me to kill a fellon I denie his authoritie this is against the commission of his and my King and in this case of too peremptorie a commaund I acknowledge him no Iustice yet not absolutely no Iustice for if presently he shall commaund me to apprehend the same fellon I willingly obey him He therefore in his former commaund was as it were disjusticed onely by that act of disobedience wherein obedience to him had bene disobedience against the Crowne but yet he remained Iustice in office and therefore comanding iustly I dutifully obeyed him Thus is it in Caluins iudgement in the comparison betweene man and God If the King exalt himselfe to Gods throne then pull him downe that is do not obey yet so that we dispossesse him not of his owne throne which is Gods footstoole Therefore said Caluine In the most wicked King that is enemie to God there is by Gods ordinance an impression of maiestie which is inuiolable and his authoritie is not to be contemned This is cleare in Daniels case wherein Caluin doth insist for Daniel commaunded by the King to worship the Idoll refused cast among Lions was miraculously preserued in the end deliuered then he thus answered the King Against thee O King haue I done none iniquitie Wherein Caluine obserueth that No King ought to thinke it iniquitie to be disobeyed in that which he shall commaund contrary to God because the order of obedience to Kings beginneth at God as S. Peter saith Feare God honour the King This is the summe And is there any King which feareth God that can call this exposition rebellious For to * giue to God that which is Gods doth not depriue a King though most wicked of his due for it followeth Giue vnto Caesar that which belongeth vnto Caesar but you doe not onely take away duties belonging vnto Caesar but also take out of the way Caesar himselfe if opposite vnto your superâ—â—itious doctrines Thus haue I satisfied according to the truth of Caluins opinion Now for his phrase The Phrase of Caluin iniuriously vrged The moderate Answerer But Caluine saith that such a King is to be bereaâ—ed of all authoritie and not to be numbred among men but rather to be spit vpon then obeyed The Reply You haue weighed the words of Caluine in false ballances I would I could say ignorance onely and not also malicious deceit but first of ignorance For when we consider man created with a reasonable soule and after rebelling against his maker shall we not thinke him vnworthy of the name of reasonable man What is this els then that which we reade Man in honour hath no vnderstanding and is become like the beast that perisheth Shewing as ancient Fathers do comment that man by disobedience to God is degenerate froÌ„ his kind and therefore as God said for the presumption of his transgression by an Ironie Behold man is become as one of vs c. So the beasts may say in mans confusion thus Behold man is become like one of vs because he is degenerated froÌ„ the first sanctified reason for which cause our Sauior called Herod a Foxe and his owne Disciple Satan And yet in regard of their offices neither did the Apostle cease to be an Apostle nor Herod to be acknowledged King Nay Nabuchadnezzar by a sauage distraction metamorphosed into the disposition of a brute beast to liue in deserts with beasts yet lost not in the interim the right of his empire The next word of rather spitting in their faces spoken comparatiuely doth not rebelliously teach irreuerence to the maiestie of a King but only emphatically inforce a more zealous obedience vnto God as wheÌ„ I say I had rather burne my hand then write any thing against my conscience I do not danger my hand but I auouch the sinceritie of my conscience Notwithstanding if the word had bin vsed simply yet could it not haue bin vnderstood literally but figuratiuely As when it is written of God that God will spue the luke-warme professor out of his mouth signifying he doth loath such Therefore you must not deale with mens speeches as Salomon teacheth men not to deale with their owne noses He that wringeth his nose too much doth fetch bloud 2. Dâ—ceit Caluin saith say you that such a King is to be bereaued of all authoritie It is noted of Satans temptation that in alledging a text of Scripture He hath giuen his Argels charge oâ—er thee to keep thee in all thy wayes c. the subtile Tempter left out the words of greatest importance In al thy wayes I wil not charge you with imitation of that spirit of lying by substracting for you do but adde onely one word All bereaued of All authoritie But Caluine Abdicant se potestate bereaued of authoritie meaning only in that case of contradiction against God But this kinde of dealing is but ordinary in your moderation Thus is Caluin iâ—stified concerning his doctrine in him also Beza because Beza say you his successor in place succeeded him also both in opinion and practise We haue heard of their opinion Haue you any thing to except against their practise The practise of Caluin and Beza obiected by The moderate Answerer Both Beza and Caâ—…n armed subiects against their Prince at Geneua and as Caluâ—… himselfe Doctor Suâ—cliâ—â—e and the Arch-bishop of Canterburie be witnesses deposed their Soueraigne from his temporall right and euer since continue in that state of Rebellion The Reply I am sure if Caluin hath written to that effect your modesty would not haue concealed it but as the Comedian Poet maketh his parasite to speake Aequè quidquam nunc quidem â—…uen any thing so I mâ—y seeme to say something The booke of Doctor Sutcliâ—fes I could not find and I needed not seeke it for I haue conâ—erred herein with the master who answered me that the booke De Iure Magistratus he neuer thought to be Beza his worke and concerning the State of Geneua the Bishop thereof whom you call Prince and Gouernor of Geneua was neuer there Prince but the state of the towne was a free state of it selfe To make a question whether I should rather beleeue him or you is to doubt whether he that hath bin at Geneua or he that neuer saw it can better report the state thereof The words of Caluine his confession which should haue beâ—e produced are these We haue restored to the Magistrate of Geneua all the ciuill power which those false Bishops had vnder colour of liberâ—ie and priuiledge taken from the Magistrate and by collusion did chalenge to themselues Adde that which may be obserued the continuall contentions partly betweene the Bishops and the Dukes of Sauoy about that soueraignetie partly also of the citizens against them both An argument of no constant consent The conclusion will be that you may rather proue those Bishops to haue bene iniuriously ambitious then the citie rebellious CHAP.
