You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
2) This is the vice of the tongue, which the apostle James calls a world of iniquity. It is the most sinful member after the heart, and no member sins in so many ways except the heart, which sins in every way. For the sin that the tongue commits by swearing, vowing, praying, teaching, taking the name of God in vain 2c. is forbidden in the first tablet in the second commandment, that is, every word that is outright sinful against God. Likewise, it is forbidden in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and now eighth; indeed, in all the commandments except the first, ninth, and tenth, which concern only the soul.
2) Löscher: "The following was preached by Luther on the Sunday after the Feast of the Circumcision [January 4, 1517]." The Exordium Hiezu is no longer available.
For against the third one does, if one does not pray, does not give thanks, does not read [God's word] on the feast day; against the fourth, if one addresses the parents in a hopeful manner, answers them disrespectfully, scolds them 2c.; against the fifth by cursing, speaking ill of the innocent 2c.Against the sixth by unchaste speeches; against the seventh by counsel and incitement to steal, by excusing and defending the theft; against the eighth, as we shall now see, by lying, flattering, 2c. As it is therefore forbidden to do harm to one's own person, or to the persons belonging to him, to his earthly (corporalium) goods, so now all harm is forbidden to the goods concerning good reputation, praise, honor, name.
Sin against this commandment:
Firstly and quite actually the scholars, but especially the theologians and all those who have the
Both of them do so in two ways, either knowingly or unknowingly, and according to this they sin more seriously or more easily. First of all, I will say about the theologians, because of all they sin most seriously against this commandment, when they pervert the holy scriptures and the word of God and interpret them wrongly or do not apply them correctly. For this is why something that is spoken falsely kills souls or at least tortures unhappy consciences.
Among the first of these are the heretics and those who invent peculiar opinions out of their own heads, 1) who adapt God's word to their opinions and imprison it in their obedience, while they should act just the opposite, namely in the things concerning faith and blessedness. This is considered by God to be such a great sin that no other sin is so frequently and so sharply punished in Scripture by all the examples and prophecies. Therefore the 4th Psalm, v. 3 [Vulg.] says: "Children of men, how far goes your hardness of heart! How fond you are of vain things, and how you seek after lies!" and the 5th Psalm, v. 6. f.: "Thou art hostile to all evildoers; thou destroyest liars," where it speaks of such teachers, as is evident from what follows [v. 11. Vulg.]: "Let them fall from their thoughts," that is, from their pretensions 2c. And in the first Psalm it is said, "Blessed is he that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, nor treadeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth where scoffers sit." And everywhere the Scripture speaks of the false and of false tongues, and punishes these false martyrs, that is, the false tongues.
Therefore I say: Are they excused, since they do this in good opinion and out of zeal for God? For this is how heretics excuse themselves, as our neighbors, the Picards in Bohemia, do. I answer: Not at all. Rather, they are only the more accused because this zeal arises from arrogance, that they do not want to be taught and do not want to listen, because they have become their own masters. Therefore
1) In all editions: Hlonü singulares. Instead of Monü, Löscher suggests Xlomi. The Weimar edition remarks: "It is probably the Greek
Rom. 10, 2: "I give them the testimony that they are zealous for God, but with ignorance", and Gal. 5, 10: "Whoever causes you to err will bear his judgment", and Gal. 1, 9: "If anyone preaches the gospel to you otherwise, let him be accursed" 2c. For such people have a good zeal, but they are not afraid, because they are sure of their zeal, as if they were not mistaken, because they have the good opinion, and they chat that all sin is in the free will (est voluntarium), and as the opinion is, so is the work (intentio nominat opus). But we, they say, have a good opinion and a godly will; and so they become obstinate and sure. To these it must be answered that they have an altogether evil will and an exceedingly poisonous opinion. I do not say of the one they feel and assert, but of the deeper one that makes them proud and deaf, that they do not want to hear anything but their good opinion, and believe no one but their godly will. For they do not want to see this inward pride of theirs, and adorn it with the fictitious and violent good opinion and the godly will. For the right good opinion and the thoroughly good will never stands in safety and without fear, for he fears, like Job [Cap. 9, 28. Vulg.], because of all his works, yea, because of his words and thoughts, therefore he does not base himself on his good will and godly opinion, and is always more ready to yield to others than to believe himself, however exceedingly beautiful an appearance his opinion may have. Through this fear it happens that he does not bring anything new on the track, preserves unity, keeps peace and promotes harmony.
