that lieth, slayeth the soul;''® of what mouth} shall there be interrogation; and the hearing
ON LYING. 471 AAS Ell welt mee im uate ee kept for necessary uses as the time should! spoken; but not always in the mouth of the require; and that the Apostles themselves | body, if any cause of avoiding a greater evil made much provision for the indigence of|require that other than is in the mind be the brethren, not only for the morrow, but| uttered with the voice. And that there is even for the more protracted time of impend-| indeed a mouth of the heart, may be undering dearth, as we read in the Acts of the|stood even from this, that where there is Apostles;* it is sufficiently clear that these! speech, there a mouth is with no absurdity precepts are so to be understood, that we are understood: nor would it be right to say, to do nothing of our work as matter of| '' Who speaketh in his heart,'' unless it were necessity, through love of obtaining temporal right to understand that there is also a mouth things, or fear of want. in the heart. Though in that very place 30. Moreover, it was said to the Apostles| where it is written, ''The mouth that lieth, that they should take nothing with them for) slayeth the soul,'' if the context of the lesson their journey, but should live by the Gospel.?| be considered, it may peradventure be taken And in a certain place too the Lord Himself! for no other than the mouth of the heart. signified why He said this, when He added, | For there is an obscure response there, where
The laborer is worthy of his hire:''* where! it is hidden from men, to whom the mouth of He sufficiently shows that this is permitted, | the heart, unless the mouth of the body sound not ordered; lest haply he who should do) therewith, is not audible. But that mouth, this, namely, that in this work of preaching) the Scripture in that place saith, doth reach the word he should take aught for the uses| to the hearing of the Spirit of the Lord, Who of this life from them to whom he preached, | hath filled the whole earth; at the same time should think he was doing any thing unlawful. | mentioning lips and voice and tongue in that And yet that it may more laudably not be) place; yet all these the sense permitteth not done is sufficiently proved in the Apostle) to be taken, but concerning the heart, because
Paul: who, while he said, *' Let him that is|it saith of the Lord, that what is spoken is taught in the word, communicate unto him/not hidden from Him: now that which is that teacheth in all things,''+ and showed in| spoken with that sound which reacheth to our many places that this is wholesomely done} ears, is not hidden from men either. Thus, by them to whom he preached the word,|namely, is it written: '' The Spirit of wis-
Nevertheless,'' saith he, *'I have not used!dom is loving, and will not acquit an evilthis power.''5 The Lord, therefore, when| speaker of his lips: for of his reins God is He spake those words, gave power, not bound | witness, and of his heart a true searcher, and men by acommand. So in general, what in| of his tongue a hearer. For the Spirit of the words we are not able to understand, in the| Lord hath filled the whole earth, and that actions of the Saints we gather how it is|which containeth all things hath knowledge meet to be taken, which would easily be|of the voice. Therefore he that speaketh drawn to the other side, unless it were re-| unrighteous things cannot be hid: but neither called by an example. shall the judgment when it punisheth pass by
31. Thus then what is written, '' The mouth; him. For in the thoughts of the ungodly that lieth, slayeth the soul;''® of what mouth} shall there be interrogation; and the hearing it speaketh, is the question. For in general] of his words shall come from the Lord, to the when the Scripture speaks of the mouth, it} punishment of his iniquities.2 For the ear signifies the very seat of our conception? in| of jealousy heareth all things, and the tumult the heart, where is approved and decreed|of murmurings will not be hid. Therefore whatever also by the voice, when we speak| keep yourselves from murmuring, which prothe truth, is uttered: so that he lieth with the| fiteth nothing, and from backbiting refrain heart who approveth a lie; yet that man may} your tongue: because an obscure response possibly not lie with the heart, who uttereth| will not go into the void." But the mouth other than is in his mind, in such sort that he) that lieth, slayeth the soul.''** It seems then knows it to be for the sake of avoiding a|to threaten them who think that to be obscure greater evil that he admitteth an evil, disap-| and secret, which they agitate and turn over proving withal both the one and the other, |in their heart. And this, it would show, is And they who assert this, say that thus also! so clear to the ears of God, that it even calls is to be understood that which is written, | it '' tumult."
He that speaketh the truth in his heart:§| 32. Manifestly also in the Gospel we find because always in the heart truth must be OULU E WPGEN SAC EDEN CL LOIN S PETIA
9 A Domino," unto the Lord." E. V. Ie Odscurum responsum in vacuum non bit, ''There is no word so secret that shall go for nought." E. V.
t Acts xi, 28-30, @ Luke ix. 3: x. 4, 7. 3 Matt, x. ro. 4 Gal. vi. 6. 8x Cor, ix. r2. [See R.V.] © Wisd. i. rx. ? Conceptacwldwam, 8 Ps, xv. 2. See ett SSS SSS SSSR rr Wisd. i, 6-11.