Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. The puniſhment of periurie.
ANd ſo much for thoſe reaſons which are taken from the greatneſſe of this ſinne. The ſecond ſort may be drawne from the grieuouſneſſe of their puniſhment; the which the Lord inflicteth either mediatly by the miniſterie of men, or immediatly by himſelfe.
Amongſt men as it hath in all ages,§. Sect. 1. 1. Periurie is puniſhed vvith ſhamefull infamie. and in all places been accounted an hainous ſinne and capitall crime; ſo hath it been puniſhed with no light or ſmall puniſhments. For firſt, whereas a good name is better then either ſiluer, gold, or great riches,Prou. 22.1. and as highly valued amongſt vertuous men as life it ſelfe; this ſinne of periurie-hath euer ſo ſtained the periured perſon with ſuch a deepe ingrained die of infamie and reproch, that the blemiſh could neuer bee taken away vntounto the end of life. And howſoeuer the offender hauing waſhed and bathed his cheekes with teares of vnfained repentance, and his ſoule with the blood of Chriſt, applied by a liuely faith, hath the polluted ſtaines of this defiling ſinne waſhed away out of Gods ſight; yet ſeldome is hee ſo purged and cleanſed in the iudgement of men, but that ſome blots and blemiſhes doe ſtill remaine euen to the end of life. To this purpoſe Cicero ſaith,Lib. 2. de legib. Periurij poena diuina, exitium; humana, dedecus: Diuine puniſhment inflicted vponupon periured perſons for their falſe ſwearing is deſtruction; humane, is ſhame and diſcredit. And this is that puniſhment which both the Ciuill and Canon law impoſed vponupon ſuch; namely, that if they were taken with this fault, they ſhould for euer bee ſo diſabled in their credit and reputation, that they might not be admitted to be witneſſes, and to giuegive teſtimonie, either in their owne or other mens cauſes, in any iudicial proceedings. The which puniſhment was in Gods righteous iudgement inflicted in ſome proportion according to the qualitie of their ſinne: for whereas they to grace themſelues in their vntruths, care not (as much as in them lieth) to diſhonour God, by deriuing the imputation of fraud and deceit vponupon him whom they inuocate as a witneſſe of their lies: God iuſtly meeteth with them, and returneth the infamie and reproch vponupon their owne heads.
Beſides which puniſhment of infamie,§ Sect. 2. Other puniſhments of periurie. the ſame lawes impoſe others vponupon him that commits this ſin, as that he ſhall be depriued of all Eccleſiaſticall preferments, and dignities, if he poſſeſſe them, and not be admitted, either into the Miniſterie or gouernment of the Church. That likewiſe he ſhall be diſpoiled of all ciuill aduancement, ſo as he ſhall not bee admitted vntounto any ſuch preferment, nor reentred after he is diſplaced. Beſides which puniſhments in name and ſtate, they determine that he ſhould be puniſhed as a common coſener, and be either beaten with cudgels and ſtaues, or exiled and baniſhed; or if it were in capitall matters, and concerned the life of his neighbour, he ſhould be puniſhed with death it ſelfe, according to the law of God in that caſe prouided: Deut. 19.19. The which puniſhment of death was inflicted vponupon all among the Egyptians,Patric. lib. 5. tit. 5. who were conuicted of wilful periurie, vponupon any cauſe whatſoeuer, as Patricius recordeth.
But becauſe theſe humane puniſhments are not alwaies inflicted vponupon the offenders,§. Sect. 3. How the Lord himſelfe puniſheth periurie. either becauſe their ſinne being cunningly, or cloſely acted, is not diſcouered; or through their negligence, and want of zeale for Gods glorie, who hauehave the ſole authoritie to ſee the lawes executed; therefore the Lord himſelfe oftentimes taketh his owne cauſe into his owne hand: and howſoeuer men wincke at and acquit them, yet he holdeth them not guiltleſſe, who thus by their periurie prophane & pollute his holy name. And becauſe his glory which is by this ſin impeached, is moſt deare vntounto him: therfore the Lord doth ſeuerely puniſh thoſe who thus offend, both with temporarie, and eternall puniſhments; in themſelues; and alſo in their poſteritie, as the Poet well obſerued:
In prolemdilata ruunt periuria patris,
Et poenam merito filius ore luit.Claudianus in Curctium.
And as this ſin of periurie is in an extraordinarie ſort abominable in Gods ſight; ſo doth he puniſh it with extraordinarie plagues, and beſides thoſe vſuall puniſhments, which are common to all offenders; he hath inflicted vponupon periured perſons ſuch fearefull iudgements from time to time, which hauehave been ſo fitte and proportionable to the ſinne, that one might reade their offence written in their puniſhment, as it were in great text letters ſet ouer their heads. And thus did the Lord puniſh the breach of the couenant made with the Gibeonites, and confirmed by oath, with three yeeres famine, and with the death of ſeuen of Sauls poſteritie, who had violated this oath;2. Sam. 21. and that not in a ſecret manner, but openly declaring what was the ſinne for which hee inflicted theſe puniſhments. So becauſe Zedechia broke the oath of the Lord, which hee had made vntounto Nebucadnezer, hee had his ſonnes ſlaine before his face, and that hee might neuer behold cauſe of comfort after this ſad ſpectacle, his eyes were preſently put out, and he being bound with chaines was led captiue vntounto Babylon, where he ſlauiſhly liued, and died wretchedly: all which puniſhments were inflicted vponupon him principally for his periurie,Ezech. 17.15. as appeareth, Ezech. 17.15.16.18.19.
