English post-Reformation oaths facts for kids

The English Protestant Reformation was a big change in religion that was started by the English Crown (the King or Queen). To make sure everyone followed these changes, the government made people take special promises called post-Reformation oaths. These oaths were serious declarations or tests that English church leaders and others had to agree to. This started in the 1500s and continued for over 250 years!

Oath of Royal Supremacy (1534, renewed 1559)

This important oath was introduced in March 1534. King Henry VIII first used the title "Supreme Head" for himself in 1531. At first, the church leaders didn't like this idea. They worried it might mean more later, even though it seemed like just a compliment at the time.

However, after getting advice from people like John Fisher and William Warham, they agreed. They added a condition: "as far as God's law allows."

Two years later, things changed a lot. The King had completely broken away from the Pope. Parliament then passed a law saying the King was the "only supreme head on Earth of the church of England." This meant everyone had to accept the King, not the Pope, as the head of the church in England.

The law didn't set a specific wording for the oath, so it varied. Many people were mainly asked to swear loyalty to the King's marriage with Anne Boleyn. The Pope didn't approve of this marriage, so accepting it also meant accepting the King's supremacy over the Pope.

We don't know the exact words of the oath that John Fisher and Thomas More refused to sign. They were willing to accept Anne Boleyn's children as heirs to the throne, but they wouldn't accept the King as the supreme head of the church.

In 1554, Queen Mary cancelled the Act of Supremacy. But then, Elizabeth brought it back in 1559. The oath then said:

"I, A.B., do utterly testify and declare in my conscience, that the Queen's Highness is the only supreme Governor of the Realm . . . as well in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal, &c. &c. &c. So help me God."

This oath wasn't given to everyone right away. It was mainly for church leaders and people who worked for the Queen. This careful approach helped stop a big protest against it. It also allowed the government to deal with those who refused one by one. For example, it took many years before university graduates had to take it.

Later, laws passed by Elizabeth against Catholics (1592-1593) introduced a new test for Recusants (people who refused to attend Anglican church services). This test included:

• Admitting they had "grievous offence against God" by not obeying the Queen.
• Accepting the Queen's Royal Supremacy.
• A rule against pretending to agree or getting special permission to avoid the oath.

Elizabeth's religious plan also involved a compromise with the Puritans, who weren't big fans of the Queen's supremacy. An informal test was sometimes used. People suspected of being Catholic were asked if they would fight against the Pope if he sent an army to bring back Catholicism. Catholics called this the "bloody question." There was no law to force an answer, and no specific punishment for refusing.

Towards the end of Elizabeth's reign, some Catholics started to disagree among themselves about this. Some priests, who had argued against their leader, later presented a "Protestation of Allegiance" to Elizabeth. This statement not only declared their loyalty but also said they wouldn't support the Pope's power to remove a ruler from the throne. Before this, loyal Catholics had only denied that Pope Pius V's decision to remove Elizabeth from the throne was valid.

Oath of Allegiance of James I (1606)

This oath was introduced by King James I in 1606. It was another way to ensure loyalty to the King and reject the Pope's power over rulers.

Oath of Abjuration under the Commonwealth (1643)

During the English Civil War, the Puritan party gained power. The old Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance were no longer used. They were replaced in 1650 by a promise of loyalty to the new government, the Commonwealth.

An "Oath of Abjuration" was passed in 1643 and reissued in 1656. Anyone who refused this oath was considered a "Papist" (a Catholic). The punishments were severe. They included losing two-thirds of their belongings and almost all their rights as citizens. However, these laws were not always strictly enforced. This oath also affected some English Catholics who had been willing to make similar promises of loyalty before. It was also used against Quakers who refused to take any oaths.

The Test Oath (1672, 1678)

After the King was restored to power in 1660 (English Restoration), the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance were brought back. At first, Catholics in England were somewhat favored by the King, so they often didn't have to take these oaths.

However, when James, who was then the Duke of York, became Catholic, Protestants became more worried. In 1672, a Test Act was passed. This law forced anyone holding a government job to make a short "Declaration against Transubstantiation." This meant swearing that they didn't believe in the Catholic idea that the bread and wine in communion truly become the body and blood of Christ. This test worked: James had to resign his job as Lord High Admiral.

But in 1678, during the panic over Oates's plot (a false story about a Catholic plan to kill the King), an even longer and more insulting test was created. It added a clause saying that praying to the Virgin Mary or any Saint, and the Catholic Mass, were "superstitious and idolatrous." It also required people to swear they were making this declaration honestly, without any secret tricks or special permissions from the Pope. This declaration later became famous as "the King's Declaration." It was required for government officials and members of Parliament, except for the Duke of York.

