tficate of their having received the facrament, nor to make or subscribe the declaration against transubstantiation. But they are to take the oaths in like manner as civil officers, by the 1 G. ft. 2. c. 13. which enacteth as follows:

Every perfon who shall be admitted into any office civil or military; or fhall receive any pay by reafon of any patent or grant from the king; or fhall have any command or place of truft in England, or in the navy; or fhall have any fervice or employment in the king's houfhold; all ecclefiaftical perfons; heads and members of colleges, being of the foundation, or having any exhibition, of eighteen years of age; and all perfons teaching pupils ; fchoolmafters and ushers; preachers and teachers of feparate congregations,-shall (within fix kalendar months after fuch admiffion, 9 G. 2. c. 26. S. 3.) take and fubfcribe the oaths of allegiance, fupremacy, and abjuration, in one of the courts at Westminster, or at the general or quarter feffions. . 2. And this to be between the hours of nine and twelve in the forenoon, and no other. 25C. 2. f. 2.

But this not to extend to churchwardens, nor to any like inferior civil office. 1 G. ft. 2. c. 13. S. 20.

And every perfon making default herein, fhall be incapable to hold his office: and if he fhall execute his office, after the time expired, he fhall, upon conviction, be difabled to fue in any action, or to be guardian, or executor, or adminiftrator, or capable of any legacy or deed of gift, or to bear any office, or to vote at any election for members of parliament, and fhall forfeit 500l. to him who shall fue. 1 G. f. 2. c. 13. f. 8.

But generally there is an indemnifying claufe in fome act of parliament every two or three years, on condition that the perfons qualify within the time therein prefcribed.

And perfons forfeiting their office may take a new grant thereof, on their taking the oaths, and conform. ing; provided it was not filled up before. 1 G. A. 2. c. 13. /. 14.

In the univerfities; where perfons fhall not take the oaths, or fhall not produce a certificate thereof, to be registred in their proper college, and others be not elected in their places within twelve months, the king fhall appoint and nominate. I G. ft. 2. c. 13. S. 12, 20. The

13.

Forms thereof.

20. The oath of allegiance by the 1 G. A. 2. c. 13. is

this:

14. B. do fincerely promise and swear, that I will be faithful, and bear true allegiance to his majefly king George z So help me God.

The oath of fupremacy by the same statute.

1 A. B. do fwear, that I do from my heart abbor, deteft, and abjure; as impious and heretical, that damnable doctrine and pofition, that princes excommunicated or deprived by the pope, or any authority of the fee of Rome, may be depofed or murdered by their subjects, or any other whatsoever. And I do declares that no foreign prince, perfon, prelate, ftate, or -potentate, hath or ought to have any jurifdiction, power, fupe riority, pre-eminence, or authority, ecclefiaftical or spiritual, within this realm: So help me God.

The oath of abjuration by the 6 G. 3. c. 53.

IA. B. do truly and fincerely acknowledge, profefs, teftify and declare in my confcience, before God and the world, that our fovereign lord king George is lawful and rightful king of this realm, and all other his majesty's dominions thereunto belonging. And I do folemnly and fincerely declare, that I do believe in my confcience, that not any of the defcendants of the perfon who pretended to be prince of Wales during the life of the late king James the fecond, and fince his decease pretended to be, and took upon himself the file and title of king of England, by the name of James the third, or of Scotland, by the name of James the eighth, or the file and title of king of Great Britain, hath any right or title whatsoever to the crown of this realm, or any ether the dominions thereunto belonging: And I do renounce, refufe, and abjure any allegiance or obedience to any of them. And I do fwear, that I will bear faith and true allegiance to his majefty king George, and him will defend, to the utmost of my power, against all traiterous confpiracies and attempts whatfoever, which shall be made against his perfon,, crown, or dignity. And I will do my utmost endeavour, to disclose and make known, to bis majesty and his fucceffors, all treafons and traiterous confpiracies, which I fhall know to be against him or any of them. And I do faithfully promife, to the utmost of my power, to support, maintain, and defend the fucceffion of the crown against the defcendants of the faid James, and against all other perfons whatsoever; which fucceffion, by an act, intituled, An act for the further limitation of the crown, and better fecuring the rights and, liberties of the fubject, is and fands limited to the princess Sophia, electress and duchess dow ager of Hanover, and the heirs of her body, being proteftants.

And all these things I do plainly and fincerely acknowledge and fwear, according to thefe exprefs words by me fpoken, and according to the plain and common fenfe and understanding of the fame words, without any equivocation, mental evafion, or fecret refervation whatsoever. And I do make this recognition, acknowledgment, abjuration, venunciation, and promife, heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the true faith of a christian: So belp me God.

The declaration against transubstantiation, by the 25 C. 2. c. 2. is this:

I A. B. do declare, that I do believe, that there is not ang tranfubftantiation in the facrament of the Lord's fupper, or in the elements of bread and wine, at or after the confecration thereof by any person whatsoever.

