Exposition of the Moral Law, Book 2 · Commandment 9 · Exercitation 3
EXERCITAT. III. Againſt equivocation. Commandement. IX.
Pſal. 15.2. Hee that ſpeaketh the truth in his heart.
WHen a man that is called in queſtion anſwereth by equivocation, then it is a breach of this Commandement in judgement.
Two ſorts of equivocation.There are two ſorts of equivocation, the firſt is called Logicall, the ſecond is, when men equivocate by mentall reſervation.
Aequivocatio Logica. MentalisLogicall equivocation is this, when a ſpeech doth carry a double ſenſe, or may be conſtrued two wayes: Example,What logicall equivocation is. The head of the butler ſhall be lift up, and the head of the baker ſhall be lift up, Gen. 40. to lift up here is a logicall equivocation, for ſometimes it ſignifieth to exalt a man to honour, as the butler was; and ſometimes to hang up a man, as the baker was. So, Let the dead bury their dead, Luc. 9.60. this is a logicall equivocation in ſpeech, that is, let them who are ſpiritually dead bury thoſe who are naturally dead. So Matt. 7.1. Iudge not, that yee be not judged, Iudicium Libertatis. Poteſtatis.this word judging is taken two wayes. The firſt is Iudicium libertatis, the ſecond is Iudicium poteſtatis.
When logicall equivocation is lawfull.Logicall equivocation is lawfull, when it is uſed to convince ſenſleſſe ſinners, who will not beleeve the truth when it is plainly told them. Example: Ezek. 12.13. The Lord threatned that hee would bring Zedekiah king of Iudah into the land of Chaldea, and that he ſhould die there, and yet never ſee it. Why doth the Lord ſet downe this ſpeech ſo myſtically unto him? becauſe this perfidious king would not beleeve the truth when it was plainly told him, hee died in Babel and yet hee never ſaw it, becauſe his eyes were picked out at Riblah.
Example 2. 2. King. 8.10.A twofold equivocation logicall, in pointing, and words or ſpeecies. And Eliſha ſaid unto Haſael, goe and ſay unto him, thou maiſt certainly recover, howbeit the Lord hath ſhewed mee thou ſhalt certainly die: this is a logicall equivocation, firſt in pointing, and then in the words. In pointing leh emur lo chaje tohje, foreignhere is a double reading, the marginall, and the text reading: the marginall reading thus, Say unto him, thou maiſt certainly recover, albeit the Lord hath ſhewed mee that he ſhall ſurely die. The new tranſlation followeth this reading: the text reading is thus, Goe tell him hee ſhall not live, becauſe the Lord hath ſhewed me he ſhall certainly dye. In the firſt reading it is ſet downe indefinitely, he may live or not live, becauſe the diſeaſe was not deadly: but in the ſecond reading it is ſet downe definitely, becauſe the Lord ſaid he ſhould die. The Hebrewes obſerve,Regula Hebraeorum. that when a negative is ſet downe before two verbes comming from the ſame root,When the note of negation denies, and when it is indefinite. then commonly it denyeth doubtfully, as when the ſerpent ſaid to Eva non moriendo morieru; perhaps ye may die, and perhaps ye may not die, Gen. 3. but when the note of denyall is ſet betwixt the two verbes, then it certainly denyeth, as moriendo non morieris Ye ſhall not dye at all; the note was ſet before both the verbes in Satans ſpeech, and therefore it is but doubtfully denyed. The text againe may be read two wayes, becauſe of the accent, maccaph, which ſometimes is euphonicus accentus, and ſometimes ſyntacticus; A twofold accent, euphonick & ſyntactick.if it be euphonicus accentus, then it is read this wayes without diſtinction (for euphonia is not a note of diſtinction) Abi dic ei, non vivendo vives, as though there were not an accent here, but if maccaph be ſyntacticus accentus, then it is read with a diſtinction thus, Abi dic, non vivendo vives, here the reſt is placed after dic, and Iunius followeth this reading.
