“Qui cum fure participat odit animam suam ; adjurantem audit, et non indicat.”
“Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.”
“A partner to a thief hates his own soul; he receives the oath, but does not testify.”
“Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul. He takes an oath, but dares not testify.”
“Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul; He heareth the adjuration and uttereth nothing.”
Soul, and exposeth himself to death, though this was only inflicted for stealing a man, Exodus xxi. 16. The night-thief might also be killed in the fact, Exodus xxii. 2. But if the person who had stolen denied it on oath, he was put to death for perjury, Leviticus v. 1.
Note, 1. It is a great sin in any, especially in rulers, to hearken to lies; for thereby they not only give a wrong judgment themselves of persons and things, according to the lies they give credit to, but they encourage others to give wrong informations. Lies will be told to those that will hearken to them; but the receiver, in this case, is as bad as the thief. 2. Those that do so will have all their servants wicked. All their servants will appear wicked, for they will have lies told of them; and they will be wicked, for they will tell lies to them. All that have their ear will fill their ear with slanders and false characters and representations; and so if princes, as well as people, will be deceived, they shall be deceived, and, instead of devolving the guilt of their own false judgments upon their servants that misinformed them, they must share in their servants' guilt, and on them will much of the blame lie for encouraging such misinformations and giving countenance and ear to them.