A Treatise Against Lying, Treatise · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Whether modeſt Lyes are lawfull.
IN the laſt place it may bee demanded, §. 1. That modeſt lyes are unlawfull.whether a modeſt lye be lawfull, either when wee deny thoſe gifts, graces and good parts, in whole or in part which we know to be in us, or accuſe our ſelves of thoſe ſins and imperfections, of which we know that wee are guiltleſſe and innocent, either altogether, or elſe in reſpect of that meaſure and degree which wee lay to our owne charge; ſeeing this is a notable meanes to curbe and ſubdue our pride, arrogancy and inſolency, and to nouriſh and increaſe humility, which is a grace moſt acceptable unto God. To which I anſwere, that when wee are to deale with God, and to humble our ſoules before him in the unfained acknowledgement of our ſinnes and wants, imperfections and corruptions, it may bee lawfull and profitable to aggravate them even with hyperbolicall expreſſions, out of a godly jealouſie of our ſelves, becauſe our hearts are ſo wicked Jer. 17. 10.and deceitfull above all things that none can know them, nor ſearch the gulph of corruption and ſinke of ſin to the bottome; and becauſe wee have in us naturally the ſeeds of all wickedneſſe and flagitious impieties, which are ready to ſproute and to bring forth their curſed fruite upon all occaſions, if they be not checked and nipt with Gods grace and holy Spirit; ſo that wee doe not wrongfully accuſe our ſelves of thoſe groſſe acts of ſinne; as murther, adultery, drunkenneſſe and the like, of which our conſciences in the ſight of God doe cleare and acquit us; becauſe hereby we give glory unto God, magnifying his mercy and bounty, who hath forgiven unto us ſuch great debts, and becauſe we doe alſo exerciſe our repentance and increaſe our ſorrow for ſinne and worke our hearts to a true hatred of it; according to that of the Prophet: Then ſhall Ezech. 36. 31.ye remember your owne evill wayes and your doings that were not good, and ſhall loath your ſelves in your owne ſight for your iniquities and abominations. But when wee have to deale with men, wee muſt ſpeake the truth, as we in our underſtanding conceive of it, as well of our ſelves, as of other men; and though we ought for the moſt part modeſtly to conceale thoſe things which concerne our owne prayſes, and may to the full lay open our wants and infirmities when juſt occaſion ſhall bee offered; yet when wee are neceſſarily put to ſpeake of either, we muſt not out of a ſinnefull modeſty lye and betray the truth, but ingenuouſly ſpeake what wee truely conceive, neither denying or too much extenuating Gods gifts and graces in us, nor accuſing our ſelves of thoſe ſinnes, imperfections and corruptions of which we know that wee are as cleare as other of Gods ſervants; yea if we be unjuſtly ſuſpected and accuſed of them, we are bound in conſcience to excuſe and defend our ſelves and to manifeſt what we can our owne innocency. For firſt Gods Law requireth that wee ſhould give a true teſtimony of our ſelves, as well as of others, and uſe all good means to preſerve our owne fame and good name, as well as our neighbours. Secondly, by denying Gods gifts and graces in us, wee ungratefully diſhonour him, not acknowledging his bounty and goodnes towards us, and refuſing to aſcribe unto him the Glory of theſe gifts whereof hee is the Author. Thirdly, we put out theſe lights which were given Matth. 5. 16.us to this end, that ſhining before men, they might take occaſion thereby to glorifie our Heavenly Father. Fourthly, wee wrong our neighbours by working in their mindes a falſe opinion, and by cauſing them unjuſtly to ſleight and diſeſteeme us, when as they thinke that our gifts and good parts are much leſſer, and our faults and ſinnes far greater than in truth they are; ſeeing men for the moſt part ſpeake of themſelves, rather better than worſe than they deſerve. And ſecondly, whileſt wee ſuppreſſe, deny or extenuate our vertues, and aggravate our failings and corruptions, wee neglect this Chriſtian duty of edifying one another by our good example, and contrariwiſe make our ſelves ſcandalous and offenſive. And finally, wee wrong our owne perſons; for if it bee an injury to belye another, it is no leſſe if we belye our ſelves; and if it bee an unjuſt and uncharitable act to robbe our neighbors of their good name, by falſe