A Treatise Against Lying, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Wherein is ſhewed what a Lye is.
NOw in ſpeaking of this vice, I will §. 1. What a lye is, and what things concurre in it.ſhew; 1. What a Lye is. 2. The cauſes of it. 3. The kindes and ſorts of Lying. 4. The meanes to preſerve us from it. And laſtly, the uſes which wee ought to make of all this Doctrine. Saint Augustine briefely defineth Mendacium eſt quippe falſa ſignificatio cum voluntate fallendi. Aug. contr. mendac. ad Conſent. lib. 2. cap. 12. Qua▪ propter ille mentitur qui aliud habet in animo & aliud verbis vel quibuſlibet ſignificationibus enunciat. lib. 1. cap. 3.it thus; A Lye is a falſe ſignification with a will to deceive: And that (ſaith he) is not a falſe ſignification, when as though one thing is ſignified by another, yet that is true which is ſignified, if it bee rightly underſtood. And this hee explaineth in another place, where he ſaith, that he lyeth who hath one thing in his minde, and uttereth another thing in his words, or any other way of ſignification; more plainely (as I take it) wee may thus deſcribe it. A lye is a vicious ſpeech in which the tongue diſagreeth from the minde, which is voluntarily uttered with a purpoſe and deſire to deceive; or thus, a lye is a falſe expreſſion or ſignification of the notions and conceptions of the mind; by ſpeaking, writing, or any other ſignificant actions or geſtures, voluntarily uttered with a purpoſe and deſire to deceive; or when the Truth is ſuppreſſed and betrayed by ſilence, when wee ought to declare and confeſſe it: whereby it appeareth, that theſe three things doe concurre in a lye. Firſt, falſity or untruth uttered by ſpeaking, writing, or any other meanes contrary to that Truth, with which the minde is inlightned. Secondly, that it be voluntary, the will reſiſting the minde, and commanding expreſſions which are contrary to its notions and conceptions. Thirdly, that it bee done with a purpoſe and deſire to deceive. The two firſt doe containe the matter and forme, the third the end at which he aymeth who telleth an untruth.
But for the better and more full clearing of the §. 2. Of the name or thing defined.nature of this vice, wee will firſt ſay ſomething of the name or thing defined, and then of the definition it ſelfe. Our Engliſh name whereby wee expreſſe it is Lye, the Etymology whereof we cannot eaſily gueſſe at. It may ſeeme to bee derived or borrowed from the Belgicke word Lieghen, or the German Lügen, which ſignifie to lye; and they to be derived from the Greeke word foreign which ſignifieth to ſpeake or talke: becauſe (as Scaliger obſerveth) in much ſpeaking or talking is uſually ſome lying. The Latine expreſſeth it by a name which ſignifieth the diſagreement that is in it betweene the tongue and the mind, mentiri, quaſi contra mentem ire, to lye is to goe againſt the minde, or to ſay that which the mind gain-ſayeth, the tongue ſpeaking contrary to that Truth which the minde conceiveth. The Grecians call a lye foreign of foreign which ſignifieth to deceive, becauſe deceit is the maine end of lying. And this ſome derive from foreign of foreign which ſignifieth to flye or avoyde, becauſe lying is ſuch a vice as men naturally abhorring, when it is ſpoken againſt themſelves, do ſhun and fly from it; others derive foreign which Ariſt. eth. lib. 4. cap. 7.ſignifieth to reprehend, diſprayſe or diſgrace, becauſe foreign is foreign, a lye is reprehended and diſprayſed amongſt all, as a thing vaine and wicked. The Hebritians commonly call a lye Aven, the ſame word alſo ſignifying iniquity and ſinne; becauſe in all lyes though they ſeeme never ſo ſpecious and excuſable, there is iniquity and ſinne, becauſe the will and the tongue doe diſagree from the minde, and doe betray it, by forcing it (like a falſe interpreter) to ſpeake that which it doth not conceive and thinke.
