town, in what market or exchange, ́in what street or place of public refort, is not the holy Name whereby we are called taken in vain, day by day? From the noble to the peafant, who fails to call upon God, in this, if in no other way? Whither can you turn, where can you go, without hearing fome praying to God for damnation, either on his neighbour or himfelf? Curfing thofe, without either fear or remorfe, whom Chrift hath bought to inherit a bleffing!

Are you one of thefe ftupid, fenfelefs, fhameless wretches, that call fo earnestly for damnation on your own foul? What if God fhould take you at your word? Are you able to dwell with everlasting burnings? If you are, why fhould you be in hafte, to be in the lake of fire burning with brimstone? God help you, or you will be there foon enough, and long enough; for that fire is not quenched! But the fmoke thereof afcendeth up, day and night, for ever

and ever.

And what is that important affair, concerning which you was but now appealing to God ? Was you calling God to record upon your foul, touching your everlafting falvation ? No; but touching the beauty of your horfe, the fwiftness of your dog, or the goodness of your drink! How is this? What notion have you of God? What do you take him to be ?

Idcirco ftolidam præbet tibi vellere barbam.
Jupiter?

What ftupidity, what infatuation is this! Thuswithout either pleafure, or profit, or praife, to fet: at nought him that hath all power both in heaven and earth! Wantonly to provoke the eyes of his glory!

Are you a man of letters, who are funk fo low ? I will not fend you to the infpired writers (fo called: perhaps you difdain to receive inftruction by them) but to the old, blind heathen. Could you only fix in your mind the idea he had of God,

(though

(21
( 21 )

(though it is not ftri&tly juft, unless we refer it to God made man) you would never thus affront him

more,

Ἦ, καὶ κυανέησιν ἔτ ̓ ὀφρύσι νεῦτε Κρρηίων
̓Αμβρόσιαι δ' ἄρα χᾶιται ἐπερ εώσαιο Ανακλα
Κρᾶτο ἀπ' ἀθανάτοιο μέγαν δ ̓ ἑλέλιξεν Ολυμπονο

Shall not the very heathen then rife up in judg ment against this generation, and condemn it? Yea, and not only the learned heathens of Greece and Rome, but the favages of America. For I never remember to have heard a wild Indian name the name of Sootaleicatee, (him that fitteth in heaven) without either laying his hand upon his breaft, or cafting his eyes down to the ground. And you are a Chriftian! O how do you caufe the very name of Chriftianity to be blafphemed among the heathen!

5. But is it light fwearing only, (inexcufable as that is) because of which our land mourneth? May it not alfo be faid of us, Though they fay the Lord liveth, furely they fwear falfely? Yea, to fuch a degree, that there is hardly the like in any nation under heaven; that almost every corner of the land is filled with wilful, deliberate perjury.

I speak not now of the perjuries which every common fwearer cannot but run into day by day. (And indeed common " fwearing notoriously contributes to the growth of perjury. For oaths are little minded when common use has fullied them, and every minute's repetition has made them cheap and vulgar." Nor of those which are continually committed and often detected in our open courts of juftice. Only with regard to the latter I must remark, that they are a natural confequence, of that monftrous, hocking manner, wherein oaths are ufually adminiftered therein: without any decency or seriousness at all; much less with that awful folemnity, which a rational heathen would expect, in an immediate appeal to the great God of heaven.

I had

I had once defigned to confider all the oaths which are cuftomarily taken by any fet of men among us. But I foon found this was a work too weighty for me: fo almoft in infinitum are oaths multiplied in England: I fuppofe to a degree which is not known in any other nation in Europe.

What I now propofe is, to inftance only in a few, (but thofe not of fmall importance) and to fhew, how amazingly little regard is had, to what is folemnly promifed or affirmed before God.

6. This is done, in part, to my hands by a late author. So far as he goes. I fhall little more than tranfcribe his words. (Mr. Difney's first Effay, P. 30.)