When Charles died, James II became King. He wanted to get rid of these anti-Catholic oaths. However, he never had the chance to bring this up in Parliament. The Test Oath was a constant topic of discussion because it was designed to stop the kind of changes James wanted to make. He tried to get around it by using his "Dispensing Power," which allowed him to ignore certain laws. But the Glorious Revolution of 1688 quickly brought the Test Oath back stronger than ever.

After William of Orange took the throne, a new rule was added to the Bill of Rights. This rule said that the King himself had to take the anti-Catholic declaration. This meant that no Catholic could ever become King or Queen of England without giving up their faith. This law marked the peak of anti-Catholic laws in England.

The Irish Oath of 1774 to Catholic Emancipation, 1829

In 1774, to calm things down in Canada, the Quebec Act was passed. This was the first time Parliament had allowed some religious freedom for Catholics since the time of Queen Mary. Soon after, the American War of Independence began. The difficulties of this war made English leaders realize they needed to make peace with Catholics.

The Irish government took the first step. In 1774, they proposed an oath of loyalty to King George. This oath rejected the "Pretender" (someone claiming to be the rightful King) but did not question the Pope's spiritual authority or any Catholic beliefs. It also rejected the idea that Catholics didn't have to keep promises made to non-Catholics, and it rejected the Pope's power to remove rulers. This Irish Oath was accepted as proof of loyalty and many people took it.

In 1778, the first Relief Bill, also called Sir George Savile's Act, was introduced in the English Parliament. This bill aimed to ease the harsh laws against English Catholics. The Irish Oath was included in this bill. It passed easily, and Catholic clergy took the oath without protest.

However, the relief given by the 1778 bill wasn't enough, so more laws were soon needed. A group of Catholic laymen, who called themselves the Cisalpine Club, were talking with the government. They were told that if they wanted more freedom, they had to give more assurances. So, they were given a long "Protest" to sign. This document not only rejected the bad practices already denied by the Irish Oath but also strongly spoke against them. It even brought back harsh words like "impious, heretical and damnable" from James I's Oath of Allegiance.

It was clear that signing such a document could cause problems. However, the committee insisted that the words would be understood in a general way, and that it had to be signed immediately to get the Relief Act passed. Many lay people and clergy signed it, including four Catholic bishops, though two of them later took back their names.

When the signatures were collected, the government brought forward a new Relief Bill with an oath based on this "Protest" (called the "Protestation Oath"). This oath excluded anyone who wouldn't swear to it and accept the name "Protesting Catholic Dissenters." John Milner, who later became a bishop, argued against it.

The Second Relief Act was passed in 1791 without changing the previous oath or the name of Catholics. Although Catholic Emancipation was eventually achieved without any tests, this wasn't expected at first. The Catholic Committee continued to try to reduce Protestant fears. Their ideas, like the "Veto" (giving the King a say in appointing bishops), often leaned towards Gallicanism (a belief that the King had more power over the church than the Pope). The oath proposed in a bill in 1813 was so long it was called the "Theological Oath."

Finally, thanks to the growing influence of Daniel O'Connell and the Irish people, Catholic Emancipation was granted in 1829 without any tests at all.

Repeal of the Statutory Oaths against Catholicism (1867-1910)

The Relief Bills mentioned earlier mostly offered relief but left the old laws, oaths, and tests on the law books. Some important government officials still had to take them. The actual removal of these unused tests and oaths from the time of William III happened later.

In 1867, during the reign of Queen Victoria, the Declaration was finally removed. After this, the only person still required to say the oath was the King himself at the start of his reign. In 1871, the Promissory Oaths Bill removed all the old Oaths of Allegiance. In 1891, the first attempt was made in the House of Lords to get rid of the King's Declaration, but the changes offered by the government were so small that Catholics themselves voted against them.

In 1901, strong statements against keeping the oath were passed by the House of Commons of Canada and its church leaders. Similar requests came from Australia and Catholics in English colonies. In 1904, 1905, and 1908, bills or motions to remove the oath were introduced, but they didn't succeed.

However, after the death of King Edward VII, King George V is believed to have encouraged the government to pass a law to repeal it. This was done, and public opinion eventually strongly supported the bill. It passed through both Houses of Parliament with large majorities and received Royal Assent (became law) on 3 August 1910. This finally removed the last anti-Catholic oath or declaration from the English Constitution.

See also

• Oath of Allegiance (United Kingdom), contemporary oath