The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-08-29
oArHs AND THEIR 1rRA1ma
AMrmasion Upheld BY the 1isseey ana
Character Of 8WesranR.

The new volume Of the Encyclopedia
Britannica, just published, contains q
remarkably interesting article on the
subject of "Oaths," which is particular-
ly seasonable at the present moment m
connection with Bradlaugh discussion,
and the information contained in which,
from o historical point ofview, ought 10
strengthen the position :of Mr.. Glad
stone and the Liberal party in their de-
sire to carry an Affirmation bill. The
author, DIR. E. B. Tylor, makes II
abundantly evident that the oath orig
inaily had no come ,tion whatever with
sacred matters. 1t is simply relic Of
barbarism, "an asseveration or promise
made under nonhuman penalty or sane
tion." The idea of its having been at
the first On appeal to tho Divine Being
is quite mistake. The invocation OF
the Diety to punish was learned by the
savage tribes from their civilized neigh
bors; An example of the "curse
oath" is seen among the Nag
as of Assam, Where's two
men lay hold of dog or fowlsby head
or feet, the animal being then chopped
in two by single blow as emblematic
of tho fate which Is expected to befall
the perjurer. Sometimes tho person
taking the oath would hold in his hand
o spearhead or tigers tooth, 6y which.
act he virtuously said. "If T do not
faithfully perform this, my promise,
may fall by these" Another stage in
tho history of all oaths was reached
when the swearer called upon some
fierce beast to punish him if he lied, be-
lieving that somehow it knew what he
said, and had power to interfere in hu-
man affairs. Between the Russians and
the wild Ostyaks of Siberia, for ex-
ample, the head of bear was brought
into court, and tho Ostyak, making
gesture to initiate eating, called upon
the bear to devour him il he did not
speak the truth. In the earlier stages
of natural or rather nature religion, nat
ural objects were invoked, being looked
upon as animate and personal. Thus,
the old Romans swore by the ,Styx or
the Tiber, the Hindoo by. the Nanges,
while in New Guinea oaths are still tax
en- by an appeal to the sun, ,.the mount
aims, or weapons of war. Thes Romans
had another custom, in the form Of kill
ing hog by the sacred flint, with the
invocation of Jupiter SO to snaite the
people who did not keep their OATH.
DIR. Taylor has ho hesitation IN saying
that the modern forms of adiuratfJn 7
can all be traced back in some way or
other to these barbaric practices, while
he edwells with emphasis upon the fact
that among Christian nations there has
been much difference of opinion upon
the taking of oaths. st. Crhysostom
and most of the Understanding
their teaching on the words Of tho
Divine Author of Christianity ty-violent-
ly denouncing the practice as 50 snare
of Satan" The Christian custom of
taking the oath upon copy of the
Gospels seems to have beeniSs slxed from
the late Jewish practice, in which the
oath was taken, holding in the hand the
scroll of the law, or the phylacteries, this
ceremony itself being possibly adapted
from the Roman custom. The practice Of
kissing the book appears first In
the Middle Ages, at the time when
it became customary to touch
the relics of the saints upon the altar,
the cross, or q bishops crozier. Such
an oath, where q sacred object was
touched was called Corporal" or
bodily oath, as distinguished from
merely spoken or written oath. The
English word to signify this sacred
object was "halidome," and this "hali-
dome" is now for Christians the New
Testament, for Jews the old Testa-
ment, for Mohammedans the Koran,
and for Hindoos the Vedas. DIR. Tylor
further reminds us that the oftlc;;:d and
judicial oaths in Englana we're at one
time very numerous, but that they have
been greatly reduced by modern legis-
lation, and that the concluding words
of the oath, $50 help me God," shave
not for ages had any precise signifca-
tion." On the general subject he con-
tends that there is growing feeling
that only the ignorant and superstitious
are bound by an oath; that it increases
temptations to perjury, and encourages
the inference that man need not
speak the truth unless he is upon his
oath. The whole article is one of much
ability and value, and deserves to be
carefully read, especially in connec-
tion with the present miserble Brad
laugh conflict, which is undoubtedly
one of prejudice rather than principle,
and which ought to have been settled
long ago on the lines laid down by the.
Primo Minister in ono of the noblest
speeches he ever made-a permanent
contribution to the literature OF civil
and religious liberty, Liverpool Mer-
curv