And ſo I come from the name to ſpeake of the §. 3. Of the falſity that is in a Lye.nature of the thing deſcribed. In which the firſt thing conſiderable is the falſity and untruth that is in every lye. The which is twofold: Firſt, when that is falſe which is ſpoken. Secondly, when as Men ſpeake the Truth falſely, that is, with a purpoſe to deceive. Now he ſpeaketh falſe who doth not ſpeake as the thing is, whether hee thinketh it true or noe; or whether he purpoſeth to deceive, or not to deceive; and he ſpeaketh falſelye, who doth not ſpeake as hee thinketh, whether that hee ſpeaketh bee true or falſe. The one is a Logicall untruth, when as the ſpeech agreeth not with the thing: the other a Morall lye, or a lye againſt Morality, when as the minde agreeth not with the ſpeech. He that ſpeaketh that which is falſe, but yet thinketh it to bee true, cannot bee ſaid to lye, though he ſpeaketh an untruth; becauſe his ſpeech agreeth with his minde, and as hee thinketh hee ſpeaketh: onelyonly it is his errour, either through the weakeneſſe of his reaſon, and underſtanding, and defect in judgement; or elſe through raſhneſſe, incogitancie and negligence; becauſe he doth not duely conſider and examine what he ſaith, before hee ſpeaketh it. If the former, it is not ſo much a ſinne, as the puniſhment of ſinne; or if a ſinne in the ſtricteſt cenſure, yet but onelyonly as it is a branch of the corruption of nature, or originall ſin. The other muſt bee acknowledged and bewayled as a ſinne of infirmity, if it be done ſeldome and at unawares; though nothing ſo haynous and odious unto God as a lye. But he that ſpeaketh willingly that which he knoweth to be falſe, or doth ſpeake the Truth falſely, that is, either when through errour and miſtake hee thinketh it to bee falſe; or knowing it to be true that he may deceive, or may be better beleeved when he lyeth, he is a lyer and herein reſembleth the Devill; who either lyeth in ſpeaking that which hee knoweth to be falſe; or elſe when hee ſpeaketh Truth, doth it with a purpoſe to deceive, or that hee may gaine the more credit to his lyes. And thus he called our Saviour Chriſt the Holy one of God; and his Apoſtles, Paul Mar. 1. 26. Act. 16. 17.and Silas, the ſervants of the moſt high God, either becauſe he would deceive the people and make them to ſuſpect them the more, becauſe of his teſtimony and approbation, as though they were friends to his kingdome of darkeneſſe, or that he might bee the rather beleeved, when hee ſhould afterwards ſlander and reproach them as ſeducers and falſe teachers. Now which of thoſe two, he that ſpeaketh that which is falſe with a purpoſe to deceive, or he that ſpeaketh the Truth to the ſame end, bee in greater fault, it is not eaſie to determine, becauſe how much the leſſe the one hath of Truth in his ſpeech who ſpeaketh that which is falſe, ſo much the more the other hath of craft and deceit, who can cunningly force Truth even againſt its nature to advance his falſe ends.
Whereby it appeareth that there is great difference §. 4. Of the difference between lying and ſpeaking an untruth.betweene lying, and telling or ſpeaking a lye or untruth; for in a lye the tongue diſagreeth from the minde, and falſely ſpeaketh contrary to that which the minde thinketh, and therefore lyeth though that bee true which is ſpoken, becauſe it is conceived and thought to be otherwiſe: but when a Man ſpeaketh that which is a lye or untruth being perſwaded that it is true, hee lyeth not, becauſe his minde and tongue agree together, and he thinketh what he ſpeaketh, but hee onelyonly erreth and would not willingly deceive, but that himſelfe is firſt deceived; ſo that ſuch an one cannot be ſaid to be a lyer, ſeeing he mindeth, affecteth and loveth Truth, but is onelyonly miſtaken in what hee ſaith through ignorance, raſhneſſe or incogitancie. And of this judgement are the ancients. So Bernard: there is Eſt qui dubiè profert mendacium nec mentitur: & eſt qui veritatem quam neſcit affirmat, & mentitur, &c. Bern. in Cant. Serm. 17(ſaith hee) that telleth a lye doubtingly and lyeth not, and there is that affirmeth the Truth which he knoweth not, and lyeth; for he indeed ſaith not that to be which is not, but yet affirmeth that hee beleeveth that which in Truth he beleeveth, and he ſaith Truth, although that be not true which he beleeveth. But the other when he ſaith that he is Non eſt judicandus mendax qui dicit falſum quod putat verum, quiaquantum in ſe eſt non fallit, ſed fallitur, &c. Anſelm. in 2 Cor. 1.certaine of that whereof he is not certaine, ſpeakeeth not the Truth, although that be true which he affirmeth. So Saint Anſelme: Hee is not to bee judged a lyer, who ſpeaketh falſe thinking it true, becauſe as much as in him lieth hee deceiveth not, but is deceived; and contrariwiſe, hee lyeth who ſpeaketh Truth, thinking it to be falſe. For hee is not free from a lye who ſpeaketh true things with his mouth, not knowing them to be ſo; but knowingly he lyeth in his will. Saint Auguſtine alſo ſpeaketh Quiſquis autem hoc enunciat quod vel creditum animo vel opinatum tenet etiamſi falſum fit, non mentitur, &c. Auguſt. contra mendac. ad Conſentium. cap. 3.much to the ſame purpoſe; whoſoever (ſaith hee) ſpeaketh