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them which we overlook: the fair fex, fays he, incapable of taking our manner of living, which is too laborious for them, obliges us to take theirs, which is too effeminate for us. This perverfion of order, this afcendant of the fair fex, which is formed to be guided, begins in families, and extends itfelf to the public, which it corrupts. It is women who form the characters of men. Hence it is, that in what is called good company, we meet with fo many agreeable and fo few virtuous perfons.A wife conftantly under the eye of a husband, who is her mafter, and who has power to punish her, would endeavour to gain his affections, by confining herself within her family; and then the education of children, domeftic bufinefs and oeconomy, harmony, . would flourish.'

A third step should be, to encreafe the authority of mafters over their fervants. It is very furprising that the Greeks and Romans, with fo much knowledge and humanity, had flaves, like the barbarians, inftead of domeftics. It is ftill more furprifing, perhaps, that Christian nations, with the Gospel before their eyes, fhould condemn their brethren in the colonies to all the horrors of flavery, because they are black. The first man, who faid to another, you shall be my flave, for I am fronger than you; must have had the heart of a tiger. But the first man, who faid to another; I fee you are poor, if you will receive your fubfiftence from me, you shall be my domeftick, made a contract useful for both. But this contract, by a relaxation of domeftick difcipline, is become more grievous to masters than to fervants, &c.

After pointing out a remedy for this evil, our author now proceeds to that part of his plan which relates to masters of families, the nobility, &c.; and here he is of opinion, that a number of cenfors fhould be appointed, under certain regulations. The inftitution of cenfors, he fays, has been of fingular fervice in every government, where virtue and good morals have been the principal objects.

6 The plan, which I lay down, continues he, in order to facilitate the execution of it, prefuppofes a good public education; this fhall not be that of Emilius, which, were it practicable and unexceptionable, can only be a private one. Nor fhall it be that which is established in our colleges, which is condemned by the voice of the public; it fhall be that which arifes from the ideas of Locke, Montaigne, Plutarch, Xenophon, and Plato; that, wherein things fhall be taught before lan guages, which are often ufclefs to those who learn them; that, which inftead of being the fame for all, fhall have separate claffes according to the wants of the ftate, and by exercises appropriated to each clafs, fhall form fit fubjects for commerce, for jurifprudence, for war, for the church, for the arts, &c.;

thats

Herfort's Inquiry concerning Important Truths.

547

that, where there shall be nothing in common but religion and virtue. We have pens enough, that only wait for the fignal of the prince to draw up a plan of this kind; but the advantages which would arife from it, would be foon loft, without the attention of government, and especially of the public cenfors.'

The remainder of the work relates to the inftitution of cenfors, and the advantages arising from fuch an inftitution; what the ingenious author advances upon this fubject, appears to us to be as judicious as his manner is agreeable, and we make no doubt, but every good citizen will read it with pleasure. R. Verfuch uber wichtige Warheiten, zur Glückseligkeit der Menschen; beftens empfohlen allen Regenten der freyen Staaten, zur erdaurung und nothigen befferung: von einem redlich gefinnten Schweizer. 8vo. 1766. That is,

An Inquiry concerning Truths of Importance to the Happiness of Mankind; humbly fubmitted to all Governors of Free States, in order to fecure their duration and promote their neceflary amendment. By an upright-intentioned Swifs.

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T is generally allowed, that monarchy, as it is the most ancient, fo it is the best form of government, if the king happens to be an angel. But kings not being always quite fo angelic as might be wished, mankind have generally been rather impatient under the government of arbitrary princes; infomuch that, where it hath been in their power, they have thrown off the yoke, determining to govern themselves. It being however effential to the existence of a community that a legislative and exe.cutive power should somewhere exift, the people found themfelves under a neceffity of giving back part of the liberty they had recovered, to a felect number, who were to provide for the happiness and fecurity of the whole. Thus have been eftablished the feveral republics now exifting. But from the natural love of power in the governors, on one hand, and the indolence of the people on the other, we find, in most republics, little more remaining of liberty than the name. There are no people in the world who pride themselves more on their freedom than the Swifs, and yet there are few nations more arbitrarily and more tyranically oppreffed. The fenfible, the worthy Author of this excellent book is, at this inftant, fcandaloufly perfecuted by the very tyrants who forced the celebrated Rouffeau to take refuge in this country. His name is Hestort, a learned, public-fpirited divine, a citizen of Bern. Being known to be the author of this treatise, he hath lately been put under arrest in his own house, by the secret council (the inquifition) of Bern; all* the

* A very few excepted. The copy from which this article is extracted, fell into our hands by the fingular affiduity of our correfpondent.