A FVLL SATISFACTION CONCERNING A DOVBLE ROMISH INIQVITIE hainous Rebellion and more then heathenish Aequiuocation Containing three Parts The two former belong to the Reply vpon the Moderate Answerer the first for Confirmation of the Discouerie in these two points Treason and Aequiuocation the second is a Iustification of Protestants touching the same points The third Part is a large Discourse confuting the Reasons and grounds of other Priests both in the case of Rebellion and Aequiuocation DEVT. 32. VERS 32. Their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter Published by Authoritie LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Edmond Weauer 1606. TO THE PVISSANT AND MOST RENOVVMED PRINCE OVR GRACIOVS SOVEraigne Iames by the grace of God King of great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Apostolike faith c. IT is not long sithence most gracious Soueraigne that one inscribed A moderate Answer did traduce before your Maiestie the late Discouerer of Romish rebellious Positions for an iniurious and slanderous Pamphleter Now therefore Innocencie which though naked was neuer ashamed hath charged me to manifest my selfe vnto your Highnesse and together with my Aduersarie to appeale vnto your incomparable wisedome which I do in so constant assurance of an vpright conscience as that I shall willingly remit that iust aduantage which the difference of comparison both betweene a legitimate or conformable subiect and a person suspiciously degenerate as also betweene a Minister of simple truth and a professed Aequiuocator doth offer vnto me and to be contented onely with that respect which the equitie of my cause may allow It hath pleased my Aduersarie thus to decipher me The Discouerer saith he is like to the espiall of king Alexander who brought word that an army of enemies was approching wheÌ„ they were but a small companie of sillie Apes imitating souldiers in a march from the mountaines thus he as a man distempered in his braine and deluded in his fantasie hath beheld our Catholike Priests whom in euery page he calleth seditious and traiterous persons This then onely was my error I thought indeed that I had discouered a companie of men but my Answerer telleth me they were but beastes and I partly beleeue him for what men could euer be so sauage as for so they haue professed concerning Protestants to depriue men of the due respects of all humanitie Notwithstanding though I had bene so much mistaken as not to know that his Monks were but Munkies and his Priests but Apes yet sure I am and he so acknowledgeth that they were a companie of creatures which did imitate souldiers on the mountaines This I then partly discouered and now God willing will proue more plentifully in this Replie The mountaines from whence they march be those Seuen hils of Babylon whereon the woman clothed in scarlet sitteth which by the confession of two most learned Iesuites doth signifie Rome as it must be in the dayes of Antichrist May it now please your sacred Maiestie to see how exactly they imitate Souldiers in their march Parsons teaching persecution against all Kings and States Protestant doth propound for his imitation the example of Dauid in his conflict against Goliah Allen the example of Eliah in calling if it were possible for fire from heauen to consume the messengers of Kings Renalds the example of Iabel to knocke Generals on the head Bellarmine the example of Iehoida and other Priestes for murthering of opposite Queenes Sanders the example of Mattathias who fought against King Antiochus Simancha the example of Heathenish Scythians who murthered their naturall King Scyles Buchier the example of Sampson to kill if they can a thousand of his supposed Philistims with the iaw-bone of an Asse These and many such like be but his sillie Apes which I should rather iudge to be of that kind whereof the prouerbe speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they cannot be discerned but by euents But this Moderate answerer may be referred to our faithfull Replie wherein he will appeare often to haue betrayed his owne title except some will call that moderation which hath in it neither modum nor rationem After the Replie is finished there is presented to your Princely and most religious iudgement a Confutation of the reasons of two of their more then vnreasonable positions as namely of hainous rebellions and execrable aequiuocations both which are refelled I hope sufficiently by the testimonies of their owne most principall Doctors A course which I professe in all disputes knowing that by no better wisedome may this new Babylon be confounded then wherwith God wrought the destruction of the old euen The diuision of their tongues In the first part of the Confutation is examined the ambition of Romish prelacie who would aduance their myters aboue scepters which vsurpation the right honorable Earle of Northampton at the arraignement of Garnet did according to his singular learning formed and habited with sound iudgement publikely conuince of palpable noueltie and insolencie intollerable In the last place is discouered the other mysterie of iniquitie a booke which hath this inscription by the Author A Treatise of AequinocatioÌ„ but thus altered by the Authoriser thereof A Treatise against lying and fraudulent dissimulation We reade of the idolatrous Iewes who worshipping a Golden calfe did name their adoration of an abhominable idole an holy day vnto the Lord. Plutarke maketh mention of certaine Apothecaries who painted vpon their boxes of poison the titles of Antidote or Presernatiues against poison Polydore obserueth that the Popes a long time in their election had their names chaÌ„ged by Antiphrase viz. the elected if he were by naturall disposition fearefull was named Leo if cruell Clemens if vnciuill Vrbanus if wicked Pâ—…s if couetous Bonifacius if in all behauiours intollerable Innocentius So now this Popish Treatise of aequiuocation the notablest Art of lying most bottomlesse dissimulatioÌ„ that euer the prince of darknesse did inuent will be styled A Treatise against lying and fraudulent dissimulation Yet why may not a lying title best befit the doctrine of lying dissimulation Which kind of publike transfiguration of sinne into the habite of vertue as it were the Angell of darknesse into an Angell of light S. Bernard often nameth Daemon meridianus The diuell at noone day Notwithstanding lest that the publishing of this cursed Arte might in respect of the more carnally minded aedificare ad gehennam edifie vnto hell as that reuerend Bishop of Chichester learned father of our Church hath said I haue so framed this dispute that it may seeme I hope to be like Aristotle his bookes of naturall Philosophie So published as not published because the clause of mentall Reseruation the taile of this serpent wherin the whole poyson lyeth is alwayes deliuered in Latine phrase to this end that onely the guiltie partie by his sensible coniecture may perceiue his error confuted and yet the ignorant though desirous to touch pitch may not be defiled Which doctrine because it is acknowledged
