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Qath of supre

macy.

1W. & M. st.1.

c. 8. Eng.

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"James the third, or of Scotland, by the name of James
"the eighth, or the stile and title of king of Great Bri-
tain, hath any right or title whatsoever to the crown
"of this realm, or any other the dominions thereunto
"belonging and I do renounce, refuse, and abjure,
"any allegiance or obedience to any of them. And I
"do swear, that I will bear faith and true allegiance to
"his majesty king George, and him will defend to the
"utmost of my power, against all traitorous conspiracies
"and attempts whatsoever, which shall be made against
"his person, crown, or dignity. And I will do my ut-
"most endeavour to disclose and make known to his ma-
'jesty, and his successors, all treasons and traitorous
"conspiracies, which I shall know to be against him, or
"any of them. And I do faithfully promise to the ut-
"most of my power, to support, maintain, and defend
"the succession of the crown, against the descendants of
"the said James, and against all other persons what-

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soever, which succession, by an act, intitled, "An act "for the further limitation of the crown, and better se"curing the rights and liberties of the subject," is and "stands limited to the princess Sophia, electress and "duchess dowager of Hanover, and the heirs of her body being protestants. And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear, according to these express words by me spoken, and accord"ing to the plain common sense and understanding of "the same words, without any equivocation, mental ❝evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever. And I do "make this recognition, acknowledgment, abjuration, "renunciation, and promise, heartily, willingly, and "truly, upon the true faith of a christian."

The oath of supremacy, which was first appointed to be taken in the reign of Henry VIII. and afterwards modified in the reign of Elizabeth, was finally settled by the 1 W. & M. st. 1. c. 8. Eng. according to its present form, viz. "I, A. B. do swear, that I do "from my heart abhor, detest, and abjure, as impious "and heretical, that damnable doctrine and position, "that princes excommunicated or deprived by the pope,

For any authority of the see of Rome, may be deposed "or murdered by their subjects, or any other, what"soever. And I do declare that no foreign prince, per"son, prelate, state, or potentate, hath or ought to have "any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence, or "authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm. "So help me God.”

to be taken.

1 Geo. 1. st. 2.

c. 13. Eng.

2 Geo. 2. c. 31.

9 Geo. 2. c. 26.

Eug.

By the 1 Geo. 1. st. 2. c. 13. Eng. as amended by the Oaths, by whom 2 Geo. 2. c. 31. Eng. 9 Geo. 2. c. 26. Eng. and 6 Geo. 3. c. 53. Eng. every person that shall bear any office, civil or military, or shall receive any pay, salary, fee, or wages, Eng. by patent or grant from his majesty; or shall have any Eng command or place of trust under his majesty, or by his 6 Geo. 3. c. 53. authority, in Great Britain, or in the navy, or in Jersey or Guernsey, or shall be of the household, or in the service or employment of his majesty; and all ecclesiastical persons, heads and other members of colleges and halls in any university that are of the foundation, or enjoy any exhibition, being of the age of 18 years; and all persons teaching or reading to pupils, and all schoolmasters and ushers, and preachers and teachers of separate congregations; all constables, and every serjeant at law, counsellor at law, barrister, advocate, attorney, solicitor, (writer in Scotland) proctor, clerk or notary, practising in any court, shall take the oaths of allegiance, abjuration and supremacy, in Ch. K. B. C. B. or Exc, at Westminster, or at the quarter sessions of the county,

&c. where such person shall be or reside, at any time when and where within 6 calendar months after he shall be admitted into, or enter upon any such preferment, &c. or come into such capacity, or take upon him such practice, &c. and every person taking the same shall subscribe his name, or if he cannot write make his mark, and during the time of taking said oaths, all pleas and proceedings shall cease. But persons beyond the seas may, by the 9Geo.2. c.26. s.4. Eng. take and subscribe said 9 Geo. 2. c. 26. oaths, within 6 calendar months after their return to or arrival in England. The 1 Geo. 1. st. 2. c. 13. Eng. the seas. is declared (by s. 20.) not to extend to the office tithingman, headborough, overseer of the poor,

U 2

By the 9 Geo. 2. c. 26. Eng.

s. 4. Eng. Persons beyond

of 1 Gen. 1. st. 2.

church

c. 13. s. 20. Eng. Inferior offices

warden, excepted.

s. 18.

ritance.

$.9.

warden, surveyor of the highways, or any like inferior civil office; or to the office of forester, or keeper of any park, chase, warren, or game, or bailiff of any manor or lands, nor to any such private offices. And by s. 18. Offices of inhe- Offices of inheritance are also excepted, in case a deputy shall be substituted, who shall take the oaths prescribed by this act, and also qualify himself according to the 25 Car. 2. c. 2. (vide post) and so as such deputy shall be approved of by the king under his privy signet. By s. 9. the proper officer shall have of every person taking and subscribing said oaths, 2s.; and a register of the names of all persons who shall take, &c. said oaths, is thereby required to be kept in a book, and of the time when they took &c. the same, to which any person may resort but by s. 31. no seaman or soldier, under the degree of a commission or warrant officer, shall pay any fee on taking the oaths. And by s. 7. all persons that shall neglect or refuse to take said oaths and subscribe thereto, Offices void for shall be incapable to enjoy such offices, &c. or any profit appertaining to them, and every such office, &c. shall be void but by s. 14. any person who shall so lose or forfeit any office, shall be capable of a new grant of such office, or of any other, upon taking and subscribing said oaths, so as such office be not granted or enjoyed by some person at the time of regranting thereof.

s. 31.

s. 7.

neglect, &c. to

take oaths.

s. 14.