The second are those who do not teach falsities so as to kill, but teach only superficially and less than they should. Therefore they are crucifiers of consciences and tormentors of souls. Among them are those who leave faith in Christ untouched, but teach the righteousness of works; rarely faith, more often works. Of these, the Revelation Cap. 9, 5. seems to me to say that the locusts did not kill men, but tormented them for five moons, namely because they teach that
that by works they have done enough for their sins, and yet by these they never have rest of conscience, which faith in Christ alone gives.
Since the holy Scriptures are to be handled in fear and humility, and since they are to be penetrated more by study under fervent prayer than by keen understanding, it is therefore impossible that those who teach them should not harm themselves and others. Therefore, it is impossible that those who rely only on their intellect and fall upon it with unwashed feet, like swine, as if it were only a kind of human science, should not do harm to themselves and others whom they teach; so much so that they make no distinction and treat it without any reverence. Hence it comes about that so many so soon submit to be teachers, who immediately after having learned grammar, without having studied anything at all, set themselves up as teachers of theology, and say: Ah, the Bible is something quite easy. But this is especially done by those whose bellies are swollen with the trumpery of swine, that is, of philosophers. Therefore St. Jerome complains about these people, who interpret the Scriptures, which dispute against them, according to their will, and already a proverb has become from it: the Scriptures have a waxen nose. This is what these tasteless and unrhymed dreamers have brought about, who play their game with the literal, figurative, moral and higher understanding 1) of Scripture, and are called scholastic teachers, and that by their very proper and right name. For they are scholastics, 2) that is, ridiculous people and children of play (lusores), yes, also people who make a mockery of themselves and others (illusores), who have not recognized either what is letter or what is spirit. And the treatment of the Scriptures according to this fourfold interpretation would still be tolerable, if it were regarded only as a first instruction for the beginners. But now they put in this playfulness the summit of erudition, and never come to the right understanding, which can never be attained without purity of heart.
1) Cf. Tischreden Cap. 82,? 8. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 1341.
The one who goes around daydreaming, or who gets silly ideas; the drip, the simpleton, the fool.
can. But also the most godless people do this quadruple. See St. Jerome's preface to the Bible on the same sacrilege of those who treat the Scriptures.
Secondly, the jurists are to be spoken of, because they act against this commandment according to your letter, when they seek nothing else in their labyrinth, that is, in their Hadermarkte (foro contentioso), than to win. They lead everything, they search for everything, they take everything that can serve for them against the adversary, where then by a new miracle one and the same text must serve for things that are just opposite to each other, and this study has become full of exceedingly many dangers. But they say: No one is guilty of making a confession about himself and accusing himself. But what does the Lord say? "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor," citing that for thyself, ivas against him whom thou knowest to have a righteous cause. But the lawyers have a great privilege, that no one may speak against them or judge them; but this is: that no one may justly punish what he does not understand. But the understanding of law is infinite and inexhaustible, and one has not yet found a jurist who knows everything. If, therefore, one were not allowed to judge them until one had understood all their matters, one would never be able to judge, for they would always say that one does not understand what one punishes.
But one thing must be said, which is also contained in the rights themselves, although one almost does not pay attention to it, namely that the purpose, the life and the power of all laws consists in establishing peace, love and harmony. If someone does not have this in mind, he does not use the laws, but abuses them. For he who for this reason seeks an evasion in a gloss against the text, in order to prolong and increase the strife: do you think that he has the living law? Rather, he seeks the letter of death and works against peace. But whoever does not do this nowadays, it is to be wondered at if he is long taken for a lawyer, or becomes rich. For if they sought peace as much as strife, they would not need so many books and so much work.
Nor where and how you can twist them and keep them in suspense (ponderare), but look at what they intend, namely to put an end to the dispute and to kill the discord. But here it would be quite suitable to look at the sixth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, where the apostle rebukes them [v. 3. 7.], that they were right with one another for the sake of worldly things, that is, for the sake of temporal things, which serve to support themselves, and did not much rather let deceit pass over them. Likewise Christ commands that one should also give the coat to the one who takes the skirt 2c. [But it is said that these are counsels, not commandments, which are only to prepare the heart. But I do not understand this strange preparation of the heart, which never comes to light and comes to work. And St. Augustine, who cites the example of Christ, that when he received the stroke of the cheek before Annas, he did not also offer the other cheek, is, I think, not rightly understood, and thus they are defended very badly.