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copies of his work are feized, and he will probably be deprived of his ftipend, and branded with infamy. Such are the rewards which thefe pious guardians of the liberties of the people are about to bestow upon a fubject, whom justice, not to mention generofity, would have loaded with honours!.

We fhall now fpeak of the contents of this obnoxious performance, efpecially that part which concerns Switzerland in particular. Our Author divides his work into 124 fections. He begins with general reflections on man, the body, the soul, their union, the paffions, the general pursuit of and gradual approaches *towards happiness. He thence proceeds to the confideration of oaths among the Greeks and Romans, which he obferves have been carried by Chriftians to a much higher pitch of feverity. Having firft enquired into the utility of oaths, their nature, intention, abuse, obligation, rife and progrefs, We have no example, fays he, till in the feventh century, of an oath invented by the holy fathers, eftablifhed by their influence, and, by their perfuafion, fwallowed by the people. The occafion was this Sifenand, the fecond Gothic king, who was in poffeffion of all Spain, under the cloak of religion, the beft cloak for a tyrant, called a council at Toledo. Sixty-four bishops, part Spanish and part French, were the holy fathers which compofed this famous aflembly. To render more perfect the alreadyperfect church, was not the principal part of their intention; but to establish Sifenand on his throne: for King Suintilla, who had been dethroned by this rebel, being a worthy prince, had many friends, and fome power.

Now Sifenand having ufurped the crown by means of Dogobert I. king of France, and having but little dependence on the fidelity of his fubjects, it became neceffary to invent fome extraordinary means for his fecurity; it was the oath of allegiance; a thing, till this time, entirely unknown. This facred bridle therefore being to be put upon a Chriftian people, it was proper that the holy fathers fhould perform the part of grooms on the occafion. The oath itself is too great a curiofity to be omitted. It runs thus: Quicunque igitur à nobis vel totius Hifpaniæ populis qualibet infpiratione vel ftudio facramentum fidei fuæ, pro patriæ gentifque fuce Gothorum ftatu, vel confervatione regia falutis policitus eft, temeraverit, aut regem nece attrectaverit, aut poteftate regni exuerit, aut præfumptione tyrannica regni faftigium ufurpaverit, anathema fit, in confpectu Dei Patris angelorum, atque ab ecclefia catholica, quam prophanaverit perjurio efficiatur extraneus, & ab omni Chriftianorum coetu alienus, cum omnibus impietatis fuæ feciis. Quia oportet ut una pæna teneat obnoxios, quos fimilis error invenerit. Quod iterum fecundo replicamus, dicentes: quicunque ex nobis ufurpaverit-ut fupra. Anathema fit in confpectu Chrifti apoftolorum ejus—& damnatus in futuro Dei judicio habeatur eum

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Herfort's Inquiry concerning Important Truths. Herfort's conparticibus fuis, quia dignum eft, ut qui talibus fociantur, ipfi etiam damnatione eorum participatione obnoxi teneantur. Hoc etiam tertio acclamamus: quicunque ex nobis.Anathema fit in confpectu Spiritus Sancti & martyrum Chrifii-neque partem juftorum habeat, fed cum diabolis & angelis ejus æternis fuppliciis condemnetur, una cum eis, qui eadem confpiratione nituntur, ut par pœna perditionis conftringat, quos in perditionem prava focietas copulat; et ideo fi placet omnibus, qui adeftis, hæc iterata fententia, veftra vocis ean confenfu firmate. Ab univerfo clero & populo dictum eft. Qui contra hanc veftram definitionem præfumferit, Anathema Maranatha : hoc eft in adventu Domini perditio fit, & cum Juda Iscariote partem habeat, & ipfi & focii eorum. Amen! Quapropter ipfi nos facerdotes omnem ecclefiam Chrifti ac populum admonemus, ut tremenda hæc ac toties iterata fententia nullum ex nobis præfenti et æterno condemnet judicio, fed fidem promiffam erga gloriofum deminum noftrum Sisenandum cuftodientes, ac fincera illi devotione famulantes, non folum divinæ pietatis clementiam in nobis provocemus, fed etiam gratiam antefacti principis mereamur pfcipere. Amen.

