A Treatise Against Lying, Treatise · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
Divers other motives, to make us hate the Vice of Lying.
ANd thus have I ſhewed that lyes are §. 1. That lyes are odious, becauſe moſt oppoſite to truth.accompanied with all manner of evils, both of ſinne and puniſhment, and that both in this life, and in the Life to come. Unto which divers other motives might be added, to bring us into a further deteſtation of this vice, though none more effectuall than thoſe already named, if wee have any reſpect to Gods glory, our Neighbours good, our owne preſent comfort and well-being, and the everlaſting ſalvation of our body and ſoules. As firſt that as lyes are friends and fanters of all vices, cauſing and incouraging men to fall into them, and to live in them without repentance; ſo they are enemies and oppoſites to all Vertues, and eſpecially to Truth, Juſtice and Charity. Firſt, they ſtand in direct oppoſition to Truth, ſo that where they are ſet up, there Truth falleth and fayleth; and where Truth is magnified and imbraced, lyes are condemned and baniſhed. And this oppoſition betweene lyes and Truth the Apoſtle Iames noteth; Jam. 3. 14.Lye not (ſaith he) againſt the Truth: and the Apoſtle Iohn likewiſe, where hee ſaith, that hee who braggeth 1 John 2. 4. 21, 27.that hee knoweth God, and keepeth not his Commandements hee is a lyar, and the Truth is not in him. Yea they are ſuch contraries as have no meane, but the preſence of the one argueth the abſence of the other, and the ſame heart at the ſame time cannot love and delight in both, but if it loveth and delighteth in lyes, it hateth and abhorreth the Truth. And therefore ſeeing Truth is a moſt excellent Vertue, and exceeding pleaſing and acceptable unto God, as being like unto him in his owne Nature; It muſt needs follow by the rule of contraries, that lying is a moſt baſe and diſhonourable vice, and moſt odious and abominable unto God, as being oppoſite to his owne Nature. Neither may wee qualifie and extenuate the ſinne by our diſtinction of merry, officious and pernicious lyes: for howſoever theſe ſeverall kindes may in other reſpects, bee much more hainous and wicked one than another, much more odious to God and men; and will condemne lyars to greater or leſſer puniſhments in Hell fire; yet all of them are alike odious and abominable in this, that they are all oppoſite to that excellent vertue of Truth, and in every kinde of them, contrary to Gods pure and perfect Nature, who is eſſentially true and Truth it ſelfe. In which regard even the beſt ſort of officious lyes are evill and ſinfull, as namely when as men will tell them to confirme the Truth of Scripture, and to perſwade men more ſtrongly and effectually to imbrace, profeſſe and practice the true religion, by reporting fained miracles that have beene for merly wrought for the confirmation of this Truth, which, as alſo others of like nature, are called pious lyes. For firſt they are contrary to Truth, an excellent Vertue, and therefore muſt needes be vicious; they are oppoſite to Gods Nature, and diſhonourable unto him, as though hee were not able to maintaine his Truth, unleſſe wee helped him with our lyes; neither do they ſo much grace and confirme the Truth of religion, when they are kept ſecret, as diſgrace and weaken it, when they are diſcovered and come to light: nor ſo much ſtrengthen mens faith in beleeving it, being thus countenanced with lying wonders; as weaken it when the deceit is knowne, ſeeing theſe pious and officious lyes will make men, when they are diſcerned jealous and ſuſpicious of reall truths, and take away from their teachers all power in perſwading, making their arguments and motives unto piety of no credit or efficacy; ſeeing they that are moved and perſwaded, are ready to ſuſpect that their ſpeeches are all alike; that ſeeing they have told them of falſe miracles, therefore there are none true, but all of one kinde, although ſome more than other, are more cūningly acted; and that all the reaſons and motives which they uſe to perſwade men to a godly life, are nothing but officious lyes, which their teachers out of a pious affection and intention, uſe to countenance religion, and to make their exhortations and perſwaſions unto piety and honeſty, more forcible and efficacious. And this was the reaſon which made Saint Auguſtine Auguſt. lib. Epiſtol. Epiſt. 