to our sight and being that they hold all lying to be so sinfull that they may not tell a lye for the sauing of a soule it were too hard a censure to thinke that against the light of their owne consciences they would so wilfully thrust themselues on that danger and so boldly professe it in the eares of their friends But by this fine Arte they can quiet the murmuring of their consciences because by it they can say any thing neuer so false and yet by a reseruation make it as true as the Gospell This consideration maketh mee not to maruell when in men that professe such religious strictnesse as Father Persons saith they doe I finde such broad and vnreasonable expositions and glosses of Fathers and other Writers as that no man of vnderstanding who readeth the places but will see that the glosse doth corrupt the Text and the expositions doe clearely depraue the Authors meaning For I know that an Equiuocator hath an Arte by which hee can make all speeches to become true if once they doe but come forth of his mouth Fourthly It may serue them for deuising and counterfeiting of strange apparitions and heauenly visions and diuine miracles This how frequent it hath beene heretofore the wisest and most learned among their owne Writers doe confesse and bewaile And of late yeeres their owne Brethren doe say that the miracles and visions reported of Ignatius and Iustinian and Xauier and others of the Iesuiticall straine and order are not much better And what should let vs to thinke but they which presume so much in other things in ordine ad Deum and pro bono societatis in reference to God and for the good of their Order would not sticke to fitte◠and faine and tell of glorious facts and admirable wonders which were neuer done and make faire shewes without substance if these may helpe to aduance the papall dignitie or the Iesuiticall order especially seeing they know how to say and write and sweare any thing for so great a good without the least grudge of conscience Fiftly It may serue them for forging and diuulging of false especially slanderous reports against their aduersaries and enemies of their profession A thing so generally and so boldly practised by the men of this faction especially by the Fathers of Ignatius his Order that wise men haue much wondred when in such politique persons as Iesuites are they haue seene and obserued such a strange liberty in coyning of forged tales as that the vntruthes which they haue broached might well be called splendida mendacia transparent lyes such as by their owne light bewray themselues or such as within a few dayes might and haue appeared to the world to be loude and lewd lyes that might shame their Master And wee might well wonder if we knew not the Iesuites new Arte that men of any either conscience or honest minde could let passe out of their mouthes or from their pens such shamefull and yet shamelesse fictions For example to giue the Reader a taste of their forgeries and lying slanders Luther was a great mawle that battered their Babel and of him they reported and printed it too that hee was dead and buried which was no great wonder but that which was worth the straining of their wits when hee lay a dying hee tooke order that his bodie should be layed on the Altar and adored as a God And when hee was dead and buried that there was such a terrible noyse and tumult about his graue as if heauen and earth had gone together And the night after his buriall that there was a much greater and more hideous noyse and shricking then before And when vpon the occasion of this fearefull noyse which frighted all the Citizens out of their sleepe his graue was opened the next day there was neither bodie nor bones nor graue-clothes to be seene but so hellish a stinke came out of his graue as with the poyson of it it had almost killed the standers by And all this while Luther was aliue and did helpe to demolish their Babel still and not long after the same time published a book in print gaue it this title Contra Papatū à diabolo institutum Against the Papacie sounded by the Deuill This story if any man be desirous to see he may read Melch. Adamus in the booke which he wrote of the liues of German Diuines Where he may also reade the words of the lying Relation printed by them in Italian and afterward translated into Latine After this practice against Luther they fell vpon Caluin the wounds of whose pen were deepe in their sides and of him they scattered this newes in the Courts of the German Princes and in a generall Assembly in Germany that Caluin now was weary of his Religion had reuolted and was turned Papist And at this very time was hee printing his booke of Institutions and in a Preface prefixed before this booke doth make answere to this slander and telleth these lying Spirits The Deuill and all his rowt of lying spirits are deceiued if they thinke by lading me with base lyes to discourage or hinder mee in my course In