|
Continuance of the Monarchy of Great-Britain, the Preserva-
tion of the Protestant Religion, the Maintainance of the
Church, the Security of the ancient and undoubted Rights
and Liberties, and the future Peace and Tranquility of the
Kingdom, do, (under God,) entirely depend upon the good
and wholesome Laws heretofore made for the Limitation and
Succession of the Crown in the Protestant Line, and the
securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject, And Offices
in that Government, which they would not oblige themselves
to defend, by taking the Several Oaths therein directed, has
been thought an effectual Step towards the obtaining the
aforesaid happy Ends :
II. And whereas this present General Assembly think
themselves indispensably obliged to do their Part in securing
to his Lordship, (the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary)
and the good People of this Province, their Share in these
inestimable Benefits, which are so vastly advantageous to Great-
Britain, and consequently agreeable to all the Dominions
thereto belonging, but especially to us who are under the
immediate Government of a Protestant Lord Proprietor, And
that nothing can be more effectual to secure to his Lordship
the quiet and peaceable Enjoyment of his Government, and
Property secured, which has of late been daringly threatened
by Persons disaffected to the Protestant Succession, who have
openly in Treasonable Manner taken upon them to give the
pretended Prince of Wales, the Title of King of Great Brit-
tain, and drunk his Health as such, And that no better Ex-
pedient can be found to obviate the wicked Designs and
Expectations of such disaffected Persons to our present happy
Establishment, than to act (as near as may be,) to the great
Pattern which the British Legislature has set before us: In
pursuance whereof, the Legislature of this Province, when
under the more immediate Government of the Crown, (to
wit) in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Four,
thought fit, by an Act then made to oblige all Persons who
then had, or thereafter should have any Office or Place of
Trust within this Province, to take the Oath, commonly called
the Oath of Abjuration; and for that the several Oaths directed
to be taken by the Act made in the First Year of his present
Majesty's Reign, for the Security of his Majesty's Person and
Government, and the Succession of the Crown, &c. are by
this present General Assembly thought equally necessary,
III. Be it Enacted, by the Right Honourable the Lord
Proprietary, by and with Advice and Consent of his Lordship's
Governor, and the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly,
and by the Authority of the same, That the following Oaths
shall be administered to, and taken by, all Persons that already
|
Bacon.
|
