Charles Evans

“ Then it is that you seem to enter into the holy of holies of delight, when the whole body thrills with suppressed emotions, the eyes moisten, and the trembling hand stretched out to take the volume does so with a touch which is almost a caress. ”

“ When you have thus qualified to become freemen, and have taken the Oath of a Freeman, you will be entitled to hold office; assist in framing laws, and enforcing those already made; and, as members of the Commonwealth, be assured that all your rights will be protected. ”

“ I suppose that men of all professions, in their callings, feel an unwonted glow in the achievement of some object; but I know of no greater joy than that which fills the lover of books when his long search for a rare book is rewarded. ”

“ As a part of New Haven Colony they were entitled to one Magistrate, who was their head and invested with the whole executive and judicial power. The settlers were divided into two classes, freemen and planters. The freemen could consist only of those who were church members, and partook of the sacrament. They were all under oath agreeably to their form of government. ”

“ To continue our analysis: The format, and size, agrees with the known facts that the Oath was printed “on the face of a half sheet of small paper.” The shelf-mark indicates the permanent place on the shelves of the Library.
The singular appearance of the only known copy of this important and interesting document in the Colonial history of New England, nearly three hundred years after its printing, so far from its place of publication, calls for explanation, which is apparently furnished in a work published in London, in April, 1647, entitled: “New-Englands Jonas cast up at London.” ”

“ Forasmuch as several Persons who from time to time are to be made freemen, live remote and are not able without great trouble and charge to appear before this Court to take their respective Oaths: It is therefore Ordered, that henceforth it shall be in the power of any County Court, to administer the Oath of Freedome to any persons approved of by the General Court who shall desire the same, any Law or Custome to the contrary notwithstanding. ”

“ 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 Person shall refuse to take the Respective Oath, he or they shall be bound over to the next County Court or Court of Assistants, where if he shall refuse, he shall forfeit five pound a week for every week he shall Continue in this Jurisdiction after his sayd Refusall, unles he can give sufficient security to the satisfaction of the Court or Magistrate for his fidelity, during his or their residence amongst us. ”

“ Somewhere I have read of an Oriental visionary who attained a high degree of saintly perfection by fixing his gaze steadfastly for hours upon his navel, which a growing embonpoint made an easy thing to do, and I sought for holiness in the same way. ”

“ That the County Courts or any one Magistrate out of Court, shall have power and is hereby Authorized to Require the Oath of fidelity of all settled Inhabitants amongst us who have not already taken the same, as also to Require the Oath under written, of all strangers, who after two months have their abode here ”

“ Civil Compact We whose names are hereunder, desirous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do promise to subject ourselves in active and passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good of the body in an orderly way, by the major consent of present inhabitants, masters of families, incorporated together in a Towne fellowship, and others whom they shall admit unto them only in civil things. ”

“ And further that I will not plot or practice any evill against it, or consent to any that shall so do; but will timely discover and reveal the same to lawfull Authority now here established, for the speedy preventing thereof. Moreover, I doe solemnly bind my self in the sight of God, that when I shal be called to give my voyce touching any such matter of this State, in which Freemen are to deal, I will give my vote and suffrage as I shall judge in mine own conscience may best conduce and tend to the publike weal of the body, without respect of persons, or favour of any man. ”

“ The Preamble to the Law Against Perjury Forasmuch as the consciences of sundry men, truly conscionable, may scruple the giving or the taking of an oath, and it would be nowise suitable to the nature and constitution of our place, who profess ourselves to be men of different consciences and not one willing to force another to debar such as cannot do so, either from bearing office among us or from giving in testimony in a case depending ”

“ The power of an Oath is a subject for the Casuist. But, in the brief period of this paper—less than the span of life the Psalmist gives to man—we have seen an Oath throne and dethrone monarchs; build up and destroy flourishing Commonwealths ”

