A Body of Practical Divinity

(1.) A bearing False Witness for another. When we do give our Testimony for a Person that is Criminal and Guilty, we justify him as if he were Innocent. Isa. 5.23. Which justify the Wicked for Reward. He that goes to make a wicked Man just, makes himself Unjust.

(1.) A bearing False Witness for another. When we do give our Testimony for a Person that is Criminal and Guilty, we justifie him as if he were Innocent. Isa. 5.23. Which justifie the Wicked for Reward. He that goes to make a wicked Man just, makes himself Unjust.

(2.) There is a bearing False Witness against another: i. e. When we accuse another in open Court falsely. This is to imitate the Devil, who is the Accuser of the Brethren. Tho the Devil is no Adulterer, yet he is a False Witness. Solomon saith, Prov. 25.18. A Man that beareth false Witness against his Neighbour, is a Hammer and a Sword. In his Face he is hardened like an Hammer, he cannot blush, he cares not what Lie he witnesseth to. And he is a Sword: His Tongue is a Sword to wound him he witnesseth against in his Goods or Life. Thus 1 Kings 21.13. There came in two men, Children of Belial, and witnessed against Naboth, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the King: And their Witness took away his Life. The Queen of Persia being sick, the Magicians accused two Godly Virgins, that they had by Charms procured the Queens Sickness; whereupon she caused these Virgins to be sawn asunder. A False Witness doth pervert the place of Judicature: He corrupts the Jury; his bearing False Witness makes them give in a false Verdict: And he corrupts the Judge, by making him pronounce a wrong Sentence, and cause the Innocent to suffer. Vengeance will find out the False Witness.