Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (4th ed, 1770, vol IV).djvu/56

44 of all judicial oaths; which call God to witnes the truth of thoe facts, which perhaps may be only known to him and the party atteting: all moral evidence therefore, all confidence in human veracity, mut be weakened by apotacy, and overthrown by total infidelity. Wherefore all affronts to chritianity, or endeavours to depreciate it's efficacy, in thoe who have once profeed it, are highly deerving of cenure. But yet the los of life is a heavier penalty than the offence, taken in a civil light, deerves: and, taken in a piritual light, our laws have no jurisdiction over it. This punihment therefore has long ago become obolete, and the offence of apotacy was for a long time the object only of the eccleiatical courts, which corrected the offender pro alute animae. But about the cloe of the lat century, the civil liberties to which we were then retored being ued as a cloke of maliciounes, and the mot horrid doctrines ubverive of all religion being publicly avowed both in dicoure and writings, it was thought neceary again for the civil power to interpoe, by not admitting thoe micreants to the privileges of ociety, who maintained uch principles as detroyed all moral obligation. To this end it was enacted by tatute 9 & 10 W. III. c. 32. that if any peron educated in, or having made profeion of, the chritian religion, hall by writing, printing, teaching, or advied peaking, deny the chritian religion to be true, or the holy criptures to be of divine authority, he hall upon the firt offence be rendered incapable to hold any office or place of trut; and, for the econd, be rendered incapable of bringing any action, being guardian, executor, legatee, or purchaer of lands, and hall uffer three years imprionment without bail. To give room however for repentance; if, within four months after the firt conviction, the delinquent will in open court publicly renounce his error, he is dicharged for that once from all diabilities.

II. offence is that of herey; which conits not in a total denial of chritianity, but of ome of it's eential Rh