WHereas it hath pleased his most excellent Majesty our Gratious King, by his Letter bearing Date the twenty seventh of April, 1678. to signifie his Royal pleasure, That the Authority of this his Colony of Massachusets in New-England, do give forth Or­ders that the Oath of Allegiance as it is by Law established within his Kingdome of England, be administred and taken by all his Subjects within this Colony, who are of years to take an Oath:

In Obedience whereunto, and as a demonstration of our Loyalty; It is Ordered and Enacted by this Court and the Authority thereof, that as the Members of this Court now sitting have readily taken the Oath of Allegiance, so by their Example and Authority they do require and command that the same Oath be given and taken by all his Majesties Subjects within this Jurisdiction, that are of sixteen years of Age and upwards. And to the end this Order be duely executed, It is hereby Ordered, that a conve­nient number of printed Copies of the said Oath of Allegiance, exactly agreeing with the written Copy Inclosed in his Majesties Letter, and signed by the Secretary of State, be sent forth unto every Magistrate and Justice of Peace, and to the Constable of every Town within this Jurisdiction.

And it is further Ordered that the Magistrates and Justices, or such as are Commissioned with Magi­stratical Authority in every County of this Colony do with all convenient speed repair to the several Towns and Villages within this Jurisdiction, at such time, and in such order as they best may, and accom­plish the same; giving forth their warrant to the Constables of each Town to convene all the Inhabitants of the Age above said, and taking their names in writing, administer the said Oath of Allegiance to each of them, and return their Names to the Recorder of each [...] Court to be enrolled. And if any shall refuse to take the said Oath, or absent themselves, unless in case of sickness, the Names of such shall be re­turned to the Recorder of the County, who are to be proceeded against by the County Courts respe­ctively, for the first offence whereof he is legally convicted, to pay such a Fine as the County Court shall impose not exceeding five pounds, or three Moneths Imprisonment in the common prison or house of Cor­rection: And for the second offence whereof he shall be lawfully convicted, what summe the County Court shall inflict, provided it exceed not ten pounds, or six Moneths Imprisonment without Baile, or Main-prise.