Answer. That I bear false witness against no man, nor falsify any man’s words, that I be no backbiter, or slanderer; that I do not judge, or join in condemning any man rashly or unheard; but that I avoid all sorts of lies and deceit, as the proper works of the devil, unless I would bring down upon me the heavy wrath of God; likewise, that in judgment and other dealings I love the truth, speak it uprightly, and confess it: also, that I defend and promote as much as I am able the honor and good character of my neighbor.
Exposition
The design or end of this ninth commandment is the establishment and preservation of truth amongst men. It forbids, therefore the bearing of false witness, and all other things which are closely allied to it, the genus of which is lying. Thou shalt not bear false witness of, or against thy neighbor. There is in this negative precept, an affirmative which is, Thou shalt bear true witness of, or for thy neighbor; that is if thou wilt be true, love to learn and speak the truth. The head, the fountain and genus, as it were, of the virtues which are here enjoined, is truth, or rather veracity in our words, thoughts, judgments, contracts and in our doctrine. For by truth, as it is here used, we are to understand the agreement or correspondence which our knowledge or words have with the thing of which we affirm something. We call that speech or declaration true which harmonises and agrees with the thing itself. So on the other hand, falsehood, in the premises which we have laid down, is the fountain, the genus of all the vices which are here condemned.
The Virtues of the Ninth Commandment
1. TRUTH or veracity is a firm purpose or choice in the will, by which we constantly embrace true thoughts and opinions, and profess and defend the same according to a sense of duty and the circumstances in which we are placed; keep contracts and promises, and avoid, both in our speech and deportment all deceitful dissembling, for the glory of God and the safety of our neighbor. According to this end, the devil cannot be true, even though he may at times speak that which is true; for he alone is true who speaks and loves the truth, and has a desire to promote it for the glory of God and the safety of his fellow-men. Aristotle reasons in his Ethics briefly, but most learnedly concerning this virtue. He refers truth in contracts to justice, and calls him properly a true man, who, when it profits him nothing, is, nevertheless, true in his speech and life, and is habitually such; from which it again appears that the devil and men are liars, and not true, although they may sometimes speak the truth.
Truth comprehends liberty of speech or boldness, which is a virtue by which we profess the truth fearlessly and willingly to as great an extent as is required by the time, place and necessity of the occasion. The confession of the truth is enjoined both in this and in the third commandment, as the same virtue is often regarded and included in the obedience of different commandments; yet it is required here in a different respect from what it is in the third commandment. There it is required as it is the immediate worship and praise of God: here as we are unwilling to deceive our neighbor, but desire that his character and safety be preserved.
There is opposed to this virtue on the side of want, 1. Falsehood or lying, which comprehends all the various kinds of fraud, deceit, dissembling, lies of courtesy, slanders, backbitings and evil speaking, which forms of lying are also opposed to candor. The same thing may also be said of such negligence as does not seek to obtain a true knowledge of things, together with wilful ignorance which is a lie in the understanding. 2. Vanity or levity, which is a readiness for lying. He is a vain person who lies much, often, and readily, and that without any shame. He is a liar who has a desire and fondness for lying. A lie is when any one speaks, or declares by outward signs differently from what he thinks, and from what the thing itself is. To lie is to go against one’s own mind and knowledge. All lies, now, which clearly dissemble and cover the truth, are here condemned; nor are those lies which are uttered for politeness sake, excused, because we may not do evil, that good may come. Lactantius very correctly says, We should never lie, because a lie always injures or deceives some one.” Truth, however, which is uttered by a sign, is no lie, whether he to whom the sign is made, understands it or not. Yet we may here remark, that we should not be too severe and rigid in passing sentence upon the actions of the saints, neither should we make an apology for those things which need none. Of ficious lies are often defended by bringing forward the Egyptian midwives, who lied to the king, and were nevertheless blessed of God: but God did not bless them because they lied, but because they feared him and would not slay the children of the Israelites.