Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 3 · Excursus 3
¶Of Truth and of a Lye.
NOw reſteth to intreate of the ſecond queſtion, namely.Of Truth. Whether it be lawfull for a good & godly mā to lye. But firſt before I entreat of a lye. I thinke it good ſomwhat to ſpeake of truth, whiche vndoubtedly is an excellent vertue.
Truth (as ſaith Tullius de Inuentione) is, wherby things which are,Tullius. whiche hauehave ben, & which ſhalbe are ſpoken vnaltered. Wherin we firſt note, that it cō ſiſteth in wordes: for (ſaith he) they are ſpokē, not yt I am ignoraūt, yt both dumbe men, & alſo other mē ſpeake ſomtime by ſignes,Auguſtine. but bycauſe (as ſaith Auguſtine in his firſt boke de doctrina Chriſtiana) wordes among other ſignes are ye principall & moſt playne. Farther we are hereby taught, that truth is not only to be conſidered as touching one difference of time, but as concerning thre differēces, for he ſaith, both thoſe thinges which are, and whiche hauehave ben, & which ſhalbe. Theſe things vndoubtedly are then ſpoken truly, when they are ſet forth vnaltered, that is, euen as they are, & by ſpeaking made neither more ample nor leſſe than they are.Auguſtine. This ſelfe ſame thing almoſt hath Auguſtine ſayd in his booke de vera Religione chap: 36. where he writeth, that the truth is, whereby ye whiche is, is ſignified.Truth is a vertue. And it is a vertue bycauſe by it men are made prone & redy to ſpeake that which is true. The generall worde of it is equalitie,The generall of vertue is equalitie. wherunto is ioyned in ſteade of difference, this voyce, namely, of wordes, to the thinges which are ſignified. And as it is well knowen of all men, all vertues leuel vntounto the middeſt, & flye frō extremities.Two faultes in ſpeaches. Wherfore in kinde of ſpeches thou ſhalt find two faultes namely if thou ſhalt ſpeake more than the thing is, or els leſſe than the thing is. Neyther is vertue content with the middeſt only: for we muſt adde alſo circumſtances, which vſe continually to followe it. Wherfore the truth is not alway to be ſpokē to eueryevery man, neither at all times, nor yet of eueryevery thing, & yet we muſt not lye: but it is wiſedome ſometimes to kepe cloſe thoſe thinges which we wil not for iuſt occaſiō hauehave knowen. He which ſhould vaunt abrode eueryevery where & vntounto all mē the gifts of God geuen him, he ſhould be counted fooliſh & vnwiſe: as cōtrary, he which ſhould boaſt of a crime,What truth requireth. wherinto by humane weakneſſe he hath fallen, ſhould rightly, and worthely be reproued. Truth therfore requireth this, that thoſe things which we hauehave within vsus as touching our ſenſe or wil, be ſignified of vsus as it is, prudētly & rarely. Farther the vertue, wherof we ſpeake, hath chiefly ſimplicitie ioyned vntounto it, & it is very much contrary vntounto doubleneſſe. Beſides this it is a part of iuſtice. For it rēdreth vntounto things their wordes and to a neighbour the truth which of duty longeth vntounto him, without whiche truth humane fellowſhip can not conſiſte. For if a mā ſhould cōtinually ſuſpect him ſelfe to be deceaued by any man, he would neuer beleue him in any thyng.Ariſtotle. Whē an Irony is lawfull. Wherby amongeſt men al trades and ſocieties periſhe. Ariſtotle in his Ethikes affirmeth that truth declineth ſometimes to defection: eſpecially when any man ſpeaketh of himſelfe. For ye wiſedome requireth, that a mā boaſt not of himſelfe. Wherfore Paul in his ſecond Epiſtle to the Corinthians the 12: chap. writeth: If I will boaſt of my ſelfe, I ſhall not be vnwiſe: but I will not, any man ſhoulde thynke of me, more than he ſeeth in me, or that he heareth of me. By theſe wordes, he reproueth thoſe as fooliſhe and vnwiſe whiche do boaſt & glory euen of thoſe good things which they hauehave. And he ſaith that he wil abſtaine from it.He which ſpeaketh leſſe of hī ſelfe than it is, lyeth not. Neither (ſayth he) do I require, yt any mā ſhould thinke more of me, thā he either ſeeth in me or heareth of me. Neither is he which ſpeaketh leſſe of him ſelfe than it is, ſtraightway to be accuſed as a lyer. For yt whiche is more cōprehēdeth and containeth in it ſelfe yt which is leſſe. For whoſoeuer hath fifty, he may ſay truly yt he hath twenty, althoughe he ſpeaketh not all that he hath. Howbeit the ſame man,We may not lye for humilicyes ſake. if he ſhould affirme that he had but onelyonly .xx. or els ſhould deny that he had any thing, without doubt he ſhould lye: which is not to be committed, either for modeſty ſake, or els (as they ſay) bycauſe of humilitie.