extenuatiōs of the good things which are in them, or aggravations of their faults and faylings, how can it bee leſſe ſinnefull if wee uſe the ſame meanes to ſpoile our ſelves of this precious jewell? To this purpoſe (though in another caſe) Saint Augustine excellently ſpeaketh for confuting the Pelagians, and Coeleſtianians, who affirmed that they were pure and free from ſin, and yet for humility ſake againſt their conſcience and perſwaſion confeſſed their ſinnes, of which they thought themſelves pure and cleare, hee thus convinceth them of their errour: Doſt thou (ſaith he) lye for humility? Thou art juſt and without ſinne; but for humilities ſake thou Propter humilitatem ergo mentiris? &c. Auguſt. de verbis Apoſtoli. Serm. 29. Tom. 10.calleſt thy ſelfe a ſinner; how ſhall I receive thee as a Chriſtian for a witneſſe againſt another, whom I finde to bee a falſe witneſſe againſt thy ſelfe? Thou art juſt, thou art without ſinne, and yet thou ſayeſt that thou haſt ſinne: therefore thou art a falſe witneſſe againſt thy ſelfe, God will not accept of thy lying humility; examine thy life, and looke into thy conſcience, &c. How ſhall I take thee for a witneſſe in another mans cauſe, who lyeſt in thine owne? Thou makeſt Saints guilty, whileſt thou beareſt againſt thy ſelfe a falſe teſtimony, what wilt thou doe to another who ſlandereſt thy ſelfe? I demand; art thou juſt or a ſinner? thou anſwereſt a ſinner. Thou lyeſt, becauſe thou doeſt not ſay that with thy mouth, which thou beleeveſt of thy ſelfe in thy heart. And therefore, though thou wilt not be a ſinner before, now thou beginneſt to bee ſince thou lyeſt. For thou ſayeſt for humilities ſake that thou calleſt thy ſelfe a ſinner, &c. But can there be humility where there is falſity.
But againſt this is objected, that we have many §. 2. The Example of Agur in defence of modeſt lyes, objected and anſwered.examples of holy men in the Scriptures, that in modeſty and humility have abaſed themſelves in the acknowledgement of their wants, infirmities, and ſinnes, beyond all boundes of Truth; againſt ſome whereof wee can take no exceptions, ſeeing they were Pen-men of the Scriptures, and immediately inſpired by the Holy Ghoſt. 2 Pet. 1. 21.The firſt is of Agur, who being a Prophet of great wiſedome and underſtanding, thus abaſeth and vilifieth himſelfe: Surely I am more brutiſh than any Prov. 30. 2.man, and have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wiſedome, nor have the knowledge of the Holy. I anſwere, that we muſt not underſtand theſe wordes ſimply and abſolutely, but reſpectively. Firſt, in reſpect of the Perſon to whom he ſpeaketh and in whoſe preſence hee ſtandeth, to wit, Ithiel, which ſignifieth the ſtrong God with us, and Veal, ſignifying one who having all power in his hand, is able to doe whatſoever he will. By both which he underſtandeth our Lord JESUS CHRIST, the Wiſedome and Power of his FATHER, in compariſon of whom the wiſeſt in the world are brutiſh and deſtitute of knowledge. Secondly he maketh this acknowledgement in reſpect of the ſubject matter which he was to ſpeake of, namely divine and heavenly Wiſedome, which as much tranſcended his reach and capacity, as reaſon in man excelleth brutiſh ſenſe; according to that of the Pſalmiſt: Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me; Pſal. 139. 6.It is high, I cannot attaine unto it. And that of the Apoſtle; And who is ſufficient for theſe things? 2 Cor. 2. 16.Thirdly, hee ſpeaketh not ſimply but reſpectively, comparing the little which hee knew, with the much which hee knew not; like that of Socrates, hoc unum ſcio, me nihil ſcire; I onelyonly know this, that I know nothing. Fourthly, hee may bee ſaid thus to ſpeake, not as hee was now ſanctified and inlightned with the ſpirit of Grace and underſtanding, but as he was in the ſtate of nature, in which reſpect the Prophet ſaith, Every man is brutiſh in Jer. 10. 1….his knowledge, underſtanding nothing in ſpirituall 1 Cor. 2. 14.things which concerne his eternall ſalvation, till hee be regenerate and in Chriſt: The which ſenſe the words will beſt beare, if with Iunius wee thus render them; for I am a beast or brutiſh ſince I was a man, that is, even from my birth, and the wiſedome of a man is not in me, that is, like that which was in man by his firſt creation (before by his fall hee became brutiſh) and ſo ought to be in him ſtill.
