Page:Vindicationoflaw00hath.djvu/44

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36
LETTER II.

of the particular verse to which Dr. M'Caul mainly directs his attention, lie says in page 2, "If the Marriage Law Defence Association be right, Dr. Pusey's interpretation must be rejected as erroneous. Zealous partisans may think that the end sanctifies the means, and that the circulation of a little perversion of the truth is no great matter, if it tend to the triumph of the good cause. But devout and thoughtful Christians will think differently, and feel that the diffusion of a false interpretation, however good the intentions, is a serious evil, and involves a responsibility which they would shrink from incurring."

I trust, sir, that neither you nor I may ever have any occasion to be ashamed of the support we have given to the Marriage Law Defence Association. That Association was formed to counteract the proceedings of some person or persons who have never yet ventured to give his or their name or names to the public, but who is or are indefatigable in exertion and purse in attempting to overthrow the existing law. Some proceedings of this anonymous opponent or opponents I have referred to in my first letter. I do not believe that Dr. M'Caul has seriously intended to accuse the large number of Clergy and of Christian noblemen and gentlemen who constitute the Marriage Law Defence Association of "thinking that the end sanctifies the means," or believing them to be less "devout and thoughtful Christians" than himself. It would