The inhabitants of Westerly, being by warrant required to appeare at this Court to give the oath of allegiance to his Majesty, and of fidellity to his Majesty’s authority for this Collony, these persons hereunder named appeared and gave oath, viz. [Thirty-three names.]
The oath given by the above written persons was in these followinge words:
I doe truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify and declare in my conscience before God and the world, that our Soverreign Lord, King Charles, is lawfull and rightfull King of the Realm of England, and of all other his dominions and countries; and that the Pope, neither of himselfe, nor by any authority of the Church, or See of Rome, or by any other meanes with any other, hath any power or authority to depose the King, or to dispose of his Majesty’s kingdoms or dominions, or to authorize any forreigne prince to invade, or annoy him, or his country, or to discharge any of his subjects from their allegiance and obedience to his Majesty; or to give license or leave to any of them to beare armes, raise tumults, or offer any violence or hurt to his Majesty’s Royall person, State or Government, or to any of his Majesty’s subjects within his Majesty’s dominions. Alsoe I doe sweare from my heart, that notwithstanding any declaration or sentence of ex-communication, or deprivation, made or granted, or to be made or granted by the Pope or his successors, or by any authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his See against the said King, his heires or successors, or any absolution of the said subjects from their obedience, I will beare faith and true allegiance to his Majesty, his heires and successors, and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their persons, their Crowne and dignity, by reason or clause of any such sentence or declaration or otherwise, and will doe my best endeavour to disclose, and make knowne unto his Majesty, his heires and successors, all treasons and traiterous conspiracies, which I shall know or hear of, to be against him or any of them. And I doe further sweare that I doe from my heart, abhor, detest and abjure as impious and herritical, this damnable doctrine and position, that princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope, may be deposed or murthered by their subjects, or any other whatsoever. And I doe believe and in my conscience am resolved, that neither the Pope nor any person whatsoever, hath power to absolve me of this oath, or any part thereof, which I acknowledge by good and full authority to bee ministered unto me; and doe renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary. And all these things I doe plainly and sincerely acknowledge and sweare according to these express words by me spoken, according to the plaine and common sense and understandinge of the same words, without any equivocation or mentall evasion or secrett reservation whatsoever. And further, I doe here solemnly engage all true and loyall obedience unto his Majesty’s authority placed and established in this his Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and King’s Province. And I doe make this recognition heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the true faith of a Christian. So help me God. [1679.]
No further oaths, or engagements, appear until the Administration of Sir Edmund Andros, in 1686, reduced the Colony to the nature of a County under his government.
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. 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. Under this association, an agreement was drawn up by the Reverend John Wheelwright, their leader, as follows:
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.