the Breach of it in the literal Senfe, namely, the bearing FALSE WITNESS against our Neighbour, or the procuring others fo to do, with all Forgeries of Hands, Seals, or Writings; as alfo all Impoftures, or perfonating others, with Intent to wrong or fupplant them, all Concealments of Trufts, or being any ways acceffary, thereto, is the most heinous. And the Reason of this is evident, because this is a complicated Sin, and not only a Breach of this Law, but alfo of fome other, and frequently of no less than three. For Inftance, he that bears falfe Witness againft his Neighbour in a Court of Juftice, in a Cafe that may affect his Life, is at once guilty of contravening the Third, Sixth, and Ninth Commandments; and if it be in a Caufe that will touch his Estate alfo, he is likewise a Tranfgreffor of the Eighth.

Nay, it may fo happen, that fuch a one may be guilty of the Breach of no less than Five at once; as fuppofing any one fhould be fo hardened falfly to fwear High Treason against a Parent, in which Cafe he would be an Offender against the Fifth Commandment, as well as the Third, Sixth,Eighth, and Ninth. And of this dreadful complicated Crime, in our Opinion, is every Man guilty, who takes a filthy Bribe to vote for any one, that he has Reafon to fuppofe will be the trufty Drudge of a profligate Minifter. Nay, the Corrupter, as well as the Corrupted, are equally guilty in this Cafe: How then muft it make every ferious Perfon fhudder with Horror, when he confiders there is but too much Ground for believing this Sin, though of fo b'ack a Dye, is very common in this profligate Nation!

But because it fhall not be faid we affert any thing without proving it, and because we think it of the higheft Importance, to fet this Point in a ftrong Light, we shall beg Leave to enlarge a little

upon

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-upon this Head, fo that every one, who will not purposely fhut his Eyes against the Truth, may be fully convinced thereof. In the firft place, as both the Elector and the Elected difclaim all Corruption directly or indirectly, upon Oath, it will not furely be denied, that if they either bribe or are bribed, they are thereby forfworn, which is a downright literal Breach of the Third and Ninth Commandments. As little furely will it be difowned, that a Man ftands in the fame Degree of Obligation to his Mother-Country as to his natural Parent: This is fo true, that if, by any Accident, our Duty to the one, fhould become incompatible with our Duty to the other, our Country is certainly to have the Preference; it will follow then of course, from this, that if a Perfon fo elected, fhould give a Vote, tending to betray, plunder, and opprefs. the Public, and to undermine the Conftitution, he would be equally guilty, at leaft intentionally, of breaking the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth, as if he were to rob, and lay violent Hands upon his own Mother.

To return from whence we have digreffed: Our Readers are now fully apprized of the great Latitude of this Law; whereby they may be enabled to judge whether they have themselves always walked fo circumspectly as that they have not, at any time, or in any manner, tranfgreffed it, in which Cafe, we think, they are very happy : But we are afraid very few, if they fearch to the Bottom, will be able truly to fay this. In effect, where is the Man or Woman, who can tafely affirm, they never belied any one in their Lives? If fuch there be, we are very well affured, we muft neither look. for them at Court, nor amongst the Great, Gay, or Polite: We must not expect to find them at any Tea Table, or Affembly; and almoft equally in vain will it be to feek them at the Change, or among any of the topping Dealers in the City.

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To as little Purpofe alfo would it be to enquire after them amongst any numerous Companies or Bodies Corporate, for which Reafon, we doubt, they are not to be found in any of our Univerfities, nor do we think it very likely to meet with them in any populous Towns: In fhort, if any fuch Rarities there be, we believe they must be the Inhabitants of fome lone Cottage, at a good Distance from any Market Town, equally Strangers to Scandal, Party-Divifions, or any of the modifh Vices and Refinements of the present Age.

However, be that as it will, we shall now proceed to give some Inftances of the terrible Confequences of tranfgreffing this Law; though confidering the Nature of fuch Offences, and the almoft impenetrable Secrefy wherewith Perjury may be committed, one would be furprized any Perfon fhould be detected therein.

