Conscience and Allegiance in Seventeenth Century England: The Political Significance of Oaths and Engagements

During the Stuart monarchy oath taking became a means to enforce popular allegiance to the king (who had become head of both the church and the state during the previous Tudor reign). In an age increasingly preoccupied by conscience, this initially helped to strengthen the monarch's power. Yet, paradoxically, religiously and constitutionally motivated groups strongly objected to such state oaths, and the attempt by the crown to enforce such unconditional allegiance served to create a countervailing tradition that opposed it. This book discusses both the attraction of the state oath to government as a devise to promote and secure support, and the reasons why conscience declined in political relevance in the course of the eighteenth century.