hast sayth he vnto the Lord shewed vnto thy seruant Dauâ—d my father great mercy when he walked before thee in truth and in righteousnesse and in vprightnesse of heart with thee Of Ezechias you heard before But omitting other examples let vs call to mind the example of Enoch by which being the first in this kind we may best conceiue what account the Lord maketh of Integritie For when as he walked before God vprightly the Lord did therfore translate him out of this valley of teares that he should not see death and assumed him into heauen where he might inioy immortall glorie But if neither the golden reason of excellency can moue vs nor the siluer reason of profit allure vs then must the yron reason of necessitie enforce vs to Integrity and vprightnesse of heart For first such is the necessity thereof that without Integritie the best graces we seeme to haue are counterfeit and therefore but glorious sinnes the best worship we can performe is but hypocrisie and therefore abhominable in Gods sight For vprightnesse is the soundnesse of all graces and virtues as also of all religion and worship of God without which they are vnsound and nothing worth And first as touching graces if they be not ioyned with vprightnesse of hart they are sinnes vnder the maskes or vizards of virtue yea as it may seeme double sinnes for as Augustine sayth Simulata aequitas est duplex iniquitas quia iniquitas est simulatio Fained equitie is double iniquity both because it is iniquitiâ— and because it is â—aining Wherefore in the Scriptures it is required that our faith should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfained that is such a faith as inwardly purifieth the hart and outwardly worketh by loue otherwise it is not a true and a liuely but a counterfeit and dead faith Likewise our loue must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfained that is as Iohn saith we must loue not in speech and tongue but in deed and truth Or as Paul speaketh our loue must proceed from a pure heart a good conscience and â—aith vnfained Our wisedome also must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without dissimulation not that mixt or Machiuilian prudence which politicke men in the world so greatly praise being mixed with hypocrisie and deceit but that prudence of serpents tempered with the simplicitie of Doues otherwise it is as Iames saith earthly carnall and diuellish Lastly our repentance and conuersion vnto God must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfained and from our whole hart For it is not the renting of the garments but of the heart that pleaseth God Neither is it the bowing of the head like a Bul-rush but the humiliation the melting the contrition of the heart that is acceptable before him Such as was the repentance of Iosiah 2. King 22. not as that of Achab 1. King 21. nor yet as that of the dissembling Israelites who made semblance of repentance and turning to God but their heart was not vpright with him If therefore without vprightnesse our faith be dead our loue cold our wisedome diuellish our repentance counterfeit then is vprightnes no lesse necessary to saluation then I say not any one of these graces but theÌ„ all But as those graces which we may seeme to haue without vprightnes are couÌ„terfeit so our religion worship of God without it is hipocrisie For although it be the common practise of meÌ„ not only to content themselues with a profession of religion pietie towards God neglecting the duties of charitie towards men but also to rest in an outward and bodily worship notwithstanding it is no true religion before God which is altogether wanting in the duties of charitie neither is the outward worship without the inward acceptable vnto God This is notably declared in the Prophecy of Micah where to the hypocrite demanding wherewith he should come before the Lord and bow himselfe before the high God and making large offers if outward seruice would stand for good payment Shall I come before him saith he with burnt offerings and Calues of a yeare old will the Lord he pleased with thousands of Rammes or with ten thousand riuers of oyle shall I giue my first borne for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule Answer is made He hath shewed thee ô man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely towards men to do iustly and to loue mercie and towards God to humble thyselfe to walke with thy God The reasonable seruice that is the spirituall worship of God is that liuing holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth As for bodily exercise that profiteth little yea if it be seuered from the spirituall it hurteth much Therefore the Prophet denounceth the fearefull judgements of God against those who comming neere vnto him with their mouth and honoring him with their lippes do notwithstanding remoue their heart farre from him But the truth of this doctrine will more clearely appeare if we shall descend into the particuler consideration of the seuerall parts of Gods worship As first of prayer to the acceptable performance whereof there is required vprightnesse not onely in the action it selfe but also in the life of him that prayeth For as touching the action it selfe it is not sufficient to moue the lippes or to vtter a certaine number of words as Papists and other hopocrites do but our prayer if it shall be acceptable must also be a prayer of the heart and of the spirit a lifting vp of the soule a lifting vp of the heart with the hands a pouring forth of the soule before the Lord and to pray aright is to pray with our whole heart with an vpright heart out of a pure heart with lippes vnfained finally it is to pray in truth that is in vprightnesse and to this vpright prayer is the promise of hearing our prayer restrained Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is neere to them that call vpon him What to all yea to all saith the Prophet of purpose excluding hypocrites that call vpon him in truth For the Lord in our prayers doth not so much regard our tongue as our heart As for them which draw neare vnto the Lord with their lippes and are remooued from him in their heart they abuse the Maiesty of God whiles crying vnto him but not from their hearts they lye vnto God and go about to deceiue him with their lippes and by their hypocrisie to cast as it were a mist before his eyes But herein they are greatly deceiued For how soeuer masking vnder the vizards of hypocrisie they may hide themselues from men yet before God such maskers do as it were daunce in a net for before him all things
of God That he is not such an one as shall either sojourne in the Tabernacle of God or dwell in his holy mountaine vnlesse the description of a sound Christian and citisen of heauen which is comprised in this answer of the Lord agree vnto him And of this answer we are now to speake For when as Dauid as if he had bene the high Priest standing before the propitiatory had consulted with the Oracle of God The Lord maketh aunswere as it were from betwixt the Cherubins therein fully satisfying his demaund For being demaunded who shall sojourne in the Tabernacle of God and rest in his holy mountaine He answereth That he which walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse c. shall neuer beremooued In which answere we are to consider two things the description of a sound Christian in the whole body of the Psalme and his priuiledge in the last words he that doth these things shall neuer beremooued The description consisteth wholly of the effects whereby the Lord would haue a true citisen of the kingdome of heauen to be tried and knowne as our Sauiour saith By their fruits you shall know them But here it may be demaunded first Why doth he not rather describe a sound member of the Church and heire of heauen by his faith or by the profession thereof seeing to faith the kingdome of heauen is promised and seeing also the profession of the true faith maketh one a member of the visible Church I answer because faith is an inward and hidden grace many deceiue both themselues and others by a profession of faith and therfore the holy ghost will haue euery mans faith to bee tried and known by the fruits thereof And howsoeuer eternall life be promised to faith and eternall damnation be threatned against infidelitie yet the sentence of saluation and condemnation shall be pronounced according to workes as the euidence of both Secondly it may be demaunded Why among all the fruits of faith which are almost innumerable he maketh choise of those duties which we owe to our brother especially considering that the duties which we owe immediatly to God are more principall wherein also consisteth our religion and pietie towards God As for example the true inuocation of the name of God the sincere profession of the faith the sauing hearing of the word c. Answ. We are to consider that this question is propounded of such as liuing in the visible Church would seeme to be religious making a profession of the faith hearing the word of God and calling vpon his name viz. which of them because all are not religious which would seeme to be so are indeed sound members of the Church and heires of heauen For of those which are openly prophane and doe not so much as make a semblance of religion there is no question to bee made For without question there is no place for such in the kingdome of heauen Now that wee may rightly discerne of those which professe religion who among them are sound who vnsound the markes and tokens are not to bee taken from the outward duties of Gods worship as prayer hearing of the word receiuing of the sacraments and much lesse the obseruation of humane traditions for all these things hypocrits also are accustomed to do but from the duties of charitie and righteousnesse which we owe to our brethren For the touchstone of pietie and true religion towards God is charitie towards our brother Herein