Against Lying.

 1. A great deal for me to read hast thou sent, my dearest brother Consentius: a great deal for me to read: to the which while I am preparing an answer

 2. Perceivest thou not how much this reasoning aideth the very persons whom as great game we make ado to catch by our lies? For, as thyself hast shown

 3. Which sentence dishonoreth the holy Martyrs, nay rather taketh away holy martyrdoms altogether. For they would do more justly and wisely, according

 4. Of lies are many sorts, which indeed all, universally, we ought to hate. For there is no lie that is not contrary to truth. For, as light and darkn

 5. Well then, let us set before our eyes a cunning spy as he makes up to the person whom he has already perceived to be a Priscillianist he begins wi

 6. It remains, then, that what the Priscillianists think, according to the nefarious falsity of their heresy, of God, of the soul, of the body, and th

 7. And, what is more miserable, even they, already made as it were our own, cannot find how they may believe us. For if they suspect that even in the

 8. But now observe how more tolerable in comparison with us is the lying of the Priscillianists, when they know that they speak deceitfully: whom by o

 9. When therefore we teach ours to blaspheme God that the Priscillianists may believe them theirs, let us see what evil themselves say when they there

 10. Ever, my brother, in such cases, it behoves with fear to recollect, “Whoso shall deny Me before men, I will deny him before My Father which is in

 11. “But, hidden wolves,” thou wilt say, “clad in sheep’s clothing, and privily and grievously wasting the Lord’s flock, can we no otherwise find out.

 12. “But,” thou wilt say, “we more easily penetrate their concealment if we pretend to be ourselves what they are.” If this were lawful or expedient,

 13. Or haply is it so, that he who plots in this way to find out Priscillianists, denies not Christ, forasmuch as with his mouth he utters what with h

 14. Wherefore, that which is written, “Who speaketh the truth in his heart,” is not so to be taken, as if, truth being retained in the heart, in the m

 &gt 15. And as for that saying of the Apostle, “Putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another,” far b

 16. For there were even in the Apostles’ times some who preached the truth not in truth, that is, not with truthful mind: of whom the Apostle saith th

 17. Wherefore, though there be indeed many ways in which latent heretics may be sought out, without vituperating the catholic faith or praising hereti

 18. It does indeed make very much difference, for what cause, with what end, with what intention a thing be done: but those things which are clearly s

 19. Some man will say, “So then any thief whatever is to be accounted equal with that thief who steals with will of mercy?” Who would say this? But of

 20. But, what must be confessed, to human minds certain compensative sins do cause such embarrassment, that they are even thought meet to be praised,

 21. If then to sin, that others may not commit a worse sin, either against us or against any, without doubt we ought not it is to be considered in th

 22. And to holy David indeed it might more justly be said, that he ought not to have been angry no, not with one however ungrateful and rendering evi

 23. But in all our doings, even good men are very greatly embarrassed in the matter of compensative sins so that these are not esteemed to be sins, i

 24. Touching Jacob, however, that which he did at his mother’s bidding, so as to seem to deceive his father, if with diligence and in faith it be atte

 25. Nor have I undertaken that in the present discourse, as it more pertains to thee, who hast laid open the hiding-places of the Priscillianists, so

 26. To show then that some things in the Scriptures which are thought to be lies are not what they are thought, if they be rightly understood, let it

 27. There are some things of this sort even of our Saviour in the Gospel, because the Lord of the Prophets deigned to be Himself also a Prophet. Such

 28. Hence is also that which thou hast mentioned that they speak of, that the Lord Jesus, after He was risen, walked in the way with two disciples an

 29. Because, therefore, lying heretics find not in the books of the New Testament any precedents of lying which are meet to be imitated, they esteem t

 30. But why do these persons think they may imitate Tamar telling a lie, and not think they may imitate Judah committing fornication? For there they h

 31. But he who says that some lies are just, must be judged to say no other than that some sins are just, and therefore some things are just which are

 32. But, as for that which is written, that God did good to the Hebrew midwives, and to Rahab the harlot of Jericho, this was not because they lied, b

 33. It remains then that we understand as concerning those women, whether in Egypt or in Jericho, that for their humanity and mercy they received a re

 34. But some man will say, Would then those midwives and Rahab have done better if they had shown no mercy, by refusing to lie? Nay verily, those Hebr

 35. Since these things are so, because it were too long to treat thoroughly of all that in that “Pound” of Dictinius are set down as precedents of lyi

 36. But for that we are men and among men do live, and I confess that I am not yet in the number of them whom compensative sins embarrass not, it oft

 37. Add to this, (and here is cause to cry out more piteously,) that, if once we grant it to have been right for the saving of that sick man’s life to

 38. But infirmity pleadeth its part, and with favor of the crowds proclaims itself to have a cause invincible. Where it contradicts, and says, “What w

 39. But, some man will say, “Strong meat is for them that are perfect.” For in many things a relaxation by way of indulgence is allowed to infirmity,

 40. But sometimes a peril to eternal salvation itself is put forth against us which peril, they cry out, we by telling a lie, if otherwise it cannot

 41. Either then we are to eschew lies by right doing, or to confess them by repenting: but not, while they unhappily abound in our living, to make the

