of this Assembly Ordained and enacted except as in this
present Act is before declared and set forth that no Person
or Persons whatsoever within this Province or the Islands
Ports harbours Creeks or Havens thereunto [professing] to
believe in Jesus Christ shall from henceforth be in any ways
troubled molested or discountenanced for or in respect of his
or her Religion nor in the free exercise thereof within this
Province or the Islands thereunto belonging nor any way
Compelled to the Belief for exercise of any other Religion
against his or her consent so as they be not unfaithful
to the Lord Proprietary or molest or Conspire against
the Civil Government established or to be established in
this Province under him or his heirs and that all and
every Person and persons that shall presume Contrary
to this Act and the true intent and meaning thereof
directly or indirectly either in Person or estate wilfully
to wrong disturb trouble or molest any Person whatsoever
within this province professing to Believe in Jesus Christ
for or in respect of his or her Religion or the free Exercise
thereof with this Province other than is provided for
in the Act that such Person or persons so offending shall
be compelled to pay treble damages to the party so wron-
ged or molested and for every such Offence shall forfeit
20s Sterling in money or the Value thereof   half thereof
for the use of the Lord Proprietary and his heirs Lords and
Proprietarys of this Province and the other half
for the use of the Party so wronged or molested as aforesaid
and if the Party so Offending as aforesaid shall Refuse
or be unable to recompence the Party so Grieved or to satisfy
such fine or forfeiture then such offender shall be severely

Source: An Act Concerning Religion, 1649, April 21.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UPPER HOUSE (Proceedings) MSA S 977-1, f. 358.
[Words in brackets supplied from the original recording of the law]