[De veritate dicenda aut tacenda]

But it is for a place and for a time according to due circumstances, according to which human acts ought to be limited so that they may be acts of virtue. But to confess the truth of faith with the mouth is then of the necessity of salvation, according to Thomas, Secunda Secundae, question 3, when, by the omission of this confession, the honor owed to God would be withheld, or even the utility to be bestowed upon neighbors. For example, if someone questioned about the faith were to remain silent, and from this it were believed either that he did not have faith, or that the faith were not true, or others were turned away from the faith by his silence. In these cases, the express confession of faith is of the necessity of salvation. Thus, therefore, where the faith seems to be in danger, or for the instruction or confirmation of other faithful, or for repressing the insultation of infidels, it is a sin not to confess the faith publicly. Otherwise not, because if the disturbance of infidels arises from the confession of faith without any utility to the faith or the faithful, it is not laudable to confess the faith publicly in such a case. Therefore, the Lord said in Matthew 7: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine." Thus, therefore, necessity or utility is to be considered in the public confession of faith. This [is from] Thomas, where mentioned above. Thus, therefore, even in the articles of faith, it is not necessary to say the truth always, how much less in others. From these things, the door is opened to us to prove the innocence of life of the saints of the Old Testament, namely Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Daniel, Joseph, the three children, and other similar ones who, as worshippers of the one true God, dwelling among idolatry, preserved the faith intact, concealing the truth of that same true faith, neither preaching publicly to infidels, nor publicly reproving their idols, because of the preservation of peace and because of the public disturbance of the whole people to be avoided, without any utility, until they were brought to the point of necessity where