Body of Divinity, Book 4 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. Of Lying, Malice, Murmuring, Oppression.
LYING.
LYing is a voluntary uttering of that which is false against a mans knowledgeMendaciam à menda. Mendacium nominatur ex co quod contra mentem dicitur. Et idco si quis salsum enunciet, credens id esse verum, est quidem falsum materialiter, sed non formaliter: quia salsitas est praeter intentionem dicentis. Aquin. 2… 2ae quaest. …10. Artic. 1. See Elton on Col. 3. 9. When one utters a speech, reserving the other part in his minde, it is no better then lying; when that which one speaks is false, it will not be helpt with that which is reserved, else no man or devil can have the lie given him. Arius subscribing to the Councels Decrees, sware it was true as it was there written (meaning the Paper kept close in his bosom or sleeve.) Just like to the Jesuites absurd equivocating, or counterfetted perjuries and cousenage in abusing the words of St Paul, Factus sum omnia omnibus, ut omnes lucrifaciam. Wats. Quod. of Religion and State, Quodl. 2d Answ. to 5th Artic. The Papists tell us that St Francis had five wounds of Christ made in his flesh by an Angel, with the nails sticking therein and continually bleeding till his dying day. Their golden Legend was compiled by a leaden brain, and published by a brazen forehead. Neque potest esse in ullo libro accrvus mendaciorum major, quam in Legenda illa plumbea, quae de persecutione Anglicana apud vos circum fertur. Ibi legas Catholico… insus…s ferarum pellibus à rapidis canibus dilaniari; ibi glires pelvibus inclusos Catholicorum viscera exedentes; ibi Catholicos ad equorum praesepia relegatos, faeno ibi pascendos: nec legas solum, imò & vid…as, are enim ibi sculptae imagines. Falsa, sicta, fucata omnia. Episc. And. Tortura Torti. Thomas Walsingham a Monk of St Albanes, saith it was a good argument in his daies in every mans mouth, Hic est fraier, ergo mendax, sicut & illud: Hoc est album, ergo coloratum; Such a one is a Frier and therefore a lier, as that, This thing is white and therefore coloured. and conscience, with an intention to deceive, see Proverbs 12. 19. 22. & 13. 5.
In respect of the end it is distinguished into perniciosum, officiosum, and jocosum, a hurtfull, officious, and merry lie. August. in Enchirid. ad Laurent. Aquinas 2a 2ae quaest. 110. Art. 2. The end of a pernicious lie is to hurt, of an officious lie to profit, of a merry lie to delight.
We must not tell a lie for Gods glory, Iob 13. 7. much lesse for to help my neighbour.
Officious lying is neither permitted nor approved in the word of God. God threatens to destroy all those that speak leasing, Psal. 5. 6. See Prov. 6. 16. Matth. 5. 37. Ephes. 4. 25. Col. 3. 9. Rev. 21. 27. & 22. 15.
The very Heathens themselves abhorred all lying, Aristotle saith, A lie is evil in it self and to be dispraised.
It is a great sin.
Reasons.
1. The Law of God is against it; the ninth Commandment, and the Gospel, Col. 3. 9.
2. It is against the nature of God, the Father is the God of truth, Iohn 17. 3. the Son is truth, Iohn 14. 6. the holy Ghost is the Spirit of truth, Iohn 16. 13. and the Word of God which is the word of truth, Ephes. 1. 13. It makes us like the devil, Iohn 8. 44.
3. It is against natural conscience; a little childe will blush at a lye.
4. It is basely esteemed of by all generous men, they abhorre above all things the imputation of lying. It was in great reproach among the Persians, saith Brissonius.
5. It is contrary to all civil society, takes away all commerce betwixt man and man. Mendax hoc lucratar ut cum vera dixerit ei non credatur, it is the just reward of a lier not to be beleeved when he tels truth.
6. Omnibus peccatis cooperatur, Aug. It hath an influence on all sins. Lying andLevit. 19. 11. stealing are joyned together, Ephes. 4.
7. The punishment of it is great, as we may see in Gehezi, Ananias and Saphira. Psal. 5. and often in the Proverbs aProv. 6. 17. & 12. 21.the Lord abhorres it. Rev. 21. 8. & 22. 15. liars are joyned with great sinners. See Isa. 63. 8. & Prov. 6. 17.
Popery is a doctrine of lies, 1 Tim. 4. 2.
The great honour of the Saints is to walk in the truth, 3 Iohn 4. see Ephes. 4. 5: Buy the truth and sell it not.
Erasmus had such an antipathy with lying, that from his youth he would usually tremble at the sight of a noted liar.
Malice.
It causeth a man to receive pleasure in the practice of cruelty; so the brethren of Ioseph, and Cain, 1 Sam. 19. 13, to the 18.
Reasons,
1. It is most of all contrary to charity, therefore it must needs bring forth quite contrary effects to it; and as that makes a man to take pleasure in doing good, so this in doing evil, for both vertues and vices cause him in whom they rule to take content in those things wherein they are exercised, and by which they are strengthened and increased, as both charity is by well doing, and malice by doing evil.
2. Where malice doth rule, the Spirit of God is quite gone, and the light of natureWell said a godly man of Cain, he had half killed and consumed himself with malice before he killed his brother. Malice is commonly hereditary, and runs in the bloud, and (as we say of rennet) the elde… it is the stronger, D. Hall. The Heathen man held that between Militia and Malitia there was as little difference in sense as in sound. extreamly dimmed, and a man is given over into the power of Satan; for in giving place to wrath a man gives place to the devil.
3. It distempers the judgement, will and affections.
Murmuring.
It is first, a sin reproved by God, and a provocation of him, Ion. 4. 8. The Israelites See Dr. Willet on Exod. 15. Quaest. 37, 38. Murmuring comes from pride, the devil is the proudest creature and most discontented with his condition. It is a taxing of God, it is in effect to say This is not well done. We are creatures and guilty creatures, God is too just to do us wrong.were very guilty of it, see Numb. 17. 12. Psal. 106▪ 25.
Secondly, It is a high degree of sin.
1. Hereby thou exaltest thy will above Gods, and makest it the rule of goodnesse.
2. You put God out of his throne, out of Government; in every murmuring against his dispensations thou deniest his Sovereignty.
3. Hereby thou makest thy self wiser then God in divine things.
4. This is a way to provoke God to greater displeasure, Amos 4. 12.
Arguments against murmuring and discontent under Gods administrations.
1. It is a Christians duty to be content with the things present, Heb. 13. 1 Thess. 518. such a one can never be thankfull.
2. All your murmurings are against God, Numb. 14. 27. & Exod. 16. 8. you charge God with folly, Iob 1. ult.
3. This will heighten your sin and add to your plagues, Rev. 16. 19. Isa. 51. 20.
4. If the Lord should hearken to your murmuring, you would quickly destroy your selves, Hos. 13. 11.
Oppression.
Oppression is a great sin, Isa. 3. 15. Psal. 14 4. & 17. 12. Amos 8. 5. Mic. 3. 3. Hab. 2. 11, 12. & 1. 14. Ier. 12. 13. & 5. 27, 28.
Pride and unjustice in the extremity meet in an oppressour. The Prophet cries out of them which grinde the faces of the poor, of them which are like the wolves in the evening, of them which covet fields and take them by force, because there is might in their hands.
Reason, It is an abuse of a special gift of God quite contrary to his appointment which gave it, God made the stronger therefore to be the stronger, that he might defend the weak, as the greater sims and bones of the body hold up the burden of it.