Cafes about Trufts and Secrets. ------ any oth<r notable fault, let it make_ you the more wa~ehful by way of prevention, feeing the eyes of God and men are on you; and 1t may be Gods watning, to bid you take heed for the tirt;e ro come. If yo~ are thus brought to rcp_entance, or to the more careful life, by occafion of mens ctn.. fures, they Wtll prove fo great a beneht to you, that you may bear rhc:m the more cafily. CHAP. XXV. Cafes and VireBions about Tmfts a11d Secrets. Tit.t. Cafes of Confcience abo11t Tr~<fts m1d Secrets. O!J'O. I· ·HOw are ''"forbidden to put our 1ruft in man? And ho,. may it be done? J2!!!fl· ,, Anfw. l· You mufi not uufi: man for more than his proportion , and what be- . longs wman to do: You muft not expect that from him which God alone can do. 2. You muft not trufl a bad unfaithful man to do that which is proper to a good and faithful man to do. 3· You mu(\ not tru(\ the bcfl man being imperfect and.hllible, as fully as if you fuppofed him perfect and infallible: But having to do with •- corrupted world we rnufi live in it with fame nxafure of difiruft to all men ( For all that Cicer~ thought this contrary to the Laws of friendlhip ). But efpecially ignorant, dilhonefi and fraudulcn( men mufi be mol\ d'i– flruCled. As Bucholt:z;£r faid to his friend that was going eo be a Courtier, Commendo tibi fidem dia.. bolorum,Crede& Conlrtmifce : He that converfeth with diabolical men, mutl believe them no fur'ther than is due to the children of the Fath~:r of Lycs. But we mufi uun men as men, according to the principles of Veracity that are left in corrupted nature: And we mufi truft men fo far as reaton fhew– eth us caufe, from their JkiU, fidelity, honefty or imereft: So a Surgeon, a Phyticion, a Pilot may be trul\ed with our lives : And the skjlfuUcr and faithfuUcr any man is , the more he is to be trullcd. Q!!ell. 2· Whom jhould a man choo[e for a matter of truf!? R!f.eft, 2• A•[w. As the matter is: One that 1-rath wifdom, skJH 4nd fidelity, through confcience, honcf!y,frirndJhip or his own appartnl inrertft. . Q!!cl\:. 3· In what cafes may I commit a fecret to another? ~{r.3• Anfw. When there JS a neceffity of his knowing it, or a greater pmbabi\it y of good than hurt by it, in the evidence which a prudent man may fee. Q!!.cfl. 4· What i.f another commit a thing to me with charge of [ecrefie, and I fay nothing to him, and fo ~eft· 4· promife it not : Am I bound to fecrefie in that cafe ? An[w. Ifyou have caufe to believe that he took your filCilce for confent , and would not elfe bavc committed it to you, you arc obliged in point ·of fidelity, as well as frimdjhip : except it be with robbers or fuch as We are not bound to deal openly with, and on terms of equaliry. ~eO:. 5· 1Pbat if it be a{tcrtt, bttt I am under noCommand or Promife at aU about it ? ~eJl. 5• An[w. You mu(\ then proceed according to the Laws ofCharity and friendlhip: and not reveal that whiclt is to the injury of another, without a ~reater caufe. <l!>_c(\, 6, What if it be againf! the Ki>fg, or State, or com""'n good? ff<!!.ef!. 6. Anfw. You are bound to icveal ir, fo far as the fafety of the King, or State, or common good requireth it: Yea, though you fwear the contrary. <l!>_e(\. 7·· What if it be only againft tlu good •f fome third ordinary ptrfon ? R!!.1f· 7• Anfw. You mufi endeavour to prevent his wrong, either by revealing the thing, or diifwading from it, or by fuch means as prudence {hall tell you is the! mecteO: way, by exercifing your love to one, without doing w10ng to the other. Q!!dl. 8. What if a man [ecrtt/y entruf! bi1 tftate t• me, for himfilf" cbitdren, whtn he i< in debt, ~eft. 8. t l) defraud bi1 CreditorI? , AH[w. You ou'ght not to take fuch a trufi: And if you have done it, you ought not eo hold it, but rdign it to him that did entrutt you. Yea, and to difclofc the fraud, for the ri~hfing of the Credi· tms, exce-pt it be in fuch a ca{C as that the Crediror is fome fuch vicious or opprelllng perfon, as you arc not obliged to exercife thar act ofcharity for; or when,the conf<quents of revealing ir, will be a grcatn hurr, than the rightingof him willcompenfate; tfpccially whtn it is again(\ the pttblick good. ~eo. •
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