XX. It is only in one particular instance, that I look upon lying
to be sufferable; and that is, when there is no fence to resist the
impertinent and officious enquiries of people into secrets, that are
trusted to a man in confidence. I state the case thus: a friend of
mine, for the sake of asking my advice, informs me in confidence of
a crime that he has committed. A person in power suspects him to be
the man who committed the crime, and by making an improper use of his
authority, demands of me, whether I do not know that such a person
committed such a crime. I will suppose for argument’s sake, that he is
a person of such penetration, that I could not deceive him by evasions,
and giving answers, that amounted to my neither owning nor denying that
I knew any thing of it; and that my not giving a positive answer, would
only tend to confirm him in the opinion that my friend had actually
committed the crime he suspected him of; so that I am drove to the
necessity of answering positively, yes, or no. It is certain in such a
case, that I am bound by the laws of friendship, fidelity, charity and
justice, not to reveal the secret confided to me. How then am I to act
in such a pressing exigency?
XXI. After stating a variety of different opinions of Theologians,
and other eminent men upon cases of this sort, which I shall omit to
insert, as I apprehend they would rather seem tedious, than afford
either entertainment or instruction to the reader; Father Feyjoo
proceeds thus: But I do not chuse to take any part in this question, as
it would require more time to discuss, than I at present have leisure
to bestow upon it; and therefore shall waive entering into it, and
returning to the subject of my discourse, shall say, that admitting
a man, upon being unfairly pressed, cannot avoid disclosing a secret
which has been confided to him, without telling a lie, those lies
ought to be tolerated by human society, and the punishment of them
should be left to God alone, for that a republic or state is exposed to
no inconvenience from them; and that on the contrary, daily mischiefs
might result to it, by not preventing the evil effects, of the
malicious, and vicious curiosity of men, who are impertinently fond of
prying into other people’s secrets. And he who makes these enquiries,
should blame himself for any imposition or deceit that happens in
consequence of them, and not the person who told the lie, for the
inquisitor is the aggressor in this case, as he may be termed an
invader of other people’s secrets, which he had improperly, and without
any right so to do, taken upon him officiously to pry into.
ON
THE LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY,
AND
National Prejudice or Prepossession.