I Being vnknowne in this place, and vnexpected of this people, ye may ſpeake that phraſe to mee, which the King did to his Gueſt, Matth. 22. 12. Friend how commest thou hither? I anſwere: I come not from the South, as the Queene of Saba did, 1 Reg. 10. to behold the maieſty of your Country, and admire the magnificence of your companie: Nor come I from the Eaſt, as the wiſe men did, Mat. 2. 11. to preſent you with gold, and to bring you golden preſents: Neither come I from the Weſt, as the violent winde did, Exod. 10. 19. to blow away the contentious graſſe-hoppers of this corrupt generation: (It muſt be Virga reformantis, not Verbum informantis, the ſword of the potent Magiſtrate, not the word of the poore Miniſter, which muſt bring that noble act to paſſe.) But I come from whence promotion commeth, Pſalm. 75. 6. Neither from the Eaſt, nor from the Weſt, nor from the South; but from the Lord. From the Lord I come to you, as one of the children of the Prophets did to the Seſſions of Iſraell, 2 Reg. 9. 5. I come to bring you a meſſage; Therefore, harken to me you men of Iſraell, that God may hearken vnto you. I bring you a meſſage from the Lord: the Lord make it honourable vnto him, and profitable vnto you.

My meſſage which I bring to you, is part of Moſes his meſſage which he brought from Sinai to the people of Iſraell, as it is written in the 20. chapter of Exodus.

Exod. 20. verſ. 16. Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witneſſe Text. againſt thy Neighbor.

Would wee be perfect Chriſtians? Then muſt we performe two workes of Chriſtianity: our duty to God, and our duty towards Man. Our breaches of the laſt may be called Legion, for they are many: of many, there are two maine ones. Wee wrong our neighbour eyther by the Violence of the hand, or by the Virulence of the tongue: The firſt is inhibited in the precepts praemiſed, the other is forbidden in the Text: the Text therefore doth teach vs, as Saint Iames ſpeaketh. 3 8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to bridle an vnbridled euill, to take heede that wee offend not with our tongue: and wee are bound to obey this precept, by foure neceſſary bonds: Diuine, Morall, Naturall, Ciuill. Diuinitie doth teach that God is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that God himſelfe, is the truth it ſelfe; and therefore to ſpeake and doe the truth, is to burniſh the blemiſhed image, and to ingraue the character of the diuinitie in a Chriſtian ſoule: Our Manners wee ſenceably apprenend inclining to falſe-hood, euery man is a lyar, ſaith the Apoſtle, Rom. 3. 4. Therefore muſt this inclination be reſtrained, by imbracing the truth. Nature looketh vpon an vntruth, as vpon ſome vnnaturall monſter: for Oratio, is oris ratio; the Soule is the Mother, and the Tongue ſhould be the Midwife of Truth: Now for the ſoule to conceiue a truth, and the tongue to bring forth a lye, this is vnreaſonably vnnaturall. And for Policie wee cannot but know, that it is the diſroynting of the body of the common-wealth, if that contracts be not auouched by teſtimonies, and if euery truth be not eſtabliſhed by the mouth of two or three witneſſes. Behold then the neceſsity obliging vs to the Truth, and Vae mihi ſi non euangelizauero: Woe be to me, if I ſpeake it not: Woe be to you if you heare it not; and woe be to vs all, if we practiſe it not: A neceſſity is laid vpon vs. Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witneſſe againſt thy neighbour, ſaith my Text.

I diuide my Text as Iacob did his company, Gen. 33. 2. into three parts: The perſon offending, Thou: The perſon offended, thy Neighbour: and the offence it ſelfe, Bearing falſe-witneſſe. I will inuert the order, and put the perſons offending hindermoſt, as Iacob did Rachell and her children, leſt ſome rough Eſau (before he be appeaſed) ſhould be angry and ſmite them, or me for them. I begin with the Offence, Bearing falſe witneſſe: Men doe beare falſe witneſſe two waies: Priuately, and Publikely▪ Priuately, by our ſelues. Publikely, before the Magiſtrate.

Priuate bearing falſe witneſſe, is a body of ſinne, which I diuide into fiue members:

I may terme theſe fiue ſinnes, the fiue fingers of Sathan; for whoſoeuer is tainted with them, vndoubtedly the Diuell hath a great hand ouer him.

