A69235:170
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 14A TREATISE AGAINST THE SINNE OF LYING. › Chapter 14
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.
And thus have I showed that lies are 1accompanied with all manner of evils, both of sin and punishment, and that both in this life, and in the Life to come. Unto which divers other motives might be added, to bring us into a further detestation of this vice, though none more effectual than those already named, if we have any respect to Gods glory, our Neighbours good, our own present comfort and well-being, and the everlasting salvation of our body and souls. As first that as lies are friends and fautors of all vices, causing and encouraging men to fall into them, and to live in them without repentance; so they are enemies and opposites to all Virtues, and especially to Truth, Justice and Charity. First, they stand in direct opposition to Truth, so that where they are set up, there Truth falleth and faileth; and where Truth is magnified and embraced, lies are condemned and banished. And this opposition between lies and Truth the Apostle James noteth; 2Lye not (saith he) against the Truth: and the Apostle John likewise, where he saith, that he who braggeth 3that he knoweth God, and keepeth not his Commandments he is a liar, and the Truth is not in him. Yea they are such contraries as have no mean, but the presence of the one argueth the absence of ⟨p. 142⟩the other, and the same heart at the same time cannot love and delight in both, but if it loveth and delighteth in lies, it hateth and abhorreth the Truth. And therefore seeing Truth is a most excellent Virtue, and exceeding pleasing and acceptable unto God, as being like unto him in his own Nature; It must needs follow by the rule of contraries, that lying is a most base and dishonourable vice, and most odious and abominable unto God, as being opposite to his own Nature. Neither may we qualify and extenuate the sin by our distinction of merry, officious and pernicious lies: for howsoever these several kinds may in other respects, be much more heinous and wicked one than another, much more odious to God and men; and will condemn liars to greater or lesser punishments in Hell fire; yet all of them are alike odious and abominable in this, that they are all opposite to that excellent virtue of Truth, and in every kind of them, contrary to Gods pure and perfect Nature, who is essentially true and Truth it self.