your fellowship in faithful subiection But lingua quo vadis CHAP. XII The second kind of Recriminations against protestants is in the second wickednes of Aequiuocation YOu returne the guilt of this cursed doctrine vpon Protestants after two fashions Reasoning Railing 1. Reasoning if it may be called Reason which is mixed with most slanderous vntruths but you wold be heard speake with good will The moderate Answerer But to speake vnto this Obiector concerning Protestants proceedings in aquiuocating Luther vsed it at his pleasure now appealing to the Pope and after renouncing his authoritie Cranmer did often recant his errors by othes and again ofteÌ„ defend them counter fetted the hands of fiftie Conuocation men Fox himselfe being iudge to giue alying credit to his false cause but excused his false oaths by equiuocation Protestants of England in the dayes of K. Henrie the eight King Edward the sixt and Queene Elizabeth did equiuocate Such was the proceeding of P. Martyr and Bucer two great Professors of Diuinitie in Oxford and Cambridge Such was the Protestant adherents the Dukes of Northumberland and Suffalke and now the ordinary vse of Puritanes The Reply Luther Cranmer and others as they were perswaded that the Bishop of Rome was a faithfull Bishop did sweare obedience vnto him but afterwards being better illuminated did renounce him as Antichristian But if all recantation shall be thus censured then might you teach S. Augustine to retract his retractations But we wil not denie their infirmities for it hath pleased God to note the like in his chosen Saints in holy writ to the amplifying of the glory of his grace in their repentance and his pardon Yet was not there in these acts any equiuocation no more then in the acts of Peter who at the cock-crow went out of the high Priests hall and wept bitterly Thus Cranmerawaked by the call of the spirit of God executed vengeance vpon that hand which subscribed vnto your idolatrous seruice Burned it in the fire Then whatsoeuer his dissimulatioÌ„ was he thought it worthy of repentance not as you do think your equiuocation worthy of defence whereas in the truth of Christianitie there is the same punishment due to your equiuocating tongues which he executed vpon his dissembling hand O but Fox is witnesse that he defended himselfe by saying he did equiuocate I am sure you would not haue bene indebted vnto vs for the words if they had bene extant I found the place of M. Fox but no mention of equiuocation A monster not hatched in those times That which was obiected by Doctor Weston is there satisfied by M. Cranmer but you are more rigorous then auncient Aduersaries Yet further would I demand why Protestants turning from Papacie in the daies of King Edward must be condemned for such as haue equiuocated and Papists reuolting from Protestants in the raigne of Queene Mary must be thought to haue bene innocents The moderate Answerer Aequiuocating was practised by Caluine as the Lord of Canterbury and Beza and others record The Reply I reported this your accusation to my Lord of Canterbury and his Grace answered that you had wronged his testimony for I am sure said his Grace that this mystery in those times was not set abroach We also examined the book you alledge and find not one syllable for your purpose But what can we expect from you Patrons of lying equiuocation but in your accusations against Protestants equiuocating lies The most moderate Answerer in his railing Luther was so vile in this kind of equiuocating that neuer pillory mate behaued himselfe so as he did Cogging lying equiuocating dissembling was practised by Caluine who was banished for a dissembling seducer Cranmer periured himselfe and excused it by equiuocation The Reply In these your lying slanders you giue vs good hope that you will leaue your equiuocating lies because as though you detested the impietie thereof you vilifie it with these termes vile equiuocating adiudging it worthy the pillory matching it with cogging lying seducing periury This is yet very wel But we find that true which the Orator saith Natura suilena Euery man naturally is a band vnto himselfe Now you examining your Glycerie equiuocation in your aduersaries Luther Cranmer Caluine O then it is vile cogging lying seducing c. But beholding her in your owne embracements so In equiuocating there is nolie nor sinne Adulterous Iudah iudging of Thamar whom he had vnknowingly knowne hearing that she was brought in for an adulteresse gaue presently sentence Let her be burned but when by certaine euidences and pledges she made it knowne vnto him that if she were the woman he was the maÌ„ then he confesseth She is more righteous then I. There was some modestie in this but what moderation do you vse to adiudge equiuocation which you fasâ—ly faine to be in Protestants to the pillory and for your selues in whom the Leprosie raigneth to vse an Apologie Thus haue I iustified the innocent whose names your equiuocating spirit hath wickedly traduced for whom this might haue bin a sufficient answer that because you bring onely accusations without proofe If it be sufficient to haue accused who can be innocent For our Lord Iesus euen innocency it self was accused who of his grace turne you to repentance that these your slaunders be not layd vnto your charge THE THIRD PART Which is a Confutation of the principles of Romish doctrine in two points 1. The supreme head of Rebellion 2. The impious conceit of Aequiuocation Concerning the first this shall be our Conclusion The Pope hath no authoritie from God to depose Kings or dispose of their Kingdomes CHAP. I. Romish Obiections answered THIS pretended predominance of the Pope in temporall causes whether Directly or indirectly considered in the which diuision of gouerning the Romish schoole is at this day extremely diuided if it be from God it will sure plead Scriptum est and be warranted by Gods word either in the Olde or New Testament This point is discussed by the state of Gods church in the Olde Testament Obiect 1. In the generall view The Romish Pretence The high Priests in the Olde Testament were supreme in ciuill causes Ergo Ought to be in the New The Answer This is so contrary to the Story in holy writ that by the examples of Kings in ordering though neuer in ordeining of Priests the Iesuits are inforced to allow that the King was supreme ouer the Priest Their reasons Because sayth one in the Synagogne of the Iewes was a state rather earthly than heauenly so that in that people which was as in the body of a man consisting of body and soule the carnall part was more eminent Meaning the temporall to haue beene supreme Or as another sayth more conceitedly The Temporall state exceeded the Spirituall in the olde Law as much as the Substantiue is more excellent than the Adiectiue In both these we dislike their comparison and accept
the Question There is a double kind of falshood in speech The first hath respect to the thing spoken the other to the mind of the speaker The example of the former If thinking it to be ten of the clocke when it is but nine I shall say it is ten this is false but not a lie Because None must be iudged a liar saith Saint Augustine who speaketh false thinking it to be true which he speaketh because heerein his purpose is not to deceiue the hearer but he is only deceiued in himselfe The other when thinking that to be false which I speake I affirme it to be true and so on the contrary as thinking it to be ten of the clocke shall say it is nine thus whether it be ten or no I do lie and thus sometimes a man doth lie in speaking a truth As the Client who hauing in his pocket both counterfet and currant gold intending to cozen his Counsellour with the woorse mettall by chance gaue him the better saying Sir I cannot be vnthankefull to any that shall deserue well heere is an Angell and so he departed a falsly true a deceiued deceiuer and an vnthankefully thankefull man The first kind of false speech is against truth as it is defined Logically A congruity or consent of the speech with the thing the second falshood is defined morally as it is opposite to truth which is a consonancy of the speech with the vnderstanding of the speaker and this falsity we call properly a lie The former kind saith S. Augustine speaketh falslie for want of knowledge