Dodd's Church History of England from the Commencement of the Sixteenth Century to the Revolution in 1688 (Volume 3) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1841 edition. Excerpt: ...The oath was in this form: --"I, N. N., do here, before God, his holy angels and saints, attest from henceforth to do my uttermost endeavour, by all lawful means, to restore the catholic faith again in our country, to conserve the life of our sovereign in safety, and to preserve the laws of our land against all or any whomsoever shall impugn them," &c; and hereupon took an oath of secrecy 1 1 In his examination of August 18, Watson gives the oath at length, together with some comments, which, as well as the oath, I will here subjoin: --" The oath," he say, " was thus, as I remember: --"' I, N. N., do here, before God, our blessed Iuly, and all the holy angels and saints, attest, in the faith of a catholic christian man, that froiu henceforth To comfort as well the first rank for giving their voices, as the second for attempting the action, and to make them forward in it, I used many persuasions; yet all to move them with a more dutiful love, and greater loyalty to his majesty;--as, that I doubted not but he would like well of such a course, being of himself a most mild, merciful, just, and prudent a prince, as was most willing to grant us toleration of religion, and to show us any other lawful favour, but was withdrawn by evil counsel about him from putting it in execution; and therefore would like well to be thus taken from them, to grant our request; which to make them assured of, I told some I would procure that his majesty should be privy to it. I affirmed also, to make them more forward, that divers of the nobility were, and should be, made acquainted with it, as most willing to further so good a cause, especially upon a general grudge they had against the Scots, to see all offices and places of preferment given unto them, and...