And being possessed of this mistaken hope, that the Parliament were
not yet grown so merciless as not to allow manifest reason for their
not submitting to the enjoined Oaths, the University appointed
twenty delegates to meet, consider, and draw up a Manifesto to the
Parliament, why they could not take those oaths but by violation
of their consciences: and of these delegates Dr. Sheldon,--late
Archbishop of Canterbury,--Dr. Hammond,--Dr. Sanderson, Dr.
Morley,--now Bishop of Winchester,--and that most honest and as
judicious Civil Lawyer, Dr. Zouch,[17] were a part; the rest I cannot
now name: but the whole number of the delegates requested Dr. Zouch
to draw up the Law part, and give it to Dr. Sanderson: and he was
requested to methodise and add what referred to reason and conscience,
and put it into form. He yielded to their desires and did so. And
then, after they had been read in a full Convocation, and allowed of,
they were printed in Latin, that the Parliament's proceedings and the
University's sufferings might be manifested to all nations: and the
imposers of these oaths might repent, or answer them: but they were
past the first; and for the latter, I might swear they neither can,
nor ever will. And these Reasons were also suddenly turned into
English by Dr. Sanderson, that those of these three kingdoms might the
better judge of the loyal party's sufferings.
[Sidenote: "Cases of Conscience"]
[Sidenote: The King's errors]
[Sidenote: Translation of "De Juramento"]
About this time the Independents--who were then grown to be the most
powerful part of the army--had taken the King from a close to a
more large imprisonment; and, by their own pretences to liberty of
conscience, were obliged to allow somewhat of that to the King,
who had, in the year 1646, sent for Dr. Sanderson, Dr. Hammond, Dr.
Sheldon,--the late Archbishop of Canterbury,--and Dr. Morley,--the now
Bishop of Winchester,--to attend him, in order to advise with them,
how far he might with a good conscience comply with the proposals of
the Parliament for a peace in Church and State: but these, having been
then denied him by the Presbyterian Parliament, were now allowed
him by those in present power. And as those other Divines, so Dr.
Sanderson gave his attendance on his Majesty also in the Isle of
Wight, preached there before him, and had in that attendance many,
both public and private, conferences with him, to his Majesty's great
satisfaction. At which time he desired Dr. Sanderson, that, being the
Parliament had proposed to him the abolishing of Episcopal Government
in the Church, as inconsistent with Monarchy, that he would consider
of it; and declare his judgment. He undertook to do so, and did it;
but it might not be printed till our King's happy Restoration, and
then it was. And at Dr. Sanderson's taking his leave of his Majesty in
his last attendance on him, the King requested him to betake himself
to the writing Cases of Conscience for the good of posterity. To which
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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