Secondly, the example of the Apoſtle Paul is §. 3. The example of Paul, objected and anſwered. 1 Cor. 15. 9. Eph. 3. 8. 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2 Cor. 11. 5. 1 Cor. 15. 10. Phil. 3. 5. Act. 26. 5.objected, who ſaith that he was the leaſt of the Apoſtles, and not worthy to be called on Apostle, yea that he was the leaſt of all the Saints; yea which is more, that he was the chiefe of ſinners; whereas elſewhere hee maketh himſelfe equall to the chiefe of the Apoſtles, ſuperiour unto them all in his labours and ſufferings, and as touching the Law a Phariſee, yea in reſpect of his life and converſation of the ſtricteſt of that Sect. From whence they conclude, that in thoſe ſpeeches wherein hee ſo much abaſed himſelfe he uſed a modeſt lye, and therefore that modeſt lyes are in ſuch caſes lawfull. To which I anſwere, that hee called himſelfe the leaſt of the Apoſtles, and the leaſt of the Saints, not ſimply and generally, but reſpectively, as hee expreſſeth himſelfe, becauſe he had perſecuted the Church of God. 1 Cor. 15. 9. 1 Tim. 1. 13.In which regard alſo he calleth himſelfe the chiefeſt of ſinners, as it is evident in the ſame places. But how can this bee other than a modeſt lye, that Saint Paul ſhould call himſelfe the chiefeſt of ſinners, ſeeing others committed farre greater ſinnes than hee, and yet upon their repentance were received to mercy, as Manaſſes? Some underſtand the words, that hee was the firſt of ſinners (as the word may alſo ſignifie) namely the firſt of all thoſe that came unto Chriſt, who had before perſecuted him in his members. But this had beene no great aggravation of Pauls ſinne, nor amplification of Gods mercy in pardoning it, both which the Apoſtle intendeth in that place. And therefore I had rather take it in a litterall ſenſe, namely that in truth hee calleth himſelfe the greateſt ſinner that had received mercy. Firſt becauſe hee ſpeaketh as hee thinketh, and findeth himſelfe in his owne ſenſe and feeling: for as it is the nature of hypocriſie to make our owne beames moates, and others moates beames; ſo it is the nature of true repentance, to aggravate our owne ſinnes, and to extenuate other mens: and when the eyes of our mindes are inlightned, wee ſee our ſinnes to bee more in number, and more haynous in quality, either in themſelves, or in reſpect of circumſtances, than wee can charitably ſuſpect to bee in any other of Gods ſervants. Secondly, becauſe hee ſpeaketh in my judgement as the thing is. For if wee limitte his ſpeech to the faithfull onelyonly, who upon their repentance, have beene received to grace; (as wee muſt needs doe, ſeeing ſome have lived and died in their infidelity and finall impenitency, and others have committed the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, with whom there is no probability that the Apoſtle compared himſelfe) I ſay, reſtraining the compariſon onelyonly to penitent ſinners, then it is true which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, that of all ſinners he was the chiefe; whether wee conſider the ſinne it ſelfe, or as it was aggravated by circumſtances. For he madly and maliciouſly perſecuted the Saints of God, for their profeſſion of Chriſt and the Goſpell; and not being content Act. 26. 11.to blaſpheme his holy Name himſelfe, hee doth as much as in him lyeth, compell them alſo to blaſpheeme, as hee confeſſeth, and ſo lacked nothing but this of committing the unpardonable ſinne, that he did it ignorantly, as himſelfe acknowledgeeth. 1 Tim. 1. 