^^.' ^^.f^«^*^^f^ ^ ^<^. V. Z- I i^l^ oaiiiJ JieretccJ Cj. UQieuc/u cm duJIe^^^atTc^ C/a^U) 10. L.4^ CPra^i^h^ ucyie/ry 12. fJ.Ucuui/ OtnLOTU^ a^e^TT^crKy Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2011 witii funding from Princeton Tiieological Seminary Library littp://www.arcliive.org/details/immoralityofpropOOflem J THE Immorality of Prophane Swearing Demonftrated j In a New METHOD: AND Without the Aid of Revelation. Dedicated To Modern Deists and Christians. B Y A Lover of his COUNTRY.' LONDON: Printed for M. Cooper, at the Globe in Pater- No/fer-Row ; and Sold at the Pamphlet-Shops. [ Price Four - Pence. ] THE I MMO R A L I T Y O F Prophane Swearing Demonftrated. The dejign of the argument, TH E intention of thefe pages, is to fheWjthat Oaths in com- mon converfation are immo- ral. In this performance, no very particular notice will be taken of thofe idle excrefcences of language, which regard Oaths, or expreffions in the form of Oaths, made by any other be- ing or thing belides a Supreme Being. When thefe are confidered jormally^ they are oaths which exprefs Idolatry : becaufe, no being but God is the pro- B per ^ Prophane Swearing Immoral. per obje6l of an appeal, that is to give Jorce to an affirmation or denial. It is therefore idolatrous to fwear by mj Lady, by the Majs^ by the Heavens, by my Stars, by George, or the like. Thefe forms of expreffion are vain or impious ; as they either can have 7io meaning, or a bad one. If they have no meaning, thofe who ufe them do abufe Speech^ which was given to man, in order to exprefs reafon^ truth, juft-fentiment ! And if they have any meaning, they are idolatrous, as they have the form of an Oath. — With thefe I fhall have no particular or diredt concern j be- caufe, if the reafoning will but con- vince of the true nature and folemnity of an Oath, I am opinion, men will ^be prevailed upon to purge their lan- guage from all filth, froth, and vani- ty. But if it does not convince of the folemnity of an Oath, and the unfit- nefs of its being taken in common convcrfation, I defpair of any remedy from Prophane Swearing hnmoral. ^ from it, in the cafe of petty ^ trijiing^ baje forms of fwearing. Brevity is ftudied in the argument, for the fake of its being the more fpread in Society 3 or, the more uni- verfally read : for there are fuppofed to be but few common fwearers, who will take much pains for their own conviction . It has nothing q{ party m it; and fo may be read without difguft, by any fort of men, who chufe to examine it. I would aifo obferve, as to the pro- fecution of the argument, that thofe truths which are generally known and acknowledged, are laid down 2.^ Jirjl principles, without referring to hifto- rical teftimony : It being fuppofed, that no man of fenfe would require fuch teftimony in fupport of this alTertion, 7iamely^ that men in Spain or in France^ have appetites and paffions limilar to men in Great -Britain, B 2 In 4 Profane Swearing Immoral. Jn a word, the argument is con- duced by a train of dependent propo- fitions i fupported and explained with- out any rophiftry,or intention to deceive- And may be confidered as giving the reafon of the Statute-law^ enaded this ^ Sejjion of Parliament^ againft prophane Swearing. T^he method in which the argu^ ment lies^ is^ as follow, J' U M A N Society cannot fubfift without laws. Civil laws mud have refpect to men's words J as well as aBions, Laws cannot operate without a pro- per executive power. The executive-power mufl have a method of procefs that will fecure its authority j and that is, by Oath. The true nature and defign of an Oath. Not to be taken, but in fuch cir- cumftances as will afcertain the folem- nity of it. The Propbane Swearing Immoral. 5 The r^afon of this, is, its giving the zitmoft energy to human laws. Oaths cannot be lawful, but when legally demanded \ or, when fome fpe- cial and important Service to others is intended by them. Prophane Oaths deftroy the proprie- ty of Speech \ efpecially, as they con- vey very dilhonourable notions of God ! They can add no weight to a man*s authority, or influence. Prophane Swearing is an impeach- ment of a man's honejiy. In proportion to the quantity of it, in any Country, may be eftimated the irregularity of the human pajfiojis m that Country. Prophane Oaths are direB immora- lities, as they do manifeft injury to others. No provocation! csin therefore jufti- fy Prophane Swearing. Human d Prophane Swear mg Immoral, Human Society cannot fuhfijl with^ out laws, U M A N Society cannot fubfift, nor its welfare be fecured with- out law, order ^ government . — for, from mens paffions becoming turbulent and outragious, diforderand confufion would foon take place, were it not for refirain- mg laws, with their fandions and