The divine life in three treatises

18. The next Attribute of God to be spoken of, is [His Veracity, Truth, and Faithfulness.] This is the result of his perfect Wisdom, Goodness, and Omnipotency: For because he is most Wise and Powerful, he cannot be Necessitated to Lye: And because he is most Good, he will not Lye. Though God speaketh by none but a Created Voice, and signify his Will to us by men, that in themselves considered are defectible, yet what he maketh his Voice shall speak Truth; and what he chooseth to signify his Will, shall truly signify it. He therefore condemneth Lying in man, because it is contrary to his own Veracity. For if any should say that God is under no Law, and therefore is not bound to speak Ttuth, or not deceive a Prophet or Apostle by his Inspirations; I answer, that he hateth Lying as contrary to his Perfect Nature, and is himself against it, and cannot possibly be guilty of it, because of his own Perfection; and not because he is under a Law. Lying comes from some Imperfection, either of Knowledge, Power, or Goodness, which can none of them befall the Lord. The Goodness of the Creature is a Goodness of Conformity to an Obliging Law; and the Goodness of the Law is a Goodness of Conformity to, and expression of the Good Will of God. But the Goodness of God is a Perfection of Essence, the Primitive Goodness, which is the Fountain, and Standard, and End of all other Good; and not a Goodness of Conformity to another.

18. THe next Attribute of God to be spoken of, is [His Veracity, Truth, and Faithfulness.] This is the result of his perfect Wisdome, Goodness, and Omnipotency: For because he is most Wise and Powerful, he cannot be Necessitated to Lye: And because he is most Good, he will not Lye. Though God speaketh by none but a Created Voice, and signifie his Will to us by men, that in themselves considered are defectible, yet what he maketh his Voice shall speak Truth; and what he chooseth to signifie his Will, shall truly signifie it. He therefore condemneth Lying in man, because it is contrary to his own Veracity. For if any should say that God is under no Law, and therefore is not bound to speak Ttuth, or not deceive a Prophet or Apostle by his Inspirations; I answer, that he hateth Lying as contrary to his Perfect Nature, and is himself against it, and cannot possibly be guilty of it, because of his own Perfection; and not because he is under a Law. Lying comes from some Imperfection, either of Knowledge, Power, or Goodness, which can none of them befall the Lord. The Goodness of the Creature is a Goodness of Conformity to an Obliging Law; and the Goodness of the Law is a Goodness of Conformity to, and expression of the Good Will of God. But the Goodness of God is a Perfection of Essence, the Primitive Goodness, which is the Fountain, and Standard, and End of all other Good; and not a Goodness of Conformity to another.