A LETTER FROM A JESUIT: OR, THE Mystery of Equivocation.  
BEING The Copy of a Letter of Recommendation, seeming much in favour of the Bearer, but by different Reading, rendered of quite contrary signification.  
Lately discovered by the Person who was thereby abused, and now made Public for General Satisfaction.  
With Allowance.  
LONDON, Printed for W. W. 1679.   

A LETTER From a JESUIT: Or, the MYSTERY of EQUIVOCATION.  
THE word of Truth assures us, That the Devil was a Liar from the beginning; For early he began that Trade, deluding our first Parents with pretensions of increasing their knowledge, when his design was to rob them both of knowledge and happiness, overwhelming all the faculties of their souls with dismal clouds of Ignorance, which to this day sadly obscure the Intellectuals of their unhappy offspring. Nor was his Oracle, infamously famous at Delphos, wanting to pursue the same method, only somewhat refined with semblances of verity, and from thence, 'tis like, the first practice of Equivocation came into the world, To keep up the Reputation of his Priests and continue the Idolatry of his Votaries, returning answers couched in such ambiguous expressions that whatever happened he might seem to be in the Right; and sometimes giving forth his fallacies in Writing either unpointed, or dubiously disposed, where the unwary Reader was trepanned to destruction by treacherous hopes. Thus one of his Agents a Magician once answered Albertus Scotus Earl of Placentia, enquiring of his success against an approaching Foe ready to invade his Territories— Domine stes securus inimici tui suaviter intrabunt terram & subjicientur Domni tuae. Which Albert, flattered by his own wishes, interpreted as the words seemed to import thus: Sir, Rest yourself secure, your Enemies shall sweetly (peaceably or fairly) enter your Land, and shall be made subjects to your Family; But being vanquished and subdued, the crafty South sayer thus read and Interpreted his words, Domi ne stes securus, do not rest at home secure; inimici tui, thy enemies, sua viter intrabunt, by their force shall thrice enter thy Land, & subjicient, and shall cast, ur, a Chaldee word for Fire, Domui tuae, on they Palace.  
But among all the Scholars to this arch craft's master of falsehood, there are none that have more unhappily improved the Mystery of deceit in this kind, than the Jesuits and Romish Seminaries, their very looks and garbs as well as their words are Equivocations, Wolves in sheep's clothing, and Ghostly fathers that have by vows abandoned the world, ruffling in Courts, Exchanges, every where, in huffing habits of Hectoring Gallants. Their discourses capable of as many Constructions as an Almanac makers prognostications, nor are their writings less full of crafty obscurity and hidden meanings. Of this sort we have here a pretty instance, which without doubt was hammered in that Forge. A poor Friar who it seems was not very fit for their turn, being sent from an eminent man of that Fraternity on some sleeveless errand, has a Letter of Recommendation given him to carry by his Superior; and being first read to him, finding the Contents so much (as he understood them) in his favour, did no doubt, return his Ghostly Patron abundance of thanks for so signal a kindness, promising himself what extraordinary welcome the same would procure him with the person to whom it was directed, and indeed who could suspect a Snake in such verdant Grass? or a mischievous meaning in words that appeared so plain and hearty? being as follows.  
The Letter.  
Sir,  
MR. G. an Irish. Friar of the order of Saint Benedict is the bringer unto you of news from me by means of this letter, he is one of the most Discreet, Wise, and least Vicious persons that I ever yet (amongst all I have conversed with) knew, and hath earnestly desired me to write to you in his favour, and to give him a Letter for you of Credence on his behalf, and my Recommendation, which I have granted to his Merit (I assure you) rather than to his Importunity, for believe me, Sir, he is one that deserves your esteem, and I am sorry you should be wanting in the least to oblige him by being mistaken in not knowing him: I should be exceeding said if you were so as many others have been, upon that account, who now esteem him, and are of my best friends. Hence Sir, and from no other motive is it that I desire to advertise you That you are obliged more than any to take special notice of him, to afford him all imaginable respect, and to say nothing in his presence that may offend or displease him in any sort; For I may truly say, I love him as I do myself and assure you there cannot be a more convincing argument of an unworthy person in the world, than any way to injure him. I know that yourself as soon as you cease to be a stranger to his virtue, and have occasion to be acquainted with him, will love him as well as I, and will thank me for this advice. The assurance I have of your Civility hindereth me for to write further of him to you, or to say more upon this subject.  
Your affectionate Friend, Johannes Armondus de Hess, etc. Paris, Nou. 21. 1678.  
Now I dare lay a wager the honest Reader sees no more harm in all this than the silly Friar did that carried it; but if you please to turn down just a quarter of the leaf on the outside so as to cover half the Letter and then read what remains open, you will find it still coherent sense but to a quite contrary import from that which before it carried. For thus it runs:  
Sir,  
Mr. G. An Irish Friar is the bringer to you of this Letter, he is one of the most vicious persons that I ever yet knew, etc.  
But alas! deceiving a poor Friar with such a neat piece of Gullery is nothing to the practices of the Ecclesiastical Politicians of the right Roman breed; their principles delivered by approved Casuists extend to & allow more gross exploits. Take an instance of it in commerce, To use Lies (says the Graffijs l. 2. ca 118.) in bargaining to get a good price, is but a venial fault, though made a daily practice. What think you of forswearing one's self a little? Hear what their great Doctor Soto in his book the Just. & Jure l. 5. q. 7. saith, Testimonium falsum in favorem proximi, non est mortale. A false Testimony in favour of my neighbour is no mortal sin. And he gives you (though himself a Dominican) this true-blew Jesuitical Reason for it; Because, says he, the Command is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour, but forbids not thy doing it for him. Their Navarr delivers it for orthodox Popish Divinity, That any person being Interrogated unduly, that is, by any that he thinks not competent Judges in that Case, concerning any thing which if confessed might endanger him, may answer with a mental reservation, denying that to be done which 〈◊〉 in was done, secretly meaning in such a mo●● or was not done with an intent to discover it to you, or the like. Their Sylvester, in his Sums in the wor● Accusation; speaks freely, that the Accused (in the last case 〈…〉 ore-mentioned) may tell a Lie, which is not any mortal 〈◊〉 nor so much as venial, if answering cautiously 〈…〉 they say sophistically, he speak that which is false in the Judge's sense and true in his own; Since not being properly under his Jurisdiction, he is not bound to speak Truth in his sense. Nor is Truth more secure amongst them in the Pulpit than at the Bar; A Preacher may there Lie, by Gajetans' good leave [Summ. V. Mendactum p. 437.] if he does it not as a Preacher, and his Lies be not scandalous so the said Sylvester (on the same word num. 4.) thus resolves the point, Queritur utrum sit peccitum mortale praedicatori mentiri in Ambono●● If any inquire whether it be a mortal sin for a Preacher to tell Lies in the pulpit, Dico quod non, etc. I say no, If he can do it wittily, he may intermix his Sermons with false Stories provided they be but jocose, for if they only make his hearers innocently merry, 'tis scarce so much as a venial. In a word, Since by their doctrines they may without danger be false so their friends and dependants, to private persons, to Magistrates, to their Priests, to their God, where ought they to have Credit? Since they may practise Lying and deceit in common Conversation, in Commerce; in Doctrine, in Courts of Justice; and even in God's Worship; where may they be trusted▪  
FINIS.