A Treatise Against Lying, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Divers questions and Caſes concerning officious Lyes, propounded and reſolved.
NOw theſe things being well weighed, §. 1. That it is not lawfull to lye for good ends or that wee … doe good.will ſerve as a thread to guide us out of the moſt intricate labyrinth of the moſt difficult caſes that are uſually propounded, and inable us to anſwere the hardeſt queſtions and objections. Firſt, it may be demanded whether it may not bee lawfull to tell a lye, when therein wee propound unto our ſelves ſome ſpeciall good end; as either the obtaining of ſome great benefit, or the avoyding of ſome great and imminent danger of falling into ſome evill of ſinne or puniſhment. Concerning the former, I anſwere, that there can accrew unto us no ſuch benefit by lying, as is ſufficient to counterpoiſe the loſſe, to wit, of our ſoules by ſinning, if God in mercy ſhould not give us repentance. Secondly, that is not to bee eſteemed a benefit which is procured by unjuſtice; for even the Heathen man could teach us, that Nihil utile quod non honeſtum. Cic. offic.there is nothing profitable which is not honeſt, as no lye is, ſeeing truth is oppoſed by it. And the doctrine of Chriſtian religion informeth us in this truth, that it is not ſufficient for the making of an action good and lawfull that our end bee good, unleſſe alſo the meanes be ſo, by uſing whereof wee attaine unto this end. Thirdly, if this were granted that wee might doe a leſſe evill for the advancing of a greater good; then as Saint Auguſtine Contra mendacium ad Conſentium. lib. 2. cap. 8.ſaith all good Lawes and manners ſhould be quite overthrowne, and a wide doore opened to all wickedneſſe. For then it might be lawfull for a theefe to rob a rich covetous man, that hordeth up his wealth and doth no good with it; if he propound this end to his theft, that hee will beſtow the greateſt part of what he hath ſtollen for the reliefe of the poore, or for a man to beare falſe witneſſe before a Judge, if it tend to the clearing of the innocent and condemning of the nocent party; or to burne a Will or Teſtament when the Teſtator hath made choice of a bad Heire, and to ſubſtitute a falſe Will in the place thereof, that the inheritance or goods may not come to the hands of ſuch as will do noe good, but may by this meanes fall unto them who will feede the hungry, cloath the naked, lodge ſtrangers, redeeme captives, and build Churches, Why ſhould not all theſe evills bee done for theſe ends that be ſo good, if for theſe good things they ceaſe to be evill? Yea (ſaith he) if this were allowed Cur non fiant illa mala propter haec bona, ſi propter haec bona nec illa ſunt mala? Aug. Contr. menda…d Conſentium. lib. 2. cap. 7.that we might doe evill to good ends, what fact ſo flagitious, what offence ſo hainous and diſhoneſt, what ſacriledge ſo impious, which might not bee ſaid to be done rightly and juſtly, not onelyonly without feare of puniſhment, but boldly and gloriouſly in hope of reward?
Concerning the latter, it may bee queſtioned §. 2. Whether it be lawfull to lye to prevent a greater ſinne in others.whether it bee lawfull to lye which is a leſſe evill, to avoide a greater evill either of ſinne or puniſhment? Concerning ſinne we may conſider it either in another or in our ſelves. In another it may bee demanded whether we may not commit this ſmall ſinne of an officious lye, to pull one or many of our neighbours out of a great ſinne, in which if they live and dye, there were no hope for them to eſcape damnation. As when wee ſee men to live in ſome damnable hereſie, the which they keepe ſo ſecret that there is no meanes to diſcover them to the Magiſtrate that they may be examined, confuted and reformed, unleſſe ſome orthodoxe Chriſtian by telling a lye, whereby he faineth himſelfe to be of the ſame opinions, doe dive into their ſecrets, and come acquainted with the moſt of them that are of this hereticall ſociety, that ſo afterwards he may lay them open unto thoſe that are beſt able to reclaime them. And this was the caſe of Conſentius, dealing with thoſe cunning heretiques called the Priſcillianiſtes, which occaſioned Saint Auguſtine to write thoſe two books of this argument, wherein hee commendeth Conſentius his love of truth, zeale, learning and elocution, but withall confuteth his opinion and practice. For to ſay nothing of that ill companion which accompanieth this kinde of lying, which is treachery joyned with deceit, a vice odious in the eyes of all that are vertuous and ingenuous, and to conſider of the lye uſed to the former good end, what charity will teach a man to fall into one ſinne, that hee may pull his neighbour out of