Untitled article by W. C. G.

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, November 12, 1867

Infidel Objections to the Bible Answered. No. 20.

By W. C. G.

**A Fool Should be Answered According to his Folly.—Answer a fool according to his folly.—Prov. xxvi, 4.**

**A Fool Should NOT be Answered According to his Folly.—Answer not a fool according to his folly.—Prov. xxvi, 5.**

THE necessity of this caution is apparent in the effort made to found an objection to the Scriptures on the foregoing texts. It would seem that none but a fool would suppose even an uninspired writer to be possessed of so little sense as to blindly contradict himself in two connected sentences, for unless there were some deep meaning to his words, not apparent on the surface, he would indeed lay himself liable to the charge of trifling with words to no purpose. To answer the caviler “according to his folly” we give the following from “Henry’s Exposition,” giving also the texts in full. W. C. G.

“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”

“See here the noble security of the scripture-style, which seems to contradict itself, but really does not. Wise men have need to be directed how to deal with fools; and they have never more need of wisdom than in dealing with such, to know when to keep silence and when to speak, for there may be a time for both.

“1. In some cases, a wise man will not set his wit to that of a fool, so far as to answer him according to his folly. If he boast of himself, do not answer him by boasting of thyself. If he rail and talk passionately, do not thou rail and talk passionately too. If he tell one great lie, do not thou tell another to match it. If he calumniate thy friends, do not thou calumniate his. If he banter, do not answer him in his own language, lest thou be like him; even thou, who knowest better things, who hast more sense, and hast been better taught.

“2. Yet, in other cases, a wise man will use his wisdom for the conviction of a fool; when, by taking notice of what he says, there may be hopes of doing good, or, at least, preventing further mischief, either to himself or others. If thou have reason to think that thy silence will be deemed an evidence of the weakness of thy cause, or of thine own weakness, answer him, and let it be an answer ad hominem—to the man; beat him at his own weapons, and that will be an answer ad rem—to the point, or as good as one. If he offer anything that looks like an argument, answer that, and suit thine answer to his case. If he think, because thou dost not answer him, that what he says is unanswerable, then give him an answer, lest he be wise in his own conceit, and boast of a victory. For (Luke vii, 35.) Wisdom’s children must justify her.”