Chapter 11

Even a writer like Professor Bowne, who is not quite sure as to the right in all phases of the lying question, sees this point in its psychological aspects to better advantage than those ethical writers who would look at the duty of truthfulness as mainly a social virtue: "Even in cases where we regard truth as in our own power," he says, "there are considerations of expediency which are by no means to be disregarded. There is first the psychological fact that inexactness of statement, exaggeration, unreality in speech, are sure to react upon the mental habit of the person himself, and upon the estimate in which his statements are held by others. In dealing with children, also, however convenient a romancing statement might momentarily be, it is unquestionable that exact truthfulness is the only way which does not lead to mischief. Even in dealing with animals, it pays in the long run to be truthful. The horse that is caught once by false pretenses will not be long in finding out the trick. The physician also who dissembles, quickly comes to lose the confidence of his patient, and has thereafter no way of getting himself believed."[1]

[Footnote 1: Bowne's _Principles of Ethics_, p. 224.]

The main question is not whether it is fair toward an animal for a man to lie to him, but whether it is fair toward a man's self, or toward God the maker of animals and of men, for a man to lie to an animal. A lie has no place, even theoretically, in the universe, unless it be in some sphere where God has no cognizance and man has no individuality.

* * * * *

It were useless to follow farther the ever-varying changes of the never-varying reasonings for the justification of the unjustifiable "lie of necessity" in the course of the passing centuries. It is evident that the specious arguments put forth by young Chrysostom, in defense of his inexcusable lie of love fifteen centuries ago, have neither been added to nor improved on by any subsequent apologist of lying and deception. The action of Chrysostom is declared by his biographers to be "utterly at variance with the principles of truth and honor," one which "every sound Christian conscience must condemn;" yet those modern ethical writers who find force and reasonableness in his now venerable though often-refuted fallacies, are sure that the moral sense of the race is with Chrysostom.

Every man who recognizes the binding force of intuitions of a primal law of truthfulness, and who gives weight to _à priori_ arguments for the unchanging opposition of truth and falsehood, either admits, in his discussion of this question, that a lie is never justifiable, or he is obviously illogical and inconsistent in his processes of reasoning, and in his conclusions. Even those who deny any _à priori_ argument for the superiority of truthfulness over falsehood, and whose philosophy rests on the experimental evidence of the good or evil of a given course, are generally inclined to condemn any departure from strict truthfulness as in its tendencies detrimental to the interests of society, aside from any question of its sinfulness. The only men who are thoroughly consistent in their arguments in favor of occasional lying, are those who start with the false premise that there is no higher law of ethics than that of such a love for one's neighbor as will make one ready to do whatever seems likely to advantage him in the present life.

Centuries of discussion have only brought out with added clearness the essential fact that a lie is eternally opposed to the truth; and that he who would be a worthy child of the Father of truth must refuse to employ, under any circumstances, modes of speech and action which belong exclusively to the "father of lies."

VII.

THE GIST OF THE MATTER.

It would seem that the one all-dividing line in the universe, which never changes or varies, is the line between the true and the false, between the truth and a lie. All other lines of distinction, such even as those which separate good from evil, light from darkness, purity from impurity, love from hate, are in a sense relative and variable lines, taking their decisive measure from this one primal and eternal dividing line.

This is the one line which goes back of our very conception of a personal God, or which is inherent in that conception. We cannot conceive of God as God, unless we conceive of him as the true God, and the God of truth. If there be any falsity in him, he is not the true God. Truth is of God's very nature. To admit in our thought that a lie is of God, is to admit that falsity is in him, or, in other words, that he is a false god.

A lie is the opposite of truth, and a being who will lie stands opposed to God, who by his very nature cannot lie. Hence he who lies takes a stand, by that very act, in opposition to God. Therefore if it be necessary at any time to lie, it is necessary to desert God and be in hostility to him so long as the necessity for lying continues.

