A69235:112
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.
There is (saith he) no chastity of the body which doth not depend upon the integrity of the mind, which being pulled from the other, it must needs fall, although it may seem untainted and untouched, and for this cause is not to be numbered amongst temporal things, seeing they may be taken from those that are unwilling to leave them. And therefore by no means the mind must corrupt it self with a lye for its body, which it knoweth to remain incorrupt, if the incorruption doth not depart from the soul. For what the body suffereth through violence, there being no precedent lust, it is rather to be reputed vexation than corruption. Or if every such vexation be corruption, yet every corruption is not then dishonest, but only that which lust hath procured, or unto which lust hath consented. And by how much the soul is better than the body▪ it is by so much the more wickedly corrupted: chastity ⟨p. 88⟩then may there be preserved, whereas there can be no corruption, but that which is voluntary; neither can it be violated in our selves by the lust of another. Wherefore because no man doubteth that the soul is better than the body, therefore the integrity of the mind ought to be preferred before the integrity of the body, seeing it perpetually may be preserved. But who can say that the mind of a liar is sincere and upright, &c? And so he concludeth that no man can convince any that it is sometimes lawful to lye, unless he can prove that an eternal good may by lying be obtained.
There is (saith hee) no chastity of the body which doth not depend upon the integrity of the minde, which being pulled from the other, it must needs fall, although it may seeme untainted and untouched, and for this cause is not to bee numbred amongst temporall things, seeing they may be taken from those that are unwilling to leave them. And therefore by no means the minde must corrupt it selfe with a lye for its body, which it knoweth to remaine incorrupt, if the incorruption doth not depart from the soule. For what the body suffreth through violence, there being no precedent lust, it is rather to bee reputed vexation than corruption. Or if every such vexation bee corruption, yet every corruption is not then dishonest, but onely that which lust hath procured, or unto which lust hath consented. And by how much the soule is better than the body▪ it is by so much the more wickedly corrupted: chastity ⟨p. 88⟩