superiority, pre-eminence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within his majesty's said realms, dominions, and countries.

II. That the Book of Common Prayer, and of ordering of bishops, priests, and deacons, containeth in it nothing contrary to the word of God, and that it may lawfully so be used; and that he himself will use the form in the said book prescribed, in public prayer, and administration of the sacraments, and none other. III. That he alloweth the Book of Articles of Religion agreed upon by the archbishops and bishops of both provinces and the whole clergy in the convocation holden at London in the year of our Lord God one thousand five hundred sixty and two, and that he acknowledgeth all and every the articles therein contained, being in number nine and thirty, besides the ratification, to be agreeable to the word of God.

To these three articles whosoever will subscribe, he shall for the avoiding of ambiguities, subscribe in this order and form of words, setting down both his Christian and surname, viz. "I, N. N. do willingly and ex animo subscribe to these three articles above mentioned and to all things that are contained in them." And if any bishop shall ordain, admit, or license any, as is aforesaid, except he first have subscribed in manner and form as here we have appointed, he shall be suspended from giving of orders and licenses to preach, for the space of twelve months. But if either of the universities shall offend therein, we leave them to the danger of the law, and his majesty's censure.

THE PRECEDENT FOR THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

1581(?)

The Oath Tendered to Campion and Others

(Lansdowne MSS. 155, f. 87.)

I acknowledge that our soueraigne Ladie Queene Elizabeth nowe raigning in England is the true and lawfull Queene of this Realme and whilest she liveth, ought to possesse and enioy the Crowne and kingly gouernance therof, and I and all other of the nation of England are her liege subiectes, and owe and shall owe to beare to her the allegiaunce and obedience of subiectes not

withstanding any acte or sentence yt any Pope or other person Church or bodie hath done or giuen, or can doe or giue. And that the pretended excommunication, sentence or Bull of Pius the Vth declaring her Maiestie an heretique and depriued of her Crowne, and her subiectes dischardged of their allegeaunce to hir, and euery like iudgment or sentence that hath bene, shall or may be had by anie Pope or other, is and shall be false and erronious and of noe validitie toward her Maiestie or her subiectes, and that all risinges and taking of armes and persuasions thereunto against her Maiestie by the late rebbells in the North, or Saunders, and any other in Ireland, or any other her subiectes were and be unlawful and ungodlie doinges, and damnable treasons, notwithstanding any warrant, excommunication, bull, comaundement, absolution or other matter whatsoeuer had or pretended or that may be had from or by any Pope or other body or person, or any regard or pretence of any Church called Catholique or any other matter whatsoeuer.

1593

The Oath of Submission

(In the Statute of 35 Eliz. c. 1. sect. iii)

I, A. B. do humbly confess and acknowledge, That I have grievously offended God in contemning her Majesty's godly and lawful government and Authority, by absenting myself from Church, and from hearing Divine Service, contrary to the godly Laws and Statutes of this realm, and in using and frequenting disordered and unlawful Conventicles and Assemblies, under Pretence and Colour of Exercise of Religion: And I am heartily sorry for the same, and do acknowledge and testify in my Conscience, That no other Person hath or ought to have any power or Authority over her Majesty: and I do promise and protest without any Dissimulation, or any Colour or Means of any Dispensation, That from henceforth I will from Time to Time obey and perform her Majesty's Laws and Statutes, in repairing to the Church and hearing Divine Service, and do my uttermost endeavour to maintain and defend the same.

1 6 0 2 (?)

A forme of submission exhibited to her Matie of Englande by the pryestes and Catholiques of the same nation

(Petyt MSS. 54, f. 392.

Printed in The Archpriest Controversy, II, p. 246. We cannot be certain whether this and the following form precede or follow that of January 31, 1602-3.)

We English pryestes and other Catholiques of England promise, protest and sweare in the presence and handes of, etc., that we are and euer wilbe most humble subiectes and servauntes of Quene Elizabeth, our soueraigne, redye to render her al due obedience and fidelitye, and we doe and euer shal acknowledge her for our soueraigne and mystres. And we protest and sweare lykewise that we wyll houlde no Intellicence with eny prince, potentate or other estate or particuler person whatsoeuer in praeiudice of the dignitye, authoritye, or person Royal of her Matie or her estate.

1602 (?)

An oath of Allegeance thought upon by some Catholickes (Petyt MSS. 38, f. 168. Printed in Archpriest Controversy, II, p. 247.)

