- V"# ' ■ Ifc 'V» "" ' *
.... /.;j; Pnuks ami lit.r.KKS in the tVafl.ington
Lottery No. 2.
i6lh Bay's Drawing, August 27'b.
iV„. Eels- No. Boh. N». Do Is. No. Doli.
• 5 "839 ®5'53 3'4°*
5» I*lß3 2 2° 738 »•
-73 404 26050 10 38046
gjjglO 477 to 064 11* 49
Bjo 10 491 to 379 f/6
1 1056 701 883 6o* 10
152 xo '»3«93 916 16 621
819 643 io »7°7S i n
2*41 10 745 »7® 39 cSI
10 >4675 347 448
631 814 620 403 14
97* 'SCO 747 jo 350
3'7' »4° >° 814 35S 10
318 185 i« 28304 10 70S
£61 189 317 10 4«>99
791 io 504 333 10 377 *5
4171 16526 676 10 488
jßt 921 898 10 846
350 18098 *9038 42403 1°
382 10 481 134 10 619 10
* 8:6 489 487 43003
5'»3 7 8 3 % 600 147 10
. 5 37 87* 3 Mi5 397 10
S'94 '939 1 536 >° 651 10
269 81* 887 780 10
741 958 3*220 833 lb
837 20447 10 407 10 -45*60
73 2 4 1® 930 1° 473 10 46331 10
73* *1047 33154 717 to
8230 4®4 10 26* -832 10
3 6 4 1® 34958 836 10
9*4* *235* 35072 47371 10
4*6 615 i® 429 1® 464 »
45° 10 *4<04 5C2 49866 10
6*B jo 1 0 809 to 916 1
10179 306 16 833 969
65® BJI 36281
" a 7® *5007 »® 373 l > »• ,
17th Day's Drawing—Monday, AugUst 29.
AV Doh. N». Dolt. No. Doli. No. Dolt.
365 10 11246 10 41834 35779
484 i® 468 *5 120C0 1 3 g 3 3
s°o 292 9 16 10 37:27
»°79 »o 478 *3233 »® 510
74® 12014 id 493 q, r
10 36 068 19 911 40144
978 534 269.53 10 339
8 3i® 9*7 «o 27125 4 jg jo
4*7° 16769 10 131 : 7 ,
2'° «7°o* 340 §04
*55 I® 151 i« t»- !■ :ur
" ' tf, 43 ° 69 '
o 5 200 >•
till ' FA 9 M 4444810
7 30678 C4l JO
329 10 Is goß 3,560 45332 *
«« '® 594 668 46563 ,o
B*!* ?°5 963 474(9 ,0
Al - 10 32087 46.
J!: } 34610 841 »®
9 llX *0004,0 4Ct 48 5010
098 34*66
'I* 603 3 J 0 „
,o °?* tM 3? 465 4947*
6 '° 3iß 870 066
The Impostor Detected.
Bra^ rd '' f !" *" d i nde P c nJAt Political Press, Jtnj !
ON MONDAY WILL BE PUBLISHED,
The Impostor Dete&ed,
Or a HEVIEW of some of the WRITINGS of
" PIT£R PoRCDhNI '
, tT . 3y TIMOTHY TICKLETOB^
He is a monster of such horrid mien,
" As t® be hated, needs but to be seen-"
[Pope)
TO v WHICH M ANVtIED,
A Refreshment for the Memory -of i
William Cgbbftt • • . . :i
"BySAMUSL F. BRADFORD.
■ at (
No. 139.
Diflrid of finnjyhania to utit
BE it remembered that oft the nineteenth Day of Jnly *
in the tiveniy-firfl: Year of the Independence of the United '
States of America Thomas. DolifoH of the saM DiftriA "
hath depoflted in this Office the Title of a Book the Ritrht "
whereof he claims as Proprietor in the words folk>\vi:r*
to wit | 0 ,
« Sele&as e veteri Teftameqtb Hiftoris or feleA Pafla- J
"ges from, the old Testament., To which is added an
" alphabetical Vocabulary or Di&ionary of the words '
" rtntlincd in this Book wherein the Primitives of cork- J
•• pound and derivative words are miautely traced and J
« the Irregularities of anomalous Nouns and Verbs are 1
•' particularly mentioned—For the use of these who aie J
entering on the Study of thcGreek and Latin Languages.