If there be such a thing as a sin _per se_, a lie is that thing; as a lie is, in its very nature, in hostility to the being of God. Whatever, therefore, be the temptation to lie, it is a temptation to sin by lying. Whatever be the seeming gain to result from a lie, it is the seeming gain from a sin. Whatever be the apparent cost or loss from refusing to lie, it is the apparent cost or loss from refusing to sin.

Man, formed in the moral image of God, is so far a representative of God. If a man lies, he misrepresents and dishonors God, and must incur God's disapproval because of his course. This fact is recognized in the universal habit of appealing to God in witness of the truthfulness of a statement, when there is room for doubt as to its correctness. The feeling is general that a man who believes in God will not lie unto God under the solemnity of an oath. If, however, it were possible for God to approve a lie on the part of one of his children, then that child of God might confidently make solemn oath to the truth of his lie, appealing to God to bear witness to the lie--which in God's mind is, in this case, better than the truth. In God's sight an oath is no more sacred than a yea, yea; and every child of God speaks always as in the sight of God. Perjury is no more of an immorality than ordinary lying; nor is ordinary lying any less a sin than formal perjury.

The sin of lying consists primarily and chiefly in its inconsistency with the nature of God and with the nature of God's image in man. It is not mainly as a sin against one's neighbor, but it is as a sin against God and one's self, that a lie is ever and always a sin. If it were possible to lie without harming or offending one's neighbor, or even if it were possible to benefit one's fellow-man by a lie, no man could ever tell a lie, under any circumstances or for any purpose whatsoever, without doing harm to his own nature, and offending against God's very being. If a lie comes out of a man on any inducement or provocation, or for any purpose of good, that man is the worse for it. The lie is evil, and its coming out of the man is harmful to him. "The things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man,"[1] said our Lord; and the experience of mankind bears witness to the correctness of this asseveration.

[Footnote 1: Mark 7:15.]

Yet, although the main sin and guilt and curse of a lie are ever on him who utters that lie, whatever be his motive in so doing, the evil consequences of lying are immeasurable in the community as a community; and whoever is guilty of a new lie adds to the burden of evil that weighs down society, and that tends to its disintegration and ruin. The bond of society is confidence. A lie is inconsistent with confidence; and the knowledge that a lie is, under certain circumstances, deemed proper by a man, throws doubt on all that that man says or does under any circumstances. No matter why or where the one opening for an allowable lie be made in the reservoir of public confidence, if it be made at all, the final emptying of that reservoir is merely a question of time.

To-day, as in all the days, the chief need of men, for themselves and for their fellows, is a likeness to God in the impossibility of lying; and the chief longing of the community is for such confidence of men in one another as will give them assurance that they will not lie one to another. There was never yet a lie uttered which did not bring more of harm than of good; nor will there ever be a harmless lie, while God is Truth, and Satan is the father of lies.

TOPICAL INDEX.

Abbé Sicard: cited Abbott, Benjamin V.; cited Abohab, Isaac: quotation from Abraham: his deceiving Achilles, truthfulness of Act and speech, lying in Advantages of lying, supposed Africans, truthfulness among Ahab's false prophets Ahriman, father of lies American Indians, habits of Ananias and Sapphira Anderson, Rasmus B.: cited Animals, deception of Aquinas, Thomas: cited Arabs, influence of civilization on Aristotle: cited Army prison life, incidents in Augustine: cited Aurelius, Marcus: cited

Bailey: cited Barrow, Sir John: cited Base-ball, concealment in Basil, friend of Chrysostom Basil the Great: cited Baumgarten-Crusius: cited Benjamin, Judah P.: cited Bergk, Theodor: cited Bethlehem, Samuel at Bheels, estimate of truth by Bible: principles, not rules, in first record of lie in story of man's "fall" in standard of right forbids lying Bible teachings on lying Bingham, Joseph: cited Bispham, George T.: cited Bock, Carl: cited Bowne, B.P., quotation from Boyle, F.: cited Brahmans, estimate of truth by Briggs and Salmond: cited Broom, Dr. Herbert: cited Brougham, Lord: cited Budge, E.A.: cited Bunsen, C.K.J,; cited Burton, Richard: cited, 30.