like manner but with more shamelesse impudency they afterward traduced Beza Of whom there were not onely false reports scattered through Italie Germany other Countries but letters also were written diuulged to this purpose That Beza a little before his death had recanted his Religion in a ful Assembly of the Senators of Geneua beseeching them that if euer they would be saued they should renounce Caluins errours and betake themselues to the profession of the Romish faith that for more full testification of his vnfained Conuersion after his death hee desired them to send for and to be aduised and directed by the Iesuites that hereupon the Pope had appointed the Bishop of Geneua to absolue Beza and other learned men such as could be had neere at hand to goe to Geneua and consider of the businesse and deale with the Inhabitants if any were more backeward about points and Articles of Religion in question After which Relation the Reporter addeth that this newes is most certaine and true as may appeare by the numberlesse company of letters written to this purpose and will as hee saith appeare at the next Franckford Mart by the store of Bookes which would then flye abroad in the World for the witnessing of this thing Hee yet goeth on further and for more abundant proofe telleth vs that Puteanus the Generall of the Iesuites who liued within twelue miles of Geneua had by writing related this newes adding moreouer that himselfe was one of those Fathers whom the Pope had appointed to goe and instruct the Citizens of Geneua Yea and moreouer saith the Relator the Landgraue of Hessen being scared with this newes sent messengers to Geneua who after their returne confirmed all this to be true This they reported of Beza without
that is true this man in very deed doth neither lye nor forsweare Thus they speake and so must all they that will maintaine this Arte. For whereas Father Persons speaking of the Wife of Ananias saith that shee beeing lawfully demanded by S. Peter in a lawfull cause touching her owne vow and promise no clause of reseruation could saue her speech from lying he doth herein not only contradict himselfe as Lyers vsually doe but doth also thereby ouerthrow the very grounds of this fond Arte. For if a reseruation in the mind doe free the Equiuocator from lying because that beeing added to his words both together do make a true Proposition why should not a reseruation in this womans mind saue her speech from lying if it were such as being added to her words both together might yeeld a true meaning which according to the rules of this Arte it had beene easie for this woman to frame 4 That in any case in which Equiuocation may bee vsed a man may frame any reseruation whatsoeuer himselfe pleaseth so it be such as being added to the words doth make the whole compound to bee true Persons somtimes seemeth to require that the reseruatiō be conformable to the matter time and place not fained at randome as some fondly do imagine But he doth but mocke his Reader making shew of following the former Schoole-Doctors whose words these are when he hath no such meaning as they had in them For when he speaketh plainely and so as you may vnderstand his distinct meaning them his words are I doe truely and really meane that I am no Priest in the sense that I speake it which may be any that pleaseth me or that I list to frame to my selfe so as I may meane that I am no Priest such as I should be such as I desire to be such as is worthy of so great an office and sacred a function such as he ought to be that occupieth the place of God in gouerning of soules I am no Priest subiect to the demander or obliged to answere his demands or the like Thus and such like whatsoeuer he pleaseth he professeth may be his reseruations when he denyeth himselfe to be a Priest and what conformity these haue at least the most of them with the Circumstances I leaue to bee declared by the Patrons and Masters of this Arte. Sure I am if such large scope may be granted and yet the reseruation bee conformable to the matter c. and not fained at randome then it will be an easie matter to keepe within cōpasse and to obserue the wise rule of this graue Father But let Persons goe with his doubling and let vs heare what others say Sanchez alloweth any words if they yeeld a true sense By any addition reserued in the mind◠of the speaker whatsoeuer that addition bee And Iacob 〈◊〉 Graffijs proposing a Case of one who being taken by theeues doth for feare promise them somwhat with an oath If saith he he doe imagine some other thing in his minde for example I promise to giue this or do that if the Iudgo shal compelme to it or if the skie shall fall or the like then he shal be cleare from sinne And Sanchez that a man may lawfully answere that he killed not Peter meaning another man of the same name or that he killed him not antequam nasceretur before hee was borne And Strange the Iesuite to show what