Dirt{i.r , Sec 'tom. r• •ch.9. Tit. 2. &;. Tbe Greatnefs of tl>e Sin of Prrjury. Tit. 1. DireElio11S againft Perjr~ry · and Perfidioufnefs and Oaths. and for keeping li'ozvs §. 1. DireCt. I· B. ~ Jitrt thdt ~QU lJJVC jufl apprthtnfionr of the Grcatnt/s of tf~t fin of Per· . • ~hry. Were 1~ fe~n to men in its propc:r 0\apc , it wouid more affright t~em from tt than a 116ht of the Dev1l h1mfdf wculd do. 1 fhlll fbcw it you in p.ut in thd(: pu· tJct,~lus. The!1ein:-~uf4 ~· 2· 1. h con~aincth a Lye, and hath all the malignity in it v.:hich I bc:fore fhcwcd ro be in nelS af Pcr4 L)'htg, with much more. 2. Ptrjury is a dcnyal nr cunlrmpt of God. He that appealeth ro hH ~~?;,uif~hOiiS Judgement by an Q,a!J, and doth rh is in [<~(pJood, doth (hew rillt either he beJievc:th OOcthat there if E.xMit. ~o~. ¥-a Go~, or that he bdicvtth nor that he is the righteous Governour of the world , who will juHly • cor:ai11 Cic. deterrnmc <~11 rhc CJufcs .rbat belong to his Tribunal. The Pcrjurrd p~rfon doth as it were bid deti~ :,~;~·a~~Dt~~ve ~nee to ~od ; and fcucth him at nought.' as one ~hat is not abl_e r_o be av<:ngcd on him. .3· Perj 11 ry that rot! 1s. a c~\Jmg fo~ the tl'engeance of God a~ami\ yo~r fc:lvcs. ~ou mvac Gcd to plague you, as jf you hold there is b1d htm do hJS WOJfi: fOU appeal tO htrn for Judgement In j'Oitr ~uift, and fOU (hall fiud dur he no God, faith will not hold you guihl<fs. Imprecations againft )'Our ftlvcs are implycd in your Oaths: H:: that ~•id. de la· fwearetiJ doth fay in effeCt, Let Godjrtdgi .and punijh me 111 a perjured rrrctch, if I /peak., not the truth. ~~;~~;:ded~r· A.nd it is a d~c.adful thing ro fall into the hands. of the Liv:n~ God, ~It· b. 10. 3r. For Vengeance u. jm.'is dic~1~us, h:1, aJtd he r:nll rccompcnce, v. 30· And when he Judgeth the Wicked, ~e 11 a confomiHgjire, Heb. 12 , 29 • fi c~rbo, &c. 4· Pcr;ury ar.d pcrfic!ioufitcji is a fin that leaveth the confcience no eafe of an extenuation or excuie; pu :1f]cr dlC but it is fo heinous a villany, thar it is rhe feed of {elf-tormenting d< fp_urion. Svrr.e fins confci– Dc?s, ::~m ence can make fl1ift a while to hide~ by faying, [It i; aCrmtrovcrfic: J and [Many wift.mcn arc of ~~;t~r~u~1 ~~t anr-t/'}(r mind J. Bur ptrjury is a Iin which l~lcarhem and lnlidds btar as tree a td1imony againfi, fit GCr. pal.1~, ( in their way) as Chritl:ians do. Snme ti;;s are fhiftcd df by flying, [They 8re little ontJ J: But 26. 1· Chrifiians and Heathens uc agrc(d that Pcrju~y is a fin alm'/n as great a~ rhe Dtvil can teach his t Oni ~f Ca· _[crvants to commir. Sa.ith Plutarch, )f. He that dcccivcth bi1 entmy by ait O.Jtb, doth coHfefi. thereby (~~~.)a:~s th,.t he jfarcth hi; enemy, and d.Jp{tth God. Sairh Ciccro, 1he po:alty of Pcrj11ry iJ drjtrutlion from that l'erjureJ Goa, andjh.nm fromm.m. SJith ~c_urJitu, Perfidi.•ufncfi it a crime rrhicb Ho merit! c:zn mitigate. perfcn·, with Read Cicerode Offic./. 