A69235:153
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 13A TREATISE AGAINST THE SINNE OF LYING. › Chapter 13
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.
That the Liar sinneth most of all against himself.
That the Lyar sinneth most of all against himselfe.
But as lies are in these and many other 1respects hurtful to our neighbours, so are they much more pernicious to our selves; and that both in respect of the evil of sin, and also of the evil of punishment. Concerning the former, lying is most pernicious unto our selves in many considerations. For first, it defaceth and blotteth out Gods Image in us, seeing we resemble him not only in wisdom, holiness and righteousness, but also in truth, which hath such relation unto them all, that it is necessarily required to their very essence and being, so that wisdom, righteousness and holiness, are of no worth and existence, unless truth be joined with them. And therefore the Apostle exhorting us to be renewed according to Gods Image, doth bid us to put on the new man, which after 2God is created in righteousness and true holiness, or as the words there signify, holiness of truth. And this the Greek Orator saw by the light of nature, 3for being asked in what things men came nearest to the likeness of GOD, answered, in Trueth and beneficence. Now this Trueth is most opposed and defaced by Lying, and consequently it is most pernicious. For if we esteem it a great hurt, to have our eyes put out, our faces gashed and deformed, and our bodies maimed and dismembered, ⟨p. 127⟩how much more hurtful is it to have these blemishes in our souls and to have Gods image defaced in us? And yet it doth not only blot out of us the image of God, but it also stampeth on us the image of Satan and sin. For the Devil is not only a Liar himself, but also the author and father of lies, according to that of our Saviour; He is a Murderer from the beginning,