A69235:108
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.
Concerning the latter, it may be questioned 1whether it be lawful to lye which is a less evil, to avoid a greater evil either of sin or punishment? Concerning sin we may consider it either in another or in our selves. In another it may be demanded whether we may not commit this small ⟨p. 83⟩sin of an officious lye, to pull one or many of our neighbours out of a great sin, in which if they live and dye, there were no hope for them to escape damnation. As when we see men to live in some damnable heresy, the which they keep so secret that there is no means to discover them to the Magistrate that they may be examined, confuted and reformed, unless some orthodox Christian by telling a lye, whereby he feigneth himself to be of the same opinions, do dive into their secrets, and come acquainted with the most of them that are of this heretical society, that so afterwards he may lay them open unto those that are best able to reclaim them. And this was the case of Consentius, dealing with those cunning heretics called the Priscillianistes, which occasioned Saint Augustine to write those two books of this argument, wherein he commendeth Consentius his love of truth, zeal, learning and elocution, but withal confuteth his opinion and practice. For to say nothing of that ill companion which accompanieth this kind of lying, which is treachery joined with deceit, a vice odious in the eyes of all that are virtuous and ingenuous, and to consider of the lye used to the former good end, what charity will teach a man to fall into one sin, that he may pull his neighbour out of another, or to offend God our selves that we may keep others from offending him, or to endanger our own souls that we may deliver theirs out of danger? For true charity beginneth at home, and teacheth us to love our neighbour as, and not better than our selves; and to love them in the same quality and trueth of ⟨p. 84⟩affection, and not in the same quantity and proportion. Yea if we should take this course to reclaim Heretics, we should love our selves less than them; because in some respects we commit a greater sin than they, seeing they maintain their errors out of ignorance, but we lye against knowledge and conscience, as he also speaketh.
Concerning the latter, it may bee questioned