SEVERAL Laws and Orders Made at the second Sessions of the GENERAL COURT Held at Boston, October 2 d 1678. And published by their Order. Edward Rawson Secr.
I A. B. doe truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testifie, and declare in my Conscience, before God and the world, that our Sovereign Lord King Charles is lawfull and rightfull King of the Realm of England, and of all other His Majestyes Dominions and Countryes; and that the Pope, neither of himself, nor by any Authority of the Church or See of Rome, or by any other means with any other hath any power or Authority to depose the King, The Oath of Allegiance. or to dispose any of his Majestyes Kingdomes or Dominions, or to authorize any foreign Prince to invade or annoy Him or His Countrey; or to discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesty, or to give licence or leave to any of them to bear Arms, raise Tumults, or offer any violence or hurt to his Majestyes Royal Person, [Page 62] State or Goverment, or to any of his Majestyes Subjects [...] Majestyes Dominions.
Also I doe swear from my heart, that notwithstanding any De [...] tion, or Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation [...] or to be made or granted by the Pope or his Successors, or by [...] Authority derived, or pretended to be derived from him or his [...] the said King, his Heirs or Successors, or any absolution of the [...] Subjects from their Obedience, I will bear Faith, and true Allegiance to [...] Majesty his Heirs and Successors, and him and them will [...] uttermost of my power, against all Conspiracyes and attempts, [...] ever, which shall be made against His or Their Persons, their [...] and Dignity by reason or colour of any such Sentence or [...] or otherwise: and will doe my best endeavour to disclose [...] known unto his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors all Treasons, [...] us Conspiracyes which I shall know or hear of to be against [...] any of [...]hem.
And I doe further swear, that I doe from my heart abhor, [...] abjure as impious and heretical, this damnable Doctrine and [...] That Princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the [...] be deposed or murdered by their Subjects, or any other [...] And I doe believe, and in my Conscience am resolved, that [...] Pope nor any Person whatsoever, hath power to absolve me [...] Oath, or any part thereof, which I acknowledge by good and [...] to be lawfully ministered unto me; and doe renounce all [...] dispensations to the contrary. And all these things I doe [...] acknowledge and swear according to these express [...] spoken, and according to the plain and common sense an [...] of the same words, without any Equivocation or mental [...] secret Reservation whatsoever. And I doe make this [...] and acknowledgment heartily, willingly and truly upon the [...] of a Christian: So help me God.
WHereas it hath pleased his most excellent [...] Gratious King, by his Letter [...] twenty seventh of April, 1678. to [...] pleasure, That the Authority of this [...] Massachusets in New-England, to [...] that the Oath of Allegiance as it is by Law [...] within his Kingdome of England, be administred and taken by [...] within this Colony, who are of years to take an Oath:
In obedience whereunto, Order to take the Oath of Allegiance. and as a demonstration of our [...]
It is [...] and Enacted by this Court and the Authority [...] that as the Members of this Court now sitting have [...] Oath of Allegiance, so by their Example and Authority they [...] and command that the same Oath be given and taken [...] Majesties [...] within this Jurisdiction, that are of sixteen [...] Age and up [...] And to the end this Order be duely executed [...] is hereby Ordered, that a Convenient number of [...] said Oath of Allegiance, exactly agreeing with the written [...] in his Majesties Letter, and signed by the Secretary of State, [...] [Page 63] for [...] to every Magistrate and Justice of Peace, and to the Constable of every Town within this Jurisdiction.
And it is further Ordered that the Magistrates and Justices, or such as are Commissioned with Magistratical Authority in every County of this Colony do with all convenient speed repair to the several Towns and Villages within this Jurisdiction, at such time, and in such order as they best may, and accomplish the same; giving forth their warrant to the Constables of each Town to convene all the Inhabitants of the Age abovesaid, and taking their names in writing, administer the said Oath of Allegiance to each of them, and return their Names to the Recorder of each County Court to be enrolled. And if any shall refuse to take the [...] Oath, or absent themselves unless in case of sickness, the Names of such shall be returned to the Recorder of the County, who are to be proceeded against by the County Courts respectively, for the first Offence thereof he is legally convicted, to pay such a Fine as the County Court shall impose, not exceeding five pounds, or three Moneths Imprisonment in the common prison or house of Correction: And for the second offence whereof he shall be lawfully convicted, what summe the [...] Court shall inflict, provided it exceed not ten pounds, or six Moneths Imprisonment without Baile, or Main-prise.
IT being the Duty as well as the Practice of all good Subjects to provide for the safety and security of the Person, Crown and Dignity of their Soveraign Princes: this Court being sensible of their duty and obligation to our Sovereign Lord the King,
[...] hereby Order and Enact. That whatsoever Person within this [...] compass, imagine or intend the death or destruction [...] Sovereign Lord the King (whom Almighty God preserve with [...] prosperous Reign) or to deprive or depose him from the [...], Treason punished with Death. Honour or kingly Name of the Imperial Crown of England, or of any other his Majestyes Dominions, and such compassings, imaginations, Devices or intentions shall express utter or declare, by Printing, Preaching or malitious [...] speaking being legally convicted thereof upon the Oathes or two lawfull and credible Witnesses, upon Trial or otherwise, convicted by due course of law, then every such person or persons so offending shall be declared and adjudged to be Traitors, and shall suffer the pains of Death.
IT is Ordered by this Court and the Authority thereof, Proceeding of Companyes in Towns that in all Towns within this Jurisdiction, where there shall be more Companyes then one, the precedency of such Companyes shall be according to the Priority of the Captains Commission.
Direction for Clerk of the Writts.
FOR the ascertaining the power of the Clarks of the Writts, Clerk of the Writts Direction. It is Ordered that all Clerks of the Writts shall sign Warrants only in the Towns and places where they are chosen and reside.
2. That all Writts so signed shall pass in all Courts of Judicature throughout the Colony they singing, A. B. per Curiam, for the town of C.
THere being a Law made in Octob. 1675, The Law for exportation of Provision repealed. prohibiting the exporting of all sorts of provision, which said Law was to stand in force only during the Courts pleasure, which this Court having considered of, for good reason judge meet hereby to repeal the said Law.