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dome, and by consequent there is no means left of Apostolicall preaching.

For the second, to preach the Gospell to a nation conquered, and to set their soules at liberty, when we haue brought their bodies to slauerie; It may be a matter sacred in the Preachers, but I know not how iustifiable in the rulers. Who for their meere ambition, doe set vpon it, the glosse of religion. Let the diuines of Salamanca, discusse that question, how the possessor of the west Indies, first destroied, and then instructed.

The third, belongs to vs, who by way of marchandizing and trade, doe buy of them the pearles of earth, and sell to them the pearles of heauen; which action, if it be vnlawfull, it must proceede from one of these three grounds, either because we come to them, or trade with them, or tarrie and dwell and possesse part of their country amongst them.

Is it vnlawful because wee come to them? why is it not a dutie of christianitie, to behold the imprinted footsteps of Gods glorie, in every region vnder heauen? Is it not against the lawe of nations, to violate a peaceable stranger, or to denie him harbour. The Ethiopians, Egyptians, and men of China, are branded with a foule marke of sanguinarie and barbarous inhumanity, for blessing their Idols, with the bloud of strangers. It is not vnlawful to trade with them, except Salomon shall bee condemned for sending for gold to Ophir, Abraham for making a league with Abimilech, and all christendome shall bee traduced, for hauing comerce with Turks and miscreants.

Finallie, it is not vnlawfull, that wee possesse part of their land and dwell with them, and defend our selues from them. Partlie because there is no other, moderate, and mixt course, to bring them to conuersion, but by dailie conuersation, where they may see the life, and learne the language each of other.

Partlie, because there is no trust to the fidelitie of humane beasts, except a man will make a league, with Lions, Beares, and Crocodiles.

Partlie because there is roome sufficient in the land (as Sichem sometime said) for them, and vs: the extent of an hundred miles, being scarce peopled with 2000. inhabitants.

Partlie, because they haue violated the lawe of nations, and vsed our Ambassadors as Ammon did the seruants of Dauid: If in him it were a just cause to warre against the Aminonites, it is lawfull, in vs, to secure our selues, against the infidels.

But chieflie because Paspehay, one of their Kings, sold vnto vs for copper, land to inherit and inhabite. Powhatan, their chiefe King, received voluntarilie a crown and a scepter, with a full acknowledgment of dutie and submission.

Principallie

Principallie when Captaine Newport was with Powhatan at Warow a comaco hee desired him to come from Iames towne as a place vnholesome, and to take possession of an other whole kingdome which he gaue vnto him. If any man alleadge, that this was done in subtlety, not that they euer meant we should possesse them, but that they might first gaine by vs, and then destroy vs. This makes our cause, much the juster, when God turned their subteltie, to our vtilitie: giving vnto vs a lawfull possession, (as Pharaoe gaue Goshen to Israell; or Ephron sold his caue to Abraham) and freeing vs, from all impious and sinister construction. If anie man alleadge, that yet wee can possesse no farther limits, than was allotted by composition, and that fortitudo sine iustitia, est iniquitatis Materia, fortitude without iustice, is but the firebrand of iniquitie. Let him know that Plato defineth it, to bee no iniustice, to take a sword out of the hand of a mad man; That Austen hath allowed it, for a lawfull offensiue warre, quod vlcisitur iniurias that reuengeth bloudie iniuries. So that if iust offences shall arise, it can bee no more iniustice to warre against infidells, than it is when vpon just occasions wee warre against Christians. And therefore I cannot see, but that these truths, will fanne away all those chaffie imputations, which anie Romish boasters (that challenge a monopolie of all conuersions) will cast vpon it, or any scrupulous conscience can impute vnto it. Certainlie the Church of Geneua in the yeere 1555. determined in a Synode, whereof (Caluine) was president, to send Peter Richier, and William Quadrigarius, vnder a French Captaine to Brasilia, who although they were supplanted, by the comming of the Cardinall of Loraine, and the trecherie of their double hearted leader, yet would not the Church of Geneua, (after a Synodicall consultation) haue sent their ministers to such an aduenture, had not all scruples, (in their iudgement) beene cleared by the light of Scripture.

When therefore, it is a sweete smelling sacrifice, to propagate the name of Iesus Christ, when the Babylonish Inchantresse (if her owne Calenders, are to bee credited) hath compassed sea, and land, to make, sixe, eight, or ten millions, of Romish proselites. When there is no other, mixt, moderate, course, to transport the Virginian soules to heauen. When there hath beene a reall concession from their rural Emperour, that hath licensed vs to negociate among them, and to possesse their countrie with them. When there is more vnpeopled continent of earth, than wee and they (before the dissolution of the pillars of heauen) can ouerburden with multitude. When we neuer intend to play the Rehoboams, and to scourge them with scor

pions. It is not good, to create more sinnes, then God euer censured: nor to brand that action with impietie, which God hath begun for promulgating of his glorie Nunquid ideo deforme est, quia figura mentitur? is the action therefore deformed, because a false glasse doth slaunder it?

Concerning the other braunch of this discourse, wherein some slie whisperers would seeme to cast an aspersion of iniustice vpon the action, supposing some forraine Prince to haue a former interest.

Certainlie hee is but a rotten subiect that quarrells the actions of his countrie, descrying a serpentine stinge vnder the faire leaues of pietie. And though it bee not for a theoreticall Schollar, to circumscribe the dominions of Princes, yet a few proofes from antiquitie, shall suffice to controwle ignorant or presumptuous follie.

In the yeare 1170. Madocke the sonne of Owen Guyneth Prince of Northwales (leauing the land in contention betwixt his two brethren Howell and Dauid) sailed into the West Indies, and after a second, and a third returne, and supplie, setled himselfe in those dominions.