" Quo citius, quo facilius, eo melius.
"By James «ardie A. M. Teachcr of the Greek and 1
u Latin Languages*'-*-
in conformity to the a<st of tfee Congrefg of the United *
States intitukd, "An A<sl for the Encouragement of
Learning by securing the Copies of Map* Charts -
Books to thp Authors and Proprietors ef such Copies "
during the times thirein mentioned. V
Samuel Caldwell, Clk. Dili. Pcnnfylv. t
Ko. 14.0. 4 J.
Dt/lriSl of Per.nftvinla. io mil 1
BE it remembered that nn the 19th day of July m tW
tweuty-fMk year of the Indepenrlenne of the Umted Stat« "
ef America, Thomas Dobfon of rhe iaiddiftri<ft hath de- r
pofitcd in this office thi title of a Boot the right whereof ,
he claims as proprietor in the words following to Wit 7
«' Unitarianifm explained and defended in a discourse ,
" delivered in the chnrch of the tJniverfalifts at Philadel- .
">phia 1796. By Jol«ph Priestley, L.L. D.F.R s &c "
r" Sf 7 , might tnow thee the true God and j
Jesus ChYift whom thou ha(lfcnt. John XVII 3
"To us there is but one God the Father of wW. afe \
allthmg, ; Cor. VIII. 6. j
By evil report and good report as deceivers and Vet *
'• tfU % • . „ 4 Cor. VI. 8.
in conformity to the aft of the Congref. of the United
Mates intituled "An for the eticouragement of learnl -
ing by fecunng the copier, of maps chart, an d books to T
the authors i*d proprietors of such copies durin? the
tirties therein mentioned." , ,
Samuel Cald'-jxt}, Clk. Dlft. ei
No. 141. " E
DsflriH of Pennjylvania to -wit k
BE ir remembered that on the 19th Day of July the re
the tvventy-firft year of the independence of the United ft
.•Utes of America Thomas DoWon of the kid diliridt U
• n.th depoflted in this office the title of a Book the right rv
whereof he claims as proprietor in the >vorJ« following .
to Wit " it
" Discourses relating to the evidence, of revealed teli- t«
f' 9 .? . d^ tei the chuTch of the Univerfilift, a£ w
1 iiiladfipliu 1796 and publithed at the requeli of raa
*•' E 7 &' & hClre "' By Prieftie y L.1,. D. F. R. y
" Se ready always to give an answer to every man that
aflceth you a reason of the hope that is in you.
, . , " 1 Pot.HI. if." |Hi
in conformity to the aft of the Congress of the Cnitei I Tt
states iriritnled "An A<3 for the encouragement of loi
I nrnmn; by securing the copies of maps charts and books i N<
tc the authors and proprietors of such copiej durir? the ! Dl
t".. n therein naentiontd." ' jPr
Sttrrnli Caldwell, Clfc. Dift. PcnnfyJr. j £
i:'. ..
J'. RICES CURRENT.
Sept. 3.
PER 9UANTITY DOtLARJ.IT 100 CENTS^
Doll:. C/j. Dollr Cti.
NCHOPS, fr./b. 10 Nails, &/, 10if, tin,
Allwn, Englijh,{>r etui 7 75 I?
