Secondly, There is mendacium officiosum, the officious lye, the helpful lye; and that is when a man lies to help himself §2or others at a pinch, at a dead lift. When men lye either 1to prevent some danger they fear, or else to bring about some good they desire, then they tell an officious lye. Thus the Egyptian Midwives lied, and thus Rahab lied, and thus the old Prophet lied, who contrary to the command of God, persuaded the man of God to go back and eat bread with him under the pretence of a divine Revelation. And thus 2Jacob told his father an officious (threefold) lye, but he hardly ever had a merry day, a good day after it; for God followed him with variety of troubles, and his sorrows, like Jobs Messengers, came posting in one after another, even to his dying day, that both himself and others might see what bitterness is wrapped up in officious lies. Solon reproving Thespis (the Poet) for lying, Thespis answered him, that it was not material, seeing it was but in sport; then Salon beating the ground with his staff, said, If we commend lying in sport, we shall find it afterwards in good earnest. In all our bargains and dealings, let us make it our wisdom and our work to remember, That we must not do evil, that good may come; yea, we 3must not tell a lye to save all the Souls under Heaven. The Prisciallanists in Spain (a most pestilentious Sect) taught in Augustine's time, That it was lawful to lye for the helping of a good cause, and for the propagating of the Gospel, and for the advantage of Religion. But Augustine confuted them, and stoutly asserts in two Books, That we are not to tell an officious lye, to tell a lye for no hurt, but for good, though it were to save all the world. Will ye speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him? saith Job to his 4friends? A man may as well commit fornication with the Moabites to draw them to our Religion, or steal from the ⟨p. 115⟩rich to give to the poor, as lye to do another man a good turn. Nepos reporteth of Epaminondas, a noble man of Thebes, and a famous Warrior, that he would never lye in jest nor in earnest, either for his own or another's gain. This refined Heathen will one day rise in Judgment against such kind of Christians, who take a great pleasure in officious lies. Now were there none within nor without the Walls of London, that delighted themselves in officious lies? But,
Secondly, There is mendacium officiosum, the officious lye, the helpful lye; and that is when a man lyes to help himself §2or others at a pinch, at a dead lift. When men lye either 1to prevent some danger they fear, or else to bring about some good they desire, then they tell an officious lye. Thus the Egyptian Midwives lyed, and thus Rahab lyed, and thus the old Prophet lyed, who contrary to the command of God, perswaded the man of God to go back and eat bread with him under the pretence of a divine Revelation. And thus 2Jacob told his father an officious (threefold) lye, but he hardly ever had a merry day, a good day after it; for God followed him with variety of troubles, and his sorrows, like Jobs Messengers, came posting in one after another, even to his dying day, that both himself and others might see what bitterness is wrapt up in officious lyes. Solon reproving Thespis (the Poet) for lying, Thespis answered him, that it was not material, seeing it was but in sport; then Salon beating the ground with his staff, said, If we commend lying in sport, we shall find it afterwards in good earnest. In all our bargains and dealings, let us make it our wisdom and our work to remember, That we must not do evil, that good may come; yea, we 3must not tell a lye to save all the Souls under Heaven. The Prisciallanists in Spain (a most pestilentious Sect) taught in Augustines time, That it was lawful to lye for the helping of a good cause, and for the propagating of the Gospel, and for the advantage of Religion. But Augustine consuted them, and stoutly asserts in two Books, That we are not to tell an officious lye, to tell a lye for no hurt, but for good, though it were to save all the world. Will ye speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him? saith Job to his 4friends? A man may as well commit fornication with the Moabites to draw them to our Religion, or steal from the ⟨p. 115⟩rich to give to the poor, as lye to do another man a good turn. Nepos reporteth of Epaminondas, a noble man of Thebes, and a famous Warriour, that he would never lye in jest nor in earnest, either for his own or anothers gain. This refined Heathen will one day rise in Judgment against such kind of Christians, who take a great pleasure in officious lyes. Now were there none within nor without the Walls of London, that delighted themselves in officious lyes? But,
- 1Exod. 1. 15. to the 20. Josh. 2. 1. to vers. 9. 1 Kings 13. 14. to 27.
- 2Gen. 27. 19.
- 3Rom. 3. 8.
- 4Job 13. 7.