And as for teſtimonies of the holy ſcriptures which do ſtirre vsus vp to ſpeake ye truth, I could vndoubtedly bring a great many: but a few ſhal ſuffice. It is written in ye x. cōmaundements: Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witneſſe, which cōmaū dement is not only to be obſerued in iudgement, but in all things whiche in our talke we teſtifie to be either true or falſe. Farther, God is ſet before vsus of vsus to be followed, whom the ſcriptures eueryevery where pronounce to be true. Wherfore we alſo ought to be moſt feruent louers of the truth. And for that cauſe in Exodus the 18. chap: Iethro counſelled Moiſes, yt he ſhuld make rulers ouer ye people, ſuch men as feared god, ſtrong men, louers of the truth, & which hated couetouſneſſe. Dauid ſaith alſo: Behold thou haſt loued truth, & therfore thou haſt made me to vnderſtand wiſedome in the inward & ſecret partes of my minde. Theſe wordes ſufficiently declare, yt we are for ye cauſe taught of god both by inwarde inſpiraciō, & alſo by outward doctrine: bycauſe he is a louer of the truth, neither doth he eaſely ſuffre, yt his children ſhould either erre, or be deceaued by lyes. In Zacharie the viii. chap. it is writtē: Speake ye the truth eueryevery man to his neyghbour, which ſelfe ſame ſentence Paul vſeth to the Epheſians & he cōmaundeth the ſame vntounto the Colloſ. But to ye Corinth. the latter Epiſtle he ſaith of himſelfe & of the other Apoſtles, yt they cā hauehave nothing againſt ye truth. Yea & the Scribes & Phariſeys beyng ioyned with the Herodians, after this ſorte flattered Chriſt, whom they went about to entrappe in his ſpeache. Maſter, we knowe yt thou accepteſt no perſons, yea thou teacheſt ye way of god in truth. Hereby they declared yt it is a ſingular vertue for a noble & notable mā, to preferre the truth before all things. But let theſe teſtimonies of the holy ſcriptures be ſufficiēt at this time. Now reſteth to intreat of a lye.Of a lye. Auguſtine. Auguſtine (who wrot of it to Coſētius) affirmeth a lye to be a falſe ſignificatiō of a word. And vndoubtedly all thoſe things which before are declared of truth, we may by the contrarity affirme of this vice. And chiefly it is cōtrary to yt that Marcus Tullius affirmed of truth, namely that to be truth, wherby things which are, which hauehave ben, & which ſhalbe, are ſpokē vnaltered. And a lye is yt, wherby is ye ſignified which is not: for Auguſtine cōtrarywiſe ſpake of ye truth. This vice is ſo hurtful, yt it maketh a mā which is infected with it,In equally is the generall worde of a lye. to reioyce & to be glad in falſe thinges. The generall word of truth was equalitie, & of the vice ye generall worde ſhalbe inequalitie. And as ye vertue was very nye ioyned wt ſimplicity: ſo belōgeth a lye to doublenes. Truth is a part of iuſtice. But a lye is a part of vniuſtice. By truth humane fellowſhip is kept, but by a lye it is hurte & ouerthrowen.Auguſtine. But to returne to Auguſtine who writeth, yt he is ſayd to lye, which wt a wil to deceaue ſpeaketh yt which is falſe, & that to lye is nothing els, than to ſpeake againſt the minde: for liers ſpeake otherwiſe than they hauehave in their heart. But the deſire to deceaue, is vtterly againſt iuſtice, louelove & amitie,Three thinges ioyned with a lye. which we mutually owe one vntounto an other. There are thre things therfore in a lye: firſt to ſpeake that which is falſe: ſecondly his will in ſpeaking: and thirdly a deſire to deceaue. The firſt parte longeth to the matter of a lye: the other two partes pertayne vntounto the forme.