saith Iohn are the children of God knowne and the children of the diuell whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother Theâ—e is no man almost in the Church who will not affirme that he beleeueth in Christ that he loueth God that he is the disciple of Christ How then shall he be tried True faith worketh by loue and is to be manifested by workes without which it is to be judged dead The true loue of God must shew it selfe in the loue of our brother For if any man shall say that he loueth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar The true disciple of Christ is knowne by brotherly loue Hereby saith our Sauiour shall all men know you to be my disciples if you loue one another Now in the loue of our neighbour all the duties of the second Table are summarily comprised Let no man therefore so deceiue himselfe as to thinke that he is truly religious towards God if hee liue vnjustly or vncharitably among his neighbours For our religion towards God is to bee esteemed according to those fruits which appeare in our calling and conuersation with men For hereby according to the Scriptures is all our religion and pietie towards God to bee examined and tried And for this cause in describing a citizen of heauen he reckneth vp those duties which are to be exercised towards our brother that by them as it were certaine cognisances the true seruant of God may bee discerned from the slaue of the Diuell And so elsewhere in the Scriptures the like questions receiue not vnlike answers As Psal. 24. 3. 4. 6. Esay 33. 14. 15. 16. Hitherto I haue spoken of the description in generall now we are to descend to the seuerall parts and branches thereof of them some are generall others more speciall I call those generall which summarily comprise all the duties of a good man in the 2. verse namely that he be vpright in heart just in his deeds and true in his words The more speciall are contained in the rest of the Psalme whereby the child of God is described partly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of deniall that he slandereth not that he doth not euill vnto his neighbour that he receiueth not an ill report against him that he breaketh not his oath that he putteth not to vsury that he receiueth no rewards partly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee contemneth the wicked and honoureth the godly And these specials may bee vnderstood as branches of the generall For he that is vpright is not partiall but behaueth himselfe towards men as they behaue themselues towards God honoring those that honor God and despising those that contemne the Lord. He that is iust is not iniurious to his neighbour neither is he an vsurer or briber He that loueth the truth he is true in his oath and promises he detesteth slandering both in himselfe and others hauing neither a tongue to vtter nor an eare to heare slaunders Or you may conceiue thus that a citizen of heauen is here described by ten notes whereof foure is affirmatiue signifying the vertues wherewith he is indued and six are negatiue signifying those speciall vices which hee is carefull to auoid Of these notes we are to speake in order The first whereof is Integrity or vprightnesse in these words He that walketh vprightly To walke in the Hebrew phrase signifieth either generally to liue to order a mans life or more
in the day of judgement shall say Lord Lord haue not we prophecied in thy name and cast our diuels in thy name and done many great workes in thy name to whom the Lord shall answere I neuer knew you depart from mee you workers of iniquitie Call to mind the fiue foolish virgins who hauing lampes but no oyle were excluded If therefore we would not depart ashamed from our Sauiour Christ at his comming wishing the mountaines to fall vpon vs and to couer vs from his sight but would stand before the sonne of man with comfort let vs endeuour to approoue our selues in the meane time to Christ our judge walking before him in vprightnesse of heart and so demeaning our selues as those who thinke that of their most secret thoughts words and deeds there must an account be giuen to God who searcheth the heart and trieth the reines that he may giue euery man according to his waies and according to the fruit of his workes Fourthly and lastly let vs follow the aduise of Salomon Prou. 4. Aboue all obseruation to keepe our heart For the heart as it is the fountaine of life so of liuing well or ill from whence all our speeches and actions as it were streames doe flow and proceed Those things which come out of the mouth sayth our Sauiour Christ come from the heart For out of the heart come euill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefâ—s false testimonies slaunders And againe The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth â—oorth good things and the euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill things for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and also the hand worketh If therefore we desire that our actions and speeches may bee good and pure wee must first haue our hearts purified by a true faith that so our loue and obedience may flow from a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained For it cannot be that the streames of our actions should be good and sincere if the fountaine of our heart be corrupt Wherefore in reforming our liues our first and chiefe care must be for the purging of our hearts as our Sauior Christ admonisheth Mat. 23. Cleanse first saith he the inside of the cup and platter that the outside of them may be cleane also And Iames Purge your heart you double minded saith he and not your hands onely For what will it auaile vs to drie vp the streames whiles the fountaine springeth or to lop off the boughs whiles the body and root doe remaine vntouched Surely if with Amaziah we shall doe those things which be right but not with an vpright heart we shall fall away as he did If with Simon Magus we professe our selues to beleeue and joyne our selues to the Saints of God notwithstanding we may be as he was in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquitie if our heart be not vpright within vs. This neglect of the heart is the cause of all hypocrisie making men double minded bearing as wee say two faces vnder a hood Wherby it commeth to passe that the most glorious professours sometimes become like to Summer fruit which many times being faire and mellow on the outside is rotten at the core Now that we may the rather be stirred vp to a diligent obseruation of our heart we are briefely to consider these two things First that the heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things and therefore cannot sufficiently be watched And secondly that such as is the qualitie of the heart such is the qualitie of the man in the estimation of God Hetherto we haue spoken of integritie as it is referred vnto God it followeth now that wee should intreat thereof as it hath reference vnto men For as wee must walke before God in truth and sinceritie without hypocrisie so must we haue our conuersation among men in simplicitie and singlenesse of heart without dissembling or guile For euen in our conuersation among men wee are to haue God alwayes before our eyes that as in his presence and sight wee may in singlenesse of heart performe such duties as we owe vnto men For howsoeuer simplicitie is accounted folly in the world and worldly wisedome consisting of dissimulation and deceit be euery where extolled yet if we would be esteemed citisens of heauen and pilgrims on earth it behooueth vs to bee fooles in the world that we may become truly wise as the Apostle exhorteth 1. Cor. 3. Let no man deceiue himselfe If any man among you seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God Not that I would haue simple men to be fooles but that wise men ought to be simple For true wisdome is tempered with the simplicitie of doues And that wisedome which is from aboue is pure and without hypocrisie Whereas on the other side the wisedome of the world consisting of dissimulation and deceit is by the censure of S. Iames earthly carnall and diuellisâ— It is true indeed that in the world simplicitie is deemed folly and simple men are accounted as idiots and innocent men esteemed fools For such a generall wickednesse hath possessed the minds of most men that now adayes no man is called innocent but such as want wit to doe euill And contrariwise that mixed prudence is commended in the world which is â—oyned with hâ—pocrisie and deceit Which notwithstanding it were easie for any man to attain vnto who makes no conscience of dissembling lying facing sweaâ—ing forswearing But in the Scriptures simplicitie is both commended and commaunded as a note of the citisen of heauen without which there is no entrance for a man into the kingdome of God Christ commaundeth his followers to be wise indeed as serpents but withall to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is simple or sincere without any mixture of guile as doues are without gall And likewise Paule would haue vs wise vnto that which is good but simple vnto euill In regard hereof the primitiue Church Act. 2. is highly commended that they conuersed together in singlenesse of heart and herein especially the Apostle glorieth 2. Cor. 1. That in simplicitie and godly purenesse and not in flesâ—ly wisedome he had had his conuersation in the world And no maruell for it is the note of a true Israelite to be without guile and such the holy ghost pronounceth blessed Christ our Sauiour in respect of this simplicitie is called a lambe and those that will be his followers must not be foxes or wolues but as they are called in the Scriptures sheepe following the steps of our Sauiour Christ who did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth And hereunto let vs adde the testimonie of the holy ghost in this place affirming That those which shall