penal-, ties. And hence it has been, that thofe who have (liewn a reverence of law, as framed and ena- tain the Solemnity of it. In the adminiflration o^Oaths^TiW good governments have fuppofed, that men who fwear, do believe in the being they fwear by j and have a fupreme reverenct of that being j otherwife, it will have no more energy than a bare affirmation or denial. And moreover, fome particular forms have ufually been prefcribed, that have been thought moft fuital le to pre- ferve the awful feleimiity of an Oatb, as Britifh-Chriftians, kifs the Gofpels. The reafon of this ^ isy its giving the utrnoft energy to human laws. An Oath is allowed, by the com- mon confent of all ages and nations, to be more than a bare affirmation or denial of a thing. For tho' truth is Sacred when exprefTed in the common forms of Speech, yet there is an awfulnefs and folemnity given to a declaration, when Trophane Swcariftg Immoral. 1 1 when made in the form of a judicial appeal to \\\q great God ! confidered as the judge of the heart, and openly cal- led upon to be the avenger of falfe- hood. — An Oath is therefore a form of Speech that is peculiarly religious and facred : which peculiarity appears, from its giving the utmofl energy and force to human laws, in which others arc concerned, and in fome particular and very important fenfe. Oaths cannot be lawful^ but when legally demanded 3 or when fome fpecial and important Service to others is intended by them. An Oath can never be fitly taken, but when legally demanded, or when tht good of others is to be ferved by it : forafmuch as it would be to prophane and dejlroy the religion or the facrednefs of an Oath, tofwcar on any other occa- fion. Men muft not fwear in common converfation, becaufe there is nothing more certain than that the doing fo C z implies 1 2 Profane Swearing Immoral. implies a want of re'uerence of tk* be- ings which met! fwear by. But a re- verence oj God^ is the only univerfal principle that can fecure the mind of man from the force of temptation, in every pofTible circumilance. Nothing ihort of this can keep him honejl^ mo- deft and patient ^ under every tempta- tion or provocation. Bat inafmuch as honeft)\ modefty and patience are indifpenfably requilite to the peaccj welfare, and good order of Society ; whatever will abate or weaken that principle on which thefe virtues fup- port, mufl be vitious and impious. Since therefore prophane fwearing implies a want of reverence of God, it muft be an unlawful, a wicked prac- tice, in the fcnfe of all good govern- ments, as well as in the reafon and na- ture of the thing itfelf. Prophane Prophane Swearing Immoral, 13 Prophane Oaths deftroy the propria ety of fpeech: ejpecially^ as they convey very dijhojiourable notions of God, There is a native fimplicity and pu- rity of fpeech which fhould be preferv- ed, and the dignity of human nature demands it. Man is made for truth ; and he fhould fhew that he is fo, by the conftant veneration he has for it, in his common converfation. He is to conlider the claim that his fellow-crea- tures all have to truth, whenever he affirms or denies. So that he is not to make his common converfation to re- femble the language of a judicial- court, where evidence is not to be allow- ed valid, but upon cath. This is ma- nifeflly to pervert thedefign of Speech, and to deftroy its purity and fimplicity ; and furely has the idfnoft impropriety in it. Befides, prophane Oaths ordinarily fupply the want of fenfe-, and are de- iigned 14 Prophane Swearing Immoral, iigned to give a grace to the moft hate- ful fentiment. So that one might ask the prophane fwcarer^ v^/hether he would not be afliamed to publifli his converfation from the prefs ? whether he would not blufli at his own ftupi- dity, and abhor himfelf for his own impiety ? What if a man Hiould frequently intermix in his expreffions the name of yohn Styles \ and fwear by this name to every thing, or any thing he faid ?■ would it not be natural to ask him, what hi meafit ? why he called upon yoh?i Styles fo often to be his witnefs ? whether Jo/m was fuch a familiar ge~ nius to him, as to be tlje pleafing wit- nefs of ever idle, non-fen(ical, impure, unjuil, and vile declaration ? what a notion (bould we have of Johi Styles - we fhould think him as filly and flupid a being, j^s he who fwoj"e by him., Juil fo it is with the prophane man who fwears by his maker! Oaths therefore dcftroy the propriety of fpeech Prophane Sic earing hnmcrdl. 