the latter speaketh falsly against his knowledge and conscience properly a liar And only of this liar now we frame our dispute CHAP. II. NOw we must come into the lists of this conflict and enter vpon our Aequiuocator to conuince him a grosse liar by manifest arguments and to answer all his Obiections in their due order The first Argument from the definition of a lie Maior Whosoeuer vseth any signification of speech against his conscience is properly a liar Minor But our Aequiuocator doth vse a signification of speech directly against his conscience Ergo he is directly a liar The Minor is not onely the confession but also the profession of our Aequiuocator as hath beene shewed If a Catholicke saith he shall answere The Priest is not in my house contrary to his perfect knowledge c. And can any man of conscience deny the conclusion Yet because we haue to deale against consciences Dawbed vp with mortar vntempered we adde A confirmation of the former Argument Let vs consult with the principall Doctour of your more ancient schoole as the first of all with him who for his excellencie obteined the name of Master as it were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his time This is properly lying saith he when a manspeaketh any thing contrary to that which he thinketh in his mind This Doctour is seconded heerein by Aquinas who in your opinion was not second to any in or since his time This is proper to a lie saith he when a man will signifie in outward words another thing then that which he thinketh in his mind In which consideration S. Hierome about to free S. Paul from suspition of lying who promised to the Corinthians to come vnto them but did not S. Paul saith he did not lie because he purposed with his hart to doe that which he had promised with his pen but he only is a liar who thinketh contrary to that which he speaketh For Euery lie saith Saint Augustine is that false witnesse which is forbid in the commandemnet therefore it is that our Lord Christ doth admonish euery one Let there not be in your speech yea nay but let your yea be yea and your nay nay This being his iudgement against as I may so say Sarai a free speech what thinke you he determineth concerning Hagar the bond-woman that is such a speech as is obliged by an oath This is a formall property of periurie saith S. Augustine to sweare that which I thinke is false for nothing can make a guilty tongue but only a guilty mind To endeuour to prooue this point by testimonies of all men who maintaine it were a labour infinit and it may seeme also vnnecessary to confirme vnto men that which no man can deny Now must we examine whether that we haue not by this proofe so intrapped the fox Aequinocatour that he cannot find any hole whereby to escape The Aequiuocatour Though the Catholicke thinke the Priest to be in his house yet may he answer No with a secret Reseruation in his mind as this Vt narremtibi Or demanded whether I be a Priest notwithstanding contrary to my knowledge I may answer No with a secret reseruation Vt me detegam The Replie Suffer me Socratically to debate this point with you and answer me friendly to these demands Q. When being asked whether you are a Priest you answer No what signification hath this word No R. It doth signifie directly I am no Priest Q. And yet you thinke you are a Priest R. Yea I know it Q. Wherewith doe you know it R. By my inward mind and vnderstanding my conscience testifying this vnto me Q. Can conscience beare witnesse then can it also speake R. It speaketh as verily to my inward soule as my tongue speaketh sensibly to your eares Q. When therefore I aske you whether you be a Priest your conscience saying to your selfe I am would it not say the same to me likewise if I could heare it R. Certainly it would Q. Yet it may be your mind may demurre or varie in that which it thinketh as namely thinking thus I am a Priest yet to be able to perswade your soule and say I am no Priest R. Vnpossible for this is an infallible position Mens non potest non intelligere quod intelligit The mind cannot possibly but thinke that which it thinketh Q. And it is as vnpossible but I am the direct voice of your conscience and I am not the expresse voice of your tongue must be as contrary as yea and nay R. True Q. Then will this be as true that when your conscience affirmeth that which your tongue denieth that your tongue speaketh against your Conscience And this is that which we haue proued to be flat lying a conclusion which no art of Aequiuocation can possibly auoid Our Aequiuocator conceiteth a double intention of the mind the one directly respecting the signification of the words and thus they grant that the Nay of their tongue was contrary to the yea of their vnderstanding the second is an indirect intention which is a clause of Reseruation Vt dicam tibi Whereby they would reconcile their tongue to their mind Whereas our Witnesses haue thus determined that truth and falsity doth consist only in the conformity or contrariety of the signification of the words and direct intention of the mind plainely
calling it a lie When one shall speake words saith Aquinas which doe not signifie that which he intendeth When he speaketh otherwise then he thinketh saith S. Hierome When he speaketh that which hee thinketh is false saith S. Augustine But the indirect intention of the speaker Vtreuelem tibi cannot alter the signification of his outward words I am no Priest which his direct intention of conscience doth contradict saying But I am a Priest Ergo our Aequiuocating Priest cannot possibly reconcile such a contradiction of his hart and his tongue Wherefore we will desire S. Augustine to conclude against our Aequiuocatours Whosoeuer shall sweare that which he knoweth is false is but a detestable beast CHAP. III. The second Argument from the Definition of Aequiuocation The Aequiuocator must speake WE will speake with Aristotle and the Logicians speaking of foure propositions first mentall only conceiued in the minde secondly vocall vttered with my mouth thirdly written which I haue called literall and the fourth mixt when we mingle some of these propositions together when one part is expressed outwardly as to say I know him not the other part reserued in my mind as to say Vt tibi significem both ioined together make vp one true proposition The Replie Dare you appeale vnto Logicke This is the Art of all Arts and the high Tribunall of reason and truth it selfe which no man in any matter whether it be case of humanity or diuinity can iustly refuse Consult therefore with the ancient Logicians and proue marke what scope I yeeld vnto you that from the beginning of the world in the whole currant of so many thousand generations of mankinde till within the compasse of these last foure hundred yeeres and lesse that euer any Logician whether Infidell or Beleeuer did allow your mixt proposition which is partly mentall and partly verball or thinke it a Proposition and I will be which my soule vtterly detesteth an Aequiuocator Yet I must not now expect impossibilities to trie what you would proue but shew herein what I can disproue The Argument Your proposition I am no Priest mixed with your mentall reseruation Vt tibireuelem if it be true it is so either in his simple signification or by vertue of Aequiuocation but it is not true in his simple signification this you grant neither can it be true by vertue of Aequiuocation this I prooue Aequiuocation in word or speech sayth the Oracle of all Logicians is when one word or one speech doth equally signifie diuers things As when one shall say I am afrayd of a Dogge this word Dogge hath a triple signification for it signifieth aswell a fish in the sea called a