strange and vnlimited liberty they doe take in the framing of this fancie affirme that he was in the company reseruing and intending secretly as added this word Not when hee was questioned before the Lord Chiefe Iustice of England and the Kings Attourney These reseruations and others not much better doe they allow and practise in the Arte of Equiuocating whereof there is frequent mention in their Bookes and Treatises of this argument By all which it appeareth that they approoue of any reseruatirn which a man can fancie if the case be such as they allow of and the clause such as may signifie a trueth 5. That this Equiuocation of theirs is lawfull not onely in ordinary speach but in oathes also This is plainely auouched by Father Persons and vpon this reason Because it is a most certaine principle as well in reason as in Diuinitie that what a man may truely say hee may truely also sweare And againe As all Diuines held saith hee that which may lawfully be said may also lawfully be sworne And to this doe agree others of this Crue who commonly handle this question of Equiuocation in their Treatises of Oathes and allow it as a thing very lawfull and of good vse 6. That this Arte was deuised and so by them is vsed that by it they may deceiue the vnderstanding of the hearer and make him beleeue an vntrueth when it may serue for their turne To this purpose those words of Father Persons sound Equiuocation must sometime be practised when no other euasion can be found for defence of innocencie iustice secrecy and other like vrgent occasions And speaking of some cases of inconuenience which hee would haue to bee auoided by Equiuocation he demandeth Hath God and Nature and Law of Iustice left no lawfull euasion in such cases And againe Wee delight not saith hee in this Arte or maner of euasion by Equiuocation By this it appeareth that Equiuocation to vse the Iesuites owne words is an Art of euasion which cannot bee vnderstood without a meaning and purpose to deceiue the hearers vnderstanding and to make him beleeue an vntrueth The same Doctor of this Arte goeth on and teacheth vs that this their Equiuocation is when any speach hath or may haue a double sense not by any double signification or composition of the words themselues but onely by some reseruation of minde in the speaker whereby his meaning is made different from that sense which the words that are vttered de beare or yeeld without that reseruation And by this is implyed that the purpose of this is to imprint one sense in the speaker which they acknowledge to bee false and to keepe within themselues another which they imagine to bee true Becanus also another Iesuite hauing first proposed the question An liceat vti Aequiuocatione Whether it may be lawful to vse Equiuocation he explaineth the point thus Whether it bee lawfull to deceiue and beguile others by Equiuocations In the prosecution of which question though he wrangle would gladly shift off from themselues the imputation of this equiuocating fraud yea and flatly denieth it yet by explaining the questiō in such sort he acknowledgeth that their meaning who defend it is to beguile and deceiue men And in like sort Tolet saith It is sometimes lawfull to vse Equiuocation and to deceiue the hearer And therefore when Father Persons saith that his intention is not to deceiue in this mentall proposition but to defend himselfe
Conferences with men they haue found a like mysterie that any man of the Romane Church may speake and say and sweare whatsoeuer himselfe pleaseth though it bee neuer so false and yet be no Lyer The one they fetch from their doctrine of Exemption and the other from their doctrine of Equiuocation both dangerous practices to all humane society The one whereof should teach Kings to be aware of their Swords and the other should teach all men to beware of their words 2 That by their doctrine a man is at liberty to lye without anie grudge in his conscience and that the Abettors of this Arte by a secret iuggling deuice doe sâ—t open a schoole for deceit and periurie in which they teach an Arte of Lying by the helpe whereof he that can lye forsweare by the Rule shall be free either from lying or periâ—rie as a reuerend and learned Diuine hath noted But hereof there will be fitter occasion giuen to say more hereafter In the meane while thus much shall serue to be said of the first Point CHAP. II. Of the Originall of Equiuocation and who they bee that vphold it and giue life vnto it COncerning the Originall of this Arte some learned men referre 〈◊〉 to the Priscillianists or Arius the Arch-heretike who are read to haue vsed fraudulent and deceitful speech And such Heretikes had not beene vnmeete Fathers for such a deformed child But this Brat was not then borne nor for many Ages after those dayes For mine owne part vnlesse I shall hereafter meete vvith some thing more cleere then yet I haue seene I must say with a iudicious and learned