lesson both for daies-men and such as are produced as witnesses before them whereby both the one and the other may be taught better to doe a Christian duty herein then many do Witnesses although they speak not in such case vpon oath yet ought in honesty nay in Christianity to discharge a good conscience and not to speak vntruly For if they doe they transgresse against this law As for them who as friends are appointed to arbitrate and order such matters if they be stiffe for a friend against that which by witnesses shall appeare to be truth and thereupon giue their order accordingly they then beare false witnes against their neighbour For all the friendship that a true Christian friend can shewe to his friend in this case is to take heede that hee bee not wrōged neither the witnesses words wrested but if hee yeelde not to the truth he is a transgressor As for thē that are broght before Iudges to giue their euidence because they are sworn to speake the truth if they doe it not their fault is much the greater Thou shalt not doe vniustly in iudgement Deu. 19.35 Their fault I say is much the greater because they make that al-knowing God Pro. 6.19 who hateth the false witnesse that speaketh lyes and threatneth to be a swift witnesse against such as forswear thēselues Mal. 3.5 because such as swear falsly by his name Leu. 19.12 pollute the name of their God who is the Lord who can and wil be reuēged of such transgressions they make him a witnesse of their lyes And as their offence is hainous against God himselfe so do they abuse the Iudgement seat the Court of Iustice drawing the same by their falshood vnto iniustice Pro. 19.28 A wicked witnesse mocketh at iudgement and the mouth of the wicked swalloweth vp iniquity For such witnesses hide and kéepe out of sight the truth of the cause which is to be tried and by that meanes vndoe such as through their false oath leese their right Q. As such men by their periurie sin against the third Commandement so in thus wronging their neighbour they steale away their neighbours maintenance of his life and so offend against the sixt and eighth Commandement and therefore may iustly bee hated of God and man A. So are they For as concerning God it is reckoned vp among the things that his soule abhorreth Pro. 6.19 And in respect of the wrong that is therby offered to men God taketh order that among his people what hurt soeuer a man might haue by a false testimonie the same should be layd vpon the false witnesse whether losse of life or any limme and this without pittie God commandeth to be executed Deu. 19.21 As for men in diuers places diuers punishments haue bin appointed to such and all shew a detestation therof In Scotland Keneth a King ordered that if a man told but a lye whereby another was hurt the lyer should be disarmed of his sword banished out of mens company The City of Millan in Italy if the sum of mony were not great which by forswearing a man sustayned something imitated that punishment that God appointed among his people yet adding this that such should go about the City 3. daies with a paper about his head to shew his offence the second fault was losse of his hand the third fault was punished by burning to death The Venetians cut out their tongues that so offended Francus the first of that name French King made a lawe that such should suffer death In all which it may appeare that gouernours magistrates séeing the great hurt that false witnesses wrought in al societies sought by sharpnes of punishment to roote out that euill out of their gouernments Q. All such as raise against any man vntrue reports whereby they may bee defamed or il thought on are transgressors of this lawe A. Most certaine Therfore Speake not euill one of another brethren Iam. 4.11 He that speaketh euil of his brother or condemneth his brother speaketh euill of the law and condemneth the law saith S. Iames. The Prophet Dauid professeth he will be an enemy to such men Him that priuily slandereth his neighbour Psal 101.5 will I destroy And the son of Sirach telleth vs what reward the slanderer may expect Eccl. 5.15 He that is a back-biter shall be hated enuied and confounded Therefore The righteous man hateth lying words Pro. 13.5 but the wicked causeth slaunder shame Such men were so troublesome to Dauid that he estéemed their tongs sharpned as the Serpents Psal 140.3 and Adders poison to bee vnder their lips I néed not produce the examples out of Scriptures to shew what euill such men work among neighbors daily experiēce affordeth too many and too lamentable effects that grow therof how godly men are disgraced the innocent and spotlesse in comparison of their accusers blamed and holy conuersation is