" AND I do folemnly, in the prefence of God, "and of his only Son Jefus Chrift my Re"deemer, profefs, teftify, and declare, that I "do make this declaration, and every part "thereof, in the plain and ordinary fense of "the words of this oath, without any evasion, "equivocation, or mental refervation, what

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ever; and without any difpenfation already

granted by the pope, or any authority of "the fee of Rome, or any perfon whatever; "and without thinking I am or can be ac

quitted before God or man, or abfolved of "this declaration, or any part thereof, al

though the pope, or any other person or perfons, or any authority whatfoever, shall difpence with, or annul the fame, or de"clare that it was null and void from the beginning."

This last paragraph excludes amphibologies, evafions, equivocations, and mental refervations everfive of natural candour and Chriftian fincerity,-branded by the paftors of the church with the odious qualifications of "rafh, fcan"dalous, pernicious, erroneous, opening the way to lies, frauds, perjury, and contrary to "fcripture," as may be feen in the catalogue of relaxed

relaxed propofitions condemned by pope Innocent XI. and the clergy of France*, and detefted by the very heathens:

"Ille mihi invifus pariter cum faucibus Orci, "Cujus mens aliud condit quam lingua pro "fatur."

Upon these principles, the Catholics have taken the oath and on thefe principles, it can be fafely taken. It propofes nothing to their abhorrence and deteftation, but what they really abhor and deteft: it requires no promise but what is juft and lawful.

But as the oath is complicate, and perplexed with a variety of phrases, as it minces even a fyllable, and that the letter feems to clash with the fpirit,it is not surprising if many objections have been started against it.

Objections from the Hibernian Journal:

Firft: "In fwearing to fupport the fuccef"fion of the crown in his majefty's family, I "bind myself to that which there is a poffibility | a loyal fubject to the conftitution might not "have in his power to perform."

Answer. You are not bound to impoffibilities; neither does the oath require it, whereas it expreffes," to the utmost of my power."

* Propofitio 27, inter condemnatas ab Innoc. XI.

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Secondly: "I am bound to take the oath in "the plain and ordinary fenfe of the words: confequently, though untrained to arms, and "unskilled in military difcipline, I must run to "the field of battle, in cafe of invafion or re"bellion otherwife, I do not exert myself to "the utmost of my power."

Answer. You ferve your king to "the ut"most of your power," by remaining at home. You would only caufe diforder: and an army in disorder flies to the flaughter-house, not to victory: "Non ad victoriam, fed ad lani"enam." The magiftrate fupports his king, "to the utmost of his power," in maintaining the public peace: the furgeon, in dreffing the foldiers wounds: the clergyman, in preaching loyalty and fubordination, regularity and good morals, fraternal love and mutual benevolence. The king requires no more: and, as you write a great deal, under the fignature of "An old "Derryman," all his majesty expects from one of your age, is-to light the fire, and to be hofpitable, when his foldiers are quartered on you.

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Thirdly" In fwearing that I cannot be ab"folved of this allegiance, by any authoritỷ whatfoever, I deny the fupremacy of the lords "and commons.” Answer..

Vegetius de re Militari.

Answer. Your objection is grounded on error. The fupreme power of the ftate is vefted in the parliament, compofed of king, lords, and commons.*

Fourthly: "What happened once may happen again. If the king attempts to overturn "the conftitution, I muft help him, if I pay any regard to my oath, and thus betray my

country: or perjure myself, if I refuse af"fiftance."

Answer. Left "what hath happened once,' may happen again," say with the royal prophet, "Domine falvum fac regem,' ""God "fave the king!" However, to allay your anxieties, remember that fubjects do not swear to kings, as robbers or pirates fwear to their leaders. You are not bound to help a king in his attempts against the laws of God and nature, when you have clear evidence that his attempts tend to the fubverfion of both; neither doth the teft require, whereas, " true allegi"ance" is exprefly mentioned. But in a doubt you are bound to obey; because in a doubt concerning the rectitude of their intentions, or the juftice of their caufe, prefumption is in favour of your fuperiors.

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Blackftone's Comment. B. 1. Ch. 2. p. 147.

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What a kingdom! If all the inhabitants were astronomers, metaphyficians, and cafuifts, who would neither obey nor promise to be loyal to their fovereigns, until they would have read in the ftars the fate of the conftitution, and explored the remote regions of metaphyfics in fearch of the effential and demonftrative relations of unalterable truth to Magna Charta; Gulliver's floating island would be the fittest kingdom for fuch aërial inhabitants.

Further: If the remote and possible danger of the constitution's overthrow, or the fubverfion of the fundamental laws of any realm, were a fufficient objection against oaths of allegiance, either all the diftinguished fubjects of the world are perjured, or no king is entitled to their allegiance. For in fwearing to their respective fovereigns, I do not believe that British peers, French nobles, or Spanish grandees, with all the delicacy of honour, Catholic or Proteftant bishops, with all their divinity, ufe the following form of words: "I will bear alle"giance to your majefty, if you behave as an "honeft man, and do not overturn the con"ftitution,"

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Before the royal head is encircled with the diadem, the monarch obtefts the awful name of the Divinity, and fwears that he will govern his fubjects