1 5 fpecch, when ufed in common con- verfation, as they convey iinjuft and Sfbonourable ideas of God 1 which is contrary to the very defign of fpeech. Prophane, fui-earing can add no weight to a mans Authority^ or Influence, It is a very general miftake made 'among men, both by fea and land, that prophane Oaths <3^^ to the Autho- rity of him, who has the command •over, or the diredlion of others. So that fome have imagined oaths necefla- ry in the command of Soldiers and Sat- iors. But this is a very falfe opinion, becaufe the perfons commanded are ufu- ally 2i%free with their oaths,as thofe who -command, Confequently, oaths can be no marks of Authority ^ fince the Officer thus puts his language upon a level with the vilefl of the men under him. The above imagination is therefore as wild as that of a Carman^ or Drayman ^ who will tell vou, that his horfes would 1 6 Prophane Sivearing ImmoraL would not draw fo well, if he was not to f wear at^ and damn them I And indeed to fuppofe that Oaths and Curfes are requifite to enforce authority over mankind, has much the fame reafon in it. So that if men are fo far de- bafed, it muft be an irrational^ a bafe compliance in any, to affront bis maker ! to violate the laws of civil fo- ciety ! in order, to give weight to his own credit or authority among thofe, who are to the lowed degree brutalize ed. — Whereas, if Superiors would but be honeft, and difcover truth in all their words j every juft refentment would be, at leaft, as emphatical in the ears of the hardened flave, or the greate ft drudge, only by the ^vigor of the cadence, or pronunciation of the voice. And I doubt not but that there are fome inftances, both in the army and fleet, where the Authority^ is perhaps not lefs, but greater, though Oaths are not in ufe to give force to the command. — This evidently would be ProplMtie Swearing Immoral. 1 7 be necefTary to Oaths having greater weight in the mouth of an officer than his affirmation, Gfr. namely ^ that none of his co??imon or private men^ under him, were allowed any imitation of him ; for, whilft Oaths are common, they cannot add the leafi weight to authority. — Moreover, the fenfe of the civil Laws, is, that prophane Oaths are impieties, and not fit to give any force to human authority j becaufe the Ma- gijlrate is eft'eemed much more crimi- nal than the common people, if he fwears prophanely. Oaths therefore in the fenfe of Law, do diminifl^, but can add no weight to perfonai authority, Propha-ne fwearing is an impeach- ment of a man's honejiy. No poffible reafon can be affigned for the ufe of an Oath by any man, in common converfation, if he knows that he has a juft claim to credit with- out it. But fwearing is an explicitc acknowledgment, that his bare affirma- D tion i8 Prophane Swearing Immoral, tion or denial was thought by him in- fufficient; he durft not venture the force of his language without fwearing j his affirmation or denial had loll its claim to credit. This is the moft na- tural interpretation of an Oath in com- mon fpeech. But if the man's word is not to be relied upon, an Oath will not give him any more credit : On the con- trary\ it muft greatly le[[en the reputa- tion of his integrity j as it demonftrates his i^ant of piety : for no man's honejiy can be relied upon, who Ihews an open irrccerence of his Maker ; — fo that a want of piety, or fwearing prophanely, is an impeachment of a man's honejiy. And this argument will fupport itfelf on the reafon of the thing j for if a man fhouldjplead that he has an abhor- rence of doing any wrong, in his de:d- ings, to any man j yet, if he himfelf was continually cheati?ig the King of his Cuftoms^ he would forfeit his claim to the cbaradter of an honeft man : much more is *he unworthy the cha^ raHer^ Propbane Swearing Immoral. 19 raBer^ who renders not what is due to his Maker. It follows, by a parity of reafon, that a man, whofe confcience will fufFer him to take unlawful free- doms with that being, whom he owns as his creator ; will have nothing, as a principle, that can hinder his making very free with the rights and claims of his fellow-creatures ; /". e. when lie can do it without obfervancc, and with fecurity to his reputation. This is but to conclude from the greater to the lefs ; which is allowed to be good rea- foningin all kinds of moral argument. — And before any man pretends to claim the charadler of an honeft man, though he fwears prophanely ; let him acquit himfelf of all unjuft freedoms with men , mfpeech as well as anions, Is there not too much truth in the obfervation, that he who fwears prophanely^ will lie alfo ? And a liar cannot polBbly be an honeft man. D 2 In 20 Frojane S^wearing Immoral, In proportion, then, to the quan- tity of prophane fwearingy. in any Country, may be ejiimated the ir^ regularity oj the human paffions in that Country, From the premifcs, Oaths are prov- ed to be unlawful and impious, when ufed in common converfation. They mufl then be expreflive of irregula^ rity in the human paffions : becaule Speech is the index of the heart, or mind of man. If therefore there be an irregularity in Speech, the heart the feat of the paflions muft be irre- gular. Oaths therefore, in ordinary difcourfe, will difcover either the pride^ the vanity, the anger and rage^ or the fury of fome other paf- fion. And what can be thought of the man who makes God his equal, his familiar, by bringing him in as a witnefs to his lufi, his anger ^ his folly ? when if he had any juft no- tions of God, he would be convinced, that Prophane Swearing Immoral. 