1st. It wilbe a service to the church of great consequens by carringe the gospell into those parts to raise a bulworke against the kingdom of antichrist which the Jesuits labour to rere in all parts of the world:

2d. All other churches of Europe beinge brought to desolation it cannot be but that the like iudgement is comminge vpon vs and who knoweth but that god hath prepared this place for a refuge for many whome he meaneth to saue in the general distruction:

3d. The land groneth vnder her inhabitants soe that man the best of creatures is held more base then the earth they tread on:

4th. We are growen to that hight of intemperancy as noe mans estate 112will suffice him to keepe sayle with his equall and he that doeth not must Hue in contempt. Hence trades are carried soe deceiptfully and vnrightusly as yt is almost inpossible for a good vpright man to maynteyne his charge and to Hue comfortably in his profession:

5th. The fountaynes of learninge and religion are soe corrupted as besides the vnsupportable charge many chyldren of best witts and fayrest hopes are perverted corrupted and vtterly overthrowne by the multitude of evill examples and the licentious government of those seminaryes:

6th. The earth is the lords garden and he hath given yt to the sonns of men to be tylled and improved why then should we stand strivinge here for places of habitation many men spending as much labour and cost to recover and keepe somtymes an acre or tow of land which would procure many acres of as good or better in an other place and in the meane tyme they suffer whole countryes vsefull and convenient for the vse of man to lye wast without inhabitant:

7th. What can be a better or more honorable worke then to helpe rayse and support a particuler church whyle yt is in the budd and infancy to ioyne our forces with such a company of faithfull people as by a tymly assistance may growe stronge and prosper and for want of yt may be put to great hazard yf not ruinated:

8th. Yf such as are knowen to be godly and Hue in welth heare shall forsake all this to ioyne themselues with this church and to runne their hazard yt wilbe an example of great vse boeth for the removinge of the scandall of worldly and sinister respectes to giue more lyfe to the faith of godly people in their prayers for the plantation and alsoe to encourage others to ioyne the more willingly in yt:

obiection Yt wilbe a greate wronge to our owne country and church to take away the godly people and we shall lay yt the more open to the iudgements feared: | solution | yt wilbe nothinge in respect of those that shalbe lefte and many that Hue in noe vse heare more then for their owne private famylyes maye be imployed to a more commen good in an other place: 3° by such as are of noe vse heare to be soe imployed as the church shall receaue noe losse: 4°. the church since christs tyme is to be considered as vniversall without respect of countryes: soe as he that doeth good in any place doeth serve the church in all places 5°. yt is the revealed will of god that the gospell should be preached in all places and nations and therfore we knowe not whether the Indians will receaue yt yet yt is a good worke to observe gods will in offeringe yt for god shall haue glory yf they refuse:

ob: We haue feared a iudgement a longe tyme but yet we are saffe: 113yt were better to stay till yt come and either we may fly then or yf we be overtaken we may content our selues to suffer with such a church as this: | sol: | It is likly that this consideration made the church beyounde the seas viz: the Palatinate and Rochell to sit still and not labour for shelter whyle they might: but the wofull spectackle of their ruine may teach vs wysdome to avoyd the plauge whyle yt is forsenne and not to tary as they did till yt overtake vs: yf they were now in their former liberty we may be sure they would take other course for their safty Although most of them had myscarried in their escape yet that had not bine halfe soe miserable to themselues and scandalous to religion as their desperate backslydinge and abiuringe the truth which many of their auncient professors amongst them and their whole posteryty that remayne are plunged into:

ob: We haue here a plentyfull land of all thinges with peace: | sol: yet we must leaue all this abundance yf yt be taken from vs: 2. when we be in our graues yt wilbe all one to haue liued in plenty or poverty or whether we had died in a bed of downe or one a locke of strawe only this is the advantage of a meane condition that yt is at more freedome to dye the lesse comfort any haue in the things of this world the more liberty and desire he may haue to lay vpp treasure in heaven:

ob: But we may perrish in the way or when we come there hunger or the sword there: how vncomfortable would yt be to see our wyfes chyldren and frends come to such mysery by our occasion: | sol: such obiections savour to much of the flesh who can free hymselfe or his frends from the like calamyties heare: yf this course be warrantable we must trust gods providence for those thinges either he will keepe those evills from vs: or will dispose them for our good and in able vs to beare them:

