A Treatise Against Lying, Treatise · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Of the uſes which wee ought to make of the former diſcourſe.
ANd thus having through Gods gracious §. 1. The firſt uſe, that wee have Truth in high eſteeme.aſſiſtance handled the pointes, which in the beginning of this Treatiſe I propounded, and ſhewed the nature of this vice, what it is, the cauſes and kindes of it, with the meanes whereby we may bee preſerved from this common infection, or cured if we bee tainted with it; it now followeth in the laſt place, that I adde a word or two by way of uſe. And firſt, ſeeing Truth is ſuch an excellent Vertue and precious Jewell, let this move us highly to priſe and dearely love it, and following the wiſe mans counſell, let us buy it though it coſt us Prov. 23. 23.deare, but never ſell it at any rate. For though it may ſeeme at the firſt ſight that we have much damage and diſadvantage by it, and that by ſpeaking the ſimple truth wee make our ſelves a prey to the crafty, who have great helpe by their lyes to circumvent and deceive us; that wee have much loſſe in our trading and bargaining, buying and ſelling when wee are reſtrained in our liberty of lying, whileſt that others that make no conſcience of it, have many helpes and advantages thereby to further their ends, and advance their gaine: And finally, that wee ſhall by confeſſing the Truth, when we have offended, incurre much diſpleaſure, and expoſe our ſelves to the hard opinions of thoſe that are ſet over us, yea oftentimes to rigour and puniſhment; whereas others more faulty by the helpe of their Iyes doe frame ſuch excuſes, that they are acquitted as blameleſſe, held in good eſteeme, yea ſometimes prayſed and rewarded as innocent and well deſerving: yet let us reſt aſſured that by loving and ſpeaking Truth, wee ſhall finde our ſelves gainers in the end. For firſt Truth it ſelfe is ſuch an unvaluable Jewell, that it is ſufficient to inrich its owners by it ſelfe, and to make full amends for all the inconveniences, diſadvantages, loſſes and puniſhments which they have by it; ſeeing it is accompanied with the inward peace of a good conſcience, and Spirituall joy in the aſſurance of Gods Love and our Salvation. Beſides it will make us acceptable unto God, who is in himſelfe alone All-ſufficient to reward our loving and imbracing of Truth in obedience to his Commandement; and to recompence abundantly all inconveniences and diſadvantages which we have by it. For he is infinitely wiſe, and knoweth how to uphold us in our ſimplicity and Truth againſt all the cunning machinations of crafty Machiavells: He Pſal. 24. 1.is infinitely rich, as being the Lord and Owner of Heaven and Earth, and therefore able abundantly to recompence all loſſes which wee have by ſpeaking Truth and ſhunning lyes, and to give us ſufficient riches by honeſt meanes, and together with them ſuch inward joy and peace, that wee ſhall experimentally ſay with the Pſalmiſt, A little that a Pſal. 37. 1… ▪righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked; and with the wiſe man: Better is a little with Prov. 16. … ▪righteouſneſſe, than great revenewes without right. Finally, by his Power and Providence he ruleth our rulers, and ſo diſpoſeth of their hearts, that they will as much like us for our truth and ſimplicity, when we acknowledge our faults, as miſlike us for the committing of them; and ſpare us for our ingenuity, rather than puniſh our defects and failings: or otherwiſe if they inflict upon us as much or much more than we have deſerved, if wee beare it with meekeneſſe and patience, we ſhall have more peace and comfort in our ſuffrings than we ſhould have had, if wee had prevented and eſcaped them by telling of lyes. In which reſpects let us not only Jer. 9. 3.ſtand for the Truth, but be valiant alſo in defending and preſerving of it; ſeeing all that wee can doe or ſuffer, is not comparable unto thoſe benefits which we ſhall receive by it.
Secondly, ſeeing it hath beene ſhewed and proved §. 2. The ſecond uſe is that wee abborre lyes.to the convincing of all mens Conſciences not wilfully blinde, that lying is a moſt odious vice, diſhonourable unto God, and pernicious to our ſelves and neighbours; let us not upon any pretence of pleaſure or profit bee allured to like or love it; or if wee have formerly beene overtaken with it, yet let us not continue in it, but riſe out of this ſinne by unfained repentance. For howſoever heretofore our ignorance might make it the more excuſable, becauſe wee did not know that it is ſo odious unto God, ſo hainous in it ſelfe and pernicious unto us; yet now that the light of Truth hath laid it open in its owne colours and ſhape, if we ſtill make no conſcience of committing it, nor lay it to heart to bewaile, hate and turne from it by unfained repentance, wee ſhall be left unexcuſable, and ſinning againſt the light of our owne knowledge, wee ſhall hereby aggravate our ſinne, and increaſe our puniſhment.
