The Combination for Government at Exeter, with the Forms of Oaths for Rulers and People
Whereas it hath pleased the lord to moue the heart of our Dread Soveraigne Charles by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France & Ireland, to grant license & liberty to sundry of his subjects to plant themselves in the Westerne partes of America: Wee, his loyall subjects, brethren of the church of Exeter, situate & lying upon the river of Piscataquacke, wh other inhabitants there, considering wth ourselves the holy will of god and our owne necessity, that we should not live wthout wholsome lawes & government amongst us, of wch we are altogether destitute; doe in the name of Christ & in the sight of god combine ourselves together, to erect & set up amongst us such government as shall be to our best discerning, agreeable to the will of god, professing ourselves subjects to our Soveraigne Lord King Charles, according to the libertys of our English Colony of the Massachusets & binding ourselves solemnely by the grace & helpe of Christ & in his name & feare to submit our selves to such godly & Christian laws as are established in the realme of England to our best knowledge, & to all other such lawes wch shall upon good grounds be made & inacted amongst us according to god yt we may live quietly & peaceably together in all godliness and honesty. Mon. 5th d., 4th, 1639. [John Whelewright, and thirty-four others.]
This was soon found to be unsatisfactory to some other settlers, who thought its expressions too lavish of loyalty to the King, and, in consequence, of prelacy; and while they were willing to acknowledge in a general way his sovereignty, and that they were his subjects, they had no disposition to make any unnecessary professions of allegiance. Another compact was then drawn of the same purport, simply acknowledging the King to be their Sovereign, and themselves his subjects. This was executed in due form and went into effect as the basis of government. But it did not bear the test of trial. Curiously, because it did not contain loyalty enough. And the original Combination was re-executed with the following explanatory preamble:
Whereas a certen combination was made by us, the brethren of the Church of Exeter, with the rest of the Inhabitants, bearing date Mon. 5th. d. 4, 1639, wh afterwards, upon the instant request of some of the brethren, was altered, & put into such a forme of wordes, wherein howsoever we doe acknowledge the King’s Majesty our dread Sovereigne & ourselves his subjects: yet some expressions are contained therein wh may seeme to admit of such a sence as somewhat derogates from that due Allegiance wh we owe to his Highnesse, quite contrary to our true intents and meanings: We therefore doe revoke, disannull, make voyd and frustrate the said latter combination, as if it never had beene done, and doe ratify, confirme and establish the former, wh wee onely stand as being in force & virtue, the wh for substance is here set downe in manner and form following. Mon., 2d d., 2, 1640.
Both the Elders and the People were required to take certain prescribed oaths, as follows: