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THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MANKIND. [Part Ill.

the administration of justice. History, argument, and experi-ence, therefore, combine to satisfy us of the efficacy of oaths,as securities for truth and integrity.

5. The abuse of oaths. During many years past, complaintsin regard to the administration of oaths, have been frequent andgeneral in England and in the United States. It has been com-plained, that oaths have been unnecessarily multiplied ; that theyare required on trifling occasions ; in cases in which the jurordoes not and cannot know the truth of the matter on which heis sworn ; that it is degrading for men of dignity and elevationof character to confirm their assertion by an oath ; and that theprevalence of oaths has produced upon the community a verymaterial and very general effect, in reducing their estimate of theobligation of plain truth, in its natural and simple forms.

All this has been said, and much more. Dr. Paley says, “ Itmerits public consideration, whether the requiring of oaths onso many frivolous occasions, especially in the customs and in thequalification for petty offices, has any other effect than to makethem cheap in the minds of the people. A pound of tea,” hecontinues, ££ cannot travel regularly from the ship to the consum-er without costing half a dozen oaths at the least; and the samesecurity for the due discharge of their office, namely, that of anoath, is required from a church-warden and an archbishop, froma petty constable and the chief justice of England.” * AndMr. Dymond says, “ Oaths, at least the system of oaths whichobtains in this country (England), tend powerfully to depravethe moral character. We have seen,” continues he, “ that theyare continually violated, — that men are continually referring tothe most tremendous sanctions of religion, with the habitual be-lief that these sanctions impose no practical obligation. Canthis,” he asks, “ have any other tendency than to diminish theinfluence of religious sanctions upon other things ? If a mansets light by the divine vengeance in the jury-box to-day, is helikely to give full weight to that vengeance before a magistrateto-morrow ? We cannot prevent the effects of habit. Suchthings will infallibly deteriorate the moral character, because they

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Moral and Political Philosophy, pp. Ill, 112.