Caecinna Paetus: cited Calvin, John: cited Carlyle, Thomas: cited Cartwright, William C.: cited Chastity, lying to save Children's right to truth Choosing between duties Christ, example of Christian ethics, basis of Christian Fathers, discussion by Christians, early, discussion by Chrysostom: cited Cicero: cited Clergymen, position of Clive, Lord: cited Coleridge, S.T.: cited Concealment, justifiable Concealment, unjustifiable Confidence essential to society Contract, overpressing theory of Conway, Moncure D.: cited Court, oath in Courvoisier, trial of Crime, lying to prevent Cyprian: cited

Dabney, Dr. R.L.: cited Darius, inscription of David: his deceiving "Deans, Jeanie," story of Deception: antagonistic to nature of God among Phoenicians by Hebrew midwives by Rahab by Jacob Samuel charged with Micah charged with by Abraham by Isaac by David by Ananias and Sapphira in speech and in act concealment not necessarily purposed and resultant of lower animals in medical profession of insane in flag of truce teaching of Talmudists as to Peter and Paul charged with teaching of Jesuits of the intoxicated Elisha charged with Joshua charged with in legal profession in ministerial profession, Definitions of lie Denham: cited De Wette: cited Dick, Dr., quotation from Dorner, Dr. Isaac A.: cited Drona, story of Yudhishthira and Duns Scotus: cited Duty: of truthfulness; of disclosure, conditional; choosing of more important; of right concealment; to God not to be counted out. Dyaks; their truthfulness

Earl, G.W.: cited Early Christians, temptations of East Africans, estimate of truth by Egyptian idea of deity synonymous with truth Elisha and Syrians Enemy, duty of truthfulness to Esau, deceit practiced on Eunomius: cited Evil as a means of good Exigency, lie of (see _Lie of Necessity_)

False impressions, limit of responsibility for Falsehood: estimate of, in India; in Ceylon; in Persia; in Egypt; "Punic faith," synonym of; in medical profession; its use as means of good; spoken in love; in legal profession. Family troubles, concealment of Fichte: cited Firmus, Bishop: cited Flag of truce, sending of Flatt: cited Forsyth, Capt. J.: cited Fowler, Professor: cited Frankness, brutal Fridthjof and Ingeborg, story of Fürstenthal, R.J.: cited

German ideal of truth Glasfurd: cited God: killing, but not lying, a possibility with; cannot lie; his concealments from man; is truth; called to witness lie; Greeks, ancient: their estimate of truth Gregory of Nyssa: cited "Hall of two truths" Hamburger, Dr. I.: cited Hannibal: cited Harischandra, story of Harkness, Capt. Henry: cited Harless: cited Hartenstein: cited Heber, Bishop: cited Hebrew midwives Hebrew spies Hegel: cited Heralds' law Herbart: cited Hennas, Shepherd of: cited Herodotus: cited Hill Tribes of India: their estimate of truth Hindoo; estimate of truth; passion-play. Hodge, Dr. Charles; cited "Home of Song" "Home of the Lie" Hottentot, estimate of truth Hugo, Victor: cited Hunter, W.W.: cited

Ilai, Rabbi: cited Iliad, estimate of truth in Indians, American, influence of civilization on Ingeborg and Fridthjof of, story of Innocent III.: cited Insane: lying to their right to truth Inscription of Darius Intoxicated, the: their right to truth Isaac: his deceiving Isaac, Jacob, and Esau Ishmael, Rabbi: cited

