Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	speak_v	true_a	word_n	8,834	5	4.4618	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43465	A letter from a Jesuite, or, The mysterie of equivocation being the copy of a letter of recommendation, seeming much in favour of the bearer, but by different reading rendred of quite contrary signification : lately discovered by the person who was thereby abused, and now made publick for general satisfaction.	Hess, Johannes Armondus de.	1679 (1679)	Wing H1624; ESTC R12026	2,993	8

A LETTER FROM A JESUITE OR THE Mysterie of Equivocation BEING The Copy of a Letter of Recommendation seeming much in favour of the Bearer but by different Reading rendred of quite contrary signification Lately discovered by the Person who was thereby abused and now made Publick for General Satisfaction With Allowance LONDON Printed for W. W. 1679. A LETTER From a JESUITE Or the MYSTERIE of EQUIVOCATION THE word of Truth assures us That the Devil was a Liar from the beginning For early he began that Trade deluding our first Parents with pretensions of increasing their knowledge when his design was to rob them both of knowledge and happiness overwhelming all the faculties of their souls with dismal clouds of Ignorance which to this day sadly obscure the Intellectuals of their unhappy off-spring Nor was his Oracle infamously famous at Delphos wanting to pursue the same method only somewhat refined with semblances of verity and from thence 't is like the first practice of Equivocation came into the world To keep up the Reputation of his Priests and continue the Idolatry of his Votaries returning answers couched in such ambiguous expressions that whatever happen'd he might seem to be in the Right and sometimes giving forth his fallacies in Writing either unpointed or dubiously disposed where the unwary Reader was trapann'd to destruction by treacherous hopes Thus one of his Agents a Magician once answer'd Albertus Scotus Earl of Placentia enquiring of his success against an approaching Foe ready to invade his Territories Domine stes securus inimici tui suaviter intrabunt terram subjicientur Domni tuae Which Albert flattered by his own wishes interpreted as the words seem'd to import thus Sir Rest your self secure your Enemies shall sweetly peaceably or fairly enter your Land and shall be made subjects to your Family But being vanquished and subdued the crafty South sayer thus read and Interpreted his words Domi ne stes securus do not rest at home secure inimici tui thy enemies sua viter intrabunt by their force shall thrice enter thy Land subjicient and shall cast ur a Chaldee word for Fire Domui tuae on they Palace But among all the Scholars to this arch crafts master of falshood there are none that have more unhappily improved the Mystery of deceit in this kind than the Jesuites and Romish Seminaries their very looks and garbs as well as their words are Equivocations Wolves in sheeps clothing and Ghostly fathers that have by vows abandon'd the world ruffling in Courts Exchanges every where in huffing habits of Hectoring Gallants Their discourses capable of as many Constructions as an Almanack makers prognostications nor are their writings less full of crasty obscurity and hidden meanings Of this sort we have here a pretty instance which without doubt was hammer'd in that Forge A poor Fryar who it seems was not very fit for their turn being sent from an eminent man of that Fraternity on some sleeveless errand has a Letter of Recommendation given him to carry by his Superiour and being first read to him finding the Contents so much as he understood them in his favour did no doubt return his Ghostly Patron abundance of thanks for so signal a kindness promising himself what extraordinary welcome the same would procure him with the person to whom it was directed and indeed who could suspect a Snake in such verdant Grass or a mischievous meaning in words that appeared so plain and hearty being as follows The Letter Sir MR. G. an Irish Fryar of the order of Saint Benedict is the bringer unto you of news from me by means of this letter he is one of the most Discreet Wise and least Vitious persons that I ever yet amongst all I have converst with knew and hath earnestly desired me to write to you in his favour and to give him a Letter for you of Credence on his behalf and my Recommendation which I have granted to his Merit I assure you rather than to his Importunity for believe me Sir he is one that deserves your esteem and I am sorry you should be wanting in the least to oblige him by being mistaken in not knowing him I should be exceeding sed if you were so as many others have been upon that account who now esteem him and are of my best friends Hence Sir and from no other motive is it that I desire to advertise you That you are obliged more than any to take special notice of him to afford him all imaginable respect and to say nothing in his presence that may offend or displease him in any sort For I may truly say I love him as I do my self and assure you there cannot be a more convincing argument of an unworthy person in the world than any way to injure him I know that your self as soon as you cease to be a stranger to his vertue and have occasion to be acquainted with him will love him as well as I and will thank me for this advice The assurance I have of your Civility hindreth me for to write further of him to you or to say more upon this subject Your affectionate Friend Johannes Armondus de Hess c. Paris Nov. 21. 1678. Now I dare lay a wager the honest Reader sees no more harm in all this than the silly Fryar did that carried it but if you please to turn down just a quarter of the leaf on the outside so as to cover half the Letter and then read what remains open you will find it still coherent sense but to a quite contrary import from that which before it carried For thus it runs Sir Mr. G. An Irish Fryar is the bringer to you of this Letter he is one of the most vitious persons that I ever yet knew c. But alas deceiving a poor Fryar with such a neat piece of Gullery is nothing to the practices of the Ecclesiastical Politicians of the right Roman breed their principles delivered by approved Casuists extend to allow more gross exploits Take an instance of it in commerce To use Lies says de Graffijs l. 2. ca. 118. in bargaining to get a good price is but a venial fault though made a daily practice What think you of forswearing ones self a little Hear what their great Doctor Soto in his book de Just Jure l. 5. q. 7. saith Testimonium falsum in favorem proximi non est mortale A false Testimony in favour of my neighbour is no mortal sin And he gives you though himself a Dominican this true-blew Jesuitical Reason for it Because says he the Command is Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour but forbids not thy doing it for him Their Navarr delivers it for orthodox Popish Divinity That any person being Interrogated unduely that is by any that he thinks not competent Judges in that Case concerning any thing which if confessed might endanger him may answer with a mental reservation denying that to be done which 〈◊〉 in was done secretly meaning in such a mo●● or was not done with an intent to discover it to you or the like Their Sylvester in his Summs in the wor● Accusation speaks freely that the Accused in the last case 〈…〉 ore-mentioned may tell a Lie which is not any mortal 〈◊〉 nor so much as venial if answering cautious●● 〈…〉 they say sophistically he speak that which is false in the Judges sense and true in his own Since not being properly under his Jurisdiction he is not bound to speak Truth in his sense Nor is Truth more secure amongst them in the Pulpit than at the Bar A Preacher may there Lie by Gajetans good leave Summ. V. Mendactum p. 437. if he does it not as a Preacher and his Lies be not scandalous so the said Sylvester on the same word num 4. thus resolves the point Queritur utrum sit peccitum mortale praedicatori mentiri in Ambono●● If any enquire whether it be a mortal sin for a Preacher to tell Lies in the pulpit Dico quod non c. I say no If he can do it wittily he may intermix his Sermons with false Stories provided they be but jocose for if they only make his hearers innocently merry 't is scarce so much as a venial In a word Since by their doctrines they may without danger be false so their friends and dependants to private persons to Magistrates to their Priests to their God where ought they to have Credit Since they may practise Lying and deceit in common Conversation in Commerce in Doctrine in Courts of Justice and even in Gods Worship where may they be trusted FINIS