Chap. IX. The HISTORY of t!Je Poul'ANs~ 701 to fecure to the king the allegiance of all his {ubjects at the fame time i King for this purpofe a bill was brought into the houfe of lords, entitled, an Cha6Jes II. a a to prevent the dangers wich may arifl from perfons difaifeC1ed to the go- ~, ~Jernment; by which all fuch as enjoyed any beneficial office or em- A bill in tbe I li ft• I . "J .I. 11 h d . 1 .n.• houfe oF1ards Ploymenr, ecc e Iatrica , CIVI , or m1 1tary; a w o vote 111 e euwns r. h1 . • . 1 or I at pur• of parliament men; all pnvy counfellors and members of parliament pofe. themfelves, were under a penalty to take the following oath, being the fame as was required by the five mile act : I A. B. do declare, that it is not la~oful upon any pretence whatjoever, to take up arms agair!lf the king; and that I do abhor that traiterous pqfition qf taking arms by his authority agair!lf his perfon, or agair!lf thofe that are commijjioned by him in purfoance of fuch commijjiim. And I do Jwear, that I will not at any time endeavour the alteration of the government either in church or)late. So help me God. The delign of the bill was to enable the minifl:ry to profecute their defl:ruttive fchemes, againfl: the confiitution and the proteflant rel igion, without fear of oppofition even from the parliament itfelf. The Baxter's chief fpeakers for the bill, were the lord treafurer and the lord keeper, Life,part m;. lord panby and Finch, wit.h bi!hop Morley a~d Ward;" ~ut the. earl of~·u:~Zr; , Shajtsbury, duke of Buckmgham, lord Hollzs and Hallifax, la1d open 3 s 4 • P the mifchievous deligns and confequences of it: It was confidered as dilinheriting men of their birthright, to !hut them out from their right of election by an enfnari11g oath, as well as deflructive of the privilege of parliament, which was to vote freely in all cafes without any previous obligation ; that the peace of the nation wou ld be beft fecured by making good laws; and that oaths and tefts withou t thefe, would be no real fecurity; fcrupulous men might be fettered by them, but that the bulk of mankind would boldly take any telt, and as ealily break through ir, as had appeared in the late times. The bill was committed, and debated It is dropt; paragraph by paragraph, but the heats occafioned by it were fo violent, that the king came unexpectedly to the houfe June 9, and prorogued the parliament; fo the bill was dropt; but the debates of the lords upon the intended oath being made public, were ordered to be burnt. Two pro- Gazettee, , clamations were re. publi{hed on this occalion ; one to prevent feditiou s No. 1059, difcourfes in cofTee-houfes, the other to put a flop to the publilhing fediti. ous libels. The court had reafon to defire the palling this bill, becaufe·the oath had Remark••. been already impofed upon the non·cOiiformijls; and the court clergy had been preaching in their churches, for feveral years, that pcifjive obedience and non-refiflance were the received doctrines of the church of E11gland; the bi!hops had poifeffed the king and his brother with the belief of it, and if it,had now paired into a law, the whole nation had been bound in chains, and the court might have done as they pleafed. But the parliament faw. throug\1.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=