Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that not all dissimulation is a sin. For it is written (Lk. 24:28) that our Lord "pretended he would go farther"; and Ambrose in his book on the Patriarchs (De Abraham i) says of Abraham that he "spoke craftily to his servants, when he said" (Gn. 22:5): "I and the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have worshipped, will return to you." Now to pretend and to speak craftily savor of dissimulation: and yet it is not to be said that there was sin in Christ or Abraham. Therefore not all dissimulation is a sin.

Objection 2: Further, no sin is profitable. But according to Jerome, in his commentary on Gal. 2:11, "When Peter was come to Antioch:---The example of Jehu, king of Israel, who slew the priest of Baal, pretending that he desired to worship idols, should teach us that dissimulation is useful and sometimes to be employed"; and David "changed his countenance before" Achis, king of Geth (1 Kgs. 21:13). Therefore not all dissimulation is a sin.

Objection 3: Further, good is contrary to evil. Therefore if it is evil to simulate good, it is good to simulate evil.

Objection 4: Further, it is written in condemnation of certain people (Is. 3:9): "They have proclaimed abroad their sin as Sodom, and they have not hid it." Now it pertains to dissimulation to hide one's sin. Therefore it is reprehensible sometimes not to simulate. But it is never reprehensible to avoid sin. Therefore dissimulation is not a sin.

On the contrary, A gloss on Is. 16:14, "In three years," etc., says: "Of the two evils it is less to sin openly than to simulate holiness." But to sin openly is always a sin. Therefore dissimulation is always a sin.

I answer that, As stated above (Question 109, Article 3; Question 110, Article 1), it belongs to the virtue of truth to show oneself outwardly by outward signs to be such as one is. Now outward signs are not only words, but also deeds. Accordingly just as it is contrary to truth to signify by words something different from that which is in one's mind, so also is it contrary to truth to employ signs of deeds or things to signify the contrary of what is in oneself, and this is what is properly denoted by dissimulation. Consequently dissimulation is properly a lie told by the signs of outward deeds. Now it matters not whether one lie in word or in any other way, as stated above (Question 110, Article 1, Objection 2). Wherefore, since every lie is a sin, as stated above (Question 110, Article 3), it follows that also all dissimulation is a sin.

Reply to Objection 1: As Augustine says (De Questions. Evang. ii), "To pretend is not always a lie: but only when the pretense has no signification, then it is a lie. When, however, our pretense refers to some signification, there is no lie, but a representation of the truth." And he cites figures of speech as an example, where a thing is "pretended," for we do not mean it to be taken literally but as a figure of something else that we wish to say. In this way our Lord "pretended He would go farther," because He acted as if wishing to go farther; in order to signify something figuratively either because He was far from their faith, according to Gregory (Hom. xxiii in Ev.); or, as Augustine says (De Questions. Evang. ii), because, "as He was about to go farther away from them by ascending into heaven, He was, so to speak, held back on earth by their hospitality."

Abraham also spoke figuratively. Wherefore Ambrose (De Abraham i) says that Abraham "foretold what he knew not": for he intended to return alone after sacrificing his son: but by his mouth the Lord expressed what He was about to do. It is evident therefore that neither dissembled.

Reply to Objection 2: Jerome employs the term "simulation" in a broad sense for any kind of pretense. David's change of countenance was a figurative pretense, as a gloss observes in commenting on the title of Ps. 33, "I will bless the Lord at all times." There is no need to excuse Jehu's dissimulation from sin or lie, because he was a wicked man, since he departed not from the idolatry of Jeroboam (4 Kgs. 10:29,31). And yet he is praised withal and received an earthly reward from God, not for his dissimulation, but for his zeal in destroying the worship of Baal.

Reply to Objection 3: Some say that no one may pretend to be wicked, because no one pretends to be wicked by doing good deeds, and if he do evil deeds, he is evil. But this argument proves nothing. Because a man might pretend to be evil, by doing what is not evil in itself but has some appearance of evil: and nevertheless this dissimulation is evil, both because it is a lie, and because it gives scandal; and although he is wicked on this account, yet his wickedness is not the wickedness he simulates. And because dissimulation is evil in itself, its sinfulness is not derived from the thing simulated, whether this be good or evil.

Reply to Objection 4: Just as a man lies when he signifies by word that which he is not, yet lies not when he refrains from saying what he is, for this is sometimes lawful; so also does a man dissemble, when by outward signs of deeds or things he signifies that which he is not, yet he dissembles not if he omits to signify what he is. Hence one may hide one's sin without being guilty of dissimulation. It is thus that we must understand the saying of Jerome on the words of Isaias 3:9, that the "second remedy after shipwreck is to hide one's sin," lest, to wit, others be scandalized thereby.

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod non omnis simulatio sit peccatum.

Dicitur enim Luc. Ult., quod dominus se finxit longius ire.