15.oppoſe Saint Ierome, who maintained the lawfulneſſe of ſuch officious and pious lyes; becauſe if this were once permitted as lawfull or tolerable it would take away all authority in the teacher, all faith and beliefe in the hearer; yea make the Scriptures themſelves to bee ſuſpected: ſo as no admonitions, reproofes or counſells can bee given with any fruite, becauſe the hearers and readers will eaſily ſurmiſe, that the things they heare and read are but pious and officious lyes, to bring into, and keepe men in the right way: and not becauſe they have in them any reallity of Trueth. And therefore ſeeing theſe lyes are alſo unlawfull as being oppoſite to Truth; I conclude that there are not any lawfull, according to that of Saint Augustine: There are (ſaith he) many kindes of lyes, Mendaciorum genera multa ſunt quae quidem omnia univerſaliter …diſſe debemus. Contmendac. ad Conſent. lib. 2. cap. 3.all which univerſally we ought to hate. For there is no lye which is not contrary to Truth; for as light and darkeneſſe, piety and impiety, juſtice and iniquity, ſinne and righteouſneſſe, health and ſickneſſe, life and death; even ſo Truth and lying are contrary to one another, and therefore as much as we love that, ſo much ought this to bee hated and abhorred. And againe, thoſe things which are done againſt the Law of God cannot bee juſt, and David ſaith unto God, thy Law is Truth; ſo that Pſal. 119.what is againſt Truth, cannot bee juſt, as all lyes are, &c. And therefore when examples of lying are alleadged out of the Scriptures, either they are not lyes, but are onelyonly thought ſo, becauſe they are not underſtood, or if they bee lyes, they may not be imitated, becauſe they are not juſt, as being againſt Truth.
And this is the next motive to make us to abhorre and forſake lyes, becauſe they are alſo oppoſite §. 2. That lyes are oppoſite to Justice.to Juſtice, the which conſiſting in an evennes, equality, and juſt proportion and agreement of one thing with another, that is to be eſteemed unjuſt wherein there is inequality and diſagreement. And conſequently there is unjuſtice and iniquity in every lye, wherein there is no equality or agreement betweene the ſpeech and the minde: this conceiving one thing, and the tongue uttering another; that dictating what is the truth, and this ſpeaking what is falſe. To which purpoſe Saint Augustine thus ſpeaketh; every one who lyeth, Omnis qui mē titur iniquitatem facit, &c. Auguſt. dedoctr. Chriſtiana. Tom. 3. col. 19.doth iniquity, and if it ſeemeth unto any that a lye is ſometimes profitable, it may alſo ſeeme unto him that it is profitable to commit iniquity; for no man that lyeth, in that wherein he lyeth keepeth his faith: For his will is that he to whom he lyeth ſhould have faith to beleeve him, which notwithſtanding in lying to him, himſelfe keepeth not; now every one who violateth his faith is unjuſt. And therefore either injuſtice is ſometimes profitable, or elſe a lye is alwayes unprofitable: and hereof it is that the Prophet Zephany joyneth theſe two together: The remnant of Iſrael ſhall not doe Zeph. 3. 13.iniquity, nor ſpeake lyes, neither ſhall a deceitfull tongue bee found in their mouth. And ſo Malachie, affirming that Truth was in Levies mouth, denyeth alſo that there was iniquity found in it. The Law Mal. 2. 6.of Truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lippes. And therefore as wee love Juſtice, ſo alſo we muſt love Truth; and if we would not bee accounted unjuſt and wicked, we muſt be carefull to hate and ſhunne lying.