another, or to offend God our ſelves that wee may keepe others from offending him, or to endanger our owne ſoules that wee may deliver theirs out of danger? For true charity beginneth at home, and teacheth us to love our neighbour as, and not better than our ſelves; and to love them in the ſame quality and trueth of affection, and not in the ſame quantity and proportion. Yea if we ſhould take this courſe to reclaime Heretikes, wee ſhould love our ſelves leſſe than them; becauſe in ſome reſpects we commit a greater ſinne than they, ſeeing they maintaine their errours out of ignorance, but we lye againſt knowledge and conſcience, as hee alſo ſpeaketh. And Lib. …. cap. 8.therefore if we can by no other meanes pull impious Heretikes out of their ſecret dennes, unleſſe our Orthodoxe and Catholike tongues doe ſtray out of the path of truth, it is more tolerable that they ſhould ſtill lie hid, than that truth ſhould bee impeached; better that theſe Foxes ſhould lurke in their holes, than that thoſe who hunt them that Tolerabilius in ſuis foveis deliteſcerent vulpes, quampropter illas capiendas in blaſphemiae foveam caderent vena…ores. Aug. Contra mendacium. lib. 2. cap. 7.they may take them, ſhould fall into the pit of lyes and blaſphemy, as the ſame Author affirmeth. To ſay nothing that the ſinne in uſing this lying policy is certaine, but the good iſſue and event aimed at uncertaine, ſeeing that being in Gods hand hee might juſtly croſſe and curſe this unlawfull means, ſo that they ſhall not conduce to their converſion, but rather to their further confirming and hardning in their hereſie and impiety.
But though it be unlawfull by lying to prevent §. 3. Whether it be lawfull to lye, that wee may greater ſinnes in our ſelves; a… name… ▪ rape and raviſhment.ſinne in others; yet perhaps it may be lawfull, yea commendable to uſe it, when wee may thereby prevent greater ſinnes not onelyonly in others, but alſo in our ſelves. As ſuppoſe that a vertuous Matrone or chaſte Virgine ſhould be aſſaulted by an adulterer with violence to defile or deflowre them, and they might eſcape the rape, by putting him off with a lye, is it not lawfull to doe it in ſuch a caſe to prevent ſo great a miſchiefe? I anſwere, that though a ſtony heart could not chuſe but relent and be much affected to heare of ſuch a villany, and though the tentation be ſo ſtrong that it is ſcarſely to be expected, humane ſtrength ſhould be able to reſiſt it, yet in clearing of the truth wee muſt not conſider what we would, but what we ſhould doe being ſo aſſaulted and brought into ſuch ſtraites. Indeede if it were a ſinne to bee meere patients in the ſinne of others, the queſtion were eaſily anſwered; but it is not ſo, for the greateſt ſinne in others is not the leaſt ſinne in us, if wee onelyonly bee the ſubjects of their ſinne, through unreſiſtable violence, and doe not give the leaſt conſent unto it. For here it is all one as in the caſe of perſecution, oppreſſion, murther or robbery, all which though they be hainous ſinnes in the agents, yet none at all in the patients, when they have no will to conſent or allow the commiſſion of ſuch ſinnes, nor power to prevent or ſhun them. Yea in ſuch caſes that is lawfully ſuffered, which cannot but unlawfully be avoided; and no act is to bee judged ſinfull if the will bee wholly averſe unto it. For it is the very forme that giveth unto ſinne its life and being, to be in ſome kinde or degree voluntary, and though the will give not its conſent in all ſinnes, yet it hath ſome kinde of operation in or about it, as in ſinnes of ignorance, though wee doe not conſent unto ſinne as knowing it to bee ſo, yet wee conſent to that action which is ſinfull, the will being miſled through the errour of our judgement. And ſo in concupiſcence which goeth before conſent, there is that which we call ineſcation, or the bayting of the hooke of ſinne with ſome pleaſure, profit or other allurement, which is Sathans tentation, and not imputed unto us as ſinne if we wholly reſiſt it; and there is that which we call titillation or the retaining and revolving of the tentation with ſome delight, and (as it were) the itching of the deſire and the watring of the teeth after it, if wee might injoy it upon no hard conditions. But when they are ſo propounded, as that wee cannot injoy the pleaſure or profit of ſin, unleſſe we diſpleaſe God, and indanger our owne ſoules, then the will rejects the tentation, and will by no meanes give its conſent. Notwithſtanding, that retaining of the tentation with ſome tickling delight, is a ſinne of concupiſcence, and this very parlying with the Divell is a tranſgreſſion of Gods Law, though wee doe not yeeld up unto him the Fort of our hearts, nor give