DE MEN DACIO. 424 All kinds of lying wrong, but some worse than others. from which he wished to make them whole. There must therefore be no lying in the doctrine of piety: it is a heinous wickedness, and the first sort of detestable lie. There must be no lying of the second sort; because no man must have - a wrong done to him. There must be no lying of the third sort; because we are not to consult any man's good to the injury of another. There must be no lying of the fourth sort, that is, for the lust of lying, which of itself is vicious. There must be no lying of the fifth sort, because not even the truth itself is to be uttered with the aim of men-pleasing, how much less a lie, which of itself, as a lie, is a foul thing? There must be no lying of the sixth sort; for it is not right that even the truth of testimony be corrupted for any man's temporal convenience and safety. But unto eternal salvation none is to be led by aid of a lie. For not by the ill manners of them that convert him is he to be converted to good manners: because if it is meet to be done towards him, himself also ought when converted to do it toward others; and so is he converted not to good, but to ill manners, seeing that is held out to be imitated by him when converted, which was done unto him in converting him. Neither in the seventh sort must there be any lying; for it is meet that not any man's commodity or temporal welfare be preferred to the perfecting of faith. Not even if any man is so ill moved by our right deeds as to become worse in his mind, and far more remote from piety, are right deeds therefore to be foregone since what we are chiefly to hold is that whereunto we ought to call and invite them whom as our own selves we love; and with most courageous mind we must 2 Cor. 2, drink in that apostolic sentence: To some we are a savour of life unto life, to others a savour of death unto death; and who is sufficient for these things? Nor in the eighth sort must there be lying: because both among good things chastity of mind is greater than pudicity of body; and among evil things, that which ourselves do, than that which we suffer to be done. In these eight kinds, however, a man sins less when he tells a lie, in proportion as he emerges to the eighth: more, in proportion as he diverges to the first. But whoso shall think there is any sort of lie that is not sin, will deceive himself foully, while he deems himself honest as a deceiver of other men. 16. False reasons of those who say it may be a sin not to lie. 425 DE MEN DACIO. 14. 43. So great blindness, moreover, hath occupied men's minds, that to them it is too little if we pronounce some lies not to be sins; but they must needs pronounce it to be sin in some things if we refuse to lie: and to such a pass have they been brought by defending lying, that even that first kind which is of all the most abominably wicked they pronounce to have been used by the Apostle Paul. For in the Epistle to the Galatians, written as it was, like the rest, for doctrine of religion and piety, they say that he has told a lie, in the passage where he says concerning Peter and Barnabas, When I saw that they walked not uprightly ac- Gal. 2, cording to the truth of the Gospel. For, while they wish to defend Peter from error, and from that pravity of way into which he had fallen; the very way of religion in which is salvation for all men, they by breaking and mincing the authority of the Scriptures do endeavour themselves to overthrow. In which they do not see that it is not only lying, but perjury that they lay to the charge of the Apostle in the very doctrine of piety, that is, in an Epistle in which he preaches the Gospel; seeing that he there saith, before he relates that matter, What I write unto you, behold, before Gal. 1, God, I lie not. But it is time that we set bounds to this disputation in the consideration and treatment whereof altogether there is nothing more meet to be, before all else, borne in mind and made our prayer, than that which the same Apostle saith: God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be 1 Cor. tempted above that ye are able to bear, but will with the temptation make also a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 20. 10, 13. S. AUGUSTINE TO CONSENTIUS: AGAINST LYING. From the Retractations, Book ii. Chap. 60. "Then also I wrote a Book against Lying, the occasion of which work was this. In order to discover the Priscillianist heretics, who think it right to conceal their heresy not only by denial and lies, but even by perjury, it seemed to certain Catholics that they ought to pretend themselves Priscillianists, in order that they might penetrate their lurking places. In prohibition of which thing, I composed this book. It begins: Multa mihi legenda misisti.” i. 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 favourable, 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 i. e. A.D. 420, the work mentioned just before belonging to the early part of that year. Consentius is thought to be the writer of ep. 119, to Augustine, and ep. 120, and 205, are addressed to him. This is the work referred to in the Enchiridion, §. 6. p. 96. Ben. Lying forbidden, even if to detect Heretics. 427 MENDA 7.8. greatly delighted with thy eloquence, and memory of the CONTRA holy Scripture, and cleverness of wit, and the resentment CIUM. 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 Rom. 3, the truth of God shall abound by my lie, are we too to say, Let us do evil that good may come? 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 Ps. 5, 6. hatest, Lord, all that work iniquity; Thou wilt destroy all7. that speak leasing. 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? 2. Perceivest thou not how much this reasoning aideth ii. the very persons whom as great game we make ado to catch by our lies? For, as thyself hast shewn, this is the sentiment of the Priscillianists: to prove which, they apply testimonies Psalm 5, 6. 7. Thou wilt destroy roùs λadouvwas rò fiûdos, L-XX. them that speak a lie, Heb. závras MENDA CIUM. 428 Lying to those without, a Priscillianist notion. CONTRA from the Scriptures exhorting their followers to lie, as though by the examples of Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Angels; not hesitating to add even the Lord Christ Himself; and deeming that they cannot otherwise prove their falsehood truthful, unless they pronounce Truth to be a liar. It must be refuted, this; not imitated: nor ought we to be partners with the Priscillianists in that evil in which they are convicted to be worse than other heretics. For they alone, or at least they in the greatest degree, are found to make a dogma of lying for the purpose of hiding their truth, as they call it and this so great evil therefore to esteem just, because they say that in the heart must be held that which is true, but with the mouth to utter unto aliens a false thing, is no Ps.15,2. sin; and that this is written, Who speaketh the truth in his 25. heart: as though this were enough for righteousness, even though a person do with his mouth speak a lie, when not his neighbour but a stranger is he that heareth it. On this acEph. 4, count they think the Apostle Paul, when he had said, Putting away lying, speak ye truth, to have immediately added, Every man with his neighbour, for we are members one of another. Meaning, that with them who are not our neighbours in society of the truth, nor, so to say, our co-members', it is lawful and right to speak a lie. 1 com mem bres 3. Which sentence dishonoureth the holy Martyrs, nay rather taketh away holy martyrdoms altogether. For they would do more justly and wisely, according to these men, not to confess to their persecutors that they were Christians, and by confessing make them murderers: but rather by telling a lie, and denying what they were, should both themselves keep safe the convenience of the flesh and purpose of the heart, and not allow those to accomplish the wickedness which they had conceived in their mind. For they were not their neighbours in the Christian faith, that with them it should be their duty to speak the truth in their mouth which they spake in their heart; but moreover enemies of Truth itself. For if Jehu (whom it seems they do prudently to single out unto themselves to look unto as an example of lying) falsely gave himself out for a servant of Baal, that he might slay Baal's servants: how much more justly, according to their perversity, might, in time of persecution, the servants |