This example is alſo an equivocation in ſpeech.This is alſo an example of logicall equivocation in ſpeech, Goe tell him he may live, although the Lord ſaid hee ſhould die; if ye reſpect his ſickneſſe, hee might live, for it was not deadly, yet the Lord ſaid hee ſhould die, reſpecting that which Hazael ſhould doe unto him, for he did did caſt a wet cloath upon him, and ſmothered him. Why the Lord ſet downe this ſpeech ſo doubtfully? becauſe faithleſſe Benhadad would not beleeve the truth when it was plainly told him.
Another example of logicall equivocation is this, I will joyne thee in affinity this day with one of the two. 1. Sam. 18.21. which carryeth a double ſenſe, either I will give the one of them this preſent day,foreign or that day, that is, when thou bringeſt mee an hundreth foreskins of the Philiſtins.
Logicall equivocation when it is unlawfull.Logicall equivocation is not lawfull when it tendeth to deceive men: Gen. 3.5. Ye ſhall be as gods, knowing good and evill; this caryeth a double ſenſe, firſt to know evill by contemplation; A twofold knowledge, by contemplation, and by miſerable experience.Secondly by wofull experience; we know a fever in the firſt ſenſe before ever wee feele it, but in the ſecond ſenſe wee know it when wee feele it burning us; Act. 1. Now I know in verity, this was experimentall knowledge. In the firſt ſenſe, we know the privation by the habite; and in the ſecond ſenſe, we know the want of the habite by the privation. Logicall equivocation is then a ſin, when it ſerveth either to pervert religion or juſtice; but when the Lord uſeth it againſt wicked & ſenſeleſſe ſinners who will not beleeve the truth, when it is plainly told them, then it is no ſinne.
The ſecond ſort of equivocation is by mentall reſervation, Equivocation by mentall reſervation.when a ſpeech is patched up, and the one part is expreſſed, and the other part is reſerved in the minde of the ſpeaker; and this is now called Ieſuiticall equivocation, and they ſay that ſuch a propoſition, mixta ex mentali & vocali eſt legitima; this kinde of equivocation is no wayes lawfull, for in a theologicall truth there muſt be an agreement betwixt the minde, the matter, and the tongue; but here there is no agreement betwixt theſe three, for when a Iudge demandeth of a Prieſt, are you a Prieſt? he anſwereth, I am not a Priest, when he knoweth certainely in his minde that hee is a Prieſt, and yet his tongue ſaith hee is not a Priest; this is the moſt formall lie that can be made.
To cleare this the better,Simulare & diſsimulare quid. wee muſt marke what it is ſimulare, and what it is diſſimulare.
Simulare is to counterfeit that which is not in a man; diſſimulare is to diſſemble, that which hee is bound to profeſſe, and this is done ſundry wayes. Firſt, ſimulare vocationem. 1. King. 13.18.Simulare vocationem. as when the old Prophet fained that hee had a commiſſion from the Lord to the young Prophet to eate at Bethel. So when Zidkiah made hornes and ſaid, So ſhalt thou puſh the Syrians untill thou have confounded them, 1. King. 22.11. So the word Hithnabbi, impulit ſe ad prophetandum, foreignis uſually ſpoken of falſe Prophets, who fained that they had a calling from the Lord when they had none; So the falſe Prophet that wore a rough gowne that hee might deceive the people. Zach. 13.4. So, diſſimulare vocationem; Diſsimulare vocationem.as Peter denyed that he was one of Chriſts Diſciples.
Secondly, ſimulare profeſſionem; as Eſth. 9.Simulare profeſſionem. Many for feare became Iewes, the Seventy tranſlate it foreign, they were circumciſed; ſo the Sichemites when they circumciſed themſelves that they might obtaine Dina; this was a counterfeit profeſſion. So hypocrites when they make a ſhew of religion.Diſsimulare profeſsionem. So to diſſimulate their profeſſion as the Iewes did, who for feare of Antiochus perſecution drew their prep…ce that they might not be knowne to bee Iewes; and the Apoſtle meaneth of this, Art thou circumciſed? draw not thy prepuce. 1. Cor. 7.18. Epiphanius calleth the inſtrument wherewith they drew their prepuce, foreign traho.
