Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Reaſons to diſſwade from the ſinne of periurie.
ANd ſo much concerning the former part of this treatiſe, wherein I hauehave ſhewed what periurie is, and the kinds therof, and withall hauehave cleared diuers queſtions, whereby we may the better diſcerne the nature of this ſinne, and when it is committed. Now in the ſecond part, I will briefly ſet downe ſome reaſons to diſſwade all men from this ſin, which is ſo diſhonorable to God, and ſo pernicious vntounto mankind; all which I will reduce to theſe two heads; the firſt whereof is the hainouſnes of the ſinne; the ſecond is the grieuouſnes of the puniſhment, which doth accompanie it.
The hainouſnes will appeare both in it owne nature,§. Sect. 1. 1. Becauſe periurie is odious vntounto God. and alſo in the euill effects and fruits thereof. That in it owne nature it is a grieuous ſinne, may hereby be made manifeſt; firſt, becauſe it is odious and abominable, both in the ſight of God and men. That the Lord abhorreth this ſinne of periurie, it plainly appeareth, Zach. 8.17.Zach. 8.17. Let none of you imagine euill in your hearts againſt his neighbour, and louelove no falſe oath: for all theſe are the things that I hate, ſaith the Lord. And hence it is that the Lord in his law hath ſo ſtraitly forbidden this ſinne. Leuit. 19.12. Ye ſhall not ſweare by my name falſly; Leu. 19.12.neither ſhalt thou defile the name of thy God. For the tranſgreſſion of which law,Ier. 7.9. the Iewes are ſharply reprooued and condemned. Ier. 7.9. Will you ſteale, murther, and commit adulterie, and ſweare falſly, and burne incenſe vntounto Baal? &c. Wherewe may obſerue, that howſoeuer the ſonnes of Belial ſo lightly eſteeme of this ſinne, that they will not ſticke to ſell a falſe oath at the leaſt price, yet the Lord counteth it an hainous ſinne, and therefore hee rangeth it in this place amongſt thoſe capitall crimes, of theft, murther, adulterie, and idolatrie.
So alſo this is odious vntounto men;§. Sect. 2. 2. Periurie is odious vntounto men. and that not onelyonly faithfull Chriſtians, amongſt whom a periured perſon loſeth the reputation of religion, and the true feare of God, yea euen of ciuilitie and common honeſtie; and is for euer branded with the blacke marke of a prophane perſon, who neuer after is to be credited in his words and deeds; but alſo vntounto the Heathens, Turkes, and Pagans: for howſoeuer theſe men are but dimme ſighted in the morall duties of honeſtie betweene man and man, hauing onelyonly the obſcure light of corrupted nature to be their guide, and euen almoſt ſtarke blind in the duties of pietie towards God; yet hauehave they abhorred this ſinne of periurie, and counted it worthie of the ſeuereſt puniſhment. One ſaith,Ageſilaus. Apud. Aelian. lib. 14. de var. hiſtor. Pericles. Plutarch in apotheg. that men by no meanes more prouoke the wrath of the diuine Maieſtie, then by raſh violating of an holy oath. Another being importuned by a reſpected friend, to affoord him a falſe oath; anſwered, that he could bee his friend, no ſurther then vſque ad aras, vntounto the altar; meaning, that no friendſhip ſhould make him ſweare a falſe oath at the altar, in the preſence of their gods. A third being ſet at libertie, rather than he would breake his oath,Regulus. Cic. lib. 3. de offic returned againe vntounto his mortall enemies, expecting nothing elſe but exquiſite torments.
Secondly,§. Sect. 3. The manifold euils contained in periurie. 1. Lying. the outragious wickednes of this ſinne appeareth by the manifold euils which it containeth; for it is a helliſh monſter, compounded of many hainous ſinnes, the leaſt whereof is by it ſelfe damnable. As firſt the groſſeſt kinde of lying, which is not onelyonly auouched, but alſo impudently outfaced with an oath; and this alone, as it excludeth thoſe who vſe it out of the ioyes of heauen,Apoc. 21.15. and 21.8. For without ſhall bee whoſoeuer loueth or maketh lies; ſo alſo it purchaſeth them a part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, as appeareth, Apoc. 22.15. and 21.8.
Secondly, it containeth in it guile and deceit,§. Sect. 4. 2. Guile and deceit. and that in the higheſt kinde, and moſt pernicious; for when deceit and falſhood come masked and diſguiſed vnderunder a religious oath, which is the rich robe and precious ornament of truth and iuſtice; men not onelyonly doe lie open vntounto it to be deceiued and abuſed by it, after an ordinarie and voluntarie manner; but alſo are intangled therewith, by a kinde of vnauoideable neceſſitie; it being altogether vnlawfull, without moſt apparant cauſe, to call the deceiuers aſſertions and promiſes into queſtion, when as they are confirmed with a witneſſe aboue exception, and ratified with the authoritie of God himſelfe. As therefore the Lord is the auenger of all kinde of fraud, as it is, 1. Theſ. 4.6.1. Theſ. 4.6. ſo eſpecially of this wherby himſelfe is ſo much diſhonoured; and as all manner of deceit is abominable vntounto him, Pſal. 5.6. ſo principally this,Pſal 5.6. which the ſonnes of Belial countenance with his authoritie.