"When a Juftice of the Peace is fworn into the commiffion, he makes oath-That he fhall do equal right to the poor and to the rich, after his cunning, wit and power, and after the laws and customs of the realm and ftatutes thereof made, in all articles in the king's commiffion to him directed. What thofe articles are, you will find in the firft Affignavimus of the Commiffion: "we have affigned you and every one of you, jointly and severally to keep and caufe to be kept, all ordinances. and ftatutes, made for the quiet, rule, and government of our people, in all and every the articles thereof, according to the force, form, and effect of the fame, and to chaftife and punish all perfons, offending againft any of them, according to the form of thofe ftatutes and ordinances." So that he is folemnly fworn to the execution of all fuch ftatutes, as the legislative power of the nation has thought fit to throw upon his care. Such are all thofe (among others) made against drunkennefs, tipling, profane fwearing. blafphemy; lewd and diforderly practices, and profanation of the Lord's day." And it is hard to imagine how a Juftice of Peace can think himself more concerned, to fupprefs riots, or private quarrels, than he is to levy twelve pence on a profane fwearer, five fhillings on a drunkard, ten fhillings on a public-house that fuffers tipling,

or

or any other penalty which the law exacts of vice and immorality. The fame oath binds him both to one and the other, laying an exqual obligation upon his confcience. How a magiftrate, who neglects to punifh excefs, profaneness and impiety, can excufe himself from the guilt of perjury, I do not pretend to know. If he reasons fairly, he will find himself as much forfworn, as an evidence who being upon his oath, to declare the whole truth, nevertheless conceals the most confiderable part of it. And his perjury is fo much the more infamous, as the ill example and effects of it will be mifchievous."

7. The fame author (in the preface to his second effay) goes on;

"You gentlemen of the grand juries, take a folemn oath, That you will diligently enquire, and true prefentment make, of all fuch articles, matters, and things as fhall be given you in charge: as also, that you will (not only prefent no perfon for envy, hatred, or malice, but) not leave any unprefented, for fear, favour, or affection. Now, are not the laws againit immorality and profanenefs given you in charge, as well as tole against riots, felony, and treason? Are not prefentiment and indictment one method expressly appointed by the ftatutes, for the punishment of drunkennefs and tipling? Are not the houses of bawdry and gaming, punithable in the fame courts, and confequently prefentable by you? Is not the proclamation for the punishing of vice, profaneness, and immorality, always read before you as foon as you are fworn? And does not the judge of affize, or chairman of the bench, in the charge given immediately after the reading it, either recite to you the particular laws against fuch offences, or refer you for them to that proclamation? It is plain from all this, that you are bound upon your oaths, to prefent all vice and immorality, as well as other crimes, that fall within your knowledge, because they are expressly given you in charge. And this you are to do, not

only

only when evidence is offered before you by the information of others, but with regard to all fuch offences as you, or any of you are able of your own perfonal knowledge to prefent: all which you have fworn to do impartially, without fear, favour, or affection."

I leave it now with all reasonable men to confider, how few grand juries perform this? And confequently, what multitudes of them, through. out the nation, fall under the guilt of wilful per jury!

8. The author proceeds, p. 8. "I fhall next addrefs myself to you that are conftables. And to you I muft needs fay, That if you know your duty, it is no thanks to us that are justices. For the oath we ufually give you is fo fhort, and in fuch general terms, that it leaves with you no manner of inflruction in the particulars of the office to which you are fworn. But that which ought to be given you, recites part of your duty in the following words:

"You shall do your best endeavour, that rogues, vagabonds, and night-walkers, be apprehended; and that the ftatutes made for their punishment, be duly put in execution: you fhall have a watch ful eye to fuch as fhall keep any house or place where any unlawful game is used: as also to such as shall frequent fuch places, or fhall ufe any unlawful games, there or elsewhere. You shall prefent all and every the offences contrary to the ftalutes made to restrain tipling in inns, alehouses, and other victualling houfes, and for repreffing of drunken. nefs. You fhall once in the year, during your office, prefent all popish recufants. You fhall well and duly execute all precepts and warrants to you directed. And you fhall well and duly, according to your knowledge, power, and ability, do and execute all other things belonging to the office of a conftable, so long as you fhall continue therein."

Upon this, "I would obferve firft, That actors of plays are expreffed by name within the ftatute, to be taken up for vagabonds, and punifhed accordingly;