Ditto, Rod, ?r 11. II \utm VS ..p C rlb. «
Mrs, fiot frr to,, 17° til, linfxi, p'rg«U. 133
P.M, 150 ohve >
Arracl, pvgallon, Jittc, fin .afi, 9
Bacon, Shoulder,pr.lt. 1°
i. Fliubc, *3 JlaJhs, fr ko*,flO
Brandy, cordon, I 60 ditto tapis, 12
—Cmiac, J H tottlu, 1
Brazilttto, per ton, to Spermaceti fir gall I o'-
Uriels, prr M. 7 Trawifier Ibl. 18
Bread, /hip, fierewt. "6 -—Whale per gal. 40
Ditto, piht 9 S° Porter per cajh, 7 ?° '
Ditto, fmatl vetcr London,per ioz. is°
p er 90 American do. bott,
Beer, American,in tot- met.
ties, per dozen, tot- Pitch, per ibl. 4
ties included. I *«° } '° rl > Burlington, per
Ditto, per barrel, 6 barrel, 19 to 40
Boar Js,Cedar per Mfeet 3° county, 19
Heart, 3° Carolina, rt
—Now England, 26 Bo Peas, Albany, fir bujb. <93
Oal, 26 Pepper, per Ih. :
Merchantable pine, 48 Pimento, 14
Sap, do. l 8 Raiftns, bejlper leg II
Mahogany, fir fool Ditto perjar, 6
The above are theJballop Ditto pn box 8
prices, for tfre yard Rice, per etui. 5
price price, add idol- Rofm per barrel , 55 O
lar, 33 cents, fir M. Sum, Jamaice, fir gal. 167
Brim/lone in rolU, per Antigua I 54
crv f, ' 1 6l ~"~-~-lVindioard I 4°
Beef,BeHon, per lf>' r Barbados I 4?
I Country, ditto 14 Country, N. E. 97 r
Erejh, cvit, sto 8 Saltpetre, per civt. 50
r . Butter per It. i® i4O Sajafras, per ton
in legs . 14 Shot, ditto, 6(3
Candles Sperm.per lb. 56 Shot, German, per U. I 4
•- * 7/ *— .fir cwt. 14 14
■ Myrtle IVax 40 —American, per ton 133 J3
. 1 111 Mould tallolulZto 19 —Crmuley's, fir faggot
Difified 15 Snak root, per It. 35
Cheese, Engljl,per lb. 48 Soap, brown per Ih. 14
Country II 13 —White 14
Chelate a 33, —Castile _ / 11
'Cinnamon 66 Sttrcb . -—' 14
T~ ... tSO bottles » 50
Cocos r e>er ttoK 18 Spermaceti refinedpr lb.
Coffee, per lb. 15 Sail EngUJy, JSfo.
Coaly per iujbel, 3° *4° I> per $ard y 33
Copperas j P*r 3 No. I, do. .30
Cordage y American, per —-No. 1, do.
pwt. a iS I Sugar, lump, per lb. 45
Cotton, per'U. .33 to 40 —-Loaf, Jingle res. 47
Currants 10 ■ri Siit'i double ditto
Duel, Rujfia, per piece, I"5il8 — : —HavannaU, -white 40
* — Ravns II 50 Ditto bfotuA. 16
Dutch Sail Duel 44 —-Mufcovadop.ctot.llalj 67
feathers, per lb. 66 * ■ Eajl India, pr..
Flax, ditto 11 cwt. 66
Flaxfeed, per I Sf?. Turpentine pr gall. 66
Fbur, Sup. fier bl. JO 5® aI I Salt, allum, pr bujbetl 66
1 Common, 050 alO Liverpool 56
lu Bur middlings ,beH, 6a 8 -—Cadiz 60
Meal, Indian 4 33 a 66 —Lifhon 63
— —ditto Rye, 4 33 a 66 Ship building IV. 0. ,
, ShipjhJfi ct. 367 frames per ton 44 67
V Fujlic per ton, 45 Ditto Live Oat, 46
Gin, Holland per cafe, 150 De. Red Cedar firfool '
Do. per gall. J 93 Shingles l 8 inches,pr
Clue, per lb. IS M. ' 4
Ginger,tuhilerace,ferc-wi 18 Ditto 4 feet 9 14
Ditto, mmmon 16 Ditto 3 feet ireffed If,
Ditto, ground 44 Staves, pipe pr IQOO, 60
X Girtfeng, per lb. 3© — white-oalpogshead Aitl
iZrniMmif ----- --- Jtni'uai unft- 2T '' "
qr. cajl, 43 » Leogan 46 3»
Ditto,fineglazed, 48 Barrel 30
Grain,lVheatprhufh , , Heading 44
! —Ry e , I Slim Otter,bell pr piece 333 '
Oats, 60 —Minis a 6
y Indian Corn, 90393 —jF tx , grey *0 /o 54
d Barley, 140 —Ditto red ' 140 .
