§
The Lords insist on their Amendments to leave out Clauses Five and Eight, to which the Commons disagree, for the following Reasons:—
1st. Because, although the Words "on the true Faith of a Christian" were originally introduced into the Oath for the immediate Purpose of binding certain Roman Catholics, it is unreasonable to assume that the Parliament which so introduced them did not intend that the Profession of Christianity should be a necessary Qualification for Admission to the Legislature, when they enacted that a Declaration of that Faith should form Part of the Oath required to be taken by every Member of both Houses.
2nd. Because the constant Intention of the Legislature may be further inferred from the Fact that neither at the Time of the Introduction of these Words were the Jews admissible nor have they at any subsequent Period been admitted to it and vote in either House of Parliament.
1257
3rd. Because Exclusion from Seats in Parliament and Offices of the State on the Ground of Religious Opinion, and for other Reasons when the general Good of the State appears to require it, is a Principle recognized in the Settlement of the Succession to the Crown, and in other Cases; and has, moreover, been further and recently sanctioned by the House of Commons in some of the Provisions of the present Bill.
4th. Because, without imputing any Disloyalty or Disaffection to Her Majesty's Subjects of the Jewish Persuasion, the Lords consider that the Denial and Rejection of that Saviour, in whose Name each House of Parliament daily offers up its collective Prayers for the Divine Blessing on its Councils, constitutes a moral unfitness to take part in the Legislation of a professedly Christian Community.
5th. Because when the Commons plead in support of their Views, in a Matter which equally concerns the Constitution of both Branches of the Legislature, their repeated Recognition of the Expediency of Removing this Disability of the Jews, and admitting them to their Councils, the Lords desire to refer to their equally firm Adherence to the Principle of retaining those Privileges which they believe to be peculiarly and inseparably attached to Parliament as an exclusively Christian Assembly.