“ It is ordered and unanimously agreed upon that the Government which this Bodie Politick doth attend vnto in this Island, and the Jurisdiction thereof, in favour of our Prince is a Democracie, or popular Government; that is to say, It is in the Powre of the Body of Freemen orderly assembled, or the major part of them, to make or constitute Just Lawes, by which they will be regulated, and to depute from among themselves such Ministers as shall see them faithfully executed between Man and Man. ”

“ That the people should take the Oath of fidelity to the State of England, and to the government of New Plymouth. 2. That they were to be made acquainted with the Colony laws, applicable to them, and establish suitable rules and regulations to guide and govern them in their civil affairs. 3. None were to be inhabitants there but such as should take the Oath of Allegiance. 4. None could vote for an Assistant but such as should take the Oath. ”

“ In New Hampshire Colony. As there was no constituted authorities over the patent of New Hampshire, the Exeter settlers, under the leadership of John Wheelwright, who had purchased a tract thirty miles square from certain Indian Sachems in April, 1638, were driven to the expedient of agreeing upon a voluntary association for governmental purposes. The executive and judicial functions were vested in a board of three magistrates or elders, of whom the chief was styled Ruler. ”

“ The Oath of a Ffreeman You shall be truly loyall to our Sov Lord King Charles, his heires & successors, [the State & Governt of England as it now stands.] You shall not speake or doe, devise or advise any thing or things act or acts directly or indirectly by land or water, that doth shall or may tend to the destrucc̄on or overthrow of this pr̄nt plantac̄ons Colonies or Corporac̄on of New Plymouth, Neither shall you suffer the same to be spoken or done but shall hinder oppose & discover the same to the Govr̄ & Assistants of the said Colony for the time being or some one of them. ”

“ You shall also submitt, and observe all such good and wholesome laws, ordinances, and officers as are, or shall be established within the several limits thereof, So help you God, who is the God of Truth and the punisher of falsehood. ”

“ It is Ordered and by this Court declared, that no man shall be urged to take any Oath or subscribe to any Articles, Covenants or Remonstrances, of publick and Civil nature, but such as the Generall Court hath Considered, allowed and required, and no Oath of any Magistrate or of any Officer, shall bind him any further or longer, then he is Resident or Reputed an Inhabitant of this Jurisdiction. ”

“ We that are Freemen Incorporate of this Bodie Politick do Elect and Constitute William Coddington, Esquire, a Judge amongst us, and so covenant to yield all due honour unto him according to the lawes of God, and so far as in us lyes to maintaine the honour and privileges of his place which shall hereafter be ratifyed according unto God, the Lord helping us so to do. ”

“ We whose names are underwritten doe acknowledge ourselves the legall subjects of his Majestie King Charles, and in his name doe hereby binde ourselves into a civill body Politicke, assenting unto his lawes according to right and matters of justice. ”

“ The Reciprocal Engagement of the State to ye Officers We, the Inhabitants of the Province of Providence Plantations being here orderly met, and having by free vote chosen you ——, to public office and officers for the due administration of Justice and the execution thereof throughout the whole Colonie, do hereby engage ourselves to the utmost of our power to support and vphold you in your faithfull performance thereof. ”

“ They further ordered that “this engagement shall be administered to all that are already admitted freemen, and that no man shall be admitted a freeman, and all men that are householders or aged eighteen or more, shall take the engagement or loose the priviledge of freemen until they give the engagement premised.” ”

“ They were chosen by the whole body of freemen, who were the electors and legislators, their enactments, however, requiring the approval of the Ruler. An inhabitant had to be admitted a freeman, before he could enjoy the privileges of an elector. ”

“ This was construed as being directed against the members of the Church of England, and was largely responsible for the strained relations with his Majesty’s Commission in 1665. It was repealed before the 1672 Revision of the Laws. ”

