fert and testify, upon Oath, a thing to be true, which we know to be falfe; when we fwear, for Example, that we faw, or heard, fuch things done or spoken, which we know we did not fee or hear. (2.) When we affert and teftify upon Oath a thing to be true, of the Truth of which we are not fully affured; nay, though the thing should happen to be true, yet if we fwear it as of our own Knowledge, when we know no fuch thing, we incur the Sin of Perjury, because for ought we knew, it might have been falfe. (3.) When we declare upon Oath, fuch a thing to be our Judgment and Senfe of our Minds, which really is not fo. (4.) When, in giving our Testimony as to any matter of Fact, we wilfully fuppress some material part of the Truth, and aggravate other parts of it, or endeavour fo to difguife, and change our account of Facts, as that the Judges and Juries may not have a right Notion of the matter in queftion, (5.) They that Promife upon Oath, what they do not intend to perform, are ipfo facto, guilty of Perjury, because they call God to witnefs a falfe thing, where the Intention of their Minds does not concur with the Words and Meaning of their Oath. (6.) They are likewise guilty of Perjury, who, though they promise with a fincere Intention to perform, do afterwards, of their own accord, fall off; when the thing they promised, is both lawful, and in their power to perform it. 7. Lastly, They are guilty of Perjury, who make use of Tricks and Equivocations, and put forced Senfes on the Words of an Oath, or look for Evafions, contrary to the plain and genuine Senfe of the Words.

So

So much for the Description of Perjury.

II. The Second Thing I propofed to confider, is, What it is that leads and tempts Men to it. And here now to omit that groffeft Temptation of Bribery, by which a Man barefacedly fells himfelf to work Wickedness; There are thefe three too common Occafions of this Sin, Rashness, Partiality, and Self-Intereft.

(1.) Rafhness; and this is the most incident to your common cuftomary Swearers, who are ready to back every thing they fay with an Oath, without confidering either the Truth or Importance of it. Such People, as often as they tell a Lye, if they perceive it is not readily believed, are apt to back and confirm it with an Oath, and fo muft frequently be guilty of this horrid Sin of Perjury; a Confideration which, I think, ought to be of great Weight to deter every one from the Sin of common Swearing, because it does fo naturally lead to Forfwearing.

(2.) Another great Inducement to the Sin of Perjury, is that of Partiality; when we come to take our Oaths, with our Minds byaffed with Hope or Fear, Favour or Hatred, Affection to one, or Prejudice to another; for all these we ought to be fortified against, whenever we go about to take an Oath in Judgment; for if we find they are apt to blind and byafs us, we should either decline giving of our Evidence, or at least confefs the Byafs that is upon us, that it may have its due Weight with Judges and Juries. But,

(3.) The most common Temptation to Perjury, is that of Self-Intereft; fome Place of Profit or Truft, which cannot be come at without taking fuch

[SERM. fuch and fuch Oaths, contrary to a Man's own Sentiments, and binding him, perhaps, to fuch Things as he has no Mind to perform. How many State-Hypocrites are there, who take Oaths to the Government which they inwardly hate, and would be glad of an Opportunity to pull down, and make no more of an Oath, than if it were a common Ceremony? Nay, fome have fteeled their Confciences to that Degree of Hardness, that it is really not poffible to contrive any. State-Oath that they will not fwallow; and when they have done it, they are no faster bound than they were before; for they have learned to play faft and loose with all Oaths whatsoever, and to be fwayed by no other Confideration in them, than that of Self-Intereft. One unhappy Occafion of this debauching of Mens Confciences, has been the many contradictory State-Oaths which have been impofed for these last Seventy or Eighty Years; which are found by Experience to catch only fome of the more ftrict and confcientious fort of People, from whom there is the least Danger, while the more Atheistical swallow all, and keep none. It were much to be wifhed, the Publick were more tender in impofing, and private Men more conscientious in keeping their Oaths, that the Religion and Veneration of an Oath might be retrieved; and that Men of Principles might be, at least, upon as good a foot in this World, as others that have none; and that inftead of the Tefts of Oaths, which have been found to be fo flender, the Trial, were rather put upon Mens actual Obedience or Difobedience to Governments. But God forbid that we should reckon all perjured, who have been obliged to take the Oaths to feve

ral

ral Governments, though very unfriendly to one another; for though an Oath, generally speaking, is a very strict Bond, yet there are feveral things that falve from Perjury, when the Matter of the Oath is changed, without any fault of ours, as shall be fhewn by and by, when I come to the last Head I proposed on this Subject. But to go on in our propofed Method.

III. The third thing to be confidered, is the Heinoufnefs of the Sin of Perjury. In order to which, I offer the following Confiderations.

(1.) That it is a great Proof of a profane Atheiftical Mind. Other Sins feem to proceed more from a Forgetfulness of God, and a Want of a due Senfe of him; but this invoking him directly to be a Witness to a Falfhood, doth neceffarily fuppofe a much higher degree of Impudence in finning, and affronting God, as it were, to his Face. More directly it attacks his Veracity, fince he is called in to witnefs a Lye; it attacks his Omniscience, fince he, the Searcher of Hearts, is appealed to, on purpose to cover our vile Hypocrify; it attacks his Justice, by appealing to him to conceal and cover Injustice; and it attacks his Power, his Omnipotence, and his Vengeance, by challenging him, as it were, to exert them upon this fo provoking Occafion. Laftly, It attacks him as he is Governour of the World; for an Oath being the laft Refult or Appeal to God the fupreme Governour, when all other Human Proof fails, Perjury is, as it were, a Defying of him in that Capacity, and a downright rebelling against the King of Kings.

(2.) As it is highly affronting to God Almighty, it is likewife highly injurious to Man

kind; for an Oath being of fo univerfal Use among Men, in tranfacting Matters of the higheft Confequence, whofoever goes about to make it vile and cheap, does what in him lies to destroy the highest Bonds of Faith and Truth among Men. If the Religion of an Oath is once prostituted, what way is there left for Princes to confirm their Leagues and Treaties, and Articles of War and Peace with one another? Have they any other Superiour to appeal to than God? or any firmer thing to depend on than an Oath? The very Heathen were fo fenfible of this, that let the lofs be what it would, they would obferve the Religion of an Oath in their mutual Promises, though to their Enemies. There are fome famous things to this purpose in the Roman History. Regulus returned to the Enemies, rather than he would break his Oath, though he was fure to be put to a cruel Death; and fome that promifed the Enemy upon Oath to return, and would have eluded it by a Trick, (for pretending to forget fomething, they immediately returned unto the Enemies Camp, and this they would have paft for the Accomplishment of their Oath) but it was rejected by the Senate as an unworthy Trick, and they were fent back to the Enemy. If Perjury once takes place, how fhall the Oath of God bind between Prince and Subjects? Or how shall Con-troverfies be decided, or the Truth be found out in doubtful Cafes? Nay, if Perjury prevails, then farewell all Truth, and Honesty, and Sincerity among Men; for he that will not regard his Oath, to be fure will as little, or lefs

regard