Writer I cannot readily say who were the first founders of this Arte. Nor is it maruell that a thing of this nature though found out but yesterday should appeare to the world without the name or notice of his Author For as the head or spring of Nilus hath beene long enquired after and for ought I know is yet scarce heard of and the reason may bee because it is supposed that that Riuer doth rise somewhere in montibus Lâ—nae in some place of those great Mountaines whose greatnes doth hide the place of the Well-head or Spring So deuices of State which neuer prosper after they are discouered are commonly smoothered for a time and doe vsually appeare without name themselues being vnwilling to owne them and others being vnable to dâ—scrie them And such is this Arte of Equiuocation hatched by some rare wit who yet had rather lose the glory of the inuention then to lay open the mysterie of it and smoothered by the Romane State as long as was possible till misfortune brought it to light against their wils And yet now that the Riuer appearâ—th with a full stâ—eame notwithstanding the Spring will hardly bee found And if any Româ—nist shall hence inferre that this Doctrine is therfore an Apostolicall Iâ—radition and came from Christ himselfe because I cannot tell who was the first Author and at what time since it was first hatched as they vse to dispute in other cases against vs I will send him to find me the head of Nilus and when he hath found that I will goe about to enquire for the Originall of this Arte. And yet in the meane while though I cannot precisely say who was the first Father of this blacke Arte yet some things may bee said not impertinent to this purpose And those as I conceiue them for the present I will lay downe in certaine Propositions or Assertions And they be these 1 It is certaine that it is a late deuice and found out the other day Persons claimeth Vniuersality Antiquity and Consent for the proofe of this Arte His words are that euery man may heare him speak in his own dialect Let vs consider saith he how this absurd and impious opinion if such it be could come to bee receiued so generally both in approbation practice doctrine action throughout the Christian world that is to say The Doctrine in all Schooles Pulpits Chaires Vniuersities where teaching hath beene vsed extant also in the Bookes and Workes of all learned men of what sort soeuer before Iesuites were borne or heard of but especially those haue most treated thereof who haue written most tenderly of matters belonging vnto conscience whom we call Casuists Lawiers in like maner both Canon and Ciuill Diuines both Scholasticall and posiâ—â—ue haue approued the same And as for practice it hath in due cases beene receiued in all Courts in all Countries in all Tribunals and Sâ—ates of iudgement both ecclesiasticall and temporall and neuer refused condemned or controled by any so it were vsed with the due circumstances c. And alittle after Was there no man to stand for truth and reason in any Countrey in any Prouince or State in any place or time for this 400. yeeres c Where it must be noted that when he mentioneth 400 yeeres his meaning is not to limit the approbation of this Arte to the compasse of those yeeres but because he supposeth but falsely that his Aduersarie had granted so much and so here he disputeth ex Concessis vpon the Confession of his Aduersarie but he intendeth and meaneth the consent of former times also as himselfe signifieth in the same Chap. whereof he there promiseth to speak afterward so he doth For he bringeth the testimonies practice of the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and Iesus Christ himselfe and that frequently declared Where it may bee noted that this Father is as bold to alledge Vniuersality Antiquity and Consent for the proofe of this Arte as the rest are for the proofe of their Church And sure the proofe is as good and sound in the one as the other Onely Father Persons affirmeth more boldly and confirmeth what hee saith more weakely But the reason is alike good in both cases But heere I haue onely to deale with Persons about his Equiuocation And against these great cryes I oppose the confident and iust challenge of a Reuerend man Name me one man saith he out of all antiquity Heathenish Iewish Christian name but one man who euer approued these your Reseruations vnlesse perhaps some who were noted with infamy for their paines I may adde Nay name me one who defended this Equiuocation which Iesuites call a mixt or mentall Proposition or by a secret reseruation in all the time from Adam to the Trent Councell I will not say none such can bee named for who can say or presume that hee knoweth the sayings and opinions of all former Ages but this I will say that wheras the Abettors of Equiuocation haue bin challenged by two learned Doctors in our Church to shewe any who in former times haue allowed this diuelish Arte hitherto I haue seene no one man produced who doth giue any plaine or direct allowance heereof For as for the many autorities which Persons doth alledge they be Conclusions of his own spun out of
