Part II, The Commandments: The Eighth Commandment of God

In the Eighth Commandment God forbids us to detract from our neighbor's honor, or bear false witness of any kind

1. The Prohibition Against Injuring Our Neighbor in His Honor

1. A good reputation is a precious possession, for it enables us to gain riches for time and for eternity.

An honorable reputation, or a good name, consists in being well 'thought of, and well-spoken of by our fellow-men. The opposite of honor is shame. " A good name is better than great riches ; and good favor is above silver and gold " (Prov. xxii. 1). A good reputation is the best thing on earth ; it is a talent entrusted to us by God, for he who has a good reputation can do a great deal of good, because he has influence over others. The esteem of others is essential to real

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happiness; who can enjoy his life if he knows that he is despised by his fellow-men? A man without a penny will often get an excellent post merely because he has a good character. And those who are highly thought of are more careful to lead an upright life than those who have no reputation to preserve. An honorable name is to a man what the peel is to an apple; while it is whole, the apple keeps sound for a long time, but if the skin is once cut, the fruit rots quickly.

2. Above all we ought to strive to acquire a good name among men, and for that reason we -ought to let our good works be known, and we ought to defend our character if it be aspersed to any great extent.

It is God's will that we should strive after honor, for He implanted within us feelings of honor and an abhorrence of disgrace. To suppress this instinct would be to act at variance with His appointment. Hence we ought to perform our good works openly. Our Lord expressly enjoins this upon us when He says : " So let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (Matt. v. 16). Our good works should be like a sweet odor, pleasing to men as a perfume is to the nostrils (2 Cor. ii. 15). Good works are the best means of defending our good name, and silencing the tongue of detractors (1 Pet. ii. 12). We ought to consider what may be good not only before God, but also before men (2 Cor. viii. 21). " Let your modesty be known unto all men" (Phil. iv. 5). "From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves " (1 Thess. v. 22). It need hardly be said that our good works must not be performed in view of pleasing men, and courting their praise, or we shall receive no reward from God (Matt. vi. 2). It is our duty to defend ourselves when our name is aspersed. All manner of accusations were brought against the early Christians ; some of their ablest men published " apologies " and sent them to the emperor. Our Lord did not disdain to justify Himself, when, for in stance, it was said of Him that He cast out devils by the aid of the prince of the devils (Matt. xii. 27) ; or again, when a servant of the high priest struck Him (John xviii. 23). St. Paul repeatedly spoke in his own defence, before the council and the governor (Acts xxii. 26). Yet it is not well to be over-sensitive about one's honor, and go to law about trifles. An amicable adjustment of differences and reconciliation, is better than quarrelling and bringing accusations. To be very touchy in regard to one's honor is likely to give an appearance of truth to the slander, for it looks as if we were not quite sure of ourselves; besides it provokes the calumniator to go to greater lengths. After all, a man whose life is without reproach need not fear the permanent loss of his good name ; only the evildoer, if he fall into disgrace, cannot retrieve his character. It is just the same as with one's hair; shave it off and it grows again quickly; but if it is pulled out by the roots, the bare place remains. David rightly compares the tongue of the slanderer to a sharp razor. In the matter of self-defence one must know how to keep the medium. Strong and generous characters are not affected by trifles ; they bear them in silence, only giving expression to their just anger in matters of im-

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portance. St. Francis of Sales tells us that only when grave and disgraceful crimes are imputed to us, such as no man can allow himself to be charged with, should we take steps to clear ourselves. Finally, be it remarked, much more can be done by bearing an affront patiently than by displaying great anxiety about our good name. Many eminent servants of God, by the calmness with which they bore the revilings of godless men, were the means of converting their accusers.

Yet we ought not to strive too anxiously to obtain the esteem of men, or else we shall lose the friendship of God as well as the esteem of men; moreover in some cases it is impossible to enjoy at the same time the favor of God and the favor of men.