Declaration

stantiation.

Eng.

Eng.

of

By the 25 Car. 2. c. 2. Eng. as amended by the 9 against transub- Geo. 2. c. 26. Eng. every person that shall be admitted 25 Car. 2. c. 2. into any office, civil or military, or receive any pay, sa3 Geo. 2. c. 26. lary, fee or wages, by reason of any patent or grant his majesty, or have any command or place of trust, under or by authority of the king, in England, Wales, or Berwick upon Tweed, or in the navy, or in Jersey or Guernsey, or be in any service or employment in his majesty's household or family, and reside within the cities of London or Westminster, or within 30 miles of the same, shall make and subscribe the following declaration against transubstantiation, viz. "I, A. B. do de"clare, that I do believe that there is not any transub❝stantiation in the sacrament of the Lord's supper, or "in the elements of bread and wine, at or after the con"secration

s. 3. Eng.

s. 3. Eng.

s. 10.

"secration thereof by any person whatsoever;" which declaration is to be made at the same places and times as above limited by the 9 Geo. 2. c. 26. for taking and subscribing the oaths of allegiance, abjuration, and supremacy. And by the 25 Car. 2. c. 2. s. 2. as amended by the 16 Geo. 2. c. 30. s. 3. Eng. the several persons above 16 Geo. 2. c.30. enumerated, (except those of the household, &c.) are further required to receive the sacrament of the Lord's Sacrament to be supper according to the usage of the church of England, received. within 6 months after their admittance in, or receiving any such authority or employment, in some public church, upon some Sunday immediately after divine service and sermon. And by the 25 Car. 2. c. 2. s. 3. 25 Car. 2. c. 2. Eng. every of the said persons in the respective court where he takes the said oaths, shall first deliver a certificate of his receiving the sacrament, under the hands of the respective minister and churchwarden, and shall then make proof of the truth thereof by 2 witnesses upon oath, which shall be put upon record in the respective courts and by s. 10. the like register shall be kept of the making and subscribing the declaration against transubstantiation. By s. 4. every person that shall neglect or refuse to take the sacrament, &c. shall be disabled to have or enjoy any of said offices or employ- neglect, &c. ments, or any profit appertaining thereto, and every such office shall be void: but by s. 14. such person shall be capable of a new grant of such office or any other, upon taking the sacrament, &c. as required by this act, so as such office be not granted to and actually enjoyed by some other person at the time of regranting thereof. This act is declared (by s. 11.) not to extend to offices of inheritance, so as the person enjoying any such office shall appoint a sufficient deputy, who should take the oaths, receive the sacrament, and subscribe the said declaration, in manner as officers are by this act appointed to do, and so as such deputies shall be approved of by the king under his privy signet. This act contains the same exception (s. 17.) as to inferior civil offices and private offices as the 1 Geo. 1. st. 2. c. 13. supra; but includes also high and petty constables: and

S. 4..

Offices void for

s. 14.

s. Pl.

Exceptions.

s. 17.

by

s. 15.

Qualification for offices in Ireland.

2 Ann.c. 6. s. 17. . Jr.

* Ante page 140.

Ir.

by s. 15. non-commission officers in the navy, are excepted, provided they shall only subscribe the declaration against transubstantiation as above required.

By the 2 Ann. c. 6. s. 17. Ir. every person that shall be admitted, &c. into any office, civil or military, or that shall receive any pay, salary, fee or wages, belònging to or by reason of any office or place of trust, by patent or grant from the crown, or have command or place of trust from or under or by authority of the crown, is required to take and subscribe the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, (prescribed for Ireland by the 3 W. & M. c. 2. Eng.) and the oath of abjuration, (contained in the 1 Ann. st. 1. c. 22. Eng.) and to make, repeat, and subscribe the declaration against transubstantiation, the invocation of saints, and the sacrifice of the mass,* (also appointed to be made by the said statute 3 W. & M. c. 2. Eng.) which oaths and declaration such persons are required to take, make and subscribe, or put their marks to, in Ch. K. B. C. B. or Exc. in the next term, or at the next quarter sessions for the county, &c. where he shall reside, after his admittance into

1 Geo.2.c.2.s. 3. such office, (or by the 1 Geo. 2. c. 2. s. 3. Ir. in the same term or sessions) between the hours of 9 and 12 in the forenoon, during which time all proceedings shall cease: and every person so to be admitted as aforesaid, shall also receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper according to the usage of the church of Ireland, within 3 months after such admittance, &c. in some public church, upon some Sunday immediately after divine ervice and sermon; and every such person is also required previous to taking such oaths to deliver a certificate of his receiving the sacrament, under the hands of the minister and churchwardens, and make proof of the truth thereof by 2 witnesses upon oath; all which shall be inquired of and put upon record in the respective courts. And by s. 19. the names of the persons taking said oaths, &c. are required to be inrolled with

8. 19.

Names of per

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ses taking oth, the day and year of their taking, &c. the same, in rolls to be kept for that purpose, the fee for which entry, or taking the oaths, is thereby limited to 6d. This act also contains proisvions

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