dence of God (from whom the plantations have taken their name) upon their labour and induftry, they have not only been preferved to admiration, but have increased and profpered, and are feized and poffeffed, by purchafe and confent of the faid natives, to their full content, of fuch lands, iflands, rivers, harbours, and roads, as are very convenient both for plantations, and alfo for building of fhips, fupply of pipeftaves, and other merchandize, and which lies very commodious in many refpects for commerce, and to accommodate our fouthern plantations, and may much advance the trade of this our realm, and greatly enlarge the territories thereof; they having, by near neighbourhood to, and friendly fociety with, the great body of the Narraganfet Indians, given them encouragement, of their own accord, to fubject themselves, their people and lands, unto us; whereby (as is hoped) there may, in time, by the bleffing of God upon their endeavours, be laid a fure foundation of happiness to all America. And whereas, in their humble addrefs, they have freely declared, That it is much on their hearts (if they be permitted) to hold forth a lively experiment, that a moft flourishing civil ftate may ftand, and beft be maintained, and that among our Englifh fubjects, with a full liberty in religious concernments, and that true piety, rightly grounded upon gofpel principles, will give the best and greateft fecurity to fovereignty, and will lay in the hearts of men the strongest obligations to true loyalty now know ye, That we being willing to encourage the hopeful undertaking of our faid loyal and loving fubjects, and to fecure them in the free exercife and enjoyment of all their civil and religious rights appertaining to them as our loving fubjects; and to preferve unto them that liberty in the true Christian faith and worship of God, which they have fought with fo much travel, and with peaceable minds and loyal fubjection to our royal progenitors, and ourselves, to enjoy and because fome of the people and inhabitants of the fame colony cannot, in their private opinion, conform to the public exercife of religion, according to the liturgy, form, and ceremonies of the church of England, or take or subscribe the oaths and articles made and eftablished in that behalf; and for that the fame, by reafon of the remote distances of those places, will, as we hope, be no breach of the unity and uniformity eftablished in this nation, have therefore thought fit, and do hereby publish, grant, ordain, and declare, that our royal will and pleasure is, That no perfon within the faid colony, at any time hereafter, fhall be any-wife molefted, punifhed, difquieted, or called in queftion, for any differences in opinion

inhabitants

Grant to the in matters of religion, and do not actually disturb the civil of this colo- peace of our faid colony; but that all and every perfon and ny of the perfons may, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, free exercife freely and fully have and enjoy his and their own judgments of their reli- and confciences, in matters of religious concernments, gion.

the act of

in theProvi

tations.

throughout the tract of land hereafter mentioned, they behaving themselves peaceably and quietly, and not ufing this liberty to licentiousness and profaneness, nor to the civil injury or outward difturbance of others, any law, ftatute or clause therein contained, or to be contained, ufage or cuftom of this realm, to the contrary hereof, in any wife notwithstanding. And that they may be in the better capacity to defend themfelves in their juft rights and liberties against all the enemies of the Chriftian faith, and others, in all respects, we have further thought fit, and at the humble petition of the perfons They shall aforesaid, are graciously pleafed to declare, That they fhall enjoy the have and enjoy the benefit of our late act of indemnity, and benefit of free pardon, as the reft of our fubjects in other our dominions indemnity. and territories have; and to create and make them a body politic or corporate, with the powers or privileges herein after Incorpora- mentioned and accordingly, our will and pleasure is, and of tion of di- our efpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, we vers perfons have ordained, conftituted and declared, and by thefe prefents, dence Plan- for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do ordain, conftitute, and declare, That they the faid William Brenton, William Codington, Nicholas Eafton, Benedict Arnold, William Boulfton, John Porter, Samuel Gorton, John Smith, John Weekes, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, Gregory Dexter, John Cogefhall, Jofeph Clarke, Randall Houlden, John Greene, John Roome, William Dyre, Samuel Wildbore, Richard Tew, William Field, Thomas Harris, James Barker, Williams, and John Nickfon, and all fuch others as are now, or hereafter shall be admitted, free of the company and fociety of our colony of Providence Plantations, in the Narraganfet Bay, in New England, fhall be, from time to time, and for ever hereafter, a body corporate and politic, in fact and name, by the name of the Gocorporation. Vernor and Company of the English Colony of Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America; and that by the fame name they and their fucceffors fhall and may have perpetual fucceffion, and fhall and may be perfons able and capable in the law to fue and be fued, to plead and be impleaded, to answer and to be answered unto, to defend and to be defended, in all and fingular fuits, causes, quarrels, matters, actions, and things, of what kind or nature foever;

Name of the

Rainsborrow,

and'