other mens sayings by such consequences as himselfe fancieth or pleaseth to frame For where holy or learned men haue vsed speeches that may admit diuers interpretations either by reason of the words vsed or some circumstance occurring according to which only former Ages were wont to expound them he presently runneth away with an out-cry of mentall reseruation or mixt Proposition as euery man that considereth the Allegations may easily perceiue In a word Persons claimeth very boldly and to speake truth impudently Vniuersality Antiquity and Consent for this nouell new-deuised and vpstart fancie of their owne Where I wish the Reader to consider how farre he may credit such men when they lay the like claime to all Antiquity and Consent of Nations either for the prouing of their Church or for maintaining of any other subordinate point of Controuersie For mine owne part till they shew me one who approued a mentall Equiuocation or reseruation I will thinke and say there is none And this is my first assertion whereof see further proofe in the next assertion 2 My second is that the latter sort of Schoole-men and Casuists gaue occasion and laied grounds for this ensuing Arte which at that time themselues it seemeth did not so much as thinke or dreame of For whereas some Cases were then debated how farre a Priest might deny the things which hee had heard in Confession and in what sort any man that was questioned by an vnlawfull Iudge or proceeded against in an vnlalwfull maner c. might deny the things which he knew to be true they considering the circumstances of the persons place and businesse did allow some hard Equiuocations which the words would hardly beare in any true sense yet such as they thought might be allowed and gathered out of those circumstances and might well be vnderstood in those words as there and then they were vttered As for exaÌ„ple If a Priest were questioned whether he knew or had heard any thing of such or such a matter he might say No if he did not know or heare it any other way but onely by Confession And the reason of this answere is because Words saith Dominicus a Soto doe so signifie as they are vnderstood or taken by the people Now Christian people when they heare a Priest sweare that he knoweth nothing of such or such a matter they vnderstand him not to speake or meane any thing that he heard in Confession And therefore those words of the Priest doe onely signifie or import that hee knoweth nothing out of Confession And the like defence of this answer is giuen by Sepulueda de Rat. dicendi test cap. 3. Againe it is a further Case If the Priest be asked concerning the same thing whether he know or haue heard it in Confession whether may he then say No I heard it not And the common opinion of the Doctors was that in this case hâ— may sweare he did not heare it But Soto vpon better aduice disliketh this answere because in this Sentence Nihil audiui in Confessione I heard nothing of it in Confession the Restriction allowed in the former case cannot fitly bee vnderstood to say I heard nothing in Confession to wit out of Confession And therefore he concludeth that that answere in this case cannot be excused from being a lye because the words cannot haue that construction Another case is proposed Suppose a Tyran should aske of a Priest whether Peter for example did kill Iohn which the Priest knew in Confession only may the Priest say and sweare that Peter did not kill Iohn Adrian who afterward was Pope and was called Adrian the sixth he resolued the question that he might answere negatiuely that â—e killed him not but Soto againe replyeth that this which Adrian said had no shew of reason because the words admit no interpretation that may excuse them from a Lye For saith he It were a most fond interpretation to say He killed him not that I may tell you or as our Equiuocators vse now a dayes to speake He killed him not so as I may tell you And he giueth a further reasoÌ„ hereof because deeds haue no immediate relation to this word that I may tel it 〈◊〉 the woâ—d I know and other such words of sense haue And in his Booke de Iustit Iure disputing the like question whether a man beeing questioned concerning his owne Act may by Ambiguity elude the question hee resolueth It can no way be defended that he may lawfully say that he did not doe it and hereof he giueth this reason Because this speech I did not doe it cannot receiue this sense I did not doe it to tell it or that I may tell it c. His meaning in more plaine words is this that the Priest might truely say in the case proposed I know not that Peter did kill Iohn because hee might reasonably vnderstand it thus or with this restriction I know it not out of Confession And of such a knowledg the Iudge