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WHereas the Lawes Publiſhed by the Honoured General Court, Lib. 1. Pag. 76. Sect. 3. Do Require all Townes from time to time to diſpoſe of Single Perſons and inmates within their Towns to Service, or otherwiſe. And in Pag. 16. Tit. Children and Youth, It is Required of the Select men, That they ſee that all Children and Youth under family Government, be taught to Read perfectly the Engliſh Tongue, have knowledge of the Capital Lawes, and be taught ſome Orthodox Catechiſme, and that they be brought up to ſome honeſt imployment profitable to themſelves and the Common Wealth, and in caſe of neglect on the part of the family Governours, after Admonition given them, the ſaid Select men are Required with the help of two Magiſtrates, or next Court of that Shire, to take ſuch Children or Apprentices from them, and place them forth with ſuch as will look more ſtrictly to them.
The neglect whereof, as by ſad experience from Court to Court aboundantly appeares, doth occaſion much Sin and prophanes to encreaſe among us; to the diſhonour of God, and the enſnareing of many Children and ſervants, by the diſſolute lives and practices of ſuch as do live from under family Government, and is a great diſcouragement to thoſe family Governours who conſcientiouſly endeavour to bring up their youth in all Chriſtian nurture as the Lawes of God and this Common Wealth doth require.
THeſe are therefore in his Majeſties Name to Require you to acquaint the Select men of your Town, that the Court doth expect and will Reviz. do not ſerve their Parents, or Maſters, as Children, Apprentices, hired Servants, or journey men, ought to do, and uſually did in our Native Country; being ſubject to their Commands and Diſcipline: and the ſame you are to Returne to the next Court