ADVERTISEMENT.

HE pleasure Dean Swift's Works

THE have already afforded will be a

fufficient apology for communicating to the Reader, though fomewhat out of feafon, thefe Additional Volumes; who will be lefs difpleafed, that they have been fo long fuppreffed, than thankful that they are now at laft publifhed. We have no occafion to apo-, logize for the Pieces themselves; for as they have all the internal marks of genuineness, fo, by their further opening the author's private correfpondence, they difplay the goodnets of his heart, no less than the neverceafing fallies of his wit. His anfwer to The Rights of the Chriftian church is a remarkable inftance of both; which, though unfinished, and but the flight prolufions of his ftrength, fhew how fincere, how able a champion he was of religion and the church. VOL. XIII. B

So

So foon as these were printed in Dublin, in a new edition of the Dean's works, it was a juftice due to them to select them thence, to complete the London edition. Like the author, though they owe their birth to Ireland, they will feel their maturity in England; and each nation will contend which fhall receive them with greater ardour.

We have added, in the laft Volume, an Index to ALL the WORKS; wherein we have ranged the bons mots fcattered throughout them under the article SWIFTIANA, by which their brightness is collected, as it were, into a focus, and they are placed in fuch open day, that they are fecured, for the future, from the petty larceny of meaner wits.

A SER

SER M Ο N

ON

FALSE WITNESS.

EXODUS XX. 16.

Thou shalt not bear falfe Witness against thy Neighbour.

N thofe great changes that are made in a country, by the prevailing of one party,

the prince, and those who are in authority. under him, should use all just and proper methods for preventing any mischief to the public from feditious men. And Governors do well, when they encourage any good fub-, ject to discover (as his duty obligeth him). whatever plots or confpiracies may be any. way dangerous to the, state: Neither are they to be blamed, even when they receive infor mations from bad men, in order to find out the truth, when it concerns the public welfare. Every one indeed is naturally inclined to have an ill opinion of an informer; although it is not impoffible, but an honest man may be called by that name. For whoever knoweth any thing, the telling of which would

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would prevent fome great evil to his prince, his country, or his neighbour, is bound in confcience to reveal it. But the mischief is, that when parties are violently enflamed, which feemeth unfortunately to be our cafe at prefent, there is never wanting a fett of evil inftruments, who, either out of mad zeal, private hatred, or filthy lucre, are always ready to offer their fervice to the prevailing fide, and become accufers of their brethren without any regard to truth or charity. Holy David numbers this among the chief of his fufferings; Falfe Witnesses are rifen up against me, and fuch as breath out Cruelty [a]. Our Saviour and his apoftles did likewife undergo the fame diftrefs, as we read both in the Gofpels and the Acts.

Now because the fin of falfe witneffing is fo horrible and dangerous in itself, and fo odious to God and man: And because the bitterness of too many among us is rifen to fuch a height, that it is not eafy to know where it will stop, or how far fome weak and wicked minds may be carried by a mistaken zeal, a malicious temper, or hope of reward, to break this great commandment delivered in the text: Therefore, in order to prevent this evil, and the confequences of it, at least among you who are my hearers, I shall, I. FIRST, Shew you feveral ways by which a man may be called a falfe witness against his neighbour.

[a] Pfal. xxvii. 12.

II. SECOND