By John Bradford
Thou shalt not bear False Witness against thy Neighbour.
Now dost thou, most gracious Lord, instruct me in this commandment, how I should use my tongue towards my neighbour, and behave myself concerning his name, forbidding me to bear false witness; in which thou forbids me all kinds of slandering, lying, hypocrisy, and untruth. And why? because, as members of one body, thou would we should speak truth one to another; and be careful, every one, to cover the other's infirmity, and with our tongue to defend the names of others, even as we would that others should defend ours; so that in this commandment, as thou forbids me all kinds of evil, calumnious and untrue speaking; thou dost command to me all kind of godly, honest, and true report and talk.
By reason whereof I have great cause to praise thee, since I see thee to be so careful over my name, that all men are commanded by thee to defend the same. O precious God, great is thy care over my soul, I now perceive. If this commandment were not, I see, I should have done and should do much worse with my tongue to others than has happened, and so should I have felt of others towards me.
Besides this, no small advantage is it to me, that thou would all men should use truth in all their words to me.
Oh! how great and how good a thing is this unto me: If we consider the hurt that comes by untruth and by deceitful words, easily may we see a wonderful benefit and care of thee for us in this commandment.
But, gracious Lord, I acknowledge my unthankfulness to be monstrous and great, and that it always has been so; and yet I continue in wonderful hypocrisy in all my conversation; often lying and speaking vainly, offensively, fleshly, subtlety, calumniously, and giving my ears to hear things slanderously spoken; not repining or admonishing others (as the slanderer) to do as he would be done by, to tell his tale where he should tell it, nor admonishing the party slandered of that which is reported of him, thereby to take better heed; but rather I augment it. By reason whereof I have deserved eternal condemnation.
But thou, good Lord, be merciful unto me, I beseech thee, for Christ's sake, whom thou hast ordained to be the end of the law to all them that do believe, as well for pardon of that which is past, as for not imputing the imperfection that remains. In his name therefore, good Lord, I beseech thee to pardon me, and give me thy Holy Spirit to open to me this law, and all thy other precepts; and so to understand them that I may heartily love them, and faithfully give myself to the obedience of them for ever. Grant me thy good Spirit to sanctify my tongue, that it may be kept from lying, slandering, and all such vices; and that it may be continually used in thy service, and speaking that which may be to edify, to thy glory and praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's House, thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's Wife, nor his Servant, nor his Maid, nor his Ox, nor his Ass, nor anything that is his.
Here, O most gracious Lord and God, thou gives me the last commandment of thy law, who having taught what outward actions I shall avoid, that I do not thereby offend or undo my neighbour, as murder, adultery, theft, or false witness: now thou teaches a rule for my heart, to order that well, from the abundance whereof all works and words proceed, that I covet not any thing that is my neighbour's.
I know hereby, that if he have a fairer house, I may not wish for it: if he have a more beautiful wife, I may not desire her: if he have an honest and faithful servant, such a one as helps to get his living. I must not think to myself, I would I had him from his master. I may not desire to take his ox, nor his ass, no not his dog, no not the meanest thing he has in his possession. So that in the other commandments; as thou has forbidden all injuries and evil practice against my neighbour, now thou charges me to beware of thinking any evil thought against him.
By reason whereof I have great cause to praise thee, in that I see thee to he so careful over mine estate, my house, my wife, my servants, and the beasts that drudge for my service: that all men are by thee commanded not once to wish them from me. Thy apostle said well, when he taught us, saying, "Cast all your care upon God, for he cares for you." It is true, I find it true, thus thou cares for us, and would have us so to care one for another.
But gracious Lord, I must needs confess, that I have forgotten and broken this commandment, and do so still every day. I am wishing and woulding (desiring, editor) every minute. I have gone about to take my neighbour's house over his head. Many times have I had unchaste thoughts in my heart. I have gone about to inveigle and entice his servants from him: I could have been content to have wrought his beast and spared my own: I always thought he had too much, and I have too little; the dregs of these things, O Lord, are not quite out of my heart. Wherefore I deserve to have thy law executed upon me with all severity.
But thou, good Lord, be merciful unto me in this point also, for Jesus Christ's sake: for otherwise, I am of all men most miserable. Good Lord, pardon me, consider the frailty of my flesh, the corruption of my nature, the multitude of temptations, how of myself, I am able to do nothing; how if left to myself, I shall come to nothing.
Set my heart straight in the case of religion, to acknowledge thee one God, to worship none other God, to reverence thy name, and to keep thy sabbaths. Set my heart right in matters of human conversation, to honour my parents, to obey rulers, and reverence the ministry of the gospel; to have hands clean from blood, true from theft, a body free from adultery, and a tongue void of all offence. But purge the heart first, O Lord, and then the hand, the eye, the tongue, the foot, and the whole body will be cleaner. Write all these thy laws in my heart, O Lord, and in the hearts of all the faithful people, that we may believe them and keep them all the days of our lives to thy glory and praise, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
