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Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow Whitehall Dec. 21 1648. Generall Councell. - The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 2

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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

Whitehall Dec. 21 1648. Generall Councell. - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 2 [1894]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (Camden Society, 1894). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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Whitehall Dec. 21 1648. Generall Councell.

An expedient upon the first Reserve concerning Religion brought in and debated.b

Question. Whether the particulars now debated shall bee referred or noe.

Past in the Negative.

All but Officers to goe forth.

Question. Wether the word Morall shalbe in the paper now read or noe.

  • Affirmatives 17.
  • Negatives 27.

Soe that it was carried for the word Morall to bee left out.

Resolved &c.

That the Representatives have, and shalbee understood to have, the supreame trust in order to the preservacion and government of the whole; and that their power extend, without the consent or concurrence of any other person or persons, to the enacting, altering, repealeing, and declareing of lawes, to the enacting and abolishing of the Courts of Justice and publique officers, and to the highest and finall judgment concerning all naturall and civill things, and to whatsoever in such things is not herein excepted and reserved from them as followeth.a

Question. Wether under this Generall Article of the power of your Representatives now agreed on, there shalbe any reserve subjoyned concerning Religion.

  • Affirmatives 12.
  • Negatives 37.

Soe that it was carried to have noe Reserve.

The Councell adjourned till Saturday.

[b ]Under Friday, Dec. 22, the Perfect Diurnal says: “The General Council of the Army have had many large debates this week upon that reserve in the Representative, in matters of religion; some Presbyterian ministers have been discoursed withal, and at last an expedient is agreed upon, which will give satisfaction; much debate also upon the power of the Representative in Civils, as how they might proceed to punish, not being directed by a known law.”

[a ]This is practically the eighth clause of the Agreement as presented to Parliament on Jan. 20, 1649, except that the eighth clause, after “natural and civil things,” continues “but not concerning things spiritual and evangelicall;” and then enumerates the six reservations, prefacing them thus: “Provided that, even in things natural and civil, these six particulars next following are, and shall be, understood to be excepted and reserved from our Representatives.” Old Parliamentary History, xviii., 532. In the completed Agreement a separate article, viz. the ninth, was devoted to the question of religion, instead of a simple section amongst the reservations. For the schedul propounded in 1647, see vol. I., p. 407.