178 CIVIL POWER IN THINGS SACRED. power, who will avenge falsehood andperjury wheresoever it is practised, though it should not or could not be found out by the search of men. And let it be observed that an oath or an appeal to God concerning truth always implies in it, that we hope for a blessing from this God upon our fidelity, if we speak the truth ; but that we imprecate the vengeance of this God to fall upon us, if we knowingly speak what is false, or act contrary to our covenants or engagements. IV. I would fain have it observed also yet further that it will be a much more effectual means to secure mankind from perjury, and from every degree of falsehood or violation of an oath, if the oath were always administered by the magistrate with the utmost solemnity, and if the words in which an oath is formed did express the imprecation or curse upon false- hood strongly and terribly, rather than if it expressed only the blessing upon truth and faithfulness. And I have often thought that onereason wh ' there is so much perjury in our na- tion, and the religion of an oath has so little force upon the con- sciences of men, is because in our common form, " So help me God," the blessing only is expressed, and the curse is concealed and only implied at a distance; so that very few who take the oath have such an awful sense of their transac- tions with an almighty avenging power at such a season as they ought to have, for want of the plainer appearance of the imprecation, as well as for want of greater solemnity in the manner of' administering and taking the oath. I well remem- ber in years a gentleman, who was a justice of peace in the country, informed me that' ignorant people would easily be persuaded by their neighbours to go to take their oath before him concerning particular facts, when they would not be persuad- ed to assert the same thing boldly with some terrible impreca- tion themselves, of broken or withered limbs, if they did not utter the truth. V. Upon the whole' it is necessary, that the governors and governed should acknowledge and profess their belief and vene- ration of a God, that is, of some superior and invisible power who will punish perjury and violence and secret crimes against the welfare of mankind. And it seems a most proper and agree- able, if not a necessary thing, that each should be bound to the other, that is, the governors to the people, and the people to the governors by the solemnity of an oath, to fulfil their mutual duties and engagements of protection and obedience. In Great Britain the kings are engaged hereto by their coronation -oath, and the people by the oath of allegiance. The coronation -oath obliges the king to grant and keep and confirm to his people the laws and customs, &c. and also, to his power, to cause law, jus-
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