ing Colonies unto the planting and propagating of Religion in the West Indies, (although I will not confine it to those alone) and that for divers Reasons, which ought to be taken into serious consideration, as affording the strongest Motives that can be proposed to draw on the hearts and affections of men to this worke now in hand, for this purpose; which gives occasion unto the publishing of this Treatise.

There are, and those men of note both for place and learning in the Church, that conceive the course held by God from the beginning in the propagation of Religion, falls in this last age, upon the Westerne parts of the world.

1. Reason from Gospell from the

the course of the

Leginning.

It is true, that from the first planting of Religion among men, it hath alwayes held a constant way from East to West, and hath, in that Line, proceeded so farre, that it hath extended to the uttermost Westerne bounds of the formerly knowne world; so that if it make any. further passage upon that point of the Compasse, it must necessarily light upon the West Indies. And they conceive withall, that our Saviours Prophecie, Matth. 24. 27. points out such a progresse of the Gospell. It is true, that the comparison there used taken from the Lightning, aymes at the sudden dispersing of the knowledge of Christ by the Apostles ministery: but whereas wee know, the Lightning shines from divers parts of the heaven, shewing it selfe indifferently, sometimes in the West, sometimes in the North, or South; why doth our Saviour in that similitude choose to name the Lightning that shines out of the East into the West, unlesse it be to expresse not only the sudden shining out of the Gospell; but withall the way, and passage, by which it proceedes from one end of the world to the other, that is, from East to West?

But passing by that onely as a probable argument; this which followes seemes to carry greater weight.

2. Reason from the promise of manifesting

Christ to the

whole world.

The knowledge of Christ must certainly be manifested unto all the quarters of the World, according to divers predictions of Prophets, ratified and renewed by Christ and his Apostles. But that the knowledge of Christ hath never been discovered unto these Westerne nations may be almost demonstrated, seeing no Historie for five hundred yeares before Christ, ever mentioned any such Inhabitats of the earth, much lesse left any record of any passage unto them, or commerce with them. So that, unlesse wee should conceive a miraculous worke of conceiving knowledge, without meanes; wee cannot imagine how these Nations should once heare of the name of Christ. Which seemes the more evident by this, that we finde among them not

so much as any Reliques of any of those principles which belong to that Mysterie, although in some place may be discoved some foot-steps of the knowledge of GoD, of the Creation, and of some Legall Observations.

As in New England the Nations beleeve the Creation of the world by God, the Creation of one man and woman, their happy condition at the first, and seduction by the envy (as they say) of the Cony which moves them to abhorre that creature unto this day more then any Serpent. It is also reported that they seperate their women in the times appointed by the Law of Moses, counting them and all they touch uncleane during that time appointed by the Law: whether upon any other ground, or by a tradition received from the lewes, it is uncertaine. Some conceive, their Predecessors might have had some commerce with the lewes in times past, by what meanes I know not: Howsoever it bee, it fals out that the name of the place, which our late Colony hath chosen for their seat, prooves to bee perfect Hebrew, being called Nahum Keike, by interpretation, The bosome of consolation: which it were pitty that those which observed it not, should change into the name of Salem, though upon a faire ground, in remembrance of a peace setled upon a conference at a generall meeting betweene them and their neighbours, after expectance of some dangerous jarre. Now then, if all nations must have Christ tendred unto them, and the Indies have never yet heard of his name, it must follow, that worke of conveighing that knowledge to them, remaines to bee undertaken and performed by this last age.

3. Reason from

the miraculous opening of the

passage to these parts of the world.

Againe, what shall we conceive of that almost miraculous opening the passage unto, and discovery of these formerly unknowne nations, which must needs have proved impossible unto former ages for want of the knowledge of the use of the Loadstone, as wounderfully found out as these unknowne Countries by it. It were little lesse then impietie to conceive that GOD, (whose Will concurres with the lighting of a Sparrow upon the ground) had no hand in directing one of the most difficult and observeable workes of this age; and as great folly to imagine, that hee who made all things, and consequently orders and directs them to his owne glory, had no other scope but the satisfying of mens greedy appetites, that thirsted after the riches of that new found world, and to tender unto them the objects of such barbarous cruelties as the world never heard of. Wee cannot then probably conceive that GOD, in that strange discovery, aymed at any other thing but this, that, after hee had

punished the Atheisme, and Idolatry of those heathen and bruitish Nation by the Conquerors cruelty, and acquainted them by mixture of some other people, with civility, to cause at length the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ to shine out unto them, as it did to our forefathers, after those sharpe times of the bitter desolations of our Nation, betweene the Romanes and the Picts.

the nearnesse of

A fourth reason, to prove that God hath left this 4. Reason from great, and glorious worke to this age of the world, the Lewes conver is the nearnesse of the Lewes conversion; before sion.

which, it is conceived by the most, that the fulnesse of the Gentiles must come in, according to the Apostles prophesie, Rom. 11. 25. Tha: this day cannot be farre off appears by the fulfilling of the prophesies, precedent to that great and glorious worke, and the generall expectation thereof by all men, such as was found among the lewes both in Iudea and in some other parts of the world before the comming of Christ in the flesh, now then let it bee granted that the lewes conversion is neare, and that the Gentiles, and consequently the Indians must needs be gathered in before that day; and any man may make the conclusion, that this is the houre for the worke, and consequently of our duty to endeavour the effecting that which God hath determined; the opening of the eyes of those poore ignorant soules, and discovering unto them the glorious mystery of Iesus Christ.

T

CHAP. III.

The English Nation is fit to undertake this taske.

Hat this Nation is able and fit to send out Colonies into Forraigne parts will evidently appeare by the consideration of our overflowing multitudes: this being admitted for a received principle, that Countreyes super abound in people when they have more then they can well nourish, or well employ, seeing we know, men are not ordained to live onely, but, withall and especially, to serve one another through love, in some profitable and usefull calling. Granting therefore that

this Land by Gods ordinary blessing, yeelds sufficiency of corne and cattell for more then the present Inhabitants, yet, that wee have more people, then wee doe, or can profitably employ, will, I conceive, appeare to any man of understanding, willing to acknowledge the truth, and to consider these foure particulars.

1. Many among us live without employment, either wholly, or in the greatest part (especially if there happen any interrup tion of trade, as of late was manifested not onely in Essex, but in most parts of the Land) and that doe not onely such as delight in idlenesse: but even folke willing to labour, who either live without exercise in their callings, or are faine to thrust into other mens, to the evident prejudice of both.

2. The labours of many others might well bee spared, and to the States advantage, as serving to little else then luxury and wantonnesse, to the impoverishing and corrupting of the most ; of which there needes no better evidence then this, that when we taxe pride and excesse in apparell, buildings, &c., the evills are justified, and our mouthes stopped with this answer; without this how should many men live and bee maintained? No man is so uncivill, as to deny supernecessaries for distinction of degrees; or supercilious, as to thinke it necessary to reduce a wealthy and abounding State to the plainnesse and homelinesse of the Primitive ages. But let our excess be limited to those bounds of decency, modesty, and sobriety that may answer the proportion of mens callings, and degrees, and it will bee demonstrated, the tenth person of such as are busied about superfluities, will hardlie finde sufficient imployment to yeeld themselves and their families necessarie maintenance.

3. That warrantable and usefull callings are overcharged, all mens complaints sufficiently witnesse: not onely Inholders and Shop-keepers, of both which wee need not the third person, but even handy-craftsmen, as Shoomakers, Taylors, nay Masons, Carpenters, and the like, many of whom with their families live in such a low condition as is little better then beggery, by reason of the multitudes that are bred up and exercised in those employments. And yet through the excessive numbers of persons in those and other callings, necessity enforceth them. to require so large a price and recompence of their labours, that a man of good estate is not able to afford himselfe conveniencies for his condition (everie calling he hath use of exhausting so much for the commodities it puts off unto him;) whereas if the number of those persons in their severall callings were abated, the rest having full imployment, might be able to abate of their excessive prices; whereby both they and their chapmen, might live more comfortably and plentifully; and the Common-wealth

by this helpe would be eased of many burthens it groanes under, in making supply to the scantie meanes of many thousands in these callings so much overlaid with multitudes.

4. Yea, of such as are imployed, a great part of their labour were needlesse, if their workes were faithfull and loyall; the deceitfulnesse of our workes (of which all men complaine, but few discerne the cause) occasioneth the often renewing of those things which are made, which otherwise would endure for far longer continuance.

Now what a disease this must needes bee in a State, where mens necessities inforce them to inventions of all wayes and meanes of expence upon the instruments of pride, and wantonnesse; and of as many subtilties and frauds in deceitfull handling all works that passe through their fingers, that by the speedy wasting of what is made, they may bee the sooner called upon for new; I leave it to any wise man to judge. It is a fearfull condition, whereby men are in a sort enforced to perish, or to become meanes and instruments of evill. So that the conclusion must stand firme, we have more men then wee can imploy to any profitable or usefull labour.

Objection.

But the idlenesse or unprofitable labours of our people arise not from our numbers, but from our ill Government, inferiour Magistrates being too remisse in their offices; and therefore may more easily be reformed by establishing better order, or executing those good lawes already made at home, then by transporting some of them into forraigne Countreyes.

Answer.

Good government though it doe reforme many, yet it cannot reforme all the evills of this kind; because it will bee a great difficulty to finde out profitable employments for all that will want; which way we should helpe our selves by tillage I know not: wee can hardly depasture fewer Rother beasts then we doe, seeing we spend already their flesh and hides and as for sheepe, the ground depastured with them, doth or might set on worke as many hands as tillage can doe. If we adventure the making of linen cloth, other soiles are so much fitter to produce the materialls for that worke, their labour is so much cheaper, the hindering of Commerce in trade likely to bee so great, that the undertakers of this worke would in all probability bee soone discouraged. Nay the multiplying of new Draperies, which