Wednesday Aug. 4th.—This daye (by reason of extream heat, both paste and likely to ensue, and by that meanes of the alteration of the healthes of diverse of the general Assembly) the Governour, who himselfe also was not well, resolved should be the last of this first session; so in the morning the Speaker (as he was required by the Assembly) redd over all the lawes and orders that had formerly passed the house, to give the same yett one reviewe more, and to see whether there were any thing to be amended or that might be excepted againste. This being done, the third sorte of lawes which I am nowe coming to sett downe, were read over [and] thoroughly discussed, which together with the former, did now passe the last and finall consente of the General Assembly.
A third sorte of lawes, suche as may issue out of every man's private conceipte.
... All Ministers in the Colony shall once a year, namely, in the moneth of Marche, bring to the Secretary of Estate a true account of all Christenings, burials and marriages, upon paine, if they faill, to be censured for their negligence by the Governor and Counsell....
No man, without leave of the Governor, shall kill any Neatt Cattle whatsoever, young or olde, especially kine ... upon penalty of forfeiting the value of the beast so killed.
Whosoever shall take any of his neighbors' boates, oares, or canvas, without leave from the owner, shall be held and esteemed as a felon, and so proceeded against.[13]
All ministers shall duly read divine service, and exercise their ministerial function according to the Ecclesiastical lawes and orders of the churche of Englande, and every Sunday in the afternoon shall Catechize suche as are not yet ripe to come to the Com. And whosoever of them shalbe found negligent or faulty in this kinde shalbe subject to the censure of the Governor and Counsell of Estate....
For reformation of swearing, every freeman and Master of a family, after thrice admonition [by church wardens], shall give 5 s ... to the use of the church ... and every servant ... except his Mr discharge the fine, shalbe subject to whipping.
Provided that, the payment of the fine notwithstanding, the said servant shall acknowledge his faulte publiquely in the Churche.