i bejlfiellcdpr.il. ' —Martins 50
it —' —Buckwheat per —Filers
— bujbel, 75 —Bears * 2
Hams, pr. Ik. 13 —Racoons 6 S
. Hemt>, imported, per —Mujl-rats, 37 '
nt, _ t,r < 3°° —Beaver, per lb. 162 .
ls American, fierlb. 10 —Deer, in hcyr 25 i3l J
. Herrings, per bSI. 6 Tar, N. Jerf. 44 gull. ,
(j Hides, raw pr. lb. 9to 9 per bbl.
e Htfs, 10 —Carolina, 34gfill. IJo '!
e Hoglbetd loops per M. 30 Turpentine, per bbl. 140
l. ' Indigo, French per lb. 167 TobacUb, j. River bejl
Carolina, I loolh. Tit 1
i Ir'"', fad per ton 133 33 —Peter/burg 6i 6
Iron, cafiings per c*wt. 4 -P,tnvmac iie
i r—Prnnfylv.bar fearee Georgia 6a 7 J
f _ leo a 146 67 Carolina 4 r ,
i Ifa-perttu 97 Tea Hyson, per 11. x to \ ,
S *~ p '" . 3» —Hyson Jkin, g 3 (
__ J.' , 1114 33 —Souchong, til 13 I
<—-N.slr.ds, 133 33 _C„„ o , 0i 3
JW 5 —"J J
■Lard Ugsperlb. t 4 fallow, rejind, per 'U. 14
Lead inpigs, per <wt. 533 Tin, per box' j(, * \>.
5 1 Vanilla, per lb. 2o «2 4
, white, 13 33 Verdigreafe, io. r
- T 7 9 Vermillion, x,O I
Leather, foal per lb. 44 Varnifi, fier gallon,
Lignum vita per ton, 44 Wax, Sea, L lb. „
• ,F ' „ 4° ' Whale-bone, long pr Ih.
Mace per lb , 2 Wine, Madeira t P
Maekarel, befi fier btl 14 —Lijbon, ' \\ 6
i SEpSSci?. 8„ —f -
■ ISSN'S s=sria¥ 4 ■»'«
MolaJTa, fier tall. rVt.vi bott.prdoz
I Mustard, pe' ih. $,1 '"'rt,percale A OUJO C.
*. • r„ , S W, tor gallon r r Q It
1 M I 2® —^0° „
per dozen, 140 ■
' ■ tl
! LONDON, J UBe ,6. rt
It wa 3 yertcrdsy, but, on the ftri« r A "
enquiry, we cannot find, with any truth that <?"
Edward Pellsw, Ki the Cottorde S« e h .d "
meV£ C d ;ard4 f 3 ''' 0 " 31 '' ° f 54 and 600
men,.bound_on a fccret -Kpedition, with fo«r other %
t ? % J^ ton Wd ,<:n Member Of the
late Trend, Convestion. As Sir Edward Pcliew"! •
|hip was said ?o W fuffersd feverdv we t l "
•t our duty, for the fake of those v.h'o f °
ttv«»_pn board, to avoid mtntiontß? the 11 w
we should know foraething of its authenticity"'^
The following is an accurate Mof nil if.. <i-. v fu
- h ' u "*f cAi of
$ £w» ,V '4 J"
(^ 8 Number, and, ]\ by
Tou^iaT' 13 ' H ]\ ™
j c — ' U KZ, »4 "
•* Ais.%, '4 Wt.n,;,>us, n
Ajj'x. 74 AgiLtcurt, »4
Confloeror ?4 Latieaflcr. 74
111 alUvventy two fiiipi of the litis-—rnanv of which areiu '
great forwirduefa, particularly the five three-*!eckcre.
