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CORONATION OATH.

1 W. & M. c. 6.

THE ARCHBISHOP or BISHOP shall say,

"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern "the people of this Kingdom of England, and the do"minions thereto belonging, according to the Statutes "in Parliament agreed on, and the Laws and Customs "of the same?”

THE KING and QUEEN shall say,

"I solemnly promise so to do."

ARCHBISHOP or BISHOP.

"Will you to your power cause Law and Justice "in Mercy to be executed in all your Judgments?" KING and QUEEN.

"I will."

ARCHBISHOP or BISHOP.

"Will you to the utmost of your power maintain "the Laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel " and the Protestant Reformed Religion established by "Law? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and "Clergy of this Realm, and to the Churches committed "to their charge, all such Rights and Privileges as by "Law do or shall appertain unto them, or any of them?" KING and QUEEN.

"All this I promise to do."

After this, the King and Queen, laying his and her Hand upon the Holy Gospels, shall say,

KING and QUEEN.

"The things which I have herebefore promised, I " will perform and keep. So help me God."

LETTERS

FROM HIS LATE MAJESTY TO THE LATE LORD KENYON, ON THE CORONATION OATH, WITH HIS LORDSHIP'S ANSWERS.

No. 1. TO THE LORD KENYON.

QUEEN'S HOUSE, March 7th, 1795.

THE question that has been so improperly patronized by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in favour of the Papists, though certainly very properly silenced here, yet it seems not to have been viewed in what seems to me the strongest point of view, its militating against the Coronation Oath and many existing Statutes. I have therefore stated the accompanying Queries on paper, to which I desire the Lord Kenyon will after due consideration state his opinion in the same manner, and should be glad if he would also acquire the sentiments of the Attorney General on this most serious subject.

GEORG. R.

No. 2. The QUERIES referred to in No. 1.

(Written by the King's Hand.)

The following Queries on the present attempt to abolish all distinctions in religion in Ireland, with the intention of favouring the Roman Catholics in that Kingdom, are stated from the desire of learning whether this can be done, without affecting the Constitution of this Country; if not, there is no occasion to view whether this measure in itself be not highly improper.

The only laws which now affect the Papists in Ireland are the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, the Test Act, and the Bill of Rights. It seems to require very serious investigation how far the King can give His assent to a Repeal of any one of those Acts, without a breach of his Coronation Oath, and of the Articles of Union with Scotland.

The construction put on the Coronation Oath by the Parliament at the Revolution seems strongly marked in the Journals of the House

of Commons, when the Clause was proposed, by way of Rider to the Bill establishing the Coronation Oath, declaring that nothing con

28 March, 1689.-Cns. Jls.*

* The Extract from the Commons' Journals, alluded to by His Majesty.

Coronation

Oath.

Jovis, 28° die Marti. 1° Willielmi et Mariæ. (A. D. 1689.)

The Bill for establishing the Coronation Oath was read the Third time.

A Proviso, ingrossed, was offered, as a Rider, to be made part of the Bill, which was read the First time; and is as follows:

"Provided always, and be it hereby declared, that no Clause in this Act shall be understood so to bind the Kings and Queens of this Realm, as to prevent their giving their Royal Assent to any Bill which shall, at any time, be offered by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, for the taking away or altering any Form or Ceremony in the Established Church, so as the Doctrines of the said Church, a publick Liturgy, and the Episcopal Government of it, be preserved."

A Debate arose thereupon.

The Debate upon the Proviso, offered to be made part of the Bill for establishing the Coronation Oath, was resumed.

And the Question being put, That the Proviso be read a Second Time:

It passed in the negative.

Resolved, That the Bill do pass and that the Title be, " An Act for establishing the Coronation Oath."

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