A TRVE DECLARA- TION OF THE estate of the Colonie in VIRGINIA, With a confutation of such scandalous reports as haue tended to the disgrace Published by aduise and direction of the Printed for William Barret, and are to be sold 1610. 3 A true declaration of the estate in T VIRGINIA . HERE is a great distance, betwixt the vulgar opinion of men, and the iudicious apprehension of wise men. Opinion is as blind Ordipus, who could see nothing, but would heare all things, Hinc aucupari verba rumoris vagi, to hawke after the winged report of a vagabond rumor. But judgement, is as Salomon in his throne, able by the spirit of wisedome, to discerne betwixt contesting truth, and falshood neither depending on the popular breath of fame, which is euer partiall, nor vpon the euent of good designes, which are euer casuall. These two commanders of our affections, haue diuided the vniuersall spirits of our land, whilst (in the honorable enterprise for plantation in Virginia) some, are carried away with the tide of vulgar opinion, and others, are encouraged, by the principles of religion, and reason. But because, it is for hawkes and not for men, to build their nests in aires, and because the honor and prosperity of this so noble an action, is eclipsed by the interposition of clamorous & tragicall narrations: the compiler of this relation endeuoureth to wash away those spots, which foule mouths (to justifie their owne disloialty) haue cast vpon so fruitfull, so fertile, and so excellent a country. Wherein he professeth, that he will relate nothing (concerning Virginia) but what he hath from the secrets of the judiciall councell of Virginia, from the letters of the Lord La Ware, from the mouth of Sir Thomas Gates, whose wisdomes (he conceiueth) are not so shallow, as easily to be deceiued of others, nor consciences so wretched, as by pretences to deceiue others. But when a matter of such consequence, is not to be shufled ouer with supine negligence, and when no man raiseth a faire building, that laith not a firme foundation, it will not be impertinent, to dig a little deeper, that we may build a great deale higher and from the vniuersall policie of all ciuill states (in replenishing the world with colonies of domesticall subiects) to deriue this wisedome to our populous state and country. That Colonics. That which Origen said of Christs actions in vertues morall, holdeth proportion with Gods actions in gouernment politicall, Dei facta, sunt nostra præcepta, Gods actions, are our instructions: who (in the eleventh of Genesis) turned the greatest cursing, into the greatest blessing, and by confusion of tongues, kept them from confusion of states; scattering those clouen people, into as many colonies ouer the face of the earth, as there are diuersities of languages in the earth. Now if Tertullians rule be true, Omne genus ab origine censendum that euery action is most beutifull in the originall. Can there be a better beginning then from God, whose wisedome is not questioned, and whose footsteps in all succeeding ages haue beene followed. Search the records of diuine truth, and humane monuments of state, you shall find, Salmanasar transporting the Babilonians, and other Gentiles, to Samaria: and replenishing with the captiues of Israell, the dispeopled confines of Media. You shall find that 140. yeeres after the destruction of Troy, the Ionian colony, was carried from Greece, to Asia: by which that famous City of Ephesus was first builded, and inhabited. You shall find the Egiptians, planted Babilon, Argos, and Athens. The Phenicians first inhabiting Carthage, Vtica, and Thebes. That Timolcon and the city of Corinth, at one time repeopled Sicilie, with 10000. soules. That the Romans deduced 53. colonies out of the City of Rome into the wombe of Italy. That Bremius an Englishman by birth, but sonne in law to the King of France, with an equall third part of the kingdome, entred into the hart of Italy, gaue the prime sacke to the City of Rome, and diuerted from thence to Gallogræcia, whose offspring possesse that land vnto this day. That the Admirall of France, among all the feares and discouragements of ciuill wars, neuer gaue ouer the proiect of plantation in Florida. Which heroicall actions, haue not beene vndertaken by so mighty states and Princes, vpon triuiall and vulgar motiues, when by these courses that first blessing (of crescite and multiplicamini, increase and multiplie) hath beene sanctified: the meaner sorte haue beene prouided: the matter of plagues, famine and sedition, hath beene exhausted: the fennes of a state politique were drained: the enemies of their peace were bridled: the reuenues of their treasury were augmented: and the limites of their dominions were enlarged. Which diuine, humane, externall, and domesticall, examples, doe shine before vs, as a Pharaoes towre, that wee should not make shipwracke of our intentions, concerning Virginia. Blacke Blacke enuie, and pale feare, being not able to produce any arguments, why that should bee lawfull for France, which is (in vs) vnlawfull: that which to Rome was possible, (to vs) is impossible that which to others is honourable, and profitable, (in vs) should bee traduced, as incommodious, base, and contemptible: wherefore vnder these three heads of Three Heads. lawfulnesse, possibility, and commoditie, will I Lawfull, marshall all those reasons, which may resolue the Profitable, religious, encourage the personall, confirme the noble, and satisfie the timorous aduenturer. Possible, First, if it bee vnlawfull: it must be so, either in respect of the law of God, or in regard of the lawe of man. If in respect of Gods lawe, (considering our primarie end is to plant religion, our secondarie and subalternate ends are for the honour and profit of our nation) I demand a resolution of this plaine question whether it bee not a determinated truth, that the Gospell should bee preached, to all the world, before the end of the world? If, it must bee preached, (as heauen and earth must passe awaie, but Gods word shall not pass awaie) then must it bee preached, one of these three waies: Either meerly Apostolically, without the helpe of man, (without so much as a staffe) or meerely imperiallie, when a Prince, hath conquered their bodies, that the Preachers may feede their soules; Or mixtly, by discouerie, and trade of marchants; where all tem porall meanes are vsed for defence, and security, but none for offence, or crueltie. For the first (to preach Apostolicallie) it is simplie impossible: except wee had the gift of tongues, that euerie nation might heare the word of God in their owne language; or the guift of miracles, that it might be confirmed, with wonders from heauen; which two beeing ceased, questionlesse the identicall commission of the Apostles is expired: Or if yet the matter bee vrged, that God by fishers did conuert Emperors and therefore that wee must aduenture our liues without humane helpe; yet must it bee remembred, that there is no Apostolicall preaching, but where wee may expect either their conuersion, or our martyrdome. But we can expect neither, not their conuersion who cannot vnderstand vs, nor our martyrdome, when the people of Florida, did deuoure the Preachers of the word, without speaking any word. Non quia Christiani, sed quia homines, not because they were christian men, but because they were men, wee cannot be said to be martyrs, when wee are not killed because wee are christians. And therefore the lesuite Acosta confesseth (notwithstanding Bellarmines relation of Indian miracles) that they haue no tongues, they haue no signes from heauen, and they can haue no martyr dome |