The following is a lift of the men of *>ar, EsV. be- ,
, lunging tb the Dutch Navy in thf yeer 179®-
Sailed for the Eajl Indies.
' ,* Names; Guns. Corntrnnders* j
Dordrecht 6R Lucas
13 ftevolutie 68 Ryuhfnde
Admiral Troinp 56 TJk.er.burg
Braave * 44 ZoetimaDt 1
Bellona »8 "talk j
Sircne a 6 DeCerf f ■
' 'Castor 44 Clirmofl '
Havik so Btremer
36 Vrow Maria 26 Barbiers (
Gone to the tVeJI Indies• 1
10 ... S Admiral -Braak
, 0 . Adimral Pict He;n ;6 j Captain Lbjabar J
;o Pollux 44 Blnis Van Tredong •
< Dockani —Lately carrrtd into j
J«foft 36 Greenock t
.Venus 36 Ki » -
Snelhcrd Kraay 3
Mi; 1? Go"dappel 1
Iri, 8 Cotneliflec a
to Groon' ' f
~ ' the Texel. n
of 'f Admiral De Winter
I® Vrvbeid 741 C2p: ,in Van Raffum 0
States General 74 Story
Admiral Be RtlytKr CH Holland Ic
Gelykheid 08 Ruyfch t
Levden 68 Mufqueteer ,
Cerberus 68 JaCobfen
:° Otrecht 68 L- Willeiik
WaffenaaT 68 a. Van Trcflong Jr< u
Batavien 56 L.Zunler
Hcktor , 44 N.N.
'•7 Munikdam 44 N. N.
r Waakzaorakied 26 Nicrop 1 J
£nkh*y/en 16 Stockbro f,
< Panther *4 Kroft
'Courier' 14 Yforandt
4 Poftilvon 6 Fiedriks
4 Zcvaluw » 6 Ogilvie b
3 Vlieg S W. v, d. Geer
Sit Amjlerdam. a
J Jupiter 74 Admiral Reyntjea I
2 Zeepaard 36 Droop
4 Dolphyn aS [J. N- a
;t Alarm *6 N. V.
4 —ait • IhlVJfi. p
X 1 gtutus 74 J. B. Blois V. Trcflong
Hercules 68 Ryfoot ,
' /it Enihuyfeti.
!3 Alkmaar - 56 Kraft
i 0 At Flushing. 11
Delft gt Verdoo ve«
furie 56 Btifhman 'U
At Harlingtn.
t Mars 44 DoliT [ a
6 At Nietudtep.
; 7 Ijerk H. de Vriej 68 Zeegcrs
In Norway. '
16 Argo 36 Vandffking *
16 Seipi* 20 De Jong m
6 Echo 18 Keil w
(, Mercuiir 14 Gayrmna . .
l 0 Gi«r 14 De Bok
. Viughtid Van Eck °l
0 N. B. Thefr iiave either been taken or deßroyc3 by :bf fn
"Britilh crui.eti. ' f,
GUARD SHIPS, ice. ,
At A ietudiep.
Dc Terwagting 68 Vnriariuj » th
At fJelvCttfluys. pt
Rotterdam 68 frettris
M Vlie. „
fatlas 44 Wiggert
. - r - ■ ■ 4
. At Simjherdam* ' br
Valk . tls Droop n*
Jit Rotterdam, i .
Dcana i,* FaJfberg
At Brief. in
Maafuinyfh ,o Pike na
3 -At Rammekcns, in Zealank. til
5 Labiretle 4 N. N. ch
, At Delft tie!.
