hath a mouth full of cursing and bitternesse as that which hath no sooner learned to speake then it hath learned to blaspheme and is taught no sooner to name God then it is instructed or vvithout teaching apt by that which it heareth daily to sweare by God So true it is that vvhere the Father is a Bramble the Childe will be a prick But as we speake not reuerently of God so neither doe vvee speake soberly to Men. I say not soberly for do we not giue our tongues libertie to say any thing of our enemies and of our betters if they be our enemies Doe vve not disgrace such as are faithfull with vnseemely titles Doe not Papists call the professors of the truth by the names of such as haue beene famous instruments of God in the Gospell as Caluinists Zuinglians Lutherans and that in reproach and derision Doe not brethren call some of their godly brethren Puritans Doth not a Christian cal his fellow Christian Hypocrite Sectary Raca Foole Doe wee speake as if God had made our tongues or rather doe wee not speake as if our tongues were our owne Psal. 12.4 But the Prophet mentioneth here among other vvicked sinners whom hee would put from his court presence tellers of lies What he meaneth by such vve haue heard they are contrary to those who speake the truth from the heart Psal. 15.2 A lyar is hee vvho speaketh an vntruth weetingly or the truth otherwayes then he thinketh And a lye is a false speech vented willingly and with a minde to deceiue Where vvee are to put a difference between a lye and an vntruth and him that is a lyar and that speaketh vntruly For hee may be said to speake an vntruth who rashly speaketh it thinking it to be true and he may bee called a lyar who eyther speaketh that which hee knoweth to be false or speaketh the truth but falsely that is with a minde to deceiue The one hath no truth in his mouth and the other hath much deceipt in his heart The one speaking a lye as it is sayd of the Deuill speaketh of his owne Iohn 8.44 the other speaking a truth resembleth the Deuill who euen vvhen hee speaketh the truth is a lyar Matth. 4.6 Therefore there are two sorts of lyes the first when a man speaketh not as the thing is the second vvhen hee speaketh as the thing is but deceitfully The first which is a reall lye is likewise of two sorts the first when a man speaketh an vntruth against his minde and knowledge and this is the chiefe kinde of lying from vvhence in the Latine it hath the name For meâ—tiri is contra mentem ire The second when a man inconsiderately vttereth an vntruth thinking he speaketh true And this though it be a lye in the generall terme yet hee vvho vttereth it cannot be called a lyar because his vvords agree vvith his minde though they agree not vvith the thing Therefore here by a teller of lyes vvee must vnderstand one that speaketh eyther an vntruth against his minde or the truth with an ill minde and this is hee who knowing that which hee speaketh to be true coueteth to be vnderstood otherwaies then he speaketh that is otherwayes then the truth is As therefore a man may vtter an vntruth and yet be no lyar so hee may be a lyar in speaking the truth vvhen he doth not speake it with a simple heart Which proueth that to the speaking of the truth that is in a mans heart a double agreement is required the one of the tongue with the minde the other of the minde with the things themselues And to this is opposed the double falsehood that was spoken of as when a man speaketh that which is false or the truth but falsely So we haue heard of lying and the kindes thereof From whence I conclude that a teller of lyes such an one as the Prophet here meaneth to put out of his house and sight is he that speaketh that as true which hee knoweth to bee false and that which is true falsely and not with a simple heart Such hee sayth shall not remaine in his sight From vvhence the Doctrine is that a teller of lyes and the intolerable sin of lying should not be abidden by a Christian. It appeareth else where that Dauid could not abide flattering lips nor a false tongue seeing he prayeth against them desiring God in some iudgement to cut them off Psal. 12.3 Salomon also maketh it one propertie of a righteous man to hate lying words Prou. 13.5 that is to hate them in himselfe and to abhor them in others God is sayd to hate a lying tongue Prou. 6.17 and Iob craueth no fauour if he haue walked in vanitie fauouring a lye Iob 31.5 He put vp his tongue from doing of hurt and would not vnsheath it but when he was to skirmish with Sathan or to strike at sinne And shall we thinke that he could endure those in his sight who walked in vanitie louing euill more then good and lyes more then to speake the truth Psal. 52.3 who instead of skirmishing with sin make frayes with their brethren and draw vpon their names with a lying tongue The Reasons The Diuell is the Father of lyes and of liars Ioh. 8.44 lyes are his creatures and liars his children Now cannot a man abide the Diuell and will hee agree with his vncleane brood Further Truth maketh vs to resemble our heauenly Father the fountaine of Truth where lying maketh vs to resemble the Diuell the Father of lies and as truth is a cognisance of a Christian on