The morning journal-courier., 1907-12-26
AGAINST PERJURY
Worrell, of Nova Scotia, Deplores Lack of Rever-
 ence Shown in Courts.
OATHS ARE NOW A FARCE
Says That Growth of Profanity is One of the Greatest Evils of the
 Present Day.

Worrell, lord bishop of Nova Scotia, r recently delivered a strong address against perjury which he thinks has been increasing in the courts of Can ada, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and | the United States. He lays this in part to the decreasing reverence for God l The address has attracted great att tention. A letter written to the Journal-Courier requests the publica- ton of the address. It says that its publicity has wrought good in sections of the Dominion and may also in the United States.
 An abstract of an address on pro fanity is also given. That on perjury follows
 "A right conception of God and His word and a due reverence for them would make perjury absolutely un known The growth of perjury is terrible thing, and there can be no doubt that it is growing. The other day Judge Riddle of Toronto stated that it was becoming a most serious problem in the conduct of the courts, and I have heard a well known police magistrate of a large city in Ontario declare that it is impossible to believe people on their paths. The statement made by a witness in a recent cele- brated election trial that he had ad- vised his agents, when sworn, to kiss their thumbs instead of the Book, and then they would not be guilty of per jury, shows the utterly unworthy idea such a man has of Him who reads the hearts of men and judges not by the outside of the platter as to the cleanli- ness of it. The wholesome dread which the story of Ananias and Sapphira once exerted seems to have but little power to-dayLesp speelally in a liquor trial or a contested election. Affida- wits are taken and paths administered often in such an irreverent manner that the solemnity which is attached to them is lacking, and the awfulness of invoking the name of God in at testation of mans word is but little realized. There should either be spe
 cial officers for the administration of oaths or the farce that is now so often entcted should be done away with. To swear a. man upon the Bible of which he has never read a word, of which he has heard but little and in which he does not believe or thinks he does not can give no weight to his evidence. The apostolic condemnation of perjured persons in the same list as the most abandoned and wicked sinners has no effect upon him"
 Tn the course of his remarks on pro- fanity the bishop said
 "The growth of profanity is one of the greatest evils of the present day. The vain use of Gods name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is shockingly com mon Such a thing could not be if people knew God as He Is and Jesus Christ, whom He sent to redeem us
 Some evils have a certain material re- suit which at first may be gratifying to the perpetrator, The drunkard, the impure man. the thief, the liar, the l Sabbath breaker-al these may for a.. 1 time have some personal enjoyment in their sin, before the inevitable evil re- suit has followed. But the profane man has nothing of the kind. He fouls the air. he fouls his tongue, he fouls so- ciety and has gained nothing by It.
 He shows no respect for himself or for others.
 How can anyone who has learned and known that the goodness of God
 endureth daily take His name hnd use it lightly and thoughtlessly? Would d
 man bandy about among lewd compan-
 ions the name of his wife or sister or
 child or dearest friend? Would he
 joke or yarn about them in such way
 as to bring ridicule or contempt upon
 them? Then why should the name of
 God, who stands to us in all these re-
 lations be treated so? If a man has helped his friend out of debt or difi- culty and stood by him in the day of need would it not be the basest in- 5 gratitude for that friend to fail to show
 respect for him or to heap scorn upon
 his name? Then why should he do So ! with the sacred name of Jesus, at whose name we are told every knee should bow and every tongue confess Q that He is God? He did give Himsel. up for us and He endured the agony U of the cross to help us.
 " Surely a conception of this is better : shown by one who humbly and revent N ly signs himself with the sign of tn, \ cross than by one who in moment O N petulence, or anger, or frivolity tossei about the sacred name as lightly as { & tennis ball to furnish sport, as vicious S ly as a bit of vernin to be kicked asid & or as bitterly as a poisoned arrow witt a which to wound an enemy
 \ And do you know the meaning o RI your oath? When you damn this 0 M damn that or damn your enemy 0 M damn your friend or damn yourself 9 have you ever thought what it mean & to be damned? If you do not believ S in future reward or punishment vol # are using an idle and meaningless ex
 pression and marking yourself as al M insincere and witless man. If you q M believe that there is some time whe, % you must answer for your deeds, if yo X have listened to experience and see K how true it is that your sin will fin M you out, your surely could not meal sH yOA NloIl SOC4A eb lobS 4OA dllS one. II M raving maniac, or the helpless invalid
 the ruined gambler or the fettere
 prisoner, these are some who have bee M damned here and now, whatever ma 8s be the future for tnem Would you 2 S to the hospital, the asylum, the priso
 and jeer at them? Then, fellow sin " ner, let us with full sense of the re N sponsibillty of life avoid such words
 They condemn their users. They in M jure all and benefit none.