7 Uo* .. Browtr CU
s At Delfiziel and Vlie. w<
j Gunboats, mounting g gunt, nil
2 _ ~, Mips .building and repairing, hi:
Dapperhe.d ' ?4 Bcfchermer 56 th
Wafhmgton y .j H elde H t,
Pluto 68 Ambufcadc L m<
Gelderland 68 Minerva tfi
" arkm 68 Gaiath- , ,o Da
3 Cortenaar C 8 A ]| i3Rrc J P
vt a uv , Sh ' fs alr!ad y i" the Eajl Indies. •
Medenbhck 3 ft Capt. Dccker
- Amazone -6 Capt. Kuvcl do
Ships already in the Weft Indies. fcr
BrunUyk nl(
Eenigezindheid 06 N?N *" " °f
; f"". 36 Ditmara
1 Triton '* ft*™"" 0>
kVn.,l.. 4 C,pt. V, mana t„
Kemphaat 2 b Capt. Smeer ,° t
4 kii
' lJ — »■«»—. bcJ
CHARGE, he:
Oriwered by Judge Rush, at t»ft on Court, on Cn
Jw,y 5
' wil
[Puttijhed by refuefl.J ha<
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, j" 1 '
ftmil W of a o at C h Ilfta "? )ren,ployed in the -admini- hat
teqnifite, from the danger that every V ""'u
mms
2
wry ccurfe of j u sti ce . ,n ,he ord '"
An oath, Gentlemen, is a verv ferimis t r V' '
>on, and may be defined, a falemn S "n "T
for the truth of the f a fl 3 a /T,, f JTk PP . 'l° God w,u
with an irnp r eca t i»n of thf. ri n • VV,tßefs '
if the facts whieh l, 1 JUftl " U P°" I
Wfi! hi, „,g, E ,„J t . ,k ' ,f "" P'"? doth »o, bit
®er includes the tcftimenrr ? rom || Ihe for- full
j" general all matters of h&tZt a " d fe 1 l
lated upon oath PromilT , 3re (cd or re- "lie
o&L of gover;rnS, oath l are ; hofc take « 1
and p;«'eQion, a „d lik-uif.".h sal!f al!c S'ance Caa
», » "'H WM! of ftw
* #
'4 truth, it is impossible to trace to t?!«r. onVffc
6 * They have prevailed in different ages and countries)
as far baek as historical information can tarry lIS '
and are in fail as old as ths creation. Abraham
and Abimilcck ratified their covenant by the folem
"e~ nity of mutual oaths, as did also Jacob and Lahan
—in which cases we observe, that. Abraham and
Jacob received the oaths of Abiraile.k and Laban
/ though they swore by Jal/e Gods, which are a c .
knowledged by modern writers to be binding, p ro !
vided the party believes in the exigence of 01J God
the creator of all things. Swearing by inferior de!
ities in such cases is considered as a mode of appeal,
ing-through ihcm t»jhe Supreme Being; agrees,
bly to the declaration of oar Saviour, « He that
fweareth by the throne of God, fweareth by him
who fltteth thereon—and he that fwcai'cth by the
temple, fweareth by him who inhabits the f aruc >»
ThmtTgtl"flli:ffiofcrfor Objetta,"CTic*a ppeaP s mad'e
i'o and terminated in a foleinn invocation of the G d
of all Gods.
If wefuppofethe institution of an oath to be of
divine origin, yeMhere is no doubt, that human
authority is competent to eftabhfh those forms of
{wearing ihat are hfoft calculated to strike with reli
gious awe and veneration. Accordingly the forms
of {wearing vary in different countries. But in
one point all ages and countries have uniformly con
curred—namely, that oaths are to be administered
to all peifons according to their opinion, and iu such
form as mod affects their consciences.
In the old testament we find Abraham called
upon his servant to swear, and requiring him to
place his right hand under Abraham's thigh, whife
he repeated the words of the oath to him; and
Jacob used the fame ceremony when lit made hit
son Joseph swear he would not bury him in Egypt.
The persons of the Gentoo religion in India'
when they take an. oath, fall 'prostrate before the
bramin or pueft, and lay the right hand upon tht
bramin's foot," andt an oath of this kind hai been
admitted to be legal evidence in England, because
the Gentops profefs a belief in one God, the creator
andjjovcrnor of all things.