A diuiſion of a lye.A lye is deuided into a Seruiceable lye, a Sportfull lye, & a Pernitious lye. And this deuiſion commeth of no other thyng but of the effectes, or of the endes. For this is euermore true, that the endes them ſelues, may hauehave the nature both of the cauſe and of the effecte. For lyes do either profyte, or delyte, or elles hurte. The ende of a pernitious lye, is to hurte. The ende of a Sportefull lye is to delyte: and the ende of a Seruiſeable lye is to profyte. But Ariſtotle, bycauſe in vertue he chiefly conſidereth the meane,Ariſtotle. therefore if in ſpeakyng thou excede that meane, he calleth that boaſting: but if thou want of the meane, he nameth it Irony. And in that euyl this is chiefly hurtful, bicauſe an euyl or falſe opinion is ingendred in the minde of our neighbour.A lye is both euyll and alſo to be auoyded. For the which cauſe the ſame Ariſtotle ſemeth to hauehave ſayd wel, that a lye is both euyll, and alſo it is to be auoyded. Which thing we may alſo proue by teſtimonies of the holy Scriptures. For to this belong al thoſe thinges which we before brought to ſtyrre vsus vp to ſpeake the truth. And very many places are here and there ſet forth, which deteſt lyes. Dauid ſaith: Thou wilt deſtroy al thoſe which ſpeake lyes.In a lye is an abuſe of ſignes. Ther are reaſons alſo which perſuade vsus the ſame: whereof one is, in a lye is an abuſe of ſignes. And for as muche as it is not lawful to abuſe the giftes of God, a lye is vnderſtand alſo to be prohibited. Farther (as it is before ſaid) a lye is contrarye vntounto humane fellowſhip, for in lying the conceauinges of the minde ar not cō municated vntounto our brethren, but lyes. Wherfore ſeing man is by nature made vntounto fellowſhip, and communication, when he ſpeaketh falſe thinges, he fyghteth with his own nature. And as Auguſtine ſaith: Faith is therin hurt,Auguſtine. for hee which heareth, beleueth thoſe thinges which are ſpoken. Wherfore that fayth, which he geueth vntounto other mens woordes, is made fruſtrate. And ſo great a thing cannot be hurt without blame. And laſtly eueryevery man by lying, leeſeth hys own credite: for being taken in a lye, he ſhal euer after be ſuſpected. Wherefore though he would, he ſhall not bee able by admonition or correction to helpe hys neighbour. For the which cauſe the fault which is in a lye, pertaineth not onelyonly to the hurt and loſſe of our neighbour, but it is in it by the general woord, as by that which we hauehave already ſaid manifeſtly appeareth. But among lies,What kinde of lye is moſt grieuous. that lye ſemeth to be moſt grieuous, which is cōmitted in religion, doctrine, and godlynes, bicauſe in no other thing can guile be more hurtful & pernicious. For there if we ſhal erre, we are thruſt from the eternal felicity.Auguſtine. Wherefore Auguſtine in his Encheridion the .18. chap. hath very wel wrytten that they in dede doo ſynne grieuouſly, which deceaue trauelyng men, ſhewing them a contrary waye: but they are much more deteſtable, which as touching godlynes by lying, doo bryng men into errours.
