Oath of Allegiance of James I of England

The Oath of Allegiance of 1606 was an oath required of subjects of James I of England from 1606, the year after the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 (see Popish Recusants Act 1605); it was also called the Oath of Obedience (Latin: juramentum fidelitatis). Whatever effect it had on the loyalty of his subjects, it caused an international controversy lasting a decade and more.

The oath was proclaimed law on 22 June 1606. It contained seven affirmations, and was targeted on "activist political ideology". The clause against the papal deposing power read:

On 22 September 1606 Pope Paul V condemned the formula:

It cannot be taken, as it contains many things evidently contrary to faith and salvation.

James then asserted that his oath was not meant to encroach upon anyone's conscientious convictions. Hereupon minimizers began to maintain that the words of the oath might be interpreted by the intention of the law-giver, that the oath might therefore be taken.

Some Catholic writers, such as Thomas Preston, wrote in defence of the oath. Some English Catholics, for instance William Bishop, explicitly rejected the deposing power, but refused the oath.

There is a range of views among contemporary scholars about King James's intention in requiring the oath. These include:

It is seen as aimed at resistance theorists as well as traitors; and a move to split "moderates" from "radicals" among English Catholics.

There were unintended consequences. According to Patterson:

James himself did not give up his vision of a peaceful and united Church at home and abroad which he had unfolded to Parliament at its opening session in 1604. But in defending the Oath of Allegiance, he allowed himself to be drawn into a bitter Europe-wide theological controversy.

After a slow start, controversy over the oath ramified. By the beginning of 1609 it had begun to touch on a whole range of European issues: English Catholics, Rhineland Calvinists, Gallicanism in France, the aftermath of the Venetian Interdict, and the uncertain Catholic orthodoxy of the Vienna court of Emperor Rudolph II. It had repercussions for international diplomacy; and in particular the handling of the Premonition had a negative effect on diplomatic relations between Great Britain and Venice, which had been improving during the Interdict.

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