Finally, lying is contrary to Charity, which as §. 3. That lyes are oppoſite to Charity. 1 Cor. 13. 6.the Apoſtle ſpeaketh delighteth and rejoyceth in the Truth: Now Charity is the fulfilling of the whole Law, and compriſeth in it all duties towards God, our neighbours and our ſelves: and therefore lying in this reſpect, as it oppoſeth Charity, tranſgreſſeth the whole Law of God; for firſt, it diſhonoureth God, and robbeth him of his Glory, as in thoſe reſpects formerly ſpoken of, namely becauſe it is contrary to Gods Nature and Truth, and tranſgreſſeth his Word and revealed Will; ſo alſo becauſe the Lyar, like the Divell, in a ſort blaſphemeth God in oppoſing his workes, taking upon him to give a being to that which is not, and to make ſomething of nothing, which is proper and peculiar to divine Omnipotency, which nevertheleſſe is but an apiſh imitation, and not done in Truth; for whereas God by his Almighty Power giveth a true being to things that are not, and maketh all things of nothing; the Divell and thoſe his children that reſemble him in lying, doe not by their words give a true being to things that are not, but onelyonly labour to imitate God herein as much as they are able, giving unto them a falſe being in the opinions of thoſe whom they deceive with their lyes, and though they are not, yet make them ſeeme to bee in ſhew and appearance. Even as the Divell by his jugling trickes and impoſtures, caſteth falſe miſts before mens eyes, and maketh them beleeve that they ſee many things which they ſee not, and which in truth are not, whileſt being unable to give a true exiſtence to theſe things, he onelyonly deludeth and abuſeth their phantaſie. Secondly, it is contrary to true Charity in reſpect of our neighbors, ſeeing it robbeth their mindes of that precious Jewell of Truth, and putteth in the place thereof (as it were) the baſe bugles and worthleſſe counterfeits of lyes, beſides all thoſe evills and miſchiefes, of which I have formerly ſpoken. Finally, it is moſt contrary to that Charity and Love which every man oweth to himſelfe, ſeeing it bringeth upon a man innumerable evills, ſpoyling him of truth, and many other graces in this life, and depriving him of all hope to injoy eternall bleſſedneſſe, or to eſcape the everlaſting torments of Hell fire in the life to come.
Againe, (for a concluſion of this point) that we §. 4. That lying is but a vaine and ſleight vice.may be moved to loath lying, let us conſider, that as it is baſe and diſhonourable, ſo it is but a vaine and ſleight vice, which hath no ſolidity or ſubſtance in it, and therefore laſteth and endureth not, but onelyonly ſerveth for the preſent turne, to make a ſeeming and falſe ſhew, and then like a ſnuffe, the blaze going out, it endeth in ſtinke. It may ſeeme to bring profit for the time, and to make us rich like a Briſtoll Diamond or counterfeite Pearle, but being ſo ſoft that it will not indure the hard touch of a wiſe tryall, it will ſoone looſe its gloſſe and glory, and make the owner if hee have given oughts for it, a looſer by his bargaine. It may like glittering tinſell ſeeme for the time rich, and make a faire ſhew, and promiſe alſo to cover our nakedneſſe, but even whileſt it ſeemeth outwardly to hide our ſinne and ſhame, we are inwardly in our hearts and conſciences never the warmer in reſpect of peace and ſound comfort; and within a while this baſe and ſleight ſtuffe will bee worne out to ragges, ſo that it will bee eaſie to ſee through it, and to diſcerne all that nakedneſſe and filthineſſe of vice and ſin, which at the firſt they promiſed to hide. To which purpoſe the wiſe Salomon ſpeakeeth excellently: The lippe of Truth ſhall be establiſhed Prov. 12. 19.for ever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. The which even the Heathens have found by their Menander apud Stobaeū. Serm. 12.owne experience. For one of them ſaith, that no lyar can long lie hid. Another ſpeaketh the ſame more elegantly: no lye proceedeth and liveth unto Sophocles.old age. And the Oratour telleth us, that all Ficta omnia celeriter tanquam floſculi decidunt; nec ſimulatū quicquam poteſt eſſe diuturnum: Cic. offic. lib. 2. foreign ex eo dicitur quod non poſſit foreign, id eſt, latere. Pro Coelio. Nihil ſimulatio proficit, paucis imponit, leviter extrinſecus inducta facies. Veritas in omnem partem ſui ſemper eadem eſt. Quae decipiunt nihil habent ſolidi. Tenue eſt mendacium; perlucet ſi diligenter inſpexeris. Sen. Epiſt. 79. §. 5. That lying though it bee ſleight, yet is a laborious vice. Oportet mendacem eſſe memorem.fained things fade and fall like flowers; neither can any thing which is falſe and diſſembled hold out long. Hence it is that the Graecians call Truth by a name which ſignifieth ſuch a thing as cannot lie hid; but as the ſame Author ſpeaketh, though by the diſhoneſty of many it may bee depreſſed, yet it riſeth againe, and though the defence of innocency may be checked and interrupted, yet in a while it will breath againe and get life. So Seneca (like himſelfe) ſpeaketh to this point wittily and fully. No diſſembling (ſaith he) profitteth, it deceiveth but a few, ſleightly drawing outwardly over it a falſe ſemblance. Truth is alwayes the ſame, and which way ſoever ye turne it, good on both ſides. Thoſe things that deceive, have in them nothing ſolid. A lye is ſo thinne a thing, that if thou doeſt diligently looke into it, thou mayeſt ſee through it.
