I T will appeare to any man of common sense at first sight, that this rude draught, that sets forth certaine considerable grounds in planting Colonies, being wrested out of the Authours hand, hardly overlooked, much lesse filed and smoothed for the Presse, was never intended to be presented to publicke view, especially in this attire: wherefore the Reader is intreated to observe, that the particulars of this small Pamphlet, being all ranged under these two heads, matters of Fact or of Opinion: In the former the Authour sets downe his knowledge, and consequently what he resolves to justifie; In the latter what he conceives to be most probable, not what he dares warrant as certaine and infallible. Wherefore if in the declaring of his owne opinion, either concerning Colonies in general, or this in particular, he propose any thing that to men of better and more solid judgement upon mature advise shall seeme either not sound, or not evident, or not well fortified by strength of reason; he desires rather advertisement thereof by some private intimation, than by publicke opposition, as not conceiving an argument of this nature, wherein neither Gods glorie nor mans salvation have any necessary interest, (though the worke be directed to, and doth in a good measure further both,) worth the contending for in a time when so many weighty controversies in the fundamentalls of religion are in agitation and withall professing himselfe willing to receive backe any light golde that hath passed from him unweighed, and to exchange it for that which will be weight, as being conscious to himselfe, that he desires not willingly to beguile any man. Besides, the Reader may be pleased further to observe, that seeing the arguments produced in this Treatise are rather proposed than handled, they cannot carry with them that appearant and cleare evidence of truth at the first view, as they might and would doe, if they were more largely deduced, and more fully fortified. Wherefore he is intreated not to reject them too easily, as carrying more weight than they seeme to doe at the first appearance. Howsoever the Authors intention and opinion be construed and approved; if it may be beleeved that the Gentlemen that are lately issued out from us, to lay the foundation of a Colony in New-England, haue not beene thrust forward by unadvised precipitation, but led on by such probable grounds of reason and religion, as might be likely to prevaile with men that desire to keepe a good conscience in all things: I trust these will holde themselves reasonably satisfied ; howsoever both they, and such as wish the futherance of your designe, have (1 assure my selfe) a testimonie from God and your owne consciences, that they have endeavoured to take there footing upon warrantable grounds, and to direct themselves to a right scope, as will be further manifested in this ensuing Treatise. A BRIEFE SVRVIEW OF COLONIES: And first, Of their Ground and Warrant. СНАР. І. By a Colony we meane a societie of men drawne out of one state or people, and transplanted into another Countrey. C OLONIES (as other conditions and states in 1. That Colonies rant from God. have their war 1. Argument from Gods Com mandement. to replenish the earth, and to subdue it, Gen. 1. 28. Those words, I grant, expresse a promise, as the title of a benediction prefixed unto them here, & in the repetition of them to Noah, implies. Gen. 9. 1. But that withal they include a direction or command was never, as I conceive, doubted by any. Iunius upon them: Prout vim intus indiderat, sic palam mandatum dedit curanda propagationis & dominationis exercendæ. And Paraus, Iubet igitur replere terram, non solum generatione & habitatione, sed cum primis potestate cultu & usu: Etsi vero nonnullæ orbis partes manent inhabitabiles; habemus nihilominus totius dominium iure Divino, licet non habemus totius orbis usum culpâ & defectu nostro. And before them, Calvin; lubet eos crescere & simul benedictionem suam destinat, &c., and divers others. It will be granted then that the words include and have the force of a Precept, which perhaps some may conceive was to continue during the worlds Infancy, and no longer; but such a limitation wants ground. It is true that some commandements founded upon, and having respect unto some present state and condition of men, received end or alteration when the condition was ended, or changed. But Precepts given to the body of mankind, as these to Adam and Noah, receive neither alteration in the substantials, nor determination while men, and any void places of the earth continue, so that allowing this Commandement to bind Adam, it must binde his posterity, and consequently ourselves in this age, and our issue after us, as long as the earth yeelds empty places to be replenished. 