1 ) These may also include the wretched people who deceive and struggle with the extremely false pretence (nomen) of Aristotle's philosophy, since they neither understand nor teach Aristotle himself, 2) and in the meantime take and leave the believing souls with false and fictitious interpretations, yes, rather deceive them, since they believe that this is philosophy, which it is not, and have to do only with fool's antics. And the poets and any fable tellers are much better off than they, especially since the poets, even if they tell fables, as St. Augustine says, do not believe that they are true, but only have their amusement in the trivial matter; but these believe that their fables are true. For if Aristotle were to be read according to my advice, a man of mediocre intellect could learn him in half a year; but then
1) Eraser: "Here in the manuscript something is inserted by the physicians." Luther deleted this during the revision.
2) It seems to us that instead of äoosuntur in the editions should be read äoosunt. After that we have translated.
one should not read it, as has been done until now, with the same faith and devotion (religione) as the holy Scriptures, or even with greater reverence, but like some other minor and remote object (extranea materia), just so that one would know it, not that one would defend it. For truly, we have been seduced by Aristotle and his little friends, and if there were no other reason [to set Aristotle aside], 3) this would be one reason enough that in this pagan beast there are so many sects and heads, which is like the serpent (Hydrae) in the Lernaean swamp; for there are the Thomists, the Scotists, the Albertists, the Modernists; and Aristotle has become four-headed, and his kingdom divided into itself, and it is to be wondered at that it is not laid waste; but its desolation is at hand. For how is it possible that the truth should be there, where so many opinions pass confusedly through one another? For since they are contrary to each other, they must necessarily be false.
But if these teachers and masters sin and act against this commandment, where will those dreamers and wicked people stay, who preach false miracles, show lying legends, fabricated relics, pretend their blasphemous faces? Here one boasts with an insolent brow that he talked and laughed with Christo and his mother; I mean, he will have danced [with her] too. Another has hay on which Christ lay; but it grew this year and was gathered up in a barn. I have heard as a fact that a certain woman, at the instigation of the devil and out of God's decree that she should have such a foolish follower of such a superstition, cut off the hair on her pubis, gave it to him, and persuaded him that it was the head hair of St. Catherine, which had been brought across the sea. That monk (cucullus) believed it and held it out to the people as a relic to be kissed and worshipped. And behold, what happened? The hair from the shameful place also began to perform miracles, and not unjustly, so that the people who had been touched by
3) Added by us.
Lies are deceived that do not serve the truth [2 Thess. 2:10, 11]. Behold, this is so unclean and shameless that it cannot even be told in front of chaste people; yet it happens. Now these speak false witness, not against men, but against God and His saints who are already in glory (regnantes). Such is also that recently a certain man is said to have shown hay, which he found by chance, and said that it was the hay on which Christ or I don't know which saint had slept. Now such fables are multiplied everywhere by the unlearned priests, but still more by the monks who go about as relic merchants (stationarii), 1) and the parish priests take great delight in the fables of legends and indulgences and all things that can only be said, except the Gospel, because those things bring profit, while the people turn their ears away from the truth and turn to fables. But woe, woe and woe upon such fable preachers! Here a very great reformation of the church would be necessary, so that it should not be permitted to preach anything, however godly and good, unless the certain truth and according to the right faith have been invented (authenticum et canonisatum). For under such a pretense of godliness, those strange fables are equally torn down, so that the preachers of the church almost surpass the pagan poets in fables and lies. Yes, I would venture to say that it is not quite certain that proven legends and miracles are preached in such a way as to give rise to the custom of setting aside the Gospel altogether. For they are not to be considered the most important part of the sermon, but only to be interspersed with the preaching of the Gospel, where they serve the matter, but not to be dealt with in a whole sermon.
Secondly, every lie is forbidden, that is, false testimony against one's neighbor. The lie, however, as St. Augustine distinguishes, is threefold: the joke lie, the white lie (officiosum) and the harmful lie.
The joke lie is actually not a lie, because you immediately perceive that it is a lie
1) Cf. Tischreden Cap. 27, § 143. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 923.
and also the one who lies in this way is eager to speak in such a way that one can see that he is speaking the untruth and joking. Nevertheless, it is sin, for it is shameful speech or foolishness and useless gossip. But it happens that some are so simple-minded that they are also deceived by such things, especially when this joke happens in sacred things (religionibus), as when it is said: If you have lost something, give a warm roll as alms, and sprinkle consecrated salt on it, namely on the lost thing, and you will find it. This is what the simple understand, that the salt should be sprinkled on the bread, and they believe that they will then find what they have lost.
