And thus (as Saint Augustine thinketh) Abraham 1may be acquitted of telling a lye, when he said that Sarah was his sister, seeing she was his near kinswoman, who according to the usual speech of the Hebrews were called sisters. Neither did he say; She is not my wife, but she is my sister, the which was no lye but the truth, being rightly understood. And so Abraham himself excuseth it, yet indeed she is my sister, she is the daughter, that is, the Grandchild of my Father, &c. Therefore ⟨p. 45⟩(saith he) Abraham concealed something of the truth, but said nothing that was false, when he concealed that she was his wife, and said that she was his sister. And it is not a lye when the truth is 2concealed by silence, but when by speaking we utter that which is false: unto which might be added that Abraham had no will to lye, nor desire to deceive, but to preserve his own life, and the people with whom he conversed, from the sin of murder. But (saving his better judgement) these reasons alleged do not justify Abraham as innocent, but only thus far excuse his fact, that it was a fault of infirmity into which fear, and not maliciousness thrust him. For there is great difference between the fact of Jeremiah and Samuel, and this of Abraham: seeing they concealed only one part of truth and acknowledged another; but he in the same speech uttered (as I may say) a truth and untruth; a truth in the reality of it, but an untruth in his intention: a truth in some sense, as himself understood it, but not in that sense wherein he would have them to conceive it; for it was his purpose in speaking it to make them falsely to think, that she was only his sister, and not his wife, or else it would not have secured him from that danger which he feared. And a speech is not true, when as it is so in a reserved sense, but when it is so in that sense wherein we would have the hearer to take it. And so Abraham's speech could not be true, but a plain equivocation, which is no better than a lye, for in saying that she was his sister, his desire was that they should conceive that she was not his wife.
And thus (as Saint Augustine thinketh) Abraham 1may bee acquitted of telling a lye, when hee said that Sarah was his sister, seeing shee was his neere kinswoman, who according to the usuall speech of the Hebrewes were called sisters. Neither did he say; She is not my wife, but she is my sister, the which was no lye but the truth, being rightly understood. And so Abraham himselfe excuseth it, yet indeed shee is my sister, she is the daughter, that is, the Grandchilde of my Father, &c. Therefore ⟨p. 45⟩(saith hee) Abraham concealed something of the truth, but said nothing that was false, when he concealed that she was his wife, and said that shee was his sister. And it is not a lye when the truth is 2concealed by silence, but when by speaking wee utter that which is false: unto which might bee added that Abraham had no will to lye, nor desire to deceive, but to preserve his owne life, and the people with whom hee conversed, from the sinne of murther. But (saving his better judgement) these reasons alleadged doe not justifie Abraham as innocent, but onely thus farre excuse his fact, that it was a fault of infirmity into which feare, and not maliciousnesse thrust him. For there is great difference betweene the fact of Ieremy and Samuel, and this of Abraham: seeing they concealed onely one part of truth and acknowledged another; but he in the same speech uttered (as I may say) a truth and untruth; a truth in the reality of it, but an untruth in his intention: a truth in some sense, as himselfe understood it, but not in that sense wherein hee would have them to conceive it; for it was his purpose in speaking it to make them falsly to thinke, that shee was onely his sister, and not his wife, or else it would not have secured him from that danger which he feared. And a speech is not true, when as it is so in a reserved sense, but when it is so in that sense wherein wee would have the hearer to take it. And so Abrahams speech could not be true, but a plaine equivocation, which is no better than a lye, for in saying that she was his sister, his desire was that they should conceive that shee was not his wife.
- 1§. 2. The speech of Abraham in calling Sarah his sister, examined.§. 2. The speach of Abraham in calling Sarah his sister, examined.
- 2Non est mendacium, cum silendo absconditur verum, sed cum loquendo promitur falsū. Contra mendac. ad Consent. lib. 2. cap. 10.Non est mendacium, cum silendo absconditur verum, sed cum loquendo promitur falsū. Contra mendac. ad Consent. lib. 2. cap. 10.
