Virginia House of Burgesses (August 4, 1619) narrative of Jamestown:
<All ministers shall duly read Divine service, and exercise their ministerial function according to the Ecclesiastical laws and orders of the Church of England, and every Sunday in the afternoon shall Catechize such as are not yet ripe to come to the Communion.
And whosoever of them shall be found negligent or faulty in this kind shall be subject to the censure of the Governor and Council of Estate.
The Ministers and Churchwardens shall seek to present all ungodly disorders, the committers whereof if, upon good admonitions and mild reproof, they will not forebear the said scandalous offenses, as suspicions of whoredoms, dishonest company keeping with women and such like, they are to be presented and punished accordingly.
If any person after two warnings, do not amend his or her life in point of evident suspicion of incontinency or of the commission of any other enormous sins, that then he or she be presented by the Churchwardens and suspended for a time from the Church by the minister.
In which Interim if the same person do not amend and humbly submit him or herself to the Church, he is then fully to be excommunicate and soon after a writ or warrant to be sent from the Governor for the apprehending of his person and seizing on all his goods…
All persons whatsoever upon the Sabbath day shall frequent Divine service and sermons both forenoon and afternoon, and all such as bear arms shall bring their pieces, swords, powder and shot.
And every one that shall transgress this law shall forfeit three shillings a time to the use of the Church, all lawful and necessary impediments excepted. But if a servant in this case shall willfully neglect his Master’s command he shall suffer bodily punishment.> 1619VA002
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1619VA002. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Virginia Narrative, August 4, 1619, of House of Burgesses, Jamestown.
This post originally appeared at https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/virginia-house-of-burgesses-august-4-1619