"And whereas it hath been objected to the said " form of an Association, that, by obliging the sub- "scribers or associators, in such general and express " terms, to defend the United Colonies, by arms, "against the hostile attempts of the British Fleets " and Armies, it deprived them of the Rights reserved " by the Militia Regulations, and imposed on them the " necessity of marching to the most distant of the "Colonies, whenever called upon, which construction " of the said Association, however nice and casuistical, " is inconsistent and fallacious, it being manifest that " the Militia Regulations co\x\A, by no rules of construc- " tion, be supposed to be repealed and abrogated by " any subtle implications drawn from the said Associ- "tion. But, as some of the friends to the American " cause have been influenced, by this objection, to " refuse signing the said Association, and, in conse- " quence thereof, been disarmed, it hath become ex- "pedient that the said Association should be so ex- " plained as to render it free from specious as well as "solid objections; and, therefore,

" Resolved, unanimottsly, That nothing in the "said Association contained, shall extend or be con- "strued to extend to deprive those who have sub- " scribed it of any Rights reserved to them, in and by " the said Militia Regulations ; and to the end that all " the Freemen of this Colony may associate for the "preservation of American liberty, in a form entirely " unexceptionable ;