right doing, or to confess them by repenting: which we have in this volume so copiously
500 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
But let him who thinks this, choose out whereby he may help his fellow man being in peril, to what safety he will, what kinds soever of lies; provided yet even of such men we obtain our demand, that upon no cause must we be carried on to false-swearing and to blaspheming. These wickednesses at least let us judge either greater than deeds of lewdness, or certainly not smaller. For indeed it is worth thinking of, that very often men, where they suspect them of adultery, challenge their wives to an oath: which surely they would not do, unless they believed that even they who were not afraid to perpetrate adultery, might be afraid of perjury. Because in fact also some lewd women who were not afraid by unlawful embraces to deceive théir husbands, have been afraid to call God deceitfully to witness unto those same husbands whom they had deceived. What cause then can there be, that a chaste and religious person should be unwilling by adultery to help a man to baptism, yet be willing to help him by perjury, which even adulterers are wont to dread? And then, if it be shocking to do this by perjuring one's self, how much rather by blaspheming? Far be it then from a Christian to deny and blaspheme Christ, that he may make another man a Christian; and by losing himself seek to find one, whom, if he teach him such things, he may cause to be lost when found. 'The book then which is calied '' the Pound,"' thou must in this method refute and destroy; namely, that head of it in which they dogmatize that for the purpose of concealing religion a lie may be told, this thou shalt understand must be the first to be amputated; in such manner, that their testtmonies by which they labor to advance the Holy Books as patrons of their lies, thou must demonstrate partly not to be lies, partly, even those which are such, to be not meet to be imitated: and if infirmity usurps to herself thus much, that somewhat shall be venially permitted unto her which truth approve not, yet that thou unshakenly hold and defend, that in divine religion it is at no time whatever right to tell a lie. And, as for concealed heretics, that, as we are not to find out concealed adulterers by committing of adulteries, nor murderers by committing of murders, nor practisers of black arts® by practising of black arts, so neither must we seek to find out liars by telling lies or blasphemers by blaspheming: according to the reasonings which we have in this volume so copiously set forth, that unto the goal of the same, which we fixed to be in this place, we have with difficulty come at last.
why doth chastity not bid this, but because this truth teacheth not? If then, save what truth teacheth, we ought not to do, when truth teacheth not even for the sake of baptizing a man to do what is contrary to chastity, how shall she teach us to do for the sake of baptizing a man what is contrary to herself, the truth? But like as eyes not strong enough to look upon the sun yet do gladly look upon the objects which are by the sun enlightened, so, souls which have already strength to delight in the beauty of chastity are yet not straightway able to consider in her very self that truth whence chastity hath her light, insomuch that when it cometh to the doing of somewhat that is adverse to truth, they should so start back in horror as they do start back in horror if aught be proposed to be done that is adverse to chastity. But that son, who, receiving the word shall be far from perdition, and nothing false cometh forth of his mouth,' accounts it as much debarred from him if, to the succoring of his fellow man he be urged to pass through a lie, as if it were through the deed of lewdness. And the Father heareth and granteth his prayer that he may avail without a lie to succor whom the Father Himself, Whose judgments are unsearchable, willeth to be succored. Such a son therefore so keeps watch against a lie, as he doth against sin. For indeed sometimes the name of lie is put for the name of sin: whence is that saying, ''All men are liars.''3 For it is so said, as if it were said, ''All men are sinners."' And that: '' But if the truth of God hath abounded through my lie.''3 And therefore, when he lies as a man he sins asa man, and will be held by that sentence in which it is said, "'All men are liars;'? and, ""If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.''+ But when nothing false cometh forth of his mouth, according to that grace will it so be, of which is said: ** He that is born of God, sinneth not.''S For were this nativity by itself alone in us, no man would sin: and when it shall be alone, no man will sin. But now, we as yet drag on that which we were born corruptible: although, according to that which we are new-born, if we walk aright, from day to day we are renewed inwardly.® But when this corruptidle shall have put on incorruption, life will swallow it up wholly, and not a sting of death will remain.? Now this sting of death is sin. 41. Either then we are to eschew lies by right doing, or to confess them by repenting: but not, while they unhappily abound in our!
living, to make them more by teaching also.
t Prov, xxix. 27. Lat. 2Ps. cxvi. rt. [See R. V.] 3 Rom. iii. 7. 41 Johni. 8, 5 x John iii. 9. 6 2 Cor. iv. 16. 7 x Cor. xy. 53-56. [See R.V.]
8 Maleficos.
ST. AUGUSTIN:
Ou)
Phe WORK OF MONKS
[DE OPERE MONACHORUM. ]
TRANSLATED BY
REV. H. BROWNE, M.A,,
OF CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE; LATE PRINCIPAL OF THE DIOCESAN
COLLEGE, CHICHESTER.