earth and a Saint in heauen so lying is the note of a wicked one heere and of a damned one in hell Againe as there be two Fathers one of those who speake the truth truly which is God another of liars vvhich is the Diuell so there are two Kingdomes one of light and another of darknesse The dialect of the light is truth the language of lyiâ—g is darknesse And who that loueth not darknesse will abide the tongue of darknesse and that loueth the light endure that vvhich is an enemie to the light Secondly vvho can abide that whereby Satan raigneth in the heart of him who is possessed of it as in his Kingdome But where the Scepter of Satan is borne vp as by lying there hee raigneth as King and there the Scepter of the Lord vvhich flourisheth in the truth is depressed and God is made as no bodie Thirdly the common liar maketh that soule that should be of a good sauour to God no better then stinke and carrion for the liar is an abhomination to God Prou. 12.22 And doe we stop our noses at vnsauourie smels and vvill vvee thrust them into an vncleane dunghill by taking delight in lying vanities Fourthly no man can endure to conuerse with his enemie or to put his hand to that that his heart riseth against Also men and women vse not to play vvith Snakes and Serpents as with Whelps and
Birds because they hate them So if we hate lying if our heart rise against it if we thinke of it as of an enemie would wee loue liars would wee suffer them nay would wee liue with them or abide that they should liue with vs Fiftly we must loue where God loueth and hate where God abhorreth But God loueth truth therefore vvee must loue it and hateth lyes therefore we must abhorre a liar and hate to tell a lye Now that euery liar is loathsome to God besides the former plaine Text of Prou. 6.17 it may appeare by the companions among which hee is marshalled and his fellowes who are reckoned vp Apoc. 21.8 as vnbeleeuers and abhominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters Now are these fit mates for a Christian to dwell with or if they be not then the liar is not for hee is one of that fellowshippe which shall bee cast into the lake of fire Sixtly who can abide that that shutteth out of heauen and casteth into hell but lying doth For all liars must haue their part in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Apoc. 21.8 And it is written that without that is out of heauen shall be Dogges and Enchanters and Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lyes Apoc. 22.15 O good Lord shall vnrepentant liars neuer enter into heauen shall they burne world without end in the tormenting fire of hell Haue liars no better fellowes nor worthier companions then Dogges and Enchanters and filthie Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and the like rable of sinners and shall we account it so small a matter to lye for a commoditie nay to face and lye for nothing Lastly lying taketh away the right and good vse of speech and necessarie vse of trading betweene man and man For the speech is made to expresse the true meaning of the heart and if that doe not what shall Also the trades of life which are the bonds of humane societie are preserued by truth and ouer-turned by lying Besides lying maketh a man to loose his credit among men for he who vseth to lye shall not be beleeued vvhen hee speaketh true And who can abide or agree with that that ouerthroweth a mans credit that ouerthroweth his trade of life his societie with his neighbours his sure estate and very being in the world Nay who can abide that that so prouoketh the Lord that he cannot abide vs for the Lord hath a controuersie and is at warre with liars Hos. 4.1.2 And if we be such the Lords action lieth against vs and his pleading vvill be with vs by his fierce iudgements Quest. But you vvill say and vvhat man then shall not be odious to God for all men are liars Rom. 3.4 Answ. I answere they are called by the Apostle in that place liars in comparison as liars to God For who doth not lye to him liars in respect of God for vvho is not a liar compared vvith him but not liars to men nor liars in respect of men nor such as loue to lie or are accustomed to tell lies Quest. You will say our brother may be in necessitie and may we not lie a little to helpe him in his necessitie May we not lye to doe good Answ. I answere necessitie can no more priuiledge vs to lye then it can warrant vs to steale And for the good that may come I say Wee may not doe euill that good may come thereof Rom. 3.8 Quest. What vvill you say to the Midwiues and Rahabs lie Exod. 1.19 Ios. 2.4.5 Answ. I say their faith was good their lye was naught Quest. But Charitie requireth that we doe good to our Neighbour Answ. I answere Charitie reioyceth in the truth 1 Cor. 13.6 And it is no charitie to doe our Neighbour good vvith the Lords dishonour and our owne admixed hurt in the wound of our soules And if wee may not lye to bring glorie to God Rom. 3.7 Iob. 13.4.7 how much lesse to bring a little perishing benefit to our Neighbour Vses If no Lyer nor kinde of lye may be abidden by Christians then is not the merrie lye tolerableâ— nor the officious or profitable lye lawful Some hold both to