B E C A U S E no People can be truly happy, though under the greatest
Enjoyment of civil Liberties, if abridged of the Freedom of their
Consciences, as to their religious Profession and Worship: And Almighty
God being the only Lord of Conscience, Father of Lights and Spirits, and
the Author as well as Object of all divine Knowledge, Faith and Worship,
who only doth enlighten the Minds, and persuade and convince the
Understandings of People, I do hereby grant and declare, That no Person
or Persons, inhabiting in this Province or Territories, who shall
confess and acknowledge _One_ Almighty God, the Creator, Upholder and
Ruler of the World; and profess him or themselves obliged to live
quietly under the civil Government, shall be in any Case molested or
prejudiced, in his or their Person or Estate, because of his or their
conscientious Persuasion or Practice, nor be compelled to frequent or
maintain any religious Worship, Place or Ministry, contrary to his or
their Mind, or to do or suffer any other Act or Thing, contrary to their
religious Persuasion.
A N D that all Persons who also profess to believe in _Jesus Christ_, the
Saviour of the World, shall be capable (notwithstanding their other
Persuasions and Practices in Point of Conscience and Religion) to serve
this Government in any Capacity, both legislatively and executively, he
or they solemnly promising, when lawfully required, Allegiance to the
King as Sovereign, and Fidelity to the Proprietary and Governor, and
taking the Attests as now established by the Law made at _Newcastle_ in
the Year _one Thousand and seven Hundred_, entitled, _An Act directing
the Attests of several Officers and Ministers, as now amended and
confirmed by this present Assembly_.