as being both profitable and necessary forts profitable First because by them we may make sure our calling and our election as Peter teacheth they being so many testimonies vnto vs thereof True indeed it is that we were elected without respect of workes and we are called by grace not according to workes we are justified by faith without workes and by grace we are saued through faith and not by workes But if a man would know whether he be elected called justified and shall be saued as we are bound to giue diligence that we may haue a firme knowledge of these things we are not to pry into the secret counsell of God but we are to examine our selues by our fruits for both we and others are to be discerned by our fruits As our Sauiour saith by their fruits you shall know them do men gather grapes of thornes or â—igges of thistels a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit By the fruits therefore of righteousnes we may euidently discerne our selues to be sanctified And none are sanctified but such as first are justified and whosoeuer are justified are effectually called and none are effectually called but such as are elected and none are elected but such as shall be saued To this purpose Iames sheweth that the faith whereby we are justified must be demonstrated by good workes And Iohn affirmeth that by the the loue of our brethren which is all one in effect with righteousnesse we know that we are translated from death vnto life Againe good workes are profitable because they haue the promises both of this life and of that which is to come They are also necessary not as the causes of our justification and saluation as though we were either justified by them or saued for them but as necessary fruits of faith and testimonies of our justification according whereunto the sentence of saluation shall be pronounced for although vnto the act of justification good workes do not concurre as any causes thereof yet in the subject that is the partie justified they concurre as fruits of our faith and consequents of our justification For as breathing is such a fruit or consequent of life as where that is we judge the body to liue where that is not we judge it to be dead so is the exercise of righteousnesse and performance of good workes such a consequent of faith as that where good workes are the faith is liuely where they are not at all the faith is dead They are necessary also in respect of saluation not as the causes thereof but partly as the way for we are his vvorkmanship created vnto good workes which he hath prepared for vs to walke in them and therefore they are fitly sayd to be Vni regum non causa regnandi The way to the kingdome not the cause of reigning and partly as the euidence according vnto which the Lord proceedeth in judgement to the sentence of saluation Come you blessed of my father sayth Christ the judge inherit you the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungrie and you gaue me meat I thirsted and you gaue me drinke c. It is most certaine that Christ our Sauiour by his obedience hath merited and purchased eternall life for all those that beleeue in him according to the maine promise of the Gospell that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall be saued By that righteousnes and obedience of Christ apprehended by faith not by or for any righteousnes inherent in vs or obedience performed by vs are we made sonnes heires of God entituled vnto the kingdome of heauen acquitted from our sinnes and accepted vnto eternall life Notwithstanding seeing all that be in the Church professe themselues to beleeue whereof many deceiue either themselues with an opinion or others with a profession of faith therefore the Lord proceedeth vnto judgement according to the fruits either of faith or infidelity taking for granted that in those who are members of the true visible Church where good workes are there is faith and where are no good workes there is no faith And therefore it behoueth vs as we desire either to haue assurance of our saluation whiles we liue here or to heare the comfortable sentence of saluation pronounced to vs in the day of judgement so to be carefull to demonstrat our faith by good workes And hereby it appeareth against the malicious slaunder of the Papists that although we deny good workes to be meritorious of euerlasting life yet we do not teach men to cast off all care and well doing Now for the auoiding of errour Whereas the workes of righteousnesse are made a proper note of the sons and heires of God we are first to restraine this part of the Lords answer to that subject whereof Dauids question is propounded namely to those who liue in the true visible Church and professe the name and religion of God Of these because there be many hypocrites and vnsound professors among them Dauid desireth to be informed who are the true professors The Lord answereth He that worketh righteousnesse and so by his good workes doth demonstrat his faith There are many workes materially good to be found not onely among heretickes and idolatours as the Papists but also among Turkes and Pagans But we speake not of those that are without for they are not within the compasse either of Dauids question or Gods answer And secondly we are to know that all works in respect of the matter or the thing done seeme to be good workes are not straightwayes the workes of righteousnesse neither doth he which performeth them alwayes worke righteousnesse For it is not a good and a true worke of righteousnesse indeed vnlesse it proceed from the right fountaine vnlesse it be done in a right maner and to a right end As touching the fountaine it is a good rule of Gregory That the streames of righteousnes towards our brother must be deriued from the fountaine of pietie towards God For we loue not our brother aright vnlesse we loue him in and for the Lord and we cannot loue him in and for the Lord vnlesse we loue the Lord much more and we loue the Lord because we are by faith persuaded that he loueth vs first his loue being shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost and we cannot beleeue in God and Christ our Sauiour vnlesse we know God aright and vnderstand the mysterie of our saluation by Christ. If therefore we be ignorant persons we haue no faith if we be vnfaithfull persons we haue no true loue or feare of God nor any other sanctifying grace If we haue no true loue of God we haue no true loue of our brother For euen as the loue of God seuered from the loue of our neighbour is hypocrisie so is the loue of our neighbor seuered from the loue of God counterfeit The good workes therefore that are done either by an ignorant
he had learned it he said That in 49 yeares he had not so learned that lesson that he was able to performe it For as Iames sayth If any man sinne not in word he is a perfect man and able to bridle all the body And as he is perfect so also blessed as that wiâ—e man sayth Blessed is the man who offendeth not with his mouth It remaineth therefore that euery one should apply this note to himselfe For as those which find themselues to be giuen to backbiting and sâ—aundering mustrepent of this sinne if euer they hope to rest in the mountaine of Gods holinesse because as yet they bee not so qualified as they are who shall inherit the kingdome of God whose propertie it is not to slaunder with their tongue so those who professing religion haue learned to bridle their tongue and in tender care of their neighbours good name doe loue to speake charitably of them may by this note among others gather assurance vnto themselues that they be the children of God The fift note is expressed in these words That doth none euill to his neighbour Where first we are to vnderstand the meaning of the words By neighbour who is meant all doe not agree The vulgar sort esteemeth no man their neighbour who is not vicinus neare them in dwelling The Scribes and Pharisies accounted no man their neighbor who was not their friend for so were they wont to say Thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie But Christ our Sauiour extendeth the signification of neighbour to our enemies also and Luke10 being demaunded by an expounder of the law Who was his neighbour he euinceth That the Samaritane though hated of the Iews for his countrey sake was that Iewes neighbour who had fallen among theeues and consequently that euery Iew was to shew himselfe a neighbour to any Samaritane or stranger in the like case And in the law it selfe the Lord so expoundeth himselfe for whom in Exod. 23 he calleth thine enemie the same in Deut. 22 where the same law is repeated he calleth thy brother Now neighbour and brother is vsed in the same sence in the Scripture as Leuit. 19. 