A white lie is one that is told to someone as a service or favor, for oneself or for one's neighbor's salvation and benefit, without harming anyone, as if a woman's chastity were in danger and someone said she was not where she was, or something else of the sort. Such a lie was told by the wives of the Hebrew women in Egypt. Likewise Michal, David's wife, against Saul. See both stories in their place [2 Mos. 1, 19. and 1 Sam. 19, 14.]. To the question whether one may make use of them, Augustine answers: By no means, but he tells the truth as far as he can, in other words, as he says of a certain bishop in his book "of the lie", who answered a judge who questioned him because of an accused who had fled to him: I will neither lie, nor be a traitor. But this is not a mortal sin if the white lie is told for a reasonable reason and in sudden consternation.
The harmful lie is the one that does harm. For a falsehood is told in order to harm another, and the one who lies in this way deceives his neighbor in such a way that he would not want to be deceived himself. About this the Lord says through Zechariah [Cap. 8, 16. Vulg.]: "Speak the truth, each one with his neighbor", and again [v. 19.]: "Love truth and peace" 2c. For this is what pleases me. This evil reigns nowadays exceedingly wide, harmful and mighty in mercantile dealings, han-
The people have forgotten this rule in their contracts, covenants, letters, seals and in all their dealings with each other, as Hosea says: "Lying, stealing 2c. has become rampant," because they have forgotten this rule: What you want done to you, do to another, and what you do not want done to you, do not do to another, for they have become blinded by selfishness 2c.
0 But behold what an abomination is the human heart. Even if all other sins do not defile man,' yet this vice is most contrary to man's nature. First, what does every man by nature desire more than to know [the truth]? What is more repugnant to him than to be deceived? As St. Augustine says that the soul desires nothing so much as the truth, and yet man does it against it, and does it gladly. Secondly, although man has in common with many animals gluttony or indulgence, anger, envy, sloth, covetousness, he, together with the devil, surpasses them in this vice, because man alone is a liar, and the devil is the father of lies. For man alone is given reason and speech, whose office it is to speak the truth. And therefore I believe that among all malicious words none is more bitter than to say that someone is lying to his face. For this word is more grievous than to say that a man is a dissolute, a drunkard, a wrathful man, a proud man, and I believe that nature feels this more easily because lying is the most unnatural vice for man, indeed, the greatest enemy of human society.
Third, against this commandment is sinned against by flattery, under which are included the ear-blower, the "two-tongued" man, and the false tongue, and all the vices of the tongue. You can see other things in the fifth commandment. But no man is free from this vice, unless he will soon be beaten to death and incur the hatred of all people, viz.
1) Löscher: "The following was recited by Luther on the day of Paul's conversion f25 January in 1517." The Exordium Hiezu is found in Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 976.
He who, because his heart is right, does not conceal the truth from any man, as the fifteenth Psalm, v. 4, says: "He who does not respect the wicked," that is, who does not fear any wicked man, however powerful, rich, wise, just he may be (for before him there is no respect of person, nor does he care for any man), but who brings honor to the fearful, however weak, poor, and foolish they may be. Therefore, one must either flatter the world or suffer the hatred of the world, which has been sufficiently shown to us in Christ and all the saints. Although this vice prevails everywhere, it nevertheless has the greatest, undisputed dominion (triumphat) in the courts of princes and in the whole camp of bishops. For there are people who wear soft clothes and have delicate ears, and there is certainly no place in the world from which flattery should be farther away, and yet where it is more frequent and exercises greater power than elsewhere), since if a prince is seduced to evil, or he is kept from doing good, all subjects necessarily suffer harm, and there is no more harmful ruin for kingdoms and countries than a flatterer at court. For what do we complain about wars or swords or weapons? The tongue of the flatterer is above all swords; therefore, flatterers should be driven away from the courts as much as possible and punished most severely. One reads that the Emperor of Rome, Alexander, was so hostile to flatterers that when he saw someone flattering him in a groveling manner (molliore gestu), he would not let him go unpunished, or at least ridicule him if it was a gentleman. And when Diogenes was asked which of all animals was the most harmful, he answered: Among the wild animals a tyrant, among the tame a flatterer.
