• ~rft.9· Cafes.about Trufts. ct!efi. 9· JJihat if a dtlinqrttnl entrufl me n:itbh~ eftate or per[on to fecure it from penalty? An[rv. If it be one that is profccuted by a due courfe ot Jufiice, cujuJ p~na debrrur reipubliu whofe punil11ment the common good requireth, the cafe mull be decided as the former: You mull no~ tJke, nor keep fuch a trufi. But if it be one whofe Repent_anec givcth you reafon to believe, that his impunity will be more to the common good rhan his punilhment, and that i-f the Magitlrare knew ir, he ought to fp.ue or pudon him, in this cafe you may conceal his perfon or eltate ; fa be: it you d.:> it not by a lye, or any other finful means, or [uch as will do more hurt than good. ~dt. tO· lYhat if a fritnd mtmjl me with hi! t}late to fecure it fr~m {omc great taxts or tributu to £t!<ft· tc. tbe Ki"g l M') I J;sep fl"h a trujl or not l ' · An[w. No ; if they be ju11 and legal raxcs, for the maintenance ofthe Magillr~tc or prcfcrvation of the Cummon-wealth:But if it were done by aU(urpcr that had no authority,(or done without or beyond aurhority, to the oppreffing of the fubje&, you m1y conc;eal his ellate or your own) by lawful means. Q.!_::t\. 1 r. TPbat if a man that fitjftrrth for Rtligion, commit hi& prrfon or eflate to my truft? Arl[rv. You mufl be fairhful to your truft, I· If it be true Religion and a good caufc for which he fuftererh. 2· Or if he be fa!Jly accufed of abufcs in Religion: 3· Or if he be faulty; but the pe– Julty intended fro~ which you fecurc him is incom~uabl;i he_yond his fault, and unjull. Suppofing Hill rhar yt·u r.1vc hun only by lawful meam, and that 1t be not hkc to tend to do more hurt than good, to rhe cauf~ of Religion or the Cornmo~-wealrh. ~rjf. 12 • Q!!eft. 12· 1Yhat if a Papift fW other crroneou1 per{on, entrufl me (being of the fame mind ) toed«cate 'hi1 Children in that way when he Mdead? a;td afrtrwards I come to jet the trrour, mHft I perform tbat 1 ru;t or 110 l An[w. No; 1. Bec&uCe no trwfl can oblige you to do hurt: 2. Becaufe it is contrary to the primary inrent of your fri• nd ; which was his Childrens good. And you may well fuppofe thai had he feen hiserrour, he would have cnrrulled you to do accordingly: You are bound therefore to anfwer his primary intention, and rruly to endeavour his Childrens good. ~eft. 1 3"· Q.!_ell. 13. But w&at if a man towhom another hatb entrufted hU Children, tHrn Papift er Heretic'<. , ami fo thi1:~.:dJ crrJur ltJ hi truth l what mujl be rh. . Anfw. He is bound ro tum back again to the truth, and do accordingly. Obj. But o~J:foitb thU Hthe truth and antJtber that; And he think..!tb be ~right. An[w. ·Thtre is but one of the contraries true. Mens tbinltJng themfelves to be in the right, doth not mak,_e it fo: And God will not change his Laws, becaufe they rnifunderlland or break ehem ; Therefore Hill that which God bindeth them to is to return unto the truth? And if they think that to be truth which is not, rheyare bound to think othcrwife. If you fay, They cannot, It is either not true, or it is long of thcmfelves that they ca1mor : And rhey that cannot immediately, yet medi· arely can do ir, in the duc ufe of meam. !f<!!tff. I 4· Qtel>. '4• Wlw if I forefie that tht taking of atruft may hazard my tftatt, or otherwi[e hHrt me, aml ) 'tl my dyinJ!. ( or livi>:g) friend defirtth 1 it .' · An[tr>. How far the Law of Chriflianiry or friendil1ip oblige you to hurt your felf for his good mull be difccmed by a pru~cnt confidering, what your obligations are to the perfon, and whether chc good of your granting his defires, or the hurt to your (elf is like to be the greater, and of more pub– lick c.:onfequence : And whether you injure not your own Children or others by gratifying him: And upon fuch compxifon prudence mull determine the cafe. ~en. 15· But what if afterward the trujlprove more to my hurt tbau I fort[aw l '.Anfw. It ir was your own faulc that you forefaw it not, you mufi fi.lffct proportionably for that f.-ulr : But otherwife you mull compare your own hurt with the Orpbanes in ca{(: you do not perform the r1 ufl:: And coofider whether they rna.y not be z:clicved another way~ And whether you have rea– Ion to think that if rhe Parent were alive and knew your danger, he would expeCi: you lhould per- - form your truil, or would difcharge you of it. If it be feme great and uneXpeCi:cd dangers, which you think upon good grounds the Pumt would acquit you from if he were living, you fulfill your u uil, if you avoid them, and do that which would have been his will if he had known it. Othcr,.ifc you mufi perform your prom~fe though it be to yout lofsand fuifering? ~.efi. to.. Q!dl. t6. But what if it war only a truft impofid by ~;, defire and will, without my acceptance or promifo toperform it ? Awfw. You mufi do as you would be done by, and as the common good, and the Laws of love and fricndlhip do r<quire. Therefore the quality of the perfon, and your obligations to him, and dpecially the comparing of the confequent good a.nd evil togethc.r mull decide'the: cafe. ~cj!. 17 . Q!cft. '7· What ifthe furviving ~indred of the.Orphane be nearer to him than I am, and the; cenjitre llit a~d calumnidte me a1 injuriom to the Orpbane, may I not eafe my [ttf of the trHjl, and cajl it qm ~wl · An[w. In this cafe alfo, the meafure of your fulfering mufi firtl be compared with the meafure of the Orphanes good ? And then your Confcience mufl tell you whether you verily think the Parent who eotruficd you, would difch:uge you if he were alive and knew the cafe: It he would, though youpromlfed) ic is to be fuppofcd that ir was not the meaning of his defire or your promifc, to incur fuch futferings : And if you believe that he would not difcharge you, if he were aliv'e, then'if you pro– mif(:d you mufl perform; But if you promifed nor, you muft go no far[hcr than the Law of love re~ quircth. ~ft. t8. Q!elt. I8. Wlw i1 a Minijler o/Chrift to do, if a penite!lt pcrfon confefi [wetlyfomtheynour or capital crime tohim ( as Adultny, thefrl robbery) Aturdc:r ): MHjt il bt conctaltd or not f Anfw.
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