A69235:160
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.
Thirdly, the liar sinneth against his own soul, 1in that by his lying he robbeth himself of a most precious jewel, even of a good name, which is better than a precious ointment, and much to be preferred before great riches; for a poor man being true and honest, is better than a liar though never so rich, 2as the wise man telleth us. Neither is it possible that a man should hold his reputation, when he hath by lying lost all opinion of his truth, but his words are esteemed no better than wind, and if there be no clearer evidence for what he saith, then his bare word, he is no more believed when he speaketh truth, than when he lieth▪ according to that of the son of Sirach: Of an unclean thing what 3can be cleansed, and from that which is false, what truth can come? Now what greater mischief can befall a man in this life, than to live infamous? what greater loss, than to loose a good name? And when it is once lost, what can again be more hardly recovered? If we loose our riches, by labour and industry we may recover them: If we loose our health, by physic and good diet it may be regained: If our bodies be sore wounded, they may be cured: but if we once loose our fame, and have wounds inflicted into our good names and reputation, they hardly admit of any cure, or if the wound be healed, there will ever after remain a scar. But there is no more ready way to bring this evil of dishonour upon us, than to be accounted common liars; for as the son of Sirach telleth us, The disposition of a liar is dishonourable, and 4his shame is ever with him. And the wise man teacheth us the same lesson; A righteous man (saith he) ⟨p. 134⟩hateth lying, but the wicked man, that is (as the antithesis 5inferreth, such an one as loveth lies) is loathsome and cometh to shame. Neither can there in common repute a greater shame befall a man, than to be esteemed and called a liar; whereof it is that the very name is so much abhorred in all Nations, and amongst all conditions of Men, yea even those that make no conscience of committing the sin, that by a certain kind of propriety or eminency, it is called the word of disgrace, and no greater injury or affront can be offered unto them, than that any, upon any cause (yea even when they deserve it) shall give them the lye.