Dogge-fish a signe in the heauenly spheare wherein when the Sun hath his course we call the dayes Dogge-dayes or as thirdly it doth signifie mans faithfull seruant a barking dogge Therefore when he sayth I feare a Dogge whether he meaneth he is afrayd of the housholde dogge to be bit with his teeth or to be drowned and so deuoured of the Sea dogge or to goe mad by the poisonfull influences of the Planeticall dogge If I say he vnderstand any of these kinds this his speech is true I am afrayd of a dogge But your mixt and patched proposition is not one word or speech signifying equally diuers things but contrarily as you pretend diuers parts of speech one in the minde and another in the mouth signifying one thing for I am no Priest and To tell it to the what words can be more different which whosoeuer shall call Aequiuocall may be iustly suspected to be bit with the highest dogge the position is so absurd and vnreasonable The Aequiuocator doth insist His Obiection Voices and writings are ordemed for instruments and signes to expresse a Proposition which is in the minde therefore may I expresse all in word or all in writing and the proposition in the minde remaineth the same So may I by another mixt proposition expresse some part and reserue some part in my minde For example If when I say God is not should lose presently my speech before I could vtter the word following vniust which hauing my pen in my hand I exhibit by writing who doubteth but all that is but one proposition the trueth whereof consisteth of the mixture of both parts together So is it where one part is deliuered with the mouth and the other reserued in the minde The Replie It were better that both you I should become speechlesse and handlesse than either in word or writing to minister such a bainfull Conclusion vnto the world But to the matter Voices and writings say you are outward signes of the inward propositions of the minde This is true What then And the part wanting in voice is supplied by the other word in writing This is also true But why Because words and writings be mutuall signes and interpretations of the minde This is againe most true What can you inferre from all this So the signification of the part outwardly expressed I am no Priest may be supplied with the other part of the proposition reserued in my minde Vt tibinarrem I tell you this comparison is vtterly false For the foresaid Oracle in his booke intituled The interpretation of speech saith that Euery proposition enunciatiue that is euery outward speech whether by word or writing whether affirming or denying is ordeined for signification that is as you haue well said to expresse some thing But no mentall or inward conceit of the minde is ordeined of God as a signe to expresse or signifie as words and writings doe but as a thing signified hath need to be expressed and expounded Such is your mentall clause reserued Vt narrem tibi Can you make this a signe or instrument to expresse signifie your true meaning which you haue purposely deuised for a den to lurke in lest your false meaning might be signified and reuealed Thus haue you by your comparison of voices and writings made a strong loope whereby to strangle your selfe This is confirmed by S. Augustine Euery speech sayth he whether it affirme or deny any thing is to be referred vnto that which it doth affirme or deny But your Negatiue I am no Priest can not be referred to your supposed true clause Vt narrem tibi for it doth not signifie any such thing but only to your Priesthood In which simple signification it is by your owne opinion most false A delusion notably confuted by your owne Seraphicall Doctor who affirmeth that A speech is so farre foorth true as it is a signe of a true vnderstanding But your voice you know is contrary to your vnderstanding And as concerning Voice which is the signe he addeth from Aristotle That it is against nature to signifie any thing by words which we haue not in our minde If then this equiuocation be vnnaturall we haue not without reason called it a Monster And now we will shew your
of honour as to haue beene an Inginer and worker in the Powder-vault together with Piercie and Catesbie brethren in that euill and thus is the noble person made guilty of high treason but after by more exact triall of circumstances it is found that the man of honour was neuer incorporate in that conspiracie what can you answer for your Gâ—… What else but as your Garnet answered for your Tresham I thinke he did aequiuocate saying The honourable man was present in that vault reseruing in his thought this clause Quatenus vir longissimè absens praesens esse potuit But answer for we wil draw you out of that foxe hole He swearing according to these words This man was one of vs Pioners did his words accord with his direct meaning No then was not his oath a veritate from truth But did his oath the second propertie of a true oath confirme a truth No for it did betray an innocent then was it not pro veritate for truth Therefore call you such an oath Aequiuocation or Reseruation or secret limitation or what you will our great grandfathers I am sure would haue termed it periâ—rie and adiudged it to the pillorie a shame too little for so shamelesse a collusion For seeing that Periurie though not in the iniurie to man yet in it owne iniquity is a more grieuous sinne than murder it may be wished that mentall aequiuocation might haue a corporall suspension and where any of whatsoeuer profession he be shall be found guilty of both murder and the aequiuocating clause of Reseruation the sinne of Reseruation may haue a reseruation of punishment that if for the one he hang by the neck for the other he may hang iointly by the tongue as it is written Iuxta peccatum ita erit poenae modus CHAP. VI. Our fift Argument from the principall subiects of Truth God and Lying the Diuell 1. God HEb 6. 17. God willing to shew more abundantly vnto the heires of promise the stablenesse of his Counsell bound himselfe by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lie we might haue strong consolation c. Heere we see the nature of a lie To be so absolutely euill in it owne nature as which all Diuines hold that nothing can make it good Therefore so it is said that to say it is vnpossible that our good God father of truth should lie is as much as to say it is impossible for goodnesse to be euill or for truth to be a â—ie because this is as contradictorie as God not to be God Hence we argue Maior That which God can not doe by reason of lying iniquity hath in it the iniquity of a lie Minor But your aequinocating conceit is that which for the lying iniquity thereof God can not possibly doe Therefore it is a godlesse and lying wickednesse The Minor proued If God by an oth of promising saluation in Christ could vse your aequiuocation then should the Elect of God not haue any strong consolation when God by word or oath he promiseth life and though his spirit witnesseth to the spirits of his Elect that they are the sonnes of God and that they shall no perish yet might they suspect which blasphemie farre be it from the hearts of his Regenerate that it is spoken with some secret reserued clause of delusion But let God be true and euery especially aequiuocating man a liar as it is written for he who is Trueth will be iustified when this sect continuing in this sinne must necessarily be condemned The principall subiect of lying is the Diuell Because when the voice of the Almighty had denounced death to the Transgressours saying Eating of this fruit ye shall die the Diuell in his instrument contradicting that trueth sayd You shall not die at all he is therefore truely called A liar from the beginning From whence we