17. Thy neighbour therefore is not onely hee which is nigh vnto thee in place or neere in friendship but also he who is neere vnto thee in nature as euery man is partaking the same humane nature with thee whether he be friend or foe thy countryman or stranger For all men are brethren among themselues hauing one father which is God and one mother which is the earth All are neighbours being neare one vnto another in nature all made of one blood all one flesh For euen the poorest man that hath not a clout to couer his nakednesse he is thy flesh that is of the sameflesh with thee and therefore art to pittie him not to hide thy selfe from him By the word neighbour therfore we vnderstand any man whatsoeuer euery man being neere vnto vs in nature and neerely joyned to vs by the common bond of humanitie For therefore doth the holy ghost vnder the names of neighbour brother in the Scriptures signifie any other man whatsoeuer to teach all men so to be affected one to another as it becommeth louing neighbours and brothers By Euill we are to vnderstand any harme injurie losse or hinderance whatsoeuer done either to the soule of his neighbour or to his bodie chastitie goods or good name for to the soule harme may be done by scandales in life or doctrine that is to say by euill examples or erronious opinions to the bodie by violence to the chastitie by fornication and adulterie to the goods by theft or robberie to the good name by slaunders and ill reports So that in these words the holy ghost assigneth to the citisen of heauen such innocencie towards all men that willingly he will doe no harme to any man whether friend or foe whether countryman of stranger whereby either his soule may be scandalized his body hurt his or her chastitie violated his goods impaired or his good name impeached And further vnder this negatiue the affirmatiue also is required in those which are and shall bee citisens of heauen namely That they do not only abstain from euill but also that they bee willing and ready to doe good to their neighbour that is not only to their friends and welwillers but also to their enemies Thus haue we the meaning of the words Let vs now come to the scope and purpose of the Psalmist that is to shew that this innocencie is a peculiar note to the sonnes and heires of God as belonging to them all and to them alone for it is the propertie of Gods children to be more readie to suffer than to offer wrong For euen Socrates though a heathen man could say That it is better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suffer iniurie than to doe wrong For from offering euill to any they are restrained by these considerations First as touching any other men whatsoeuer they call to mind and consider that they were created according to the same image of God and consequently that they cannot be hurt but that the image of God also shall be violated They consider that they are their brethren of the same nature of the same bloud of the same flesh which affinitie maketh euen beasts of the same kind to loue one another and therefore that he which hurteth or wrongeth another offendeth against humane nature and violateth humanitie it selfe And therefore are louingly and courteously affected towards all men not willingly doing any thing to others which they would not that others should do to them in the like case And as concerning those which be of the houshold of faith in which number when they thinke of particulars they esteeme all that professe the same faith with them to them they thinke themselues tied by a neerer bond of loue For those they embrace as brothers not onely in respect of creation but also in respect of adoption as brothers not onely in nature but also in Christ them they loue and affect not onely as neighbours who are neere vnto them in nature but also as those who are one with them in Christ as being fellow members of the same bodie whereof Christ is the head And therefore they easily perceiue that no wrong can bee offered to them which doth not redound to Christ himselfe for what good or euill is done to his members Christ esteemeth it as done to himselfe Wherefore the children of God are so farre from any course or custome of doing ill to their neighbours that on the contrary their desire and indeuour is to do good to all men but especially to those which be of the houshold of faith For first as touching the soules of their brethren their desire is to liue without offence and not to hinder the saluation of their brethren either by prouocation
a one eate not that is haue no priuat familiaritie with him for although we are not to forsake their company in respect of publicke communion either in the Church for then should we also forsake the assemblies of the Saints as the maner of some is or in the common-wealth for then should we be wanting in our dutie towards our countrie and leaue the managing of matters to the wicked onely yet are we not priuatly to accompanie with them for the reasons aforesaid Againe if it be the propertie of the godly to contemne the wicked then doth he not in any wise flatter the wicked in his sinne For flatterie whether it be for the flatterers profit it is a base sinne or whether it be for the harme of him that is flattered it is a most odious sinne The former kind which more properly are called parasits like dogges doe fawne vpon a man for his meat howsoeuer in the end like Acteons dogs they deuour their maister the latter are like Scorpions which when they fawne vpon a man will sting him with their taile the former are fitly resembled by the Iuie which embraceth the oke to sucke out his moisture the latter like to conycatchers when they flatter their neighbour they spread a net for his steps wherefore the Cinicke Philosopher being demanded of all beasts which was most noysome he answered of wild sauage beasts a tyrant of tame beasts a flatterer Neither was it vnfitly said of another That it is better for a man to fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for crowes do prey vpon the dead but flatterers on the liuing Those then that are giuen to flatterie may easily discerne how farre they are from the behauiour of the godly For as Salomon saith They that forsake the law praise the wicked but they that keepe the law set themselues against them And againe He that sayth to the wicked as flatterers vse to doe thou art righteous him shall the people cursse and the multitude shall abhorre him but to them that in steed of flattering rebuke him shall be pleasure and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse Now followeth the other part of the opposition concerning those that honour God But he honoreth those which feare the Lord. The godly by a Synechdoche he calleth such as feare God For the sanctifying graces which are the seuerall branches of godlinesse as faith loue feare c. they are so linked together as it were in a golden chaine that where any one of them is in truth there the rest be in some measure and for that cause some one of them is sometimes put for all Seeing therefore the feare of God is a principall part of pietie in which sence Psal. 111 it is called caput sapientiae the head or chiefe point of wisdome that is true godlinesse it is no maruel though many times it be put for all religion as Deu. 6. 10. be said Eccles. 12 to be the whole dutie of man which must teach vs that those which haue no feare of God haue no religion in them Now he is said to feare God who being truly persuaded both of the infinit power of God as also of his fatherly loue towards him in Christ aboue all things feareth to offend God that is he is afraid of nothing so much as to displease God whom he acknowâ—â—dgeth to be a gracious and mercifull father to him in Christ. And whereas by sinne God is displeased therefore he feareth more to sinne by sinne to offend God than to displease all men than to be depriued of all his goods friends and commodities of this life yea of life it selfe Wherefore he that feareth God departeth from euill yea the feare of the Lord is to hate euill and is therefore said to be a wel-spring of life to auoid the snares of death Those therefore that feare the Lord the Scripture doubteth not to call blessed as Prou. 28 Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes And Psal. 112. 128 Blessed is the man yea blessed is euerie one that feareth the Lord. Now the child of God being rightly informed out of the Scriptures concerning the estate and condition of the godly he reuerenceth and honoureth those that feare the Lord. And why First because he knoweth that howsoeuer they are contemned and dispised in the world as the scum of the world and ofscouring of all things notwithstanding they are happie and blessed and that they are in the world as gold among the durt Secondly he loueth and reuerenceth the godly because he knoweth that God honoreth those that honor him and that according to the Latine phrase he doth beare them in his eyes insomuch that whosoeuer hurteth them they seeme to hurt as it were the apple of his eye Thirdly because he vnderstandeth that those which feare God are the sonnes and heires of God the brethren and fellow heires with Christ the temples of the holy Ghost yea fellow members with themselues of that bodie whereof Christ Iesus is the head and therefore whosoeuer loueth and honoreth them in them loueth and honoreth Christ. Hereby it appeareth that vertue and true godlinesse make men true noble and honorable as contrariwise sin and vngodlinesse make men base and contemptible and therfore all that are louers of vertue and pietie they cannot but honor those who are vertuous and godly And as this agreeth to all the godly to loue reuerence and honour those that feare God and to performe all good offices of brotherly loue towards them so it agreeth to them alone For the world that is the vniuersall companie of those who are not citisens of heauen loueth only those who are of the world As for the rest who are not of the world but are chosen out of the world for that verie cause the world doth hate them as our Sauiour Christ doth testifie Seeing therefore this dutie of honoring the godly is proper and peculiar to the children of God it is not vnworthily made a note of the citizens of heauen For Iohn also in his Epistle wherein he setteth downe diuerse notes whereby men may discerne themselues to be the children of God he reckoneth this as one of the principall We know saith he that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren And so Obadiah that he might approue himselfe to Elias as one that feared God he alleadgeth that fauour and honour which he had vouchsafed to the Prophets and seruants of God in the time of Iezabels persecution Neither is there any more certaine way to testifie our loue towards God than by louing and honoring the children of God For our goodnesse cannot reach vnto God and therefore is to bee extended towards his Saints vpon earth Neither can it be that we should loue our brother aright vnlesse we loue God much more And therefore if we loue our brethren as we
