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