The oath of a serv^t.
I. N. N. serv^t of &c. haveinge heard and vnderstoode that
our—soveraigne Lord Kinge Charles hath by his łres patents vnder
the great seale of England graunted power and aucthoryty vnto a
Governo^r a Deputy Governo^r &. 18. Assistants to rule governe &
Judge all ꝑsones wch doe or shall inhabyte =in or=
betweene =the= Charles ryver &. 3. myles southward &
merimack ryver &. 3. myles northwards in new England & soe
westwards to the south sea, =beinge= wthin wch
=compa= lymitts I doe nowe—inhabyt
Doe promise =to be= at all tymes hereafter Dureinge my
abode in America +to be+ obedyent to all lawes orders
constitutions & comaunds wch by the =s b= said Governo^r
Deputy Governo^r and assistants +for the tyme being+ or
the greater ꝑte of them shall be +lawfully+ made or
given—forth & shall come to my =k= heareinge, And to be
true and faith full to them & their governemt, And I likewise
promise that if I shall know +heare of =or heare of=
or suspect+ =of= any hurt or losse intended against
any of them I will reveale the same to one or more of them wth all
convenyent—speede, And to bind my selfe to the faithfull ꝑformance
of this promise, I sweare by the name of the onely true God the
lover of truth & the avenger of falshood]
[Illustration:
The oath of a man +free or+ to be made free.
I. N. N. vt supra. and +=being=+ =having
likewise heard and vnderstoode= said. N.N. =of=
being now by the said Governo^r & assistants to be made a free man
of the said plantac̄on & +thereby enabled+ to have a
voice in the choise of the said. 20. Deputed ꝑsones soe
aucthorised as aforesaid as =the sai= any of their places
are or shalbe voide =and I shalbe therevnto called in a
lawfull assembly, doe hereby promise vt supra= I doe promise
that =when I s= at all tymes when I shalbe there vnto
lawfully called by the said Governem^t, to give my voice for the
electing of such ꝑsone =therevnto= & ꝑsones vnto such
voide places as I =the= shall =und= thinke to be
=the wisest godliest & ablest for the discharg= men of
wisedome & courage—feareinge God & hateing covetousnes all
ꝑtyalyty =& by= sett aside, and to bind &c vt supra.]
[Illustration:
The Oath of ffreemen:
I A: B: &c: =beinge= beinge by the Allmightyes most wise
despositiō become a member of this bodye consisting of the
Governor +Deputye+ Assistants & Com̄onalty of the
Mattachusetts in n: e: doe freely & sincerely acknowledge that I
am iustlye & lawfully subiect to the Goverment =there= of
the same +=both Civill & Ecclesiasticall=+ & doe
accordingly submitt my ꝑson & estate to be protected ordered &
governed by the Lawes & Constitutns therof: & doe faithfully
promise to be from tyme to tyme obedient & conformable therevnto,
& to the Authe of the sd Governor & Assistants & their successors,
& to all such Lawes orders sentences & decrees as shalbe
+lawfully+ made & published by them or their successors.
And I will allwayes endeavo^r (as in dutye I am bounde) to advance
the peace & wellfare of this bodye or Com: w: to my vttmost
=power= +skill & ability.+ =&= And I
will to my =vtmost power= best =ability= power &
meanes seeke to deverte & prevent whatsoever may tende to the
ruyne or damage thereof or of any the sd Governor Deputy Governor
=&= +or+ Assistants or any of them or their
successors: & will give spedye notice to them or some of them of
any =evill= seditiō, violence, treacherye or other hurt
or evill, wch I shall knowe, heare, or vehemently suspecte to be
=intended or= plotted or intended ag^t them =sd=
or ag^t the said =Goverment= Com: w: or the sd Goverm̄
established:
And I will not at any tyme suffer or give Consent to any
Counsell or Attempt that shalbe offered =or= given or
Attempted for the impeachment of the sd Goverment or makinge
any change or Alteratiō of the same, contrary to the Lawes &
=Customes= ordinances =of the same= thereof,
but shall doe my vtmost endeavo^r to discover & oppose & hīer
all & everye such Counsells]
* * * * *
Att a Gen^rall Court, holden att Newe Towne [Cambridge]. March 4th,
1634.
It is further ordered that eūy man of or above the age of sixteene
yeares, whoe hath bene, or shall hereafter be, resident within this
iurisdicc̄on by the space of sixe monethes, (as well servants as
others,) & not infranchized, shall take the oath of residents before
the Goūn^r, Deputy Goūn^r, or two of the nexte Assistants, whoe
shall haue power to convent him for that purpose, & vpon his
refuseall, to binde him ouer to the nexte Court of Assistants, &
vpon his refuseall the second tyme, to be punished att the
discrec̄on of the Court.
It is ordered that the ffreemens oath shalbe gyven to eūy man of or
above the age of 16 yeares, the clause for the elecc̄on of
magistrates onely excepted.
* * * * *
At A Court holden att Boston, Aprill 1th, 1634.
It was further ordered, that eūy man of or above the age of twenty
yeares, whoe hath bene or shall hereafter be resident within this
jurisdicc̄on by the space of sixe monethes, as an householder or
soiorner, and not infranchised, shall take the oath herevnder
written, before the Goūn^r, or Deputy Goūn^r, or some two of the
nexte Assistants, whoe shall haue power to convent him for that
purpose, and vpon his refuseall, to binde him ouer to the nexte
Court of Assistants; and vpon his refuseall the second tyme, hee
shalbe banished, except the Court shall see cause to giue him
further respite.