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1. What we are here mainly to understand by Truth, &c.

A. The right knowledge to this is the ⟨p. 5⟩Key to the whole discourse; it will therefore be worth the while to make some enquiry after it. There are many notions about Truth, which have more of curiosity than common profitableness in them, which I shall therefore designedly avoid, and only touch at such as are more necessary. Concerning Truth in general, I shall only intimate thus much, viz. That as there are two principal Faculties in the Soul of Man, helping him in his rational closure with his objects; so there are two Affections in things, […] and accommodating of them, for the closure of these faculties with them. These Faculties are the Understanding and Will; and those Affections of things are Truth and Goodness: for as Goodness is the attractive of the Will, so is Truth of the Understanding. Truth then is considerable in a treble notion; either as it is rooted in the thing, or as it is taken into the Understanding, or as it is communicated unto others. Truth in the thing is nothing else but the distinct nature of it, considered as it is knowable, and that either generically, specifically, or individually. It adds nothing really to the nature of the thing; but is only a relative affection, by which the ⟨p. 6⟩Understanding may be helped to close with it, and discern it in its nature, causes, and effects. Truth in the Understanding, is properly the right conception which it hath entertained of things: when it forms in the mind a conception of the thing, just as it is in it self, that is Truth. Truth in communication is, when having a right notion of things, we do rightly express and impart them unto others; now according to these various notions which we have of Truth, it hath its various contraries: If we consider Truth as it is in the thing, then its contrary is falsehood; if we look upon it as in the Understanding, its contrary is error: if we respect it as it is held forth in communication, then either a man speaks as he thinks, but erringly, and that is a mistake; or else he speaks wittingly and wilfully otherwise then the thing is, and with a purpose to deceive, and that is a lye; which is the thing most directly and immediately forbidden in the Ninth Commandment,