_1st. Their Cursing and Swearing._ _2dly. Their Abuse of Religion and Holy Scripture._
What is more frequent then their wishes of Hell, and Confusion, Devils, and Diseases, all the Plagues of this World, and the next, to each other? And as for Swearing; 'tis used by all Persons, and upon all Occasions: By Heroes, and Paltroons; by Gentlemen, and Clowns: Love, and Quarrels, Success, and Disappointment, Temper, and Passion, must be varnish'd, and set off with _Oaths_. At some times, and with some _Poets_ Swearing is no ordinary Releif. It stands up in the room of Sense, gives Spirit to a flat Expression, and makes a Period Musical and Round. In short, 'tis almost all the Rhetorick, and Reason some People are Masters of: The manner of performance is different. Some times they mince the matter; change the Letter, and keep the Sense,[102] as if they had a mind to steal a Swearing, and break the Commandement without Sin. At another time the Oaths are clipt, but not so much within the Ring, but that the _Image and Superscription_ are visible. These expedients, I conceive are more for variety, then Conscience: For when the fit comes on them, they make no difficulty of Swearing at Length. Instances of all these kinds may be met with in the _Old Batchelour_, _Double Dealer_, and _Love for Love_. And to mention no more, _Don Quixot_, the _Provok'd Wife_, and the _Relapse_, are particularly rampant and scandalous. The _English Stage_ exceed their predecessors in this, as well as other Branches of immorality. _Shakespear_ is comparatively sober, _Ben Jonson_ is still more regular; And as for _Beaument_ and _Fletcher_, In their _Plays_ they are commonly Profligate Persons that Swear, and even those are reprov'd for't. Besides, the Oaths are not so full of Hell and Defiance, as in the Moderns.
So much for matter of Fact: And as for point of Law, I hope there needs not many words to prove Swearing a Sin: For what is more provoking than contempt, and what Sin more contemptuous than common Swearing? what can be more Insolent and Irreligious, than to bring in God to attest our Trifles, to give Security for our Follies, and to make part of our Diversion? To Play with Majesty and Omnipotence in this manner, is to render it cheap and despicable. How can such Customes as these consist with the belief of Providence or Revelation? The _Poets_ are of all People most to blame. They want even the Plea of _Bullies_ and _Sharpers_. There's no Rencounters, no starts of Passion, no suddain Accidents to discompose them. They swear in Solitude and cool Blood, under Thought and Deliberation, for Business, and for Exercise: This is a terrible Circumstance; It makes all _Malice Prepence_, and enflames the Guilt, and the Reckoning.