312 AN APPENDIX TO SERMONS XX. XXI. AND XXII. mankind so necessarily depends But I cannot find any such evident exceptions given inthe whole word of God Answer II. When we say a person has no right to truth, it may signify one ofthese two things : 1. That he has no right to demand of me a direct answer to his enquiry : And I will readily grant it in this sense, there are thousands who have no right to the truth ; and therefore I may wave the question, I may give them an insufficient answer, or I may bè silent, and boldly refuse to give them any answer at all. But 2, If his having no right to truth, be intended to sig- nify, that the character of his person, or the nature ofhis question, is such as releases me from all obligation to truth in answering him, and that therefore I may lawfully tell him a falsehood ; then I deny the propositions : For my obligation to speak truth dotis not all depend on the nature of his question, nor loth it depend merely on the character of the enquirer, but on the eternal rule of equity, and the command of God. And I think this appears from hence, that though I were alone, it would not be warrantable in me to assert with my lips a known falsehood : and in this case the right or claim of man can have no placenor consideration. Answer III. If this exception be made to the plain law of God, that we may speak a direct and express falsehood to any persons who in our esteem have no right to the truth in their enquiry ; this seems to break all the bands of human society, violate all the faith of men, and render the divine com- mands of veracity, and the prohibitions of falsehood almost useless.. The consciences of men would find a: way of escape from the greatest part:of the bonds of duty, and yetthink they committedno sin. ' For let us consider, who it is that must judge whether the person towhom we speak has a right to truth or no. Is it not the speaker himself who will be the judge ? Now if the speaker . mustjudge whether his neighbour has a right to truth, there is no case, wherein the speaker's interest maybe anÿ ways endangered by the truth, but his own sinful heart will readily whisper to him, that thehearer has no right to truth in such a question : and conscience will easily be warped aside, and comply to pronounce a known falsehood, under the colour and pretence ofthis excel), tion : As for instance; if the buyer asks the seller, how much he gave for any merchandize ? The seller by this rule may tell him double the price that it cost ; for he will say, the buyer has no right to truth in such a question as this is. So if I `ask an artificer, how he fashions his work, or what tools he used in it ? He may by this rule-give melt very false answer, under pretence that I have no right to truth.
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