vniustly accused Q. But what think you of them who readily and too rashly giue eare to such reports A. They are guilty of transgression of this law likewise Prou 17.4 The wicked saith Salomon giueth heed to false lips a lyer harkeneth to a naughty tong But whatsoeuer thēselues are such by listning too well to such slanderers giue more incouragement to them to go forward in that wicked course and there is no doubt such an impression in their own heart of that which they heare so willingly that in the very perswasion of their heart they beare false witnesse against the guiltlesse and condemne too often the faultlesse Q. Are there no other transgressions against this lawe A. Yes diuers Our offence against it is too cōmon in this country A man bindeth to peace one of whō he standeth in feare of some bodily hurt The other for the most part for a reuenge will be content to take his Oath that hee also standeth in feare of him though his owne conscience telleth him it is not so By this meanes euen against his owne knowledge he beareth this false witnesse against the other that hee is a dangerous man though himselfe beléeueth it not yet he séeketh to perswade others therof by his Oath A gréeuous sin but too common Another wil extoll a man though euill whom he loueth far aboue his worth and whom he misliketh wil lode with all disgrace Salomon telleth vs Pro. 17.15 that hee who iustifieth the wicked and condemneth the Iust euen they both are an abomination to the Lord. Esa 5.20 And Esay crieth Woe to them which call good euill and euill good And all such are false witnesses which God heere forbiddeth Other transgressions also there are as these counterfeit foolish too much made of by many yea by some great men these common players may slaunder they thinke by authority and the more satyrical that they are the better they are liked of and the more they please themselues too So this gréeuous transgression and very
reasons For first there are many good vses of an Oath as the ending of strife and controuersies Exod. 22.8 11. that might arise among neighbours as in such cases as are set downe Therefore the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith Eb. 6.16 that an Oath for confirmation is among men an end of all strife Secondly it hath beene vsed for assuring of bargaines and couenants as betweene Abraham and Abimelech Gen. 21.31 And when Iacob bought Esaus birth-right hee made Esau to assure the sale thereof vnto him by an Oath Thirdly Gē 25.33 an Oath hath been vsed to bind more strongly the seruant to faithfull seruice Gen. 24.9 as Abraham swore his seruant when he sent him to get a Wife for his sonne Isaak and the Subiects to loyalty alleagance So did Nebuchad-nezar take an oath of alleagance of Iehoiakin king of Iuda and God called that oath his Oath 2. Chro. 36 13. and threatneth grieuously the King and people for breach of that Oath Ezech. 17.18.19 But besides these good vses of an oath we sée it is often commanded in the Scriptures which should rather be forbidden if it were vnlawfull Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God Deut. 6.13 and serue him sweare by his name Againe Deu. 10.20 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and shalt cleaue vnto Him and shalt sweare by his Name Yea the Prophet doth testifie that they shall bee praysed that sweare by his name Ps 63.11 If vnto these I would ad examples of godly men who vpon good occasions did sweare besides Abraham and Iaacob already spoken of Gē 47.31 I might alleadge Ioseph Moses Iosh 14.9 and many moe who if an oath had been vnlawfull would not haue sworne Q. But they make shew of reason for this their errour alleaging the words of Christ Mat. 5.34 Sweare not all after whome also Saint Iames the Apostle taught the same lesson A. These words being truely vnderstood make nothing to maintaine their errour Christ reproueth in the words alleadged two corruptions of those times concerning Oathes The first that if they swore by the creatures though in them Gods Maiesty doth shine they did imagine they took not the name of God in vaine But Christ telleth them that his honour is so tyed vnto his creatures that without diminishing his glory they cannot sweare by them The second corruption was that they had these Oathes in their common talke and as it seemeth were of that mind that many now are that so they swore truly they sinned not Christ therefore teacheth them that in their communication or ordinarie talke they should vse no swearing but they should simply affirm a truth or deny an vntruth which hee meaneth by these words that their communication should bee yea yea nay nay and whatsoeuer is more commeth of euill Mat. 5.37 And S. Iames