He who is over-solicitous to obtain honor among men, makes this, and not God, his chief aim. Such a one is arrogant and ambitious, and will consequently be humbled by God (Luke xiv. 11). How deeply the proud Absalom was humbled! Likewise the ambitious Emperor Napoleon. Honor is a capricious goddess: if we run after her, she flies from us ; if we fly from her, she pursues us. She allows no force to be put upon her ; but there is a price at which she may be purchased, and that is uprightness and humility. It is impossible to serve God and to please men (Gal. i. 10). All who lead a truly Christian life are despised and reviled by men (1 Cor. iv. 13; 1 Pet. iv. 14), and even counted as fools (1 Cor. iv. 10). There are some silly people who mete out honor or disgrace not by the standard of virtue, but by things that are of no real value ; riches, position, dress, etc. But whatever your exertions, you cannot please at all times, and all persons.

3. Furthermore, we ought to refrain from everything that may wound our neighbor's honor. Thus suspicion, detraction, slander, and abuse are forbidden, also listening with pleasure when our neighbor is spoken against.

Suspicion implies malice of heart; detraction, slander (both of which are directed against the absent) and abuse (which is directed against one who is present), are sins of the tongue; listening with gratification when another is evilly spoken of, is a sin, if it is in the evil speaking that we take pleasure.

1. Suspicion consists in supposing evil of one's neighbor without reasonable grounds.

The Pharisee in the Temple took for granted that the publican was a sinner and how greatly he was mistaken (Luke xviii.) ! Job's three friends thought he must needs be ungodly merely because he was afflicted by God. Simon the Pharisee thought the Magdalen, when he saw her at Our Lord's feet, was still a sinner, but he deceived himself; she was then a penitent (Luke vii. 39 seq.~). When St. Paul, shipwrecked on the island of Malta, lighted a fire, a viper, coming out of the sticks, fastened on his hand; in consequence of this the inhabitants of the island instantly judged him to be a murderer, pursiied by divine vengeance (Acts xxviii.). A goldsmith had an apprentice

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who bore a very good character. One day he found two precious stones concealed in a hole in the wall close tq the boy's head. He directly accused him of theft, chastised him soundly, and drove him out of the house. Soon after he again discovered two stones in exactly the same place. He watched, and found they were put there by a magpie which he had in the house, and deeply regretted his rash judgment, when it was too late to repair his fault. If he had detected the boy in dishonesty, he would not have done wrong in suspecting him. People judge of others by themselves; for the affections are apt to mislead the understanding. He who is not evil himself does not lightly think evil of others, whereas a bad man readily concludes his neighbor to be as bad as himself. Molten metal takes the shape of the mould into which it is poured ; so every man's judgment of what he sees and hears takes its shape from his own feelings. The most wholesome aliments disagree with the man whose digestion is out of order; thus a corrupted mind always takes an evil view of things, while a good man puts the best construction on everything. " I would far rather err," says St. Anselm, " by thinking good of a bad man than by thinking evil of a good man." " Charity thinketh no evil " (1 Cor. xiii. 5). The just man, in whom dwells the spirit of love, even when he sees an action which is unquestionably reprehensible, does not allow his thoughts to dwell on it ; he leaves the judgment of it to God. This is what St. Joseph did, in regard to his spouse, the Blessed Virgin (Matt. i. 19). "Let none of you imagine evil in your heart against his friend" (Zach. viii. 17). Trust others, if you would have others trust you. Trust engenders confidence, and mistrust the want of it.

2. Detraction consists in disclosing the fault committed by another without necessity.

This sin, the lessening of our neighbor's reputation, is an act of injustice towards him. For if he is really guilty of some secret sin, still he has not lost the good opinion of others, and of this we rob him if we publish his misdeeds. We are not justified in robbing a man of the esteem he enjoys, even though he has no right to it, any more than in taking from him money which he has gained unjustly. Nor must we speak evil of the dead. Let nothing but what is good be said of the departed. Some people, like hyenas, who tear from their graves and devour dead bodies, deface the memory of the dead by their malicious words and bring to light faults long since forgotten. Like insects which alight, not on the sound part of the apple, but on the decayed portion, detractors do not enlarge on the virtues of the deceased, but they pitilessly dwell upon their faults. They may be compared to dogs who prefer carrion to fresh meat, for they pass over the good which they cannot help seeing in their neighbor, and care to keep alive the remembrance of his failings. The sin of detraction is one most frequently met with. " Rarely," says St. Jerome, " do we find any one who is not ready to blame his neighbor's conduct." This comes from pride, for many people imagine they exalt themselves in proportion as they decry others. Detraction is a hateful sin. It is an ugly and shameless thing to do, if one goes to a stranger's house and spies into every corner; but how much more so to scrutinize and criticize our neighbor's course of life!