is supposed to aske and men do vsually vnderstand the Priest to speake But the Priest might not say without telling a lye Peter did not kill Iohn because this restriction cannot without absurdity bee applyed to those words And consequently these words could not bee so vnderstood by the hearers A fourth case may bee added and with that I will end Suppose a guilty person be against order of Law examined by a Iudge whether he haue committed such a crime which indeede he hath done but is not in this case bound to answere him suppose I say he be inforced to answere may he truely say I did not doe it And Adrian's resolution of the doubt was that in such a case he may truely answere according to the opinion of all Schoole-Doctors that he knoweth nothing of that faâ—t or at least that hee did not 〈◊〉 it And his reason is because in this answere he is supposed to speake of such a knowledge of the fact as he may lawfully discouer But Soto replyeth againe I know not who all those Doctors are that Adrian speaketh of I confesse I haue read none of that opinion And he addeth That meaning in which Adrian interpreteth these words is a most forced and violent sense Thus Soto declareth his owne opinion and the opinion of other Schoole-Doctors and Casuists of that time in these and other cases of like nature And the like doth Io. Genesius Sepulueda another learned man of the same nation and about the same time For hauing heard some defend some such like Equiuocations and ambiguities he vndertaketh to proue and that by the testimony of ancient Diuines that in witnesse-bearing for thereof hee doth in particular intreat a Witnesse may not arte vorborum by cunning words deceiue the Iudge but that he is bound to speak plainely and according to the meaning of the Iudge who asketh the question And of the contrary opinion hee saith
None ancient and renowned Diuine that I knowe did affirme it to bee lawfull And in the Preface to that Booke hee saith that while hee was in Rome hee met with one who maintained this opinion which he calleth agreeable to the Determinations of some yong or late Diuines and when he came backe againe into Spaine that praeter spem contrary to his expectation he found some of their learnedest Diuines maintaining and instilling into their Students hearts and eares that opinion which was condemned by the ancient and chiefe Diuines And Chap. 15. hee sheweth who they bee whom he calleth ancient Diuines and that is in his owne words those which liued before our and our Fathers dayes such for example sake as Thomas Aquinas is Out of which testimonies and sayings of these two learned men the one of which was Confessor to Charles the fifth and the other his Historiographer and the one flourished about the yeere 1560. as Possouin saith and the other died in the yeere 1572. saith the same Posseuin out of these their sayings I gather and obserue these things 1 That in the dayes of these two learned men which was about some 60 yeeres agoe there was little or no speach of any Equiuocation by mentall reseruation or of any such mixt propositions as the Romanists now fancie This I gather first because Soto in oppugning these ambiguous Answeres and speaches allowed by some Schoole-Doctors of that time doth no where to my knowledge charge them with any such opinion or euer labour to refute it Which considering the argument that hee had in hand and the diligence that he vsed in handling of it and cleering of all doubts that belonged vnto it no man may with reason imagine that hee would haue for borne to doe if those times had giuen occasion of disputing such a question Secondly the same learned man in oppugning that liberty which others did grant doth still ouerthrowe or confute their opinion because the interpretation and the meaning which they doe allow those answeres to be taken in by the speaker are such as doe not agree to the vse and signification of the words spoken nor cannot bee applied to them without incongruity and absurditie By which reason of his hee implieth that these Diuines meant no other ambiguity or interpretation or meaning in those answeres then such as they thought the words in that case in which they were vttered might beare Or els his reason had beene insufficient and foolish which yet he supposeth to be such as that his aduersaries could not dislike as impertinent if the thing which he vrged were true Thirdly the same Author doth still so set down his opinion that in the cases proposed and others of the like nature he alloweth any ambiguity or Amphibologie which the vse of the speach can beare without a lye as in expresse words hee explaineth himselfe but refuseth and condemneth all such as is not noted and implied in the words Fourthly Sepulueda he also disputeth against those who think themselues not bound in the cases propounded to answere according to the common meaning and acception of the words and confuteth them who hold it