thus expoundeth these words of our Sauiour Christ that their yea should be yea and their nay nay that is whether they affirme or deny it should be true that they say But against other Oathes then such as are vsed in ordinarie or common talke and in déed are too commonly vsed among vs there is nothing in these words Q. I see then it is lawful to sweare but teach me how in Othes the name of God may be taken in vaine A. First by false swearing for the end of an Oath should be to lay open the truth and to make it known that might otherwise lie hidden within vs. If then the taking of the name of God worke not this effect it is taken in vaine God therefore by his Prophet Ieremy teaching his people how they might keepe themselues in this point from breaking this Commandement Iere. 4.2 saith Thou shalt sweare The Lord liueth in truth in iudgment and in righteousnesse And by the same Prophet reprouing his people for their hypocrisie Ier. 5.2 saith thus Thogh they say The LORD liueth yet they sweare falsely Yea he giueth a plain Commandement Leuit. 19.12 Thou shalt not sweare lyingly by my Name Q. If then the end of an Oath bee to discouer a truth what shall wee thinke of the doctrine of aequiuocation which teacheth not onely to deny a truth but to do it vpon an Oath and thinke they do well that so forsweare themselues A. I say it is a doctrine very fit and sutable to the Priests Iesuits who mainetaine the same for as they striue as much as they can to take all truth out of the Church so do they heereby what in them lyeth to take away all Faith honest dealing from among men For when men may not be trusted vpon their word no not vpon their Oath but that still they may suspect some secret reseruations to be hidden in their deceitfull hearts what safety can there bee in dealing with such men Q. Let these Aequiuocatours then passe as wilfull transgressours of this third Commandement and as wilfully deceiuing others by their most irreligious doctrine is this Commandement broken only by false swearing A. It is broken also by all vaine swearing for as wee must sweare in truth so in Iudgement also as out of Ieremie I shewed before And this word of iudgment doth signifie Iere. 4.2 either that the Oath must be taken before a Iudge as in the cases formerly mentioned out of Exodus Exod. 22.8 11. it was commanded or at the least iudicially in matters of great importance and for ending of waighty controuersies as the Oathes that the godly of whome I spoke before were made but to cal God to witnes in matters of no moment is a great dishonouring of Him and his name Much like as if a king or mighty Prince of grauity and wisdome should bee called to be a Iudge among children of their push-pin or blow-poynt or such toyish games Q. Besides the vaine matters that men sweare for many times such othes bring men to a custome of swearing whereby this Commandement must needs bee broken and they who vse such oathes are in danger to be snared thereby A. The sonne of Sirach giueth very good counsell for this matter Accustome not thy mouth saith he to swearing for in it there are many falls neither take vp for a custome the naming of the Holie one for thou shalt not bee vnpunished for such things A man that vseth much swearing shall be filled with wickednesse Eccle. 23.9.11 and the plague shall neuer goe from his house And if he sweare in vaine he shall not be innocent but his house shall be full of plagues Againe to talke with him that sweareth much Eccl. 27.14 maketh the haire to stand vp and to striue with such stoppeth the eares Q. Wee must needes accuse our times then of great corruption wherin too many scarce can speake but with oathes yea swearing if it bee done with a grace in so grieuous gracelesse sinne many pride themselues too much in as
to perform this duty Q. Wee haue heard what persons should be furtherers to this worke of sanctifying the Sabbath Now let vs heare what duties are required of vs to the sanctifying thereof A. If wee will holily as wee ought apply our selues to this holy seruice wee must beginne with our selues for vnlesse wee be first sanctified Mat. 7.18 our seruice cannot be holy An euill tree cannot bring forth good fruit saith He that cannot lye The Priests in the Leuiticall Law when they went about that holy seruice that belonged to their office must first themselues bee sanctified Exod. 28.41 And therefore Iosiah that good King minding to haue the feast of the Passeouer kept 2. Chro. 35.6 commanded the Priests to sanctifie themselues for that seruice And God commanded the people of Israel to be sanctified Exod. 19.10 when he appointed to declare to them his Law Good Ezechia therfore intreated God to be mercifull to