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Mud should be covered over, not stirred up, for no one can touch it without defiling himself. " O fool ! " exclaims St. Alphonsus. " Thou dost declaim against the sin of another, and meanwhile, by evilspeaking, dost commit a far greater sin than that thou blamest in thy neighbor." Besides the detractor in disclosing the faults of another, discloses his own, for he shows that he has no charity. However, to speak of another man's sin is not wrong, unless one has the intention of lowering him in the eyes of others; it is not detraction to tell some one else of it in order to prevent a repetition of the sin. One may also blame the fault of another, if this may be useful to a third person; but it must be done from a sense of duty, and the Sin rather than the sinner is to be condemned. The crime of any talef actor who has been brought to justice may be freely spoken of, as it is already made public. Tale-telling is a form of detraction; it consists in repeating to another what a third person has said of him. Tale-telling ruins the peace of families, and is a fruitful source of feuds. It is worse than ordinary detraction because it not only destroys the reputation of one's neighbor, but puts an end to friendly relations and brotherly love. Therefore God says: " The whisperer and double-tongued are accursed " (Ecclus. xxviii. 15).

3. Slander consists in attributing to one's neighbor faults of which he is not guilty. If the accusation is made publicly it is called a libel.

Slander or calumny is taking away a man's good name. Putiphar's wife accused Joseph to her lord of having attempted to lead her astray (Gen. xxxix.). The Jews accused Our Lord before Pilate of having perverted the nation and forbidden to give tribute to the emperor (Luke xxiii. 2). Exaggeration of another's fault also comes under the head of calumny. The motives that actuate the slanderer are generally revenge, hatred or ingratitude; his sin is twofold, for he lies, and at the same time destroys his neighbor's reputation. " He that backbiteth secretly is like a serpent that biteth in silence." Some slanderers accompany their calumnies with a jest, or accentuate them with a witty or amusing speech. This is the greatest cruelty of all, for the slander which might have passed in at one ear and out at the other, is then firmly lodged in the mind of all who hear it. Again, slanders that are prefaced by words of eulogy make more impression on the hearer, just as an arrow flies with more force and penetrates more deeply if the bow be drawn back first. Of such persons David says : " The poison of asps is under their lips " (Ps. xiii. 3).

4. Abuse consists in making public the low opinion which one has of another.

In evil speaking one makes known a man's fault behind his back, abuse utters it in his presence. Abuse therefore stands in the same relation to detraction as robbery to theft. While detraction and slander undermine the good opinion others have of a man, abuse aims at depriving him of the outward respect that is shown him. Semei reviled King David; he called him a man of Belial, and threw

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stones at him (2 Kings xvi. 5). The Jews reviled Our Lord; they called Him a Samaritan, and said He had a devil (John viii. 48). If two men quarrel, the one who is in the wrong usually resorts to abuse. The one who is in the right does not need such weapons; truth conquers of itself. Sneers and sarcasms are a form of this sin. Their object is to make a man ridiculous before others and put him to confusion. By such unkind speeches one may deeply wound one's neighbor, and fill him with bitter resentment. " The stroke of a whip maketh a blue mark, but the stroke of the tongue will break the bones" (Ecclus. xxviii. 21).

5. He who takes pleasure in listening to detraction commits the same sin as the speaker to whom he listens.

He who asperses his neighbor's good name kindles a fire, and he who listens to him throws fuel on it. Were it not for the latter, the former would soon be silent. St. Ignatius says we should not talk about our neighbor's faults did we not find eager listeners. St. Bernard says he cannot decide which is more blameworthy, the man who slanders his neighbor, or he who lends his ear to the slanderer; the only difference is that one serves the devil with his tongue, the other with his ear. What do I care to know that such a one is a wicked man? The knowledge only does me harm. How much better to spend one's pains on scrutinizing one's own conduct. Our Lord exhorts us to do this : " Cast first the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to take out the mote from thy brother's eye " (Luke vi. 42). It is those who are blind to their own faults who are most keenly alive to the faults of others. Never listen to detraction. St. Augustine had these words inscribed upon his dining-table : " There is not place at this table for those who love to defame their neighbor." " Hedge in thy ears with thorns, hear not a wicked tongue " (Ecclus. xxviii. 28). Slander is a three-edged sword; at one blow it inflicts three wounds; it wounds the slanderer, for he commits a sin; it wounds the slandered, because he is robbed of his good name; it wounds the hearer, for he also falls into sin. And since the slanderer injures the soul of him who listens to his calumny, he imitates the serpent, whose poisoned words were the means of driving Eve out of paradise.

