Strictly speaking, Plymouth was not a New England Colony. It was without a Charter, and the functions of its government were those of a Corporation. The power of the Oath of Allegiance their leaders had assented to always seemed to hang over them, and paralyze the initiative they should have taken. Their attempts to increase their circumscribed boundaries at New Plymouth were futile; and, in the case of their attempted settlement in Maine, disastrous both to the business reputation of their leaders, and to the Corporation. They could spare neither the men nor the means from the parent settlement to form permanent settlements elsewhere. They seemed doomed to failure. And yet hardly that, when we consider the impress upon our Nation made by their sterling qualities of mind and heart, their patience and fortitude under severe trials, the hopes and ambition of their teachings, and their never-failing trust in God’s Providence. These high qualities still animate and live in the great and growing number who proudly claim their ancestry from the Pilgrims at New Plymouth.

Combination for Foundation of Government
known as
The Mayflower Compact

In y^e name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by y^e grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland, king, defender of y^e faith, &c. haveing undertaken, for y^e glorie of God, and advancement of y^e Christian faith, and honour of our king and countrie, a voyage to plant y^e first colonie in y^e Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in y^e presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick, for our better ordering & preservation & furtherance of y^e ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just & equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & convenient for y^e generall good of y^e Colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd y^e 11 of November, in y^e year of y^e raigne of our soveraigne lord, King James, of England, France, & Ireland y^e eighteenth, and of Scotland y^e fiftie fourth. An^o: Dom. 1620. [Forty-one names.]

The Mayflower Compact has received full and adequate treatment in the paper read before this Society in October, 1920, by Arthur Lord, LL.D.

The exact date of the two forms of Oaths first given has not been determined, but they are certainly later than the formation of the first Council in 1624.

Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity

The forme of Oath ... which liue in this Colonie ... the Oth of alegance to his maj ... fidelity to the same.

You shall sweare by the name of the Great God ... & earth & in his holy fear, & presence that you shall not speake, or doe, deuise, or aduise, anything or things, acte or acts, directly, or indirectly, By land, or water, that doth, shall, or may, tend to the destruction or ouerthrowe of this present plantation, Colonie, or Corporation of this towne Plimouth in New England.

Neither shall you suffer the same to be spoken, or done, but shall hinder, & oposse the same, by all due means you can.

You shall not enter into any league, treaty, Confederac or combination, with any, within the said Colonie or without the same that shall plote, or contriue any thing to the hurte, & ruine of the growth, and good of the said plantation.

You shall not consente to any shuch confederation, nor conceale any known vnto you certainly, or by conje but shall forthwith manifest & make knowne the same, to the Gouernours of this said towne for the time being.

And this you promise & swear, simply, & truly, & faithfully to performe as a true christian [you hope for help from God, the God of truth & punisher of falshoode.]

The forme of the Oath which ... of the Gouernour, & Counsell at euery Election of any of them.

You shall swear, according to that wisdom, and measure of discerning giuen vnto you; faithfully, equally & indifrently without respect of persons; to administer Justice, in all causes coming before you. And shall labor, to aduance, & furder the good of this Colony, & plantation, to the vtmost of your power; and oppose any thing that may hinder the same. So help you God.

The words, “a true Christian” were afterwards crossed out, and the form used later: “as you hope for help from God, the God of truth and punisher of falsehood” was substituted.

By the Laws of 1636, every freeman was required to take the following Oath:

The Oath of a Ffreeman

You shall be truly loyall to our Sov Lord King Charles, his heires & successors, [the State & Govern^t of England as it now stands.] You shall not speake or doe, devise or advise any thing or things act or acts directly or indirectly by land or water, that doth shall or may tend to the destruccon or overthrow of this prnt plantacons Colonies or Corporacon of New Plymouth, Neither shall you suffer the same to be spoken or done but shall hinder oppose & discover the same to the Govr & Assistants of the said Colony for the time being or some one of them. You shall faithfully submit unto such good & wholesome laws & ordnanc & as either are or shall be made for the ordering & governm^t of the same, and shall endeavor to advance the growth & good of the severall Colonies plantations w^th in the limit & of this Corporacon by all due meanes & courses. All w^ch you promise & sweare by the name of the great God of heaven & earth simply truly & faithfully to pforme as you hope for help fro God who is the God of truth & punisher of falsehood. [1636]

