A69235:105
A treatise against lying Wherein is showed what it is, the nature and causes…A treatise against lying Wherein is shevved vvhat it is, the nature and causes…
A treatise against lying Wherein is showed what it is, the nature and causes of this sin, the divers kinds of it; and that all of them are sinful, and unlawful, with the motives and means to preserve us from it, or to cure us of it. By John Downame, B. of D. and preacher of Gods Word.A treatise against lying Wherein is shevved vvhat it is, the nature and causes of this sinne, the divers kindes of it; and that all of them are sinfull, and unlawfull, with the motives and meanes to preserve us from it, or to cure us of it. By John Dovvname, B. of D. and preacher of Gods Word.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Nicolas Bourne, 1636
Title page typeset from the transcription.
A TREATISE AGAINST THE SIN OF LYING. › Chapter 9A TREATISE AGAINST THE SINNE OF LYING. › Chapter 9
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.
Divers questions and Cases concerning officious Lies, propounded and resolved.
Divers questions and Cases concerning officious Lyes, propounded and resolved.
Now these things being well weighed, 1will serve as a thread to guide us out of the most intricate labyrinth of the most difficult cases that are usually propounded, and enable us to answer the hardest questions and objections. First, it may be demanded whether it may not be lawful to tell a lye, when therein we propound unto our selves some special good end; as either the obtaining of some great benefit, or the avoiding of some great and imminent danger of falling into some evil of sin or punishment. Concerning the former, I answer, that there can accrue unto us no such benefit by lying, as is sufficient to counterpoise the loss, to wit, of our souls by sinning, if God in mercy should not give us repentance. Secondly, that is not to be esteemed a benefit which is procured by unjustice; for even the Heathen man could teach us, that 2there is nothing profitable which is not honest, as no lye is, seeing truth is opposed by it. And the doctrine of Christian religion informeth us in this truth, that it is not sufficient for the making of an action good and lawful that our end be good, unless also the means be so, by using whereof we attain unto this end. Thirdly, if this were granted that we might do a less evil for the advancing ⟨p. 82⟩of a greater good; then as Saint Augustine 3saith all good Laws and manners should be quite overthrown, and a wide door opened to all wickedness. For then it might be lawful for a thief to rob a rich covetous man, that hordeth up his wealth and doth no good with it; if he propound this end to his theft, that he will bestow the greatest part of what he hath stolen for the relief of the poor, or for a man to bear false witness before a Judge, if it tend to the clearing of the innocent and condemning of the nocent party; or to burn a Will or Testament when the Testator hath made choice of a bad Heir, and to substitute a false Will in the place thereof, that the inheritance or goods may not come to the hands of such as will do no good, but may by this means fall unto them who will feed the hungry, clothe the naked, lodge strangers, redeem captives, and build Churches, Why should not all these evils be done for these ends that be so good, if for these good things they cease to be evil?