttred with an intent to deceive it comes all to one for the unlawfulnesse of it howbeit the one bee sinfull in a higher degree more divelish and damnable than the other and beeing once unlawfull in it self as being a direct breach of the law none other respect but onely the dispensative power of the Lawgiver himself can possibly make it lawfull When Thespis the first stage-player was asked if he were not ashamed to utter so many untruths in so worthy an audience hee answered that hee did it in sport but wise Solon replied if wee approve and commend this sport we shall finde it in earnest in our contracts affaires And even so indeed by just judgement it befalles a man who using to ly in sport gets an habite of lying in earnest and with his jesting lies raiseth such a suspicion of him that bee he in never so good earnest hee cannot bee beleeved And for officious lies since wee cannot make a lie for God cause as Iob testifies 13. 9 much less may we ly for the behoof of our selves or other men Vse not then to make any manner of lie for the custome thereof is not good Ecclus. 7. 13. No good and honest means are to bee neglected which tend to the refreshing and cheering of their spirits who beare the burden of the State yet the Prophet Hosea 7. 3 reproves those that make the king glad with their wickednesse and the Princes with their lies neither is it anie way warrantable to doo evill that good may come thereof Rom. 3. 8. As righteousnes then and peace so truth and charity are inseparable companions And therfore the Apostle 1. Cor. 13 puts downe this among other marks of charity that it reioyceth in the truth verse 6. And for those examples registred in holy Scripture of the Mid-wives to save the male-infants of the Hebrews of Rahab to save the spies of Michâ—l and Ionathan to save David from Sauls fury and the like of that kinde either commended or not discommended I answer that we must distinguish betwixt the deeds of the faithfull and their maner of dooing them Their facts in saving David the children the spies were commendable and argued