3· Slith Atijiotle, He that wiU extenuate an Oath, m~t~'t {.Jy, that tjJofe vib'tmorH ~rccrw, wretcbes that thi11k., G~.d feub not, do think alfo to go a,:,;ay with tbtir pcrjHrJ H»punijhed. In a St~~~~~;, word, the Heathens commonly rake the revenge of Perjury_ to belong in fo 1plcia! a mann:r to. the breakers of Gods, that rhcy conclude that man, at).d ufually his pojlcnry, to be drjiinatcd to rum~,, due lS perptred We~lock be and perfidious : ln fo much that it is t written of Agefilaus ( and many others) that when the1r banJfite~ ~he enemies \verc perjured and brok$ their C•rvenants, they rook it for a fign of victory, and the bd1prog– ~cai; · w;d nofiick of rhcir fuccd-; againfi them. Pbtt.uch recordeth this llory of Clt'omrnrt, rhar having m•dc a s~bjt~~~ ~o:. truce for fevcn daycs wirh rhe Argivt_J. he f~r ~pon rhem, and kdle:d and rook !n:ny. of_them in the How few night; and when he was charged wnh ptrfidloufnd5, ?nfwercd, Imade ~tot a tru:eWltb th~m for [ermt !"culd be left nigbu) but for fovcn dayu: Bur tht: wonien fercht arms out of rhe Temples ot the Gods, and re~ ~~ ~~~e~~~;;s, pulfed him wirh lh!nc, and he ran mad,..and ~·ith his Sword did mlngle his own ~ody, and ·dyed clone? in a mofi hideous manner. Wh<:n Cunk1encc IS awakened to fl"e fuch a fin as PaJury) no wonder "l'im. iii!Jif fuch run mad, or hang thtrnfclve-;; as pertidioqs Achi~upbdl and Jud-!f did. N0 doubr but ev•r– ~td·. , lafiing horror and dtfperarion will b~ the en~ of. ru.ch, it ~rue C_onvetll_on do nor prevent ir. 5· le /./' ..de Lib. is¥ a fin that n1incth fami/ic; and focutiCJ, hke hrc that bcmg kmd~e~ tn rhc rh~tch, nev~r Jtoppcrh Cdrt 1. '!· till it have confumed all che houfe. Though the curfe of the Lord u z;~ the bo:tfc of tbew~ciz.cd~ (bott A;·ifi. Rlut. be blcf[eth the 1-ltbit~ttim of the jujf, Prov. 3· 33· Ycr among all the w1cked, there are ftw lu cam~ c. 11·.. . manly marked out with their f3milits to flume and ruine, as theprrjur~d. Who~t eve~ Nation is .nig· t;;'t~·:.an. matized wirh ·a fidu fN1tica vel Gr.e"ca, 'lr'i~b the br'f11d (tf Perjury, !r IS not only th~tr greatc~i: J~fa• Thoueh <Js my, but like [ L-Jrd !Javr mercy 011 ur J wrmen on your doors, a h~n of a ddhoymg pl<~guc wHh· Modtr. Polir. in. Saith t Silitlt 1 f:titb, Pri1JC.7. It is a huge adv&r.tagcthac nnn hath. in a credulous world,thlt can eafily f1y :~~ ~~~e;~ to Slith Cl.md. :md yet (o p.ll~i~t.e his ~~~~uttJ~;n~s to So 1ibuU. NIJJI iUi domtu atd cnnjux aut 'Zlito~ mo.Jncbit V~tqu:~m txpcrs lu{Jzu, /arluym.eq,e: aget .equ1rr {tmpo· Ac trllnre premcnJ ; a7..et 11,rum nollt dieq; Defpcfla ac violara jidCJ-- [;t prulem dilatar:mt p<riuri.l p;tris Et pa-nam mcrito filiM ore JJtit.-- Ab mifer: & JiquiJ prim, perjuri.J cel.u, Sera t:zmen taciliJ p~n.~ venit pedibuf. from the cog· ~li\~a~~fi~f Gabaorit~ruu1 ir. itun~ fre.lus , ca'liditre 'i:et cxtorru_m, non!1:1llis intu'ilfct ex·c:um, &•. :amemum juA:iti% efi fiMs 1 i. t. dJftottan Co.>flVCt1tOrmnque con!bn:1a & verit1~. c:imo.
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