against them to straine out gnats and to swallow cammels to tythe mint and cummin and to neglect the weightier duties of the law judgement mercie and faith Consider to this purpose two examples of the Pharisies and Priests When Iudas brought them backe the money which they gaue him to betray Christ they would not put in into the treasurie because it was the price of bloud but the precious bloud of Christ himselfe they were not afraid to spill and to draw the guilt thereof vpon their consciences They were not afraid to be defiled by giuing Christ the immaculat lambe of God through enuie vnto death but they were at the same time afraid to goe into the common hall least they should be defiled 8. Another note of an vpright man is Humilitie For when a man is indued therewith it is a plaine signe that he hath humbled himselfe to walke with his God As contrariwise pride is the companion of hypocrisie as the Prophet Habacuc saith Behold he that lifteth vp himselfe his soule is not vpright in him For he that walketh with God as the vpright man doth cannot lightly be lifted vp with pride Indeed whiles we looke vpon the earth and behold other men whom we conceiue to be any way our inferiours we may perhaps take some occasion to be lifted vp in a conceit of our owne excellencie but hee that hath God before his eyes and setteth himselfe alwayes in his presence he will be readie with Abraham although an excellent Patriarch standing before the Lord to confesse his owne vilenesse with Esay that eloquent and zealous Prophet to crie out That he is a man of polluted lips with Iob the patterne of patience when he seeth God to abhorre himselfe and to repent in dust and ashes with Peter being in the presence of Christ whom he perceiued to be God to acknowledge himselfe a sinfull man 9. Againe the vpright man being indued with a good conscience is confident in good causes and couragious in time of perill as Salomon saith He that walketh vprightly walketh boldly And againe The righteous are bold as a Lyon but the hypocrite contrariwise by reason of his bad conscience is ouertaken with feare as the Prophet Esay speaketh and such doe flie when none pursueth 10. It is the priuiledge of an vpright man to bee constant in good things and to perseuere to the end keeping also a continued course of pietie for the vpright man is he which hath built vpon the rocke and therefore cannot vtterly be ouerthrown by any blasts or tempests of temptations it is he which receiueth the seed into good groūd and therefore taketh root downward and bringeth forth fruit vpward with patience he being not only in the church but also of it shall surely remaine in the Communion of the Church and as the Psalmist here saith shall neuer be remooued But contrariwise the double minded man is vnconstant in all his wayes his religion and goodnesse is as a morning cloud and as the morning dew it goeth away his profession is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a time for hauing receiued the seed among stones and wanting root when the Sunne of temptation ariseth he fadeth away hauing built vpon the sand whē the blasts of temptations arise his building falleth to the ground Hereunto we are to referre patience in affliction as a note of the vpright wherupon affliction is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the trial of our faith or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are found and approued are knowne from those which be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnsound 11. And to conclude it is the propertie of the sound and vpright to joyne together pietie towards God and charietie towards our neighbour the loue of God and the loue of our brother for it cannot be that a man should loue the Lord truly whom he hath not seene and loueth not his brother whom he hath seene neither do we loue our neighbour aright vnlesse we loue him in and for the Lord. And therefore no man can loue his neighbour as he ought vnlesse he loue the Lord much more The loue of God therefore or pietie if it be sound will shew it selfe in the loue of our brother or in the duties of righteousnesse and the loue of our brother or righteousnesse if it be sincere must be deriued from the fountaine of pietie Contrariwise it is the hypocrits guise to seuer these two which the holy ghost hath joyned together holinesse and righteousnesse the obedience of the first and second Table of the law For there are many as glorious professors among vs as the Pharisies were among the Iewes who making profession of religion and pietie towards God doe altogether neglect the duties of charitie and righteousnesse towards men And againe many there are among vs as famous for ciuile vertues as Aristides or Socrates among the heathen who resting in a ciuile conuersation and outward honestie among men are void of all religion and of the feare of God Both sorts are hypocrits the righteousnesse of the former not exceeding the righteousnesse of the Phariseyes who notwithstanding their glorious profession were notorious hypocrits the righteousnesse of the latter professing themselues to be Christians not exceeding the righteousnesse of the heathen who knew not God Now I come to the fourth point namely to consider by what arguments we may be stirred vp to embrace this vertue if we want it or to continue and increase therein if we haue it The arguments may be reduced to three heads the excellency the profit the necessitie of vprightnesse The excellency of it is so great that the Lord accepteth of the vpright indeuour of his children as perfect performance insomuch that vprightnesse as I haue said goeth in the Scripture vnder the name of perfection Neither are we otherwise to vnderstand the duties which in the word of God are said to bee done with the whole heart but that they are performed with an entire or vpright heart Therfore those that are vpright though they be subject to many infirmities yet they are esteemed as just and that before the Lord the Lord accepting in his vpright seruants the will for the deed Againe wheras Christ the bridegrome is said to be delighted with the beautie of his spouse this may not be vnderstood of the outward apperance for so she is something blacke and browne by reason of affliction and the cause thereof which is sinne but of the inward beauty in respect wherof she is sayd to be all glorious and beautifull within which is that vprightnesse or truth in the inward parts wherewith the Lord is delighted For this we are also to adde that vprightnesse is that wherewith the Lord is especially delighted insomuch that to be vpright and to please God in the Scriptures do signifie the same
person or by a more ciuill honest man who is void of faith of religion of the loue and feare of God although materially they be good yet are they euill as they proceed from him For whiles the tree is euill the fruit cannot be good whiles the person is not accepted as just in Christ as none but the faithfull are his actions cannot be acceptable for without faith it is impossible to please God And this is that which the Apostle saith that the end and consummation of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnsained In respect of the manner our good workes must be performed vprightly not in hypocrisie and dissimulation otherwise it is vnfained and counterfeit For though we doe that which is right yet if we doe it not with an vpright heart we doe it not rightly neither can we be sayd to worke righteousnesse In respect of the end we are to perfome good workes that by the discharge of our duty God may be glorified But if our end be to be seene of men if to win praise and glorie to our selues if to merit of God and as it were to bridle him by our good deed all our workes though neuer so glorious in the eyes of the world yet are they splendida peccata that is to say glorious sinnes To this purpose we are to remember that we are to worship God not onely in holinesse but in righteousnesse also and we worship him in righteousnesse when as in a sincere obedience to God we seeke by performing the duties of righteousnesse to our brother to glorifie God From this note therefore of Gods children we distinguish the seeming good workes first of infidels without the Church or of more naturall men within because there can be no true righteousnesse or loue of men without faith pietie and loue of God Secondly of hypocrâ—tes and dissemblers who do no good but for sinister and by-respects and therefore their righteousnesse being hypocrisie is double injustice Lastly of all Pharisaicall and Popish justiciaries who by their good workes thinke such is their Satanicall pride to make God beholding vnto them and to merit heauen to themselues most sacrilegiously injuriously vnto Christ our Sauiour placing the matter of their justification and the merit of their saluation in themselues In a word that is no true righteousnesse which is seuered from holinesse neither is that a worke of righteousnesse which is not a righteous worke rightly done as that is not which is done in hypocrisie or to an ill end He therefore vndoubtedly is the sonne and heire of God who professing the true faith laboureth to demonstrat his faith by good works his faith working by loue and his loue proceeding from faith vnfained who in vpright obedience towards God seeketh by the exercise of righteousnesse and discharge of his dutie towards his neighbour to glorifie God The third note of the child God is Truth which the holy ghost expresseth in these words and speaketh the truth in his heart Which words sayth Augustine are not thus to be vnderstood as though keeping the truth in the heart we should vtter vntruth with our mouth But the holy ghost vseth this phrase of speech because a man may with his mouth vtter the truth which will nothing auaile him if he hold not the same in his heart Wherefore although this phrase of speaking the truth in his heart seeme somewhat harsh notwithstanding if it