1320 The Support of Good Men, VOI: I. All Trull in God and Dependance upon his Providence, (Ices in ply, that we join Prayer and Endeavour together ; Faith in God, and a pntdtnt and di. ligent ufe of Means : If we lazily truft the Providence of God, ar:d fo c al all our Care upon him, as to take none at all cur felves, God will take r.e Care of us. In vain do we rely opon the Wifdom and Goodnefs, and Power of God ; in vain do we importune and tire Heaven with our Pra3 ers, to help us agaí.nft our Enemies and Perfecutors, if we our felves will do nothing for our felves : In vain do we hope that God will maintain and defend our Religion, againft all the fecret Contrivances, and open Affaults of our Enemies, if we' who are united in the Profeffion of the fame Religion, and in all th_ F:fent;als of Faith and Worfhip, will for fome fmall Differences in leffer Matters, which are of no moment, in comparifon of the Things wherein we are agreed : I fay, if for fuch flight Matters, we will divide and fall out among our felves; if when the Enemy is at the Gates, we will (till purfue our Heats and Aninïofities and will madly keep open thofe Breaches which were foolithly made at firft; what can we expeEt, but that the Common Enemy thould take the advantage, and enter in at them; and whilft we are fo unfeafonably and fenfelefly'contend- ing with onè another, that they fhould take the Opportunity which we give them, tò deftroy us all. z. Provided likewife, that we do not attempt our Prefervation or Deliverance from Suffering, by evil and unlawful means : We mutt do nothing that is con- trar' to our Duty, and to a good Confcience; nor comply with any thing, or lend our helping Hand thereto, that apparently tends to the Ruin of our Reli- gion, neither to divert nor put off Sufferings for the prefent, nor to refcue our felves from under them ; becaufe we cannot with Confidence commit our felves to the Providence of God, but in well.doing. This is an Eternal Rule, fromwhence we muff in no Cafe depart, That Men mud do nothing contrary to the Rules and Precepts of Religion, no not for the fake ofReligion it felf : We muff not break any Law of God, nor difohey the law- ful Commands of lawful Authority, to free our felves from anySufferings ,what- foever; becaufe the Goodnefs of no End can fanetify Evil Means, and make them lawful : We muff not peak deceitfully for God, nor lye, no, not far the Truth; nor kill Men, though we could thereby do God and Religion the greateil. Service. And tho' all the Cafuifts in the World fhould teach the contrary Do- urine, (as they generallydo in the Church of Rome) yet I would not doubt to oppofe to all thofe, the fingle Authority of St. Paul, who exprefly condemns this Principle, and brands it for a damnable Do&rine, that Evil maybe done by us, that Good may come, Rom. 3. 8. And not as we be flanderoufly reported, and as fame affirm that we fay, let as do evil, that good may come, whofe damnation is jell. St. Paul, it feems, looked upon it as a utoft devilifh Calumny, to infinuate that the Chriftian Religion gives the leali countenance to fuch damnable Do&rines and Doings as thefe; and pronounceth their Damnation to be jufl, who either teach any fuch Principle as the Do&rine of Chriftianity, or prarlife according to it. Let thofe look to it, who teach, That a right Intention, and a good End, will render things which are otherwife, evil and unlawful, not only lawful to be done by us, but in many Cafes meritorious; efpecially where the good of the Church, and the Extirpation of Herefy are more immediately concerned. Of this Nature are the Do&rines of Equivocation and Mental Refervation, and the Lawfulnefs of tech Artificial ways of Lying, to avoid the Danger of the Law, when they are brought before Heretical Magiftrates ; and this is the com- mon Do&rine of the molt learned Cafuitts ofall Orders in the Church of Rome : And fuch likewife are their Do&rines, of the Lawfulnefsof extirpating Hereticks, by the moti barbarous and bloodyMeans, and of breaking Faith with them, tho' given by Emperors and Princes, in the mote publick and folemn Manner; both which are the avowed Do&rives of their General Councils, and have frequently been put in pra&ice, to the Deftru&ion of many Millions of Chriflians, better and more righteous than themfelves. But we have notfo learnedChrill,, who have heard
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