A69235:91
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 7A TREATISE AGAINST THE SINNE OF LYING. › Chapter 7
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.
The next point which now cometh 1to be handled, is the divers sorts and kinds of lying and lies. In which regard they are diversly distinguished. The first distinction is taken from the causes: for either they proceed from the Devils tentation, or the Worlds instigation, or from the corruption of our own flesh, if at least, these may be said to be divers kinds in which these causes ordinarily concur and meet together. And these which proceed from our flesh and the lusts thereof, are either lies which arise from ignorance and forgetfulness of God and his Truth, or from infirmity and immoderate fear of men, of which sort was that of Abraham and Peter to avoid danger; or out of a natural vanity and delight in lying, or ⟨p. 69⟩finally, from covetousness which causeth men to lye for their gain and advantage. The second distinction is taken from the very form and nature of a lye, which is as Aquinas saith, the most proper 2and natural division. And so a lye either transcendeth and exceedeth the truth, and is called boasting or arrogancy, or else it cometh short of that which is true and extenuateth it, offending in the defect, and so is called an irony. And this is the Philosophers division, the which is thought to be 3the most proper, because a lye is opposite to Truth, which consisteth in an equality and evenness between the speech and the thing, and therefore the opposition unto it, which is in a lye, is according to these two extremes, which are either the excess or defect.
THe next point which now commeth 1to bee handled, is the divers sortes and kindes of lying and lyes. In which regard they are diversly distinguished. The first distinction is taken from the causes: for either they proceede from the Divels tentation, or the Worlds instigation, or from the corruption of our owne flesh, if at least, these may be said to bee divers kindes in which these causes ordinarily concurre and meete together. And these which proceede from our flesh and the lusts thereof, are either lyes which arise from ignorance and forgetfulnesse of God and his Truth, or from infirmitie and immoderate feare of men, of which sort was that of Abraham and Peter to avoide danger; or out of a naturall vanity and delight in lying, or