so a Chap; aò Of falfe-witne f ng in judgment. CAM, qa of the. Serpent ; but if the fenfual part prevail againft reafon, we tall beover° come by the Tempter, as Adam was by hearkning to Eve ; this is to,pervert the. Scripture : we may indeed allude to fuch things in Scripture,as the Apo:}le doth to, Sarah and Hagar; but to fay, this or that is meant by Inch texts , is to make the Scripture like a Welch manshole, orCothurnum, a buskin, that will ferve either leg, and makes all Religion uncertain. Ezekiel makes it an opprebrie to God, to fay, ha obfcuris fcripfivobis, I have written to you in darkor doubtfulfpeeches; but by this means all is made doubtful, fo that peoplelhall be doubtful what to hold in any point. Falfe fps eking We conic now to falfe fpeaking in particular , and here we muff confider; 1npgmov. 1. falfe teflimony which is given in judgment : and 2. falfhood uttered out of a.orof 1N4g- judgment. men:. This diflinetion is intimated by Proverbs r Pro:. 9.5 Y Solomon , 95where he faith, Afalfe minefiAall not be unpunifhed, and he that(pea!eth liés shall not efcape : where we fee, he makes this divilfon, that fome are falle witneffes, viz, fuch as fpeak falfhood in judgment ; and others fpeak lies at othertimes,that is out of judgment; and the very fame we find by him repeated in the ninth verfe. The fame may be in. fer'd in the words of this Commandement; for when it is faid, Thou /halt not bear falfe witnefs againlb thyneighbour, that is in judgment : this implies,that there may be alfo falfum teflimenium,fal fe witnefs that is not contraproximum,againft our Neighbour. ofy , in gene- Beforewe fpeak of thefe in particular, we (hall only fay this briefly in gene- rat. ral,concerning all lies; That all lies are from the Devil, who was a Oar from the Jahn 8.44. beginning ; for the firfi word that ever he fpeke was a lye; chofe then that utter lyes belong tohim.The Pfalmilt makes it the proper mark ofwicked men, whom Pfalm 59. 3, he defcribes by this,they fpeaklyesfrom the very womb. And that this is no (mall fin, appears by that fearful threatning againft lyars, Perdes omees,qui loqunntur menda- Pfalm 5.6, cia,thouflealtdeflroyallthofethatfpeaklies. Alllies ,whetkertheyconcernourfelves, , our Neighbours,or none,make us falfe witneffes to God. And therefore we find Revel. 2215. in the Revel.that in the place of torment shall be ate;v ;4 frOli4 4.hh4®-,everyone that loveth or rnaketh a ly'e,he that either loves tohear it,orthat fpeaks it,fo that lies are condemned,both actively and paffively,ifwe make them, or love to hear them. of fa1f rpeak- Come we now to him that fpeaks falfe in judgment.And for this falfe witnefs; ing .n jadg- Solomon gives us a good comparifon, for he faith, Aman thatbearethfalfe witnefs, m`"t' is ahammer, a [word, and a/harp arrow. Now thus he is compared,partly becaufe Prov. z5. i8. his face is hardned, fo that he blufhes at nothing, be it never fo falfei for having once loft his credit, he comes CO havefrontemmereiricium,as the Prophet fpeaks, Jer.3 3, awboresforehead, and being known to the one party, viz,to him that hired him,to be a Knave, he grows impudent, and teftifies any thing, and fo firikes like a hammer, or a fword, or whatfoever doth woundthe deepeft,he flicks at nomif- chief he can do to the party againft whom he fpeaks c andpartly, becaufe that as S. Bernard fpeaks, there are three parties, who are fmittenby him at once, by, one and the fame tongue. Afotfáwitn.fo r, .pudicieft Mallem, He is a hammer or maul to theJudge, whole judgment iy4Ahamm.r. and underftandinghe perverts,fo that like a man aftonifhtby a blow onthe head, he knows not bow to determine aright. 2. Afo®rd. á.To the party that hiredhim,he isgladim,2 fword ; for,though he fpeak for him, yet he is a fword todeftroy his foul.He makes him believe,that by his purfe he bath prevailed againft the truth, and havingdone fo once, he may do fo at other times, and fohe confirms him in this evil courfe. 3 .a,,,s ,ow. 3. He is a (harp arrow to himagainft whom he witnelleth, thoughhe hath the leafs harm,if he can bear it with patience ; for his falfe teflimony is like anar- row that flicks in him, it wounds him, either in his goods, or life,òr at leafshis good name is blemüht by it. Now this bearing of falfe witnefs, is not to be referred to the witnefs alone, but it takes hold of all thole perfons that have todo in judgment, either as par- Deut.i9 i6. ties,or others that adi in it.The Acculer is called a witnefs,lfafalfe witnefs rife up again'?any man,&c. and fo by like reafon ,may allo the Defendant,reus,the party accufed, be called a falfe witncfs.The Afïor,or Acculer by an untrue accufation; and
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