Mosheim, the ecclesiastical historian, says: “It was held as a maxim that it was not only lawful but praiseworthy to deceive, and even to use the expedient of a lie, in order to advance the cause of truth and piety.”[ Mosheim: vol. 1, p. 198.] Mosheim admits, that the Platonists and Pythagoreans held it as a maxim, that it was not only lawful, but praiseworthy, to deceive, and even to use the expedient of a lie, in order to advance the cause of truth and piety. The Jews who lived in Egypt, had learned and received this maxim from them, before the coming of Christ Jesus, as appears incontestably from a multitude of ancient records, and the Christians were infected from both these sources, with the same pernicious error. [Mosheim, vol. i. p. 197. Quoted in Taylor’s Diegesis, p. 47]
The Apostolic Father, Hermas, who was the fellow-laborer of St. Paul in the work of the ministry; who is greeted as such in the New Testament; and whose writings are expressly quoted as of divine inspiration, by the early Fathers, ingenuously confesses that lying was the easily-besetting sin of a Christian. His words are: “O Lord, I never spake a true word in my life, but I have always lived in dissimulation, and affirmed a lie for truth to all men, and no man contradicted me, but all gave credit to my words.” [The Vision of Hermas, b. 2, c. iii.]
Paul of Tarsus, who was preaching a doctrine which had already been preached to every nation on earth, [“Continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.” (Colossians, 1:23.)] inculcates and avows the principle of deceiving the common people, talks of his having been upbraided by his own converts with being crafty and catching them with guile, [“Being crafty, I caught you with guile.” (2 Corinthians 12:16.)] and of his known and willful lies, abounding to the glory of God. [“For if the truth of God had more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner.” (Romans, 3:7)]
Even the orthodox Doctor Burnet, an eminent English author, in his treatise “De Statu Mortuorum,” purposely written in Latin, that it might serve for the instruction of the clergy only, and not come to the knowledge of the laity, because, as he said, “too much light is hurtful for weak eyes,” not only justified but recommended the practice of the most consummate hypocrisy, and would have his clergy seriously preach and maintain the reality and eternity of hell torments, even though they should believe nothing of the sort themselves. (De Statu Mort., p. 304. Quoted in Taylor’s Diegesis, p. 43)
Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea “It is an act of virtue to deceive and to lie, when such means can promote the interest of the Church”.
Beside forging, lying, and deceiving for the cause of Christ, the Christian Fathers destroyed all evidence against themselves and their religion, which they came across. Christian divines seem to have always been afraid of too much light. In the very infancy of printing, Cardinal Wolsey foresaw its effect on Christianity, and in a speech to the clergy, publicly forewarned them, that, if they did not destroy the Press, the Press would destroy them. [In year 1444, Caxton published the first book ever printed in England. In 1474, the Bishop of London, in a convocation of his clergy, said: “If we do not destroy this dangerous invention, it will one day destroy us.” [Middleton’s Letters from Rome, p. 4.]
Martin Luther: “What harm would it do if a man told a good strong lie for the good and the sake of the Christian Church, a lie out of necessity a useful lie, a helpful lie, such lies would not be against god, he would accept them”. “Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding.” “Reason is a whore, the greatest enemy that faith has, it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but – more frequently then not – struggles against The Divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.”
Any doubt that Christianity is built on a lie?
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Article URL : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Lorenz_von_Mosheim