be expedient and the pernicious hurtfull lye to be onely spoken against here and in other Scriptures But that the merry lye or iesting lye is not tolerable may be shewed for if wee must giue account for euery idle word Mat. 12.36 how much more for euery lying word Besides the Lyer is contrary to God be hee Lyer in sport or earnest and can a good childe be merry and glad to be contrary to his righteous father Or may wee not make Princes merry with our lyes Hos. 7.3 and is it a sinne to make the King glad with such wickednes then may wee not lye in mirth to make our selues or others merry with a lye for what we may not doe for the King we may worse doe for a meaner man Augustine will not haue a lye told to saue a Mans life and would hee allow it for the pleasure of Mans life Thus the sporting lye is proued to be intolerable and for the officious and profitable lye this I haue to say against it that truth must not be sold for any thing The Scripture is playne Buy the truth but sell it not Pro. 23.23 and though by so doing good should come yet as hath beene sayd wee may not doe euill that good may come thereof Rom. 3.8 Indeede truth is iudged now so baseâ— truths purchase so little worth that some will part with it for nothing who thinke it a grace to make themselues and others merry with a lye Some sell it for the least penny of profit and dramme of pleasure who for a trifle will not sticke to crosse the truth and themselues out of the Booke of truth Or haue Men committed a fault presently truth must be sold to buy a couer of some false excuse to hide it with a lye Doe they hunt after the fauour of some great Man truth must be sold by base flatterie to purchase it Haue wee enemies or are we malicious truth must be gone or be bid to goe by slaundering back-byting and other euill speakings that where we owe a spight there wee may take reuenge And thus truth for a profitable lye is bought and sold by all degrees of Men and in all trades of life A reproofe to that trade of Lying that is so commonly practised in Shoppes and Markets where Men can no more buy and sell without lying then they can without speaking and where false and lying words are the waights and a corrupt minde voyd of all good conscience holdeth the Balance betweene a Man and his neighbor The Father commendeth that Childe and the Master praiseth that Seruant who can for their profit most cunningly smoothe and face out matters And Men are come to this fulnesse of sinne that they thinke
it to be no fault but praise rather to put away their bad wares with artificiall lying By this Art they get their liuing and therefore as the people cryed Great is Diana of the Ephesianâ— Act. 19.34 so because they so gaine by this siluer shâ—ine of a lying mouth therfore great is this Diana of Englandâ— and much honoured in Towne and Country But me thinks they should neuer looke vpon the money so gotten but it should make them to open a veine and bleede for may they noâ— say of such mony Is not this Acâ—ldama is it not the Field nay price of bloud haue we not for this corrupt reward with cruell hands euen shed the blâ—â—d of our Seruant and the bloud of our owne deare Childe haue we not for a little perishing wealth sould the life of our Seruant and the life of our owne bowels to the Diuell But may lying at no hand be indured then the admonitioâ—i which the Apostle giueth is good for vs and we should endeauour to cast off lying or to thrust it from vs and to speakâ— the truth euery Man to his Neighbour that is to speake nothing to any Man but what we know to be true or answerable to our new-man in the image of truth Eph. 4.25 for wee are renâ—ed in the holinesse of truth and therefore must be true as God is true vers 24. Also we haue put off the old-man of vnrighteousnes therefore wee must not lye one to another which is one of his works Colos. 3.9 Further that that Moses saith or the Lord by him belongeth to vs Yee shall not steale nor deale falsely nor lye one to another Leuit. 19.11 And here as thefâ— and lying vsually goe together so they commonly couple as companions Wouldest thou then blush to be a Thiefe be as much ashamed to be a Lyer To lye is a base thing but truth is noble and who can endure that it should be sayd to his face Thou lyest or You lye Lastly is it intolerable to tell lyes then is it horrible to sweare them and heere the greater may not be abidden where the lesser cannot be indured which maketh against false witnesse and periury in iudgement for if wee may not tell a lye then we may not sweare a lye and if not in priuate speech much lesse in Iudgement This vvould be considered of Iurers and Quest-men who as they fill mâ—ns â—ares with vntruths so they defile the place of Iudgement with periury and vnrighteousnes whiles by a false verdict they make the sacred Seate of Iustice which is Gods owne Chayre of estate on earth a Sanctuary for false sentence and whiles as much as in them lyeth they make the Lord himselfe in those high persons who sit in that chaire to oppresse the innocent and to cleere the wicked Some with respect of persons giue themselues altogether being Sworne-men to packe matters to gratifie their friends with the