The answer of the chancellor, masters and scholars of the Vniversity of Oxford, to the petition, articles of grievance, and reasons of the city of Oxon presented to the honorable committee for regulating the University of Oxford the 24. of July, 1649.

VI. To the Reasons of the sixt Grievance, We Answer,

1. That the Oath complained of by the Petitio∣ners, as to the forme of it, hath been approved and setled upon solemne debate in Parliament above fower hundred years agoe.

2. Whereas they object against it that it is con∣ceived in Generall termes; We reply, So are all those Oathes which are required by the Citty of Oxon and other places of all their Free men, when they are first enfranchised, to preserve the Liberties of their respective Corporations.

3. Whereas they pretend ignorance of our Pri∣viledges, and thereby insinuate how unjust it is they should Sweare to preserve them, We answer, That neither this Oath which we require, nor any other of that kinde which is conceived in Generall termes does, by intendment of Law, bind the takers to any farther observance of the particulars comprehen∣ded within that generality, then as they shall come To their knowledge; And we farther say; That this rea∣son (if it be of any force) is much more pregnant against that Oath, which is usually imposed upon all the Freemen of Oxon at their first admittance, to maintaine and keep all the Franchises, Liberties, and Cu∣stomes

of the Citty, to which many of them are alto∣gether strangers at the time of their taking that Oath; Whereas none are required or admitted to sweare to maintaine the Liberties of the Vniversi••y but a few Cittizens of the Graver sort, to whom by reason of vicinity and long coversation amongst us, the Custome•• and Liberties of the Vniversity are sufficiently knowne.

4. Though we doe confesse all priviledges to be just which we claime, yet we neither pretend to be our own Judges to determine, in poynt of Contro∣versy, which are just; neither doe we pretend that the Major or any Cittizen is bound to sweare, or if he doe sweare is bound to maintaine all or any Privi∣ledges barely claimed by the Vniversity as just, un∣lesse they be so in themselves, and have been lawful∣ly used by the Vniversity, And therefore since (as is cleare by the words of the Oath) we doe not claime that the Major and Cittizens ought to sweare to maintaine any other then the lawfull Priviledges of the Vniversity, And that it is acknowledged by the Petitioners, that the Major is bound by his Oath (and known by common practice, that every Free∣man is in like manner bound) to maintaine all the Liberties of the Citty, and that many of those doe clash and stand in opposition to diverse of those which the Vniversity so claime, It must follow, that all such pretended liberties of the Citty as doe clash with those Liberties of the Vniversity which the Major and Cittizens are required by Oath to main∣taine, must be in themselves unlawfull.

5. Lastly, we crave leave to observe a very pre∣posterous

course taken up by the Cittizens of latter times to overthrow the just and ancient Rights of the Vniversity, by the new forged Engines of their Citty Oaths; for first they frame an Oath contrary to our Priviledges, and then complaine of our Pri∣viledges for being contrary to their Oath.