APPE\DIX T'O SERMONS XX, XXI, AND XCXTT. 379 form something to or for each other, whether this con- tract be expressed in verbal promises, -vr implied in the nature of things, and by the known customs of mankind, then ifone of the parties fail of performance, the otheris thereby released from his promise or engagement and the reason is most evident, because the promise or en gagement -was made in a conditional manner ; and if the condition onone side be not fulfilled, the agreementor bargain on the other side is void, and utterly ceases; so that a man is innocent in this case, though he does not perform his promise.. Now this is .so well known to a1 men by the light of nature, and the easiest reasoning, that~ there is no need to enlarge upon it. According to this general and known rule, suppose a merchant order any quantity of goods from his corres- pondentby the first ship, and promise payment by sucha day if the sending of those goods be neglected, and carelessly delayed, the merchant is not bound to keep his first appointed time for payment. An hundred instances there are of the like nature, which a sthall degree of rea- son, and an honest conscience; will easily determine: without intrenchingupon truth. Such is the case of all. conditional promises and 'contracts. But if a man bey never so great a knave, and I should make him a lawful and an_absolute promise of any thing, surely I ought to perform it, and not satisfy my conscience in the practice of deceit and falsehood, under a pretence that he had no right to truth. There are other cases which may occur in human affairs, and create difficulty in the minds of sincere christians, a solution of which may be found in books written on those subjects : But I think most of them may be easily; answered by the general principles before laid do n : And, to finish this subject, I add, that I knowof no circumstances that can make a plain, and express, and known lie to become lawful : If life itself were in dan- 'ger, yet the express prohibitions of falsehood and lying in the law Of God, make it safer, in point of conscience, to venture the loss of any earthly comfort, and life also,, rather than venture upon a.plain and solemn lie. And, in my opinion, that man, who, being assisted by divine grace; maintains the truth boldly, or refuses to speak a known falsehood to amurderer, or a bloodytyrant,
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