9.C'olrimand. vpon the Commandements. 107 .Anfw. Their fenfles folly is very well difcouered by another philofopher of an- other fe&;firfl by examples, then by abfurdity ,lafilybyexperie6éés and praaife. For fayth he do wè not know whether the fnowe be white crblaçke, doo we not knowe S[ot"curs,s' whether the fire be hot or colde, is it yncertame 'whether thte willmeltagainllthe fire or no ? If then thefe and a thoufand thinges mor bee affttrédly knòwne, what ab- furde opinion and vnworthic of learned men might this be that no certaine trueth -can be attained veto ?Secondly(faicth he ) if 1 were one of their Seruantes,& my Mafler bad me fetch him bread I woulde fetch him aflone, if he called for wine I woulde blue him water , and what elfe foeuer he fnoulde bid me doo , I woulde doo the con- trade. Then if hee asked mee what I meant, I would aunfivere Flow fhould I knowe that I brought him a íone and not bread,orfoof any of the cefl ` whichT named ? Or howe knewe he himfelfe that I did not fulfill his commandcment feint there is no trueth, by their opinion,that can be knowne.Thus dooth he merily deride their follie by fhewing what abfurditie followeth ofit:Laflly (fayth hee) byrheir ownepta&ife they confute themfelues. For when they are colde,thcy goe to the fire , and not to the water to warme them , and can they not tellwhich dooth warme and which dooth coole ? If they be drie they take water,and yet can they not tell whether it quencheth third or no ? Foolifh therefore and mofi abfurde is that opinion,we knowe no trueth. Point waits. For both by esperience,by certaine principles that nature bath. let in vs by order of a to know truth good confequence,and by teflimonie of Gods cettaine'worde we knówe and doo at- by. tame to many truethes. Luefl. But becaufe you fay ester and inallthin ksiruethought to heinainteiined , I gam.2t. pavers what fay you ofDauids dtffembáng when he j,nedh, ihfelfe madbefore 4chir ? Anfw, I may anfwere with goodauthoritieoflearnedmen,'thatit was aweak- Danxus. nefhe in David not to be imitated. Or I may with.pthers make a and fay thus. That if he did it vpon any diflrufì, doubt bt fearer that GOD woulde not or P. Martyr. could not deliver him in thatdiflrefle fromthe dangétthat was imminent, then did he finne no queflion very greatly , but' if his heart relied vpon God in affurance of his mercifull eye and hand ;watching otter him and defending him euer, and did vfe that diflìmulation, but as the meanes that then hee could, becaule bee would not tempt God,then did he well, and yet that his dooing is no warrant tobreake this comman- dement, byrete& ionoftruethand followingafalfehoode in any of our particular dealings aboue named. que(l. And what fayyotiof theStráidgems and policies inwarres ,whereby the one partie d,ffemblinq,f tningandcounterfartingwithother, feekethhisouerthrowc ?IsnotthisaG,rnde o f fade re itne ffe ? Arfes. Fírll I anfwere that it cannot tly bee called any diiffembling, becaule the Dolus an vir- onepartieeuerprefuppofeth and expeð what deuìfe and eonueyance foeuer the tus, quisin other can make. But rather it is a concealing from him ofatrueth. And then don we hoftc requirat, rightly diffemble, lit and exhibite afalfe teflimonie, when as one thing is expelled at chap.; Iud. our handes,which allo we ought to doo,and yet we performe a comrade. Secondly, I anfwere that it is the Lane of iufl warre, lull I fay againe and not wrongful,, that it may bemade eitheropenly or priuely,by force or bypolliCie with a good coufcience. And for warrant hcreofwe haue the Commandement of God to his peòple and their Iofua, S. pra &ife of the fame. For loftia intrapped the men of Ai by an ambufh and flewe them downeright futfering none to efcape.So did the Ifraelitesvanquifhand ouercome the Iudg.so. Bentamires,Dartid the Philif?ians, and many examples moe bath the Scripture offlra- 2 sam,ao, eagems and pollicies vied in thewarts, when the caufe thereof was lawefull and war- rantable,but thefe may fuffice now. Quell. wales! then a /lowesto littlepretieglcfjëorco /stir at ne time, hutmuflwéeuer turtle the right fide ontwardf cflnfw. No indcede,no colour ofhonef'iie , pine, friendíhip and loue,or any good thing, vnlef e indeed it be there. For bothGod and man abhorreth all :filch colours: And it fltoulde euer be the fpeech of any Chriflian man or woman vahilfl they liue, dr that in truth that their reioycing tr this,the teflimonie of thew con fcience, that in jmplicitty and
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