"And whereas it hath been objected to the said " form of an Association, that, by obliging the subscribers 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 Eights 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fallacious, it being manifest that " the Militia Regulations could, by no rules of construc- " tion, be supposed to be repealed and abrogated by " any subtle implications drawn from the said Association. 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 expedient that the said Association should be so ex- " plained as to render it free from specious as well as "solid objections; and, therefore,

" Resolved, unanimously, That nothing in the " said Association contained, shall extend or be construed to extend to deprive those who have sub- " scribed it of any Bights 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 ;