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40. Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy
Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon
them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our
neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought. If, on the other
hand, a man draws a meaning from them that may be used for the building
up of love, even though he does not happen upon the precise meaning
which the author whom he reads intended to express in that place, his
error is not pernicious, and he is wholly clear from the charge of
deception. For there is involved in deception the intention to say
what is false; and we find plenty of people who intend to deceive, but
nobody who wishes to be deceived. Since, then, the man who knows
practises deceit, and the ignorant man is practised upon, it is quite
clear that in any particular case the man who is deceived is a better
man than he who deceives, seeing that it is better to suffer than to
commit injustice. Now every man who lies commits an injustice; and if
any man thinks that a lie is ever useful, he must think that injustice
is sometimes useful. For no liar keeps faith in the matter about which
he lies. He wishes, of course, that the man to whom he lies should
place confidence in him; and yet he betrays his confidence by lying to
him. Now every man who breaks faith is unjust. Either, then,
injustice is sometimes useful (which is impossible), or a lie is
never useful.
41. Whoever takes another meaning out of Scripture than the writer
intended, goes astray, but not through any falsehood in Scripture.
Nevertheless, as I was going to say, if his mistaken interpretation
tends to build up love, which is the end of the commandment, he goes
astray in much the same way as a man who by mistake quits the high
road, but yet reaches through the fields the same place to which the
road leads. He is to be corrected, however, and to be shown how much
better it is not to quit the straight road, lest, if he get into a
habit of going astray, he may sometimes take cross roads, or even go
in the wrong direction altogether.
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