An Admonition to all lying brethren, or, A cure for the times shewing the begining, folly, un-worthinesse and danger of lying.

The best Cure of the Times.

AMongst other signs and predictions of the last dayes, that of St. Paul is remark∣able, 2 Tim. 3. This know also, that in the last deyes perillous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their owne selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphe∣mers, disobedient to Parents, unthankfull, unholy, without na∣turall affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, dispisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God,

Having a form of godlinesse; but denying the power thereof, from such turn away, &c. How well the rest of those qua∣lities agree with these times, let others judge and consider. I shall onely speak of that generall and horrible sin of ly∣ing and false accusation.

Lying was the first occasion of all evill in the World, when the Devill perswaded the Woman that they should not dye. And as to mankinde, so it is a sore judgement upon a Nation, when God suffers them to be carried away with the spirit of delusion, with the making and loving of lyes. It hath been the opinion of some, that if lying were layd aside but for one moneth, this Kingdoms peace (with Gods mercy) might be renewed, and if truth were once set forward, Peace would presently meet and kisse it. And truly they do not speak impertinently, for if dissen∣tion be compared to a fire, then lying is that which blowes the coals, and makes up the blaze, and is the only practise

of those that thrive and grow fat by the ruine of others; that instead of quenching the fire, warm their hands at it, and say, A ha, I am warme, I have seene the desired fire! Some Divines have distinguished them into three kinds, A merry lye, an officious lye, a pernicious lye.

A merry lye, is when we lye for our own or others pa∣stime, without any other intention or harme; I can rebuke this in no better words than those of the Apostle, Abstain from all appearance of evill; and with that of the Wiseman, We must not offend, and say it was in sport: And since God (with••ut any distinction) hath threatned the destruction of all lyes, we must not allow our selves liberty in any.

An officious lye, is when a man for the excuse or advan∣tage or commendation of his friends, shall exceed the bounds of truth. St. Austin was so curious in this point, That when he had spoken some words of his deceased friend, which might seem to be but an high expression or rhetori∣call complement; he had said, That his soul and his friends soul were but one soul, that his life was tedious to him after the death of his friend, because he would not live by halfes; and yet for the same reason he feared to dye, least in him his friend should totally perish. Yet afterwards in his book of Retra∣ctations, he recanted this speech as too lavish and affected. By this you see, what a lively and deligate feeling good men have of the least over-lashing in this kinde.

A pernicious lye, is when a man out of malice and in∣jurious intent, shall maintain a lye to the damage of an o∣ther mans honor, life, or fortune, and that sometimes se∣conded with an oath. And as there is no sin that strikes so dangerously at God and men, and a mans own soul as a false oath in triall of truth; so of all sins, it should be least supposed among men, no man being properly guilty of it, that did not forthwith turn into a devill; for how can he otherwise chuse that adds perjury to lying, and like Judas kisses the holy Gospel and betrayes it. Let all good men

take advise by this, to set a door of strength and closenesse before their lips, and let nothing but truth open them, and to be wary and circumspect where they speak every truth; for goodnesse lies too open to treachery, because as they in∣tend no harm, so they suspect none, he that loves truth, may fear falshood, There may be false brethren that coun∣terfeit Religion and discredit it. Amongst many other properties of a Puritan, King James makes lying to be one, in his second Booke called Basilicon Doron, or the Kingly gift presented and dedicated to his Son, as his last Will and Testament, in these words,

Take heed therefore my Son of these Puritans, the very pests of the Church and Common-wealth, whom no deserts can ob∣lige, neither oaths nor promises binde, breathing nothing but sedition and calumnies, aspiring without measure, rayling with∣out reason, and making their own imaginations without war∣rant of the Word, the square of their conscience. I protest be∣fore the great God (and since I am here as upon my last Will and Testament, it is no place for me to lye in) that you shall never finde among the Highlanders or border theeves greater ingrati∣tude and mor lyes and viler perjuries, than among these phana∣ticke spirits; and suffer not the principalls of them to brooke your land, if you list to sit at rest, except you would keep them for trying your patience, as Socrates did an evill wife. And in the Page immediately before, I was often calumniated in their popular sermons, not for any vice or evill that was in me, but because I was a King, which to them is the highest evill.

Therefore if men would not have their Religion suspe∣cted, and the way of truth to be evill spoken of, if they would be pure in heart, not pure by Art; if they would be those that make godlinesse their greatest gaine, not that make a gaine of godlinesse; then let them refrain lying as well as swearing.