If the three kinde of lyes ſhould be compared together, I meane a pernitious lye, a ſportefull lye, and a ſeruiceable lye: A pernitious lye,Two euyls in a pernitious lie ſhould rightfullye be counted more deteſtable, bicauſe in it are two euyls. One is the abuſe of ſignes: the other is, the hurt of our neighbour. And that both of the minde which deceiueth (which thing is common vntounto all lyes) and alſo of the thing whych is loſt. But as for other lyes, although they are not without fault, yet is that not a litle diminiſhed by the good added vntounto it, either of delectacion, or of helpe. And in dede a ſportefull lye, hath in it but a ſmal and ſclender nature of a lye:A ſporteful lye. for as much as the falſehood is ſtraightway founde out, neither can it be long hydden from the hearers.Auguſtine. Yea Auguſtine wryteth that ſuche lyes are not to be counted for lyes. But as touching a ſeruiceable lye, the iudgement of it is more darke & hard. For ſome deny it to be ſynne: for they ſay it hath a conſideration to thys,Whyther a ſeruiceable lye bee ſynne. to helpe our neighbour, whom we ought in woordes and dedes to relieue as much as we can. Wherfore they thinke, that therby commeth no abuſe of ſignes, for as much as al our thinges ought to hauehave a reſpect to the commodity of our brethren. Neither do they thinke that in it is ſinne committed againſt humane ſocietie, when as by this kinde of lye men are made ſafe, and kept harmleſſe. Farther, they ſay, that where as it is in the holy ſcriptures written, that God wyll deſtroy al thoſe which ſpeake lyes: the ſame is not to be vnderſtand of eueryevery kind of lye, but onelyonly of a pernicious lye. Which thing Auguſtine alſo in hys Encheridion the .18. chap. ſeemeth to graunt.Plato. They bryng alſo the opinion of Plato in his booke de Repub, who although he feared away the people from lyes, yet he gaue Magiſtrates libertye to lye, eſpeciallye in making of lawes. But in my iudgement, the thing is farre otherwyſe, neither wyl I eaſily graunt that a ſeruiceable lye wanteth the abuſe of ſignes.Ariſtotle. For Ariſtotle in his booke foreign, defining woordes, ſaith that they are notes of thoſe affections which we hauehave in our minde. Wherby it followeth, that al they abuſe wordes, which ſignify thinges to be otherwiſe, than they thinke in their minde. Farther, that reaſon which they bring of louelove, is a very weake reaſon. For we ought to help our neighbours: but yet by iuſt and honeſt meanes, otherwiſe let vsus permit thefts, to be beſtowed in almes geuing. But the ſentence of the Apoſtle muſt abyde firme and ſtable, which is, that euil thinges muſt not be done, that therby good thinges may come to paſſe. Neither do I thinke that true, that by thoſe kinde of lyes humane fellowſhip is not hurt, for as much as take awaye fayth, and there remaineth almoſt no trafficke among men.
But as touching that ſentence of the holy ſcriptures, wherin it is ſaid: Thou ſhalt deſtroy al them that ſpeake lyes. We graunt with Auguſtine, that that ſentence is not vniuerſally ſpoken, for as long as the power and coniunction of faith abideth with Chriſt, ſo long thoſe ſinnes ar not imputed, which otherwiſe of their own nature ſhould be our deſtruction. And this alſo wil I eaſily graunt of ſeruiceable and ſportful lyes, bicauſe they are not ſo much againſt charity, as are pernicious lyes. But this can no man deny, that in making a lye, we doo againſt faith. And we muſt vtterly graunt, that he which lyeth, looſeth thereby his own credite, ſo that afterward he cannot profitably admoniſhe, reprooue, or with fruite geue counſel, as he ought to do. For they which heare him, will eaſily beleue that he ſeruiceably lyeth, to cal them againe into the way, & not that the thing is ſo in very dede.A contentiō betwene Ierome & Auguſtine. This vndoubtedlye was the cauſe that Auguſtine was againſt Ierome, who in a maner attributed a ſeruiceable lye vntounto the holy ſcriptures. If this (ſaith he) ſhould be ſo, the authority of the holy ſcriptures wold ſoone decay. For the Readers of them would eaſily ſay, that the thing is not ſo, but that it is ſo written,An error of Plato. to keepe men in doing their duty. Nether ought the authority of Plato much to moue vsus, for as much as in that place he very much erred, graunting that in thinges pertayning vntounto God, they might fayne fables, which might ſerue to bring foorth and keepe a good opinion of them. Wythout doubt we may not mocke in matters touching God. Farther, the law of God is equal, and the ſelfe ſame, as it wyl not hauehave the people to lye: ſo alſo it prohibiteth the ſame vntounto the Magiſtrates.