some that came out of some Tribes of Israel to the feast of the Passeouer that prepared their whole heart to seeke the LORD 2. Chro. 30.19 although they wanted the Legal sanctification This good foundation of sanctifying our selues beeing thus layd all that wee doe will bee better accepted with God Then must wée carefully follow all the holy exercises of that day such as are these hearing of the Word attentiuely and as men greedy to learne Praying to GOD feruently for the assistance of his holy Spirit in all our godly indeuours yeelding to him most hearty thankes for his graces bestowed vpon vs godly conference when wee are out of the Church one with another of the lessons that we haue heard by the Ministery of the Word company with such as can and will instruct vs either by reading to vs good Bookes or by godly talk either of Gods goodnes to our selues or his mercy shewed to others or his fearefull iudgments against the wicked for contempt of Him and his truth or generally of his wonderfull works in creating all things in such order as they are and all for our vse Q. I perceiue they that are sanctified and with sanctified hearts doe keepe the Sabbath day may find much comfort in such holy exercises but how may wee sanctifie our selues A. It is a harder worke then wee are able to performe yet if we heartily call vpon God for his grace intreating Him to worke that in vs which wee of our selues are no way able to doe and then keepe a carefull watch at the dore of our lips that we speake not vnaduisedly and haue a watchfull eye vnto our waies that we walke warily if I say in sincerity of heart wee thus seeke to prepare our selues to sanctifie our selues to this holy rest no doubt God wil giue a blessing to these our good indeuors Q. Alasse then how lamentable is the case of many in our dayes who spend scarcely one hower of the day in the Church and thinke that time also how short soeuer long and tedious But in the Ale-howses or the vngodly feasts and meetings which too many resort vnto they willingly tarry very long yea the whole day seemeth too short when it is bestowed so rebelliously against Gods expresse Cōmandement A. In truth the carelesnesse and supine security of men in these our dayes is much to be pittied wherein many who haue the name of Christians would scorne to be deemed not to be so haue onely heard of GOD and are acquainted with the name of Christ and so by continuall company among Christians haue some generall knowledge of good words but yet are so carelesse to attaine to any true knowledge by the light of Gods word so godlesse and irreligious in prophanation of the Sabbath day so wholy deuoted to such vnchristian méetings and so loose lewd in behauiour when they are there that if any Turkes or Infidels should behold their conuersation at such times they would then detest the very name of Christianity such staines are they to the very profession Q. But God forbid all that resort to such meetings were so vnruly some are more moderate and come but at the intreaty of their friend or for company of their neighbours or fellowes not delighting much in drinking A. True some are more moderate but he that is most moderate if he trust too much in himselfe that he can in such dangerous meetings carry himselfe soberly may soone bee deceiued and therefore may seeme by his ouerboldnesse to tempt God as presuming of his own naturall disposition And let all men assure themselues heereof that God in his iust iudgement forsakes them and leaues them to themselues who contemptuously do breake his Law And therfore if their friend intreat them to disobey Gods Commandement in resorting vpon the Sabbath day to such feasts it is the part of a good Christian rather to moue his friend to detest his wicked prophanation of the Lords Sabbath but in any wise let not the seruant of God consent to his wicked perswasion Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do euill much lesse one seducing friend And since they say they go with their friend and thinke that should serue to make their fault lesse I would all Christians should remember 1. Thes 5.11 their duty is to exhort one another to good and to edifie one another in the things that belong to godlinesse but to suffer thy selfe to be drawne away to wickednesse is a token of great weakenesse and to consent to such perswasion procureth Gods wrath to bee short séeing the godly must abstaine from all shew of euill 1. The. 5.22 and must in all their doings as the third Commandement teacheth glorifie God it is most certaine that the resort to such vngodly méetings vpon the Sabbath day how moderately soeuer they carry themselues is a breach of Gods Commandement and therefore