A Mahometan fweais upon,the
plaee his l ight hand Jlat upon it, and his left h ? ud
upon his forehead. In this posture be looks ftea
dilyatew minutes at the Alcoran 1 and by this ce
remony he conceives himfelf bottnd to ipeak the
truth.
A Jew is fworti upon the five books of M o fe« t
'upon which he lays by right hand.
The general form in use am >ng Chriftia::j, is t 0
lay the right hand upon the bible, or the new telh
ment only, and to kiss it. The ceremony of lay
ing the hand upon the book, is undoubtedly of ,
Pagan origin, and was introduced among the pri.
mitive chrillians from the example of the heathens,
who were accustomed to swear in the prefencc of
their falfe gods—and sometimes by aftually'touching
or laving t{ie hand upon the facned titetifilsof their
# superstition. The mode appeared fplemn and af
fe&ing to the christians; and therefore the prefencc
of the bible when they swore, was substituted in
the place of the falre gods of the Pagaos, and writ
produced as a sacred memento of the religious obli
gations they were under tofpeak the truth. Hence
we find tome of them swore with the hand' laid
upon the bible—forge open
hefore them—foms by laying their hand upon tiie
breajl, others with the h nd Jhetched out, or lifted
up towards heaven, but always with ihe 'sacred
book in their immediate prefencc and fight. The
insatiable spirit of superstition which finally termi
nated in the eftablifhtnent of popery, had at that
time made considerable progress in the Ciirillian
church ; and to this spirit we mull ascribe the cir
cumllance of kijfing the book, and the expressions
we 1 .njetimen meet with in antieilt writers—fi> help
me God and bis faints, which last words, viz. and
his'faints," have been omitted the Protelfants j
though they rtill retain the former, and the cere.
| mony of killing the book.
; 1 hus we fee the mode of fwearincr among us, is
i partly of pagan, and partly of pnpifh extraction.
Among the early Christians, great latitude was ad
mitted with refprdl to the form of ftvearing ; nor
does it appsar that any mode whatever was pre
scribed, bus that every person made use of the form
rnufi agreeable to his canfcience. Even la the reign
of Charles the second in England, we meet with
an instance of a do&or Owen, Vice-Chancellor of
Oxford, who heinjr fameSned'as a vt&ncfs
orn by laying his hand upon the bible' and
kissing it ; but he caused the book to be held apen
before h:m, with his right hand lifted up towards
heaven, and was sworn in that form. The jury
some doubts, whether he deserved as
much credit as a witness fworn-in the common form,
put the qbeftfon to the court. The chief.juftice
with the utmofl liberality fold them, the doctor
had taken as ilrong an oath, as any other withefi,
and was as much entitled to belief—but added, if
he himfelf was to be sworn, he would lay his right
hand upon the book.
riiefe and many other forms j}f fvvearing have
been made use of in the world—but an oalh does
not consist merely in form. It confills in something
more than laying the hand npon the bible—kifling
it- looking at it—or having placed it in our fight
with the hand held up or ftretchtd out. These are
so many (hadows, and alter not the nature of the
tranfadtion. It is the fclemn appeal to God—it is
engaging to speak the truth, and calling upon him
to witness our fmcerity, that constitute the oath
an<3 obligation. If this be lone, it is immaterial
whether any or what form, be used. Whether the
witneGs kiss the book, or lay his hand upon it, or
whether he does neither, he is equally bound to
speaK the truth ; and if he does not, he is guilty
of .perjury. But though oaths are obligatory in alt
religions, however indiitinct the views they exhi
bit of God and his attributes, yet is their force
peculiarly binding ;q Chnftian countries; because
t..e fan&ion of rewards and punishments is more
fully revealed by the Ghriftiao religion, and con
sequently the degree of guijt in transgressing the
rules of moral duty, mtifl be greater.
But can this appeal be made by every body ?'
Can this security for speaking the truth 6e given
by every one ? Moil Certainly gentlemen it cannot.
it is impoffibla this appeal (hi: 13 id be madeorthie
ftcittity given, bv those who *e> am K —- ••