Abjuration.

Abjuration. The oath of abjuration was imposed in 1701 upon members of parliament and all holders of public offices, including clergymen, teachers, barristers, solicitors, &c. It was a declaration in favour of King William and the Revolution Settlement, and against the 'late King James,' and concluded with the words, 'upon the true faith of a Christian.' The form of oath was altered in 1714, when the first Pretender had assumed the title of James III. and VIII.; and the scruples felt in Scotland, as to whether the oath was consistent with the Treaty of Union, were removed by statute. It was also at this time imposed on voters in Scottish elections. After special provision had been made for the case of Catholics, and of Quakers and other persons whose conscience prevented them from taking an oath, the oath of abjuration was remodelled in 1858, one form being substituted for the separate oaths of abjuration, supremacy, and allegiance, parliament taking power to omit the reference to Christianity in the case of members of the Jewish religion entering parliament. The new form was just a declaration of allegiance to the Queen, a promise to support the Protestant succession, and a denial of the authority of foreign princes and prelates. The matter was afterwards separately dealt with in the Clerical Subscription Act, 1865; the Parliamentary Oaths Act, 1866; and the Offices and Oaths Act, 1867; but the law was consolidated by the Promissory Oaths Act, 1868. By this statute, a short oath of true allegiance, usable by Catholics and Jews, is substituted for the old oaths of abjuration, supremacy, and allegiance; an official oath of true service is provided for public officers other than judges; and a judicial oath of true service, and to do right without fear or favour, is provided for the judges. All these oaths conclude, 'so help me God;' which words, in the case of the oath of allegiance now taken by members of parliament, gave rise to the famous Bradlaugh case. The result of this case is that penalties can be recovered from every member who, though he took the oath, can be proved to a jury to have no religious belief. See ALIEN, ALLEGIANCE, CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION, JEWS, OATH, PARLIAMENT.