4. He who has injured his neighbor's reputation is strictly bound to restore his good name; either by apologizing, if the offence was committed in private, or by publicly retracting his words, if they were spoken before others.

Any one who has unjustly diminished his neighbor's reputation, is bound to make satisfaction, according to the nature of the offence. It is not enough to draw the arrow out of the wound, the hurt must be healed; nor is it enough to desist from evil-speaking; the injury done must be set right. That is bitter to human nature, for it requires no slight self-humiliation. Moreover, it is almost impossible fully to make amends for calumny; it is easy to break a seal, but difficult to repair it so that no one can perceive that it has been broken. An ink-spot is soon made on a sheet of paper, but no efforts will remove all traces of the blot,

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5. Those who do not endeavor to repair the harm they have done by slandering their neighbor, cannot obtain pardon from God, nor absolution from the priest.

What are the Reasons which should Deter us from Injuring our Neighbor's Good Name ?

1. He who is severe in his judgment of his neighbor, will in his turn be judged severely by God.

Our Lord says : " Judge not, that you may not be judged " (Matt, vii. 1). "For with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again " (v. 2). " Condemn not and you shall not be condemned " (Luke vi. 37). A monk who on account of delicate health had not been very regular in the performance of his religious duties, displayed great cheerfulness when his death drew near. On being asked the cause of this, he replied : " I have never judged any one, even when I had just cause for complaint; therefore I hope that God will not judge me."

2. To judge one's fellow-man is to commit an offence against God, for it is an usurpation of His rights.

" There is one Lawgiver and Judge; but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?" (Jas. iv. 12.) "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant ? " (Rom. xiv. 4.) Only He Who is omniscient can claim the right to judge others, for the intrinsic evil of an action depends upon the intention of the heart, and that is hidden from man.

3. He who robs another of his good name is often severely punished by God upon earth; not unfrequently he is overtaken by the same calamity which he sought to bring on his neighbor.

A man of evil tongue shall not be established upon the earth (Ps. cxxxix. 12). Jezabel, the wife of King Achab, suborned two wicked men to falsely accuse Naboth, who would not give up his vineyard to the king, of blasphemy. Retribution eventually fell upon her; she was thrown from the palace window, trampled upon by horses and eaten by dogs (3 Kings xxi.)- It is now no uncommon thing for the slanderer to meet with the self-same fate which he prepared for another, as the following story shows : St. Elizabeth. Queen of Portugal, had a favorite page, who used to distribute her alms. One of the king's servants, who was jealous of the large share of the queen's favor enjoyed by that page, calumniated him to the king, one day when he was out hunting. The king believed the calumny ; and going up to a lime-kiln which he .saw in the forest, he said to the proprietor : " To-morrow I shall send a young man hither, who will ask you whether you have executed the king's orders ; seize him instantly and cast him into the kiln." On the following morning the king dispatched the queen's page to the lime-burner with the message agreed upon. On his way thither the young man passed a church, and as the bell was ringing for Mass, he went in and assisted at the holy sacrifice. Meanwhile the servant who had slandered him, curious to know his fate, followed him, as he thought, to

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the lime-kiln, and on arriving, eagerly asked if the king's orders had been executed. Almost before he had uttered the question, he was thrown into the furnace. When the queen's page shortly made his appearance, he was told that the royal behest had been obeyed, and the workmen expected a reward. On his return to the palace, the king was astonished and horrified, and saw clearly that he had been foully deceived. " He hath opened a pit and dug it, and he is fallen into the hole he made " (Ps. vii. 16).