2. Argument Besides, the gift of the earth to the sonnes of from Gods gift of men, Psal. 115. 16. necessarily inforceth their the earth to men. duty to people it: It were a great wrong to God to conceive that hee doth ought in vaine, or tenders a gift that he never meant should be enjoyed: now how men should make benefit of the earth, but by habitation and culture cannot bee imagined. Neither is this sufficient to conceive that Gods intention is satisfied if some part of the earth be replenished, and used, though the rest be wast; because the same difficulty urgeth us still, that the rest of which we receive no fruit, was never intended to us, because it was never Gods minde wee should possesse it. If it were then the minde of God, that man should possesse all parts of the earth, it must be enforced that we neglect our duty, and crosse his will, if we doe it not, when wee have occasion and opportunitie: and withall doe little lesse then despise his blessing. 3. Argument marriage. Withall, that order that God annexed to marfrom the Lw of riage in his first institution, viz. that married persons should leave father and mother, and cleave each to other, is a good warrant of this practice. For sometime there will be a necessitie, that yong married persons should remove out of their fathers house, and live apart by themselves, and so erect new families. Now what are new families, but pettie Colonies and so at last removing further and further they overflow the whole earth. Therefore, so long as there shall be use of marriage, the warrant of deducing Colonies will continue. 4. Argument that comes to It is true, that all Gods directions have a double from the benefit scope, mans good, and Gods honour. Now that mens outward es- this commandement of God is directed unto mans good temporall and spirituall, is as cleere as the light. It cannot be denyed but the life of man is every way made more comfortable, and afforded a more plentiful supply in tates. a larger scope of ground, which moves men to bee so insatiable in their desires to joyne house to house, and land to land, till there be no more place; exceeding, I grant, there in the measure and bounds and Iustice; and yet building upon a principle that nature suggests, that a large place best assures sufficiency: as we see; by nature, trees flourish faire, and prosper well, and waxe fruitfull in a large Orchard, which would otherwise wither and decay, if they were penned up in a little nursery: either all, or at best, a few that are stronger plants and better rooted, would encrease and over-top, and at last, starve the weaker: which falls out in our civill State; where a few men flourish that are best grounded in their estates, or best furnished with abilities, or best fitted with opportunities, and the rest waxe weake and languish, as wanting roome and meanes to nourish them. from the further and honesty. Now, that the spirits and hearts of men are kept 5. Argument is in better temper by spreading wide, and by pouring of godlinesse ing, as it were, from vessell to vessell (the want whereof is alleaged by the Prophet leremy as the cause that Moab setled vpon his lees, and got so harsh a relish Ier. 48. 11.) will euident to any man, that shall consider, that the husbanding of unmanured grounds, and shifting into empty Lands, enforceth men to frugalitie, and quickneth invention and the setling of new States requireth justice and affection to the common good and the taking in of large Countreys presents a naturall remedy against couetousnesse, fraud, and violence; when euery man may enjoy enough without wrong or injury to his neighbour. Whence it was, that the first ages, by these helpes, were renowned for golden times, wherein men, being newly entred into their possessions, and entertained into a naked soile, and enforced thereby to labour, frugality, simplicity, and justice, had neither leisure, nor occasion, to decline to idlenesse, riot, wantonnesse, fraud, and violence, the fruits of well-peopled Countryes, and of the abundance and superfluities of long setled States. 6. Argument from the aduancement of Gods glory. But that which should most sway our hearts, is the respect unto Gods honor, which is much advanced by this worke of replenishing the earth. First, when the largeness of his bounty is tasted by setling of men in al parts of the world, whereby the extent of his munificence to the sonnes of men is discovered; The Psalmist tells us that God is much magnified by this, that the whole earth is full of his riches, yea and the wide sea too, Psal. 104. 24. 25. And God, when hee would have Abraham know what he had bestowed on him when he gave him Canaan, wills him to walke |