Following the outbreak of civil war in England in 1638, the words “our sovereign lord King Charles his heirs and successors” were erased, and loyalty to “the State and Government of England as it now stands” substituted. The modern rendering intermixed is probably an attempt by the transcriber to fill out missing or undecipherable paragraphs or sentences.

According to Francis Baylies’ “Historical Memoir of New Plymouth,” (I: 235,) the following Oath was prescribed to be taken by any residing in the government of New Plymouth:

The Oath of a Resident

You shall be truly loyal to our sovereign lord King Charles, his heirs and successors, and whereas you choose at present to reside within the government of New Plymouth, you shall not do or cause to be done any act or acts directly or indirectly, by land or water, that shall tend to the destruction or overthrow of the whole or any of the several plantations or townships within the said government that are or shall be orderly erected or established, but shall contrariwise hinder, oppose, and discover the same, and such intents and purposes as tend thereunto, to the Governor for the time being, or some one of the assistants with all convenient speed. You shall also submit unto and obey all such good and wholesome laws, ordinances, and offices as are or shall be established within the limits thereof. So help you God. [1636.]

The disturbed state of England is also reflected in the 1658 revision of the Laws when “our sovereign lord the King, his heirs and successors” is substituted for “the present State and Government of England,” as follows:

The Oath of a Ffreeman

You shalbee truely Loyall to the present State and Goument of England [our Sou^r Lord the King his heires and Successors.] You shall not speake or doe deuise or aduise Any thinge or thinges Acte or Actes directly or Indirectly by Land or Water that doth shall or may tend to the destruction or ouerthrow of these present plantations or Townshipes of the Corporation of New Plymouth neither shall you suffer the same to bee spoken or done but shall hinder oppose and discouer the same to the Gou^r And Assistants of the said Collonie for the time being; or some one of them; you shall faithfully submitt vnto such good and wholesome Lawes and ordinances as either are or shalbee made for the ordering and Gou^rment of the same; and shall Indeuor to aduance the grouth and good of the seuerall townshipes and plantations within the Lymetts of this Corporation by all due meanes and courses; All which you pmise and Sweare by the Name of the great God of heauen and earth simply truely and faithfully to pforme as you hope for healp from God who is the God of truth and the punisher of falchood. [1658.]

At the time of the 1671 revision of the Laws, Charles the Second had been firmly seated on the English throne for ten years, but his name is omitted from the superscription of the following Oath. The intensity of the feeling in the New England Colonies towards even the name of the two kings is shown in the fact that until after the middle of the next century Harvard College had only three graduates, if the three Charles Chaunceys, with whom it was a family name in England, are omitted, and Yale College only one graduate who bore the Christian name of Charles.

You shalbee truely Loyall to our Sou^r Lord the Kinge his heires and Successors; you shall not doe nor speake deuise or aduise any thinge or thinges act or actes directly or Inderectly by Land or water; that shall or may tend to the destruction or ouerthrow of any of these plantations or towneshipes of the Corporation of New Plymouth; neither shall you suffer the same to bee spoken or done but shall hinder oppose and discouer the same to the Gou^r and Assistants of the said Collonie for the time being or some one of them; you shall faithfully submitt vnto such good and wholesome lawes and ordinances; as either are or shalbee made for the ordering and Gou^rment of the same; and shall endeauor to advance the good and grouth of the seuerall Towneshipes and plantations within the Lymetts of this Corporation by all due meanes and courses; all which you p^rmise and sweare by the Name of the great God of heauen and earth simply truely and faithfully to pforme as you hope for healpe from God whoe is the God of truth and the punisher of ffalchood. [1671.]