And yet (which may be another motive to make us hate lying) though it bee but a vaine and ſleight vice, and of ſhort durance; yet it is no eaſie thing, but requireth much labour. For it putteth the wit to its ſtrongeſt invention, and trieth to the uttermoſt the memory, and even tyreth it with much exerciſe; that the parts of their lyes may agree one with another, and when they are repeated, may ſeeme (like truth) to be alwayes the ſame: wherein if there be for want of wit or weakeneſſe of memory the leaſt fayling, they are taken tripping and tardy in their tale, and ſometimes puniſhed both for their fault and falſehood, but alwayes at the leaſt ſhamed and diſgraced. In which regard when they have toyled themſelves in their uttermoſt indeavours to hide their ſinne, yet are they alwayes upon the racke, and even when they are ſafe, they are not ſecure, but ſtill in feare leſt their lyes ſhall come to light; If at leaſt their impudence armed with power doe not incourage them to out-face the Truth, and reſtraine their inferiours to whom they lye, from preſſing them any further than will ſtand with their liking. An example whereof we have in Iacob, who intending to ſteale a bleſſing from his Father, doth uſe the uttermoſt of his wit and memory to interweave cunningly the webbe of his lyes, that he might not be diſcovered. And yet when he had improoved his lying Arts to the uttermoſt advantage, with what feare doe you thinke was he ſurpriſed? with what ſhaking hands and trembling voyce did he utter his lyes, whileſt he doubted, leſt his father diſcovering his fraude, hee might bring upon himſelfe a curſe in ſtead of a bleſſing. And therefore well might the Prophet ſpeake of Jeruſalem, that ſhee had wearied her ſelfe Ezech. 24. 12.with lyes, and yet her great ſcumme, even her polluting ſinnes and the guilt of them, was not gone out of her: for they that delight not to ſpeake the truth, but have taught their tongues to ſpeake lyes, doe (as Ieremy ſpeaketh) weary themſelves to commit Jer. 9. 5.iniquitie. So that the Art of lying may well bee compared to the Spiders web, in weaving whereof ſhee taketh great paines, yea ſpendeth and waſteth out her owne bowels, though it ſerveth for no other uſe but to catch a few flies; and when all is done, ſhee cannot bee ſecure in her weake hold, but might juſtly feare (if ſhee had as much wit as a lyar) that ſhe ſhall bee beaten out of it with every blaſt of winde, or bruſh of a broome: whereas on the other ſide, the way of truth is ſo plaine and eaſie, that a weake memory, if we have once gone in it, will ſerve our turne to goe it againe; and whereas errour is manifold, it is ever one and the ſame, ſo that we may with confidence proceed in it, and not feare to bee tripped and catched, though wee are examined at ſeverall times and before divers perſons, becauſe if wee know the truth, and ſpeake nothing but what we know, the oftner we relate it the more we ſhall confirme it, ſeeing we ſhall ſtill ſpeake the ſame thing without varying in any matter of ſubſtance from that we have firſt ſpoken. And with this the judgement of Saint Auguſtine accordeth: The fictions of a lye (ſaith he) are very Difficillima & laborioſa ſunt figmenta mendacii. Qui verum vult dicere non laborat. &c. Aug. Sentent. 66.difficult and laborious; whereas hee who deſireth to ſpeake the truth is at no great paines. For good men are farre quieter than thoſe that are evill, and the words of thoſe who ſpeake truth, are much more abſolute than the lyes of deceivers. And therefore if we would not take much pains to little purpoſe, and not with great danger goe the further way about, when wee may goe the next way with eaſe and ſafety; Let us not labour to compaſſe our endes by falſe ſleights, and lyes, which have alwayes in them more frothy ſubtilty, than ſubſtantiall ſolidity; but ſeeke to attaine unto them in the plaine and ſafe wayes of ſimplicity and truth. In which wayes if Iacob had walked, hee had prevented many dangers, eſcaped many cares and toilſome labours under a churliſh uncle and deceitfull maſter, and with much more ſpeed and ſafety had attained unto his end, and quietly enjoyed both birth-right and bleſſing.