confcience hereby granted, fhall not be fo conftrued, as to excufe acts of licentiousness, or justify practices inconfiftent with the peace or safety of this State.

XXXIX. And whereas the Minifters of the Gospel are by their profeffion dedicated to the fervice of God and the cure of fouls, and ought not to be diverted from the great duties of their function; therefore no Minister of the Gospel, or priest of any denomination whatsoever, shall at any time hereafter, under any pretence or description whatever, be eligible to, or capable of holding any civil or military office or place within this State.

XL. And whereas it is of the utmost importance to the fafety of every State, that it fhould always be in a condition of defence; and it is the duty of every man, who enjoys the protection of fociety, to be prepared and wil. ling to defend it; this Convention, therefore, in the name and by the authority of the good people of this State, doth ordain, determine, and declare, that the militia of this State, at all times hereafter, as well in peace as in war, fhall be armed and difciplined, and in readiness for fervice. That all fuch of the inhabitants of

this State, being of the people called Quakers, who, from fcruples of confcience, may be averfe to the bearing of arms, be therefrom excused by the legislature; and do pay to the State fuch fums of money in lieu of their perfonal fervice, as the fame may, in the judgment of the legiflature, be worth: and that a proper magazine of warlike ftores, proportionate to the number of inhabitants, be, forever hereafter, at the expence of this State, and by acts of the legislature, established, maintained, and continued in every county in this State.

XLI. And this Convention doth further ordain, determine, and declare, in the name and by the authority of the good people of this State, that trial by jury, in all cafes in which it hath heretofore been used in the colony of NewYork, fhall be established, and remain inviolate forever and that no acts of attainder shall be paffed by the legislature of this State for crimes, other than those committed before the termination of the prefent war; and that fuch acts shall not work a corruption of blood. And further, that the legislature of this State shall at no time hereafter inftitute any new court or courts, but fuch as fhall proceed according to the course of the common law.

XLII. And

XLII. And this Convention doth further, in the name and by the authority of the good people of this State, ordain, determine, and declare, that it shall be in the difcretion of the legislature to naturalize all fuch perfons, and in fuch manner, as they fhall think proper; provided all such of the perfons fo to be by them naturalized, as being born in parts beyond fea, and out of the United States of America, shall come to settle in, and become fubjects of this State, fhall take an oath of allegiance to this State, and abjure and renounce all allegiance and subjection to all and every foreign King, Prince, Potentate, and State, in all matters ecclefiaftical as well as civil,

By order,

LEONARD GANSEVOORT,

Pref. pro tem.

NEW

M 3

WHE

HEREAS all the conftitutional authority ever poffeffed by the Kings of Great-Britain over thefe Colonies, or their other dominions, was by compact derived from the people, and held of them for the common interest of the whole fociety, allegiance and protection are, in the nature of things, reciprothe other, cal ties, each equally depending upon and liable to be diffolved by the other's being refused or withdrawn. And whereas George the Third, King of Great-Britain, has refused protection to the good people of these Colonies; and, by affenting to fundry Acts of the British Parliament, attempted to fubject them to the abfolute dominion of that body; and has alfo made war upon them in the most cruel and unnatural manner, for no other cause than af

ferting

ferting their just rights; all civil authority under him is neceffarily at an end, and a diffolution of government in each Colony has confequently taken place.

And whereas in the prefent deplorable fituation of these Colonies, expofed to the fury of a cruel and relentless enemy, fome form of government is abfolutely neceffary, not only for the preservation of good order, but also the more effectually to unite the people, and enable them to exert their whole force in their own necessary defence; and as the honourable the Continental Congress, the fupreme council of the American Colonies, has advised fuch of the Colonies as have not yet gone into the meafure, to adopt for themselves respectively fuch government as shall beft conduce to their own happiness and safety, and the well-being of America in general; We, the Representatives of the Colony of New-Jersey, having been elected by all the counties in the freest manner, and in Congrefs affembled, have, after mature deliberations, agreed upon a fett of charter rights, and the form of a Constitution, in manner following, viz.

I. That the government of this Province