may argue thus Maior That can not be a doctrine of trueth which stoppeth a mans mouth that he can not giue the Diuell the lie Minor But admitting your aequiuocation all mankinde is silenced as not able to giue the Diuell his due title of a Liar Ergo aequiuocating is no doctrine of trueth The Minor proued For Eue who was catechized in this trueth God sayd that if we eat we shall die and hearing the Diuels contrary suggestion Though you eat you shall not die might she not say to the serpent Spirit thou liest If she might not then is that no lying spirit which is father of all lies if she might then is your close aequiuocating a lie Otherwise the Diuell might haue freed himselfe as you do saying I sayd truely for I did aequiuocate The Minor confirmed Though the Diuell haue plunged himselfe in Abyssum the bottomlesse gulfe of wickednesse as to do wickedly for loue of wickednesse Yet is there not the most desperate sinner amongst men but if he could he had rather by honest than by wicked meanes atchieue whatsoeuer his wicked heart lusteth after We will borrow of you an example The late intended conspiracie which as you confesse was so hainous an impiety that God and heauen condemne it men and earth detest it Now then what wickednesse vnder heauen would not these Conspirators haue attempted which haue beene found guilty of so damnable a mischiefe Yet am I persuaded that for aduancement of their Religion they would neuer haue practised by powder if they could haue preuailed with paper All which I produce to this end to let you vnderstand that if mentall aequiuocation were lawfull and did qualifie a false speech to free it from a lie no man instructed in that Art would or could lie and so we should seeme to liue in an Outopia where men shall be conuicted of most manifest aequiuocating falshood only he shall be the liar that giueth the conuicted the lie CHAP. VII The sixt Argument from examples of dissimulation condemned by 1. Scriptures 2. Fathers 3. Pagans 1. Scripture ACts 5. 1. Ananias with Saphira his wife solde a possession and kept backe part of the price his wife being of counsell with him and the other part he brought and layd it downe at the Apostles feet Then sayd Peter Why hath Satan filled thine heart that thou should'st lie thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God When Ananias heard these words he fell downe and gaue vp the ghost After this came in his wife ignorant of that which was done and Peter sayd vnto her Tell me Sold you the land for so much and she sayd Yea for so much and Peter sayd Why haue you agreed together to tempt the spirit of the Lord and she fell downe and yeelded vp the ghost These pretended to bring all their substance and to tender it to the Apostles for the common good of the Saints an act proper to the infancy of the Church but they reserued one halfe for supply of their peculiar vses if happily they might
naturall reason Thus If I were alone and should talke with my selfe and say one thing vnderstanding a thing different from that this is not a lie Ergo mentall aequiuocation is iust and true The Answer Of these two most diuine properties whereby man is discerned from beasts Ratio oratio Reason and speech the vse of speech was not ordained for a looking glasse whereby a man might see himselfe but as the Interpreter of the mind whereby he might be knowen of others as the learned Philosopher looking earnestly vpon a Scholar professed in all arts Loquere inquit vt tâ— videam Speake quoth he my friend that I may see thee Now because there is no man of sound braines but he knoweth before he speake what his tongue vttereth there can be no neede that by speech hee should interpret his owne meaning to himselfe no more then a man may be properly said to steale his owne goods or commit adultery with his owne wife because both these are actions ad extra that is without a man and haue relation to others then to our selues Which is yet more apparant heerein seeing that he cannot be said properly to speake vnto himselfe who cannot properly be said to lie to himselfe but whosoeuer can lie to himselfe may also by speech properly deceaue himself because a lie is described to be a false speech to this end To deceiue And can any by any wilfull lie deceiue his owneselfe as thereby be made ignorant of his owne meaning This were to distract a man from himselfe Therefore this naturall reason taken from the speech of man with himselfe might best befit a pure naturall or some person distracted namely such a one as being beside himselfe can best talke with himselfe The second Obiection from Reason The Aequiuocator When there is a mixt proposition the two different parts make one c. The Answer This is already answered and proued that this patch of mixture is no better than a new peece of cloth in an old garment which maketh the rent greater CHAP. X. The Obiections from examples of Scriptures in the Old and New Testament 1. From the old The Aequiuocator THe Scripture telleth vs how Iaacob told his Father Isaac that he was his eldest sonne Esau which was not so in the sense of the Patriarch Isaac c. The Answer First Esau as your Cardinall Caietan saith Which is also the opinion of many learned Doctors being a proper name which Isaac did purposely restraine to that particular person saying Art thou my eldest sonne Esau Iaacob heerein is inexcusable from alie Secondly your Aequiuocators doe prescribe the vse of this your art to be put in practise onely before a iudge or hearer incompetent and shall wethinke that Isaac the blessed Patriarch and father of the promised seede could be an vnfit and incompetent hearer of his sonne now only crauing his blessing This Disputer therefore to speake mildly is incompetent although I must confesse this example is very semblable to your persons in whom we heare Iaacobs dissembling voice but feele the rough hands of Esau who intended the murder of his brother The second example The Aequiuocator Such aequiuocation did the Prophet Ieremie vse Ier. 38. 26. when he tooke aduice of the King The Answer You discernÌ„e nothing in the outward speech of this Prophet but a lie falsely imagining an inward aequiuocation of thought which no man can discerne But your ancient expositour telleth vs that The very outward speech of Ieremy was true as may appeare saith he in that the King swore vnto him that he would not kill him nor deliuer him ouer into the hands of those Princes Neither is it probable that the King did grant any thing to Ieremy which he did not require Which is plaine by the 15. verse Againe if we iudge the outward speech of Ieremy was false yet is it not written for our imitation but for direction that as S. Augustine doth obserue in the like examples Casus maiorum sit cautio minorum the faults and slidings of the stronger might be warnings to the weaker According to the wisedome of the holy Ghost in S. Paul saying Let him that standeth tâ—ke heed lest he fall Howsoeuer for your glosse of mentall resernation shew vs but one Father whether Greeke or Latine one Pope whether Catholicke or Antichristian one Author whether learned or vnlearned who did euer so fancie But now you shall receiue A generall Answer to all examples of the old Testament wherein there may be any scarres of infirmities from Saint Augustine We reade of such kind of examples in holy writ not that because we beleeue they were done we should therefore beleeue they may lawfully be done lest when we would imitate examples of men we transgresse the precepts of God This Answer doth S. Augustine vse against the Heretickes of his time called Prisâ—â—lliâ—…ists who defended lying by the same examples whereby you would defend Aequiuocating yet not so modestly