their fair possessions in Britain, now pursues, with tenfold severity, us, their guiltless children, who are unjustly and wickedly charged with licentiousness, sedition, treason and rebellion; and being deeply impressed with a sense of the almost incredible fatigues and hardships our venerable progenitors encountered, who fled from oppression for the sake of civil and religious liberty for themselves and their offspring, and began a settlement here on bare, creation, at their own expense; and having seriously considered the duty we owe to God, to the memory of such invincible worthies, to the King, to Great Britain, our Country, ourselves and posterity, do think it an indispensable duty, by all lawful ways and means in our power, to recover, maintain, defend, and preserve, the free exercise of all those civil and religious rights and liberties, for which many of our forefathers fought, bled, and died, and to hand them down entire, for the free enjoyment of the latest posterity: And whereas the keeping a Standing Army in any of these Colonies in times of peace, without the consent of the Legislature of that Colony in which such an Army is kept, is against law: And whereas such an Army, with a large Naval Force, is now placed in the harbour of Boston, for the purpose of subjecting us to the power of the British Parliament: And whereas we are frequently told by the tools of Administration, dupes to ministerial usurpation, that Great Britain will not, in any degree, relax in her measures, until we acknowledge her “right to make laws binding upon us in all cases whatsoever;” and that if we refuse to be slaves, if we persist in our denial of her claim, the dispute must be decided by arms, in which it is said by our enemies “ we shall have no chance, being undisciplined, cowards, disobedient, impatient of command, and possessed of that spirit of levelling which admits of no order, subordination, rule, or government:” And whereas from the Ministerial Army and Fleet now at Boston, the large re-enforcement of Troops expected, the late circular letters to the Governours upon the Continent, the general tenour of intelligence from Great Britain, and the hostile preparations making here, as also from the threats and frequent insults of our enemies, we have reason to apprehend that the sudden destruction of this Colony is in contemplation, if not determined upon:

And whereas the great law of self-preservation hath required our raising and keeping an Army of Observation and defence, in order to prevent or repel any farther attempts to enforce the late cruel and oppressive Acts of the British Parliament, which are evidently designed to subject us and the whole Continent to the roost ignominious slavery: And whereas, in keeping such an Army, it will be necessary that the officers land soldiers in the same be fully acquainted with their duty, and that the articles, rules, and regulations thereof be made as plain as possible; and having great confidence in the honour and publick virtue of the inhabitants of this Colony, that they will readily obey their officers, and will cheerfully do their duty, when known, without any such severe articles and rules (except in capital cases) and cruel punishments, as are usually practised in standing armies, and will submit to all such rules and regulations as are founded in reason, honour, and virtue:

It is therefore Resolved, That the following Articles, Rules and Regulations, for the Army raised by this Colony for the defence and security of our lives, liberties, and estates, be, and hereby are established and required to be strictly adhered to by all officers, soldiers, and others concerned, as they regard their own honour and the publick good; and upon the penalties and forfeitures hereinafter mentioned.

ARTICLE I. All Officers and Soldiers, not having just impediment, shall diligently frequent divine service and sermon in the places appointed for assembling of the Regiment, Troop, or Company, to which they belong; and such as wilfully absent themselves, or being present, behave indecently or irreverently, shall, if Commissioned Officers, be brought before a Regimental Court-Martial, there to be publickly and severely reprimanded by the President; if Non-Commissioned Officers or Soldiers, every person so offending shall, for his first offence, forfeit one Shilling, to be deducted out of his wages; for the second offence he shall not only forfeit one Shilling, but be confined, not exceeding twenty-four hours; and for every like offence, shall suffer and pay in like manner; which money so forfeited shall be applied to the use of the sick Soldiers of the Troop or Company to which the offender belongs.

ART. II. Whatsoever Non-Commissioned Officer or Soldier shall use any unlawful oath or execration, shall incur the penalty of six Pence; and if a Commissioned Officer be thus guilty of profane cursing and swearing; he shall forfeit and pay for each and every such offence the sum of nine Pence, lawful money.

ART. III. Any Officer or Soldier who shall behave himself with contempt or disrespect towards the General or Generals, or Commander-in-Chief of the Rhode-Island Forces, or shall speak words tending to his or their hurt or dishonour, shall be punished according to the nature of his offence, by the judgment of a General Court-Martial.

ART. IV. Any Officer or Soldier who shall begin, excite, cause, or join in any mutiny or sedition in the Regiment, Troop, or Company, to which he belongs, or in any other Regiment, Troop, or Company of the Rhode-Island Forces, either by land or sea, or in any party, post, detachment, or guard, on any pretence whatsoever, shall suffer such punishment as by a General Court-Martial shall be ordered.

ART. V. Any Officer, Non-Commissioned Officer, or Soldier, who being present at any mutiny or sedition, does not use his utmost endeavours to suppress the same, or coming to the knowledge of any mutiny or intended mutiny, does not without delay, give information thereof to the commanding Officer, shall be punished by order of a General Court-Martial, according to the nature of his offence.

ART. VI. Any Officer or Soldier who shall strike his. superiour Officer, or draw, or offer to draw, or shall lift up any weapon, or offer any violence against him, being in the execution of his office, on any pretence whatsoever, or shall disobey any lawful commands of his superiour Officer, shall suffer such punishment as shall, according to the nature of his offence, be ordered by the sentence of a General Court-Martial.

ART. VII. Any Non-Commissioned Officer or Soldier who shall desert, or without leave of his Commanding Officer, absent himself from the Troop or Company to which he belongs, or from any detachment of the same, shall, upon being convicted thereof, be punished according to the nature of his offence, at the discretion of a General Court-Martial.

ART. VIII. Whatsoever Officer or Soldier shall be convicted of having advised or persuaded any other Officer or Soldier to desert, shall suffer such punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a General Court-Martial.

ART. IX. All Officers, of what condition soever, shall have power to part and quell all quarrels, frays, and disorders, though the persons concerned should belong to another Regiment, Troop, or Company, and either order Officers to be arrested, or Non-Commissioned Officers or Soldiers to be confined and imprisoned, till their proper Superiour Officers shall be acquainted therewith; and whoever shall refuse to obey such Officer, (though of an inferiour rank,) or shall draw his sword upon him, shall be punished at the discretion of a General Court-Martial.

ART. X. No Officer or Soldier shall use any reproachful or provoking speeches, or gestures to another, nor shall presume to send a challenge to any person to fight a duel; and whoever shall knowingly and willingly suffer any person whatsoever to go forth to fight a duel, or shall second, promote, or carry any challenge, shall be deemed as a principal; and whatsoever Officer or Soldier shall upbraid another for refusing a challenge, shall also be considered as a challenger; and all such offenders, in any of these or such like cases, shall be punished at the discretion of a General Court-Martial.

ART. XI. Every Officer commanding in quarters, or on a march, shall keep good order, and, to the utmost of his power, redress all such abuses or disorders which may be committed by any Officer or Soldier under his command; if upon any complaint made to him, of Officers or Soldiers beating, or otherwise ill-treating any person, or of committing any kind of riot, to the disquieting of the inhabitants of this Continent, he, the said Commander, who shall refuse or omit to see justice done on the offender or offenders, and reparation made to the party or parties injured, as far as the offender’s wages shall enable him or them, shall, upon due proof thereof, be punished as ordered by a General Court-Martial, in such manner as if he himself had committed the crimes or disorders complained of.

ART. XII. If any Officer shall think himself to be wronged by his Colonel, or the Commanding Officer of the Regiment,