'In accordance, therefore, with these exceptions of the Attorney-General, there resulted the Act of 1705-6, which was in force during the entire period embraced in this paper. The recognition of the Trinity and of the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures was in no way objectionable to the great body of German immigrants, while the liberty offered from the restraints of ecclesiasticism was particularly appreciated not merely by those who were generally regarded as "sects," but by the adherents also of the Pietistic movement. The Act is as follows: 'Almighty God, being only Lord of conscience, author of all divine knowledge,faith and worship, who can only enlighten the minds and convince the understanding of people; in due reverence to His sovereignty over the souls of mankind, and the better to unite the Queen's subjects in interest and affection; Be it enacted that no person now or at any time hereafter dwelling or residing within this Province, who shall profess faith in God the father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Spirit, One God blessed forevermore, and shall acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be given by divine inspiration, and when lawfully required shall profess and declare that they will live peaceably under the constituted government, shall, in any case, be molested and predjudiced for his or her conscience persuasion, nor shall he or she be at any time compelled to frequent or maintain any religious worship, place or ministry whatever, contrary to his or her mind, but shall freely and fully enjoy his or her Christian liberty in all respects, without molestation or interruption.' Among the movements which may be ascribed to these laws guaranteeing liberty of conscience, was the Mennonite emigration to the Pequa District in Lancaster County, between 1709 and 1717-- a branch from the Germantown settlement forming the beginning, which was greatly reinforced by recruits from Switzerland and Germany secured through the mission to Europe of Martin Kendig. Dunkards and other Mennonites are said to have reached Lehigh County not much later. Even before this(1704-12), before and contemporaneously with the Palatine emigration from New York, other of their countrymen, mostly Reformed and Lutheran, can be traced filling up the Oley region, with its center in Berks, although standing in the old records for a much more extensive territory than the township of that name. So also the District in Montgomery County about the headwaters of the Perkiomen was settled by the same people before the Palatines descended the Susquehanna. The Allens and the Wisters and other land speculators in Philadelphia had found customers among those who arrived at the port, and had sold them homes in Northampton. The Palatines from New York at Tulpehocken and Quitapahilla had attracted to this country many of their relatives and friends whom they had left in Germany" tbc ==== PENNA-DUTCH Mailing List ==== Abbreviations---PD=Pennsylvania Dutch, PMH=Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage magazine, MFH=Mennonite family History magazine, MRJ=Mennonite Research Journal, LMHS=Lancaster Mennonite Hist. Society. This and more list info at: http://members.aol.com/PennaDutch/pennadutch.html