Paul and Pseudepigraphy (Pauline Studies, Book 8)

authorship and pseudepigraphy in early christian literature 19

becomes more general, up to our own day; so that, when we are questioned

as to the authorship of any book, we have no difficulty in answering?

But why speak of old books? take the books now before us: should

any one, after some years, deny that this book was written by me, or that

faustus’ was written by him, where is evidence for the fact to be found but

in the information possessed by some at the present time, and transmitted

by them through successive generations even to distant times?

from all this it follows, that no one who has not yielded to the malicious

and deceitful suggestions of lying devils, can be so blinded by passion as to

deny the ability of the Church of the apostles—a community of brethren

as numerous as they were faithful—to transmit their writings unaltered to

posterity, as the original seats of the apostles have been occupied by a con-

tinuous succession of bishops to the present day, especially when we are

accustomed to see this happen in the case of ordinary writings both in the

Church and out of it.

Augustine, Contra mendacium 2.2

In his treatise Against Lying (about 420 ce), augustine defended his posi-

tion that lying was absolutely unacceptable and criticized the members

of the gnostic sect of the Priscillianists who regarded lying under certain

conditions as legitimate. this gnostic concept of legitimate lying in gen-

eral could easily be transferred to the specific case of the production of

deceptive pseudepigraphical books.14

do you not perceive how much this reasoning aids the very persons whom

as great game we make ado to catch by our lies? for, as thyself hast shown,

this is the sentiment of the Priscillianists to prove which, they apply testi-

monies from the scriptures exhorting their followers to lie, as though by

the examples of Patriarchs, Prophets, apostles, angels; not hesitating to

add even the lord Christ himself; and deeming that they cannot otherwise

prove their falsehood truthful, unless they pronounce truth to be a liar. It

must be refuted, this; not imitated: nor ought we to be partners with the

Priscillianists in that evil in which they are convicted to be worse than other

heretics. for they alone, or at least they in the greatest degree, are found to

make a dogma of lying for the purpose of hiding their truth, as they call it:

and this so great evil therefore to esteem just, because they say that in the

heart must be held that which is true, but with the mouth to utter unto

aliens a false thing, is no sin; and that this is written, “Who speaks the truth

in his heart,” as though this were enough for righteousness, even though a

person do with his mouth speak a lie, when not his neighbor but a stranger

is he that hears it. on this account they think the apostle Paul, when he had

said, “Putting away lying, speak ye truth,” to have immediately added, “every

14 trans. in NPNF 1 3:482.