A20559:214
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now the circumstances do aggravate this sin; It is very wicked and cursed, if it be in a private place, and in a private cause. But when one comes before a magistrate, in a public assembly, and in a matter publicly known, and to be publicly tried according to the truth and justice, then, to win credit to a lye and unjust dealing, by calling the true God to witness, and to behold is most notorious, and even to lye against the holy ghost, as Peter saith to Ananias. And this is to bring a many sins into one; to be a thief and rob the innocent, to pervert justice and trueth, and therefore when one comes to be a witness before the face of the congregation in judicial manner, then purposely upon set malice, ⟨image 61⟩to shroud and thrust forward a lye, as it were under the protection and safe-conduct of Gods most holy name, is one of the highest and sorest breaches of this commandment, and abuses of his name.
Now the circumstances doe aggrauate this sinne; It is verie wicked and cursed, if it be in a priuate place, and in a priuate cause. But when one comes before a magistrate, in a publique assembly, and in a matter publikly knowne, and to be publikly tryed according to the truth and justice, then, to winne credit to a lye and vniust dealing, by calling the true God to vvitnesse, and to behold is most notorious, and euen to lye against the holy ghost, as Peter saith to Ananias. And this is to bring a many sinnes into one; to be a theefe and rob the innocent, to peruert justice and trueth, and therefore when one comes to be a witnesse before the face of the congregation in judiciall manner, then purposely vppon set mallice, ⟨image 61⟩to shrowd and thrust forward a lye, as it were vnder the protection and safeconduct of Gods most holy name, is one of the highest and sorest breaches of this commandement, and abuses of his name.
Now the way to preserve one against all these abuses of Gods name, is to fear an oath, as in Ecclesiasticus, setting a good man and opposing him to a sinner, he gives him this mark, that he fears an oath, and if one be a frayde to accustom his tongue to swearing, he shall not easily be overtaken with wicked and much less perjured swearing, but he that hath so lavish a tongue as it can with as much facility and nimbleness pour forth oaths as any other words, he is in continual danger to fall into that foul and most odious and hateful sin of perjury. And thus we have heard how this commandment is broken.