4. He who indulges a habit of detraction is in danger of losing his soul.

The pulse does not always correctly indicate the progress of a fatal disease, but if the tongue becomes black, it is a sure sign of approaching dissolution. So many people are assiduous in their prayers, are diligent churchgoers, and are considered to be pious, but their tongue, wherewith they blacken the character of others, infallibly indicates the mortal disease of their soul. To blast a man's reputation is a great sin, because his good name is better than great riches (Prov. xxii. 1). It is a kind of murder, because it destroys a man's life as a citizen, i.e., his social standing, which depends on the repute in which he is held. It is also sinful because thereby one causes distress to one's neighbor. The man of honor values his good name above everything. He would rather part with his money, with all he possesses, with life itself, than lose his honor. Hence we may conclude how grievous a sin is detraction. " Railers shall not possess the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. vi. 10). "Detractors . . . are worthy of death " (Rom. i. 32). " Whosoever shall say to his brother, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire " (Matt. v. 22). The magnitude of sins against one's neighbor depends upon the harm that is done. On account of this, it matters greatly who the individual is who slanders his neighbor; if he be a man of position and respectability, the sin he commits is liable to be grievous, for the esteem in which he is held gives weight to his words. In the case of one who is known to be a tattler, on the other hand, the sin is slight. Again it makes a difference who the individual is whose name is aspersed. The higher his position, and the greater the respect due to him, the worse is the sin. It is but a venial sin to speak against one who has already lost his character. But let the evil speaker beware, for if he has not already fallen into mortal sin, he is on the high road to it.

2. The Command Against Untruthfulness

God is truth itself; consequently He forbids every kind of falsehood, especially lying, hypocrisy, and flattery.

God is true (John iii. 33). It is impossible for God to lie (Heb. vi. 18). Our Lord says: "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John xiv. 6). Hence God commands: "You shall not lie" (Lev. xix. 11). "Putting away lying, speak ye the truth every man to his neighbor" (Eph. iv. 25). Let your conversation be upright and

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truthful, if you would show yourselves to be the children of Him Who is the Father of truth and truth itself.

1. He is guilty of lying who says what is not true with the intention of deceiving others.

Lying is a misuse of speech. Speech was not given to man in order that he might deceive others, but as a means whereby he might communicate to them his thoughts. The conditions under which lies are commonly told are these: Under stress of circumstances, to avert some evil from one's self or from others, as when St. Peter in the outer court of the high priest's palace said : " I know not the man " (Matt. xxvi. 72) ; in jest, to amuse others ; or for the sake of injuring some one, as Jacob did when he deceived his father in order to obtain his paternal benediction (Gen. xxvii.). But to relate a fictitious narrative, or make use of a fable for the instruction of others is no untruth, for it is done without an intention to deceive. Our Lord Himself employed parables in teaching. A liar is like counterfeit coin, which appears to be what it is not.

2. Hypocrisy or dissimulation is acting a lie; we commit this sin when we speak or act differently to what we think and

feel.

Judas kissed Our Lord in the Garden of Olives, as if he were His greatest friend, but he only did so to betray Him (Matt. xxvi. 49). King Herod said to the three kings : " When you have found the Child bring me word again, that I also may come and adore Him " (Matt. ii. 8). But he thought in his heart that when he knew where the Child was, he would have Him put to death. Those are hypocrites who make an outward profession of piety while in reality their lives are far from irreproachable. They are like Satan, who can assume the form of an angel of light. To feign sanctity in this manner is worse than to sin openly. Some appear very devout in church, they cross themselves and smite their breasts, but all the while their thoughts are far away; they are dissemblers. The hypocrite is like a dunghill covered with snow, which hides what it really is. Our Lord compared such men to whited sepulchres, outwardly beautiful, but within full of foulness and dead men's bones (Matt, xxiii. 27) ; also to wolves in sheep's clothing (Matt. vii. 15).

3. Flattery consists in praising another immoderately to his face, against one's own conviction for the sake of advantage.

King Herod Agrippa was highly gratified by the flattery of the Tyrians and Sidonians, when they exclaimed, on hearing his oration : " It is the voice of a god and not of a man." But the angel of the Lord forthwith struck him, and he was eaten by worms (Acts xii. 22, 23). Flatterers speak contrary to their conviction; they deride a man behind his back while they praise him to his face. The flatterer only seeks his own advantage. He is like the cat which purrs, and the dog which fawns on his master to get a piece of meat. Crafty people cringe to others if they think anything can be gained. Flatterers frequent the presence of the rich, for from the poor they get nothing; they are like the locusts wjiich do not come in the winter.