Finally, ſeeing this vice is ſo hatefull and abominable, §. 3. The third uſe is that Magiſtrates ſhould indeavour by all meanes to ſuppreſſe this vice.and bringeth with it ſo many and great evils, both to private Perſons, and to all Families and Societies, Church and Common-wealth, and after this life helliſh miſery, and eternall condemnation: Let this moove all men in their ſeverall places and callings to uſe their beſt indeavours to ſuppreſſe this vice, and to amend and reforme it both in themſelves and others. And firſt, Magiſtrates ſhould be perſwaded to doe all they can to diſcountenance this vice by making good lawes againſt it; and ſeeing them duely executed, becauſe it is no leſſe dangerous to a State, than any other vices, as being an incourager to all wickedneſſe, and the colour and cover which doth conceale and hide it. And therefore as Plato thought thoſe Commonwealthes moſt miſerable, which abounded with Lawyers and Phyſitians, becauſe in them contentions and ſuites, ſickeneſſes and diſeaſes abound alſo; ſo may it much more truely bee ſpoken, that thoſe States and Kingdomes are moſt miſerable, in which lyes are moſt frequent without controule or puniſhment, becauſe it argueth plainely the abounding of all other vice, ſeeing their chiefe uſe is to cover all other ſinne, and incourage to all wickedneſſe, whilſt they promiſe to hide it. But eſpecially it muſt be the care of Governors and Rulers to ſtoppe their eares to tale-bearers and lyars, becauſe it is the receivers that make theeves; and if they had no eare to liſten unto lyes, men would have no tongues to tell them; if they with their countenance, (as a North winde the raine) would drive them away, they would quickely leave their Prov. ….lying, and labour to regaine their favour by ſpeaking of Truth, whereas If a Ruler hearken unto lyes, Prov. 29. 12.all his ſervants are ſo wicked as to tell them; if the King will be made glad with wickedneſſe, and the Princes Hoſ. 7. 3.with lyes; thoſe that are about them will to their uttermoſt skill uſe all their lying Arts to pleaſe and delight them.
But though the care of reforming this vice §. 4. The fourth uſe is, that wee doe our beſt to prevent this ſin in others.ought to be chiefly in Rulers and Magiſtrates, yet not in them onelyonly; but every Chriſtian ought to doe his beſt to maintaine and nouriſh Trueth, and to ſuppres this Vice of lying both in himſelfe and others. Eſpecially it concernes every man to take heed, that hee ſo carry himſelfe in his entercourſe and dealings, that he be not a cauſe or occaſion unto his neighbor of falling into this ſin. And becauſe it is moſt frequently cōmitted in buying and ſelling, the Seller labouring to raiſe his commodity by telling untrueths, and the Buyer to pull downe the price by diſpraiſing it, therefore let us not only watch over our owne tongues that wee doe not offend, but alſo avoid all occaſions whereby our neighbour with whom we deale may fall into this ſinne. Now this is done when as wee doe not in driving our bargaine, delight in uſing many words which are ſeldome free from lyes, but take a plaine and faire courſe in our asking and offering with all convenient ſparingneſſe of ſpeech. And as the Seller is not by his laviſh prayſes to draw on the Buyer to ſpeake worſe of the commodity than either it deſerves, or he thinkes, ſo let not the Buyer by his diſpraiſes, moove the Seller to uſe untrue commendations, that hereby hee may dazle his eyes, and allure him to a better liking. And as the one muſt not aske at the firſt exceſſive prices for his wares, from which height he doth not uſually deſcend to his ſelling price, but (as it were) by the ſteps and ſtaires of lyes and untruthes, ſo muſt not the other by too much hucking and niggardly offers as much under the juſt price, move him to the practice of his lying arts and eloquence; nor by diſtruſting his words when he ſpeaketh truth, occaſion him to further the bargaine by ſpeaking lyes, becauſe he ſeeth that the one is beleeved as well as the other.