Simulare conditionem.Thirdly, to ſimulate or diſſimulate their condition or eſtate; to ſimulate, as David before Achis did ſimulate and counterfeit that he was mad.foreign fictam actionem notat. Diſsimulare conditionem. foreign qui fingit ſe divitem. foreign qui fingit ſe pauperem. Simulare ſexum. 1. Sam. 31. So 2. Sam. 13. Lie downe upon thy bed, and faine thy ſelfe to be ſicke. So Prov. 13.7. There is that maketh himſelfe rich, yet hath nothing; Ieſh mithgnaſhar; ſo to diſſemble their condition or eſtate, there is that maketh himſelfe poore, yet hath great riches; Mithroſhaſh, ſuch was the diſſimulation of the Gibeonites. Ioſh 9.
Fourthly, to ſimulate or diſſimulate their ſexe; to ſimulate, as when a woman putteth upon her a mans apparrell, to make men beleive that ſhee is a man. So to diſſimulate their ſexe,Diſsimulare ſexum. as when Sardanapalus put a womans apparrell upon him, and ſate ſpinning amongſt them.
When a Prieſt ſtandeth before a Iudge and is examined; Firſt, he diſſembleth his vocation, for he denyeth that hee is a Prieſt; Secondly, hee diſſembleth his profeſſion, for hee is bound as a Chriſtian to tell the truth, not onelyonly in matters of faith, but alſo to anſwere to a civill truth, when it is demanded of him; and as hee diſſembleth, ſo doth hee ſimulate, wearing counterfeit apparrell; ſimulating a courtier or ſome other laike man.
There are three things required in a truth.Truth is firſt, in the matter; then in the minde; and thirdly, in the tongue. It is firſt, in the matter as a ſimple truth,Veritas in Objecte. Subjecte. Signe. but as it is completa veritas, a full truth or falſhood; it is firſt, in our minde; for our minde compoſeth & divideth firſt; & as health is objective, firſt, in phyſick, but properly and formally in the man who is healed; ſo although truth be firſt objective, in the ſimple object; yet completa veritas, is firſt in the minde, and then in the word or writing; verity is in the matter as in the object; it is in the minde as in the ſubject; and it is in the ſpeech, as in the ſigne; and there ſhould bee an agreement betwixt all theſe three, the matter, the minde, and the tongue; hence it is that the Scripture attributeth thoſe things which are proper to the heart, to the tongue, becauſe of the agreement that ſhould bee betwixt them. Pſal. 45. My tongue ſhall meditate on thy juſtice. So Act. 2. My tongue was glad, becauſe the tongue expreſſeth the gladneſſe of the heart. So Ioſh. 1.8. This booke of the law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou ſhalt meditate in it day and night. So Prov. 3.3. Bind them about thy neck, and write them upon the table of thine heart; Firſt, verity muſt be in the heart, and then the words are framed in the throat; therefore he ſaith, Bind them about thy neck, and then they come to the tongue.
This verity which is the conception of the minde is uttered two wayes; either, per ſignum vocale, The conceptions of the minde uttered two wayes.by ſome other ſigne, whereby we expreſſe our minde, which is a kinde of ſpeech, and therefore Salomon ſaith, Proverb. 6.13. He ſpeaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers.
When one ſent a meſſenger to Periander to aske him how hee could reigne ſo ſecurely amongſt his ſubjects, hee anſwered no other thing to the meſſengers, but brought them out to a field of ripe corne, and with his ſtaffe beat off the eares of corne, which was as much in effect, as if hee had ſaid, if thou would live ſecurely amongſt thy ſubjects, cut the heads from ſome of them.