that which either hee beleeveth or thinketh in his minde, doth not lye although it be falſe. For this hee oweth to the declaring of this faith, that hee uttereth by it that which is in his minde, and ſo conceiveth it as he uttereth it. But hee cannot bee ſaid to be in no fault although hee doth not lye, if hee either beleeveth things not to be beleeved, or thinketh that he knoweth what he knoweth not, although it be true: for hee taketh things unknowne as knowne; wherefore he lyeth, who conceiveth one thing in his minde, and uttereth another thing by his words, or any other ſignifications. From whence hee that lyeth is ſaid to have a double heart, a double cogitation: one is of the thing which hee knoweth or thinketh true, and doth not ſpeake it; another is of the thing which hee ſpeaketh in ſtead of this, knowing or thinking it to bee falſe. Whence it commeth to paſſe that a man may ſpeake that which is falſe, and yet not lye, if he thinketh it to be ſo as he ſpeaketh, although it be not ſo; and that he may ſpeake that which is true and yet lye, if thinking it to be falſe, he ſpeaketh it for a Truth, although indeed it bee ſo as hee ſpeaketh. For a man is to bee eſteemed a lyer or no lyer, according to the meaning of his minde, and not according to the Truth or falſeneſſe of the things themſelves. And therefore he that ſpeaketh that which is falſe for true, thinking it to be ſo, may be ſaid to erre or to be raſh, but he cannot bee truely ſaid to bee a lyer; becauſe when he thus ſpeaketh, hee hath not a double heart, nor deſireth to deceive, but is himſelfe deceived. And in another place ſpeaking to the ſame purpoſe hee ſaith: neither by any meanes is he free from a lye, Enchirid. ad Laurentium. cap. 17.who with his mouth ſpeaketh the Truth not knowing it to be ſo; becauſe knowingly hee lyeth with his will, &c. and he is better who not knowing it, ſpeaketh falſe, becauſe he thinketh it true, than he that willingly hath a minde to lye though hee ſpeake Truth, not knowing it to be true which hee ſpeaketh, &c. The like alſo may be ſaid of promiſes, as P. Martyr affirmeth, when as a man making 1 Sam. 21. 12.them purpoſeth to performe them, but afterwards doth not; either becauſe hee cannot through impotency, which hee foreſaw not when he promiſed; or will not upon ſome preſſing neceſſity and much altering of the caſe from what it was. As when an able man promiſeth to pay a debt at ſuch a day, and in the meane time is diſabled by ſome unexpected loſſe. So when one promiſeth to lend a ſumme of money to one whom he taketh to be an honeſt man and able to repay it at ſuch a time, and in the meane while it appeareth that hee is an unthrift who will conſume it in drinking or gaming; or a diſhoneſt banke-rupt, who will make no conſcience to cheate him of it. Or if a man promiſeth to lend his ſword to one that is ſober and in his right minde, and ſoone after he prove diſtracted and frantique, who is likely therewith to kill himſelfe or ſome other: In theſe and ſuch like caſes a man lyeth not, though hee doth not performe what he promiſed, becauſe his minde and tongue agreed when hee made it, and the change is not from himſelfe, but from him unto whom hee promiſed, becauſe there is error perſonae an errour in the perſon, he not being the ſame man which hee was or ſeemed to bee when the promiſe was made. And thus the Apoſtle Paul is excuſed from a lye, when as hee ſaid that hee would goe into Spaine, Rom. 15. 24, 28. 2 Cor. 1. 15, 17.whither he went not; and promiſed the Corinthians, that at ſuch a time hee would come unto them, but did not performe it. In neither of which he lyed, becauſe when he made theſe promiſes he did not diſſemble, ſpeaking one thing and thinking another, but ſpeaking then what he afterwards purpoſed to performe, God did in the mean while otherwiſe diſpoſe of him; whoſe diſpoſition overruleth all, and is above all humane reſolution.
The ſecond thing conſiderable in the nature of §. 5. That a lye is alwayes voluntary.a lye is, that it is alwayes voluntary, the will reſiſting the minde in a knowne Truth, and injoyning the tongue to ſpeake that which is contrary to it; the heart alſo and affections deſiring and delighting in it, either abſolutely or conditionally in reſpect of circumſtances. So that if the will imbraceth not an untruth as it is untrue, but onelyonly as through errour of the minde and judgement it is preſented and commended unto it; and if the heart affecteth it not, nor delighteth in it as a lye, but onelyonly as it is diſguiſed with ſome ſhaddow or colour of truth, an untruth thus miſtaken cannot be accounted a lye, becauſe the will agreeth with the minde, and the tongue is directed by the will; ſo that though a man ſpeaketh a lye, yet hee is no lyer; becauſe he neither thinketh that hee lyeth, nor would willingly doe it if hee knew it to bee ſo. Intereſt enim inter mentientem & mendacem; nam mentiens eſt qui mentitur invitus, &c. Ad Conſent. lib. 1. c. 11.To this purpoſe Saint Auguſtine: There is a difference (ſaith hee) betweene one that telleth a lye, and one that is a lyer; for one may tell a lye that lyeth unwillingly, but a lyar loveth to lye, and dwelleth with his minde in the delight of lying.