our conſent that ſin ſhall enter. Of which ſinne the will is guilty, which though it did not conſent to the Act, yet it gave way to the Divels diſpute, and that with ſome tickling delight wee ſhould liſten to his tentation alluring us to ſinne. But if as in this caſe of a violent rape the will bee wholly averſe unto it, and the heart abhor it, even as the terrours of death; though the agent and raviſher committeth an horrible ſinne, yet the patient or party forced and raviſhed is wholly cleare of it. For the body onelyonly is violated, but the ſoule not vitiated, and though that bee defiled, yet it is not corrupted, or at leaſt with ſuch a corruption that is not ſinful; as S. Augustine ſpeaketh. For there is onelyonly the matter of ſin which giveth it no being in a ſubject forced by outward violence; but not the forme, which giveth onelyonly being and denomination, ſeeing the will is wholly averſe unto it. So that if this bee granted which cannot bee denied, that it is a ſinne to lye, but no ſin to be forced and raviſhed, then the caſe is eaſily cleared, namely that it is not lawfull by the evill of ſinne, to ſhun ſuch an evill as is not ſinfull; actively to defile the ſoule that the body may not paſſively be defiled; or only in hope that wee may ſhun the outrage of the adulterous raviſher, to caſt our ſelves certainely into the ſnares of the Divell by lying and ſinning, and ſo to be defiled by ſpirituall filthineſſe; and to be deflowred and deprived inwardly in our ſoules of their purity and chaſtity. And of this judgement is Saint Auguſtine who ſpeaketh excellently Nulla eſt pudicitia corporis, niſi …itate ani… deat, & … mend. lib. 1. c. 7.to our preſent purpoſe. There is (ſaith hee) no chaſtity of the body which doth not depend upon the integrity of the minde, which being pulled from the other, it muſt needs fall, although it may ſeeme untainted and untouched, and for this cauſe is not to bee numbred amongſt temporall things, ſeeing they may be taken from thoſe that are unwilling to leave them. And therefore by no means the minde muſt corrupt it ſelfe with a lye for its body, which it knoweth to remaine incorrupt, if the incorruption doth not depart from the ſoule. For what the body ſuffreth through violence, there being no precedent luſt, it is rather to bee reputed vexation than corruption. Or if every ſuch vexation bee corruption, yet every corruption is not then diſhoneſt, but onelyonly that which luſt hath procured, or unto which luſt hath conſented. And by how much the ſoule is better than the body▪ it is by ſo much the more wickedly corrupted: chaſtity then may there bee preſerved, whereas there can be no corruption, but that which is voluntary; neither can it bee violated in our ſelves by the luſt of another. Wherefore becauſe no man doubteth that the ſoule is better than the body, therefore the integrity of the minde ought to bee preferred before the integrity of the body, ſeeing it perpetually may bee preſerved. But who can ſay that the minde of a lyar is ſincere and upright, &c? And ſo hee concludeth that no man can convince any that it is ſometimes lawfull to lye, unleſſe hee can prove that an eternall good may by lying be obtained.
And ſo much concerning the evill of ſinne. The §. 4. Whether it be lawfull to lye to prevent the evill of puniſhment, and namely, 1. the death of others.ſecond queſtion reſpecteth the evill of puniſhment, whether we may avoide it lawfully by telling a ly, when we ſee no other meanes whereby wee may bee preſerved from it. And becauſe it were endleſſe to ſtand upon all the particulars, I will inſiſt onelyonly in one, which will cleare the queſtion in all the reſt, as being the greateſt and laſt of all the reſt, namely Death, which is the king of terrours, and therefore to be avoyded by all lawfull Job 18. 14.meanes above all other temporary evills. And this we will conſider either as it reſpecteth our neighbours or our ſelves. Concerning the former, we will conſider the caſe in two inſtances propounded by Saint Augustine, and not much vary from him in our anſwere and reſolution. Suppoſe that a Father and his deere and onelyonly Son were at the ſame time dangerouſly ſicke in ſeverall places or rooms, and that the Son (in whoſe life the life of the Father is bound up, as it is ſaid of Iacobs in Benjamins) ſhould dye the Father continuing in great weakeneſſe, yet in ſome hope of recovery. If the Father in this caſe ſhould inquire (ſuſpecting the worſt) whether his Sonne be dead or alive, what anſwere ſhould be given him? If it be ſaid that he is alive, it is a lye, but yet ſuch an one as comforteth and ſtrengtheneth the Fathers heart, and may prove a good meanes of his recovery; but if it bee told