One finds few outstanding flatterers and examples of them in Scripture, perhaps because it is such a heinous vice, for the first and foremost above others is Doeg the Edomite, who, as 1 Sam. 21:7. and afterwards [1 Sam. 22:9, 10, 18, 22.) are told, flattered Saul in all things and was the cause of all the priests in Nobe being slain, but then also many other
brought suffering upon David. Then follow the Siphites [1 Sam. 23, 19], who betrayed David, finally Siba, the servant of Mephibosheth, who also betrayed King David [2 Sam. 16, 3]. But one should pay attention to the end of Doeg and Saul [1 Sam. 31, 4. f.] whom he flattered; but also his son, who unhappily followed his father in flattery, was immediately killed by David, 2 Sam. 1, 13. ff. Therefore the whole 52nd Psalm speaks thundering words against this Doeg [v. 3.s>: "Why do you defy that you can do harm" 2c. The flatterers may hear what follows [v. 6. f.]: "You like to speak everything that serves to ruin with a false tongue. Therefore also shall GOD utterly destroy thee, and break thee in pieces, and pluck thee out of the tabernacle, and cut thee off from the land of the living." Behold, with how dreadful imprecations he goes forth against the flatterer! For they love words of destruction, that is, words by which they may overthrow their neighbors, bring them to ruin, displace (absorbeant) them among the princes, that they alone may reign and stand in favor 2c.
Finally, false testimony is used to sin in the public courts, which was also discussed above. Here we are dealing with the danger in which lawyers, notaries, legal advisors, advocates and judges stand. Here even the most sacred rights suffer the fate of the rose, from which the bee gathers honey, but the spider poison, and they say fine to excuse themselves: To him who is vigilant, rights come to his aid; and again: One must take refuge in the remedy of law. These are two very useful rules, first, to postpone the execution of justice, second, to sow discord, third, to fill the purse of the lawyers; not as if those rules were bad or wrong, but because they are
1) Löscher: "The following was recited by Luther on the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, in 1517." "The 3rd Sunday after Epiphany fell on January 25, 1517; "the preceding piece belongs to a sermon from January 25, 1517: therefore, an oversight on Löscher's part can be assumed; perhaps the manuscript reads 'Oom. IV. post limpi,/ [Feb. 1." (Weim. Ausg.] The Exordmm Hiezu finden sich Walch, St. Louiser Ausg., Bd. XII, 1814.
are almost nowhere in good use. This becomes evident if you pay attention to what they mean by "remedy of the law" and "take good heed of the law," namely, that if someone has a very bad or at least a doubtful matter, even according to the testimony of his own conscience, he does not listen to the counsel of the spirit: Keep the certain and let the uncertain go, but rather is only concerned about how he can make a very good thing out of the exceedingly bad thing, namely, because the thing is sick, he applies the remedy of law to it, and this is their watchfulness. For "they watch over wickedness," as the prophet says [Isa. 29, 20. Vulg.], and so it happens that they draw poison and honey from one and the same text of the law: the one who defends unjust things. Poison, the other, which promotes the just cause, honey.
But what shall I say here? I can only deplore the misery of Christians, who put all their efforts into quarrels, lawsuits and judgments, and no one is willing to pay attention to the word of Christ [Matth. 7, 12]: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. I beseech thee, dear man, try, examine, inquire of thyself, if thou hast any matter against thy neighbor. Do you not want him to let you go in peace, not to be right with you, not to believe you? So you want another to do this to you: why do you not do the same to him and give way to him? But, you say, it is a counsel, not a command. I answer: How can it be a counsel and not a commandment, since Christ immediately added, "For this is the law and the prophets"? Is a law then only a counsel? Does there then remain no commandment, no law? What follows from this but that we forget both Christ and the law of nature and grope in the midst of darkness? Therefore, the study of law today is extremely dangerous, since it does not serve to make peace, not to settle disputes, but to incite and prolong them.
But, you say, if one had to act in this way, it would soon come about that we would be trampled underfoot and robbed of everything we have. Here I say, this is what the
Scripture wants. For this reason it calls us little children, orphans and widows, poor and oppressed, because we who keep the gospel suffer much evil for the sake of his word, since we do not take revenge, do not repay like with like, even pray for those who persecute and slander us, so that we may be children of our Father in heaven, because he is also kind to the ungrateful and evil [Matth. 5, 44. f.]. And we should rejoice that we are esteemed worthy of the name "little children" because Christ is their protector. If we now reclaim and quarrel, how can we then be little children? But they have also turned these salutary commandments into counsels for us, saying that they are to be understood from the preparation of the heart, and do not take into account that cases keep coming up to put this preparation into practice, and yet they do not do so. And here see God's exceedingly mighty wisdom and His exceedingly wise power. He has said [Luc. 21, 33.]: "My words will not pass away" and [Matth. 5, 18.]: "Not one jot of the law will pass away until it is all done." Behold, I say, how true it is [Ps. 33:9.], "As he speaketh, so it is done."