Lords dishonour And some going vpon the life and death of a man whom they would corruptly saue or wickedly destroy dread not eyther by periury to saue life in the vessels of carnall pittie and corrupt hyre or to shed bloud by crueltie where no cause is saue that malice will not let the simple liue By this high straine the holinesse of the Lord is defiled as much as is in man to defile it and the person of Sathan put vpon the person of the Lord as farre as Man can do it The consideration hereof should admonish all of you Christian Lord and graue Magistrates to be circumspect what oathes you receiue and what lawfull oathes they that be vnder you minister in Court where you sit as Iudges and if you finde any to faile of fidelâ—tie to sift their testimonie well before you passe it for it is no small matter to suffer a seate of such excellency as you sit on to be defiled with impure swearing The Kings Chayre is kept cleane and shall the holinesse of the Lord be violated Here also you must take good heed how and with what reason you beleeue those Aduocates that speake for their Fee though vnsworne For some vvill tell you farre otherwayes then the thing is if you will beleeue them and speake euill of good or good of euill Esa. 5.20 if you will heare them Some vvill whet their wit and polish their tongue to couer a false and naughtie matter and to make that seeme good which is indeede naught If there be none such in this Court and I hope there is not I speake against none here And for those vvho be here this that I haue sayd may serue to preuent corruption that it enter not not to tax corruption where it is not Here let none excuse himselfe because hee must speake for his Client For hee must speake that onely for him which is true or which hee thinketh to be true else hee takes a fee to goe to Hell for his Client Some say they spake as they thought and some of such say true for they neither spake well nor thought well else how could they who are so witty to prouide shifts as it were colours to mend and varnish a bad cause bee so simple in the helps which belong to a good cause The Prophets last generall protestation against offendors followeth Betimes I will destroy all the wicked c. THE Prophet as a cleane soule comming out of the hand of the Creatour and entring into the Realme left by Saul as into a bodie altogether vncleane and polluted with great filth of much iniustice and wickednesse that then abounded doth heere take a bond of himselfe presently by Gods helpe to roote out wicked persons and to purge that whole bodie where without delay as it were rising early he promiseth betimes to set vpon the worke with purpose to effect the cure of the holy Citie and whole land And here he resembleth the Sun in the heauens which as soone as it riseth or before it appeare chaseth the darknes before it and is cloathed with glory as with a Roabe for so as soone as he came to the Kingdome or before he was placed in it as the Sunne of that Firmament like a right Noble Starre in an obscure Land hee gaue forth as his beames of approach these holy promises which he holily obserued so soone as with the consent of all the Tribes hee was made and confirmed King Further he saith that betimes or morning after morning he will destroy or vtterly cut off all the wicked of the Land Hee saith all without acception of persons or exception of Men. And for the wicked he sheweth in the words following what he meaneth by them as namely workers of iniquitie and these hee will with his morning care dispatch out of the Church and Common-wealth of Israel that is he will presently so doe and from time to time This is the meaning of the words wherin we may consider further the manner of his reformation it shall be instantly done and
for the head is gold the rest are clay and yron They that can make Idols of vs in our veinâ— and will flatter vs in our sinnes shall though they be neuer so vnworthy otherwayes bee made our companions and dearest louers and friends And if there be a Cedar in the Towne in which vve dwell though a Cedar but in worldly stature and in goodnesse a bramble we rather combine in societie with that pricking briar then with those meeke ones that feare the Lord and doe reuerence to his Name The reason is the smoake of pride loueth to be climbing till it vanish by a high minde that goeth before the fall Prouerb 16.18 And this is it that maketh our proud Christians to looke with such disdaine vpon those that are of low degree though their vertues deserue their best countenance vvhere yet they honour the apparell and externall habit of persons in high place though their vices deserue contempt and their names no good report Indeed so long as vve be in the world we shal not chose but sometimes must keepe some kinde of companie with such yet wee may chuse to grace them to take pleasure in them and though we cannot in body yet wee should alwayes in affection separate from them A terrour therefore to the wicked who though they flourish in the world yet they wither and grow vile in the estimation of euery good man Gods children must hold them base though the worlds children thinke them precious For the world loueth them but with