Thirdly,§. Sect. 5. 3 Gods name is polluted by periurie. it containeth the moſt horrible pollution of Gods holy name, which can bee imagined; as the Lord himſelfe witneſſeth, Leuit. 19.12. making that which in it own nature, and right vſe, is the ſhield of veritie,Leuit. 19.12. to become the defence of falſhood; and of a ſtrong tower of truth, whereunto the righteous runne, for the ending of all contentions and controuerſies,Prou. 18.11. to become a ſanctuarie to ſhroude lyars and deceitfull perſons.
Fourthly, it is a ſhamefull abuſe of Gods Maieſtie,§. Sect. 6. 4 Gods Maieſtie is abuſed. when as he who is truth it ſelfe is produced as a witneſſe to confirme a knowne lie, and as a ſuretie for the doing of that which they intend neuer to performe. It is a ſhamefull tempting and ſcornefull contempt of Gods all-ſeeing knowledge, iuſtice, power, anger, threatnings, and fearefull vengeance denounced againſt this ſinne, when as knowing a thing to bee falſe, they dare auouch it, calling vponupon God as a iuſt Iudge and auenger of falſhood, to inflict vponupon them the deſerued puniſhment of their ſinne, if they doe not ſpeake the truth. For what is this but deſperately to make triall whether God can or will according to his word puniſh their ſinne? What is it but like fierce bandogs to flie in Gods face, and to dare him to doe his worſt in the execution of his vengeance?
And theſe are the euils which are contained in this ſinne of periurie.§ Sect. 7. The euill fruits of perturie. 1. They draw God into their ſinne as much as in them lieth. Now the fruits and effects thereof are as bad, both in reſpect of God, our neighbour, and our ſelues. For firſt, the periured perſon exceedingly diſhonoureth Gods glorious Maieſtie, by drawing him, as much as in him lieth, into the communication of his ſinne, and offereth againſt him a kind of violence in forcing him to that which is quite contrary to his owne nature: for where as hee is moſt true, yea truth it ſelfe, they bring him as a patron of their vntruth and falſehood, and make him to the vttermoſt of their power, like vntounto Satan who is the father of lies. And where as he is moſt iuſt, both in his word and workes, they bring him as their ſuretie to countenance their fraud and deceit. Whereby as in their impious maliciouſneſſe they doe, as much as in them lieth, deſtroy and ouerturne Gods nature and eſſence, and make him like vntounto Satan; ſo doe they in deed, and in truth, make themſelues in this reſpect worſe then the diuell; for howſoeuer he is not onelyonly a liar, but alſo the father of lies, euen from the beginning; yet wee neuer read nor heard that euer hee came to that deſperate audaciouſneſſe, that he durſt preſume to confirme his lies by an oath, or to abuſe Gods glorious name for the patronizing and countenancing his vntruthes.
Secondly,§. Sect. 8. Falſe ſwearing ouerthrovveth truth and iuſtice. by his falſe ſwearing he ouerthroweth truth and iuſtice, the one being the Lords great Seale, the other the Scepter of his kingdome whereby hee ruleth amongſt men; the which hee doth after a moſt odious and trecherous manner: for he vſeth Gods forces againſt himſelfe; he ſtrengtheneth himſelfe with the helpe of Gods holy name, to deſtroy thoſe heauenly vertues, trueth and iuſtice, in which his ſoule delighteth; and for the vpholding and maintaining of thoſe helliſh vices of falſehood and iniuſtice, which he ſo much abhorreth. And in the meane time moſt audaciouſlie calleth God to bee a witneſſe of his dealing, and a Iudge and auenger of theſe wicked actions.
And thus the periured perſon directly ſinneth againſt the Maieſtie of God.§ Sect. 9. Hovv the periured perſon ſinneth againſt his neighbour. Now againſt his neighbour alſo hee grieuouſly offendeth many waies by his falſe ſwearing, for hereby he ſubuerteth iuſtice, which is the pillar of the Common-wealth, and the bond of humane ſocietie; which being taken away, no State can ſtand but muſt needes fall to ruine. Hee ouerethroweth truth, which is the chiefe preſeruer of al commerce, trading and intercourſe of dealing betweene nation and nation, man and man; and in ſtead thereof erecteth vntruth and falſehood, which is the bane of humane ſocietie. He deſtroyeth the vſe and end of lawfull oathes, which is to determine controuerſies, and to put an end vntounto all ſtrife; and conſequently taketh away the chiefe bond of peace; and preſerueth ſuſpitions, iealouſies, diſcord and contention, which weaken and diſſipate the beſt ſetled and moſt firmely eſtabliſhed gouernment; hee hereby peruerteth iudgement, cauſing the Iuries to giuegive a falſe verdict, and the Iudge an vniuſt ſentence, whereby innocencie is ſuppreſſed, the honeſt dealer ſpoiled of his right and brought vntounto all extremities, falſehood maintained, the oppreſſor ſtrengthened in his malicious courſes; and in a word, the whole courſe and adminiſtration of iuſtice peruerted and vtterly ouerthrowne.
So likewiſe hereby hee moſt perniciouſly ſinneth againſt himſelfe;§. Sect. 10. The periured perſon ſinneth againſt himſelf. for this ſin of periurie maketh ſuch a deepe wound in the conſcience, that it is hardly recured, vnleſſe with Peter wee bewaile it with bitter teares,Rom. 1.28.30. and powre into it the preclous balme of Chriſts blood by a true faith; and he that falleth into it, is commonly either giuen vp to a reprobate ſenſe, to runne headlong into all manner of ſinne and wickedneſſe; or elſe is continually haunted with this ſinne, as with a helliſh furie; which tormenteth his ſoule and conſcience with reſtleſſe feares, and affrighting terrors.