Beſides which temporall puniſhments, the Lord inflicteth vponupon ſuch as thus offend,§. Sect. 4. God puniſheth periurie with ſpirituall puniſhments and eternall death. thoſe which are ſpirituall and eternall; for he hath denounced againſt them his fearfull curſe, which ſhall light ſo heauie vponupon the periured perſon, that it ſhall not onelyonly deſtroy him and his poſteritie, but ſhall euen conſume his houſe with the timber and ſtones thereof, as appeareth,Zach. 5.4. Zach. 5.4. And after this life, if the flame of Gods wrath in the meane while be not quenched with the teares of vnfained repentance, it ſhall burne hot againſt him, kindling and preparing for him the fire of hell, in which he ſhall bee eternally tormented; for if the liar hath his portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death,Apoc. 21.8. as it is Apoc. 21.8, then much more the periured perſon (who confirmeth his lies by an oath, calling God himſelfe to be, not onelyonly a witneſſe and ſuretie but alſo a Iudge to auenge his falſhood) ſhall with the intollerable waight of this outragious ſinne, be ſuncke into the deepeſt bottome of this helliſh condemnation.
And thus hauehave I ſhewed the lawfull vſe of an oath,§. Sect. 5. The concluſion of this treatiſe. and alſo how it is abuſed both by vaine ſwearing and impious forſwearing: and withall hauehave propounded many reaſons and arguments, which may ſerue as wholſome preſeruatiues to keepe thoſe who hauehave any feare of God from falling into theſe ſinnes; or as profitable medicines to cure them of theſe dangerous diſeaſes of the ſoule, if alreadie they hauehave ſeazed on them. Now as I heartily pray vntounto God that all who ſhall reade this treatiſe, and all other who profeſſe the name of Chriſt, may by theſe and ſuch like reaſons made effectuall by his grace, and powerfull working of his holie Spirit, bee brought both to a forſaking and alſo to an vtter hatred and deteſtation of theſe ſinnes; ſo with all humble earneſtneſſe I intreate our Magiſtrates and Gouernours, who are as Gods deputies and Lieutenants ſet amongſt vsus, to execute his righteous iudgements; that they will in feruent zeale to Gods glorie, whoſe perſon they doe ſuſtaine, as being pettie gods vponupon earth; not onelyonly carefully reforme themſelues of theſe vices, whereby Gods holie name is polluted, both in their owne particular, and as they are examples vntounto others; but alſo that they would wiſely enact and diligently execute ſuch wholſome lawes, as may reſtraine, or ſeuerely puniſh theſe groſſe abuſes, of vaine ſwearing, and impious forſwearing, which in theſe times ſo commonly raigne amongſt vsus. That hereby they may ſhew and approne themſelues truly religious, in that they are carefull, not only to ſuppreſſe ſuch abuſes and ſins as tend to the hurt of their countrie and Common-wealth, or to the damage and hindrance of particular ſubiects (for ſo ſhould they go no further thē they hauehave ciuill policie for their guide, & Heathen Magiſtrates for their examples, and conſequently bring vponupon their religion the imputation of a meere policie, as being both inlarged and bounded with the ſame libertie and limits:) but alſo by ſhewing the like care and zeale in ſuppreſſing and puniſhing thoſe ſinnes of impietie againſt the firſt table, which are directly committed againſt the Maieſtie of God himſelfe, of which nature is idolatrie and ſuperſtition, vaine ſwearing, curſing, and periurie, prophanation of Gods Sabbaths and ſuch like. And ſo ſhall they moue the Lord in merciemercy to look vponupon vsus, to put vp his ſword of vengeance which hath been long drawne againſt vsus, and to pull backe his puniſhing hand which a great while hath lien heauie vponupon our land, by vnuſuall ſickneſſe, peſtilence and famine: and contrariwiſe to ſtretch foorth his hand of merciemercy and goodneſſe; whereby his bleſſings and bountifull benefits ſhall be not only continued, but alſo inlarged and increaſed both vntounto vsus and our poſteritie. So alſo ſhall they gather vntounto themſelues certaine aſſurance,1. Sam. 2.30. that thus ſeeking the aduancement of Gods glory, the Lord will alſo honour them, and make their name glorious in the ſight of the people vntounto all poſteritie; and alſo that ruling for God in this life, they ſhall raigne with him in euerlaſting glorie in the life to come. The which merciemercy the Lord our God vouchſafe for his Sonne our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, to whom with the holy Spirit, three perſons and one God, infinite in all perfection, be aſcribed all honour and glorie both now and euermore. Amen.
FINIS.