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

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 Hebrew women, if they were such as that sort of persons of whom we ask whether they ought ever to tell a lie, would both eschew to say aught false, and would most frankly refuse that foul service of killing the babes. But, thou wilt say, themselves would die. Yea, but see what follows. They would die with an heavenly habitation for their incomparably more ample reward than those houses which they made them on earth could be: they would die, to be in eternal felicity, after enduring of death for most innocent truth. What of her in Jericho? Could she do this? Would she not, if she did not by telling a lie deceive the inquiring citizens, by speaking truth betray the lurking guests? Or could she say71    mss. and edd. “An posset;” but Ben. ed. propose “an non posset,” “Could she not?” to their questionings, I know where they are; but I fear God, I will not betray them? She could indeed say this, were she already a true Israelitess in whom was no guile:72    John i. 47 which thing she was about to be, when through the mercy of God passing over into the city of God. But they, hearing this (thou wilt say), would slay her, would search the house. But did it follow that they would also find them, whom she had diligently concealed? For in the foresight of this, that most cautious woman had placed them where they would have been able to remain undiscovered if she, telling a lie, should not be believed. So both she, if after all she had been slain by her countrymen for the work of mercy, would have ended this life, which must needs come to an end, by a death precious in the sight of the Lord,73    Ps. cxvi. 15 and towards them her benefit had not been in vain. But, thou wilt say, “What if the men who sought them, in their thorough-going search had come to the place where she had concealed them?” In this fashion it may be said: What if a most vile and base woman, not only telling, but swearing a lie, had not got them to believe her? Of course even so would the things have been like to come to pass, through fear of which she lied. And where do we put the will and power of God? or haply was He not able to keep both her, neither telling a lie to her own townsmen, nor betraying men of God, and them, being His, safe from all harm? For by Whom also after the woman’s lie they were guarded, by Him could they, even if she had not lied, have in any wise been guarded. Unless perchance we have forgotten that this did come to pass in Sodom, where males burning towards males with hideous lust could not so much as find the door of the house in which were the men they sought; when that just man, in a case altogether most similar, would not tell a lie for his guests, whom he knew not to be Angels, and feared lest they should suffer a violence worse than death. And doubtless, he might have given the seekers the like answer as that woman gave in Jericho. For it was in precisely the like manner that they sought by interrogating. But that just person was not willing that for the bodies of his guests his soul should be spotted by his own telling of a lie, for which bodies he was willing that the bodies of his daughters by iniquity of others’ lust should be deforced.74    Gen. xix. 5–11 Let then a man do even for the temporal safety of men what he can; but when it comes to that point that to consult for such saving of them except by sinning is not in his power, thenceforth let him esteem himself not to have what he may do, when he shall perceive that only to be left him which he may not rightly do. Therefore, touching Rahab in Jericho, because she entertained strangers, men of God, because in entertaining of them she put herself in peril, because she believed on their God, because she diligently hid them where she could, because she gave them most faithful counsel of returning by another way, let her be praised as meet to be imitated even by the citizens of Jerusalem on high. But in that she lied, although somewhat therein as prophetical be intelligently expounded, yet not as meet to be imitated is it wisely propounded: albeit that God hath those good things memorably honored, this evil thing mercifully overlooked.

CAPUT XVII.

34. Obstetrices Hebraeae et Raab num fecissent melius, nolendo mentiri. Regula ad quam redigenda quae ex Scripturis proferuntur velut exempla mentiendi. Sed dicet aliquis: Ergone obstetrices illae atque Raab melius fecissent, si nullam misericordiam praestitissent, nolendo mentiri? Imo vero illae mulieres Hebraeae, si essent tales de qualibus quaerimus utrum sit eis aliquando mentiendum, nec aliquid falsi dicerent, et foeda ministeria de parvulis occidendis liberrime recusarent. Sed, inquies, ipsae morerentur. 0542 At vide quid sequatur. Morerentur enim coelestis habitationis incomparabiliter ampliore mercede, quam domus illae quas sibi fecerunt in terra esse potuerunt: morerentur futurae in aeterna felicitate, mortem perpessae pro innocentissima veritate. Quid illa in Jericho? numquid hoc posset? Nonne si quaerentes cives mentiendo non falleret, verum dicendo latentes hospites proderet? An posset interrogantibus dicere: Scio ubi sunt; sed Deum timeo, non eos prodo? Posset hoc quidem dicere, si jam esset vera Israelitis in qua dolus non esset (Joan. I, 47): quod futura erat per misericordiam Dei transiens ad civitatem Dei. Verum illi hoc audito, inquies, illam perimerent, domum scrutarentur. Sed numquid consequens erat ut illos etiam quos diligenter occultaverat invenirent? Prospexerat enim cautissima mulier, et ibi eos posuerat ubi latere potuissent, etiamsi ei mentienti creditum non fuisset. Ita et illa, si tamen a suis civibus esset occisa pro misericordiae opere, vitam istam finiendam pretiosa in conspectu Domini morte finisset (Psal. CXV, 15), et erga illos ejus beneficium inane non fuisset. Sed, inquies, quid, si et ad illum locum ubi eos occultaverat, ii a quibus quaerebantur, perscrutando omnia pervenissent? Isto modo dici potest: Quid, si mulieri vilissimae atque turpissimae, non solum mentienti, verum etiam pejeranti credere noluissent? Nempe etiam sic consecutura fuerant quae timendo mentita est. Et ubi ponimus voluntatem ac potestatem Dei? An forte non poterat, et illam nec civibus suis mentientem nec homines Dei prodentem, et illos suos ab omni pernicie custodire? A quo enim et post mulieris mendacium custoditi sunt, ab eo potuerunt, etsi illa mentita non esset, utique custodiri. Nisi forte obliti sumus hoc fuisse in Sodomis factum, ubi masculi in masculos nefanda libidine accensi, nec ostium domus in qua erant quos quaerebant, invenire potuerunt; quando vir justus in causa omnino simillima pro suis hospitibus mentiri noluit, quos esse angelos nesciebat, et vim morte pejorem ne paterentur timebat. Et certe poterat talia respondere quaerentibus, qualia in Jericho mulier illa respondit. Nam prorsus similiter et illi interrogando quaesierunt. Sed homo justus noluit pro corporibus hospitum animam suam suo mendacio maculari, pro quibus voluit corpora filiarum alienae libidinis iniquitate vim perpeti (Gen. XIX, 5-11). Faciat ergo homo etiam pro temporali hominum salute quod potest: cum autem ad hunc articulum ventum fuerit, ut tali saluti consulere nisi peccando non possit, jam se existimet non habere quid faciat, quando id reliquum esse perspexerit quod non recte faciat. Proinde Raab in Jericho, quia peregrinos homines Dei suscepit hospitio, quia in eorum susceptione periclitata est, quia in eorum Deum credidit, quia diligenter eos ubi potuit occultavit, quia per aliam viam remeandi consilium fidelissimum dedit, etiam supernae Jerusalem civibus imitanda laudetur. 0543 Quod autem mentita est, etiamsi aliquid ibi propheticum intelligenter exponitur, non tamen imitandum sapienter proponitur: quamvis Deus illa bona memorabiliter honoraverit, hoc malum clementer ignoverit.