be rightly vnderstood it doth more fully expresse the disposition of a man which is addicted to the truth than if it had been said from the heart Thus therefore I read who speaketh the truth which is in his hâ—rt that is who vttereth with his tongue the truth which he hath conceiued in his mind For that we may be vcraces that is speakers of the truth there is a double conformitie or agreement required which is here expressed the one of the speech with the mind namely that we should speak as we thinke the other of the mind with the thing it selfe namely that wee should conceiue in our mind according to the truth of the matter For as the rule and measure of truth in words is the agreement of them with our thoughts so the rule and measure of truth in our thoughts is the agreement thereof with the things themselues It is true indeed that in some sciences either agreement alone sufficeth vnto the truth as in morall philosophy he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speaker of the truth who speaketh as he thinketh although perhaps he thinketh otherwise than the thing it selfe is And in Logicke he is said to speake the truth who speaketh as the thing is although perhaps he thinketh otherwise But in diuinitie both as I said is required Neither can we be said if either be wanting to be veraces that is such as speake the truth which is in our heart for he which deliuereth an vntruth supposing it to bee true howsoeuer hee bee free from the vanitie of lying yet he cannot be said to bee a speaker of the truth for in his mouth he vttereth an vntruth though in his heart he be well affected to the truth Contrariwise he that speaketh the truth which he thinketh to be false he is a lyar though he speake the truth because he hath truth in his mouth but not in his heart Such a one therefore because hee speaketh with an heart and an heart may not vnworthily be said to lie For mentâ—ri est contra mentemire to lie is to speake otherwise than a man thinketh Wherefore that a man may bee said to speake the truth which is in heart there is a double agreement required the one of the tongue with the mind the other of the mind with the things themselues And to this double conformitie in speaking the truth there is opposed a double falshood namely when a man speaketh either that which is false or falsely He speaketh that which is false who speaketh otherwise than the thing is whether he thinkes it to be so or otherwise He speaketh falsely who speaketh otherwise than hee thinketh He which speaketh a falshood supposing it to be true is not so much to be blamed for lying as for vnaduifednesse and rashnesse For we ought to be sure of those things which we affirme But he which either speaketh that which hee knoweth to bee false or speaketh that which is true falsely that is animo fallendi with a purpose to deceiue as the diuell sometimes doth he is a lyar neither can you easily determine whether is in the greater fault for as the one hath lesse truth in his mouth so the other hath more deceit in his heart Now that the loue of the truth and likewise the detestation of falshood is to be reckoned among the notes of Gods children it is testified not onely in this place but also elsewhere in the Scriptures Zeph. 3. The remnant of Israell that is
therefore of all reproches an ingenious man can least brooke this that another to his face should say Thou lyest But if the very heathen people doe so highly esteeme of Truth how much more doth it become vs Christians to loue and embrace it who are his children that is the Truth who are redeemed by him that is the Truth and vnto whom wee are to conforme our selues who are regenerated by the spirit of truth by whome we are to be led into all truth who are sanctified by the word of God which is the truth who are of the truth so many as are of God Therefore nothing lesse becommeth a Christian than lying nothing more than truth Eightly but if no other arguments will preuaile with vs let vs consider on the one side what rewards the Lord hath promised to them that speake the truth and on the other side what â—udgements he hath denounced against lyars To the speakers of truth the Lord hath promised that they shall neuer be remooued that they shall be established for euer that they shall dwel in Gods holy mountaine as before hath beene shewed against lyars the Lord hath threatened fearefull judgements A false witnesse shall not be vnpunished and he that speaketh liesâ— shall not escape For first he is punished with infamie and looseth his credit insomuch that no man will beleeue him when he speaketh the truth For as one sayth What truth can be spoken of a lyar Secondly he is discarded of the godly he that telleth lies sayth Dauid shall not remaine in my sight But these are light punishments in comparison of those that follow for God doth not onely punish lyars but also destroy them Psal. 5. Thou shalt destroy them that speake lies Prou. 19. A false witnesse shall not he vnpunished and he that speaketh lies shall perish For God destroyeth them either with a temporall death as Ananias and Sapphirâ— because they had lied were stricken dead Act. 5. or with eternall for who so euer loue or make lies shall be excluded out of the heauenly Ierusalem and shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Ninthly and lastly seeing the holy ghost hath reckoned Truth among the markes of Gods children it behoueth vs as we desire to haue any assurance that we belong vnto the Lord or shall dwell with him in the mountaine of his holinesse so to loue and embrace the truth and to detest and abhorre falshood And thus haue we shewed in generall that lying is wicked and detestable and that the truth is to bee loued and embraced of all those who would be held citisens of heauen But here are two questions to be decided of vs. First Whether it be lawfull for a Christian man at any time to lie Secondly Whether he be bound alwayes to professe the truth and how farre forth As touching the former we are to hold a distinction of lics or vntruths for an vntruth is either vnproperly so called or properly that is vnproperly called an vntruth which being true in sence is false onely in shew of words as figuratiue speeches and fabulous parables the lawfulnesse where of is warranted by the vse of speech in the Scriptures for howsoeuer if we respect the sound of the words they seeme to containe some falshood yet if we regard the sence and meaning of the speaker as it is fit we should they expresse the truth either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more significantly or more profitably More significantly as figuratiue speeches especially such as we call Hyperbolae where of there are some examples in the Scriptures As when the holy ghost would signifie a very great or innumerable multitude he vseth to compare it with the sand of the sea And likewise Iohn the Euangelist when he would signifie that Christ our Sauior did work very many or rather innumerable miracles and other acts worthy to be registred he sayth That if euery one of them should be set downe in writing he supposeth that the whole world could not contain the books that should be written And as for fabulous parables they hide not the truth but more profitably lay it foorth that it may be more clearely discerned and more sincerely acknowledged for the truth is more clearely discerned when as by a fit sâ—â—ilitude for such these parables are it is illustrated And it is more sincerely and vnpartially acknowledged when the person of whom it is meant is withdrawne For better doe men comprehend vnder the person of another what is to bee thought of themselues examples hereof see 2. Sam. 12. 1. Mat. 21. 33. 41. Iudg. 9. 7. 2. King 14. 9. and 2. Chron. 25. 18. 19. A lie or vntruth so properly called is such a speech as in sence and meaning at the least is false And such an vntruth is deliuered either for no cause at all as that which is called merum mendacium a meere lie or else for some purpose The meere lie is that which is vttered neither with a desire to hurt nor purpose to helpe any but onely in a vanitie and pleasure taken in lying Which sheweth our notable vanitie and pronenesse to lying that many are delighted therewith for it selfe But this vanitie especially sheweth it selfe in those persons who in all their speeches almost loue to tell of strange and wonderfull things And of this kind of lie there can be no question but that it is vnlawfull The lie which is told for some cause is either to hurt some man or to pleasure him That which is told to hurt any body it is called mendacium perniciosum a pernicious or hurtfull lie neither can there be any controuersie but that this is wicked and diuellish The lie which is told to pleasure any is either mendacium iocosum the merry lie or officiosum the lie for aduantage And of these two sorts is all the controuersie For there are which thinke these lies either to be no sinnes at all or else not mortall sinnes because they seeme to them not to breake that commaundement wherein lies are forbidden For these lies say they are not spoken against our neighbor but rather for him namely either to delight him as the jeasting lie or to helpe him as the officious lie I answere that the ninth commaundement whereof they speake is generally to be vnderstood for first vnder false testimonie we are to vnderstand all false speech concerning our neighbour and not onely false speech but also all vaine talke For the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both As also the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is vsed in the third commaundement And in the fift of Deuteronomie where the law is repeated Moses in the ninth commaundement in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wee may vnderstand not onely false speech to be forbidden but also that which