I confesse as you doe for they maintained openly lying in his proper name you couertly vnder an adopted name of Aequiuocation an euident argument that those Heretickes whose best refuge was lying either by ignorance knew not your aequiuocating crotchet or according to the common language of Diuinity in those times called it by his proper name lying And yet your booke for aequiuocating must be intituled A Treatise forsooth against lying CHAP. XI Examples out of the new Testament obiected The principall be foure The first Example The Aequiuocator THe infallible Verity saith to his Disciples Ioh. 11. All things which I haue heard of my Father haue I manifested vnto you Yet in the chapter following affirmeth that he had many things to say vnto them but they were not able to beare them away then Therefore must the first proposition be vnderstood according to his meaning reserued Aequiuocation therefore is euidently conuinced out of thiâ— speech of our Sauiour who is infallible truth The Answer I answer with S. Augustine that Now mans infirmity plaies her part but know that no man learneth of christity to be adulterous or of godlinesse to be impious or of bounty to be iniurious and shall we learne of truth to be liers and periurious God forbid Touching the text your owne Bishop Iansenius answering this obiection saith that These kinds of speeches and all such are to be expounded according to the circumstances either of state place time or condition of the persons speaking or to whom they were spoken as namely that Whatsoeuer you aske my Father in my name he will giue you what any thing absolutely nay but vpon condition it be expedient for you So heere Christ saying I haue manifested all things it is expounded by the circumstance of the present state signifying All that appertaine vnto you to be knowen So then heere is no concealed sense to deceiue the hearer but it is euident
Gregory who vseth words which are not intended to deceiue another but to shew that he is deceiued as the Prophet Michaiah dealt with Ahab 1. Reg. 22. The story is plaine when King Ahab was bent to go to fight against Ramoth Gilead all the false Prophets promised him a prosperous warfare the King calleth for Micheas and asketh Shall we go vp against Ramoth Gilead or no the Prophet answered Go vp and prosâ—er When notwithstanding he knew that the King should perish but this was an irony and in a sense knowen to the King himselfe who therefore charged him to speake seriously Therefore the Prophet spoke these words now according to the meaning of the false Prophers in scorne as When a sicke man shall take water died with a red colour which he is perswaded to be wine we would say in iesting manner well drinke your wine thereby to tell him his errour and not to cause him to erre so here these disciples not perswaded that Christ was risen from death but held him as a stranger and passenger feined himselfe a passenger to go forward Come to the literall and historicall sense He made as though he would go furder and they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is did compell or constraine him saying Abide with vs and he abode with them And now it appeareth he meant as he seemed to goe further but after was ouercome by their curteous importunity to yeeld vnto them as the Angell of God was by the vrgent request of holy Loth heereby teaching vs a double instruction in respect of man not to be peruerse but when our occasions may suffer vs to yeeld to the sweet violence of curtuous humanity in respect of God Who loueth an importunate beggar to be instant in praier knowing that God who in our remisnesse will by withdrawing his graces seeme to go from vs yet condescendeth in mercy to our importunity and will abide with vs. If therefore we consider the figuratiue sense then in this fiction there could not be your aequiuocation for it was done to instruct them and not to deceiue them If we imbrace the literall then it was no fiction but a plaine and familiar humane practise as any one who departeth from his friends is truely said to depart What reason or religion then shall we call this which thus from an action of sensible instruction would prooue an aequiuocating dissimulation a reseruation insensible that is to say a deceitfull delusion turning by this meanes the Oracle of the sonne of God Christ Iesus authour of the truth into the Oracle of Delphos the professed diuellish schoole of Sophisticall aequiuocations The fourth place The Aequiuocatour Iesus said to his Disciples I will not go vp to the feast at Hierusalem and yet afterward went meaning as Bellarmine in his Dictates doth expound not as the Messias but in secret or as S. Cyrill doth interpret not to solemnize it publickely or as S. Augustine will haue it not to manifest my glory or else not the first or second day but in the middest of the weeke Thus haue wee from Scriptures and Fathers sufficiently proued our mixt proposition The Answer You haue bestowed many leaues in Commenting vpon this text to euince from hence your reserued conceit let me borrow a little leaue to pleade aswell for truth as you do for a lie and shew you how expounding this place you blinded with the loue of your Thais had rather snatch at any meaning then take that which is meant for those words I will not go vp in the Greeke are I will not go vp yet and then as your Iesuite Maldonate well obserueth He who saith he will not go vp yet doth not denie that he will not go vp at all and therefore going ap afterwards that act doth not contradict his former speech and so all doubt and question is easily assoiled But your Helena the Latin vulgar text must be imbraced for Albeit saith our Aequiuocator in all the Greeke coâ—ies it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nondum not yet yet all Catholickes are bound to admit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non not because it is so in the vulgar edition How farre they erre from Catholickes heerein I haue elsewhere shewed how wee are to esteeme of the Greeke translation in this present text may appeare by the testimony of your forenamed Iesuit saying Almost innumerable Greeke copies haue I will not yet ascend and in that most ancient Vatican copie vniuersally commended throughout the world it is soreâ—d which reading many graue and learned Fathers do fellow Yet we will not so strictly challenge our right in this equity approoued by all antiquity which is that as in discerning pure water rather to examine it by the fountaine then the riuer so we iudge of the truth of texts by the Originall rather then by the translation For your Latin text doth sufficiently betoken the same sense of the Greeke Not yet so do two of the principall Doctors of your Church paraphrase the first is your some-time Iesuite and late Cardinall Tollet I will not go up that is saith he not yet because my time when I must goe vp is not yet fulfilled which being fulfilled then I will goe vp lest that his Disciples should haue beene offended at his absence from the solemne feast at 〈…〉 rusalem because the obseruation of Iewish rites was not yet abolished Christ did not absolutely denie to goe but did signifie that after a while he would go vp For the word Not in the Latin is the same with not yet in the Greeke as appeareth in the words following For my time is not yet fulfilled Our next witnesse is your bishop Iaâ—senius who from the sound light of the text concludeth that Not signifieth plainly not yet and that this is the proper expositioÌ„ of the place Adding ouâ— of Erasmus That many ancient Latin translations follow the Greeke hauing not yet Therefore this text admitteth no reseruation What shall we then say to the other expositions obiected only this that whatsoeuer exposition they vnderstand did thinke that the same was aswell vnderstood of the Apostles as of themselues For if the Apostles haâ— not tâ—… that Christ would haue gone at all to the feast they should haue beene scandalized saith your Iansenius But your coined Reseruation is alwaies supposed of you to be a clause concealed and not vnderstood Therefore in all these expositions alledged there appeareth not the least haire of your foxtaile you call Aequiuocation Scriptures forsake you or rather you them now you will haue recourse vnto Fathers CHAP. XII Obiections from Fathers The Aequiuocator SAint Gregorie lib. 26. moral cap. 7. teacheth that we ought not to respect wâ—rds but the intent of the speaker Ergo the intent maketh the Proposition true The Answer You roue from the marke your learned Doctor will direct you to vnderstand the meaning of S. Gregory as thus Gregory doth in
