royalties, privileges and liberties within the bounds of their province,
to hold, use and enjoy the same, in as ample a manner as the bishop of
Durham did in that county palatine in England. This province they were to
hold and possess of the king, his heirs and successors, as of his manor
of East Greenwich in Kent, not _in capite_, or by knight's service, but
in free and common soccage.

These absolute lords and proprietors were by their charter empowered to
enact, and, under their seal, to publish any laws or constitutions they
judged proper and necessary to the public state of the province, with the
assent, advice and approbation of the freemen of the colony; to
constitute counties, baronies and colonies within the province; to erect
courts of judicature, and appoint civil judges, magistrates and officers;
to erect forts, castles, cities and towns; to make war; to levy, muster
and train men to the use of arms, and, in cases of necessity, to exercise
the martial law; to confer titles of honour, only they must be different
from those conferred on the people of England; to build harbours, make
ports, and enjoy customs and subsidies, which they, with the consent of
the freemen, should impose on goods loaded and unloaded; reserving the
fourth part of the gold and silver ore found within the province to the
crown. By the said charter the king granted them the patronage and
avowson of all churches and chapels, to hold and exercise the same
rights, powers and privileges as the bishop of Durham did in England: but
as it might happen that several of the inhabitants could not in their
private opinions conform to the exercise of religion, according to the
liturgy and ceremonies of the church of England; the proprietors had
power and authority granted them, to allow the inhabitants of the
province both indulgences and dispensations, as they in their discretion
should think proper and reasonable; and no person, to whom such liberty
should be granted, was to be molested, punished, or called in question