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…

lawful and laudable in the ⟨p. 9⟩shop, but odious and intolerable in any other part of the house: wherein they grossly deceive themselves, for he that maketh no conscience of lying in one place, will make as little in another: he that will not stick to lye for his masters pleasure and profit, will as easily adventure on it to hide his own faults, that he may escape shame or punishment; and he that by the daily practise of lying in the shop cometh to a custom and habit, can hardly leave it in the hall or chamber. But let such masters tremble to think that hereby they bring Gods wrath upon them, not only for their own sins, but also for the sins of their servants, in which they are not accessories alone but even principals: and what a fearful account they have to make at the Day of Judgement for poisoning of youth committed to their charge with this vice of lying and deceit, making them hereby subject to Gods wrath and liable to that woe and heavy judgement denounced against such servants, as ¹fearing man more than God, do enrich their masters with their lies and deceit. I have enlarged my self the more in showing how this sin aboundeth in the City, because being so general, yet few lay it to heart as a sin against God and man, but rather applaud themselves in it as the excellency of their skill in their trade; whereof belike it was that in former times Trades were called Mysteries and Crafts, because this mystery of iniquity was practised in them, and all craft and deceit used in their buying and selling: or rather being good words in their prime signification, they came into discredit by their abuse in their ⟨p. 10⟩trades, and craft became a word of ill report and taken in an ill sense, by reason of that cunning deceit which was used in Crafts and Occupations. And now I should speak no more of this vice amongst Trades-men, if I did not observe another kind of lying practised by shopkeepers, which with grief and bowels of compassion I have observed to be most pernicious, as being joined with grievous oppression;

lawfull and laudable in the ⟨p. 9⟩shop, but odious and intolerable in any other part of the house: wherein they grosly deceive themselves, for he that maketh no conscience of lying in one place, will make as little in another: hee that will not sticke to lye for his masters pleasure and profit, will as easily adventure on it to hide his owne faults, that hee may escape shame or punishment; and hee that by the dayly practise of lying in the shop commeth to a custome and habit, can hardly leave it in the hall or chamber. But let such masters tremble to thinke that hereby they bring Gods wrath upon them, not onely for their owne sinnes, but also for the sinnes of their servants, in which they are not accessaries alone but even principals: and what a fearefull account they have to make at the Day of Judgement for poysoning of youth committed to their charge with this vice of lying and deceit, making them hereby subject to Gods wrath and liable to that woe and heavie judgement denounced against such servants, as