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ALL the wisdome of Mankind hath ever been busy in finding out and adorning Truth,* 1.1 as being that in which we are to endeavour to be like God,* 1.2 who is Truth essentially: and therefore Pythagoras in Aelian did say, that the two greatest and most excellent works that God gave to Mankind to doe, are the pursuits of Truth and Charity; for these are ex∣cellencies for which God himself is glorious before Men and Angels. The Persian Magi say, that Oromagdes (so they called the greatest of their Gods) was in his body like light, and his soul was like truth; and that therefore by truth we are like to God, but by a lye we are made mortal (sayes Plato.)* 1.3 Veritas, quomodo Sol illuminans colores, & album & nigrum ostendit, qualis sit unusquisque eorum, sic ipsa quoque refellit omnem sermonis probabilitatem;* 1.4 merto à Graecis quoque acclamatum est, Principium magnae virtutis est Regina veritas, As the Sun gives light to us, and distinction to black and white, so does truth to speech; and therefore the Greeks did rightly affirm, that Truth is the beginning of the great Vertue, that is, of perfection, or vertue Heroical, said S. Clement.
This is true in all regards: but the question is,* 1.5 whether Truth can be practis'd at all times. For God speaks Truth because it is his nature, and he fears no man, and hath power directly to bring all his purposes to pass: but the affairs of men are full of intrigues, and their persons of in∣firmity, and their understandings of deception, and they have ends to serve which are just, and good, and necessary; and yet they cannot be ser∣ved by truth, but sometimes by errour and deception. And therefore the Antients described Pan, who was the son of Mercury, their God of speech, with the upper part like a man, and the lower part like a beast, rough, hai∣ry and deformed; not onely to signifie truth and falshood, and that truth is smooth, even and beauteous, and a lye is rough, ugly, deformed, and cloven-footed, (quia mendacii multiplex divortium, sayes one) but to represent, that in our superiour faculties, and our intercourse with the power above us, we must speak truth, but that in our conversation with men below it is necessary sometimes by a lye to advantage charity, by losing of a truth to save a life. Here then is the inquiry,
1. Whether it can in any case be lawfull to tell a lye.
2. Whether it be lawfull to use restrictions and mental reservations, so that what we speak, of it self is false, but joyned to something within is truth.
3. Whether and in what cases it is lawfull to equivocate, or use words of doubtfull signification with a purpose to deceive, or knowing that they will deceive.
4. Whether it be lawfull by actions and pretences of actions to de∣ceive others for any end; and in what cases it is so.