The first Example we fhall cite, fhall be that remarkable one of the wicked Ahab, and his more abominable Wife Jezebel. This wretched King of Ifrael, having taken a Fancy to the Vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, because it lay contiguous to his Palace, and was convenient to make a KitchenGarden, would fain have had it of him, in exchange for another, or elfe have bought it for the Value in Money; but Naboth, it seems, would not be perfwaded, on any Terms, to fell his Birthright, or part with his ancient Patrimony; which Ahab fo much refented, that he fickened for very Vexation, and would eat no Victuals. His hopeful Wife Jezebel, being informed hereof, and having learned from him the Caufe of his Difpleasure, immediately comforts him with these Words: Doft thou now govern the Kingdom of Ifrael? Arife, and eat Bread, and let thine Heart be merry: I will give thee the Vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Accordingly

Accordingly, this deteftable Woman, without any Remorfe of Confcience for fhedding innocent Blood, writes to the head Men of the City to procure falfe Witneffes to fwear that Naboth had blafphemed God and the King, and then caufe him to be ftoned; with which impious Orders these Monsters of Magiftrates, to curry Favour with the Court, inftantly and exactly complied: Whereupon Jezebel, being apprized thereof, acquaints her Husband that Naboth is dead, and bids him go and take Poffeffion of his Vineyard; This, Abab, without making any Enquiry how the poor Man came by his Death, accordingly does; but obferve the dreadful Confequence thereof; the Prophet Elijah is immediately ordered to meet him in that very Vineyard; and denounces the heaviest of Judgments against him, his Wife, and his whole Family, even to utter Extermination, which actually came to pass.

Now, what is very remarkable in this Cafe, is, that it does not appear Abab knew any thing beforehand of Fezebel's abominable Contrivance; but then he knew it was not in her Power, by any lawful Means, to keep her Promife, and give him the Vineyard of Naboth. As he did not therefore enquire what was her Intent, or how he meant to effect it, he was guilty of Connivance at any Wickedness the fhould think fit to devise for that Purpofe. Not only fo, but as, when he even heard he was dead, he never troubled his Head how he came to be fo, we find the Crime of Murder is as much laid to his Charge, as if he had actually perpetrated it himself. Haft thou killed, and also taken Poffeffion? fays the Prophet. And then proceeds to pronounce this terrible Sentence: In the Place where Dogs licked the Blood of Naboth, fhall Dogs lick thy Blood, even thine. To which he adds, concerning his profligate Wife, The Dogs fhall eat Jezebel by the Walls of Jezreel. Such was the Iffue of the Subornation

of

of Perjury in Abab and his deteftable Wife; nor was this all, for the Cry of innocent Blood brought down Vengeance alfo upon all his Pofterity; infomuch that not only his immediate Succeffor Joram was killed by Jehu, but all his remaining Children, being no less than feventy in Number, were beheaded by the Rulers of Samaria at Jehu's Command; and, in fhort, his whole Family were utterly cut off.

The next memorable Inftance we fhall produce of the fatal Confequences of this Sin, shall be in the Cafe of the chafte Sufanna and the two wicked Elders. This virtuous Woman, the Wife of Joachim, one of the Children of Ifrael who had been carried away Captive to Babylon, by Nebuchadnezzar, was a Perfon of very uncommon Beauty, infomuch that the two Elders, who were appointed Judges of the People, and ufed much to frequent the Houfe of her Husband Joachim, (he being a Man of Subftance,) fell violently in Love with her, and were refolved to enjoy her, either by fair Means or foul. To this end, they each of them watched their Opportunity to take her at a Difadvantage, though unknown to each other; neither of them daring to truft his Brother Elder with the Secret of his vicious Defires.

Being thus Strangers to each other's wicked Intent, they mutually prevented the Accomplishment thereof; for as neither of them cared to ftir from Joachim's Houfe, till he could no longer stay with any Decency; and as they both wanted alike to get rid of each other, in order to have the Coast clear for the gaining their Ends, the one faid to the other, Let us now go home, for it is Dinner Time; and thereupon they both went away from thence together, having each of them determined fecretly within himfelt to return thither, as foon as he could fake the other off. They did fo accordingly, and