To uſe ſignes that are arbitrary and not received amongſt all nations,When people are deceived with ſignes common to all nations, yet it is not a lie. although hee bee deceived with whom thou haſt to doe, it is not thy fault, neither is this deceit; this kind of diſſimulation the fathers call it foreign: ſuch was that ſtratagem of Ioſhua when he fled from Hai; So when the Romans caſt bread into the campe of the enemies out of the Capitoll,Livium lib. 5. to make them beleive that they had plenty of victuals, although the enemies were deceived here, yet this was no fault in the Romans; Haet ſigna uſurpari poſſunt, quia non communi iuſtituto uſurpata, that is, thoſe ſignes may be uſed, becauſe they are not generally received nor agreed upon by all people, but thoſe things which are generally received amongſt all people, as their ſpeech, and writing, Hieroglyphicks, and ſuch; here if we ſpeake one thing and meane another, this is a falſhood.
When a man is deceived by an ambiguous word, it is not a li….When a word hath many ſignifications, and if that which a man conceiveth in his minde agreeth with one of the ſignifications, hee maketh not a lie, although the man who heareth him, conceive it otherwiſe; as when Chriſt ſaid, Beware of the leaven of the Phariſees, although the Diſciples tooke it for leaven indeed, yet it was not a lie; and the ſuperior may ſpeake otherwayes then he thinketh, for tryall of the truth. Example, we have in Ioſeph, who being the governour in Egypt, ſaid, Ye are ſpies. Gen. 43. and then accuſed them of theft; but the inferior may not anſwere ſo doubtfully to his ſuperior.
The minde is expreſſed by anſwering to the queſtion three wayes. Reſpondere ad diverſum. ad idem. ad contrarium.We expreſſe our minde when we anſwere to a thing, either ad idem, ad diverſum, vel ad contrarium. Example, when Abimelech asked Abraham, Is this woman thy wife? If Abraham ſhould have anſwered, ſhe is my wife; then he had anſwered, ad idem, and hee would not have made a lie. Secondly, when hee anſwere ſhee is my ſiſter, here he anſwered ad diverſum, and this was not a lie; for this word ſiſter is taken in a large ſenſe amongſt the Hebrewes; and ſo a wife may bee called a ſiſter Paul ſaith, Have wee not power to lead about a ſiſter, a wife, as well as other Apoſtles. 1. Cor. 9.5. and ſo ſiſter is taken for one that is neare in kindred, as Sarah was to Abraham. Thirdly, if he had anſwered, ſhe is not my wife; then he had anſwered per contrarium, and had made a lie: So when a man uttereth his minde, per ſignum reale, A reall ſigne anſwereth to the minde three wayes.ſometimes the ſigne anſwereth, ad idem; ſometimes ad diverſum; and ſometimes ad contrarium; it anſwereth ad idem; when a man may gather at the firſt by the ſigne, that the party with whom hee hath to doe thinketh ſo, as hee demonſtrateth by this ſigne. Example, when Eſther fell downe before Aſhuerus King of Perſia, to petition him for the Iewes her countrey-men; Aſhuerus held out the ſcepter to her. Eſth. 5.2. here Eſther knew by this ſigne that the King was minded to grant her petition, and the King anſwered ad idem, by this ſigne, to the petition of Eſther.
Sometimes the ſigne is diverſum, from that which a man thinketh when he maketh ſuch a ſigne, this is not a reall lie; becauſe it is not contrary to his minde. Example, when Ioſeph knew his brethren,foreign altenum ſe finxir. he made himſelfe ſtrange to them, Vaijthnakker. Gen. 42.7. this he did to trie them the better, but not for another end. So Ioſhua and his army fained themſelves to fly before the men of Ai. Ioſh. 8. but this they did at the commandement of the Lord, for he allowed this ſtratagem, as may be ſeene Verſ. 18. So Chriſt ſimulated that he would have gone farther, and not ſtay at Emaus all night. Luc. 24.28. This ſimulation was not contrary to his minde, but diverſum; he ſimulated that hee would goe forward, that hee might make the Diſciples to bee the more earneſt with him to bid him ſtay; and this ſimulation hath this tacite condition annexed to it, I will not ſtay at Emaus unleſſe my Diſciples bee very earneſt with me to ſtay.
