430 OfDijfembling, Equivocatioll, r"JIJ 1\_epvrts, &c. ----------------- &<_:,f/. 4• ~JrjlVo ~tft.S. An[w. £.<ejt. 9• A11[w. Q2ttt.4. Isirlanfidto1rmpt_acbi_ldor fdv.J?t.to lie, mrcrly totr)' thrm? · An[w. it jc; not !Jwful ru do 1t wuhom fuffic1enr caufe, nor ar ::my time ro do d1at which · _.. tub them !o lie, or _givt:o!l any cou_nte~mct: to the fin, as S1t~n and b,;,d mcrt ufc ro rcri1pt 1 ~e~~·t~ fin by commendin~ !r, r ..r cxrc:nu~tmg _u. But to lay an occafJOil Ut:fon: them b1-rtly to uy them (as to lay money or wu1c 01 othtr thmbs 111 thttr way, to know whether thC'y are rh:tves or aJdidtd ro drink, thlC we may ~h~ bc~tcr know ho~ ro cure them; a~1d fo to ny their veracity ) is not un– lawful. For, I· The ilnJs vmually commmed when there JS a T?iUto commit ir, though there flwuld be no tu!1ptati(~n or opportunity. 2 •• We do norhir% which is dther a commendation of the: fin} or a pc1-f~admg ro H, IlOr o.ny rrue ~aufe eHhtr Phyfica\ or Moral; but only an occafiiJJt: 3 , God himfclf who ts more conrrary to lm than any creature, doth rhus by rryal,adminifh.r fuch occafio f tiil to men that are vi!iouJly difpofed, a!' he ~nowc:th !hey will tal<e ; And his common· mCrc/s 0 fuch occaflons. 4· God hath no where forbidden this to us: We may not do evil that good 5 .:re come:: by ic: but we rn~:~y do good w~ten we.know evil will come. of. it by mc11s vice. 5 . It may~~ a needful mo::ans to the cure of rhat fm, whtch we cannot know ull It be rhus dCicdi:d. { Q!.clt. 5· ]I ali equivocation tml.mfid l . ' . An[w. There' is an cquivJcating which is really Lying; As when we forfake the ufual or jufl fln[c of a word, and ufe it in an alien unufiul fenfc, wh~c~ we know will not be underHQod, and rhis to deceive fuch as we are bound not to deceive. · . But thtrc is a ufe ofequivocal words which is lawful and neceffJry: (For hum:~ne language hath few words which are nor of divers fignifications) A-:., z, ·when our tqnivocal fu1fc: is wellunderfiood b the hearers, and is nor uiCd ro deceive them, but becaufC ufe harh m1de thole words to. b.: tir; as ail metaphorsare (quivocal, and yer may be ufed. 2. \Vhen the tqui\'ocal ftnfc is the moll uft 1 al or ob– vious, and if it be noc underltood, it is through the hearers faulr or extraordinary dulncfs. 3· 'vf 1 cn a Robber, or ufurping Tyrant, or any cruel enemy that hath no authority to do ir, (hall feek eo en– fnare my life b.y qu~fiions, I may.la~fully anfwer him in f~ch ~OI;lbd'ul wor~s as purpofcly a.re in· tended to de cC!VC hun, or leave b1m tgnorant of my fcnfe, fo be H they be hot ltes or falft:: in the ordi– nary ufage of thoft words. 4· And ro fll~h a per~on I may anf~er dmlbrfL~lly when it is apparent that it is a doubtful anfwer, and that I do 1t as proteffing that 1Will anfwn hun no more particularly hor plainly, but will conceal the refi. ; .Q.Qe(l. 6. TYhether aU mental rtfervation be Ultlawfull An[w. Thisneedeth no otheranfwer than rhe furmer. If the cxprdfcd words b.: a Lie, the men– tal rdervation Will not make them jutiifiable as a uurh. Bur if the expreJTed words of thernfdvcs be true, rhen the mental refervation may be lawful, when it is no more than a concealment of part of the truth in a cJ.fc w\1ere we are not bound to reveal ir. But of both thefe cafi:s lmuft refer the Readerro what I have faid about Vows, Tom. 3· Cb•p. 5• 1it. 2. wnhout whtch he Will not know my tneanmg. . · Qgdl. 7· A-lay Children, Servant/ or SubjtCtJ, in d:mger, tt{e w:ml1 wbicb ttnd tohide their faultJ? An[w. 1 • vvhen rhey arc bopnd not ttl hide the fault, they may not : VVhich is, I. \Vhen due obe– dience or, 2· the greater good which will foUow, require them t~ open it. 2 , when they are nor bound ro open it, they may hide it by Jll!t means) bi.tt not by Lies or any evil. In what cafes they may hide a faulc Qy jufi means, I Oull here fay no.more to. Qtefi. S. May I JPeai(_tl>at 'wbicb I tbini(_ u true, but am not Jute.' · An[w. If you have a juH ea!~ you may lay you think it i,s true; .but not flJtly that it is G,, Q!!tfi. 9• M11y I believe a11d [petJI{_ thar oftmather, by way ofittr:J~I, difCourfe o'f cbara{ier, which I luar r<porttd by god() crcdible perfonr, or by many .' An[w. I· The main doubt is when you have a call to fpeak it, which is anfwercd after Tom. 4 . at large. . 2 • You may not fo eafily believe and report evil of another as good. • 3 • You mufloot believe ill of another any further than evidence doth con{\rain you: Yetyou may -, believe it according to the degree of evidence or credibility; and make: ufe of the report for )UH CJll– tion or for good ; But not to defame another~ upon uncercainty, or without a call. · 4 . The fin of Receiving, and fprcading falfe reports of others upon hearfay, is now focomrnon among thofe that do profefs Sobriety and Religion, that all men fhould take: heed ofit in all company, as they would do of the Plague in an infectious time: And 110w ic is fo notorious that falfe news and flanders of others are fo common, neither good mens words, nor common fame, will allow you, (or cxcnfe you,) to believe or report any evil Ot another, till you are able to prove that ir is your d~ry : But all Chrifiians !hould joyn;n Lameming·and reproving this common uncharitable Gn. Tit. 4·
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=