John Hildrop

“ The Seventh Commandment, like the rest, could be only intended to secure and promote the Good os the Public, by preserring the Order os Society, and discouraging Luxury and Idleness among the lower Part os the People, who alone need or require such Restraints to be laid upon them, as not having Sense, Taste, or Politencss enough, to direct and govern themselves. ”

“ The first os these Commandments (I presume my Readers can remember it, without having it repeated) is an arbitrary Imposition upon the Reason and Liberty os Mankind. Every Man's Belies and Practice necesiarily sollows the Kind and Degree os Evidence he has sor either: Now is a Man sees no more Evidence sor one, than he does sor sive hundred, it is quite indisserent to him whether he have sive hundred or one, or none at all. ”

“ Is we are only at Liberty to think, and not to ast, our Liberty is incomplete, we are still in a Degree os Bondage. That our Will is absolutely sree C is agreed on all Hands, but to what Purpose ? What are we the better sor that sreedom j is, whilst we are allowed the Liberty os Thought and Will, we are still debarred the Liberty os Action ? Is the sober Dictates os Nature, Reason, and good Sense, are sussicient to regulate our Thoughts, why not our Actions too ? ”

“ Now let us put the Case, that a Man has no Wise os his own, and can sind no agreeable semale that he could like to make his Companion sor Lise, or suppose him to be already yoked to a-sour, conjugal Assection ; and that he sees his sriend or his Neighbour happy in the Enjoyment os a beautisul, tender, senstble, good- natured Spouse, is it not natural sor such a Person to wish at least that he could make an Exchange, or share in the Happiness os his Neighbour? ”

“ But as- ter all, there is nothing more enjoined or implied in this Commandment, than what common Sense and Neceslity could teach us : sor neither Cattle nor Servants can work always, they must os necessity have some rest ; and theresore there seems to hiive been but little Occalion sor a Commandment srom Heaven in an Assair where common Sense is a sussicient Guide. Upon the whole, these sour sirst Commandments seem to be os very little Consequence to Mankind ; sor the Conduct os Men os Sense and Taste ever was, and ever will be, the same, as is these Commandments had been never given. ”

“ However, till such Discovery can be made, let us suppose the present Reading to be genuine, and then consider them in their natural Meaning, without those unreasonable Interpretations which Prejudice and Cuslom seem to have sixed upon them. ”

“ The Sixth Commandment could never be intended as an absolute Prohibition not to take away the Lise os another ; it only sorbids that clumsy butcherly way os Murdering, made use os by the vilest and meanest Part os Mankind : Whereas People os Rank and Distin&ion, who kill in an honourable gentleman-like way, are iio ways concerned in this Commandment, or assected by it. This is so agreeable to the natural Sense os Mankind, that the very same Action may be criminal in one Man, and not in another. ”

“ And as the happy Inhabitants os these reformed Nations have long ago got rid os all the superstitious Impositions os Christian Priestcrast, it is a Shame and Reproach to them to be still in Bondage to Jewish Ordinances ; especially is it can be made appear, that they are an intolerable Imposition upon a free People, without having the least moral or natural Aptitude to promote the Welsare os Civil Society, and the temporal Good and Benesit os Mankind, which are now generally acknowledged to be the great End and soundation os all civil, moral, and religious Institution. ”

“ Much less can it be supposed to assect those who have the good sortune to be the Directors and Governors os great samilies, Provinces, or Kingdoms, who have an undoubted Right to all such Emoluments, Prosits, and Advantages which they {hall think sit and reasonable, to reward the Labour, Attention, and Time, which they are sorced to employ in the Discharge os their several Ossices and Employments, sor the Good os the Public. ”

“ Is it not natural sor him to wish himscls in his Neighbour's Condition ? Is arty thing more common, or more natural than to hear People wishing they had such a charming Wo- man, such a sine House, such a pretty Estate, such a beautisul Horse, or Set os Horses, Plate, or China, Jo that nobody were the worse sor it. This is a righteous laving Clause, and takes away all the Iniquity and In- justice that can be supposed in the A& os coveting or desiring -any kind or manner os Thing, that is the Posleslion or Property os another. ”

