on his honor"; many a man will lie before
God who would scruple to deceive a friend. Let a man feel that he is
trusted, let his self-respect be appealed to, and he is more likely to
be veracious than he would be if he were threatened with imprisonment in
this life and hell-fire in the next.

Why Christians should cling to this relic of barbarity it is difficult
to conceive. Their Savior plainly commanded them to "Swear not at all,"
and the early Church obeyed this injunction until it rose to power under
Constantine. It is also a striking fact that the apostle Peter, when he
disobeyed his Master, and took an oath, used it to confirm a palpable
lie. When the damsel charged him in court with having been a follower
of Jesus, he "Denied it with an oath." "You were one of them," said the
damsel. "I wasn't," said Peter. "You _were_ with him," she rejoined.
Whereupon Peter exclaimed "S'w'elp me God, I never knew him." Surely if
self-interest made Peter commit flat perjury in the bodily presence
of his Savior, it is idle to assert that the oath in any way promotes
veracity.

INFIDEL HOMES. *

* _The Influence of Scepticism on Character_. Being the
sixteenth Fernley Lecture. By the Rev. William L.
Watkinson. London: T. Woolmer.

John Wesley was a man of considerable force of mind and singular
strength of character. But he was very unfortunate, to say the least of
it, in his relations with women. His marriage was a deplorable misunion,
and his latest biographer, who aims at presenting a faithful picture of
the founder of Wesleyanism, has to dwell very largely on his domestic
miseries. Wesley held patriarchal views on household matters, the proper
subordination of the wife being a prime article of his faith. Mrs.
Wesley, however, entertained different views. She is therefore described
as a frightful shrew, and rated for her inordinate jealousy, although
her husband's attentions to other ladies certainly gave her many
provocations.

In face of these facts, it might naturally be thought that Wesleyans
would say as little as possible about the domestic infelicities of
Freethinkers. But Mr. Watkinson is not to be restrained by any such
consideration. Although a Wesleyan (as we understand) he challenges
comparisons on this point. He has read the biographies and
autobiographies of several "leading Freethinkers," and he invites the
world to witness how selfish and sensual they were in their domestic
relatio