 Garnet first appeared in front of the Privy Council on 13 February 1606 . Present were John Popham , Edward Coke , Sir William Waad , and the Earls of Worcester , Northampton , Nottingham and Salisbury . Superficially , they treated him with respect , removing their hats and addressing him as " Mr Garnet " , although they made fun of his relationship with Anne Vaux , claiming he was her lover , not her confessor . During his questioning he admitted some of his movements , and that he had received Catesby 's letter on 6 November , but he denied being involved in the plot , whose members he did not name . Garnet was convinced that his captors were interested only in the failed scheme and believed he might be able to clear his name , but the councillors also asked him about the doctrine of equivocation . His own treatise on this topic , one of the " heretical , treasonable and damnable books " found amongst Francis Tresham 's possessions , was laid on the council table before him . Although it condemned lying , Garnet 's treatise supported the notion that when questioned , for instance , on the presence of a priest in his house , a Catholic might " securely in conscience " answer " No " if he had a " secret meaning reserved in his mind " . The occasions on which a Catholic might legitimately use equivocation , he supposed , were limited , but such replies could be taken as an example of insincerity or deviousness — especially to the king 's council , who may not have wanted to see Garnet prove his case . The council 's view of equivocation was very different from Garnet 's . In their eyes , it was simple deceit . 