lawfull simply to denie the crime truely layed to their charge although they purposely speake some other thing in their minde Which the Iudge taking their words in the common meaning vnderstandeth not Cap. 17. throughout the whole Booke But yet I haue not obserued in all that Booke any speach in which hee mentioneth a mixt proposition a mentall Equiuocation or an ambiguitie made by a reseruation Against which opinion if there had then appeared any such to the world hee might haue disputed with more probabilitie and shewe of substantiall reason But he no where as farre as I can obserue either refelleth or mentioneth any such opinion among these late and punie Diuines For wheras in the place last cited he hath these words though purposely he speaketh some other thing in his minde that maketh nothing as I thinke for the mentall reseruation which our Equiuocators haue deuised For he meaneth nothing else as I take it but that the speaker doth frame in his minde another sense and meaning of his words then they in the common vnderstanding of men doe make or then the Iudge according to the common vnderstauding doth take them in And therefore those very Schoole-Diuines whom hee and Soto doe refute for going too farre and allowing too much liberty yet goe not so farre as our now Iesuites doe who build all vpon a fancied reseruation of their owne framing no way included in the words spoken Fiftly say that those Diuines whom these learned men doe refute did maintaine such a mixt proposition mentall reseruation as our Romanists doe striue for yet Soto saith that he had read no Schoole-Doctor who allowed such a fancie as Adrain imagined which yet by a reseruation of a Iesuite might easily bee solued And Sepulueda when hee came out of Italy into Spaine thought it strange that hee found Diuines who contrary to the meaning of all the Ancients did allow that opinion which he there refuteth And therefore if we shall say that the Diuines against whom these men wrote did hold this Equiuocall reseruation yet it was then a nouell opinion lately sprung vp such as Soto had read in no Schoole-Doctor of former time and such as Sepulueda did maruell to finde set on foote in his owne Countrey where he liued But as I said these learned men did not know of any such opinion risen vp at that time And therefore in those dayes either this Arte was not yet found or if it were it was rather whispered in corners or taught obscurely then published in Schooles Secondly I gather out of these learned mens writings alleadged before that Schoole-Doctors about that time allowed and gaue liberty for such ambiguities as in opinion of these men and in trueth the words could not beare and therefore their interpretations were forced violent and such as could not free their speaches from being lyes This without further deduction is euident by the words before cited Thirdly I obserue that these hard and harsh Equiuocations by some Diuines then allowed and the violent constructions that they made of the words were then newly taken vp and were vnknowne to the elder and more iudicious Schoole-men And out of all this I leaue it to the iudgement of the learned Reader whether I may not vpon good reason inferre that therefore in all probabilitie the later sort of Schoole-Doctors by the hard Equiuocations which they allowed did giue occasion layd grounds for this Iesuiticall Art of Equiuocation though at that time themselues did not thinke of it For may it not hence be reasonably conceiued that the progresse and proceeding to the framing of this Art was on this manner that first of all and in elder times there was nothing but simplicitie in their Oathes and answers or if any ambiguitie was allowed
case and that therefore in his opinion he may not equiuoâ—ate and deceiue vs And if he promise to pay me a summe of money how can I tell that he keepeth not a reseruation behind that may disanull his promise aforehand as that he will pay it if himselfe shall thinke it necessary or if he shall haue so much to spare or if hee haue nothing else to doe with his money c. And so if he vndertake to be my Sollicitor for my Law-businesses or my Physitian for my body or my Counsellor in any doubtfull case c. how shall I be assured that I may beleeue his word and that he doth not for some secret reasoÌ„ kept to himselfe think it lawfull to cheate me by a mental reseruation Surely for mine own part if I may know him that professeth the Art of Equiuocation I wil trust him no further then I would doe a common and noted Lyer that is no further then I do see him ⸫ FINIS a Prâ—efaâ— praefixâ Sex Preâ—lection cap. 1. cap. 1. de Mendac num 12 13 14. a D. Morton B. of Lichfield and Couentry Confutat of Equiuccation b Persons who by occasion of the Bishopps booke wrote a large Treatise in defence of Equiuocaâ—on a Mitigat cap. 9. nu 81. p. 403. * Sheldon of the miraâ—les of Antichrist ca. 4. pag. 52. * Apologie of Eccles. Subordinat cap. 12. in the very end Matt. 24. 