God in his iustice may and will in his good time punish such offenders vnlesse they repent and take a new course Q. What are the reasons whereby the Israelites are mooued to obey this Commandement A. The first reason is the Commandement of God which Moses heere in repeating the Law setteth forth and strengtheneth partly in respect of the authority of the Commander in calling him Lord partly hee allureth them to performe vnto this Commandement willing obedience because he hath many waies declared himselfe to bee their good and gracious God whom they cannot disobey without great note of vnthankfulnes Secondly in giuing them 6. daies to supply all wants of their body and for dispatch of their worldly affaires hee reserueth onely one to be wholy imploied in his honor and seruice the bestowing of which day in such sort as wee ought to doe is also most to our owne good because it is the gaining our soules to God I say by this his large allowance of so many daies for bodily labours they iustly are to be charged with a staine of ingratitude if they willingly giue not
thy neighbour as thy selfe Mat. 22 39 And S. Paul affirmeth loue to bee the fulfilling of the lawe Rom. 13.10 Now loue if it be vnfained and hearty not in word or in tongue but in deed and in truth 1. Ioh. 3.18 bringeth forth two fruites The one is a rescuing from euill the other doing of good to them whom we loue But to speake particularly of the fruits or effects of loue it is not néedfull since wée haue already declared what is forbidden For as we are forbidden to hurt another in body name or goods yea or to think or wish vncharitably to them or any thing belonging to them so on the contrary by this commandement we are bound to haue a tender care of the safety welfare and reputation of others as well as of our owne For the loue wee owe or at the least should owe to others must not haue any other measure then the loue wee beare to our selues And to be short as wée will be carefull not to omit any thing that maketh for our safety wealth or credit so carefull must we be to cherish and maintaine these things for other And thus much for the sixt Commandement Q. The seuenth Commandement is also a prohibiting or forbidding of that which is euill Thou shalt not commit adultery And is adultery onely forbidden A. Adultery in the proper signification is when the husband not contenting himselfe with his wife or the wife with her husband commit folly with others But there are besides this many sinnes of this nature in Scriptures vtterly condemned all which are in this commandement forbidden Thou shalt not lye with any beast to be defiled therewith Leuit. 18.23 neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lye downe thereto for it is an abomination and the punishment thereof is death both to the man or woman so vnnaturally offending and to the beast The sin of Sodom is likewise forbidden Leu. 18.22 Thou shalt not lye with a Male as one lyeth with a woman They must dye the death Leuit. 20.13 Q. These are monstrous and beastly sins such as it can hardly be thought that any of Gods people would euer commit especially that lying with beasts Neither do I remember that euer I read that any of the people of Israel were charged therewith in all the Scriptures A. True But we must know that God giueth not this commandement in vaine but séeing no sinnes are so grosse but that men may cōmit them vnlesse God by his grace restrain and bridle them it is néedefull that God should warne them thereof lest being carelesse and secure and trusting too much in their own detestation of such sinnes they might vpon a sudden at vnwares bee taken But as concerning that sin of Sodom it did cleaue too fast euen to the house of Iudah For as there were Sodomites in the land in the daies of Rehoboam 1. King 14.24 so when Asa his grand-child a good King did his best to put them away for of him it is written 1. King 15.12 that He tooke away the Sodomites out of the land yet some were left and Iehosaphat his sonne laboured therein and as it seemeth preuailed For 1. King 22.46 the Sodomites which remained in the days of Asa his father hee put cleane out of the land Notwithstanding the care these two good Kings had to abolish that filthy sinne yet about thrée hundred yeeres after this sin was crept not into the Country of Iuda or city of Ierusalem but euen into the Temple it self 2. King 23.7 and Iosiah broke downe the houses of the Sodomites that were in the house of the Lord. And therfore how vnnaturall soeuer this sin may seeme to bee yet was it too well liked of Gods owne people and therefore in this Commandement forbidden as also all vncleannesse of the flesh is of any sort Q. What thinke you of incestuous mariages or the vnlawfull company of neere Kinsfolke A. All those are forbidden by the Lawe of God Leuit. 18. and also expresly against this Commandement For if the sinnes of that nature that are lesse offensiue be condemned therby then much more they which are more offensiue as Buggery Sodomitry and Incest are And concerning this last it is that which Iohn the Baptist reprooued in Herod and lost his life for it Math. 14.4 It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife And Saint Paul reprehendeth in the Corinthians that one should haue his fathers wife 1. Cor. 5.1 Yea it is among those sinnes which God punished grieuously in his owne people Ezec. 22.10 In thee haue they discouered thy fathers shame Ezech. 22.31 Therefore haue I powred out mine indignation vpon them and consumed them with the fire of my wrath As for Adultery Leu. 20.10 it is not here onely forbidden in plaine words but also to bee punished by death Q. But what say you to fornication which some account not to bee a grieuous sin For Martin Chemnizius writing against the Councel of Trent that wicked cōspiracy of the Romish Church against God and his truth alleageth out of one Burchards Canons and rules concerning penance wherin is appointed for adulterers foureteene yeeres of penance and to fast bread and water fourescore dayes but to fornicators but ten daies penance In the fourth part of that examination for so the booke is called Pag. 72. A. It maketh no great matter what they say hereof for they account it more lawfull then for some to marrie as among other D. Smith against Peter Martyr that is a wanering and vnconstant Weather-cocke against a graue learned man according to his poore skill endeuored to defend that it was better for their Priests to kéepe a Harlot then to enter into that estate of mariage honorable among all men Heb. 13.4 But sure I am that by Gods Lawe fornication was death For if a man take a Mayd to be his wife and shee proue not a Virgin shee must be stoned to death Deut. 22.20 21. And among other manifest works of the flesh S. Paul reckoneth Adulterie Gal 5.19 Fornication Vncleannesse Wantonnesse As therefore those other monstrous and vnnaturall pollutions and adulterie are against this Commandement so is fornication also Q. And is not this Commaundement Thou shalt not commit adulterie broken but only by such acts as these A. Yes our Sauiour Christ saith in expounding this very commandement I say vnto you that whosoeuer looketh on a woman to lust after her Mat. 5.28 hath committed adulterie with her alreadie in his heart For the iust it selfe without any action for performance of the same is sinne And that a gazing and wandering eye is as a dangerous gulfe or wee le to drawe vs by little and little into the bottome of filthy lust daily experience might teach all men But this corrupt affection blindeth mens eyes so as we are not able to sée our danger 2. Sam. 11.2
to kill him that would remoue a bounder as Dionys Halicar reporteth lib. 2. Some steale their neighbours money by praising aboue the worth that which they sell and so perswading them the thing is better then it is whether Marchants for their wares or workemen for the worke which they make many times rather to the shew then for the profit of the buyer and to such Merchants the sonne of Sirach addeth Vitailers There are saith he two things Ecclus. 26 39. which I think to be hard perilus A Marchāt cannot lightly keep him from wrong and a Vitler is not without sin Yea the laboring man as it is fil he should haue his wages for his work so if he worke not truely for his wages doth but steale the money of him that set him to worke Hee that is slothfull in his worke Pro. 18.19 is euen the brother of him that is a great waster either of his own if he be slothfull in his own businesse or of his that hires him if he worke for another and so is a breaker of this Law Q. What shall we iudge of them who neuer thinke they haue worke enough for their money but by all meanes they can seek to increase and adde vnto other mens toile Deut. 25.4 A. God thus commandeth Thou shalt not mouzell the Oxe that treadeth out the corne And Salomon telleth vs Pro. 12.10 that A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast to teach vs thereby to be much more merciful vnto men and not to sucke out by too toilesome worke the very life of them that worke for vs as if wee thought men should liue onely to serue our turne But to rehearse all the meanes whereby wee steale from other men their goods and possessions it is impossible and therfore I set this down as a touchstone wherby we may trie whether wee bee faulty or not that whosoeuer séeketh by other mens losse to inrich himselfe is a thiefe and a transgressour of this Commandement And yet there is one thiefe more which because hee first beginneth with himselfe stealing first from himselfe I leaue to the last place of this kind of theeues That is the vnthrift that spendeth his Patrimony if hee haue any or whatsoeuer by his hands he getteth if he liue by his occupation or labour in drinking playing or some vnthrifty course so robbing himselfe of the meanes whereby he should liue this I confesse séemes to be but a foolish theefe but a théefe hee is yea and not in robbing himself only for hee robbeth others too For the poorest man if he be maried or kéep a house must thus thinke that which hee getteth his wife and family haue their part therein and so in spending their part hee is a thiefe and robbeth them If he haue Copie-hold or frée land or any inheritance other whom he leaueth behind haue interest therin and so the child vnborne is robbed by such vnthrifts Foolish therefore and false is that which they think and say sometime that they spend nought but their owne For they spend that also that belongeth to their family to their posterity And thus much of thefts that are done or committed Q. Are there also thefts by omission of duties which diuers men according to their seueral callings ought to performe A. Yea diuers And first to begin with the greatest theeues that robbe men of the food of the soule Behold saith the Lord Ier. 23.30 I will come against them which steale my word euery man from his neighbour Now the Pastors that are negligent in teaching are theeues of this sort They also who when they teach or instruct their people beare with mens sinnes and will not tell them of their transgressions as God commandeth his Prophet but will rather seeke to please as the desire of sinners is to sleepe securely in their sinnes Es 30.10 as wée may sée To be short they may truly be sayd to steale Gods words which take them from the eyes and knowledge of men and in stead therof deliuer mens traditions much like the Harlot 1. King 3.20 which rising in the night stole away the liuing childe from the true mother and layd the dead child in the roome of it Next vnto these are Iudges if they iudge not the cause of the Widow and fatherlesse but either for feare dare not or because they fauour great ones that are aduersaries to their cause will not or for any other worldly respect care not to doe speedy right to them as their state requireth and the equitie of their cause should moue them to do This their duty is commonly required of them in the Scriptures so that I néed not bring particulars of that I say herein If a man finde a thing and make not restitution it is sin to him Leuit. 6.3 and therefore a breach of this commandement And because this as all other of the Commandements require loue Thou shalt not see thy brothers Asse or his Oxe fall downe by the way and withdrawe thy selfe Deu. 22.4 but shalt lift him vp with him Yea if thou meet thine enemies Oxe or Asse going astray Exod. 23.4 thou shalt bring him to him again For the omission of such duties is a breach of this lawe Q. Now let vs heare somewhat of the ninth Commandement Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour A. As the last Commandement whereof I haue spoken restraineth our déedes and actions from doing wrong so this teacheth our tongues not to speake any thing whereby our neighbour may be wronged And in effect it requireth that which S. Paul willeth the Ephesians Wherefore cast off lying Ephe. 4.25 and speake euery man the truth vnto his neighbour For he is called Psal 31. The God of truth and loueth truth not in word or shew in the inward affection Psal 51.6 and therefore would haue vs to walke in the truth Q. But being forbid to beare false witnesse against our neighbour may we do it against others whom we call not neighbours as the Iewes thinke it lawfull to take vsury of vs because it is thus prohibited to them Deu. 23.19 Thou shalt not giue to vsurie to thy brother and vs they account not their brethren A. The word neighbour hath that sence in this place which our Sauiour Christ taught the captious expounder of the Lawe in Luke 10.37 as if it had been thus commaunded Thou shalt not beare false witnes against any man Q. Then teach vs I pray you how many waies this lawe may bee transgressed A. Either by ending matters in controuersie betwéen neighbours or by false reports or conceits of others or our selues Q. How in ending controuersies A. Two waies either when matters are ended by daies-men or by lawe Leu. 19.13 For séeing Thou mayst doe no wrong to thy neighbour but must follow Iustice iustly that is Deu. 16.20 in all sincerity I take this to be a good