CHAP. 5.

What persons may be fit to be employed in this worke of plant ing a Colony.

I

T seemes to be a cominon and grosse errour that Colonies ought to be Emunctories or sinckes of States; to drayne away their filth: whence arise often murmurings at the removall of any men of State or worth, with some wonder and admiration that men of sufficiency and discretion should preferre any thing before a quiet life at home. An opinion that savours strongly of selfe-love, alwaies opposite and enemy to any publike good. This fundamentall errour hath beene the occasion of the miscariage of most of our Colonies, and the chargeable destruction of many of our Countrymen, whom when we have once issued out from us we cast off as we say to the wide world, leaving them to themselves either to sinke or swimme.

Contrary to this common custome, a State that intends to draw out a Colony for the inhabiting of another Country, must looke at the mother and the daughter with an equall and indifferent eye; remembring that a Colony is a part and member of her owne body; and such in whose good her selfe hath a peculiar interest, which therefore she should labour to further and cherish by all fit and convenient meanes; and consequently must allow to her such a proportion of able men as may bee sufficient to make the frame of that new formed body: As good Governours, able Ministers, Physitians, Souldiers, Schoolemasters, Mariners, and Mechanicks of all sorts; who had therefore need to bee of the more sufficiency, because the first fashioning of a politicke body is a harder taske then the ordering of that which is already framed; as the first erecting of a house is ever more difficult then the future keeping of it in repaire; or as the breaking of a Colt requires more skill then the riding of a managed horse. When the frame of the body is thus formed and furnished with vitall parts, and knit together with firme bands & sinewes, the bulke may be filled up with flesh, that is with persons of lesse use and activity, so they bee plyable and apt to bee kept in life.

The disposition of these persons must be respected as much

or more then their abilities; men nourished up in idlenesesse, unconstant, and affecting novelties, unwilling, stubborne, enclined to faction, covetous, luxurious, prodigall, and generally men habituated to any grosse evill, are no fit members of a Colony. I humours soone overthrow a weake body; and false stones in a foundation ruine the whole building: the persons therfore chosen out for this employment, ought to be willing, constant, industrious, obedient, frugall, lovers of the common good, or at least such as may be easily wrought to this temper; considering that workes of this nature try the undertakers with many difficulties, and easily discourage minds of base and weake temper. It cannot, I confesse, be hoped that all should be such; care must be had that the principalls be so inclined, and as many of the Vulgar as may bee, at least that they bee willing to submit to authority; mutinies, which many times are kindled by one person, are well nigh as dangerous in a Colony, as in an Armie.

These are rules concerning electing of fit persons for Colonies in generall, unto which must be adjoyned the consideration of the principall scope where at the Colonie aimes; which must be Religion, whether it be directed to the good of others for their conversion; or of the Planters themselves for their preservation and continuance in a good condition, in which they cannot long subsist without Religion. To this purpose must be allotted to every Colony, for Governours and Ministers especially, men of piety and blamelesse life, especially in such a Plantation as this in New-England, where their lives must be the patternes to the Heathen, and the speciall, effectuall meanes of winning them to the love of the truth. Nay it would bee indeavoured, that all Governours of families, either may be men truly Godly or at least such as consent and agree to a forme of morall honestie and sobrietie. As for other ends lesse principall, which are especially Merchandise & defence, common sense teacheth everie man that the Colonie must be furnished with the greatest store of such persons as are most serviceable to the maine end at which it aimes.

Objection.

But able and godly persons being in some degree supporters of the State that sends them out, by sparing them she seemes to plucke away her owne props, and so to weaken her owne standing, which is against the rule of charitie, that allowes and perswades every man to have the first care of his owne good and preservation.

Answer.

The first, indeed but not the onely care: so I must provide for mine owne family, but not for that alone; But to answer this objection more fully, which troubles many, and distracts their thoughts, and strikes indeede at the foundation of this worke (for either wee must allow some able men for Civill and Ecclesiasticall affaires for peace and warre, or no Colonie at all :) First I deny that such as are gone out from the State, are cut off from the State; the rootes that issue out from the Truncke of the Tree, though they be dispersed, yet they are not severed, but doe good offices, by drawing nourishment to the maine body, and the tree is not weakned but strengthened the more they spread, of which wee have a cleere instance in the Romane State: that Citie by the second Punicke Warre had erected thirtie Colonies in severall parts of Italie; and by their strength especially supported her selfe against her most potent enemies. I confesse that in places so farre distant as NewEngland from this Land, the case is somewhat different; the intercourse is not so speedy, but it must needs be granted yet, that even those so far remote may be of use and seruice to this State still, as hath beene shewed.

