The Irish standard., 1906-02-17

OF the Almighty. God does NOT lie; be-
ing truthful. therefore, how can it be
right for a lie to he considered godly?
The truth being essentially part of
the nature of God. He cannot, there
fore. sanction an untruth."
This is Catholic doctrine taught by
the Church from the beginning in her
books of instruction on the command.
ments of God. But it is not universe.
Protestant doctrine. as Cardinal New.
man pointed out in his famous Apologize
Pro Vita Sua, in which he thus notes
the views Of some eminent English
Professionals as to whether it is ever
permissible to lie:
Great English authors, Jeremy Tay.
lor, Milton, Paley, Johnson, men O.,
very different schools of thought, dis
tinctly say that under certain extra
ordinary circumstances it is allowable
to tell lie. Taylor says: To tell a
lie for charity, TO save a mans life, the
prince. OF useful and public person,
hath not only been done at all times,
but commended by great and wise and
good men. Who would not save his
fathers life at the charge of a HARM
less lie from prosecutors or tyrants? p
Again, Milton says: What man in his
senses would deny that there are those
whom we have the best grounds for
considering that we ought to deceive
Gated. enemies. men in error, thieves?
would ask. by which of the command
ments is a lie forbidden? You will say
by the ninth. If, then, my lie does not
injurc my neighbor, certainly it is not
forbidden by this commandment
Paley says: There are falsehoods
which are not lies, that is, which are
not criminal Johnson says: The gem
eral rule is that truth should never be
violated: there must. however, be some
exceptions. If. for instance murderer
should ask you which way a man is
gone
But Cardinal Newman did not adopt
or endorse these opinions. On the cons
trary, he referred to the Catechism Of
the Council Of Trent as his own guide
and rule on the subject, and quoted
from it's instructions as follows:
I'm order that the faithful may with
more good will avoid the sin of lying.
the parish priest shall set before them
the extreme misery and turpitude of
this wickedness. For in holy writ the
devil is called the father of q lie; for
in that he did not remain in Truth, he
is a liar and the father of lie. He
will add with the view of Kidding man
of so great a crime the evils which fol-
low upon lying: and, whereas they are
innunerable. he will point out at least
the sources and general heads of these
mischiefs and calamities-How great is
Gods displeasure and how great His
hatred of a man who is insincere and
liar. What more unclean and foul, as
st. James says, than that a fountain
by the same jet should send out sweet
water and bitter. For that tongue
which just now praised God, next, as
far as in it lies. dishonors Him by
lying. In consequence liars are shut
out from the possession Of heavenly
beatttudes. Moreover, there is this
harm, too. and one of vast extent, and
touching men generally, that by in
sincerity and lying faith and trust are
lost, which are the tirmest bonds Of
human society. The parish priest will
set those right who excuse their in
sincerity and allege the example of wise
men, VINO. they say, are used to lying
for an occasion. He will exnort his
hearers TO trust in God when they are
in difficulties and straits. nor to have
recourse to the, eXpedient of a lie''
These are some of the instructions
and warnings against lying to be found
in the Catechism Of the Council of
Trent. which Cardinal Newman de-
scribes as this beautiful and complete
catechisnl.' 1t would seem as If the
author of the book referred to by Mr..
Rockefeller had been student Of it.
Mr.: Rockefeller himself should read and
study it. il he has not already done so,
and have it in his Sunday school
library.
Give Him No Quarter.
Rarnntlv tho voy,{o, ~ GO of tho IJx,1,