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or where the land is barren, but they alight in cultivated places, where there is plenty for them to devour. Flatterers praise immoderately, i.e., they ascribe excellences to a man which he does not possess, or they exaggerate his good qualities and palliate his misdeeds. They are dangerous acquaintances, because they hide a man's faults, in stead of endeavoring, as a true friend would, to correct them. It is a matter of indifference to them whether they do harm or good, if they only get themselves into favor; they are like a cook who cares not whether the dishes he prepares are wholesome or the contrary, so long as they are tasty and please the palate. Flattery feeds sin as oil feeds a flame ; it is a nursery, of vice. Isaias exclaims, addressing flatterers : " Woe to you that call evil good and good evil " (Is. v. 20). Let us therefore be on our guard, if any one appears unusually complaisant and begins to praise us. Our Blessed Lady was troubled at the salutation of the angel.

What are the Reasons that should make us Refrain from Un-

truthfulness ?

1. The liar is like the devil and displeasing to God.

He who forfeits the confidence of his fellow-men causes a great deal of harm and is capable of committing all manner of evil deeds.

The liar resembles the devil, for the devil is a liar and the father thereof (John viii. 44). Remember how the serpent in paradise lied to Eve. Liars are children of the devil, not by nature, but by imitation. The liar is displeasing to God. God is truth itself, and there fore He abhors the liar. Our Lord did not speak as sharply of any one as of the Pharisees. And why? Because they were hypocrites (Matt, xxiii. 27). From every class of sinners He gave an example of one who was saved; e.g., Zacheus among usurers, the good thief among highwaymen, Magdalen and the Samaritan at Jacob's well among profligate women, Saul among persecutors of the Church, but not one single individual among liars and hypocrites did He mention as having sought and found pardon. Many a time God punished liars severely ; witness Ananias and his wife Saphira, who for their falsehood fell dead at St. Peter's feet (Acts v.) and Giezi, the servant of Eliseus, who was struck with leprosy for his lies and avarice (4 Kings v.). "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord " (Prov. xii. 22). The liar forfeits the trust of his fellow-men. The shepherd who cried " Wolf " when no wolf was near, found he was not believed when his flock was really attacked; his comrades had been so often deceived that they did not heed his cries. A liar is not trusted when he speaks the truth ; he is hated by God and man. Liars often do a great deal of harm. The spies who went to view the Promised Land deceived the Israelites by their false report, and alarmed them so that they blasphemed God, wanted to stone the two spies who spoke the truth, and clamored to return to Egypt. See what mischief those men wrought: God declared His intention to destroy the people (Numb. xiii.). Jacob deceived his father and obtained his blessing fraudulently; his brother Esau threatened to kill him and Jacob was obliged to take to flight. " He that hath no guard

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on his speech shall meet with evils" (Prov. xiii. 3). The liar falls into many other sins. " Show me a liar and I will show you a thief." Where you find hypocrisy, you find cheating and all manner of evil practices. A liar cannot possibly be God-fearing. The Holy Spirit will flee from the deceitful (Wisd. i. 5). All the piety and devotion of one whose words serve to conceal, not to express his thoughts, is a mere sham; do not associate with such a one, lest he corrupt you with his ungodly ways. " Lying men are without honor " (Ecclus. xx. 28). " The just shall hate a lying word " (Prov. xiii. 5).

2. The pernicious habit of lying leads a man into mortal sin and to eternal perdition.

Lying is in itself a venial sin; but it can easily become a mortal sin if it is the means of doing great harm, or causing great scandal. He who indulges the habit of lying runs no small risk of losing his soul, for God withdraws His grace from those who deceive their neighbor. "The mouth that belieth killeth the soul" (Wisd. i. 11). A thief is not so bad as a liar, for the thief can give back what he has stolen, whereas the liar cannot restore his neighbor's good name, of which he has robbed him. " A thief is better than a man that is always lying; but both of them shall inherit destruction" (Ecclus. xx. 27). A lie is a foul blot in a man (v. 26). The soul of the liar is like a counterfeit coin, stamped with the devil's effigy ; when at the Last Day, the Judge shall ask : " Whose image is this ? " the answer will be " the devil's ; " and He will then say : " Render unto the devil the things that are his" (St. Thomas Aquinas). The Lord will destroy all that speak a lie (Ps. v. 7). Liars shall have their portion in the lake burning with fire (Apoc. xxi. 8). Our Lord uttered a terrible denunciation of the Pharisees because of their hypocrisy (Matt, xxiii. 13).

