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A
,PPEND1X TO SERMONS
XX,
XXI,
AND
XXII..
tate
the mother's example,
and
grow
up to
a
confirmed
liar
;
what inward
and piercing
reflections
must the
mo-
ther
feel
?
Alas
!
I
have
taught
my
child
this
sinful
Practice,
I
myself
have led
it
into the
ways
of
the
devil
How can I
chide and
correct
by my
reproof that
vice,
which
I
have
taught
by my
example!
It
is
suflîciently
evident therefore,
that
though chil-
dren
are not
capable
of half
the duties
of
the social life,
yet
they
are
so
far
capable
of
them, as
to
know
what
truth
and falsehood are,
and
to
resent,
and to
practise
accordingly
:
And this
is
sufficient
to
the
present argu-
ment, and
fully
answers the objection.
I
think
there-
fore
it
is
infinitely
better
to
allure
those, whose
under
-
standings
are
weak;
and
whose
wills
are
obstinate,
to
the
practice
of
duty,
by
all the gentle
arts
of
softness
and
fondness,
of
persuasion
and
love,
than
by
venturing to
make
an
inroad upon our
own
sincerity,
and
to trifle with
so
sacred
a
thing
as
truth.
But the querist
may
say,
Suppose these softer
arts
have
been
tried, and have
no
effect,
and children
may
be.
in
danger of
destroying
themselves,
if
they
are not
imme-
diately prevented
by
some
plain and express
falsehood;
is
it
then unlawful
to
preserve
their
lives by
a
lie
?
Answer.
It
is
a
command
of God
indeed to preserve
life,
but it must
be
done
by
lawful means.
May
a
man
rob
on the
highway, to
get
money to feed
and clothe
him
?
Surely
we
ought
to
trust
the kind care
and provi-
dence
of God
with
our
own lives
and others
in
the
way
of
duty,
and
not
do evil
that
good
may come, as
was
said
under
the former question.
Thus
much shall
suffice
for the case
of'
children,
on
pretence of their
being
incapable
of
civil
society.
But
the
querist
will
insist
still on the
next
instances
:
Instance
II.
Cheats, and
knaves,
and
thievish crimi-
nals,
have
no
right
to
truth
;
for they have
broken the
bonds:of
civil society,
though
not
by
a public
renuncia-
tion
of
them,
and therefore
we
may
use
all
manner
of
deceit
toward them,
and
treat
them
with
express false-
hood
and
lying,
wheresoever
it
may
promote our
own
in-
terest
and safety.
To
this
I
reply,
that
the rule of:Christ
is,
Whatsoever
ye would
that
men should do
unto
you,.
do
ye also
that
unto
them,
IMat.
vii.
1
.
But this
lieentiouis
doctrine
AIM