7 so THE BEE, OR Feb. 1^, 



thoufand other venerable ecciefiaftics, who efte^med it 

 a pleafure, as well as an obligation, to till the ground , 

 who have been contented in the lliades of retirement and 

 even oblcurity, to fee God's blefUngs fpring out of the 

 earth, and eat that bread, which they could properly 

 call their own, in peace and privacy. 1 need not add, 

 that it is no lefs their intereft than tjieir duty, to pro- 

 mote in their feveral pariflies every poffible improve- 

 ment in agricuture, when peace and plenty fliall fuc- 

 ceed to wretchednefs and want ; when the cattle (hall 

 be upon a thoufand hills, and every valley Ihall laugh 

 and fingv 



_ .^-j — 



Oif th( Iniquity offrefcrihing Oaths in certain Cafes. 



'Tis he that takes t)ie oath that breaks it. 



Not him that for convenience takes it. Hi'dibkas. 



Amongst the many focial virtues that attend the prac- 

 tice of true religion amongft mankind, that of a ftri£l ad- 

 herence to truth in every tranfaction in life, is of the 

 grealeft importance : — It eftablifhes confidence and fair 

 dealing in every fituation ; to maintain the adherence to 

 truth, and to maintam religion in the people, are the 

 fame thing :■: — without the one, the other cannot fubfifl ; 

 and it ought to be the firll objeft of a legiflator, in the 

 making of fiich ftatutes as have any connection with 

 the morals of the people, to frame them in fych a man- 

 ner, as not to introduce great and frequent temptation 

 for difTimulation and lying. 



It is pretty generally allowed, that religion in an en- 

 lightened age, cannot exift in the breads of the people, 

 when it fubjefts them tp very great temporal inconve- 

 niences.-— Men will not adopt any plan of condudV, 

 without the profpe£t of gaining fome advantage there- 

 by :-r^the hopes of reward from religion, in the limited 

 view by which the ignorant and the bulk of mankind 

 confider it. are contined entirely to a future flat?, 1 