1 Slandering is both actiue and paſsiue: Actiue, when men are reprouers of their neighbours by ſlaunders. Paſsiue, when they are approuers of the ſlanderers, by hearing them. Both are forbidden in this Text; for the originall 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , gnanah, ſignifieth both to ſpeake, as it is tranſlated in the Text, and to heare, Pſalme 143. 1. and both are compriſed in the 15. Pſalm. Verſ: 3. that man ſhal dwell with the Lord, who ſlaundereth not with his tongue, nor receiueth a falſe report againſt his neighbour. Whence Bernard ſhaped his ſentence, Non eſſent qui detraherent, ſi non adeſſent qui audirent: that is, where there are no Receiuers, there no Theeues will be: and ſtop thou the eare of thine owne affection, do not heare ſlanders, and thou ſhalt muzle the mouth of detraction; few will dare to ſpeake ſlanders. And reaſon haue we to performe it: becauſe the Diuell is the grand-ſlanderer, the father of ſlanderers, the grand-father of ſlanderers: he is named 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , an accuſer, a ſlanderer: whence it is well ſaid, if two men be (in communication) one ſpeaking, and the other hearing ſlanders, they are both poſſeſſed; the diuell is in the eare of the one, and in the tongue of the other. And indeed it is my hearty vnfeigned wiſh, that both the Speakers and Hearers of ſlanders, might be Zimri and Coſbi, that both might be ſmote through with one ſword of the Magiſtrate at one ſeaſon.

2 The ſecond ſinne is Railing: Railers are open as Slaunderers are ſecret aduerſaries of mens reputation: the one vnderminers, the other aſſailers of thy good name: He a ziba, this a Shemei. Railing, or (as the Scripture phraſe is) Blaſphemy, Leuit. 24. 11. is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Killel, of Kalel, perforare, to ſtabbe or ſmite through, anſwerable to the phraſe of the pſalmiſt, who ſtileth words, ſwords; implying that Railers ſtab at the very life of our credit. Happy were we, had we an Abiſhai, a Magiſtrate, who would and could take away the heads of theſe dead dogges; that Railers might no more barke againſt the honeſt name of their honeſt neighbours.

3 Tale-bearing is the next: Tale-bearers tell (though) the truth (yet) vntruly or vntimely: and therefore are in truth, falſe-witneſſes. Leuit. 19. 16. Thou ſhalt not walke about with tales amongst my people: This was a Law in Iſraell, would God it were ſo in England alſo. S. Paul doth point at theſe men, 2 Tim. 5. 33. they are ſaith hee, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , neuer buſie at home, euer buſie, ouer-buſie abroad. Such are like Sampſons Foxes, they carry fire with their tailes, to ſet the whole world in a combuſtion. Oh that wee Engliſh, could deale with theſe Foxes, as the Welſh men did with their Wolues! that wee could plucke off their skinnes, till they were extinct, and not one left in a whole nation.

4 Flattery is the fourth: Slanderers, Railers, and Tale-bearers, Beare falſe-witneſſe to thee againſt others: Flatterers, beare falſe-witneſſe to thee againſt thy ſelfe. Therefore doe thou as God doth, hate them. Pſal. 12. 3. God threateneth to cut off flattering lippes: Theſe are mercenary wretches. Flatterers proſtrate themſelues, thereby to ſucke out priuate aduantage. As Iehonadab, 2 Sam. 13. did proſtitute his ſeruice, to be the ſhameleſſe inſtrument of Ammons ſhamefull luſt, that ſo hee might inſinuate himſelfe into the fauour of the yong Prince.

Theſe are like falſe Looking-glaſses, they make men to appeare to themſelues to be younger, fairer, and comelier, then indeed they are: and they haue one true property of falſe Looking-glaſſes, Flatterers hurt our Eyes, that wee cannot ſee our ſelues. If my ſentence might ſtand, I would cenſure ſuch vnto the doome of Adonibezecke, Iudges 1. 7. Their toes ſhould bee cut off, that they might goe to none: their hands ſhould be cut off, that they might lay hould of none: and they ſhould gather their crummes vnder mens tables: they fawne like dogges, let them feede like dogges: Flattery is a worke meriting ſuch a wages.