13.Beſides hee had great and many meanes of knowledge and of revealing unto him Chriſt and the Light of the Goſpell, and ſome of them hee careleſly neglected, and ſome he utterly deſpiſed. Of the former ſort was the Law of God, in which having great skill, he might in the ceremonies and ſacrifices have ſeene Chriſt crucified before his eyes, by which, through the blindeneſſe of his minde, and hardneſſe of his heart, hee profitted not. Of the latter was the Heavenly and Powerfull Sermons of our Saviour himſelfe, and of his Apoſtles, which were confirmed by many and wonderfull miracles, all which he deſpiſed; either not vouchſafing to heare them, or not receiving or beleeving them; ſo that nothing could touch his heart hardened in his ſinne: And whereas ſome had ſinned out of ſimple errour and ignorance, and had proceeded in their ſinne, even to the crucifying of the Lord of Life, yet afterwards when by the Preaching of the Apoſtles, they were convinced of their ſinne, they repented of it and beleeved in Chriſt; hee ſtill proceedeth in his madneſſe and fury to perſecute the Saints of God, not contenting himſelfe to heare that they were murthered and maſſacred, unleſſe he ſtood by and ſatiated his eyes with their death and ſlaughter. Yea ſo obſtinate he was in his ſinne and rebellion, that either he muſt periſh in it, or God muſt pull him out of it by ſtrong hand, and uſe a miracle upon him for his converſion. By all which it appeareth that S. Paul had no neede to uſe the helpe of a modeſt lye, when he called himſelfe the chiefeſt of ſinners.
Laſtly, it is objected, that our Saviour Chriſt §. 4. The example of our Saviour Chriſt, objected and anſwered.himſelfe, who was greater than all the Angels, as being the Eternall Sonne of God, equall with his Father, the Prince of Angels, and as hee was our Mediator God and Man; yet in that Propheticall Pſalme of his Paſſion and Sufferings, hee that was God maketh himſelfe leſſe than a man; But I (ſaith hee) am a worme and no man. The which is to bee underſtood not onelyonly of David the Type, but alſo, and that chiefly of Chriſt himſelfe the Antitype, in whoſe Perſon the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh. To which I anſwere, that our Saviour ſpeaketh this not ſimply, but reſpectively; not what he abſolutely was, nor what he was in his owne nature, or in his ſelfeconceit, but what he was reputed to be in the ſight and opinion of the people; who looking upon him as a Man forſaken of God, and expoſed to the malice of his enemies, and being astonied at him, his viſage was ſo marred with his ſufferings more than any Eſa. 52. 14.man, and his forme more than the ſonnes of men; and ſeeing in him no forme, comelineſſe nor beauty, that they ſhould deſire him: Hee was deſpiſed and rejected of men, as a man of ſorrowes and acquainted with griefes, and they hid (as it were) their faces from him, hee was Eſa. 53. 2, 3.deſpiſed and they esteemed him not, as the Prophet Eſay prophecied of him; and in this regard he ſaith, that hee was a worme and not a man, as if hee ſhould have ſaid, I am ſo vilified of my enemies, by reaſon of my ſufferings, and ſo deſpiſed, and contemned, becauſe they ſee no forme or beautie in mee, being defaced and marred with afflictions and perſecutions, that they number mee not among men, but eſteeme me no better than a contemptible worme, which is good for nothing but to be trodden under foote. And that he ſpeaketh this of his enemies falſe opinion, and not as himſelfe thought or would have others to conceive, the words following doe ſufficiently ſhew; I am a worme (ſaith he) and no man, areproach of men, and deſpiſed of the people. All they that ſee mee, laugh me to ſcorne, they ſhoote out the lippe, and ſhake the head, &c.