33. It remains then that we understand as concerning those women, whether in Egypt or in Jericho, that for their humanity and mercy they received a reward, in any wise temporal, which indeed itself, while they wist not of it, should by prophetical signification prefigure somewhat eternal. But whether it be ever right, even for the saving of a man’s life, to tell a lie, as it is a question in resolving which even the most learned do weary themselves, it did vastly surpass the capacity of those poor women, set in the midst of those nations, and accustomed to those manners. Therefore their ignorance in this as well as in those other things of which they were alike unknowing, but which are to be known by the children not of this world but of that which is to come, the patience of God did bear withal: Who yet, for their human kindness which they had shown to His servants, rendered unto them rewards of an earthly sort, albeit signifying somewhat of an heavenly. And Rahab, indeed, delivered out of Jericho, made transition into the people of God, where, being proficient, she might attain to eternal and immortal prizes which are not to be sought by any lie. Yet at that time when she did for the Israelite spies that good, and, for her condition of life, laudable work, she was not as yet such that it should be required of her, “In your mouth let Yea be yea, Nay nay.”65    Matt. v. 37 But as for those midwives, albeit Hebrewesses, if they savored only after the flesh, what or how great is the good they got of their temporal reward in that they made them houses, unless by making proficiency they attained unto that house of which is sung unto God, “Blessed are they that dwell in thine house; for ever and ever they will praise thee?”66    Ps. lxxxiv. 4 It must be confessed, however, that it approacheth much unto righteousness, and though not yet in reality, even now in respect of hopefulness and disposition that mind is to be praised, which never lies except with intention and will to do good to some man, but to hurt no man. But as for us, when we ask whether it be the part of a good man sometimes to lie, we ask not concerning a person pertaining to Egypt, or to Jericho, or to Babylon, or still to Jerusalem itself, the earthly, which is in bondage with her children;67    Gal. iv. 25, 26 but concerning a citizen of that city which is above and free, our mother, eternal in the heavens. And to our asking it is answered, “No lie is of the truth.”68    1 John ii. 21 The sons of that city, are sons of the Truth. That city’s sons are they of whom it is written,“In their mouth was found no lie:”69    Rev. xiv. 5 son of that city is he of whom is also written, “A son receiving the word shall be far from destruction: but receiving, he hath received that for himself, and nothing false proceedeth out of his mouth.”70    Prov. xxix. 27. Lat. (not in Hebrew). These sons of Jerusalem on high, and of the holy city eternal, if ever, as they be men, a lie of what kind soever doth worm itself into them, they ask humbly for pardon, not therefrom seek moreover glory.

33. Restat itaque ut intelligamus illis mulieribus, vel in Aegypto, vel in Jericho, pro humanitate et misericordia redditam fuisse mercedem utique temporalem, quae quidem et ipsa aeternum aliquid 0541 etiam illis nescientibus prophetica significatione figuraret. Utrum autem sit aliquando vel pro cujusquam salute mentiendum, cum quaestio sit in qua dissolvenda etiam doctissimi fatigantur, valde illarum muliercularum in illis populis constitutarum et illis moribus assuetarum excedebat modum. Itaque hanc earum ignorantiam, sicut aliarum rerum quas pariter nesciebant, sed sciendae sunt a filiis non hujus saeculi, sed futuri, Dei patientia sustinebat: qui tamen eis pro benignitate humana, quam famulis ejus impenderant, quamvis coeleste aliquid significantia, praemia terrena reddebat. Et Raab quidem ex Jericho liberata, in Dei populum transitum fecit, ubi proficiens posset ad aeterna et immortalia munera pervenire, quae nullo sunt quaerenda mendacio.

CAPUT XVI.

Sitne boni hominis aliquando mentiri pro alterius salute. Tunc tamen quando illud opus bonum et pro suae vitae conditione laudabile Israelitis exploratoribus praestitit, nondum erat talis ut ab ea exigeretur, Sit in ore vestro, Est, est; Non, non (Matth. V, 37). Obstetrices autem illae quamvis Hebraeae, si secundum carnem tantummodo sapuerunt, quid aut quantum est quod eis profuit remuneratio temporalis, quia fecerunt sibi domos, nisi proficiendo pertinuerint ad eam domum de qua Deo cantatur, Beati qui habitant in domo tua; in saecula saeculorum laudabunt te (Psal. LXXXIII, 5)? Multum autem fatendum est propinquare justitiae, et quamvis re ipsa nondum, jam tamen spe atque indole animum esse laudandum, qui nunquam nisi hac intentione mentitur, qua vult prodesse alicui, nocere autem nemini. Sed nos cum quaerimus sitne boni hominis aliquando mentiri, non de homine quaerimus adhuc ad Aegyptum, vel ad Jericho, vel ad Babyloniam pertinente, vel adhuc ad ipsam Jerusalem terrenam, quae servit cum filiis suis; sed de cive illius civitatis quae sursum est libera mater nostra aeterna in coelis (Galat. IV, 25, 26). Et respondetur quaerentibus nobis: Omne mendacium non est ex veritate. Filii autem illius civitatis, filii sunt utique veritatis. Ejus civitatis filii sunt de quibus scriptum est, In ore eorum non est inventum mendacium (Apoc. XIV, 5): ejus civitatis filius est de quo item scriptum est, Verbum suscipiens filius a perditione longe aberit: excipiens autem excepit illud sibi, et nihil falsi ex ejus ore procedit (Prov. XXIX, 27). His filiis supernae Jerusalem et sanctae civitatis aeternae si quando ut hominibus obrepit qualecumque mendacium, poscunt humiliter veniam, non inde quaerunt insuper gloriam.