In the yeere 1495. Iohn Cabot a Venetian, but the indenized subiect of King Henrie the seauenth discouered the North parts of America, to Meta incognita, and so it was annexed to the Crowne of England.

As for the donation of Alexander the sixt; it is but a reciprocall clawing, when Emperors create their seruants Bishops vniuersall, and shauelings create their Lords, Emperors generall.

If the donation of Constantine were not more virtuall for Saint Peters partrimonie, wee should haue neede of more purgatories, to maintaine fuell in the Popes kitchen: for if the kingdome of Christ was not on earth, what a transubstantiated power, doth the pretended Vicar of Christ claime, to dispose all the kingdomes of the earth. Petrarch recordeth a memorable historie, of Sautius brother to the King of Spaine, who was elected generall against the Saracens of Egypt, and comming to Rome for that purpose, the Bishop of Rome, made it to bee proclaimed in the Consistorie that hee bestowed the kingdome of Egypt vpon Sautius. Sautius vnderstanding this fauour, (by his interpreter) commanded to proclaime the Pope, great Caleph of Baldacho: perfuming the sonne of pride, with his owne smoke.

The Pope hauing no more power, to make Sautius a King, then Sautius had power to make the Pope a Caleph. Let such retailers of Crownes remember, who it was that sometime saide, all these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe, and

worship

worship me, And yet with this item that the diuell pretended to giue no more than he saw.

These points beeing thus defined, I come to the possibility. Against which three maine impediments are obiected. First the daungerous passage by sea, secondlie the barrennesse of the countrie, thirdly the vnholesomness of the climate: the storme that seperated the admirall from the fleete proouing the first, the famine amongst our men importing the second, the sicknesse of our men arguing the third. All which discouragements doe astonish our men with feare, as though our expences were vnprofitable, when our ends are impossible.

But before I shall enter into this discourse I must craue leaue to make a necessarie digression, and to iustifie his reputation whose worth is of speciall regard in this plantation.

Sir Thomas Gates supposeth himselfe accused publiquelie and in print of a treeble defect.

First that hee ranne so farre Southerlie and into the Tropique, that the heat caused the infection in the ships.

Secondlie that hee gaue a sealed direction, that if they were seperated by anie storme, that they should make for the Baruada in the West Indies, which direction himselfe following, it caused his shipwracke, but the other shippes, (vpon better judgement) declining these instructions, ariued safelie in Virginia.

Thirdlie that hee caried in one bottome all the principall Commissioners who should successiuelie haue gouerned the Colonie. Against all which imputations, hee maketh this iust Apologie.

First hee confesseth that a little before they came vnto the Canaries, that hee entred into consultation with Sir George Summers, Captaine Newport, and the other of chiefe regarde in the fleete, wherein it was resolued by an vniformitie of consent, to runne southerlie into the Tropique, which they did, till they came to the height of foure and twentie, but hee denieth that this course was anie cause of infection. For in the Faulcon, the Blessing, the Lyon, (and in the Admirall wherein were one hundred and fiftie soules) there was not one sicke of the pestilence nor other disease; In the other two ships the infection was somewhat hote, but they shipped the same from London; To the second hee affirmeth, that hee first gaue them sealed instructions (not to bee opened till a time of storme) which directed them to the Baruada, But after when they came to the height of foure and twentie, hee countermaunded those directions by word of mouth, and assigned them, (that if they were scattered) that they should make with all speede for Virginia. Which himselfe (esteemning the price of time vnualu

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able) woulde haue executed, bad not the violent leake of the shippe hindred him, So that the other ships safe ariuall in Virginia, proceeded originallie from his aduise and authoritie.

To the third, he briefly signifieth, that no other Commissioners were in his Ship, but such, (as for especiall reasons) were precisely and peremptorily appointed, by the Councell of Virginia. And thus you see, that Tacitus wisely obserued two great enemies of great actions, Ignorantiam veri, & Inuidiam, the ignorance of Truth, and the emulation of Vertue.

To returne therefore vnto the maine channell of this discourse, and to dispell the clouds of feare, that threaten shipwracks, and sea-dangers: For we are not to extenuate the seas tempestuous violence, nor yet therefore to dispaire of Gods. assisting providence. For true it is, that when Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Summers, and Captaine Newport, were in the height of 27. and the 24. of July 1609. there arose such a storme, as if Ionas had been flying vnto Tarshish: the heauens were obscured, and made an Egyptian night of three daies perpetuall horror; the women lamented; the hearts of the passengers failed; the experience of the sea Captaines was amased: the skill of the marriners was confounded: the Ship most violently leaked, and though two thousand tunne of water by pumping from Tuesday noone till Fryday noone was discharged, notwithstanding the Ship was halfe filled with water, and those which laboured to keepe others from drowning were halfe drowned themselues in labouring. But God that heard lonas crying out of the belly of hell, he pittied the distresses of his seruants; For behold, in the last period of necessitie, Sir George Summers descryed land, which was by so much the more joyfull, by how much their danger was despaire full. The Islands on which they fell were the Bermudos, a place hardly accessable, through the enuironing rocks and dangers: notwithstanding they were forced to runne their Ship on shoare, which through Gods prouidence fell betwixt two rockes, that caused her to stande firme and not immediately to be broken, God continuing his mercie vnto them, that with their long Boats they transported to land before night, all their company, men, women, and children, to the number of one hundred and fiftie, they carryed to shoare all the prouision of vnspent and vnspoyled victuals, all their furniture and tackling of the Ship, leauing nothing but bared ribs, as a pray vnto the Ocean.

These Islands of the Bermudos, haue euer beene accounted as an inchaunted pile of rockes, and a desert inhabitation for Diuels; but all the Fairies of the rocks were but flocks of birds, and all the Diuels that haunted the woods, were but heards of

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