240 XVI. THE LAWFULNESS OF REMOVING. CHAP. that might give them content and satisfaction, and also stay and stop the wilful and witty caviller; and herein 1621. I trust I shall not be blamed of any godly wise, though through my slender judgment I should miss the mark, and not strike the nail on the head, considering it is the first attempt that hath been made (that I know of) to defend those enterprises. Reason would, therefore, that if any man of deeper reach and better judgment see further or otherwise, that he rather instruct me than deride me. Cautions. 1. 2, & xxxv. 1. Matth. cv. 13. i. 1, 2. And being studious for brevity, we must first conGen. xii. sider, that whereas God of old did call and summon our fathers by predictions, dreams, visions, and certain illuminations, to go from their countries, places and habitations, to reside and dwell here or there, and to Psalm Wander up and down from city to city, and land to land, according to his will and pleasure; now there is no such calling to be expected for any matter whatso-/ ever, neither must any so much as imagine that there Heb. will now be any such thing.) God did once so train up his people, but now he doth not, but speaks in another manner, and so we must apply ourselves to God's present dealing, and not to his wonted dealing; Josh and as the miracle of giving manna ceased, when the fruits of the land became plenty, so God having such a plentiful storehouse of directions in his holy word, there must not now any extraordinary revelations be expected. But now the ordinary examples and precepts of the Scriptures, reasonably and rightly understood and applied, must be the voice and word, that must call us, press us, and direct us in every action. v. 12. Gen. xvii. 8. Neither is there any land or possession now, like unto the possession which the Jews had in Canaan, FROM ENGLAND TO AMERICA. 241 XVI. being legally holy and appropriated unto a holy people, CHAP. the seed of Abraham, in which they dwelt securely, and had their days prolonged, it being by an immediate 1621. voice said, that he (the Lord) gave it them as a land of rest after their weary travels, and a type of eternal rest in heaven. But now there is no land of that sanctimony, no land so appropriated, none typical; much less any that can be said to be given of God to any nation, as was Canaan, which they and their seed must dwell in, till God sendeth upon them sword or captivity. But now we are all, in all places, strangers and pilgrims, travellers and sojourners, most properly, having no dwelling but in this earthen tabernacle; our 2 Cor. v. dwelling is but a wandering, and our abiding but as a fleeting, and in a word our home is nowhere but in the heavens,' in that house not made with hands, whose maker and builder is God, and to which all ascend that love the coming of our Lord Jesus. Though then there may be reasons to persuade a man to live in this or that land, yet there cannot be the same reasons which the Jews had; but now, as natural, civil and religious bands tie men, so they must be bound, and as good reasons for things terrene and heavenly appear, so they must be led. 1, 2, 3. And so here falleth in our question, how a man that Object. is here born and bred, and hath lived some years, may remove himself into another country. persons I answer, a man must not respect only to live, and Ans. 1. do good to himself, but he should see where he can What live to do most good to others; for, as one saith, "He whose living is but for himself, it is time he were dead." So were the Jews, but yet their temporal blessings and in heritances were more large than hence remove. 242 REASONS FOR EMIGRATING CHAP. Some men there are who of necessity must here live,. XVI. as being tied to duties either to church, commonwealth, 1621. household, kindred, &c.; but others, and that many, who do no good in none of those, nor can do none, as being not able, or not in favor, or as wanting opportunity, and live as outcasts - nobodies, eye-sores, eating but for themselves, teaching but themselves, and doing good to none, either in soul or body, and so pass over days, years and months, yea, so live and so die. Now such should lift up their eyes and see whether there be not some other place and country to which they may 2. Why go to do good, and have use towards others of that should knowledge, wisdom, humanity, reason, strength, skill, faculty, &c. which God hath given them for the service of others and his own glory. they remove. xix. 20. But not to pass the bounds of modesty so far as to name any, though I confess I know many, who sit Luke here still with their talent in a napkin, having notable endowments both of body and mind, and might do great good if they were in some places, which here do none, nor can do none, and yet through fleshly fear, niceness, straitness of heart, &c. sit still and look on, and will not hazard a drachm of health, nor a day of pleasure, nor an hour of rest to further the knowledge Reas. 1. and salvation of the sons of Adam in that new world, where a drop of the knowledge of Christ is most precious, which is here not set by. Now what shall we say to such a profession of Christ, to which is joined no more denial of a man's self? Object. Answ. But some will say, What right have I to go live in the heathens' country? Letting pass the ancient discoveries, contracts and agreements which our Englishmen have long since FROM ENGLAND to america. 243 XVI. made in those parts, together with the acknowledg- CHAP. ment of the histories and chronicles of other nations, who profess the land of America from the Cape de 1621. Florida unto the Bay of Canada' (which is south and north three hundred leagues and upwards, and east and west further than yet hath been discovered) is proper to the king of England, yet letting that pass, lest I be thought to meddle further than it concerns me, or further than I have discerning, I will mention such things as are within my reach, knowledge, sight and practice, since I have travailed in these affairs. And first, seeing we daily pray for the conversion of Reas. 2. the heathens, we must consider whether there be not some ordinary means and course for us to take to couvert them, or whether prayer for them be only referred to God's extraordinary work from heaven. Now it seemeth unto me that we ought also to endeavour and use the means to convert them ; and the means cannot be used unless we go to them, or they come to us. To us they cannot come, our land is full; to them we may go, their land is empty. This then is a sufficient reason to prove our going Reas. 3. thither to live, lawful. Their land is spacious and void, and there are few, and do but run over the grass, as do also the foxes and wild beasts. They are not industrious, neither have art, science, skill or faculty to use either the land or the commodities of it; but all spoils, rots, and is marred for want of manuring, gathering, ordering, &c. As the ancient patriarchs, therefore, removed from straiter places into more roomy, 1 Jacques Cartier, of St. Malo, in France, discovered the great river of Canada in August, 1534, and in 1535 sailed up as far as Montreal. Florida was discovered 244 ་ XVI. REASONS FOR EMIGRATING CHAP. Where the land lay idle and waste, and none used it, though there dwelt inhabitants by them, as Gen. xiii. 1621. 6, 11, 12, and xxxiv. 21, and xli. 20, so is it lawful now to take a land which none useth, and make use of it. Reas. 4. And as it is a common land, or unused and undressed country, so we have it by common consent, composition and agreement;' which agreement is double. First, the imperial governor, Massasoit, whose circuits, in likelihood, are larger than England and Scotland, hath acknowledged the King's Majesty of England to be his master and commander, and that once in my hearing, yea, and in writing, under his hand, to Captain Standish, both he and many other kings which are under him, as Pamet, Nauset, Cummaquid, Narrowhiggonset, Namaschet, &c., with divers others that dwell about the bays of Patuxet and Massachuset. Neither hath this been accomplished by threats and blows, or shaking of sword and sound of trumpet; for as our faculty that way is small, and our strength less, so our warring with them is after another manner, namely, by friendly usage, love, peace, honest and just carriages, good counsel, &c., that so we and they may not only live in peace in that land, and they yield subjection to an earthly prince, but that as voluntaries xv. 3. they may be persuaded at length to embrace the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus, and rest in peace with him for Psal. cx 3, and xlviii. ever. Secondly, this composition is also more particular and applicatory, as touching ourselves there inhabiting. This is to be considered as respecting New England, and the territories about the plantation.-Author's Note. See pages 193 and 220. |