The Oath of a Freeman, or of a Man to be made ffree.
I, A. B. &c. being, by the Almighties most wise disposic̄on, become a membr of this body, consisting of the Goūnr, Deputy Goūnr, Assistants, & a comnlty of the Mattachusets in Newe England, doe, freely & sincerely acknowledge that I am iustly & lawfully subject to the goūmt of the same, & doe accordingly submitt my pson & estate to be ptected, ordered, & goūned by the lawes & constituc̄ons thereof, & doe faithfully pmise to be from time to time obedient & conformeable therevnto, & to the authie of the said Goūnr & Assistants & their successrs, & to all such lawes, orders, sentences, & decrees as shalbe lawfully made & published by them or their successors; and I will alwaies indeavr (as in dutie I am bound) to advance the peace & wellfaire of this bodie or com̄onwealth to my vtmost skill & abilitie; & I will, to my best power & meanes, seeke to devert & prevent whatsoeuer may tend to the ruyne or damage thereof, or of any the said 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, treachery, or other hurt or euill which I shall knowe, heare, or vehemtly suspecte to be plotted or intended against the said com̄onwealth, or the said goumt established; and I will not att any time suffer or giue consent to any counsell or attempt that shalbe offered giuen, or attempted for the impeachmt of the said goūmt, or makeing any change or alterac̄on of the same, contrary to the lawes & ordinances thereof, but shall doe my vtmost endeavr to discover, oppose, & hinder, all & eūy such counsell & attempts. Soe helpe me God. [1631.]
Fac-simile of the Freemen’s Oath
The oath of a servt.
I. N. N. servt 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 Governor a Deputy Governor &. 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 Governor Deputy Governor 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
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 Governor & 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 Governemt, 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.
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 endeavor (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 agt them sd or agt 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 endeavor to discover & oppose & hīer all & everye such Counsells
Att a Genrall 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 Goūnr, Deputy Goūnr, 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 Goūnr, or Deputy Goūnr, 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.