Who can read this bath, fays our author, without disgust and fhuddering? From this anathematizing, Gothic, monftrous production, we fix the aera when the poor Chriftians first began to be loaded and fhackled with horrid oaths, whose curfes extended to eternity.' The clergy, however, foon found means to excufe themselves from the above oath of allegiance. In the ninth century they were generally excufed, and Pope Honorius II. exprefly forbad its being adminiftered to them.

The author continues his animadverfions on the subject of oaths with equal fpirit, reafon, and learning; interfperfing his remarks with frequent hiftorical anecdotes, and pertinent quotations. He obferves, that fince we are taught by daily experience, that the strongest oaths, by frequent repetition, cease to anfwer the purpofe for which they were intended, it follows that they ought never to be ufed when there is a poffibility of obtaining truth by any other means. He then confiders the doctrine of fcripture upon this fubject, particularly that paffage in the New Teftament in which Chrift pofitively forbids alb fwearing whatfoever. Swear not at all, neither by heaven, &c. but let your converfation be yea, yea, and nay, nay, &c. On this remarkable paffage he quotes the various opinions and explanations of all the celebrated commentators. Having thus confidered the fubject in all its different points of view, the author proposes a form of oath, which he thinks, might with a fafe confcience be taken by people of all perfuafions. The oath here propofed is adapted first to the fovereign, and then to the fubject. After a preliminary acknowledgement of the existence, omnipotence, mercy, juftice, omniscience, omniprefence and eternity of God; the words of the oath are thefe. I bow

down

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down in humble veneration, before the throne of thy glory, and call thee to witnefs the upright intention of my heart, to fulfil the following obligation:

That of the fovereign.

Never to misuse the power which I have received.
Not to refufe protection or juftice to any one.

Neither to undertake nor conceal any thing that may injure the state.

To leave nothing undone, which may conduce to the publick good.

That of the fubject.

Not to misuse my liberty, which I enjoy under the gracious government of thofe, whom God hath appointed to rule over

me.

To be to them ever obedient and faithful, and neither defigning nor concealing any thing prejudicial to their power and honour.

Dutifully to fubmit to punishment, if ever I should trefpafs against their laws.'

In this oath the perfon fwearing denounces no curfe against himself, as is usual with us, in the words, fo help me God; to all which curfing our author is a great enemy, as he deems it the height of folly and madness, to ftake one's eternal falvation, against any fublunary confideration whatsoever. With regard to teftimonial oaths, he condemns them as profane and ineffectual, and is of opinion that a positive affertion would anfwer the fame purpose, since the weight of an evidence depends not upon the oath he has taken, but on his character. An honest man will not affert a falsehood, and a villain will fwear any thing, To thefe fucceeds the confideration of religious, oaths, which took their rife in the year 489, when Euphemius, patriarch of Conftantinople, refufed the coronation of Anaftafius, the Greck Emperor, unless he would fwear to maintain the pu rity of the faith. Anno 723, the dignified clergy were ordered to take the fame oath, to which, fays our author, Pope Gre gory II. thought fit to add the two words fidelity and obedience. But to whom? to Chrift, no; his kingdom is not of this world. to Peter's Statholder, who inherited his fword.' In the year 1129, the Concilium Tholofanum ordered, that every male, above twelve years old, fhould fwear to his belief of the church of Rome, and to difcover and perfecute all here. ticks to the utmost of his abilities. Thus the poor people fwore, that they believed what they neither understood, nor were permitted to enquire into: what the church of Rome be lieved they were totally ignorant. Did our worthy reformers release their followers from this impofition? No: they decreed

that

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