, 1880-03-21
, ,,;,o rs a Fine Art, with a
b'P Plea in Behalf OF
the Jesuits.
49,. Local Presbyterian View
' criticised by Christian
Layman.
..nnel of the Leaders of the
salvation Army Now in
New York City. :
laval Eotes-Personals-Piou Table
ralk-Services To-Day in the
Several Churches.
rrNG AS A FINE ART.
- ,roxnERFCL REVELATIONS ABOUT FALSE

~
s rospEuFrL REVELATIONS ABOUT FALSE
pah HOODS.
m ,hs Editor ot The Chicago Tribune.
,-ro.co. March 4.-The Presbyterian minis
scld meeting lnsr week, in which the
"a '...,on. whether lying was ever profitable,
s.discussed. 1.-The leading paper maintained
- decaptdcn as u rule was not profitable; still
-1sr certain circumstances, to be determined
t,a e1ecncies of the occasion, deception
vs. he rcsorted as last resort, The general
..,timent Of tho meeting nppeared to be that,
ssae ,,inc was never right there were certain
.,rmstances under which it was right to with
Nfhe truth, although the doctrine was con-
.dad To be dangerous one, as liable to lead to
~. theory Of the Jcsuits that the end justities
II means.
ne doctrine expressed in the leading paper
-s.ahefo,e this meeting is maintained by Prot
...nt 1uoralsts at large. Thus Gratfus, Puff
s-,daf, Tbomasius, Kemersch, Weber, Feisher,
n,roeceius, and host Of other less celebrated
p1res1aut authorities, all teach openly that
Imsr,urc from truth is violation Of the nat
nj moral law only when accompanied by
design OF injuring some one; TINT lies
~ not intrinsicnlly sinful when prompt
a by q desire Of bcnefting others,
~ nr no fixed intention Of good or i'll, and are
ruered for the purpose Of amusement Has it
,han become necessary to prove that departure
INN truth Is always in itself intrinsicuiiy evil,
never tlstitiablc by amy end or motive, however
n.ocept or noble: Fuisehood under whatever
1rm Is Clearly contrary to tho law OF Nature,
xhich orjains that our speech be confnrmed to
nlr thoughts. 1t is Opposed to the will Of God,
tDeousstent with the love OF our neighbor. and
iaur1ous to society ut large. The obligations
under which We liz 10 speak the truth are prior,
bob in order and authority, to any obligation
ytich can be drawn froul calculation Of con-
n ~. Gal
put competent judges; und to set up our short
rrhted views in opposition to the sacred lnujeSty
oi,ruth is as impious as it is unwise.
~ thersfore xery stsnSs , thai the Paesby
tomportant aQucstion Of morals. Yet disputes
% points Of doctrine are frequently only
combats of words and endless circles Of idle YER
hage, and in reality the general senti-
nent Of the meeting agreed with the doc
,ane of the leading paper. The majority seemed
.ohold that lying was never right, hut that un-
bid the truth. Now. what do they meau By
withholding the truth? The meeting nnani-
mousy conceded that the doctrine allowing the
withholding Of truth is dangerous and liable to
tus,ihcs the MEANS In the light Of this conces-
sun It becomes evident tllnt by withholding the
truth they do not mean absolute rtticcnce or
eonceaing the truth by ambiguity Of language:
Fur this is neither dangerous nor liable To lead
tothe theory Of the Jesuits, that the eud justi-
des the means, provided there be no duty TO re-
veal the whole truth, and that from sone known
meaning Of the words, or from the manner Of
tpeaking, or ut least from the circumstances,
he true meaning OF the speaker could he at
tAincd. II then the party addressed is deceived,
Ills owing to his own imprudencc and thought
ksuess, Thus the great St. Athanasius being
causely pursued By his prosecutors came very
coufageously towards them. They not suspect
Ing his very presence, asked him if he bad seen
haste, he is not fur from you." and thus his per-
6ruiors deceisiny themselves, Athanasius made
bis escape. Such withholding Of truth, called
nal reservation or restriction, is not dangerous,
naed never be justified by any end; it is the DIG
tate OF prudence and 1huughdulncss, Such q
oonccalnacnt of truth Protestsants do not mean.
when they, assert tlat sometimes it is right
to withhold the truth, or Us DIR. Gregory
tn his "Chrls1lun Ethics" expresses it. :. that
The obligation to speak the truth may at times
be merged In some higher Obligation" They
lions, md therefore DR.. Gregory at once adds
that "the principle mentioned has been pervert-
ID 50 US to furnish the foundation Of Jesuit
fsn''
Sowwhat are mental restrictions? ''1n mental
restriction or reservation" says DR.. Gregory,
"the words uttered are untrue, but the speaker
ha; some addition or explanation in his mind By
shch they become to him true, but not to the
party to whom they are addressed. In mental
reservation. there is first tho saying OF some
thing known to be untrue; end, secondly, there
Use Of language is to inform and direct So that
al mental reservations amount to lie and false
hood, 50 much the more malicious us they are
mare n i dellterlte.' Ihereforg' that wlthholdlng
p1csbyterlan ministers is. sinful lie and
1asehood. What then, becomes Of the general
sentiment Of their meeting? Lying is never
right: yet under certain circumstances it is
right, though dangerous. because leading to
jeslitism, to withhold the ruth,-thnt is to say,
to lie: fniqnity hath lied to itself: we are
brought to the doctrines Of the Protestant NOR
ai:ts, that lying becomes under ccrtain crcum-
et2nces, lawful. yea necessary. Protcstants,
therefore, must either admit the absurd princi-
PIE with which they raunt the Jesuits, that the
The intrinsic malice OF falsehood. The Pres
byterlan ministers, in the present instance. agree
that deception is at times justitiable by tho end;
es pp thnt which IS and Dy nature IRE
apostle, is not to be done that good may come
Therefore they repudiate the intrinsic, natural
unla~fulness and malice Of deception, although
human nature biushes at the very name OF lies
and 1t becomes very important to state explicit
y under what circumstances they may be al
loved to deceive their feilow-men-
II Is indeed difficult to 5unish tho natural sug-
gsdon that the ministers are SO certain that
sometimes it becomes lawful and even necessary
1esort to deception and lies. sp certain, and SO
ANXIOUS to have their doctrine well understood,
ss 10 give ut once practical example illnstra-
I'VE Of the theory, by charging the Jcsuits with
~ old, oft dsproved, totillly unfounded cal-
atnny Charity. however, offers benign inter-
ptetat:on; those who repeat the sander, have
zen themselves deceived by their Protestant
1eiathers- and it Is not to be expected that any
mind n biased or unbiased, would examine, wheth-
os eee in h;1 Is even as shadow ct truth in caluan. 1
si!9 IIant yocabularies as 'Jcsuitism and "Jcs-
a.caL" W, defy and Charge the entire Protest.
~! 1es''{t worid; =. to tind in 9ny, book Of
"a .aat t. the end jnstiues the means, or
70 70 substantiatc tic &ssiumnious charge that
a. eea my Lime this absurdity was taught by even
one Jesuit. Never was the slightest proof given,
nf hN{-H