the enmitie of God People salute them but with disdaine and at feasts they haue the chiefe roome but no place in heauen A comfort to those vvho lye open to all contempt for their profession For the world may despise them but good men are bound to honor them The wicked may vnhouse them but they shal dwell in the hearts of Gods children Vile persons may euill entreate them but good Magistrates will saue them from wrong and punish those that wrong them Scorners may mocke so meane a type of honor in those who are content to be fâ—oles for Christ but Dauid and such as Dauid is vvill praise them as wise and vse them as companionsâ— Other wicked persons protested against follow There shall no dissembling person dwell c. THE persons against which the Prophet maketh a further promise to proceed are Dissemblers and Lyars and their qualities deceipt and lying Before hee said that hee would entertaine faithfull persons and persons that walke in the perfect way or way of truth here he promiseth to put from him and from all affaires vnder himâ— those who practise deceit and tell lies For the first of the two which is a dissâ—mbler and the propertie in him which is dissimulation by a dissembling person wee must vnderstand a deceiuer and hypocrite in vvord and deed and by dissimulation falsehood and guile in both The Scripture calleth it the guile of heart or the sinne of a double heart contrarie to integritie and faithfulnesse fruits of a simple heart and properties of plaine men simple-hearted Now the Prophet saith that no such persons and that no persons of such parts shall dwell in house with him his meaning is that so farre as hee could know them they should not tarry in his seruice nor continue seruants in his house which hee speaketh as Master in a Familie and as chiefe Magistrate in a kingdome From whence the point taught is that all Gouernors should haue an eye vnto and proceede against all dissemblers and dissimulation publikely and in their priuate gouernement Saul an hypocrite had an eye on Dauid 1 Sam. 18.9 where he needed not but where is need euery Dauid should haue an eye of suspicion on all hypocrites such as Saul was in a Countrie or great house Elisha had a dissembling and bribing seruant a Gehazi vvho would runne after a reward where his Master would take none but his eye went with him and hee watched his hypocrisie vvhen he vvent from him 2 Kin. 5.26 Shebna was a dissembler and Chancellour to Hezekiah therefore vvhen the King sent him to the parle with Rabshakeh hee sent two good men with him to vvatch him euen Eliakim the steward of his house and Ioab the Recorder For Hezekiah for his hypocrisie and ill deserâ— had lately at the commaundement of the Lord taken one great place from him and giuen it to his fellow that was better then hee though hee durst not disrobe him all together and leaue him without all place leâ—t his ambition mounted before vpon the wings of two so great honours in the kingdome should furthered also vvith too great discontentment if both his wâ—â—gs had beene cut haue beene set vpon reuenge and disloialtie therefore he would put no great trust in him but sent him vnder guard and as it vvere with two Superintendents to the King of Ashurs Lieutenant then before the wall to watch him that hee might not bee lift vp to doâ— euill And thus Eliakim and Ioab two great men were sent vvith him to be bridles to his ambition that hee might not take head against his Master There was little confidence to be put in Ioab Dauid durst not trust him and could neuer master him and therefore giueth a great charge to Salomon his sonne to looke vnto him 1 King 2.5 Shimâ—â— also dissembled and could coâ—nterfait that Dauid knew and therefore gaue a like charge to his sonne concerning him ver 9. Ananias that hypocrite and Saphirae his Wife as very an hypocrite both of them great dissemblers and lyars to GOD were striken by the hand of God in the Ministery of Peter Peter could not abide them in his sight and they fell downe dead at his feet Act. 5.5.10 The Reasons First dissembling taketh away the vse of speach vvhich should be the Key to the minde to open it For the vse of speech is to expresse the meaning of the heart or to be the hearts Iâ—terpreter But the dissembler corrupteth this vse of speech and end of talke by a deceitful tongue nay ouer-turneth all humane societie and dealings betweene man and man by vttering with the tongue what was neuer conceiued by the heart And is he to be suffered among men who laboureth to destroy the fellowship of men Secondly the dissembler is not only false in tongue but in deed and dissimulation as it maketh a diuorce betweene the tongue and the minde so doth it betweene the tongue and the hand and so he that is a dissembler is false tongued and left-handed But he that is such shall be knowne that is made an example that he may be knowne Prou. 10.9 And who shall make this example of him but Magistrates and such as are in authoritie Thirdly a dissembler is like a couered piâ— in the fellowship of men the simple fall into it For hauing crept into the seruice or fauour of persons of countenance by flatterie and keeping in by falshood what is he not able