Et Ambrosius dicit de Abraham, in libro de patriarchis, quod captiose loquebatur cum servulis cum dixit, Gen. XXII, ego et puer, illuc usque properantes, postquam adoraverimus, revertemur ad vos.

Fingere autem et captiose loqui ad simulationem pertinet. Non est autem dicendum quod in christo et in Abraham fuerit peccatum.

Ergo non omnis simulatio est peccatum.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, nullum peccatum est utile.

Sed sicut Hieronymus dicit, utilem simulationem, et in tempore assumendam, iehu, regis Israel, nos doceat exemplum, qui interfecit sacerdotes baal fingens se idola colere velle, ut habetur IV Reg. X.

Et David immutavit faciem suam coram Achis, rege Geth, ut habetur I Reg. XXI.

Ergo non omnis simulatio est peccatum.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, bonum malo est contrarium.

Si ergo simulare bonum est malum, simulare malum erit bonum.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, Isaiae III, contra quosdam dicitur, peccatum suum quasi sodoma praedicaverunt, nec absconderunt.

Sed abscondere peccatum ad simulationem pertinet. Ergo non uti simulatione interdum est reprehensibile. Vitare autem peccatum nunquam est reprehensibile.

Ergo simulatio non semper est peccatum.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Isaiae XVI, super illud, in tribus annis etc., dicit Glossa, in comparatione duorum malorum, levius est aperte peccare quam sanctitatem simulare.

Sed aperte peccare semper est peccatum.

Ergo simulatio semper est peccatum.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, ad virtutem veritatis pertinet ut aliquis talem se exhibeat exterius per signa exteriora qualis est. Signa autem exteriora non solum sunt verba, sed etiam facta. Sicut ergo veritati opponitur quod aliquis per verba exteriora aliud significet quam quod habet apud se, quod ad mendacium pertinet; ita etiam veritati opponitur quod aliquis per aliqua signa factorum vel rerum aliquid de se significet contrarium eius quod in eo est, quod proprie simulatio dicitur. Unde simulatio proprie est mendacium quoddam in exteriorum signis factorum consistens. Non refert autem utrum aliquis mentiatur verbo, vel quocumque alio facto, ut supra dictum est.

Unde, cum omne mendacium sit peccatum, ut supra habitum est, consequens est etiam quod omnis simulatio est peccatum.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut Augustinus dicit, in libro de quaest. Evang., non omne quod fingimus mendacium est. Sed quando id fingimus quod nihil significat, tunc est mendacium, cum autem fictio nostra refertur ad aliquam significationem, non est mendacium, sed aliqua figura veritatis.

Et subiungit exemplum de figurativis locutionibus, in quibus fingitur quaedam res non ut asseratur ita esse, sed eam proponimus ut figuram alterius quod asserere volumus. Sic igitur dominus se finxit longius ire, quia composuit motum suum quasi volentis longius ire, ad aliquid figurate significandum, scilicet quod ipse ab eorum fide longe erat, ut Gregorius dicit; vel, ut Augustinus dicit, quia, cum longius recessurus esset ascendendo in caelum, per hospitalitatem quodammodo retinebatur in terra. Abraham etiam figurate locutus est.

Unde Ambrosius dicit de Abraham quod prophetavit quod ignorabat. Ipse enim solus disponebat redire, immolato filio, sed dominus per os eius locutus est quod parabat.

Unde patet quod neuter simulavit.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod Hieronymus large utitur nomine simulationis pro quacumque fictione. Commutatio autem faciei David fuit fictio figuralis, sicut Glossa exponit in titulo illius Psalmi, benedicam dominum in omni tempore.

Simulationem vero iehu non est necesse excusari a peccato vel mendacio, quia malus fuit, utpote ab idololatria ieroboam non recedens. Commendatur tamen et temporaliter remuneratur a deo, non pro simulatione, sed pro zelo quo destruxit cultum baal.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod quidam dicunt quod nullus potest se simulare esse malum, quia per opera bona nullus se simulat malum; si autem opera mala faciat, malus est.

Sed haec ratio non cogit. Potest enim aliquis se simulare malum per opera quae in se non sunt mala, sed habent quandam speciem mali. Et tamen ipsa simulatio est mala, tum ratione mendacii; tum ratione scandali. Et quamvis per hoc fiat malus, non tamen fit malus illa malitia quam simulat. Et quia ipsa simulatio secundum se mala est, non ratione eius de quo est; sive sit de bono sive de malo, peccatum est.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod sicut aliquis verbo mentitur quando significat quod non est, non autem quando tacet quod est, quod aliquando licet; ita etiam simulatio est quando aliquis per exteriora signa factorum vel rerum significat aliquid quod non est, non autem si aliquis praetermittat significare quod est.

Unde aliquis potest peccatum suum occultare absque simulatione.

Et secundum hoc intelligendum est quod Hieronymus dicit ibidem, quod secundum remedium post naufragium est peccatum abscondere, ne scilicet exinde aliis scandalum generetur.