The declaration against popery, by the 30 C. 2. f. 2. c. 1. is as follows:

1 A. B. do folemnly and fincerely, in the prefence of God, profefs, teflify, and declare, that I do believe, that in the facrament of the Lord's fupper there is not any transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Chrift, at or after the confecration thereof by any perfon whatfarver: And that the invocation, or adoration of the virgin Mary, or any other faint, and the facrifice of the mass, as they are now used in the church of Rome, are fuperftitious and idolatrous: And I do folemnly in the prefence of God profefs, testify, and declare, that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary fenfe of the words read unto me, as they are commonly understood by English proteftants, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatfoever, and without any difpenfation already granted me for this purpose by the pope, or any other authority or perfon whatsoever, or without any hope of any fuch difpenfation from any perfon or authority whatsoever, or without thinking that I am or can be acquitted before God or man, or abfolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, altho' the pope, or any other perfon or perfons, or power whatfever, shall difpenfe with or annul the fame, or declare that it was null and void from the begin ning.

Or without any hope of difpenfation, or without thinking that I am or can be acquitted, &c.] By this disjunctive [or] here twice occurring, this declaration feemeth to be rendred fomewhat loofe and unconnected, and leaveth scope for equivocation. The word [and] feemeth to have been intended, and would render the declaration more compac.

VOL. III.

*C

[20 B.

18

Declaration and oath of catholicks.

Declaration.

Oath.

[20 B. By the 31 G. 3. c. 32. Catholicks who fhall take and fubfcribe the following declaration and oath, in any of his majesty's courts at Westminster, or any court of general quarter feffions, between the hours of nine in the morning and two in the afternoon, are relieved from divers penalties and difabilities. See Popery pasfim.

1 A. B. do declare, that I do profefs the Roman catholick religion.

I A. B. do fincerely promise and fwear, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his majefly king George the third; and him will defend to the utmost of my power against all confpiracies and attempts whatever that shall be made against his perfon, crown, or dignity; and I will do my utmost endeavour to difclofe and make known to his majefly, his heirs and fucceffors, all treafons and traiterous confpiracies which may be formed against him or them: And I do faithfully promife to maintain, fupport, and defend, to the utmost of my power, the fucceffion of the crown; which fucceffion, by an act intituled, An act for the further limitation of the crown, and better fecuring the rights and liberties of the fubject, is and fands limited to the princess Sophia, ele&refs and dutchefs dowager of Hanover, and the heirs of her body, being proteftants; hereby utterly renouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance unto any other perfon claiming or pretending a right to the crown of these realms: And I do fwear, that I do reject and deteft, as an unchriftian and impious pofition, that it is lawful to murder or destroy any person or perfons whatsoever, for or under pretence of their being bereticks or infidels; and also that unchriflian and impious principle that faith is not to be kept with hereticks or infidels: And I further declare, that it is not an article of my faith, and that I do renounce, reject, and abjure the opinion, that princes excommunicated by the pope and council, or any authority of the fee of Rome, or by any authority whatsoever, may be depofed or murdered by their subjects, or any per fon whatsoever. And I do promife, that I will not hold, maintain, or abet any fuch opinion, or any other opinions, contrary to what is expreffed in this declaration: And I do declare, that I do not believe that the pope of Rome, or any other foreign prince, prelate, fate, or potentate, hath or ought to have, any temporal or civil jurifdiction, power, fuperiority, or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, within this realm. And I do falemnly, in the prefence of God, profefs, teftify, and declare, that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary

ordinary fenfe of the words of this oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental refervation whatever, and without any difpenfation already granted by the pope, or any awhority of the fee of Rame, or any perfon whatever; and without thinking that I am or can be acquitted before God or man, or abfolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the pope, or any other perfon or authority whatsoever, fhall difpenfe with or annul the fame, or declare that it was null or void. "So belp me God.]

:

21. By the 8 G. c. 6. The quakers folemn affirmation, Forme of quainftead of an oath, is this:

1 A. B. do folemnly, fincerely, and truly declare and affirm. By the fame act, inftead of the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy, quakers fhall be allowed to make the following declaration of fidelity:

1 A. B. do folemnly and fincerely promife and declare, that I will be true and faithful to king George; ond do filemnly, fincerely, and truly profefs, testify, and declare, that I do from my heart abbor, deteft, and renounce, as impious and heretical, that wicked doctrine and pofition, that princes excommunicated or de prived by the pope, or any authority of the fee of Rome, may be depofed or murdered by their fubjects, or any other whatsoever. And I do declare that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or petentate, hath or ought to have, any power, jurifdi&tion, superiority, prebeminence, or authority, ecclefiaftical or spiritual, within this realm.

And by the fame act, they were allowed to take the effect of the abjuration oath, in thefe words :

A. B. do folemnly, fincerely, and truly acknowledge, profefs, teftify, and declare, that king George is lawful and rightful king of this realm, and of all other his dominions and countries thereunto belonging, and I do folemnly and fincerely declare, that I do believe the perfon pretended to be the prince of Wales, during the life of the late king James, and fince his deceafe, pretending to be, and taking upon himself the file and title of king of England, by the name of James the third, or of Scotland, by the name of James the eighth, or the file and title of king of Great Britain, hath not any right or title whatever to the crown of this realm, nor any other the dominions thereunto belonging; and I do renounce and refuse any allegiance or obedience to him. And I de folemnly promife, that I will be true and faithful, and bear true allegiance to king George, and to bim will be faithful against all traiterous confpiracies and attempts whatsoever, which shall be made against his perfon, crown, or dignity. And I will do my best endeavour to disclofe and make known to king George, and bis fucceffors, all treafons and

C 2

kers affirmation and declarations.