“ And I doe further sweare, That I doe from my heart abhor, detest and abjure as impious and hereticall this damnable Doctrine and Position, that Princes which be excōmunicated or deprived by the Pope may be deposed or murthered by theire Subjects or any other whosoever. And I doe beleeve and in my Conscience am resolved, that neither the Pope nor any pson whatsoever hath power to absolve me of this Oath or any parte therof, which I acknowledge by good and full Authoritye to be lawfully ministered unto mee, and doe renounce all Pardons and Dispensac̄ons to the contrarie ”

“ To the 2d, our order for admission of freemen is consonant wth that proposition.
3. Propos: That all persons of ciuill liues may freely injoy the liberty of their consciences, and the worship of God in that way which they thinke best, prouided that this liberty tend not to the disturbance of the publique, nor to the hindrance of the maintenance of Ministers regularly chosen in each respectiue parish or township.
To the 3d Propos: We say, we know not if any one that hath bin troubled by us for attending his conscience, prouided he hath not disturbed the publique. ”

“ And the Governor and Deputy Governor, and any two or more of the Assistants, at any of their Courts or Assemblys shall and may at all times have full power to give the Oath of Office and Oaths of 14Supremacy and Allegiance, or either of them, to every person who may go to New England to inhabit in the same. They were also authorized to make “the formes of such Oathes warrantable by the lawes and statutes of this our realme of England as shalbe respectivelie ministered vnto them, for the execuc̄on of the said severall offices and places ... ”

“ And I will alwayes indeavr (as in duty I am bound) to advance the peace & wellfaire of this body pollitique, and I will (to my best power & meanes) seeke to devert & prevent whatsoeuer may tende to the ruine or damage thereof, or of ye Goūnr, Deputy Goūnr, or Assistants, or any of them or their successrs, and will giue speedy notice to them, or some of them, of any sedic̄on, violence, treacherie, or othr hurte or euill wch I shall knowe, heare, or vehemently suspect to be plotted or intended against them or any of them, or against the said Com̄on-wealth or goumt established. Soe helpe mee God. ”

“ In the fourteenth yeare of ye Raign of our Sovereign Lord King Charles. It is agreed, That as natural subjects to our Prince, and subject to his Lawes, all matters that concerne the Peace shall be by those that are officers of the Peace transacted; And all actions of the Case or Dept, shall be in such 58Courts as by order are here appointed, and by such Judges as are Deputed: Heard and Legally Determined.
At the Generall Court of Election began and held at Portsmouth, from the 16th of March to the 19th of the same mo., 1641. ”

“ The Oath of a Freeman, or of a Man to be made ffree. The Oath of Residents The Oath of a Freeman The Oath of a Free-man Freemans Oath Freemans Oath Oath of Fidelitie Oath of Fidelitie Strangers Oath Oath of Fidelitie Freemans Oath In Connecticut and New Haven Colonies. An Oath for Paqua’ and the Plantations there The Oath of a Freeman In New Haven Colony. Freeman’s Charge Oath of Fidelity Oath of Allegiance In Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. ”

“ Mr. Cotton in his Thursday-Lecture at Boston, preached out of that Scripture, Cant. 2, 15. Take us the little Foxes, &c. In his uses took occasion to say, That if any shall carry any Writings, Complaints against the people of God in that Country it would be a Jonas in the ship. * * He also advised the Ship-Master, that if storms did arise, to search if they had not in any Chest or Trunk any such Jonas aboard, which if you find (said he) I do not advise you to throw the persons over-board, but the Writings ”

“ To this we returne, that according to his Majesties pleasure exprest in or Charter, or Gouernour formerly hath nominated and appoynted meet persons to administer the oath of allegiance, whoe haue, according to their order, administred the sd oath to seuerall persons allready; and the administration of justice amongst us hath been, is and shall be in his Majesties name.
2nd Propos: That all men of competent estates and of ciuill conuersation, though of different judgments, may be admitted to be freemen, and haue liberty to chuse or to be chosen officers, both military and ciuill. ”