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SECOND
VIRGINIA CHARTER
May
23, 1609
In
1606, King James of England granted the first charter
to the Virginia Company, which settled 120 people in
Jamestown. This second charter was granted in 1609,
and a third was granted in 1611-12, giving more independence
to the company. The portion of the 1606 Charter addressing
religious liberty is excerpted below.
RJ&L
Religious Institutions Group
James, by the grace of God [King of England, Scotland, France
and Ireland, defender of the faith, etc.] To all [to whom
these presents shall come, greeting.]
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* * *
And forasmuch as it shalbe necessarie for all such our lovinge
subjects as shall inhabitt within the said precincts of
Virginia aforesaid to determine to live togither in the
feare and true woorshipp of Almightie God, Christian peace
and civill quietnes, each with other, whereby everie one
maie with more safety, pleasure and profitt enjoye that
where unto they shall attaine with great paine and perill,
wee, for us, oure heires and successors, are likewise pleased
and contented, and by theis presents doe give and graunte
unto the said Tresorer and Companie, and their successors
and to such governors, officers and ministers as shalbe,
by oure said Councell, constituted and appointed, accordinge
to the natures and lymitts of their offices and places respectively,
that they shall and maie from time to time for ever hereafter,
within the said precincts of Virginia or in the waie by
the seas thither and from thence, have full and absolute
power and aucthority to correct, punishe, pardon, governe
and rule all such the subjects of us, oure heires and successors
as shall from time to time adventure themselves in anie
voiadge thither or that shall at anie tyme hereafter inhabitt
in the precincts and territorie of the said Colonie as aforesaid,
accordinge to such order, ordinaunces, constitution, directions
and instruccions as by oure said Counsell, as aforesaid,
shalbe established; and in defect thereof, in case of necessitie
according to the good discretions of the said governours
and officers respectively, aswell in cases capitall and
criminall as civill, both marine and other; so alwaies as
the said statuts, ordinannces and proceedinges as neere
as convenientlie maie be, be agreable to the lawes, statutes,
government, and pollicie of this oure realme of England.
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* * *
And lastely, because the principall effect which wee cann
desier or expect of this action is the conversion and reduccion
of the people in those partes unto the true worshipp of
God and Christian religion, in which respect wee would be
lothe that anie person should be permitted to passe that
wee suspected to affect the superstitions of the Churche
of Rome, wee doe hereby declare that it is oure will and
pleasure that none be permitted to passe in anie voiadge
from time to time to be made into the saide countrie but
such as firste shall have taken the oath of supremacie;
for which purpose wee doe by theise presents give full power
and aucthoritie to the Tresorer for the time beinge, and
anie three of the Counsell, to tender and exhibite the said
oath to all such persons as shall at anie time be sent and
imploied in the said voiadge.
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In
witnes whereof [we have caused these our letters to be made
patent. Witness ourself at Westminster, the 23d day of May
(1609) in the seventh year of our reign of England, France,
and Ireland, and of Scotland the ****]
Per ipsum Regem exactum.
See
Source: The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial
Charters, and Other Organic Laws of the United States 1893-1902
(Ben Berley Poore ed., 2d ed. 1878).
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