him that he is dead, (or which is all one in effect, if the hearers refuſe to give any anſwere, becauſe he will ſurely preſume upon their ſilence that hee is departed, ſeeing otherwiſe they would not withhold newes which would cheare him) the griefe hereof will preſently ſtrike him to the heart, and bee a certaine cauſe of his death and ruine. But I anſwer with him, that though the caſe be lamentable, and much commiſeration to bee had of the ſicke Father, yet it is not lawfull to ſave his life by telling a lye. For this is but a meanes of our owne for his recovery, and wee know not whether God will bleſſe it or no, yea we may well ſuſpect, that if we diſtruſt in his All-ſufficiency, who hath in his hand the iſſues of life and death, and is able to bring to the grave, and to returne backe againe, and truſt more to our lye and meanes unlawfull, it will prove rather a hindrance than a furtherance to our deſires. Whereas on the other ſide we are certaine that lying is a ſinne, and that all ſinne will ſlay our ſoules, if the wound be not recured by repentance, which wee cannot promiſe unto our ſelves, ſeeing it is not in our owne power, but the gift of God which hee giveth when and to whom he pleaſeth. Finally, if it bee lawfull by ſinning to prevent the death of another, the death of their body which is temporall, with the death of our ſoule which is eternall; why might it not bee lawfull alſo much more, if an adultereſſe ſhould ſo deſperately love us, that if ſhe might not have her luſt ſatisfied, ſhee would hang or drowne her ſelfe, to prevent her death by yeelding to her deſire, ſeeing by one act of uncleanneſſe wee ſhould prevent her murther, and by prolonging her life procure time for her repentance, that ſhee may bee ſaved; whereas by the other courſe ſhee not repenting plungeth her ſelfe into Hell. The other inſtance is this; If an Auguſt. Contra mendacium ad Conſentium lib. 1. cap. 13.innocent religious man ſhould be purſued by murtherous ruffians, or bloody perſecutors, with a full intention to deprive him of his life, for the preventing whereof hee is forced to flye from them, or to hide himſelfe in ſome ſecret place, with which his flight or place of hiding we onelyonly are acquainted: The queſtion is if the purſuers aske us which way he is gone, or if hee be hidden with us or no, whether we may not by an officious ly preſerve his life, directing them to take a wrong way in their purſuit, that ſo he may eſcape, or telling them that he is gone from us and not in our houſe; ſeeing if we ſpeake the truth, we ſhall thereby expoſe him to certaine danger of death, and if we refuſe to anſwer, we ſhall not onelyonly be indangered to taſte of their rage, but alſo doe no good to the party, whom we have received and hidden, ſeeing upon our ſilence they will certainly preſume, that hee is hidden with us, or elſe we would make no ſcruple to deny it. To which I anſwere with Saint Augustine, that wee muſt not lye, and ſo by ſinning offend Gods infinite Majeſty, and indanger the eternall ſalvation of our ſoules, in hope to preſerve the momentary life of anothers body. What then? muſt wee tell the truth and ſo betray his life into their hands that ſeeke it? No by no meanes, for this is much worſe than the other. Muſt we then ſay nothing, when as ſilence is no leſſe dangerous then ſpeaking the truth? Nor this neither, ſeeing this as little conduceth to our end of preſerving our neighbours life, as if wee confeſſed the truth. What then muſt bee done? ſurely (as Saint Augustine alſo reſolveth it) we are in ſuch a caſe called by God to put on Chriſtian courage and reſolution, and to endure any extremities, rather than we will either betray the truth or the innocent man, who hath intruſted his life to our ſecrecy. And therefore wee ought boldly to profeſſe, that wee know what is become of the party whom they purſue, but will not by telling them expoſe him to the danger of their cruelty, becauſe we will neither betray him, nor offend God by telling a lye. And of this Saint Augustine bringeth an example of a Biſhop, called Firmus, whom he commendeth to have beene more firme in his will and reſolution, than in his name: who when he had with all diligence hid a perſecuted Chriſtian from the rage of an heathen Emperor, and being by his Purſevants which hee had ſent to apprehend him, demanded where they might finde him, couragiouſly anſwered them, that he could neither lye, nor betray the man; for which though they put him to many tortures, yet hee remained conſtant in his reſolution. Who afterwards being brought to the Emperor, ſeemed unto him ſo admirable in his faith and conſtancy, that without any difficulty hee obtayned pardon for him whom he had hidden.