Jackson, Prof. A.V.W.: cited Jacob: his deceiving his lie to Isaac Jacobi, F.H.: cited Javanese: their truthfulness Jehoshaphat and Ahab Jehuda, Rabbi: cited Jerome: cited Jesuits, teaching of Jewish Talmudists, discussions of Johnson's Cyclopaedia: cited Judith and Holofernes Justin Martyr: cited Juvenal: cited

Kant, Immanuel: cited Keating, W.H.: cited Kent, Chancellor: cited Khonds of Central India, truthfulness among Killing an enemy or lying to him Kirkbride, Dr. Thomas S., testimony of Kolben, P.: cited Krause: cited Kurtz, Prof. J.H.: cited

Lamberton, Prof. W.A.: cited Lecky, W.E.H.: cited Legal profession, ethics of Legends, Scandinavian Liar: an enemy of righteousness form of prayer for Liars, place of Libby Prison, incident of Lichtenberger, F.: cited Life, losing of truth to save Life insurance, truthfulness in Lightfoot, Bishop: cited Liguori: cited Livingstone, David: cited Logic swayed by feeling Loyola, Ignatius: cited Luther, Martin: cited

MA, symbol of Truth Macaulay, Lord, on Lord Clive's treachery Macpherson, Lieutenant: cited Mahabharata on lying Mahaffy, Prof. J.P.: cited Mandingoes: their estimate of truth Marcus Aurelius, quotation from Marheineke: cited Marriage, duty of truthfulness in connection with Marshman, Joshua: cited Martensen, Hans Lassen: cited Martineau, Dr. James, quotations from Martyrdom price of truth-telling Mead, Professor: cited Medical profession, no justifiable falsehood in Melanchthon: cited _Menorath Hammaor_, reference to Merrill, J.H.: cited Meyer, Dr. H.A.W.: cited Meyrick, Rev. F.: cited Micaiah, story of Midwives, Hebrew, lies of Mithra, god of truth Moore, William: cited Moral sense of man against lying Morgan: cited Müller, Julius: cited Müller, Prof. Max: cited Murderer, concealment from would-be Nathan, Rabbi: cited Neander: cited Nitzsch: cited

Oath of witness in court Omichund, deceit practiced on One all-dividing line Origen: cited Ormuzd, Zoroastrian god of truth

Paley, Dr.: definition of lie Palgrave, W.G.: cited Paradise, two pictures of Park, Mungo: cited Pascal: cited Passion-play, Hindoo Patagonians: their view of lying Patient, deception of, by physician Paul and Peter: suggestion of their deceiving Perjury justifiable, if lying be Persian ideals Peter and Paul: suggestion of their deceiving Phillips, Charles, misrepresented Philoctetes, tragedy of Phoenicians: their untruthfulness Physician, lying by Pindar: cited Place of liars Plato: cited Pliny the younger: cited Pope Innocent III.: cited Prayer, form of, for liar Principles, not rules, Bible standard Priscillianists, sect of Prophets, lying Plan, lord of truth "Punic faith," synonym of falsehood Pylades and Orestes

Quaker and salesman "Quaker guns," concealment by means of

Ra, symbol of light Raba: cited Raffles, Sir T.S.: cited Rahab the harlot, lying of Rawlinson, Prof. George: cited Reinhard: cited Responsibility, limit of Robber: concealment from lying to Roberts, Joseph, quotation from Rock of Behistun, inscription on Roman Catholic writers, views of Roman matron, story of: cited by Pliny Roman standard of truthfulness Rothe, Richard: cited

