314 xlv APPENDIX TO smitoÑs XX. XXI. AND XXII. capable of them, as to know what truth and falsehoodare, and to resent, and to practise accordingly : And this is sufficient to the present argument, and fully answersthe objection. I think there- fore it is infinitely better to allure those, whose understandings are weak, and whose wills are obstinate, to the practice of duty, by all the gentle arts of softness and fondness, ofpersuasion and love, than byventuring to make an inroad upon our ownsincerity, and to Millie 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 dan- ger of destroying themselves,' if they are not immediately 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 aman rob on thehigh-way, to get money to feed and clothe him ? Surely we ought to trust the kind care and providenceof God with our own lives and othersin the way of duty, and not do evil that good may come, as was said under the former question. Thus much shall suffice for thecase of children, on pretence oftheir being incapable of civil society. But the querist will in- sist still on the next instance Instance II. Cheats, and knaves, and thievish criminals, . have no right to truth ; for they have broken. the bonds of civil society, though not by a public renunciation ofthem, and therefore we may use all manner of deceit toward them, and treat them with express falsehood and lying, wheresoever it may protdote our own interest and safety. To this I reply, that the rule of Christ is; Whatsoever ye would that men should do untoyou, do ye also that unto them,; Mat. vii.12. But this licentious doctrine cancels this divine rule, and substitutes another in the room of it, viz. Whatsoever men do unto you, doye also that unto them ; which is as widely differ- cnt from the sacred rule of Christ, as light is from darkness, or Leaven from hell. By this new rule we are no longer bound to practise that truth, that justice, that goodness to others, which we think reasonable they should' practise towards us; but we have leave to practise that falsehood and knavery, that fraud, and injustice, and mischief to others, which they do actually practice towards us, or which we suspect they design topractise. If one half of a city or a nation were fallen into knavish practices, through the great degeneracy of the age, or were become thievish pilferers, . the other half would, by this rtiI practise.knavery with licence toward them, and deal out false- hoods to them by divinepern ission. And then the charge would
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