5 Lying is the laſt limme of the Diuell: This diuelliſh vice hath beene abhorred by all good men at all times. Cyprian in his Treatiſe againſt Gameſters, doth build his inuection againſt Dicers, vpon De Aleatoribus pag. 532. this ground: becauſe gaming did occaſion mandram medaciorum, a world of lyes. Lactantius pronounceth Epit. c. 6. all lyes impious, becauſe (ſaith hee) euery lye, aut nocet, aut fallit, doth eyther hurt vs, or deceiue vs. Auguſtine doth retract, euen Ironies, Retract. l. 1. 6. 1. Rhetoricall figures, onely becauſe they had the appearance of lying: it repented him of the petty Confeſ. l. 1. c. 19. excuſes which hee made to his Parents being a childe, and to his Schoole maſter being a boy: and in his Epiſtle to Vincentius hee calleth Truth, Epiſ. 48. Vincen. the Character of a Chriſtian, and ſaith, that a holy man dare not tell a lye. And doubtleſſe all theſe holy men curſed this ſinne out of the mouth of the holy one of Iſraell, lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, ſaith Salomon, Prou. 12. 22. And moſt iuſtlie, for this is the Ieroboam that made Iſraell to ſinne; all priuate and publicke breaches of this precept, iſſue from this fountaine, Lying. Wherefore bleſſed were that Common-wealth, which would make this common vice like Ahab, leauing not one lyer to piſſe againſt the wall: and his yoke-fellow Aequiuocation, like Iezabell, breaking the necke of that ſinne, though the face thereof be painted, and an impious vice, cloaked with many godly pretences.

Theſe are Priuate falſe witneſſes, but the Publicke is the principall offendour againſt this precept: Of him more fully in the end of this exerciſe: Heere onely take notice that the falſe-witneſſe, will not goe to hell alone, but hath manie attendants. There are ſixe acceſſories • nto this Principall: three before the act, and after the act there are three guiltie of Bearing falſe witneſſe. Before falſe witneſſe is giuen, men may be acceſſaries thereunto praecipiendo perſuadendo, & conſulendo, that is, by commanding, perſwading, and by councelling any to beare falſe witneſſe. Firſt, by commanding, eyther directly, as 2 Sam. 12. 9. Nathan told Dauid that he had killed Vriah, when as hee onely commanded Ioab to kill him: otherwiſe indirectly, when the ſuperiour doth authorize inferiours, who are corrupt, Prou, 26. 8. As a man that putteth a ſtone in a ſling, ſo is hee that giueth authority to a foole. If I put a ſtone into the ſling of one, intending to braine his neighbour, I am guilty of that murder: ſo the Magiſtrate authorizing a corrupt man, hee is author of that corruption. Next, to perſwade any vnto falſe-hood, is a communicating of that crime, eſpecially by that reall perſwaſion, Bribery; ſo Mat. 28. 12. did the Iewes giue large Money to the ſouldiers to teſtifie falſely againſt the reſurrection of our Sauiour. And by Councelling men contract the ſame guilt, as did the ſame Iewes in the ſame place, Mat. 28. 15. who taught the ſouldiers how to anſwere the Magiſtrates interrogatories. Thus by commanding, directly or indirectly, by perſwading, or by councelling, many men be acceſſary vnto falſe-witneſſe, before the teſtimony may be tendred. Afterwards they may be acceſſary, as many waies: Conniuendo, conſentiendo, defendendo, that is, by Conniuence, or winking at it; by conſenting & approuing it; by defending and excuſing it. Thoſe that winke at faults are faultie themſelues; This was Elies caſe in another cauſe, 1 Sam. 3. 13. becauſe his ſons ran into a ſlander, and hee ſtaid them not, therefore the hand of the Lord was heauy vpon him. So the Magiſtrate, who doth but ſuſpect falſe-witneſſe, or any falſe-hood, let him looke forward to preuent it, otherwiſe conniuence may make him fall backward; Eli is a dreadfull example. Conſent alſo contracteth the guilt, be it either expreſſed by plaine partaking with impietie, as Pſalm. 50. 18. or be it ſuppreſſed, as Prouerb. 24. 11. 12. Deliuer them that are drawne to death: if thou ſayeſt, wee know not of it, ſhall not hee that pondereth the heart vnderſtand it? Not onely tendring, but alſo not hindring of falſe-witneſſe is a breach of this commandement. Finally, excuſe the act, and thou thy ſelfe doeſt act the ſinne which thou excuſeſt, for woe be vnto them which ſpeake good of euill, and euill of good, Iſay 5. 20. Conclude we then that Conniuence, conſent or defence, make men acceſſary to falſe-witnes, though performed. By this I haue opened many maladies, one word containeth one medicine for al of them: that one word in the Epheſ. 4. 15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , To ſpeake and doe the truth. This word, is like the word made fleſh, Mat. 4. 23. it healeth euery ſickneſſe, and euery diſeaſe among the people. To Plaintiſe and Defendant, to Iudge and Iury, to Councellour and Aduocate, to Witneſſe and to All, magna eſt veritas & praeualet; Great is the Truth—and God grant it may preuaile with all of them for euermore.