St. John, Sir Spencer: cited Samuel at Bethlehem Sapphira: her deceiving Satan, "father of lies" Sayce, Prof. A.H.: cited Scandinavian legends Schaff, Dr. Philip: cited Schaff-Hertzog: cited Schleiermacher: cited Schoolcraft, H.R.: cited Schwartz: cited Scott Sir Walter: cited Self-deception in others, limit of responsibility for Semple, J.W.: cited Sharswood, Chief-Justice: cited Shepherd of Hermas, quotation from Sherwill: cited Shorn, Dr. J.: cited Sick: their right to truth Simplice, Sister, story of Sin _per se_, lying Smith and Cheetham: cited Smith and Wace: cited Smyth, Dr. Newman: cited Sonthals, truthfulness among South, Dr. Robert: cited Sowrahs, truthfulness among Speech and act, lying in Spencer, Herbert: cited Spies, Hebrew, Rahab and Spy denied soldier's death Stephen, Leslie: cited Story, Justice: cited Surgeon's responsibility for his action testimony as to deceiving patient Symonds J.A.: cited Syrians, Elisha and

Talmud, teachings of Talmudists, discussion among Taylor, Jeremy; cited Teaching of Jesuits Temptations influencing decision Tertullian: cited Theognis: cited Thornwell, Dr. James H.: cited Tipperahs: their habit of lying Todas, truthfulness among Tragedy of Philoctetes Truce, flag of, use of Truth: universal duty of telling God is not every one entitled to full dearer than life justifiable concealment of unjustifiable concealment of Truth, estimate of: among Hindoos among Scandinavians in ancient Persia in ancient Egypt among Romans among ancient Greeks among ancient Germans among Hill Tribes of India among Arabs among American Indians among Patagonians among Africans among Dyaks among Veddahs among Javanese

Ueberweg, F.: cited Ulysses, reference to Urim and Thummim

Veddahs of Ceylon: their truthfulness Veracity: duty of of Greeks of Persians of primitive and civilized peoples compared of Hill Tribes of India of Arabs of American Indians of Africans of Dyaks of Veddahs of Javanese Viswamitra and Indra, story of Von Ammon: cited Von Hirscher: cited

Walker, Helen, example of War: justifiable concealment in duty of veracity in Westcott, Bishop: cited Wheeler, J. Talboys; cited Whewell, Dr. William: cited "White lie" Wig, concealment by Wilkinson, Sir J.G.: cited Witness, oath of, in court Woolsey, President: cited Wuttke, Dr. Adolf: cited

Yudhishthira and Drona, mythical story of

Zoroastrian designation of heaven and hell

_SCRIPTURAL INDEX_.

GENESIS. 1: 28 2 and 3 3: 6, 7 9: 1-3 12: 10-19 12: 14-20 16: 1-6 25: 27-34 26: 6-10 27: 1-40 27: 6-29 28: 1-22 39: 8-21

EXODUS. 1: 15-19 1: 15-21 1: 19, 20 1: 20, 21

LEVITICUS. 8: 8 18: 5 19: 2, 12, 13, 34-37 19: 11

NUMBERS. 23: 19

DEUTERONOMY. 29: 29

JOSHUA. 2: 1-21 8: 1-26 24: 3

1 SAMUEL. 7: 15-17 9: 22-24 11: 14, 15 13: 14 15: 29 16: 1, 2 16: 1-3 20: 29 21: 1, 2

2 SAMUEL. 11: 1-27

1 KINGS. 22: 1-23

2 KINGS. 6: 14-20 7: 6 20: 12-19

2 CHRONICLES. 18: 1-34 20: 7

PSALMS. 31: 5 58: 3 62: 4 63: 11 101: 7 116: 11 120: 2 146: 6

PROVERBS. 6: 16, 17 14: 5 19: 5, 9, 22

ISAIAH. 41: 8 51: 2

MATTHEW. 3: 9

MARK. 6: 48 7: 15

LUKE. 24: 28

JOHN. 7: 8 8: 44 14: 6 16: 12

ACTS. 5: 1-11 13: 22

ROMANS. 3: 4 3: 7, 8 4: 12

GALATIANS. 2: 11-14 3: 9

EPHESIANS. 4: 25

COLOSSIANS. 3: 9

TITUS. 1: 2

HEBREWS. 6: 18 11: 31

JAMES. 2: 23

1 JOHN. 5: 7

REVELATION. 21: 5-8 22