Wesley Corpus

the varying from truth, in order to do good? How strange does that saying of the ancient fathers sound in modern ears “I would not tell a lie, no, not to save the souls of the whole world.” Yet is this strictly agreeable to the word of Sod; to that of St. Paul in particular, If any say, “Let us do evil that good may come, their damnation is just.” But how many of us do this evil without ever considering whether good will come or no; speaking what we do not mean, merely out of custom, because it is fashionable so to do ! What an immense quantity of falsehood does this ungodly fashion occasion day by day! for hath it not overrun every part of the nation? How is all our language swoln with compliment; so that a well-bred person is not expected to speak as he thinks; we do not look for it at his hands ! Nay, who would thank him for it? how few would suffer it ! It was said of old, even by a warrior and a King, “He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight:” But are we not of another mind? Do not we rather say, “He that telleth not lies shall not tarry in my sight?” Indeed the trial seldom comes; for both speakers and hearers are agreed that form and ceremony, flattery and compliment, should take place, and truth be banished from all that know the world. And if the rich and great have so small regard to truth, as to lie even for lying sake, what wonder can it be that men of lower rank will do the same thing for gain? what wonder that it should obtain, as by common consent, in all kinds of buying and selling? Is it not an adjudged case, that it is no harm to tell lies in the way of trade; to say that is the lowest price which is not the lowest; or that you will not take what you do take immediately?