A Phyſitian hath a patient that cannot abide ſuch phyſick as will cure him,Simile, the Phyſitian deludeth the ſenſes of the patient, to make the patient beleive that it is ſome other thing; here this ſigne is not contrary to the Phyſitians minde, for he mindeth to make this a ſigne to cure his patient: the ſigne is diverſum here, but not contrarium; but when the ſigne or the word is contrary to that which the minde thinketh, then it is a lie. Example, Pſal. 18. Mendaciter ſe ſubijcient mihi, they ſhall yeeld fained obedience to me; for when they made outward ſhewes of obedience to David, they thought no ſuch thing in their heart. Iacob put the skins of goates upon his hands, and upon the ſmooth of his neck, and then hee ſaid to his father;A twofold lie in Iacob, in words and ſignes. I am Eſau thy firſt borne. Gen. 27.19. here was a double lie, a lie in words, and a lie in ſigne, both contrary to his minde. So 1. King. 14.5. When the wife of Ieroboam fained herſelfe to bee another woman, that ſhe might deceive the Prophetes; this was a reall lie contrary to her minde: for if the Prophet had demanded of her, art thou the wife of Ieroboam or not? doubtleſſe ſhe would have anſwered I am not the wife of Ieroboam, but ſome other woman; and ſo ſhee ſhould have made a double lie, contrary to her minde, both in her apparrell, and in her ſpeech.
When a Prieſt ſtandeth before a Iudge cloathed in Scarlet, & with long haire, the Iudge demandeth of him, art thou a Prieſt? he anſwereth, I am not a Prieſt; this is a lie in words. Again, he maketh a reall lie in wearing ſuch apparrell, that he may not be taken for a Prieſt, and ſo both the ſignes and words are contrary to his minde. And as the Lord ſaid to Ahija the Prophet. 1. King. 14.5. The wife of Ieroboam commeth to aske a thing of thee, and when ſhee commeth in ſhee ſhall faine her ſelfe to bee another woman, and the Prophet ſaid unto her, why faineſt thou thy ſelfe to be another woman. So the Lord ſaith to the Iudge, the man who ſtandeth before thee, would faine himſelfe not to be a Prieſt;A difference betwixt reall and verball ſignes. but the Iudge may ſay unto him, why faineſt thou thy ſelfe to be another man?
We muſt put a difference betweene reall and verball ſignes, for words doe more indefinitely determine the minde of the ſpeaker, than ſignes doe. Signes againe doe more confuſedly and indeterminately expreſſe the minde, and therefore it is more lawfull to uſe the one rather than the other. Example, when a man upon the ſtage putteth on a Kings apparrell, this is not a reall lie, but if he ſhould ſay upon a ſtage that he were the King, that were a reall lie; and becauſe all men know that Kings play not upon the ſtage; therefore there is no great danger of a lie, but when the ſigne is hardly diſcerned; and made to cover a lie; then it is a lie indeed.
When the Lord threatned Ninive that it ſhould bee deſtroyed within forty dayes, and it was not deſtroyed;God in threatning to deſtroy Ninive and not doing it, yet it was not a lie. this was not a Ieſuiticall lie, for it is the uſuall manner of the Prophets to underſtand the condition, and ſuppreſſe it when they threaten, which may be eaſily underſtood by the like phraſes, as the Prophet ſaid to Ezekiah. Eſay. 38. Set thine houſe in order, for thou ſhalt die and not live. Here the threatning is ſet downe, but the condition is underſtood; to wit, if thou pray not; but when Ezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord; then God ſent his Prophet backe againe to him with this commiſſion; Tell Hezekiah the captaine of my people, thus ſaith the Lord, the God of David thy father; I have heard thy prayers, I have ſeene thy teares, behold I will heale thee on the third day; Sometimes God ſets downe both the condition and the threatning.and I will adde unto thy dayes fifteene yeares. 2. King. 20. Sometimes againe, both the threatning and the condition is ſet downe; as Gen. 20.7. Now reſtore the man his wife, for he is a Prophet, and will pray for thee, and thou ſhalt live; and if thou reſtore her not, know then that thou ſhalt ſurely die; thou and all that are thine.