Sarah was his sister To this objection Abraham himselfe aunswereth Gen. 20. 12 In very truth she is my sister the daughter of my father though not of my mother and she also is my wife Abraham therfore vttered no vntruth but onely concealed part of the truth He did not say sayth Augustine she is not my wife but he sayd she is my sister he therefore concealed some part of the truth but he deliuered no vntruth when be concealed that she was his wise he professed she was his sister Againe say they the Midwiues are commended which that they might preserue the male-children of the Hebrewes aliue told an vntruth But there is no necessity that we should graunt that they did lie for it is very likely that diuerse of the Hebrew women hauing notice of the kings edict did not send for the Midwiues but were without their helpe being strengthned by God and perhaps holpen by other women deliuered But suppose they had told a lye yet we must distinguish betwixt their lie and their preseruation of the infants For the preseruation of the children was a worke of mercy and of the feare of God but their lye had beene a worke of infirmity and of the feare of men Neither did they tell a lye if they lied to saue the infants but hauing preserued before the infants they told a lye for their owne safety So sayth Gregory Parcendo conatae sunt infantum vitam tegere mentiendo suam By sparing they endeuoured to preserue the life of the infants by lying their owne They are therefore commended for sauing the infants they are not commended for lying Thirdly they obiect the example of Rahab who is commended in the Scriptures because she receiued the spies hid and sent them away and by a lie saued their life Such examples as are doubtfull charitie bindeth vs to interpret into the better part I answere therefore with Tremellius and Iunius that there is no necessitie we should interpret her answere as a lie for it may be that others had lodged with her being an Inne-keeper of whom shee made that answere God so disposing by his prouidence that she might truly giue notice of some of her guests which were gone and might also in faith and charity conceale others But if shee had lied yet her lie is not commended whereinto she fell by infirmitie and no maruell if she so fell being a new conuert from paganisme but that her worke of faith and loue Vnto both these examples Augustine answereth thus Whereas it is written that God dealt well with the midwiues of the Hebrews and with Rahab the harlot of Iericho it was not because they lied but because they were mercifull towards the men of God Wherefore not their lying was rewarded but their good will Benignitas ment is non iniquit as mentientis Now if they shall obiect other examples of the godly I answere with Augustine in the same place When as examples of lying are produced out of the holy scriptures either they are no lies but are so supposed to be whiles they are not vnderstood of which sort are some speeches which were prophetically vttered as that of Iacob to Isaac which Augustine sayth was a my sterie and not a lie or if they be lies they are not to be imitated because they cannot be just And secondly the rule of our cōscience is not to be drawn from the examples of men but from the commaundements of God They were men and therefore they might fall but these slips of theirs were in their godly life as blemishes in a beautifull face which wee are to behold as euidences of humane frailtie that we may be made more warie and circumspect and not to imitate them as examples In the third place they vrge certain cases wherin if we shall hold it vnlawfull to lie they say it is a hard doctrine and which cannot be borne For first say they seeing the most men now adaies are readie for euery petty commoditie to lie it were to great simplicity if not folly if to compasse great matters a man would refuse to lie for this were the high way to beggery But what sayth Salomon Buy the truth but sell it not And our Sauiour Christ What will it profit a man if he shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule as the lying tongue casts away the soule But these men are like to prophane Esau who for a messe of pottage sold his birth-right sauing that they for matters of like value and lesse necessity do sell their inheritance in heauen Wherefore as Augustine truly saith No man can euince that it is lawfull at any time to lie vnlesse he be able to shew that an euerlasting good may be obtained by a lye But so much doth euery one depart from eternity as be discordeth from verity 2. But say they what if our owne or our brothers life being endangered might be redeemed by a lie shall it not be lawfull in that case to lie I aunswere with Augustine That death which foolish men do feare who feare not to sinne killeth the body and not the soule But the lying tongue slayeth the soule It is therefore most peruersly said that the one ought spiritually to die that the other may corporally liue Seeing therefore by lying eternall life is lost we may not lie to preserue any mans temporall life no more than we would thinke it our duty if by our witchcraft theft adultery we could saue a mans life to play the witches theeues or adulterers to that end Nay rather according to that counsell of the wise man We are to striue for the truth vnto death 3. But suppose say they that if thou wilt lye thou mayst saue thy chastitie if thou wilt not lye thou shalt be forced to fornication or some other sinne which is more grieuous than lying must we not of two euils chuse the lesse This case of compensatiue sinnes wherby a more grieuous sinne is as they suppose redeemed by a lesse doth trouble many But although of two euils of punishment the lesse is to be chosen yet this holdeth not in sinnes For if I may not sinne that good may come thereof then may I not commit one sinne that another may be auoided Neither as I suppose can they alleadge any case wherein a man shall so be concluded betwixt two sinnes as that he may not haue an issue without committing a new sinne What then will you say ought one rather to cōmit whordome than to make a lye I answer first with Augustine If you aske whether he ought to do I say he ought to do neither For if I shall say he ought to do the one I should allow that one when as indeed I disallow both But if you aske whither he ought to auoid who cannot shunne both but may escape the one I answer he ought to auoid his owne sinne rather than an others and rather
therefore that liberalitie and free lending should not faile the Scripture oftentimes doth simply and generally condemne vsurie And whereas they say that not all vsurie of money towards the poore is forbidden Exod. 22. 25 but that whereby he is oppressed nor all increase of corne and victuals is condemned Leu. 25. 36 vnlesse it be a multiplied and excessiue increase I answer first that all vsurie imposed vpō the poore and needie is an oppression of them Whereas therefore they vrge that Exod. 22 oppression is forbidden first generally and after particularly in the seuerall sorts of it and that some doe so read that place You shall not oppresse him with vsurie c. themselues do prooue that which I said that all vsurie imposed on the poore is a kind of oppression And yet to say the truth the words of the text Exo. 22. 25 are You shall not impose vsurie vpon him and Leuit. 25. 36 Thou shalt not take vsurie of him The same doth Zanchius and others confesse that there is no vsurie imposed on the poore but it is a biting and hurting of him And it is not likely that the biting of penurie will be healed with the biting of vsurie No man sayth Basil healeth one wound with another 2. Againe I answere that Exod. 22. the Lord doth not onely forbid oppression of the poore but also commaundeth the relieuing of them by loane and withall giueth charge that in lending to the poore and needie they should not onely abstaine from vsurie but also from taking of pawnes And surely if the taking of pawns from the poore be in their opinion an oppression of them whē as by pawnes the creditour onely prouideth for his indemnitie how much more is all imposing of vsurie vpon them an oppression of them seeing thereby he doth not onely prouide for his indemnitie but also requireth more than he lent seeking gaine out of his brothers need The like is to be said of Leuit. 25. 35 36 When thy brother with thee shall fall into want and his hand shall shake that is shall want meanes of his owne to supply his want thou shalt sustaine him namely by loane as it were by putting a staffe into his hand to stay him vp the stranger also and the soiourner that 〈◊〉 may liue with thee Thou shalt take no 〈◊〉 of him nor vantage but thou shalt feare thy God where by the way wee gather that those who take vsurie of the needie haue not the feare of God before their eyes that thy brother may liue with thee From whence also we may inferre that he which imposeth vsurie on the poore taketh a course to eat them vp that they may not liue with him Yea but say they the poore sometimes is relieued by vsurie I graunt he is relieued and eased for a time by the loane though not by the vsurie for that when the principall is to be repaid gnaweth and biteth some part of the poor mans substance from him and so increaseth his want and by little and little eateth him vp Money lent vpon vsurie to a poore man to supply his need may not vnsitly be compared to a piece of new cloth sowed vpon an old garment for that although it couer the rent for a time and seemeth to haue mended the garment yet after a while the new cloth fretteth the old and bringeth away part of it and so maketh the rent much worse This therfore is but a cruell relieuing of the poore and needie For the like might be said of a victualler who selling a penny loafe for six pence to a man readie to die for hunger doth relieue him in his want and preserueth him from death but yet his and the vsurers mercies are cruell as Salomon sayth of all the wicked Thirdly if the Lord straightly commaund free loane towards them that be in need then questionlesse all vsurie be it neuer so small is forbidden towards the poore but the former is certaine as we shall shew out of Deut. 15. 