%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The New Oath Examined, and found Guilty. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 02/29/2016 34573

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

R41049 SInce Oaths are Solemn, Serious Things, / The best Security to Kings; Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 1 The New Oath Examined, and found Guilty. The New Oath Examined, and found Guilty. The New Oath Examined, and found Guilty. ?-?

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family Featured folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 2/29/2016 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America law politics/ government religious concepts royalty servitude Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 2/29/2016 5:00:33 PM XBallad King, Joyce Created XML Version of Ballad 2/29/2016 5:00:33 PM Transcription Supervisor King, Joyce Transcription of ballad manuscript 2/29/2016 5:00:33 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Levinson-Emley, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 2/29/2016 5:00:33 PM Transcriptionist Two Bell, Erik Transcription of ballad manuscript 2/29/2016 5:00:33 PM Transcriptionist One Schrepel, Amanda Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/4/2015 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/8/2016 Checker Katie Adkison Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/30/2015 Checker Erik Bell Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/29/2014 Bibliographer Kristen McCants Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The</hi> New Oath <hi rend="italic">Examined, and found</hi> Guilty.</seg>
SInce Oaths are Solemn, Serious Things, The best Security to Kings; And since we'ave all Allegiance swore To J--- as King, or Successor; I can't imagine, how we may Swear that or Fealty away. Nought sure but Death or Resignation Can free us from that Obligation. All Oaths are vain, both those and these, If we may break 'em, as we please. And did I fairly swallow both, Who'de give a Farthing for my Oath? If you affirm, as many do, They both consistent are, and true. I ask, Can you Two Masters serve, And never from your Duty swerve? Or can you True Allegiance bear To Two at once, and not forswear? What's due to J--- if W--- have, And J--- have what you W--- gave? It's plain, you're false to both, and shou'd Or take no Oaths, or make 'em good, Which here you cannot, if you wou'd. Nor will these Oaths, as some contend, To your own private Meaning bend. You swear to each as to a King, And ought to mean the self same Thing. And 'tis Allegiance Full and True Is sworn to both, to both as due. To say, The People have a Right Kings to depose, as they see fit, Is Pop'ry, or as bad as it. There is no Law, or Charter for't: Kings can't be try'd in any Court. Bradshaws High Court had but the Name Of Justice, and was Bradshaws Shame. But that's by all condemn'd------ Or he that dares such Presidents plead, Deserves, like him, to lose his Head, And hang for't, or alive or dead. Now to condemn the King untry'd, Seems something worse than Bradshaw did. 'Tis English Priviledge to be heard. Before the Judge can give Award. I know, some Conquest plead, and say, The King was driv'n and forc'd away. Convention though pleads Abdication, Because unforc'd he left the Nation. Hard 'tis these Things to reconcile: He chose to leave us his Will. These Pleas and Proofs are opposite, And cannot both be True and Right: A Sign their Cause is desperate, They'd something say, but know not what. Their Non-agreement is enough To shew each Plea of theirs wants proof. Now as for Conquest, Why shou'd we Make Slaves of People that are Free? Why shou'd we make so much ado 'Bout what Prince ne'er pretended to? He from Convention took the Crown: Convention plac'd him in the Throne: Convention gave him all his Pow'r: Convention made the Oaths you swore. And therefore if to him we'de swear, 'Tis as their High Commissioner. And if they have no Right to chuse, We may Allegiance refuse. We may and ought to keep't entire For Lawful King, and Lawful Heir. If People say, they have such Right: They ought to shew how they came by't. If People made their Sov'reign Lord, They ought to shew it by Record. The Law o'th' Land says no such Thing: By Law Succession makes the King. They can't plead Scripture, if they wou'd; The Scripture says, All Pow'r's from God. God says himself, By me Kings Reign; 'Tis he doth Higher Pow'ers Ordain. 'Tis he doth make them all Supream; The People's Choice is People's Dream. Nor can you prove by Law of Nature, That Princes are the People's Creature. 'Tis plain, the People never gave What they ne're had, nor cou'd they have; I mean, the Power, which Princes bear: If People had it, make't appear, And tell us who, and when, and where. Our King has Pow'r o're Subjects Lives, By Law he takes away, or gives.
The Sword the People never bore, They ne're o're their own Lives had Pow'r. Self-Murder never was allow'd By Law of Nature, or of God. Wherefore the Pow'r which Kings have now, The People never cou'd bestow. Indeed for Self-Defence to fight 'Gainst private Foes was Nature's Right. They ever had it, and still have it, And therefore to their Prince ne're gave it. Besides, the Magistrate's empowr'd In other cases t'use the Sword. Though Vengeance is the Subject's Crime, It's very innocent in him. Vengeance belongs to God alone: Who has it not from God, has none. In state of Nature People were All free and equal, and cou'd ne're That Pow'r possess, much less confer. No, 'tis the Prince God's place supplies: 'Tis his Prerogative to chastise The Evil, redress Injuries. If Rulers are for publick Good Their Jus divinums understood. Unerring Wisdom can't be thought To leave the Choice to giddy Rout. But granting Peoples Right, I say, They ought not, cou'd not give't away. In vain had they such Right from Heaven, If they shou'd part with't, 'soon as given. It were Impiety and Sin To give away a Right Divine. Nor is it like, they'd all consent To lose their share of Government. Nor cou'd they meet all for a Choice, That ev'ry Man might give his Voice. Some might be Busy, others Sick; Some their Proceedings might dislike. Now if they all were free before, How cou'd those, who did ne're concur, Lose that their Liberty and Pow'r? These Knots, and such like, I defy Pretended Patriots to unty. Be sure they can't: And then their Cause Is grown much weaker by the Laws. The Laws which own our Kings Divine, And tye the Crown to Royal Line. The Laws, which make Allegiance due Without your Oaths, or theirs to you. The Laws, which give to ev'ry Man his own, To People their Estates, to Kings their Crown. Some idly fancy, That protection Doth nat'rally infer Subjection. To which, I say, if this were True, Subjection were ev'en Cromwels due. He was Protector, (Name and Thing) He did th' whole Office of a King. No, 'tis a Right for to Protect us, Can only Lawfully Subject us. Who has no Right to Englands Throne, To Englands Fealty can have none. And when the lawful King's turn'd out, (Whose will to govern is past doubt.) It is not Merit, but a Crime His People to Protect 'gainst him. It is to keep him from his Right Who wou'd Protect us, if he might. It is to make himself Supreme, And to Protect himself, not them. It's to maintain his Usurpation, And to entail on Captive Nation A lasting War, and Desolation. And is this such a mighty Favour, As to deserve the Name of Saviour? For my part, I shou'd give him rather A harder Name than that of Father. And with the Cynick wish him gone, Not stand betwixt me and the Sun. If where it's due, we pay Subjection, My Friends, we shall not want Protection. And now, I think I've made it clear, We cannot with good Conscience swear. We cannot take Oaths Old and New, And to both Faithful prove, and True. And if I must Starve or Comply: Be sure, I wou'd not swear, I'de die. I'de suffer ought for my dear Saviour's Laws, Who dy'd for me--------- I can't well suffer in a better Case.
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