5 23 24. Ezâ—k 33. 4 9. Gal. 5. 10. Gal. 6. 18. Quaestio philosophica in Comitis Cantabr Vide passiâ— Horatij Satyram quintam Plauti Pseudolum cuiâ—ste suppâ—r a Sic Blackwellus Archipresbyter in sua ad Catholâ—cos Epistola dat 7. Nouemb. 1605. b Vâ—nculo cucae obedicnlpe obstringi omnes Iesuitas noâ—itios Seminariorum pullos abunde noluin est Quo tenentur quidquid Superior imperaverit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exequi c Iâ—upus Iupus nouit c. d Arij haeresiarchae sophiticuns Acquivoc atorium coram Imperatore Constantino iusiurandum recole apud Sâ—cratem Hist Eccles lib. 1. c. 25. e Plautus in Pseudolo Act. â— Scen. 4. Pseud. Onerabâ—meis praeceptis Simians Quid agat ne quid titubeâ— doctè vt hanc seraâ— sallaciam f Apocal. 9. 11. g Quod olim femplarijs quid â—i tandem Iesititis accidat Aristot. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. cap. 1. h Act. 2. Sc. 2. Pseud. Tu inventus verò meam qui 〈◊〉 fidem i Act. 2. Sc. 3. Pseud. Dy immortales 〈◊〉 contra non 〈…〉 k Act. â— Sc. 8. Nimis 〈◊〉 mortalis dâ—â—tus nâ—mis 〈◊〉 nimis mâ—bes Superavit doâ—â—m Troianum atâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Pseudolus l Act. 2. Sc. 2. Pseud. Hic mihi incusest procudam ego hodie hine multes delos to mule reseruatioâ—un mentaliâ— Iesâ—uiâ— vsitatae Non noâ—i i.e. 〈◊〉 Non vidi 〈◊〉 c. visione bâ—atiâ—icâ—i Velnon vt dicom tibi m Act. 2. Sc. 1. Pseud. Ego in mâ—o pectore ita param câ—pias dupliâ—ts triplicis dolos Posidies vt vbietâ—nque 〈◊〉 hostibus congrediar malorum mcorâ— Frâ—tus virtute dicam mea industâ—a maltitia Fraudulentâ—a Facilâ— vt vinâ—â—l facile vt â—pelicm mcos perducllis meâ— persidijs n Act. 1. Sc. 3. Quid ais quantiâ— terra tegit hominum 〈…〉 c. Bal. fatâ—or Cal. nempe conceptis verbis Bal. â—tiaÌ„ consultis quoque Cal. Periurauisti o Ibidem Pseud. Non potest pietate obsisti â—uic vt res sunt 〈◊〉 Deos quideÌ„ quos maximè aequum est metuere cos minimini facit p Act. 5. Sc. 4. Pseud. Quid 〈…〉 Ch. Anguilla est elâ—bitur q Act. 4. Sc. 6. Bal. Malum sâ—clestum periâ—â—rum arebant esse me S. Pâ—l haud mentituâ— st Bal. 〈◊〉 iratus fui 1 Act. 4. Sc. 1. Pseud. O heminem lepidum It quoque etiam dolis Atque etiaÌ„ mendaâ—â—s Iupiter te mihi seruet * Aequiuocatio circularis s Act. 4. Sc. 1. Vt ego ob tuam Simia perfidiam te amo et metuo magnifacio t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u Act. 4. Sc. 3. Pseud. Peiorem ego hominem magisque versutè malum NunquaÌ„ aedipol quenquam vidi quà m hic est Simia Nimisque ego illum hominem metuo formido male Ne malus item ergame sit vt ergaillum fuit Ne in resecunda mihi obuertat cornua Quaestio philosophico ptoposita in 〈…〉 Affirmâ— * Guido Faux * Garnet les * Parenthesis includit mentalem Iesuitae rescruationem a Thes. 2. 7. b 1. Tim. 4. 1 2. c Luke 4â—1 d Lequendo cum Arte dissimulationis vitatur peccata quae comuuiter committuntur c. Rodriqueâ— sumâ v. mendaâ— nu 4. e Acquiuocatio quam â—citam 〈◊〉 omnino ad mendacia 〈◊〉 vitanda consert Heissias Reâ—ut Aphoris cap. 4. Aphor. 4. nu 130. f Siue recreationis gratiâ siue quocunque alâ—o fine iuret se non fecisse aliquid quod reuera fecit intellâ—gendo intra se aliquid aliud c. reuera non mentitur Sanâ—hoâ— oper moral to 1. l. 3. c. 6. nu 15. pag. 25. g Per 〈◊〉 doctrinam singularem postumus euitare innumera peccata 〈◊〉 passim aliquot negâ—gentiores admittimus negando vel assumando passim sine aliqua subintellectione cum qua coniuncta essent vera Nauar. Commenâ—â—n C. Humanae aur q. 3. nu 13. h Proceeding against Traitors 〈◊〉 l. 1. a Mitigat cap. 8 nu 10. pa. 314. a Ibid. nu 15. b Ibid. nu 10. c Refut Aphoâ—r cap. 4. Apâ—ons 3. nu 129. â— Ioh. 3. 20. Psal. 1. 6. Math. 25. 12. Acts 19. 5. Acts 20. 27. Ioh. 11. 11. a 1. Sam. 16. 1 2. a 〈…〉 maximè in liberâ— sâ—rmone hoc quidem sensu vti licere nemo dubitat Abbot Antilog aduersus Eudaemono loan cap. 2 fol. 18. b Sit per illam ceâ—ndus consiligs tegend isque arcaâ—â— suuo locus Ibidem c Tuscias taciturnitates illas quas narraâ— Confessionum consiâ—â—orum vbi amphibologijs ambiguitatibus consistunt noble non improbari damnâ—ri prorsâ—s à nohis vt mendacio tegantur d Si appellatione Acquiuocationis simplicem quandam modestâ— reticentâ—am signisicet aut dissimulationem consiliorium in hac miscra vita saepe necessariam planè cum ipso sentio Casaubon epi. ad Fronton Duc. pag. 110. a Mitigat cap. 9. nu 53. pa. 382 b Mitigat ca. 12. nu 3 p. 484. c Posium absque mendico 〈◊〉 verba vsurpari etiamsâ— exsâ—â— significatione non suit ambigua nec eum seasum verum admittant exse nec ex circumstantijs occurrentibus sed tantum verum serisum reddant ex aliqo addito mente proferentis retento qâ—â—â—elique illud sit Sanch. oper moral l. 3 c. 6. nu 15. a Mitigat cap. 8. nu 10. pag. 313. b Mitig. cap. 11. nu 14. pag. 447. a Mitig. cap. 10. nu 22. pag. 424 Risum teneatis amici a Mitigat cap. 10. nu 14. pag. 418. a Mitigat cap. 10. num