I, A. B. doe acknowledge in my conscience and confesse vnfeynedly that the Quenes most excellent Matie Q: Elizabeth, now in possession of the Crowne of this Realme, is the true vndowbted and lawful Quene of England and Ireland: and that accordingly all the people and subiectes of England and Ireland, of what degree or callinge so ever they be, ought and are bound by the word of God faithfully to serve, honor, and obey her Highnes, as theyr onlye true vndoubted and lawful soveraigne Quene; notwithstandinge any forayne or domesticall power, preheminence or authoritye, or any doctrine, opinion or writinge, that eyther hath allready or that shall hereafter affirme, comaund or teach the contrarye. And furthermore albeyt the B: of Rome for the tyme beinge doe or shall hereafter attempt (eyther by any bull or sentence made, given, or to be made, given or published by himselfe or in his owne name, or by force of any former bull or sentence

pretended to be allready made, given, denounced and published by any of his predecessors) to pronounce, declare or publish, or suffer to be denounced, declared or published, that her Maiestie is, or ought to be, deprived of her kingdome, and so consequently no true and lawfull Quene of England and Ireland; and that the subiectes and people of these lands, are discharged of theyr allegiance, and obedience vnto her highnes; and in like manner, although the sayd B: of Rome or any other by his apointment or authority or by the apointment or authority of any other, shall invade eyther the Realme of England or Ireland, or shall attempte by force of Armes, to overthrow the present estate of this1 kingdom, or of the religion now professed and established by her Maiesties lawes and ordinances whether it be vnder colour of the restitution of the Romish religion, or vnder what other pretence so ever it be: yet notwithstandinge I doe acknowledge myselfe bound in my conscience, to take part with her Maiestie against all such persons and theyr forces. And therfore I doe vnfeynedly professe and affirme, that I will ever be redye, with my bodye and goodes, to withstande to myne uttermost power and abilitye any such forcible and violent attemptes with the like faith and true allegiance that becometh all dutifull and faithfull subiectes of any other Christian prince to withstande any enemye that shall seeke by force of Armes, of malice and withowt iust cause, to invade or assalt any of theyr possessions, dominyons or Contreyes. And all these pointes I acknowledge, confesse, affirme, and professe, so helpe me God.

Form of Subscription Offered Bancroft by the Secular Priests

(Harleian MSS. 360, f. 30. Original, Docketed by Bancroft "This was delyvered to me by the priestes." Copy in S. P. Dom. Eliz. 287, n. 14. Two drafts of it are in Petyt MSS. 54, f. 233, and 54, f. 396. Printed in Tierney's Dodd's Church History, III, p. clxxxviii from a MS. at Stonyhurst.)

Whereas it hath pleased our dread soveraigne to take notice of the faith and loyalty of us her naturall borne subiectes, secular priestes and of her princely clemency hath given a sufficyent

1 Mr. Law reads "his" instead of "this."

earnest of some mercifull favor towardes us, being all subiect by the lawes of the Realme to death by our returne into our contry, after our taking of the order of priesthood, since the first yeare of her Majesty's raigne, and only demaundeth of us, for this intended favour, an assurance of the sayd fidelity unto her Majestys person, Crowne, estate and dignity: we whose names are underwritten in most humble wise prostrate at her Majestys feet doe acknowledge our selves infinitely bound unto her Majesty therfore, and are most willing to give such assurance, and satisfaction in this point, as any catholicke priestes can give unto theyr soveraignes.

ffirst therfore we acknowledge and confesse the Queenes Majestie to have as full authority, power and soveraignty over us, and over all the subiectes of the Realme, as any her Highnes predecessors ever had. And further we protest, that we are most willing, and redy to obey her in all cases and respectes, as farre forth, as ever Christian priestes within this Realme, or in any other Christian contry were bound by the law of god, and Christian religion to obey theyr temporall princes.

Secondly Whereas for these many yeares past diverse conspiracyes against her Majestys person and estate, and sondry forceable attemptes for invading, and conquering her dominions have been made, under (we know not what) pretences and intendments of restoring catholicke religion by the sword, (a course most strange in the world, and undertaken peculiarly and solely against her Majestie, and her kingdomes among other princes departed from the religion and obedyence of the See Apostolicke no lesse then she) by reason of which violent enterprises, her Majestie (otherwise of singular clemency towards her subiectes) hath been greatly moved to ordaine, and execute severer lawes against the catholicks (which by reason of theyr unyon with the Sea Apostolicke in faith and religion were easily supposed to favor those conspiracyes and invasions) then perhaps had ever been enacted, or thought upon, if such hostility and warres had never been undertaken: we to assure her Majestie of our faithfull loyalty also in this particular case sincerely protest and by this our publicke facte make knowen to all the Christian world, that in these cases of conspiracyes and invasions, which hereafter may be made by any forraine prince or potentate