21 that he abhors and will punifh him for all thofe vik things he calls upon him to witnefs. And this ignorance of God, will imply an ignorance of him- felf ; and be an undeniable evidence of his negled: of his own Spirit: and confequently, of the irregularity of his paflions. It will therefore follow, by a fair dedadion, that the quantity of moral evil of one^kind or another, or the quantity of irregularity in the human paffions, may be eftimated by the quantity of prophane fwearing in any country ; for tho' every man who pro- phanely fwears, is not equally vitious, or univerfally fo ; yet the irregularity. of his paflions, in fome fort, will bear a proportion. Prophane Oaths are direSl Immo- ralities, as they do manife/i In^ jury to others. He who fwears in common con- verfation, breaks the peace of our Sove- reign Lord the King 5 by difturbing the qttiet 22 Propha?2e Swearing Immoral, quiet, and by rufBing the Spirits of his Fellow- Subje(fts J even of all fuch, who have a reverence of God'$ Name, and dare 7iot take it in vain. But no man, how^ever exalted his ilation, has a right to rob another of his peace and quiet, any more than he has a right to invade his Property of any other kind. It will not be of any avail, that the prophane Swearer fliould plead, that he delivers his Oaths without the leaft uneafy emotion. And that he has no intention to break the peace, or do hurt to any -, for it is certain, that he is guilty y ay, and will be fo, as long as there are Men found in Society, who are rational, who follow Nature, who are model!:, who have good Senfe, or who under- iiand the firfi relation they have to- God. The prophane Swearer will therefore be chargeable with vile^ im» moral Conduct, as he wantonly com- mits an outrage on the peace of his Neighbour ; iilling his Mind with Iiorror ? Prof^ane Swearing ImmiyraL 2 3 horror ! throwing him into a tremor \ And this the modeft, pious Perfon can- not any ways help, whilft he retains a reverence of his Maker. It will therefore be neceflary, that the pra^ pbane Swearer be firft well aflured, that no one, in his hearing, will be of- fended at him, before he ventures to pour out his Oaths. ■ If he does not take this Care, he is guilty ot breaking the peace of his Sovereign, by an alTault committed upon the minds and bodily conftitution of others* Let any one, who underflands human nature, confider how the animal frame may be, and frequently is imprelTed by any thing that prefents the mind with an horrible Idea ! and he muft confefs that this will be the effedt of fwearing prophanely, upon great numbers j— — • confequently, it is a diredt Immorality in any to fwear prophanely. M 24 profhane Stvearing ImmoraL No provocation can therefore vin- dicate or jtiftify prophane Swearr ing. If an Oath be ufed in converfatlon to give Jpirit and vigor to a refent- ment, it is impious and immoral ; be- caufe it will then imply fury and ven- geance : But in the fenfe of all good Governments, no man is to be his own cvenger,' He muft make his Com- plaints known, if injur'd, by an ap- peal to the Laws of his Country. And if the provocations are fuch, that thofc Laws do not take cognizance of them, he muft break their force, by fi ncerely alking his Maker to forgive the ofFen* der. And upon this foundation only can his appeal lie to the God of Hea- ven ! who will avenge the Injuries done him upon the obftinate offender. But, by no means, muft any man dare to appeal to God, to dired his Vengeance, even on his enemy 5 fince all Men were defign'd for happinefs as well as himfelf : ( 25 ) himfelf : and therefore no Oath muft ever be uled, in common converfa- tion, upon any provocation, to give Vigor and Force to human Refentment of any injury that is done us. This is the voice of Reafon j this is the voice of the God of Nature. So that a Re- fcrmatioji of this Vice, of prophane fwearino;, will contribute much to the honour and profperity of Britons, Thus have I demonftrated the Immorality of prophane Oaths 5 and have done it, in a Manner and Method, which, it is hoped, cannot offend the Tafte of the mod delicate : and yet the unpo- hte, the religious, may have the fatisfadion of feeing their Con- dud: vindicated, without .any ar- tillery borrowed from Revelation. FINIS. 6: