A Faithful witness) which both hath sure knowledge of that which he affirmeth, and an upright heart to do service to God, & good to his brethren by his testimony, delivereth souls, endeavoureth by declaring the truth, to help innocent men out ⟨p. 126⟩of their troubles, and infamy where into they are fallen, or like to come, by unjust accusations or false surmises of them. For by souls in the Scriptures is often meant the persons of men. As Exod. 1. 5. All the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob, were seventy soul. But a deceitful one, a false witness, or crafty accuser forgeth lies, as sometimes▪ he perverteth the trueth, and abuseth it to cross justice and true dealing, so if that will not be for his turn to effect his purpose, then he inventeth a lye, and setteth a colour upon it to destroy or molest his harmless neighbours. For here doth the holy ghost oppose the deceitful to the faithful, and forging of lies, to delivering of souls, in regard of the effect that it worketh, because by that means many men are brought to danger and destruction. And as this is understood of the whole man, that a faithful witness will deliver him, so it is true concerning that part of man, the soul so properly called, that a faithful witness, either minister, or private person, according as opportunity serveth, will specially labour to deliver the heart from sin, by testifying the trueth of God against it, and so preserve his brother from destruction. This is according to that which S James speaketh: Brethren if any of you hath erred from 1the truth, and some man hath converted him, let him know that he which hath converted the sinner from going astray out of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. On the other side, the false Prophets▪ and seducers of all men, are the most deceitful and dangerous, & do greatest mischief with their corrupt doctrine and pestilent errors. The sense of this verse is agreeable to the sixth verse of the twelfth chapter, where it is said, that the talking of the wicked▪ is to lye in wait for blood: but the mouth of the righteous will deliver them. There it was observed, and here it is confirmed that wicked men mix their cruelty with craft and falsehood. For they lie in wait for blood, & they are deceitful, and forge lies.
A Faithfull witnesse) which both hath sure knowledge of that which he affirmeth, and an vpright heart to doe seruice to God, & good to his brethren by his testimony, deliuereth soules, indeauoureth by declaring the truth, to helpe innocent men out ⟨p. 126⟩of their troubles, and infamy where into they are fallen, or like to come, by vniust accusations or false surmises of them. For by soules in the Scriptures is often meant the persons of men. As Exod. 1. 5. All the soules that came out of the loynes of Iacob, were seuenty soule. But a deceitfull one, a false witnesse, or crafty accuser forgeth lies, as sometimes▪ he peruerteth the trueth, and abuseth it to crosse iustice and true dealing, so if that will not bee for his turne to effect his purpose, then he inuenteth a lye, and setteth a colour vpon it to destroy or molest his harmlesse neighbours. For here doth the holy ghost oppose the deceitefull to the faithfull, and forging of lyes, to deliuering of soules, in regard of the effect that it worketh, because by that meanes many men are brought to danger and destruction. And as this is vnderstood of the whole man, that a faithfull witnesse will deliuer him, so it is true concerning that part of man, the soule so properly called, that a faithfull witnesse, either minister, or priuate person, according as opportunity serueth, will specially laboure to deliuer the heart from sinne, by testifying the trueth of God against it, and so preserue his brother from destruction. This is according to that which S Iames speaketh: Brethren if any of you hath erred from 1the truth, and some man hath conuerted him, let him knowe that hee which hath conuerted the sinner from going astraye out of his waye, shall saue a soule from death, and shall hide a multitude of sinnes. On the other side, the false Prophets▪ and seducers of all men, are the most deceitfull and dangerous, & do greatest mischiefe with their corrupt doctrine and pestilent errors. The sence of this verse is agreeable to the sixt verse of the twelfth chapter, where it is sayde, that the talking of the wicked▪ is to lye in waite for bloud: but the mouth of the righteous will deliuer them. There it was obserued, and here it is confirmed that wicked men mixe their cruelty with craft and falshood. For they lie in vvait for bloud, & they are deceitfull, and forge lies.
- 1Jam 5. 19. 20.Iam 5. 19. 20.