Lying is consequently f orbidden, even if it may be the means of effecting much good.

St. Augustine says it is just as wrong to tell a lie for your neigh bor's advantage as to steal for the good of the poor. ~Not even to save one's own life or the life of another, is a falsehood justifiable. St. Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia, would not allow the soldiers who were sent to arrest him, and who were enjoying his hospitality, to save him by a lie; he preferred to suffer martyrdom. We must not do evil that there may come good (Rom. iii. 8). The end does not justify the means. The enemies of the Jesuits allege that they teach and act upon the principle that the end justifies the means, but this has never been proved against them. It was the philosopher Voltaire who proclaimed that doctrine, for he said : " Lying is only reprehensible when it causes mischief; it is a virtue when it is a means of effecting good."

A falsehood told in jest is not wrong if every one can see at onc-e that it is not meant in earnest.

If any one says: "How delightfully mild it is to-day! " when the cold is exceptionally severe, no one will call this a sin. But if a foolish joke produces lamentable results, the case is different. A

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gentleman once told a peasant who was at a distance from home, that he had heard his cottage and half the village where he lived was burned down ; he only meant to make an " April fool " of him, but the poor man took the news so much to heart that he fell down dead. As a rule it may be said that every lie, however trifling it may appear, injures either ourselves or our neighbor, for it is a departure from truth and uprightness; there is always a certain duplicity about it, even if it be only a joke. Let your speech be truthful and honest, as becomes children of Him Who is truth itself.

It is, however, lawful to give an evasive answer to one who causes us embarrassment by asking a question he has no right to ask.

We are under no obligation to answer a question which another has no right to ask. We may return an evasive or an ambiguous reply, or refuse to give any at all. St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, was concealed in a vessel on the Nile, when the soldiers of the Emperor Julian overtook and stopped it. On their inquiring where Athanasius was, his servant replied : " He is not gone far, if you make haste you will soon take him." The soldiers went onward on their quest, and the bishop escaped. The archangel Raphael himself told Tobias that he was Azarias, the son of a distinguished Jew, whose form he had assumed (Tob. v. 18), because, had he revealed his true nature, he could not have fulfilled the commission intrusted to him by God. If an impertinent person presumes to ask a professional secret of us, we make reply unceremoniously " I do not know," i.e., " it is not mine to tell." In this sense Our Lord stated that He did not know when the Day of Judgment would be (Mark xiii. 32). If any one whom we cannot trust wants to borrow money of us, we are justified in saying : " I have not any," that is, " to lend you." Again we may return an evasive answer if some one in authority, in the absence of proof, tries to force a confession of guilt from us, for no man is obliged to incriminate himself. In many cases we should refuse to give an answer. St. Firmus, Bishop of Tagasta, concealed in his house two young men, whom the emperor had unjustly condemned to death. The officers of justice came to the bishop, and demanded to be told where the young men were hidden. The prelate refused to answer; he was put to torture, but this availed nothing: "I can die," he said, "but I cannot make others miserable." The emperor hearing of his heroic conduct, pardoned the young men. Our Lord did not answer all the questions Pilate put to Him. It will be understood that ambiguous replies must only be given when considerations of the glory of God, the good of our neighbor, or the ex igencies of our own position renders them necessary. When our neighbor has a right to the truth, we must answer simply and openly, in buying and selling, for instance, or drawing up an agreement. It would be grossly unjust if persons about to marry were to deceive one another by equivocating about money matters and other things.