“ The Premises tenderly considercd, we cannot but hope that care will be taken so to explain, amend, or repeal these obsolete Statutes, that they may no longer give Qjssence to People os Rank, Diilin&ion, and sigure, in Pursuit os their Interest or Pleasurea.
But is it sliall be thought sit, by theWisdom os our Superiors, to continue them still in sorce, it may be with such Restrictions and Limitations, as not to extend to any but the low uneducated Part os Mankind, who have neither Sense, nor Reason, nor Politeness enough to govern and conduct themselves. ”

“ Inventers os sables have always been ranked among the wise Men and Philosophers os antient Times, nor has it ever been objected to any os the wise Antients or Moderns, that they have made Beasts and Birds, Trees and slowers, talk like Men os Sense, sor the Correction and Instruction os their Betters. ”

“ The sourth is miserably perverted srom its original Design, being generally supposed to be os universal Obligation to all Jews and Christians 'to keep holy one Day in seven. Whereas it appears at sirst Sight to be only a political, good-natured Contrivance in savour os the laborious Part os Mankind, People os Quality and sashion have no Concern in it : It was only intended sor the Canaille, sor the Scrubs and Drudges os Mankind, as appears srom the very Letter os the Commandment : Six Days Jhalt thou la* bour, and do all that thou hajl to do ”

“ How osten have I heard you \v\sh that the absurd Reslraints that are made use os by cunning and designing Men, to limit the freedom os our Actions, as well as our faith and Judgment in Religious Matters, were intirely removed j that all our Creeds^ Articles os faith ^ moral Precepts^ and religious Institutions, were sairly and impartially examined by Men os free and unprejudiced Understandjngs, and we were restored to that unbounded Liberty os acting as well as thinking, which Nature, Reason, and common Sense, allure us to be the undoubted Birthright and natural Privilege os all free Agents ! ”

“ They who are obliged to labour six Days in the Week, and on each os these Days \\wtsomething to do, are indulged by this Commandment in having the seventh Day allowed them sor a Day os Rest. They theresore whose easy Circumstances exempt them srom the Neceslity os any kind os Labour, so much as one Day in the Year, who have nothing at all to do but to eat, drink, and sleep, and divert themsclves, cannot sairly and confidently be supposed to have any Concern, or be under any Obligation about it. ”

“ Now is a Man os Quality should condescend so low as to bestow the Exuberancy os his Blood and sortune in relieving the Neceslities os some pretty Neighbour ; should he bestow a Dash os this noble Blood upon a desending plebean samily, and pay well into the Bargain, it ought to be considered as an Honour, as well as an Advantage, to the above-said samily, and as a way os mending the Blood and sortune, is not the Morals, os the next Generation. ”

“ And whereas it is now universally agreed and consesTed, that the Good os Society, and the civil Interests os Mankind, are the sole soundation, Rule, and Measure os all religious Instituttons, and that nothing ought to be deemed to be os religious Obligation, but so far as it contributes to that important End. ”

“ An Ambassador is an honest Man sent to lye abroad sor the Good os his Country. And whatever Reasons can be ossered in Vindication os Ambassadors sor lying abroad, may, with equal Justice, be pleaded sor those Ministers who are lying at home sor the same good and laudable Purposes. ”

“ Should such People as these, give themselves up to Intrigues and Gallantries, the necessary Expence, Application, and Address, that such Assairs require, would have as satal an Insluence upon the Welsare os the Nation, as sussering unqualisied Persons to poach and destroy the Game. ”

“ And mould the industrious and laborious Part os the People be per- mitted to intersere with their Betters in these Diverversions, it would tend to impoverilh the industrious and laborious Part os their People, by diverting them srom their proper Employments, would be greatly detrimental to our Trade and Manusacture, ruin many samilies, and increase the Number os our Poor, so as to be an insupportable Burden to the Landed Interest os this Nation. ”

“ Which reasonable Condition, is their said Parents shall resuse to comply with, they shall be taught by their said Children, who are reasonably presumed to be better Judges than themselves, the Absurdity and Injustice os such their Conduct and Behaviour toward their own Ossspring, by that negligent and contemptuous Treatment as such Parents may be reasonably presumed to deserve srom any sensible, polite, well-bred Children. ”