So when a Iudge for examination and tryall ſetreth downe a thing not thetice, by way of aſſertion,A Iudge may examine thetic… & interrogatoriè. but by way of intrerogation and tryall; this is not a lie. So Salomon called for a ſword to cut the child, when hee was not minded to cut the child, but onelyonly to trie who was the mother of the child. 1. King. 3. So when Chriſt bad his diſciples give bread to the multitude to feed them, whereas he knew that they had not bread ſufficient to feed them; this was not a lie, but onelyonly to trie the obedience of the Diſciples. Mat. 14.16. So wee propound Elenches to young ſchollers to trie them, which we know to be falſe in themſelves.
When in ironie or jeſt we bid a man doe ſuch a thing, but wee will him not doe it, this is not a lie; as when Michaiah ſaid to Ach…, A man may uſe an ironie and not lie.Goe up and proſper. 1. King. 22.15. And ſo Chriſt ſaid to his Diſciples, Sleepe on now and take your reſt. Mat. 26.45. theſe are not lies, for in ſuch ſpeeches wee may know by the geſtures of the ſpeakers that they doe but jeſt.
Ob. But this was a great ſinne in Peter when hee diſſembled.
Anſw. They anſwere that Peter did not this to deceive any man, but onelyonly for feare to ſave his life.
Reply. Although this was his principall and chiefe end to eſchew danger, yet hee uſed a lie to eſcape danger. A Iudge doth not condemne a thiefe, becauſe hee hath a care to provide for himſelfe and his family; but becauſe he hath a care to provide for them by deceit and theft; ſo to have a care to eſcape danger, that is commendable; but to make a lie to eſcape danger, that is a ſinne.
Object. Againe they ſay that this limitation which they adde in their minde is true in the ſight of God, and in the ſenſe of him who ſpeaketh; and ſo it excludeth all ſort of lying.
Anſw. Verity is a part of juſtice, and lying is a part of injuſtice, which two doe reſpect ou… neighbour; and theſe two are to bee meaſured by our ſpeeches. 2. Cor. 4.3. We handled not the word of God deceitfully, but by manifeſtation of the truth, commending our ſelves to every mans conſcience in the ſight of God. Paul here manifeſteth the truth both before God and man, but the Ieſuites in their equivocations, manifeſt not the truth before God and man.
They anſwer, Reply. to equivocate is not lawfull in matters of contract and dayly converſation, but it is lawfull in defence of our ſelves to eſcape a great danger, in this caſe it is lawfull to equivocate, ſay they.
Then the Martyrs were great fooles who did not learne to equivocate this way, to ſave thier lives. Anſ.
Heb. 6.6. An oath is the end of all controverſies, but equivocation multiplyeth controverſies. Obj.
They anſwer, we may not equivocate before a Iudge who proceedeth formally, and is a competent Iudge: Anſw. but if hee be an hereticke, who hath no power to judge, then we may equivocate.
When the Shunamitiſh woman ſaid to Eliſha, Thou man of God doe not lye unto thine handmaid. 2. King. 4.17. Reply. hee was bound to anſwer truly to the woman, albeit ſhee was not a competent judge: and Hierome ſaith well, Etiam inter hoſtes ſervanda eſt fides: we muſt deale truly even to our enemies.
The concluſion of this is: Concluſion. That all thoſe who uſe equivocations are in a fearefull caſe, becauſe the Lord who is the God of truth, will deſtroy thoſe who ſpeake lies, Pſalm. 5.6. And thoſe great lyers ſhall be ſhut out of the holy city, Revel. 22.15.