The perſon offended is our Neighbour: our Neighbour hath a double ſignification; eyther it is taken particularly for an adioyning acquaintance, as Luk. 1. 58. Neighbours are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , men who haue their houſes neere together: Or it is taken generally for euery man, as Luk. 10. 37. the Samaritane is termed the wounded mans neighbour, each being an vndoubted ſtranger vnto the other. In this Text it is vſed in the ſecond ſence, a Neighbour, ſignifying any man, as Math. 5. 43. our Sauiour doth argue the gloſſe of the Phariſes, as corrupt, for reſtraining the word Neighbour, to ſignifie a Friend onely.

The Doctrine of which point doth ſpread it ſelfe into two branches. Firſt Chriſtians muſt haue a care and conſcience that they beare falſe-witneſſe against no man: not following the phraſe of Lucilian in Lactantius, Homini amico & familiari mentiri non eſt meum; It is not (ſaith hee) my guiſe to lye vnto my friend, nor beare falſe-witneſſe againſt my acquaintance. But, Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witneſſe againſt thy neighbour; that is, againſt no man, ſaith my Text. Againe, wee muſt yeeld true witneſſe vnto all men. Vnlike the Athenians, who were wont to pray onely for themſelues, and for their neighbours of Chios: ſo for a Chriſtian to giue true witneſſe onely to whom hee is enforced by Law, or ingaged by nature, this is Athenian, vncircumciſed, and heatheniſh. Both theſe Chriſtian duties are confirmed by Chriſt himſelfe, Math. 5. 45. Be ye children of your Father that is in heauen, for hee maketh the Sunne to riſe both on the good and on the euill; and be a true witneſſe vnto thy neighbour; that is, to euery one vnder the Sun, ſaith my Text.

Would God that this inſtruction were as vſuall as it is beneficiall. Behold heere a Cynoſura, a loade-ſtarre, to guide our conſcience, in the propoſing and compoſing of all controuerſies; eſpecially laying the foundation on that ground of religion, Math. 22. 39. Loue thy neighbour as thy ſelfe. If the Lord would pleaſe to infuſe it into the hearts of all men, that Iudge, Iurie, Sollicitour, Counſellour, Aduocate, Witneſſe, Accuſer, that euery one would eſteeme the Accuſed as himſelfe: this wou'd make all men to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to be Peace keepers, and peace makers; to vſe a Conſcience in accuſing his Neighbour; Thou ſhalt loue thy Neighbour as thy ſelfe: this is a principle in Nature, God giue vs Grace to follow it.

Many perſons offending are compriſed in the firſt word, Thou: Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witnes againſt thy neighbour. Here the hearer may preach to the Preacher, and ſay to mee, Phyſitian cure thy ſelfe; and doe not Thou beare falſe-witneſſe. For falſe-witneſſe Auguſtin. Retr. 224. wee doe beare, when wee make our Sermons like the Manna (in the Iewiſh fable) to giue a ſeuerall taſte, anſwerable to each ſeuerall appetite: Such humorous humouring Sermons, the Lord doth execrate out of the mouth of Ieremy, 6. 14. They haue healed the hurt of my people with ſweet words: And how they healed that hurt, Cyprian doth expreſſe, Cypr de Lapſis ſect. 12. by an excellent compariſon: Soothing Preachers are like vnskilfull Chirurgians, who ſoftly touch the wound on the out-ſide, thereby making it to feſter the more dangerouſly in the inſide. A fit reſemblance: Who obſcrueth not that the ſmooth tongue of the Preacher, maketh an impoſtumed hart of the hearer? Senſible of which ſinne was holy Auguſtine, when he cried to God to Aug. Conf. 6. 6. pardon the ſinnes of his youth, but eſpecially this; that being young hee did Preach, non vt doceret, ſed vt placeret: to delight the eare, rather then to ſmite the heart of the congregation. Let me therefore begin this point with the words of that holy man, being an auncient and penitent Preacher: Auguſt. de Vir. Relig. cap. 55. Hortor itaque vos omnes chariſsimi, meque ipſum hortor vobiſcum: I exhort you, firſt framing the ſame exhortation to my ſelfe! O my ſoule, doe not Thou beare falſe-witneſse: Be thou like S. Paul, Epheſ. 6. 20. ſpeake thy meſſage boldly, yet ſpeake as thou oughteſt to ſpeake.