But if this lying shall reflict upon sacred Majesty, if they shall calumniate it in popular sermons (as King

James) speaks, and found it by experience) if they be so presumptuous as to speak evill of Dignities, then they may very well own the other part of St. Judes discription, and I farther referre them to the 2 Sam. 16. chap. 12 verse, Al∣though evill can have no good reason, yet it is to be consi∣dered, whether lying be not the greatest friend, and af∣ford the best countenance and apology to swearing. If fre∣quent lying had not begot a just incredulity, I see no rea∣son, but the word of an honest man might have passed for an oath. I speak not this to the least excuse of swearing, but to the greater aggravation and damnation of lying, which yeelds to swearing even so much shelter and defence.

To prove the malignity of this sin to be the higher, you shall perceive that to promote any cause with lyes, argues want of faith, and confidence in God, want of civill faith and trust in men, want of policy, and leaves a suspition of guiltinesse, and want of goodnesse in the cause.

First, want of faith in God, if they had any true affiance in the power and protection of God, if they did at all consider that God hath wisedom to instruct, and strength and readi∣nesse to assist them, That he can turn round the counsells of men, and make Achitophel politick against himself: If they did seriously beleeve, that God can over-rule the en∣terprizes, and dissipate the affections, and melt and amate the spirits of the strongest opposers of the truth, they can∣not so much as pretend to it, that go to promote it by lyes and forgeries.

Secondly, Next it betrayes a want of civill faith and trust in men, if they did not suspect men to be flagging from them, to be wavering and uncertain, if they were not afraid of their friends, they would never use such unwor∣thy means to comfort and keep them up, fides fidem obli∣gat, the way to make a man trusty, is to trust him, and ma∣ny men have taught others to deceive them, by being afraid to be deceived. Pavor aurilia formidat, Fear is affrighted

with her own supplies, and suspects the very company that comes to help it: and they want the true strength, that are faine to fortifie with lyes.

Thirdly, It betrayes want of policy, for though lying for a while (like false ware) be better slee'kt, and glister more, yet truth wears it out.

Although a lye may get ground at the first going out, yet truth will overtake it, even the dullest at last will find himselfe to be deceived, and then men will think them most odious and detestable that have beguiled them.

Though it may seem a trick of worldly policy to fetch in Prosolites, yet at length they gain this gift amongst men to be mistrusted when they deal plainly, and not to be belie∣ved when they speak truth, And so truth and honesty prove the best policy. There is a great deale of slavery in a bad cause; it is a miserable and wretched thing to lye and flat∣ter, and thank, and crouch, and fawn upon every one, not to dare to offend any, and yet to suspect all, that they will not be faithfull to them, that are themselves unfaithfull: they fear men are falling off, and therofore they flye to this poore refuge to keep them together.

Lastly, lying leaves a suspition and guiltinesse and weak∣nesse in the cause: I like the phancie of the Poet well, where he s••yes, That lying and spreading of false alarums and rumors amongst the vulgar, is a sign of guiltinesse.

Criminibus terrere novis hinc spargere voces, in vulgum ambiguas, & quaerere conscius arma.

They make new treasons, and spread false Alarums, And when themselves are guilty, take up Arms.

Lying argues weaknesse in the cause, and in the person, and therefore every true souldier abhors it. Some give these two reasons why the lye should be so hatefull to a souldier. First, because it argues his cause to be such as he ought not

to dare to dye in, and therefore he is fain to maintain it with lyes. Secondly, because it shews him to be a coward, that he is afraid of men, and dares be only valiant and presump∣tuous with God. Therefore let men thinke of lying as meanly as they will, let them invent it as readily, and set it out as plausibly, and disperse it as licentiously as they please, yet there is a fearfull doom upon it, They shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, They shall be reckoned a∣mongst dogs, and murtherers, and idolaters, Rev. 22.15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, whooremongers, and murthe∣rers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye. But if they shall plainly declare themselves to have no feare of God before their eyes, and that wotldly respects onely move them, then let them consider that they shall not be believed when they speak truth: That Time is the wisest of all and will discover them, and then they will be odious to them whom they have deluded, That falshood may get strength enough to ruine it selfe and others, but never long to flourish and establish it selfe.

That although lying may hold up the flagge and display false colours for a while, yet Truth will have the victory.

Magna est veritas & praevalebit.

The cause thats prop't with lyes must surely fail, Strong is the Truth, at length it will prevail.

FINIS.