Govern

and also to have, take, poffefs, acquire, and purchase lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or any goods or chattels, and the fame to lease, grant, demife, alien, bargain, fell and dispose of, at their own will and pleasure, as other our liege people of this our realm of England, or any corporation or body politic within the fame, may lawfully do; and further, That they the faid Governor and Company, and their fucceffors, fhall and may, for ever hereafter, have a common feal, to ferve and Common ufe for all matters, caufes, things, and affairs whatsoever, of Seal. them and their fucceffors, and the fame feal to alter, change, break, and make new from time to time, at their will and pleasure, as they fhall think fit. And further, we will and ordain, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do declare and appoint, That for the better ordering and managing of the affairs and bufinefs of the faid company and ment. their fucceffors, there fhall be one governor, one deputy governor, and ten àffiftants, to be from time to time conftituted, el ected, and chofen, out of the freemen of the faid company, for the time being, in fuch manner and form as is hereafter in these presents expreffed; which faid officers fhall apply themfelves to take care for the beft difpofing and ordering of the general business and affairs of and concerning the lands and hereditaments herein aftermentioned to be granted, and the plantation thereof, and the government of the people there. And for the better execution of our royal pleasure herein, we Appointdo for us, our heirs and fucceflors, affign, name, conftitute, ment of the and appoint, the aforefaid Benedict Arnold to be the first and goverprefent governor of the faid company, and the faid William nor, deputy Brenton to be the deputy governor, and the faid William Boul- and affiftfton, John Porter, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, John ants. Smith, John Greene, John Cogefhall, James Barker, William Field, and Jofeph Clarke, to be the ten prefent affiftants of the faid company, to continue in the faid feveral offices refpectively, until the first Wednesday which fhall be in the month of May now next coming. And further, we will, The goverand by these prefents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do or- nor may atdain and grant, That the governor of the faid company, for femble the the time being, or in his abfence, by occafion of fick nefs, or faid compaotherwife, by his leave or permiffion, the deputy governor, as he thinks for the time being, fhall and may, from time to time, upon proper all occafions, give order for the affembling of the faid company, and calling them together, to confult and advise of the bufinefs and affairs of the faid compary; and that for ever hereafter, twice in every year, that is to fay, on every first Wednefday in the month of May, and on every laft Wednesday

first

governor,

ny as often

in October, or oftener, in cafe it fhall be requifite, the affiftants, and fuch of the freemen of the faid company, not exceeding fix perfons, for Newport, four perfons for each of the refpective towns of Providence, Portsmouth, and Warwick, and two perfons for each other place, town or city, who fhall be from time to time thereunto elected or deputed by the major part of the freemen of the refpective places, towns or places for which they fhall be fo elected or deputed, fhall have a general meeting or affembly, then and there to confult, advife and determine, in and about the affairs and bufinefs of the faid company and plantations. And further, we do of our efpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, give and grant unto the faid governor and company of the English colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America, and their fucceffors, That the governor, or in his abfence, or by his permiffion, the deputy governor of the faid company, for the time being, the affiftants, and fuch of the freemen of the faid company as fhall be fo aforefaid elected or deputed, or fo many of them as fhall be prefent at fuch meeting or affembly, as aforefaid, fhall be called the general affembly; and that they, or the greatest part of them then prefent, whereof the governor, or deputy governor, and fix of the affiftants at leaft, to be feven, fhall have, and have hereby given and granted unto them, full power and authority, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, to appoint, alter, and change fuch days, times and places of meeting, and general affembly, as they fhall think fit, and to chufe, nominate and appoint fuch and fo many perfons as they fhall think fit, and fhall be willing to accept the fame, to be free of the faid company and body politic, and them into the fame to admit, and to elect, and conftitute fuch offices and officers, and to grant fuch needful commiffions as they fhall think fit and requifite, for ordering, managing, and difpatching of the affairs of the faid governor and company, and their fucceffors; and, from time to time, to make, ordain, conftitute, or repeal, fuch laws, ftatutes, orders and ordinances, forms and ceremonies of government and magiftracy, as to them fhall feem meet, for the good and welfare of the faid company, and for the government and ordering of the lands and hereditaments herein after mentioned to be granted, and of the people that do, or at any time hereafter fhall inhabit, or be within the fame; fo as fuch laws, ordinances, and conftitutions, so made, be not contrary and repugnant unto, but, as near as may, agreeable to the laws of this our realm of England, confidering the nature and conftitution of the place and people there; and alfo, to appoint, or

desa

der, and direct, erect and fettle fuch places and courts of ju rifdiction, for hearing and determining of all actions, cafes, matters and things, happening within the faid colony and plantation, and which fhall be in difpute, and depending there, as they fhall think fit; and alfo to diftinguish and fet forth the feveral names and titles, duties, powers and limits, of each court, office and officer, fuperior and inferior; and alfo, to contrive and appoint fuch forms of oaths and atteftations, not repugnant, but as near as may be agreeable as aforefaid to the laws and ftatutes of this our realm, as are convenient and requifite, with respect to the due adminiftration of justice, and due execution and difcharge of all offices and places of truft, by the perfons that shall be therein concerned; and also to regulate and order the way and manner of all elections to offices and places of truft, and to prescribe, limit and distinguish the number and bounds of all places, towns and cities, with the limits and bounds herein after mentioned, and not herein particularly named, who have or fhall have the power of electing and fending of freemen to the faid general affembly; and alfo to order, direct and authorise, the impofing of lawful and reasonable fines, mulets, imprisonments, and executing other punishments, pecuniary and corporal, upon offenders and delinquents, according to the courfe of other corporations, within this our kingdom of England; and again, to alter, revoke, annul or pardon, under their common feal, or otherwife, fuch fines, mulets, imprifonments, fentences, judgments and condemnations, as fhall be thought fit; and to direct, rule, order and difpofe of all other matters and things, and particularly that which relates to the making of purchases of the native Indians, as to them shall seem meet; whereby our faid people and inhabitants in the faid plantations, may be fo religiously, peaceably and civilly governed, as that by their good life, and orderly converfation, they may win and invite the native Indians of the country to the knowledge and obedience of the only true God and Saviour of mankind; willing, commanding and requiring, and by these prefents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, ordaining and appointing, that all fuch laws, ftatutes, orders and ordinances, inftructions, impofitions and directions, as fhall be fo made by the governor, deputy, affiftants and freemen, or fuch number of them as aforefaid, and published in writing under their common feal, fhall be carefully and duly obferved, kept, performed and put in execution, according to the true intent and meaning of the fame. And thefe our letters patents, or the duplicate or exemplification thereof, fhall be to all and every fuch officers, fuperior or in

ferior,