Speech And The Heart

Vana locuti sunt unusquisque ad proximum suum: labia dolosa in corde, et corde locuti sunt mala. Vana, falsa significat, juxta illud quod superius dixit, diminutae sunt veritates a filiis hominum, quando contra Dominum Christum testimonia quaerebant, et semetipsos pravis susurrationibus excitabant. Proximos autem significat, non tam cognatione generis quam sceleris participatione sociates. Nam quod dicit, in corde, et corde: quoties volumus dolosus exprimere, duplicia eorum corda declaramus; sicut Jacobus dicit: Vir duplex animo inconstants est in omnibus viis suis. Quando autem simplices cupimus indicare, unum cor in eis esse testamur, sicut in Actibus Apostolorum legitur: Multitudinis autem credentium erat cor unum et anima una. Sic et bilingues dicimus, qui in una sentenita minime perserverant. Et respice praedictas res, qualis fuerit secuta sententia: Locuti sunt mala. Necesse est enim ut mala loquerentur, qui duplicia corda gestabant. Cassiodorus, Expositio In Psalterium, Psalmus XI Source: Migne PG 70.97b-c

Each one has spoken vanities to his neighbour; deceitful lips in the heart, and in the heart they have spoken evil. 1 By 'vanities' he signifies lies, according to which it is said above, 'Truth has diminished among the sons of men,' 2 as when they sought witness against the Lord Christ and they were stirred up by depraved whispering. By neighbours he means not so much those related by kinship, but rather associates in crime. For which he says 'in the heart' twice, for often when we wish to express cunning, we declare that such men are double-hearted, as James says: 'A double-minded man, inconstant in all his ways.' 3 But when we wish to indicate simplicity, we give witness to one heart in many, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles: 'The multitude of the believers were of one heart and soul.' 4 So we name a man two-tongued who does not hold to one meaning. And considering what has been said, so it follows: 'They have spoken evil.' Indeed they must speak evil who bear a double heart. Cassiodorus, Commentary On The Psalms, Psalm 11 1 Ps 11.2 2 Ps 11.1 3 James 1.8 4 Acts 4.32