Page:A Letter from a Person of Quality, to His Friend in the Country (1675).pdf/37

 This Oath was offerd upon the occasion of swearing Members of Parliament, and upon this score only, that if any new Oath was thought fit (which that Noble Lord declared his own Judgment perfectly against) this certainly was (all considera­tions, and circumstances taken in) most necessary to be a part, and the nature of it was not so strange if they considerd the Judges Oath, which was not much different from this. To this the Lord Keeper seemed very averse, and declared in a very fine Speech, that it was an Useless Oath; for all Gifts, Places, and Offices, were likelyest to come from the King, and no Member of Parliament in either House, could do too much for the King, or be too much of His side, and that Men might lawfully, and worthily, have in their Prospect, such Of­fices, or Benefits from Him. With this the Lords against the Bill, were in no tearms satisfied, but plainly spoke out that Men had been, might, and were likely to be, in either House, too much for the King, as they call'd it, and that whoever did endeavour to give more power to the King, then the Law and constitution of the Government had given, espe­cially if it tended to the Introducing an Absolute and Arbi­trary Government might justly be said to do too much for the King, and to be corrupted in his judgment by the prospect of advantages, and rewards; Though, when it is considered that every deviation of the Crown towards Absolute power, les­sens the King in the love, and affection of his People, make­ing Him become less their Interest, A wise Prince will not think it a Service done Him.

And now remains only the last part of the Bill, which is the the penalty different according to the quallifications of the Per­sons All that are, or shall be Privy Counsellors, Justices of the Peace, or possessors of any beneficial Office, Ecclesiastical, Ci­vill, or Military, are to take the Oath when summoned, upon pain of 500l. and being made uncapable of bearing Office, the Members of both Houses are not made uncapable, but lyable to the penalty of 500l. if they take it not. Upon all which the considerations of the Debate were, That those Officers, and Rh