Those who do not want to give the skirt to the one who takes their coat, are forced to give him 1) the shirt as well, against their will, because they did not give the skirt willingly, and thus the commandment is fulfilled by them against their will, which could not be fulfilled with their will. For it happens very often when two people dispute about a matter that they would both be satisfied by a part of the disputed matter by making an amicable agreement with each other and each yielding to the other, while if they agree with each other they consume far more about it and waste twice as much on the advocates as they should have yielded to the opposing party. But how does it work now? Some have to spend twice as much on the matter as it is worth, and still lose the matter itself. Here it is time to sing [Ps. 119, 137]:
1) We have adopted Mi with the Basel, the Wittenberg and the Jena editions, instead of iliis in the other editions.
"Lord, you are just and your judgment is right. Give twenty guilders to an ungrateful, foreign lawyer, who also mocks you, for the trial, because you did not want to let your brother off ten guilders for the sake of peace. For who is to be blamed here other than you, a completely blind man, who squander your money on unworthy people with sins, which you could have left to your brother, who is your adversary, whom God has counted worthy to have it? Even if you win, you still have your victory with sins, and you will be found naked in twofold death.
But this is said of private persons, for public persons must watch that no one is wronged and, if called upon, avenge wrongs done. But to demand this is permitted to the weak, but forbidden to Christians.
Finally, it should be noted that, as the apostle Peter says, no one should suffer as a thief or an evildoer [1 Pet. 4:15], that is, he should not confess that it is right for him to do so if he is innocent, but should report his guilt to the one who takes something from him and leave the sting of conscience with him. For this is what the holy martyrs Attalus and his companions did. When the accusation was made that all Christians secretly eat children, they constantly denied it until death. Thus Zechariah, when he was killed by King Joash [2 Chron. 24, 22.], said, "The LORD will see it and seek it." And St. Thomas of Canterbury was killed, not because he did not want the goods to be taken, but because he said that those who took them had no right to do so. For he allowed the goods to be taken without resistance, and did not oppose them in any way. Yes, St. Stephen also declared so strongly that his persecutors did not do right, that he also prayed for their sin. Thus St. Jerome writes of the woman who was struck seven times [by the executioner with the sword], that she did not fear death or anything else, but wanted to maintain her innocence. Yes, for this reason Christ gave Malchus a harsh answer, denying that he had spoken evil [John 18:23], so that he might
not to think that he had acted rightly. That is why he answered Caiphas that he was the Son of God and refuted their false testimony, and yet he allowed his life to be taken, indeed he wanted it. So we too should let our goods go, but uphold our righteous cause.
Now let us repeat it and summarize it in a summa: This commandment is fulfilled if we not only do not speak false testimony, but also do not want to hear or allow anyone to be talked about (as those do who either believe the flatterers or agree with the slanderers). Yes, he is still guilty of this commandment who is not eager to excuse and cover up his brother's wrong, shame and disgrace, or at least, if he can do no more, to belittle them, to contradict those who speak evil, accuse, slander; for every one would have it done against him. And so he becomes a child of the Spirit of God, who is called the Comforter, because he speaks good things for us, and bears witness to our spirit against all the testimonies of the devil and of our own conscience. Furthermore, one should also teach those who do not know God and do not know God's will, who do not know God's will.
Admonish the erring, resist the deceivers and heretics and other deceivers of souls, as the apostle says (Tit. 1, 9. f.). Therefore, this commandment requires a truthful, just, wholesome, harmless tongue that is completely at the service of the brother, and in such a way as to do him good from the bottom of the heart. This is the love that does not drive the will to anger and is not jealous (1 Cor. 13:4). Therefore, although it is not necessary for you to confess to the priest, if you have not excused your brother, since he has been accused, defiled with false testimony, oppressed by flattery or slander, and are perhaps satisfied that you have not done so, you will still be condemned before God as a culprit because of such ungodly silence and evil disuse of your tongue, which was given to you for such distress of your brother and for his service. But again, if you do this, you will bring everything down on your neck and will soon be killed. And this is what God wants, so that the sooner we will be cast out of the world and killed for the sake of His word, and the sooner we will receive the crown of righteousness. This is the right and spiritual understanding of this commandment.