All ministers shall duely read divine service, and exercise their ministerial function according to the Ecclesiastical lawes and orders of the churche[361] of Englande, and every Sunday in the afternoon[362] shall Catechize suche as are not yet ripe to come to the Com.[363] And whosoever of them shalbe[364] found negligent or faulty in this kinde shalbe subject to the censure of the Governr and Counsell of Estate.
The Ministers and Churchwardens shall seeke to presente[365] all ungodly disorders, the comitters wherofe[366] if, upon goode[367] admonitions and milde reprooff,[368] they will not forbeare the said skandalous offenses,[369] as suspicions of whordomes,[370] dishonest company keeping with weomen and suche[371] like, they are to be presented and punished accordingly.
If any person after two warnings, doe[372] not amende[373] his or her life in point[374] of evident suspicion of Incontincy[375] or of the comission[376] of any other enormous sinnes,[377] that then he or shee be presented by the Churchwardens and suspended for a time from the churche by the minister. In wch Interim if the same person do[378] not amende and humbly submit[379] him or herselfe to the churche, he is then fully to be excomunicate and soon after a writt or warrant to be sent[380] from the Governr[381] for the apprehending of his person ande seizing on[382] all his goods. Provided alwayes, that all the ministers doe meet[383] once a quarter, namely, at the feast of St Michael the Arkangell, of the nativity of our saviour, of the Annuntiation of the blessed Virgine, and about midsomer, at[384] James citty or any other place where the Governor[385] shall reside, to determine whom it is fitt to excomunicate, and that they first presente their opinion to the Governor[386] ere they proceed to the acte of excomunication.
For reformation of swearing, every freeman and Mr of a family after thrise admonition shall give 5s or the value upon present[387] demaunde, to the use of the church where he dwelleth; and every servant after the like admonition, excepte his Mr dischardge[388] the fine, shalbe subject to whipping. Provided, that the payment of the fine notwthstanding, the said servant shall acknowledge his faulte publiquely in the Churche.
No man whatsoever, coming by water from above, as from Henrico, Charles citty, or any place from the westwarde of James citty, and being bound for Kiccowtan,[389] or any other parte on this side,[390] the same shall presume to pass by, either by day or by night, wthout touching firste here at James citty to knowe[391] whether the Governor[392] will comande him any service. And the like shall they performe that come from Kicawtan[393] ward, or from any place between this and that, to go upwarde, upon paine of forfaiting ten pound sterling a time to the Governr[394]. Provided, that if a servant having had instructions from his Master to observe this lawe,[395] doe, notwthstanding, transgresse the same, that then the said[396] servant shalbe punished at the Governr's discretion; otherwise, that the master himselfe shall undergo the foresaid penalty.
No man shall trade[397] into the baye, either in shallop, pinnace, or ship, wthout the Governr's[398] license, and wthout putting in security that neither himself nor his Company shall force or wrong the Indians, upon paine that, doing otherwise, they shalbe censured at their returne by the Governor[399] and Counsell[400] of Estate.
All persons whatsoever upon the Sabaoth daye[401] shall frequente divine service and sermons both forenoon and afternoon, and all suche as beare armes shall bring[402] their pieces, swordes, poulder and shotte. And every one that shall transgresse this lawe shall forfaicte[403] three shillinges[404] a time to the use of the churche, all lawful and necessary impediments excepted. But if a servant in this case shall wilfully neglecte his Mr's comande he shall suffer bodily punishmente.
No maide or woman servant, either now resident in the Colonie or hereafter to come, shall contract herselfe in marriage wthout either the consente of her parents, or of her Mr or Mris, or of the magistrat[405] and minister of the place both together. And whatsoever minister shall marry or contracte any suche persons wthout some of the foresaid consentes shalbe[406] subjecte to the severe censure of the Governr[407] and Counsell[408] of Estate.
Be it enacted by this[409] present assembly that whatsoever servant hath heretofore or shall hereafter contracte himselfe in England, either by way of Indenture or otherwise, to serve any Master here in Virginia and shall afterward, against[410] his said former contracte, depart from his Mr wthout leave, or, being once imbarked, shall abandon the ship he is appointed to come in, and so, being lefte behinde, shall putt[411] himselfe into the service of any other man that will bring him hither, that then at the same servant's arrival here, he shall first serve out his time with that Mr that brought him hither and afterward also shall serve out his time[412] wth his former Mr according to his covenant.