FOrasmuch as Almighty God hath Ordained Kings, Queens, and Princes, to have Dominion and Rule over all their Subjects, and to preserve them in the Possession and Observation of the true Christian Religion, according to his holy Word and Command­ment: And in like sort, that all Subjects should Love, Fear, and Obey their Soveraign Princes, being Kings or Queens, to the utmost of their power; at all times to withstand, pursue, and suppress all manner of Persons that shall by any means intend and attempt any thing dangerous or hurtful to the Honour, States, or Persons of their Soveraigns.

Therefore we whose Names are or shall be subscribed to this Writing, being Natural Born Subjects of this Realm of England, and having so Graci­ous a Lady, our Soveraign Elizabeth, by the Ordinance of God, our most rightful Queen, Reigning over us these many Years with great felicity, to our inestimable Comfort: And finding lately by divers Depositions, Confessions, and sundry Advertisements out of Foreign Parts from credible Persons, well known to her Majesties Council and to divers others; That for the furtherance and advancement of some pretended Title to the Crown, it hath been manifested that the Life of out Gracious Soveraign Lady Queen Elizabeth, hath been most dangerously to the peril of her Person; if Almighty God her perpetual Defender, of his mercy had not revealed and withstood the same. By whose Life, we and all other her Majesties True and Loyal Subjects, do enjoy an inestimable benefit of peace in this Land; do for the Reasons and Causes before at edged, not only acknowledge our selves most justly bound with out Lives and Goods for her defence, in her safety, to persecute, suppress, and with­stand all such Intenders and all other her Enemies, of what Nation, Condition, and Degree whatsoever they shall be, or by what Council or Ti­tle they shall pretend to be her Enemies, or to attempt any harm upon her Person; but do further think it our bounden Duties for the great benefit of Peace, Wealth, and Godly Government, we have more plentifully re­ceived these many Years, under her Majesties Government, than any of our Forefathers have done in any longer time of any other Progenitors, Kings of this Realm.

Do declare, and by this Writing make manifest our bounden Duties to our said Soveraign Lady for her safety. And to that end, We, and every of us, First Calling to Witness the Name of Almighty God, do Voluntarily and most Willingly bind our selves, every one of us to the other, joyntly and severally in the Band of one Firm and Loyal Society. And do hereby Vow and Promise by the MAJESTY OF ALMIGH­TY GOD, That with our whole Powers, Bodies, Lives, and Goods, [Page 10] and with our Children and Servants, We, and every of us, will faithfully serve and humbly obey our said Soveraign Lady Queen Elizabeth, against all States, Dignities, and Earthly Powers whatsoever; and will as well with our joynt and particular Forces during our Lives, withstand, offend, and pursue, as well by force of Arms, as by all other means of Revenge; all manner of Persons of what state soever they shall be, and their Abettors, that shall attempt any Act. Council, or Consent to any thing that shall tend to the harm of her Majesties Royal Person, and will never desist from all manner of forcible pursuit against such Persons, to the utter Extermination of them, their Counsellors, Aiders, and Abettors.

And if any such wicked Attempt against her most Royal Person, shall be taken in hand or procured, whereby any that have, may, or shall pretend Title to come to this Crown, by the untimely death of her Majesty so wickedly procured (which God for his Mercy sake forbid) may be avenged; We do not only bind our selves both joyntly and severally never to Allow, Ac­cept, or Favour any such pretended Successor, by whom, or for whom any such detestable Act shall be Attempted or Committed, as unworthy of all Go­vernment in any Christian Realm or Civil State.

But do also further Vow and Protest as we are most bound, and that in the Presence of the Eternal and Everlasting God, to Prosecute such Per­son and Persons to Death with our joynt or particular Forces, and to ask the utmost Revenge upon them that by any means we or any of us can devise and do, or cause to be devised and done for their utter Overthrow and Extirpation.

And to the better Corroboration of this our Loyal Band and Association, We do also Testifie by this Writing, that we do Confirm the Contents hereof by our Oaths corporally taken upon the Holy Evangelist, with this express Condition; that no one of us shall for any respect of Persons or Causes, or for Fear or Reward, separate our selves from this ASSOCIA­TION, or fail in the prosecution thereof, during our Lives, upon pain of being by the rest of us prosecuted, and supprest as perjur'd Persons, and as publick Enemies to God, our Queen, and to our Native Country. To which punishment and pains we do voluntarily submit our selves, and every of us, without benefit of any colour and pretence.

In Witness of all which Premises to be inviolably kept, we do to this Writing put our Hands and Seals; and shall be most ready to accept and admit any others hereafter, to this Society and Association.