Who are to bee excuſed of a lie.Howbeit they cannot iuſtly be accuſed of a lye, which in their talke, ar farre from doublenes. For ſomtimes it cōmeth to paſſe that ſome ſpeake that whych is falſe, and yet they thought the ſame to be true. With which men they alſo ar excuſed, which hauehave geuen their promiſe to do a thing, which afterward they are not able to performe. Bicauſe at the beginning when they promiſed it, they wer fully mynded to doo that which they had promiſed: and therefore they hauehave not lyed. If ſo be that afterward they doo not accompliſh thoſe thinges whiche they hauehave ſaid, the ſame happeneth by ſome other meanes. And ſometimes it happeneth, that he which deliuereth his ſword to ſome man to kepe, falleth afterward mad: wherfore he ought not to reſtore the ſwoorde vntounto him, which hath left it with him: bicauſe a new caſe (as the Lawyers ſay) requireth a new helpe. After which ſelfe ſame ſort Paule is excuſed, who ſayd that he would go into Spaine, when as for al that he went not thither. Paule alſo promiſed the Corrinthians to come vntounto them, which he perfourmed not: but yet he lyed not: bicauſe when he ſpake thoſe wordes, he was determined ſo to do, but God had otherwiſe appointed the thing, as Gelaſius hath wel wrytten, as it is found in the .22. queſtion the 2. chap. Beatus. Vndoubtedly the diſpoſition of God diſſolueth and breaketh all bondes, as it is written in the .19. queſtion, the .2. chap. duae ſunt.
Hiperbole per…ne… not al…yes ….But what ſhal we ſay to Hiperbolical places which are in the holye Scriptures, which at the firſt ſight ſeeme lyes? I anſwer, although there the ſentēces in ſignifieng, hold not the meane, as touching quantitye, yet as touching the ſubſtaunce it keepeth it. For thoſe Hiperbolis or exceſſiue ſpeches amplifye a thing, for their nature is not onelyonly to ſet forth the thing, but alſo to bryng men into admiration of them, which thing by that maner of ſpeche is moſt aptly attriued vntounto. Neither hauehave lyes there any place, foraſmuch as they breede not in the myndes of the hearers and readers any froward or falſe ſence. A meane therfore is there to be kept, not vndoubtedly of the thing, but of the ſubſtance. The Euangeliſtes alſo are not to be accuſed of a lye, when as they ſetting foorth the actes of Chriſt, do not al vſe the ſelfe ſame woordes. For vntounto the truth it is ſufficient that a thing be ſet forth as it was: but it is not required that it be expreſſed by the ſelfe ſame woordes. Yea it is often times done through the goodnes of the holye ghoſt, that the forme of the narration ſhoulde varye. For by that meanes thoſe thinges which are not ſufficientlye expreſſed in the one, are more amply declared by an other.
But they vſe to obiect the Midwiues of the Hebrues,Of the mydwyfes of ye Hebrewes and of Rahab. Auguſtine. which although they lyed, yet God rewarded them: The ſame alſo happened to Rahab the Harlot, or a table keeper. Auguſtine anſwereth, that in the Midwiues the lye pleaſed not the Lord, but the faith and feare which they had towards God, and the mercy which they ſhewed vntounto the Iſraelites. And the ſame doth the holy hiſtory by expreſſe wordes teſtify. And no otherwyſe muſt we thinke of Rahab. Gregory.But Gregories opinion I neuer like, who ſaith, that for the lye which they made, their eternall reward was turned into a temporal reward, bicauſe for the celeſtial bleſſednes it is ſaid that God builded them houſes. But I iudge, that by reaſon of the true faith, which was ſtrong in them, ſo that it brought foorth louelove and the feare of God, which are iuſt and lawful fruites thereof, although of infirmity they lyed, yet were not they therefore bereued of eternal felicity.