The third thing that concurreth in a lye is, that §. 6. That a lye is uttered with a purpoſe to deceive.it is an untruth, alwayes uttered with a purpoſe and deſire to deceive, and to make the party to whom wee ſpeake thinke that to bee ſo which is not. So that ſuch an untruth as is uttered without any purpoſe to deceive, is not to be eſteemed a lye, becauſe it aymeth not at that end which a lyer alwaies propoundeth. For howſoever ſome appropriate this end to pernicious lies that the lier intendeth it therein onelyonly, yet indeed it belongeth alſo to thoſe lyes that are officious and in jeſt. It is true that there are ſome lyers that have a will and deſire to deceive him unto whom they ſpeake, without his loſſe, yea it may be for his profit and delight; as thoſe that uſe officious and merry lyes; and ſome lye with a will and deſire to hurt and endammage him, as pernicious lyers, but all agree in this that all would deceive, though the one for their good, the other for their hurt; for whoſoever ſpeaketh that which is falſe wittingly and willingly, whether it doth good or hurt, hee alwayes ſpeaketh it to this end, that the Truth may not be underſtood by him that heareth him, and conſequently to deceive him. I ſay it is his next end to deceive (although his remote end at which hee aimeth, bee to delight or profit him) which hee uſeth as a meanes to attaine unto his deſire. As when a Phyſitian telleth his ſicke Patient that the potion which he willeth him to take is ſweete and pleaſant, though intruth it be bitter and loathſome, that ſo hee may perſwade him to drinke it for the recovery of his health, the maine end at which herein hee aimeth is the welfare of the ſicke Man, but the next end is to deceive him, by telling an untruth, which he uſeth as a meanes to further the other end of curing him, which is principally in his intention and deſire.
The laſt thing in the definition to bee conſidered §. 7. Of the divers manner and meanes whereby a lye is expreſſed.of, is the divers manner and meanes whereby a lye is expreſſed and committed; and that is either poſitively and directly, when as the Truth is contradicted and oppoſed, or elſe privatively and indirectly, when as it is ſuppreſſed and betrayed. The former is done by any outward ſignification of the inward notions and thoughts of the minde, eſpecially by our ſpeech and actions. By our ſpeach a lye is expreſſed and committed, when as wee ſpeake otherwiſe than that which wee conceive in our mindes, either affirming that to be which wee thinke is not, or denying that to bee which (as we conceive) is. By our actions, when by our outward ſhowes, geſtures and deeds, wee deceitfully faine, diſſemble and diſguiſe the Truth, that we may deceive our neighbour, by making him to thinke that to bee which is not, or that not to bee which is; and to conceive by our outward ſhewes and carriage that wee intend that which is leaſt in our thought, to this end that wee may deceive and hurt him. Secondly, a lye is committed privatively and indirectly, when as the Truth is ſuppreſſed and betrayed, and that is done when as by ſilence it is concealed at ſuch times, and before ſuch perſons, wherein and before whom, wee are bound in conſcience to reveale and confeſſe it, for the glory of God, and good of our neighbours. For truth and falſhood being contraries without meane, the ſuppreſſing of the one, is the exalting of the other, and we may bee truely ſaid to lye when wee deny the truth, and to deny it when wee conceale it by ſilence at ſuch times as wee are lawfully called to confeſſe it. And therefore our Saviour (as appeareth by his antitheſis and oppoſition) maketh this to be all one, to deny him and not to confeſſe him; Whoſoever ſhall confeſſe mee before men, him will I confeſſe Matth. 10. 32, 33.alſo before my Father which is in Heaven; but whoſoever ſhall deny me before men, him will I deny alſo before my Father which is in Heaven. So that our ſilencing of truth when it ought to be ſpoken and confeſſed, is no better than a denyall, ſeeing by ſuch ſilence it is betrayed, and the contrary errour and truth advanced and maintained. And therefore, fitly doth the Apoſtle Iohn in that Catalogue of Apoc. 21. 8.ſinners, which ſhall have their part in that Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, ranke the fearefull with lyers, becauſe as the one bely the truth, ſo the other through their cowardize and infidelity dare not confeſſe it, which is all one as to betray and deny it.