The other part of the queſtion concerneth our § 6. Whether we may lawfully lye to ſave our owne lives.ſelves, namely whether wee ought for the preſervation of our owne lives tell a lye, when as all other meanes are wanting, and this onelyonly promiſeth ſecurity. Unto which a ſhort anſwere may ſuffice, if we conſider what hath beene already ſaid in the former caſes; for it is a ſin to lye, but no ſinne to dye; and our life is not ſo much worth, that wee ſhould ſpinne out the thread thereof to a further length with wicked hands, nor buy it at ſo deare a rate as the price of ſin, which is an offence againſt Gods infinite Majeſty, and therefore of infinite guilt; from the condemnation whereof wee could not be redeemed at any lower price, than the precious death and blood ſhed of the Eternall Sonne of God. Againe, by voluntary ſinning we expoſe our ſoules to death everlaſting, and at the moſt by not ſinning and lying we indanger but our bodies to a temporall death, which either ſooner may bee brought by ſome unexpected ſickneſſe, or by nature it ſelfe a little later; ſo that in effect long life is but the addition, and untimely death but the ſubſtraction of a few dayes or yeeres. And therefore as much as the ſoule is to be preferred before the body, and life Eternall before this life of mortality, with ſo much more care and circumſpection, wee muſt ſhun lying more than dying, ſeeing by that the loſſe of our chiefeſt jewell is indangered, and by this wee have no great loſſe. Excellently Saint Augustine to this purpoſe: who (ſaith hee) Quis obſervat vanitatem? qui timendo mori mentitur; timendo enim morimentitur & moritur antequam moriatur, qui idcò mentiebatur ut vivcret, &c. In Pſal. 30.obſerveth vanity? Hee that lyeth fearing to dye. For fearing to dye hee lyeth, and ſo dyeth before he ſhould dye, who therefore lyeth that he might live. Thou wilt lye leſt thou ſhouldeſt dye, and ſo lyeſt and dyeſt. And when thou ſhunneſt one death which thou canſt onelyonly put off, but not eſcape, thou falleſt into two, firſt dying in thy ſoule, and afterwards in body, &c.
Finally, it is ſo farre of from being lawfull to lye §. 7. That wee may not lawfully lye to advance Gods glory.officiouſly in the behalfe of men, that it is unlawfull to doe it for the advancement of Gods glory; for though he requireth that we ſhould propound it as the maine end of all our actions, according to that of the Apoſtle: Whether you eate, drinke, or 1 Cor. 10. 31.whatſoever you doe, doe all to the glory of God: yet hee will not have us onelyonly to ſeeke his Glory in reſpect of the end, but alſo in regard of all lawfull meanes which conduce to the furthering of this end; and being the God of Truth, hee eſteemeth himſelfe more diſhonoured than glorified by our lye, though our chiefe end and aime therein be to advance his Glory. For as one ſaith well: It is no leſſe evill Pet. Mart. in 2 Sam. 9. 8.to ſpeake falſe things to Gods prayſe, than not to beleeve of him thoſe that are true. And therefore Iob reprooveth his friendes for thoſe untruthes, which they ſpoke againſt him; though their maine end was to Juſtifie God, and to Glorifie him in his Juſtice. Will you (ſaith hee) ſpeake wickedly Job. 13. 7. 8, 10.for God, and talke deceitfully for Him? Will yee accept his Perſon? Will yee contend for God? Hee will ſurely reprove you, if yee doe ſecretly accept perſons. So Saint Paul, though for the glory of Chriſt, and 1 Cor. 15. 15.God his Father, he had teſtified that he had raiſed him up from the dead, yet hee acknowledgeth that hee ſhould deſervedly bee eſteemed no better than a falſe witneſſe of God, if Chriſt indeede were not yet riſen. So that we muſt not lye though our end bee that God thereby may have Glory, ſeeing hee needeth not our lye, being able to glorifie himſelfe by us, when wee uſe lawfull meanes to lawfull endes. In which reſpect I have▪ much miſliked thoſe fained miracles recorded in ſome Eccleſiaſticall Stories, wrought upon ſleight occaſions, and to as little end, purpoſely (as it ſeemeth) deviſed by the Authors to glorifie Chriſt, and propagate the Goſpell; and much more the lying miracles and minte of untruthes invented and ſtamped by the Pope and his Emiſſaries in their Legends, to worke as they pretend an higher eſteeme of the Chriſtian Truth in the hearts of the people, though they grace them with the title of Piae fraudes, Pious deceits: ſeeing they 1 Theſ. 2. 9.not onelyonly uſe lying meanes, but alſo aime at wicked ends; not to confirme and grace the truth, but to ſeduce the people, and leade them into errors.