Abraham alſo is obiected, who ſaid yt Sara was hys ſyſter.Auguſtine. Whether Abraham made a lye of Sara. But therin (as Auguſtine teacheth) he lyed not: he told that which was true, but yet he ſpake not al the truth. And that is of no man required, to vtter all that is true, which he knoweth. He did not tel that ſhe was his wife: yet bicauſe ſhe was his kinſwomā, he might according to the maner of the Hebrues truly ſay that ſhe was hys ſyſter. But he ſeemeth not to be vtterly excuſed: for although he lied not in calling her ſiſter, yet it ſeemeth that therein he fel, bicauſe in not opening that ſhe was hys wife, he put her in daunger of leeſing her chaſtity. For he left her naked of that ayde, whereby onelyonly ſhe might hauehave bene defended from comming into ſtraunge loues. Neither is it neceſſary that I ſhould labour vtterly to defende Abraham: Auguſtine.For he was a man, and by ouer much feare he might eaſily fall. Howbeit Auguſtine mencioneth, that Abraham was then in daunger two maner of waies: one was leaſt he ſhould be kylled himſelfe, the other was the adulterye of his wyfe. The firſt daunger he might auoyde by calling her ſiſter: but the other, namelye, leaſt ſhe ſhould be defiled, he was not able to repell, for althoughe he had ſayde that he was her huſband, that woulde not hauehave ſerued to hauehave deliuered her frō the filthy luſtes of the Egiptians. Wherefore hee committed vntounto God that, which he himſelfe could not turne from hym. And in that which hee had in hys own power he woulde not tempt God. This ſeemeth to be Auguſtines iudgement. But what I iudge, I hauehave before declared.
But did not the ſame Abraham lye, when he ſaid vntounto his ſeruauntes: Tary here, and we wyl returne vntounto you: when as for al that he was mynded to ſacrifice hys ſonne: which if he had done, he ſhoulde not then hauehave returned together with his ſonne, but alone? Iacob alſo by expreſſe woordes lyed, when he ſaid vntounto his father: I am Eſau thy ſonne. Paule likewiſe (as it is written in the Actes) ſayth that he knew not that he was the chiefe prieſt, which commaunded him to be ſtricken: when as yet (as Auguſtine teſtifieth in his Sermon de puero Centurionis, and as it is wrytten in the .23. Queſtion the .1. chap. Paratus) he knew him well ynoughe. Paule (ſayth he) was brought vp among the Iewes, he had learned the law at the feete of Gamaliel, wherfore he knew very wel the chief prieſt from other men. Iehu alſo manifeſtly lyed, when he ſaid that he would worſhip Baal. Auguſtine. Two kindes of men.Auguſtine writeth that there are two kindes of men mencioned in the holye ſcriptures. For hereby it is manifeſt that ſome wer by God made ſo perfect, that although they were not without ſynne, yet we may not raſhly iudge euyl of them, but rather ſee how we may defend thoſe thinges, which in their works hauehave a ſhew of ſynne. They oftentimes were ſo moued by the holye ghoſt, that God by their wordes and actes would make open certaine ſecretes. Wherefore we muſt beleue that oftentimes they both ſpake and alſo dyd certaine thinges by prophecy. So Abraham, when he ſaide: we wyl returne vntounto you, propheſied vnwares, that which ſhould be. For with Iſaac in ſafetye he returned from the mountaine. And Iacob in ſaying: I am Eſau thy ſonne, woulde declare nothyng els, but that hee was the man, to whom the degree, bleſſing and dignitye was due, which thinges ſemed to pertaine vntounto Eſau that was firſt borne. Paule alſo prophecied what ſhould at the length become of the high Prieſt, namelye thys, that he ſhould be deſtroied like a wall that is plucked downe and as a thyng altogether fained and hipocritical. Farther (ſaith Auguſtine) there wer other men not ſo perfect, but wicked, which in the olde Teſtament are mencioned either to hauehave lyed, or els to hauehave done ſomthing which ſemeth ſynne. Of thoſe men hee thinketh, we may not ſo labour for to defend a good fame and opinion of them. Of this ſorte of men was Iehu: for although that murther pleaſed God, whiche he executed vponupon Achab and his familye, and alſo his weeding out of Baal, and the worſhippers therof, yet for al that he was a wycked king, neyther departed he from the woorſhipping of golden Calues. Wherefore it is lawfull for vsus to graunt, that in lying he ſynned.
A diſtinctiō to be noted.And (as I thinke, and before admoniſhed) by this onelyonly diſtinction, we maye eaſily diſſolue this doubt. Namely, that thoſe men were ſtyrred vp to lye, either by the ſpirite of man, or by the motion of God. When they dyd it as men, wee will not denye but that they ſynned: but when they ſpake ſo by the inſpiration God, we will maruaile at their ſayinges and doinges, but let vsus not take example by them, or follow them.