Secondly, if some usefull men bee spared, to whom doe we spare them? it is not to a part of our owne body? Those whom we send out are they not our owne flesh and bones? and if we send them out for their greater good, that they may prosper better in a larger roome; and in part too for our owne ease, that their absence may give us the more scope at home; shall it seeme much unto us, to allow them (without any great losse to our selves) a few persons, whom though we would not willingly spare to strangers: yet upon good consideration we may according to the principle of nature bestow upon our owne.

Thirdly, are we altogether our owne, and for our selves? or Gods and for his glory? we spare them to God, and to Religion, and to the Churches service. Wee are owners of our owne estates, it is true, but when the service of God or the Church requires a share of them, shall any man answer with Nabal, 1. Sam. 25. 11. Shall I take my bread &c? The Primitive Churches planted by the Apostles, were content to spare some of their own Pastors, sometimes for the publike service of the Church, and good of their brethren. If it be objected, those were brethren, & neighbours, these are Pagans and beasts rather then men; let us bee entreated to reflect upon ourselves, and set before us the face of our Progenitors 1500 or 1600 yeares since, that we may answer to our owne

hearts such were some of us, or our progenitors before us. They are beasts wee say, and can wee without compassion behold men transformed into beasts, we have the light of grace, they have scarce the dim light of nature, wee have fellowship with God, they have scarce heard of him: wee are translated into the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God, they are bondslaves of Sathan: who hath made us to differ? how long shall we scorne what we should commiserate? what if God should shew mercy unto them, erect a Church among them, recover them out of the power of the Devill; Could any Conquest bee so glorious? would we not glorifie God and rejoyce with all our soules, as the beleeving lewes did in the Gentiles conversion? How can we refuse to further the prosecuting of that which would bee our glory and joy if it were effected?

Fourthly, no man desireth to doe as Sampson, to plucke away the Pillars on which the house leaneth; this worke craves no Councellour of State, no Peere of the Land; nay perhaps no person imployed at present in any place of government, private men whom the State we conceive needs not, because it employes not; may serve the turne; suppose it should borrow some men of more speciall use, and returne them home, as men from their travels, improved not so much by sight as experience, after the affaires of the Colony were settled; what losse were it in lieu of so great a gaine?

Lastly, if we spare men for the advancing of Gods honour, men that doe us service that they may attend Gods service, we have as much reason to expect the supply of our losse as the repayring of our estates, out of which we spare a portion for our brethrens necessities, or the advancing of Gods worship; by the blessing of God according to his promise.

CHAP. VI.

What warrant particular men may have to engage their persons, and estates in this imployment of planting Colonies.

T

10 give a cleare Resolution to this Proposition, is a matter of no small difficultie: I shall declare mine owne opinion, and leave it to the censure of the godly wise. It is the conceit of some men, that no man may undertake this

taske without an extraordinary warrant, such as Abraham had from God, to call him out of Mesopotamia to Canaan; their opinion seemes to rest upon a ground that will hardly be made good, sc. That the planting of Colonies is an extraordinarie worke. Which if it be granted, then the argument hath a strong, and for ought I know, a necessary inference : That therefore those that undertake it, must have an extraordinary Call. But that Proposition, That planting of Colonies is an extraordinary worke, will not easily be granted. This Argument lyes strongly against it.

That Duty that is commanded by a perpetuall Law, cannot be accounted extraordinary.

But the sending out of Colonies is commanded by a perpetuall Law.

Therefore it is no extraordinary duty.

Now that the commandement is perpetuall, hath beene. proved. First, because it was given to mankind; and secondly because it hath a ground which is perpetuall, sc. the emptinesse of the earth, which either is so, or may be so a while the world endures; for even those places which are full, may be emptied by warres, or sicknesse; and then an argument presseth as strongly the contrary way. The undertaking of an ordinary duty needs no other then an ordinary warrant; but such is planting of a Colony, as being undertaken by vertue of a perpetuall law; therefore the undertaking to plant a Colony, needs no extraordinary warrant. Indeed Abrahams undertaking was extraordinary in many things, and therefore needed an immediate direction from God.

1, He was to goe alone with his family and brethren. 2, To such a certaine place far distant.

3, Possessed already by the Canaanites.

4, To receive it wholy appropriated to himselfe, and his Issue.

5, Not to plant it at present, but onely sojourne in it, and walke through it for a time.

Now none of these circumstances fit our ordinary Colonies; and consequently Abrahams example is nothing to this purpose, because the case is different, though in some other things alike.

Others conceive, that though men may adventure upon the worke upon an ordinary warrant, yet none can give that but the State; therefore they require a command from the highest authoritie unto such as ingage themselves in this affaire. Indeed that the State hath power over all her members, to command and dispose of them within the bounds of justice, is more evident, then can be denyed: but this power she executes diver