“ But in the Case os a Wise, the Right is IBM clearer, and the Title more unexceptionable ; sor is any one Man take it in his Head to covet or be in love with another Man's Wise, and the Huiband os the said Wise think it reasonable, sor certain valuable Considerations, to transser the Use at lead, is not the Property, os his said Wise, to the Person so bargaining, covenanting, and purchasmg the same ”

“ And as it is universally known and acknowledged, that the dear Angels have no Gall nor Malice at Heart, no Spleen, Jealousies, Emulations, Competitions, or Envy against the rest os their Sex j but only utter the Overslowings os their good Sense, good Nature, and Zeal sor Virtue ”

“ But as the poor Devil happened to live in evil Days os Biggotry and Superstition, under a grave sormal Prince, and an old, sour, morose Archbistiop, who had no more Taste os Gallantry than Criticism, he was severely swinged, and the whole Impreslion called in, to the great Discouragement os all Attempts os that kind sor the suture. ”

“ Be it theresore enacted, &V. That is, srom and aster the Day os next ensuing, any Labourer, Servant, Artisicer, or Xradesinan, or any Person under the Degree os a Gentleman, qualisied as above directed, shall wantonly and unadvisedly so sar negleil the proper Busmess os his Prosession, and the Care os his samily, as to enter into any Intrigues or samiliarities with any other Woman, than Law and Custom shall allow ; that is to say, any married Man with any Woman, except his own lawsul Wise ; or any unmarried Man, with the lawsul Wise os any other Man ”

“ The Eighth Commandment appears plainly, by the very Letter os it, to be intended purely to discourage those mean, pitisul, sniveling Rogues, that, in a sar cret cowardly Way, cheat and desraud their Neighbours j such as Robbers os Hen-roosts and Orchards, Sheep-stealers, Horse-stealers, Shop-listers, and Pickpockets j but can, by no means, be supposed to assect the open, generous, undisguised Methods, by which Men os Genius and Penetration increase their sortunes, and support their Rank and sigure in the World ”

“ The State and Condition os young People requires that they should dress, converse, and behave in such a manner, as to mine in all public Aslemblies, and dislinguish themselves by an apparent Superiority os sigure, Dress, and Equipage, agreeable to the Superiority os their Birth, sortune, or Expectation : On the other hand, the State and Condition os Parents, ?'. e. os, Old Men and eld Women^ require nothing but the mere wholsome and cleanly Neceslaries os Lise ”

“ So also the tedious Delays os Justice, especially in Chancery Suits, are so notorious to the whole Nation, that it has osten been sound, that, by the long Continuance os the Suit, he that gets a Decree in his savour, is osten undone besore he can obtain it. ”

“ Is, on the Over- slowings os their martial sury, - on such Provocations, they shall take it in their Heads to kill. either Man or Beast, they shall, so soon as they are diverted os their regimental Terrors and Accoutrements, and settled in their civil State os Trade and Tranquillity, be liable to the same Sentence os Guilt and Punishment, as any other os their civil and peaceable sellow-Subjects. ”

“ Whereas it is generally presumed, that this Commandment was only intended to teach the lower and uneducated Part os Mankind to be quiet and peaceable in their Behaviour, not to be quarrelsome in their Cups, not to osser any outragious Acts os Violence to the Disturbance os their Betters in any polite Aslembly, where the Little Vulgar are too apt to mingle with the Great ”

“ Besides, as Assairs os this kind are not to be transacted without very great Expence, Address, and Application, it cannot be supposed that People os mean Birth, low Education, and small sortunes, can ever manage them in so polite and genteel a way as to avoid Discovery and Scandal, or carry it oss with that intrepid AsTurance as is absolutely necessary sor People in such delicate Circumstances. ”

“ And as People os Rank and Condition are exempt srom the Obligation os this Precept, so, by an Argument a sortiori , are Legtslators and Governors os every sort and kind, who are presumed os course to be the best Judges os the Duty and Necessity os their Subjects, and are accountable to nobody but themselves. ”

“ THAT whereas a certain immemorial superstitious Practice has prevailed in these Nations, sor certain old Women os both Sexes, such as Grandmothers, Nurses, Maiden Aunts, School-dames, and Parsons, to teach and instrudt the Children even os Protestant Parents in certain antient Jewish Laws, commqnly called Tlje Ten Commandments ”