3. Whoso is really upright is like almighty God, is pleasing In His sight, and is esteemed by his fellow-men.

412 The Commandments.

Christ says : " I am the truth " (John xiv. 6). Therefore the lover of truth is like unto Him. The lover of truth is well pleasing to God. Our Lord said in praise of Nathanael that he was : A An Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile" (John i. 47). The lover of truth is esteemed by his fellow-men. On one occasion when Cassar Augustus was making a triumphal entry into Rome, he happened to hear that among the captives there was a heathen priest, who had never been convicted of a lie. Immediately he ordered him to be liberated. St. John Cantius was once stopped by robbers who, after taking his purse, asked if he had any more money about him. The saint replied that he had not. After he had gone a few steps on his way, he remembered that he had some pieces of gold sewn up in his clothes; he hastened after the robbers and gave them to them. The thieves were so astonished that they restored all that they had taken from him. See how highly pagans and robbers esteem truthfulness ! Thus it is always best to acknowledge one's fault freely, for thereby one obtains forgiveness, or at least a mitigation of the punishment due to it. It is said that Washington, when a boy, hacked with a chopper a beautiful cherry-tree which his father greatly prized. His father was extremely angry when he saw what was done, and asked the boy if he was the culprit. He replied : " Yes, father. I will not tell a lie. I did it." This candor pleased his father so much that he did not punish the boy. We may, perhaps, sometimes have to suffer Ihrough speaking the truth, but the suffering is far outweighed by the approval of a good conscience. " He that walketh sincerely, walketh confidently" (Prov. x. 9). Our Lord exhorts us to be simple as doves (Matt. x. 16). Guile is not half so profitable as simplicity It is therefore our wisest course to be candid and truthful.

3. The Means of Preventing Sins of the

TONGUE.

It is the opinion of the Fathers of the Church that a third part of all the sins committed in the world are sins of the tongue.

Sins of the tongue can be best avoided by checking talkative ness, and being guarded in our speech; moreover by making excuses for those whom we hear spoken against, and not repeat ing what is said of them.

We must not indulge the love of talking too freely. St. Augus tine says that silence is the best preventive of sins of the tongue. He who knows how to keep silence will speak wisely. " He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his soul; but he that hath no guard on his speech shall meet with evils" (Prov. xiii. 3). "In the multitude of words there shall not want sin" (Prov. x. 19). While all the organs of the senses are open to sight, God has enclosed the tongue behind a double wall, the lips and the teeth, to warn us to be circumspect in our speech. You should be as careful in choosing the words you speak, as in selecting the food you eat. Holy Scripture compares the tongue to a sharp knife, because we ought to be as cautious in our use of it as the surgeon in the use of his knife, when he has to perform an oper-

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ation on tiie human body. We should speak with all the more deliberation because what is once said cannot be as if it had not been said. We can no more recall the words we have spoken than we can the arrow we have let fly from the bow. Our Lord says : " Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the Day of Judgment" (Matt. xii. 36). Nay, He will even judge us by our words, for He adds : " By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned " (v. 37). " Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. xviii. 21). Furthermore, if any one is spoken evil of in our presence, we ought to life up our voice in his defence. Holy Scripture says : " Open thy mouth for the dumb" (Prov. xxxi. 8), that is, for him who, being absent, cannot defend himself. If therefore, you hear the misdeeds of another spoken of, endeavor to show that he did not act from a bad motive; if that is impossible, then make excuses for the act on the plea of violent temptation, ignorance, or human frailty, and thus, at any rate, mitigate the harshness of the judgment passed on it. Or one may mention something to the credit of the person in question. This was St. Teresa's invariable practice, and no one dared in her presence to utter a word of detraction. One may also express one's disapproval by looking very grave, and thus putting the detractor to shame. It will have the effect of shooting arrows at a rock, the shaft will rebound upon the marksman. " The north wind driveth away rain, as doth a sad countenance a backbiting tongue" (Prov. xxv. 23). It is also advisable at once adroitly to change the conversation, and thus prevent the calumniator from pursuing the subject. By tolerating detraction one participates in the sin. We should never repeat any thing depreciatory which we hear said of our neighbor. " Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbor ? Let it die within thee, trusting that it will not, burst thee. As an arrow that sticketh in a man's thigh, so is a word in the heart of a fool" (Ecclus. xix. 10, 12). Be very cautious in speaking of your neighbor, lest unawares you may blight his whole future.