Christian soules Now because by experience in reading your best authors I haue obserued that the Romish Church hath beene bold often to publish to the world lying Reuelations lying Miracles lying Priuiledges lying Legends and Stories Slanders and other lying Reports All which I am as able particularly to shew as to name and would also if it were not impertinent in this Treatise and it may be some moderate answerer will by someidle Reioinder heereafter extort them Seeing also that your Superiors both secular and Iesuitical haue autorised this art of lying and that all such conceits are esteemed with them but as piae fraudes godly deceits as though the euill of them Deceit were veniall and not so only but because it is mixed with Godly that is with a good intent it becommeth also meritorious I must entreat patience of the gentle Reader to peruse a Christian reason able to ouerthrow a thousand such Antichristian and heathenish profanations For it is written Rom. 13. 7. If the verity of God haue more abounded through my lie vnto his glory why do we not euill that good may come thereof as some affirme we do say whose damnation is iust The argument of the Apostle is this though it be most true in the verity of God that mans vnrighteousnesse as for example a lie doth redound to the glory of Gods grace in pardoning of the same vnrighteousnesse of man by Iesus Christ according to that verity of the Gospell of remission of sin yet God forbid that any man should therfore multiply vnrighteousnesse in sinning as for example lying that Gods glorie may be magnified in forgiuing Shewing that it were blasphemie to teach that it is lawfull for any to lie although it would establish and aduance the glorie of God in that wherein God is most glorified euen the glory of his grace in pardoning of sinne by Christ Iesus And therefore the Romish godlesse deceits must be bundled vp with those condemned Wilworshippes Gedeons Ephod Sauls sacrifice Vza his supporting of the arke Ieroboams altars Pauls persecuting of Gods Saints yea the crucifying of Christ the sonne of God all which notwithstanding their pretended good intents are subiect to the same iust condemnation And why holy Iob hath debated this matter long ago Will ye talke deceitfully saith he for Gods cause or will you accept his person Will you make a lie for him as one lieth for a man he will surely reproue you Doubtlesse because God is truth but no man will defend any thing no not a lie but he wil defend it in the name of truth for who will say I lie therfore it is true Can then any without blasphemy defend the cause of the God of all iustice and truth with a lie CHAP. XX. The Protestants last Argument against Aâ—quiuocation from the effects The Confirmation of both our former Conclusions The effects be of foure kinds It 1. Dissolueth the naturall policie of all kingdomes 2. Challengeth all Romish Priests and their adherents in this kingdome to the racke 3. Gaineth the infamie of deceit and lying vpon the professed Aequiuocators 4. Begetteth scandall to soules blasphemies against Christ in the profession of the holy faith The first THe last anchor that man can cast for any security in this tumultuous and tempestuous world in any Common-wealth is an oath for mans name goods lands and life whensoeuer they be formally called in question doe all in the end depend vpon the presumption of the testimony of witnesses in the trueth of their oath and in one word for the end of all contentions the last linke of confirmation is ordeined an oath For preseruation therefore of the integritie of an oath all Nations haue prouided punishments for all such as wilfully transgresse therein some countries adiudging the periured to be whipped others to be hanged others to be slit in the nose others to be branded in the forhead and the iudiciall law of God doth command legem talionis that euery false witnesse should suffer that euill or losse which by his false swearing he would haue brought vpon another eye for eye hand for hand life for life And in all the kingdomes of the world from all generations the offence in an oath is called Periurie which is a lie in an oath But if the secret intention might excuse from lying then could neuer any haue beene iustly condemned for periury or false witnesse Thus the false witnesses suborned against Naboth the false witnesses against chaste Susanna the witnesses against Christ the iust one euen the only iust might each one haue iustified themselues saying We spoke trueth for we did aequiuocate And thus all humane lawes against periury must haue beene abolished The second effect which must moue the Aequiuocators to giue ouer this art is extremity against their owne bodies Because they who by their aequiuocating do professe to conceale most desperate treasons till they come to be tortured do necessarily challenge the racke but all Romish Priests and their disciples are instructed not to reueale any of their sect to be guilty of such practises till they be inforced by the torture for thus your Cardinall in his instructions of Priests hath determined When any sayth he is put vpon the racke and doth truly reueale the crime of another although he be not examined iuridicè iustly and according to the order of law yet therein he doth not sinne because none is bound vpon so great bodily harme to himselfe to preserue the good name of another by concealing his offence Therefore when you make all Protestant-magistrates incompetent with whom you may vse aequiuocation till you come to be tortured what do you els but teach them that your only competent Iudge and Examiner must be a Racke The third is infamie against the Aequiuocators good name and faith among men Your doctrine is that answering your incompetent magistrate by aequiuocation if he shall further aske whether you doe not aequiuocate to answer No but with another aequiuocation If againe in his ielousie he vrge whether this third time you doe not aequiuocate then the third time also to say No but with another secret aequiuocation and so as often as he shall aske the like likewise by aequiuocating to say you doe not aequiuocate This is that monster which I called Hydra which as Poets faine Hercules did impugne in the which as often as one head was strucke off immediatly there sprung vp another signifying an endlesse businesse It will now be requisite that we heare what our Moderate Answerer would say in the behalfe of his dissolute Treatise We haue most mercifull Soueraigne in the sincerity of our soules without ali aequiuocation or doubtfull sense purged our selues of those opinions or practises of rebellion obiected vnto vs. Say you so without all aequiuocation How shall his Maiesty be perswaded that these words without all aequiuocation are not spoken in some