LYING, is condemned in many Places both of the Old and New Testament. See Ex. xxiii. i. 7. Lev. xix. 11. Prov. xii. 22. xiii. 5. xix. 22. Wisd. i. 11. Eccl. vii. 13. xx. 10. xxv. 23. Hosea iv. 1. Acts v. 4. Ephes. iv. 25. James v. 12. Our Saviour requires his Disciples to be so plain and sincere, that their Word might be equivalent to the most solemn Oaths; and that in all their Assertions, they should say Matt. v. 37.only, it is, or it is not: Let your Communication be yea, yea; nay, nay: For whatsoever is more than these, cometh of Evil. It is in vain therefore to attempt to justify Jame v. 12.some particular Persons who have told Lies; which Persons are in other Respects commended in the Scripture. The Scripture never praises their lying, but either their Charity, or other good Actions. That which is in itself evil, never can become good. When Abraham says, that Sarah is his Sister, and not his Wife; and Isaac says the same Thing of his Wife Rebeckah; when Jacob by telling a Lye defrauds his Father of his Blessing, to the Prejudice of Esau; when the Egyptian Midwives declare, that the Hebrew Women are delivered without their Assistance, and the Hebrews before their Departure out of Egypt borrow Things which they had no Thoughts of returning; they are not any of them in this Particular to be commended: But the Evil which they committed might be mitigated by Circumstances, by the Intention, or some other Reasons which were not known to us. Further, when we condemn Lying, we do not condemn Stratagems, Hyperboles, or certain Railleries and Discourses, which Custom and the Consent of People do not rank among Lies. See Saint Austin in his Books of Lying, and against Lyars.
Kings xxii. 23.God puts a lying Spirit into the Mouths of all the false Prophets; he permits them to follow the Impression of the Evil Spirit, and that others should hearken to them. Ne desideres de cibis ejus in Prov. xxiii. 3. If. xxviii. 15.quo est panis mendacii: Or, keeping more close to the Hebrew, who talks of the Entertainment of which he has been partaker at a Prince’s Table: Be not desirous of his good Cheer, for it is the Bread of Lying: It is Food that pleases the Taste, but does not nourish; it is deceitful Bread, good only in Appearance. In another Place he calls that deceitful Bread, or Bread of Lying, which is acquired by Injustice; Suavis est homini panis mendacii, & postea implebitur, os ejus calculo, Prov xx. 17. We have placed our Confidence in Falshood: Posuimus mendacium spem nostram: In deceitful Allies, or in the delusive Promises of false Prophets; or lastly, in the Assistance of Idols, whom they If. xxviii. 17.call Vanity and Lying; and afterwards, The Hail shall sweep away the Refuge of Lies; the vain Hopes mentioned by him a little higher. If. xliv. 20And in another Passage, A deceived Heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his Soul, nor say, is there not a Lie in my right Hand? Forte mendacium est in dextrâ meâ. Perhaps I am in the wrong thus to adore Wood. Jeremiah, veré mendacium operatus est Jerem. viii. 8.stilus mendax scribarum. The Pen of the Doctors of the Law has written nothing but Falshood. They have promised you Peace, and behold it is War. Their Promises are vain and delusive: And elsewhere. Facta est plaga Idem. xv. 18.mea quasi mendacium aquarum infidelium; Waters that are not sure, are those only that flow Part of the Year; they may be said to be false when they flow perpetually. My Grief which should pass away like Waters that dry up in Summer, continues and increases every Day.
Jer. iii. 24.Lying Hills, are those which after they have made a fine Appearance to the Eye, produce nothing, Hosea ix. 2. Vinum mentietur eis: The Vine shall lie to them, the Vintage Habakkuk iii. 17.shall fail. Habakkuk, Mentietur opus Olivæ. The Olive Trees shall fail. The Latins have the same Way of speaking. Horace Epist. l. i. Spem mentita seges.
To lye is also placed for Rebellion: Filii alieni mentiti sunt mihi. And Psalm lx. 3. Ps. vii. 46Mentientur tibi inimici tui. And Psalm lxxx. 16. Inimici Domini mentiti sunt ei: They have not been faithful to him.