The encounter against M. Parsons, by a revievv of his last sober reckoning, and his exceptions vrged in the treatise of his mitigation. Wherein moreouer is inserted: 1. A confession of some Romanists, both concerning the particular falsifications of principall Romanists, as namely, Bellarmine, Suarez, and others: as also concerning the generall fraude of that curch, in corrupting of authors. 2. A confutation of slaunders, which Bellarmine vrged against Protestants. 3. A performance of the challenge, which Mr. Parsons made, for the examining of sixtie Fathers, cited by Coccius for proofe of Purgatorie ... 4. A censure of a late pamphlet, intituled, The patterne of a Protestant, by one once termed the moderate answerer. 5. An handling of his question of mentall equiuocation (after his boldnesse with the L. Cooke) vpon occasion of the most memorable, and feyned Yorkeshire case of equiuocating; and of his raging against D. Kings sermon. Published by authoritie

The Reuiew.

8 O noble Answerer he that u 1.1 taught the vse of Mentall Reseruation, in Case when a man Asketh whether his friend haue so much money (where there is onely a demand without compulsion,) for feare of getting his displeasure, if he should haue directly denied him that summe; would now seeme not to admit of the like euasion in the Case of a Seruant com∣maunded to answer directly concerning the death of his ma∣sters Sonne, where there is more then a doubt of shortning his masters life. Who seeth not that M. Parsons if he had returned a direct answer, doth now touch birdlime, wherein the more he struggleth, the more he is intangled, answering nothing to the purpose? For the question is not, whether it be lawfull to Couer a truth, but whether this maner of co∣uering it, by Mentall reseruation, be tollerable, or no; which S. Augustines wit gaue him not so much as to dreame of, whose sanctity, doubtlesse, would haue called it craft and impietie; whose definition of a lye is this, Mendacium est falsum dicere, cùm volunt ate fallendi, that is, A lye is to speake a false thing with purpose to deceiue the hearer. I pretermit another memorable a 1.2 example, repeated by S. Aug. of the Bishop Firmius, which b 1.3 hath beene alleadged by their So∣tus, for the confutation of the foresaid maner of Mentall Re∣seruation.

9 In the last end of the booke of c 1.4 Full satisfact. I added to the like purpose an example deliuered by S. d 1.5 Hierome, which may be vnto vs a mirror of ancient simplicitie; Of a wife accused by her husband, and tortuted to draw out a confes∣sion of guilt: but she lifting vp her eyes to heauen, said, thou Lord Iesu, who searcheth the hart andreines, art witnesse that I doe not deny truth for feare of death, but therefore refuse to

lye for feare of sinne. The Iesuits, who haue instructed the adulterous wife, being asked of her husband, to free her∣selfe by a Mentall Equiuocation, would they not haue con∣demned this woman for want of wit, and haue giuen her other ghostly counsell, teaching her the vse of the same Art, for the auoyding of death, and escaping a lye? May we not guesselby the constancie of this godly woman, & by S. Hie∣roms commendations of her, that those times were not prac∣tized in this kinde of Alchymie, which abstracteth such a Clause of Reseruation, as surpasseth the vnderstanding of any, but of him who onely is able to search immediately into the thoughts and vnderstandings of men? as when a man saith I haue no money, concealing this Clause in his minde, Which I meane to turne into buttons. The example of this woman may seeme to be more forcible, because M. Parsons in his Treatise of Equiuocation, in answering some other points, buried this in his sober silence.

Notes

• u 1.1

  See aboue l 1. Cap. 13. num 29
• a 1.2

  Full satisfact. part. 3. pag. 66.
• b 1.3

  See aboue l. 2. cap. 3. num. 6.
• c 1.4

  Part. 3. pag. 102.
• d 1.5

  Tom. I. de••••••liere septies icta.