The Essential Augustine (continued)
MORAL AND RELIGIOUS LIFE 169 thing when this mistake of ours, which is an evil, leads to some good, such as saving us from an ambush of wicked
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But every lie must be called a sin, because not only 22. when a man knows the truth but even when, as a man may be, he is mistaken and deceived, it is his duty to say what he thinks in his heart, whether it be true or whether he only think it to be true, But every liar says the opposite of what he thinks in his heart, witb purpose to deceive. Now it is evident that speech was given to man, not that men might therewith deceive one another, but that one man might make known his thoughts to another. To use speech, then, for the purpose of deception, and not for its appointed end, is a sin. Nor are we to suppose that there is any lie that is not a sin, because it is sometimes possible, by telling a lie, to do service to another. For it is possible to do this by theft also, as when we steal from a rich man, who never feels the loss, to give to a poor man, who is sensibly benefited by what he gets. And the same can be said of adultery also, when, for instance, some woman appears likely to die of love unless we consent to her wishes, while if she lived she might purify herself by Tepentance; but yet no one will assert that on this account such an adultery is not a sin. And if we justly place so high a value upon chastity, what offense have we taken at truth, that, while no prospect of advantage to another will lead us to violate the former by adultery, we should be ready to violate the latter by lying? It cannot be denied that they have attained a very high standard of goodness who never lie except to save a man from injury; but in the case of men who have reached this standard, it is not the deceit, but their good intention, that is justly praised, and sometimes even rewarded.
LYING AND CONCEALING THE TRUTH*
Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity. God's hae 7. tred has the same signification as the hatred of every sinner for the truth. It would seem as if Truth in its turn detests them, since it will not permit to dwell in its presence those who cannot endure it. Thou will destroy all that speak a lie, for a lie is contrary to truth. No one must
* On Psalm 5, 7; trans. ACW 29, 52-55.
imagine, however, that there exists some substance or nature opposed to truth; you must realize, on the contrary, that a lie partakes of nonbeing, not of being. To speak of what is, is to speak the truth; to speak of what is not, is to tell a lie. Therefore, says the Psalmist, Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie, since in turning their backs upon that which has existence, they turn aside to that which has none.
Many lies are apparently told out of kindness, not malice, the object being someone's safety or advantage; such were the lies told by the midwives in Exodus who gave a false report to Pharaoh in order to save the male infants of Israel from death. [Exod. 1:17] But even here what is praiseworthy is not the action but the motive, since those who merely tell lies such as theirs will deserve in time to be set free from all dissimulation, for in the perfect not even these are to be found. Let your speech be Yea. Yea. No, No, we are told. And that which is over and above these is of evil. [Matt. 5:37] Not without reason does Scripture elsewhere declare: The mouth that belieth killeth the soul, [Wisd. 1:11] in order to teach us that no perfect and spiritual man is free to tell a lie to save this transitory life either for himself or another, since its loss does not kill the soul.
On the other hand, it is one thing to tell a lie, another to conceal the truth; one thing to speak falsehood, another to pass the truth over in silence. If, for instance, we would avoid exposing a man to the risk of visible death, we must be prepared to conceal the truth but not to tell an untruth.
We must neither expose him nor lie, otherwise we shall kill our own soul for the sake of another man's body. If this is at present beyond us, we must at least admit of lies only in strict necessity. We may then deserve to get rid even of white lies, if we do no worse, and receive strength from - Holy Ghost to make light of any suffering for truth's sake.
To sum up: There are two kinds of lies which are no great crime but not exactly free from sin, the lie spoken in jest, and the lie spoken to render some service. The lie spoken in jest does very little harm, since it deceives nobody. The man to whom it is told knows it is only banter. And the second lie is all the less offensive because it means well. As a matter of fact, where no duplicity is intended, no lie can be imputed. A man, to take an example, has been entrusted with a sword and has promised to return it at the owner's request. What if the latter should demand it in a fit of madness? Obviously he must not be handed it there and