Cafes about TrutiJ and Lying. fpeak darkly, or. fpeak words ~hich he undcrllandeth ·not, ( through his own imperfection,) or winch I know hiS weakncfs, wtll mifunderfland: But I mull fpeak no fJljhood to him. Alfo there is a great difference between fpeakmg fo, as not to cme the ignorance or rrrer of the hearer which I f~ound ~lim i~; and [o [peaking as to lead him intofo~e ner.v e~rtJr : I may do the f~rrner in many '"afcs, 10 whtch l may not do the htter. And there ts great d!tTerence between fpcakmg fuch wOids as in the common ufe of men ar_e apt to info~m t~e hearers of the truth, though I may ~{_now, that through fome weak,.ntfi of thur own they w11l m1funderfland them, and be deceived by them; and the [peaking of words which in common ufe of men have another fignification than that which J ufc: them to: By the former way, the hearer fometime is the decdvcr of himfelf and not rhe fpeaker when the fpeaker is not bound to reveal any more to him; Bur by the later ~ay the jjeak._tr is rh~ deceh·er. Alfo there is great difl<:rence to be made between my fpeaking to one ro whom j( is my duty to reveal the truth, and my fpeaking to aman to whom I am not bound ro reveal it; yea from whom my duty to God, and my King or Country, bind me 10 conceal it. By tbefe arounds ~nd di~ tlinltions you may know what a Lye is, and may refolve the ordinary doubts that are Ufcd to be raifr:d about our fpcaking truth or fal!hood. As, ~rj!.1. 9·5· Q!.cll.I. Ami baundto fPeal;_ the 'truth to every01te that MltJthme? Anfiv. You are not bound to fpeak at all in every cafe to every one that askcth you : And he that is lllcnt, [peak– -eth not the truth. ~<ft· z, 9· 6. Q!<ll. 2. Am I bound to [peak the 1ruth to tVery one that I anfwer ''? Anfw. Your Anfwn may fometirnes be fuch as iignifierh but a denying toan[rvtr, or to,reveal what is demanded of you. ~<Ji· 3• 9. 7· (}:!ell. 3· Am l bound to fpe.k.. aU tht Truth, whrn rver I [peak.. part of it 1 Anfw. No: It is l\1.u1h.!6. 63, Gocls Word that mull tell y\)ll when, and hom much you mutT teveal to others: And jf you go as ~a;· .•;. 61 :: far as God alloweth you, it followeth not, that therefore you mufi go furth~r. A Souldier rakcn by ~u~! l.J. 9 . the enemy may reil the truth when he is asked in things that will do no harm to his King and CounJ ohn 19· 9· try; but he muH conceal the refi, which would advantage the enemy again it them. • .1"·;8.>6,,,. ~· 8. Q!ef!. 4· !1 it alw•yu a fin to [peak.. a Logical falfhoud; that i<, to [peal;_ d>Jagrceably to the 9<!!_cjl. 4• thing which I [peak ef? Anfw. Not alwayes :1 ];'or you may fomctimes believe an untruth wirhour tin. For you are to helieve things according to their evidence and appearan-ce: TherefOre if the decdr be unavoidably caufed by a falfe appeara1rce or evidence, witho~r any fault of yams, it is not then your fault to be mijiakJ~t• But then your expreffions mufi fignihe no more Certainty than you have, nor no more c011jidence, than the evidence will warrant. When you fay, [Hch a tbing i1 fo-: the mean~ ing mull be but, I tlm perfwatJed it H f o: 1-'or if you fay, I am certain it iJ fo, when you are atot certain, you offend. : ~efr. 5 . I 9· 9· Q!cll. 5· b it a11t7a)'fl a fin to [peak falfly or difagmably to the matter, when I f<..oow it tobe falfe l that is, b it alwayes aji1t tD [peaJ>... contrary to my judgement or mind l An[w. Yes : for God hath fOrbidden ir, and that upon ~rear and weighty Reafons, as you {hall hear ancn. ~eft. 6. 9· 10. Qgefl. 6. Is it a fin when lfPeak not a known untruth, nor contrary tomy opinio;z, 'ilOr with 8 purpofi to dtceive? An[r:v.· Yes; it is oft a fin when there is none of this. For if it bt: your Du~ ty ta ~noJv what you .fay ; and to deliberate before you fpeak, and your duty to be acquainted wirh the truth or fal{hood which you are ignorant of, and your duty to rake heed that you dtccive nor another negligently, and yet you neglell all thefe duties, and by a culpable ignorance and negligmce deceive both your [elves and other!,- then this is a fin, as well as if you Jtnowingly deceived them. ~eft. 7• 9· ''· Q!dt. 7· llut though it be afin, it remaiueth doubtful, wh<thtr it be a lye l Anfw. This is but Jif! de nomi;re, a Controverfic about the N.1me and not the 1bing. As long as we arc agreed (ha£ is a fin againH God, and to be avoided, whether you call it a Lye, or by another name, is no great matter. But I think it is to be called a Lye: Though I know that moO: definers follow Cicer3, and fay that a Lye is A falJIIOod fpof<!n with a purpo[e to deceive ; yet I think, that where rhc TYiU is culpably neg/e{live of not deceiving , an untruth fo, negligently, uttered de{crveth the name of a Lye. · 9· 12• Q!ell. 8. Mufl my word1 to free 'them from faljhood be a/wayn true in the proper littral ~eft• 8 • Jcnfe J Anfw. ~o: A~<guj~in's determination in this cafe is. clear truth, fi!_uxi figurate dici<ur nO/t eft mendacizem, ( 1. e. to nomme. ) To fpeak Iromcally, MetonymuaUy, Metapbortcally, &c. JS not therefore to l:J·e. For the truth of words Jying in that aptitude to exprefs the thinK and mind, which is fu!red to the intclled: of the hearers, they arc True wordi that thus exprefs· them, whether properly or hgu· ratively ; But if the words be ufed figuratively contrary to the bearers and the common ftn{t of them; with a purpofe to deceive, then they are a Iye,notwithftanding you pretend a figure to veritie them. 9e jl ~· 13• Q!d\.9. Muft myword1 be ufid by me in the common fcnfe, or in theheJrtri{enfel A,,j..,. No •e 'If• doubt but {o far as you intend to inform the hearer, you arc to fpcak to him in his own fenfe. If he have a pecuiiar fenfe of Come word, differing from the common fenfe, and this be k,.norvn to you, you muft fpeak in his peculiar fenft. But if it be in a cafe that you are bouml to c~nceat from him, the quefiion is much harder: Som~ think it an untruth and finful to {peak ro him m _words which you k!J.OW he will ufc to his own deceit": Others think rhac you are not boun~ t? ht . your felves: to his infirmity, and fpeak in his dialect contrary to common finfe: And that Jt JS not yow f mlt that he mi{undcrflandetb you, though you forefce it , where it will not profit him to underaand you , nor your [elves arc obliged to maJte him unJerftand you, but the contr.zry : The nexr will open this. · 9·•t· Q dt. !0
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