Page:A Letter from a Person of Quality, to His Friend in the Country (1675).pdf/34

 in Church and State must that be, which I must swear upon no alteration of Time, emergencie of Affairs, nor variation of humane Things, ne­ver to endeavor to alter? Would it not be requisite that such a Government should be given by God himself, and that withall the Ce­remonie of Thunder, and Lightening, and visible appearance to the whole People, which God vouchsafed to the Chrildren of Israel at Mount Sinai? and yet you shall no where read that they were sworn to it by any oath like this: nay on the Contrary, the Princes and the Rulers, even those recorded for the best of them, did make several variations. The Lord Stafford, a Noble Man of great Honor and Candour, but who had been all along for the Bill, yet was so far convinced with the debate, that he freely declared, there ought to be an addition to the Oath, for preserving the freedom of debates in Parliament. This was strongly urged by the never to be forgotten, Earl of Bridgwater, who gave reputation, and strength to this Cause of England; as did also those worthy Earls Denbigh, Clarendon, and Aylisbury, Men of great Worth and Honor. To Salve all that was said by these, and the Other Lords, The Lord Keeper and the Bi­shops urged, that there was a Proviso, which fully preserved the Priviledges of Parliament, and upon farther enquiry there appearing no such, but only a Previous vote, as is before mention'd, they al­lowed that that Previous vote should be drawn into a Proviso, and ad­ded to the Bill, and then in their opinion the Exception to the Oath for this cause was perfectly removed; but on the other side it was offered, that a positive absolute Oath being taken, a Proviso in the Act could not dispence with it without some reference in the body of the Oath, unto that Proviso; but this also was utterly denied, un­till the next day, the debate going on upon other matters, the Lord Treasurer, whose authority easily obtained with the major Vote, re­assumed what was mentioned in the Debates of the proceeding days, and allow'd a reference to the Proviso, so that it then past in these words, I A. B. do swear that I will not endeavor to alter the Protestant Religion now by Law Establisht in the Church of England, nor the Government of this Kingdom in Church, or State, as it is now by Law established, and I do take this Oath according to the meaning of this Act and the Proviso contain'd in the same, so help me God.

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