The Virginia Gazette

The great Number of Instances of the shocking Crime of Perjury which have lately happened, are Sufficient to alarm any Community, and excite its Members to make some Effort towards the Preservation of Property and Life. The Crime of Perjury is of such a Nature, that if not severely check'd, will soon unhinge all the Obligations of Civil Honour, and introduce an universal Danger to the State. What Life is safe, when it is in the Power of every Villain to swear it away? Who can reckon their Property secure, when an abandoned Wretch can alienate it by a false Appeal to Heaven? And as an Oath is the highest Bond of Truth, it is requisite that this solemn Observation should not be made but upon Occasions worthy of it. To prevent the Injuries which the World must necessarily suffer by Perjury, besides the obvious Expedient of making the Crime Capital, there is another more easy, and which in all Probability will be more effectual, and that is, that Oaths should not be administered so frequently, nor upon so light Occasions; they who dare to lie when called upon seriously to speak Truth, are not likely to be influenced by an Oath: Three fourths of the low People do not know what an Oath means, and by hearing it given upon trifling Occasions, and without Solemnity, they are apt to conclude that there is nothing in it; whereas, if they were instructed by those who administer Oaths of their Importance and taught the horrid Nature of Perjury, the most hardened Wretch would shudder at it, nor dare to utter Falsehood to the Searcher of Hearts.