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, and am drawn off first by one, then by another, more urgent occupation, the year has measured out its course, and has thrust me into such straits, that I must answer in what sort I may, lest the time for sailing being now favorable, and the bearer desirous to return, I should too long detain him. Having therefore unrolled and read through all that Leonas, servant of God, brought me from thee, both soon after I received it, and afterwards when about to dictate this reply, and having weighed it with all the consideration in my power, I am greatly delighted with thy eloquence, and memory of the holy Scripture, and cleverness of wit, and the resentment with which thou bitest negligent Catholics, and the zeal with which thou gnashest against even latent heretics. But I am not persuaded that it is right to unearth them out of their hiding places by our telling lies. For to what end do we take such pains in tracking them out and running them down, but that having taken them and brought them forth into open day, we may either teach them the truth, or at least having convicted them by the truth, may not allow them to hurt others? to this end, therefore, that their lie may be blotted out, or shunned, and God’s truth increased. How then by a lie shall I rightly be able to prosecute lies? Or is it by robbery that robberies and by sacrilege that sacrileges, and by adultery that adulteries, are to be prosecuted? “But if the truth of God shall abound by my lie,” are we too to say, “Let us do evil that good may come?”1    Rom. iii. 7, 8 A thing which thou seest how the Apostle detesteth. For what else is, “Let us lie, that we may bring heretic liars to the truth,” but, “Let us do evil that good may come?” Or, is a lie sometimes good, or sometimes a lie not evil? Why then is it written, “Thou hatest, Lord, all that work iniquity; Thou wilt destroy all that speak leasing.”2    Psalm v. 6, 7. [See R.V.] “Thou wilt destroy them that speak a lie,” Heb. πάντας τοὺς λαλοῦντας τὸ ψεῦδος, LXX. For he hath not excepted some, or said indefinitely, “Thou wilt destroy them that speak leasing;” so as to permit some, not all, to be understood: but it is an universal sentence that he hath passed, saying, “Thou wilt destroy all who speak leasing.” Or, because it is not said, Thou wilt destroy all who speak all leasing, or, who speak any leasing whatsoever; is it therefore to be thought that there is place allowed for some lie; to wit, that there should be some leasing, and them who speak it, God should not destroy, but destroy them all which speak unjust leasing, not what lie soever, because there is found also a just lie, which as such ought to be matter of praise, not of crime?

CAPUT PRIMUM.

1. Mendaciis qui abutuntur ut lateant, non esse de latebris suis eruendos nostris mendaciis. Multa mihi legenda misisti, Consenti frater charissime, multa mihi legenda misisti : quibus rescripta dum praeparo, et aliis atque aliis magis urgentibus occupationibus distrahor, emensus est annus, atque in eas me detrusit angustias, ut quomodocumque rescriberem, ne arridente jam tempore navigandi, 0518 perlatorem remeare cupientem diutius detinerem. Itaque omnibus quae mihi Leonas Dei famulus abs te attulit, et mox ut ea sumpsi, et postea cum haec dictare jam vellem, evolutis atque perlectis, et quanta potui consideratione perpensis; valde sum tuo delectatus eloquio, et sanctarum memoria Scripturarum, ingeniique solertia, et dolore quo negligentes catholicos mordes, et zelo quo adversus etiam latentes 0519 haereticos frendes. Sed non mihi persuadetur eos de latebris suis nostris esse mendaciis eruendos. Utquid enim eos tanta cura vestigare atque indagare conamur, nisi ut captos in apertumque productos, aut etiam ipsos veritatem doceamus, aut certe veritate convictos nocere aliis non sinamus? ad hoc ergo, ut eorum mendacium deleatur, sive caveatur, Dei autem veritas augeatur. Quomodo igitur mendacio mendacia recte potero persequi? An et latrocinio latrocinia et sacrilegio sacrilegia, et adulterio sunt adulteria persequenda? Si autem veritas Dei in meo mendacio abundabit, numquidnam et nos dicturi sumus, Faciamus mala, ut veniant bona (Rom. III, 7 et 8)? Quod vides quemadmodum detestetur Apostolus. Quid est enim aliud, Mentiamur, ut haereticos mendaces ad veritatem adducamus; nisi, Faciamus mala, ut veniant bona? An aliquando bonum est mendacium, vel aliquando mendacium non est malum? Cur ergo scriptum est, Odisti, Domine omnes qui operantur iniquitatem; perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium (Psal. V, 7)? Non enim aliquos excepit, aut indefinite dixit, Perdes loquentes mendacium; ut quosdam, non omnes intelligi sineret: sed universalem sententiam protulit, dicens, Perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium. An quia non dictum est, Perdes omnes qui loquuntur omne mendacium, vel, qui loquuntur quodcumque mendacium; ideo putandum est locum alicui relaxatum esse mendacio: ut scilicet sit aliquod mendacium, quod qui loquuntur, non eos Deus perdat; sed eos omnes perdat qui loquuntur injustum mendacium, non quodcumque mendacium, quia invenitur et justum, quod utique laudis debet esse, non criminis?