8. c. Luk. 6. 35. And therefore the least vsurie that may be is forbidden towards the poore and that vnder the name of Neshek and Tarbith that wee should no longer dreame that no vsurie is Neshek vnlesse it be great nor Tarbith vnlesse it be excessiue Their fift and last objection is that the law which forbiddeth vsurie is not morall but judiciall and therefore not belonging to vs. They prooue it to be a law judiciall because Deu. 23. 20 vsurie is permitted towards a stranger I answere first if it were a judiciall law yet the equitie thereof which is perpetuall would appertaine to vs viz. That vsurie is not to be imposed vpon a brother But behold we Christians are all brethren in Christ this difference of Iew and Gentile being taken away Neither can there any sufficient reason be giuen why we should not deale as charitably one with another as the Iewes were bound to deale among themselues seeing we are not only brethren in Christ but also members of the same bodie whereof Christ is the head especially seeing our Sauiour hath propounded himselfe for a patterne that we should loue one another as he hath loued vs and hath made this mutuall loue the cognisance of true Christians Hereby sayth he all men know you to be my disciples if you loue one another If therfore it were vnlawfull for the Iews to require any vsurie whether it were more or lesse of a brother whether he were rich or poore much lesse is it lawfull for Christians whom it behoueth more than the Iewes to be wained from couetousnesse and worldly cares and to whom some things are vnlawfull which to the Iewes because of the hardnesse of their hearts were permitted But indeed the law forbidding vsurie is morall as diuers of the most learned patrones of vsurie doe confesse whose names because their memorie otherwise is blessed I will conceale For it cannot be denied but that theft oppression and whatsoeuer is vnjust and vncharitable is forbidden in the morall law of God but vsurie is a kind of theft and oppression it is vnjust and vncharitable as hereafter it shall be prooued therefore it is forbidden in the morall law of God 2. The law which commaundeth free lending is not judiciall but morall and is therefore renewed by our Sauiour Christ therefore the law which forbiddeth vsurie or lending for gaine is morall For the same law which commaundeth the affirmatiue condemneth the negatiue 3. Vsurie is reckoned in the Scriptures among the transgressions of the morall law yea somewheres it is raunged among the abhominations that is the most grieuous crimes forbidden in the law as Eze. 18. and 22. 12 where the Prophet as Basil hath well obserued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 placeth among the greatest euils the taking of vsurie and increase 4. Biting vsurie and excessiue increase is without question forbidden in the morall law as an high degree of theft and oppression But the vsurie which the patrones of
he giueth testimonie to the very sinners That they would lend to receiue their owne againe And therefore sayth it is not a thing thanks-worthie before God if men will no otherwise lend but to receiue as much againe Thirdly in that he would haue vs lend without expectation of the principall it selfe or any part thereof and therefore if our neighbour is to be holpen as Beza sayth without regard of recouering the stocke much more are all vsurious contracts forbidden Neither doth our Sauiour Christ speake onely of relieuing the poore but also of ciuile lending wherein a man looketh to receiue his owne againe for we may not so vnderstand our Sauior Christ as though he did forbid men to loue their louers or to do good to those that haue deserued well at their hands or to lend to such of their friends and acquaintance as will restore what they haue borrowed for they that will not do thus much are worse than the very sinners of whom our Sauiour speaketh but he requireth a higher degree of Christian loue in those that be his followers viz. to loue not only those that loue vs but also them that hate vs to doe good not only to those that do◠good to vs but also to them that deserue ill at our hands to lend not only to those who will repay but also to such as of whom we cannot hope to receiue that which we lent so that our Sauiour Christ requireth both as in a copulatiue sentence the notes whereof be not onely but also but commendeth the latter especially vnto vs. For whereas lending proceedeth from one of these three fountaines as Zanchius also hath obserued namely either from couetousnesse when men by lending seeke their owne gaine as vsurers doe vse to lend or from naturall courtesie and ciuilitie when men lending freely to gratifie their friends intend to require their owne againe as ciuile honest men whom notwithstanding our Sauiour Christ calleth sinners were wont to lend or from Christian charitie for the Lords sake as true Christians are willing to lend our Sauiour Christ is so far from allowing the first that he would not haue Christians to rest in the second And whereas men doe chuse rather to lend after the ciuile manner vpon securitie to receiue the principall rather than after the Christian manner for charitie sake not taking so much care for our principall as to help our Christian brother because the former seemeth to stand rather with their profit our Sauiour Christ therefore euen in this respect also preferreth the latter For if men will lend onely vpon securitie to receiue their principall what thankes haue they sayth our Sauiour or as Matthew reporteth what reward haue they for sinners will so lend to receiue recompence from men by the repayment of the principall But they that are readie to lend for the Lords sake in Christian charitie towards their neighbour to supply his want though they haue no hope to receiue their principall at the borrowers hand their reward shall be great and in stead of recompence at the borrowers hand they shall receiue plentifull recompence from the Lord. Secondly they object That what our Sauiour Christ commaundeth he commaundeth to be performed towards an enemie but I am not bound to lend to mine enemie vnlesse he be oppressed with want therefore this commaundement enioyneth this dutie of free lending onely towards such as be oppressed with want I graunt that we are not bound to lend to any but to such as be in want But if I be bound to lend freely to mine enemie being oppressed with want or to an vngodly man in his extreame need for that also may be gathered out of this place how much more am I bound to lend freely to one that being not an enemie is also of the houshold of faith But the former they themselues confesse and reason prooueth it For if I ought to help and relieue the oxe or asse of mine enemie failing vnder his burden how much more am I bound to helpe and succour himselfe failing and fainting vnder the burden of his want See Rom. 12. 20. Prou. 25. 21. Thirdly they alledge That our Sauiour Christ doth not forbid expectation of gaine but of the principall it selfe for vers 34. he teacheth that one sinner wil lend to another that he may receiue so much as he lent And therefore that they which will approoue their pietie must lend though they bee not like to receiue any thing againe I answere if men ought to lend without prouiding for their indemnitie in receiuing the principall if so their brothers need require much more ought they to lend without requiring an ouerplus ouer and aboue the principall And againe if sinners be content to lend without gaine so they may haue their owne againe what shall we thinke of those who will not lend to receiue so much as they lent vnlesse they may receiue more And lastly if our Sauiour Christ allowed of vsurie he would acknowledge that the lender should doe an act worthy of great thanks if he would lend freely though vpon couenant to receiue his owne againe for he that should lend an hundred pounds should besides the supplying of his neighbours want do him as great a pleasure as if he gaue him ten pounds out of his purse but when as he sayth if you lend to them of whom you hope to receiue that which you lent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what thank shal you haue he euidently sheweth himselfe to be so farre from allowing vsurie that he would not haue men to rest in ciuile lending But the Lord acknowledgeth no further benefit done by lending than the supply of the borrowers want and signifieth that he which lendeth in assured hope to receiue his owne hath full recompence made him by the borrower when he restoreth the principall in the full value thereof whereas they which lend without hope of receiuing the principall at the borrowers hands shall receiue a great reward at the hands of God And thus haue we heard out of the written word of God what is his both reuealed will and also judgement concerning vsurie His will both in that hee straightly commaundeth free loane and also seuerely forbiddeth lending for gaine His judgement not onely in that he censureth vsurie as a fearefull sinne and calleth it an abhomination but also in that accordingly hee threateneth his fearefull judgements both temporall against the vsurer himselfe and that which is more against the countrey wherein it is commited and also spirituall asking with indignation Whether an vsurer should liue plainly affirming that he shall surely die moriendo morietur Now the will of God is the rule of justice and whatsoeuer hee willeth it is therefore good and just because he willeth it and consequently simple and absolute obedience must be performed thereunto whatsoeuer arguments impediments or inconueniences can be pretended to the contrarie And therefore though no other reason could be giuen why