At the Generall Court of Election began and held at Portsmouth, from the 16th of March to the 19th of the same mo., 1641. 1. It was ordered and agreed before the Election, that an Ingagement by oath should be taken of all the officers of this Body now to be elected, as likewise for the time to come; the ingagement which the severall officers of the State shall give is this; To the execution of this office I judge myself bound before God to walk faithfully, and this I profess in y^e presence of God. 3. It is ordered and unanimously agreed upon that the Government which this Bodie Politick doth attend vnto in this Island, and the Jurisdiction thereof, in favour of our Prince is a Democracie, or popular Government; that is to say, It is in the Powre of the Body of Freemen orderly assembled, or the major part of them, to make or constitute Just Lawes, by which they will be regulated, and to depute from among themselves such Ministers as shall see them faithfully executed between Man and Man. 16. It is ordered that Ingagement shall be taken by the Justices of the Peace in their Quarter Sessions of all men or youth above fifteen years of age, eyther by the oath of Fidelity, or some other strong cognizance. 28. It is ordered and received, that the Ingagement that already was given by the Freemen was and is of the same force as that oath is which is authorized to be administered to the Inhabitants, which oath Nicholas Easton, Rob’t Jeoffreys, and Wm. Dyre did take in presence of the Courte. 29. It is ordered, that if any person or persons on the Island, whether Freeman or Inhabitant, shall by any meanes open or covert, endeavour to bring in any other Powre than what is now established (except it be from our Prince by lawfull commission), shall be accounted a delinquent under the head of Perjurie. 30. It is ordered, that the Law of the last Court made concerning Libertie of Conscience in point of Doctrine is perpetuated. THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE OFFICERS You, A. B. being called and chosen vnto public employment, and the office of ——, by the free vote and consent y^e Inhabitants of the Province of Providence Plantations (now orderly met), do, in the present Assemblie, engage yourself faithfully and truly to the utmost of your power to execute the commission committed vnto you; and do hereby promise to do neither more nor less in that respect than that which the Colonie have or shall authorize you to do according to the best of your understanding. THE RECIPROCAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE STATE TO Y^E OFFICERS