To conclude all that I have to ſay in this diſcourſe, §. 5. Tbat governours of Families ſhould doe their beſt to ſuppreſſe or reforme this vice in their inferiours.ſeeing this vice of lying is ſo ſinnefull and pernicious, let Parents and Governours of Families uſe their beſt care and indevour in the education of their children, and governement of their ſervants, to ſuppreſſe and reforme it by all good meanes, that thoſe under their charge be not tainted and poyſoned with it. And to this end they muſt make themſelves in all their ſpeeches examples of truth unto their inferiours, and ſuch as hate and ſhunne lyes. In which reſpect I have much miſliked and condemned their practiſe which make no ſcruple of telling lyes to their little children, either by promiſing unto them that which they meane not to performe, that hereby they may allure them to doe what they would have them; or by skaring them with bug-beares and faiſe frights, that they may make them leave their crying, or doing other things amiſſe, whereby they uſually looſe their credit and authority with them, ſo that they doe not beleeve them when as they are ſerious in ſpeaking truth; and withall poyſon Quo ſemel eſt imbuta recens ſervabit odorem Teſta diu. Horat.their tender natures which in themſelves are too apt to receive any ſinnefull impreſſion, and make them apt and ready to follow their evill example, and ſo by cuſtome habituate them unto it, that they can hardly bee brought to leave it when they come to riper age. Another meanes is to make it one part of their chiefeſt care in obſerving their Children and Servants, that they may finde them out in their lyes, unto which by naturall corruption they are ſo much inclined, and taking them with the manner, to rebuke and diſcountenance them in their ſinne, ſhewing them the hainouſnes of it by Gods Word, and the puniſhments which are threatned againſt them that are guilty of it. And if all this will not reclaime them, they muſt adde to their inſtructions and rebukes ſeaſonable corrections, and ſhew themſelves more ready and willing to remit or tenderly to chaſtize their faults committed againſt themſelves, than their ſin of lying, whereby they deny or excuſe them which is committed againſt God. Finally, if we would have our inferiours to confeſſe the truth when they are faulty and guilty, and not uſe lyes and falſe excuſes, we muſt in our government avoid too much rigor and cruelty in our corrections, which out of feare and infirmity will move inferiours to hide their faults with lyes, and ſo to hazard their ſoules rather than indure bodily ſmart, and rather to preſume on Gods mercy for the forgivenes of their ſins, than to confeſſe them to ſuch governors as are ſo cruell, that they can expect from them no pardon of their fault, nor moderation in their puniſhments: whereas if they would leave unto them ſome hope of finding mercy upon their confeſſion and promiſe of amendment, if they would not alwayes deale with them in ſeverity and ſtrictneſſe of juſtice, but pardon ſome faults becauſe they are ſleight and venial, and ſome of an higher nature, becauſe of their ingenuity and truth, which moveth them by an humble acknowledgement to ſubmit themſelves to their pleaſure, and to rely upon their mercy, they would not be ſo apt to make lyes their refuge, eſpecially if they knew that they are ſo odious to their governours, that they will, if they be diſcovered, inflict upon them more certaine and ſevere puniſhment. And as rigour and cruelty muſt be ſhunned in correction: ſo alſo injuſtice and indiſcretion, whereby men make no difference of faults, but puniſh with as much ſeverity triviall and ſmall overſights, as great and pernicious offences; infirmities and unwilling ſlips and faylings, as voluntary and wilfull negligences. For when the delinquent doth not lye under any great guilt, nor in his conſcience is convinced that hee hath deſerved much blame, and yet knowing in reſpect of his governours indiſcretion, that hee ſhall fare as ill as if hee were more faulty; this cauſeth him to make no ſcruple to prevent and eſcape his puniſhment by lyes: and becauſe theſe light faults happen often, and ſo the offender is put often to his lying ſhifts, at laſt cuſtome will bring an habite, and imbolden him to uſe lying excuſes to hide his greater faults, as well as his leſſer faylings. The like care muſt bee uſed by Superiours in their corrections, that they avoid all raſhneſſe and furious paſſion; for if they come masked and diſguiſed under this terrible vizard and fall to execution before they have duely examined and judged, they put the offender into a ſudden fright, and not being able to ſee the face of his Father or Maſter, whileſt it is covered with this raſh rage and tyranny, for very feare hee denyeth the faults which he hath committed, before he well knoweth what hee ſpeaketh, and having once ſaid it, hee out-faceth the Trueth, and ſtoutly ſtandeth to his firſt lye, being ready to backe it with another; leſt if the Truth ſhould come to light he ſhould incurre more diſpleaſure, and draw upon himſelfe double puniſhment, both for his fault and falſhoode in hiding it with his lyes.
foreign.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Downame, A Treatise Against Lying (1636)