ENGLAND. 175 



parts, do reciprocally take the oath of allegiance to the crown. This 

 coronation oath is conceived in the following terms : 



" The archbishop., or bishop, shall say, Will you solemnly promise 

 and swear to govern the people of this kingdom of England, and the 

 dominions thereunto belonging, according to the statutes in parlia- 

 ment agreed on, and the laws and customs of the same ? The king 

 or queen shall say, I solemnly promise so to do. 



" Archbishop, or bishop. Will you, to the utmost of your power, 

 cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judg- 

 ments ? King or 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, ana the 

 protestant reformed religion established by the 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 the law do or shall appertain unto them, or any of them ? King 

 or queen, All this I promise to do. 



" After this, the king or queen, laying his or her hand upon the holy 

 Gospel, shall say, The things which I have here before promised, I 

 will perform and keep : so help me God ! and then kiss the book." 



This is the form of the coronation oath, as it is now prescribed bjr 

 our laws : and we may observe, that, in the king's part in this original 

 contract, are expressed all the duties that a monarch can owe to his 

 people ; viz. to govern according to law ; to execute judgment in 

 mercy; and to maintain the established religion With respect to the 

 latter of these three branches, we may further remark, that by the 

 act of union, 5 Anne, c. 8, two preceding statutes are recited and con- 

 firmed ; the one of the parliament of Scotland, the other of the par- 

 liament of England ; which enact, the former, that every king at his 

 accession shall take and subscribe an oath, to preserve the protestant 

 religion, and presbyterian church government in Scotland : the latter, 

 that at his coronation, heshall take and subscribe a similar oath, to 

 preserve the settlement of the church of England within England, 

 Ireland, Wales, and Berwick, and the territories thereunto belong- 

 ing. 



The king of Great Britain, notwithstanding the limitations of the 

 power of the crown already mentioned, is the greatest monarch 

 reigning over a free people. His person is sacred in the eye of the 

 law, which makes it high treason so much as to imagine or intend his 

 death ; neither can he, in himself, be deemed guilty of any crime ; 

 the law taking no cognizance of his actions, but only in the persons 

 of his ministers, if they infringe the laws of the land. As to his 

 power, it is very great, though he has no right to extend his prero- 

 gative beyond the ancient limits or the boundaries prescribed by the 

 constitution ; he can make no new laws, nor raise any new taxes, nor 

 act in opposition to any of the laws : but he can make war or peace ; 

 send and I'eceive ambassadors ; make treaties of league and com* 

 merce ; levy armies, and fit out fleets, for the defence of his king- 

 dom, the annoyance of his enemies, or the suppression of rebellions; 

 grant commissions to his officers, both by sea and land, or revoke 

 them at pleasure ; dispose of all magazines, castles, Sec. summon the 

 parliament to meet, and, when met, adjourn, prorogue, or dissolve it 

 at pleasure ;^ refuse his assent to any bill, though it has passed both 

 houses ; which, consequently, by such a refusal, has no more force 

 than if it had never been moved : but this is a prerogative that the 



