reat His hatred of a man
who is insincere and a liar. 2. What security there is that a man
who is specially hated by God may not be visited by the heaviest
punishments. 3. What more unclean and foul, as St. James says, than
... that a fountain by the same jet should send out sweet water and
bitter? 4. For that tongue, which just now praised God, next, as far
as in it lies, dishonours Him by lying. 5. In consequence, liars are
shut out from the possession of heavenly beatitude. 6. That too is
the worst evil of lying, that that disease of the mind is generally
incurable.

"Moreover, there is this harm too, and one of vast extent, and
touching men generally, that by insincerity and lying faith and truth
are lost, which are the firmest bonds of human society, and, when
they are lost, supreme confusion follows in life, so that men seem in
nothing to differ from devils.

"Lastly, the Parish Priest will set those right who excuse their
insincerity and allege the example of wise men, who, they say, are
used to lie for an occasion. He will tell them, what is most true,
that the wisdom of the flesh is death. He will exhort his hearers to
trust in God, when they are in difficulties and straits, nor to have
recourse to the expedient of a lie.

"They who throw the blame of their own lie on those who have already
by a lie deceived them, are to be taught that men must not revenge
themselves, nor make up for one evil by another." ...

There is much more in the Catechism to the same effect, and it is of
universal obligation; whereas the decision of a particular author in
morals need not be accepted by any one.

To one other authority I appeal on this subject, which commands from
me attention of a special kind, for they are the words of a Father.
They will serve to bring my work to a conclusion.

"St. Philip," says the Roman oratorian who wrote his Life, "had a
particular dislike of affectation both in himself and others, in
speaking, in dressing, or in anything else.

"He avoided all ceremony which savoured of worldly compliment, and
always showed himself a great stickler for Christian simplicity in
everything; so that, when he had to deal with men of worldly
prudence, he did not very readily accommodate himself to them.

"And he avoided, as much as possible, having anything to do with
_two-faced persons_, who did not go simply and straightforwardly to
work in their transactions.

"_As for liars, he could not endure them_,