ob: but what warrant haue we to take the land which is and hath bine soe longe tyme possessed by other sonnes of Adam: | sol: | that which is commen to all is proper to none these savage people ramble over much land without title or property. 2°. ther is more then enough for them and vs: 3° god hath consumed these nations in a myraculouse plauge wherby a great parte of their country is left voyd without inhabitants: we shal com in with good leaue of these nations:

ob: But we should yet send younge ones and such as can be best spared and not of our best number and magistrates sol: yt is a great worke and therfore requyres skylfull artifficers to lay the foundation of a new buyldinge then to vphold and maynteyne yt alreddy buylt: yf great thinges be attempted by weake meanes instruments the effects wilbe aunswearable:

ob: We see that plantations that haue bine formerly made succeed ill: sol: the fruit of any probable designe is not to be decerned by the immediate successe yt may appeare in tyme that they were to good vse. 2° ther were great and fundamentall errors in the other which are likly to be avoyded in this for first their mayne end which was proposed was carnal and not religiouse they aymed cheefly at profitt and not the propagation of religion: secondly they vsed vnfitt instruments viz: a multitude of rude and misgoverned persons the very scumme of the land: 3. they did not establysh a right forme of government:

1. It wilbe a service to the Churche of great Consequence to carrye the Gospell into those partes of the world, and to rayse a bullwarke against the kingdom of Antichrist which the Jesuites labour to reare vp in all places of the worlde.

2. All other Churches of Europe are brought to desolation, and it cannot be, but the like Judgment is comminge vpon vs: and who knows, but that God hathe provided this place, to be a refuge for manye, whom he meanes to save out of the general destruction?

3. This lande growes wearye2 of her Inhabitantes, so as man which is the most pretious of all Creatures, is heere more vile and base, then the earthe they treade vpon: so as children neighbours and freindes (especially if they be poore) are rated the greatest burdens, which if things were right, would be the cheifest earthly blessings.

4. We are growne to that height of Intemperance in all excesse of Ryot, as no mans estate all most will suffice to keepe sayle with his equalls: and he that fayles in it, must liue in scorn and contempt: hence it comes, that all 114

5. The fountains of learninge and Religion are so corrupted, as (besides the vnsupportable chardge of their education) most Children, even the best wittes and of fayrest hopes, are perverted corrupted and vtterly overthrowne by the multitude of evill examples and the licentious government of those seminaryes.

6. The whole earthe is the Lordes garden: and he hathe given it to the sons of men to be tilld and improved by them: why then should we stand striving heere for places of habitation etc. (many men spending as muche labor and cost to recover or keepe sometyme an Acre or 2 of lande, as would procure him many C hundred acres as good or better in another place) and in the mene tyme suffer whole countrys as fruitfull and convenient for the vse of man, to lye waste without any improvement?

7. What can be a better worke and more honorable and worthy a Christian then to helpe 3 rayse and supporte a particular Churche while it is in the infancye, and to ioine our forces with suche a Companye of faithfull people, as one word cancelled by a tymely assistance maye growe stronge and prosper, and for want of it may be putt to great hazard, if not wholly ruined?

8. If suche as are knowne to be godly and Hue in wealthe and prosperitye heere, shall forsake all this to ioine themselues to this Churche, and to runne the hazard with them of a harde and meane condition, it wilbe an example of great vse, bothe for removinge the schandale of worldly and sinister respectes to give more life to the Faithe of Godes people in their prayers for the plantation, and allso to incourage others to ioyne the more willingly in it.

Ob. 1: It wilbe a great wronge to our owne Churche and Countrye, to take awaye the good people, and we shall laye it the more open to the Judgment feared.

Ans. 1: the number wilbe nothing in respecte of those that are lefte: 2 many that liue to no vse heere, more then for their owne private familys, may be imployed to a more common good in another place: 3: suche as are of noe vse heere, may yet be so imployed, as the Church shall receive no losse: and since Christes tyme the Church is to be considered as vniversall, without distinction of countrys, so as he that dothe good in any one place serves the Church in all places in regarde of the vnitye. lastly it is the re­116vealed will of God, that the Gospell should be preached to all nations: and thoughe we knowe not, whither the Indians will receive it or not, yet it is a good worke, to observe Godes will in offering it to them, for God shall haue Glory by it, though they refuse it.

Ob. 2. We have feared a Judgment a longe tyme, but yet we are safe, soe it were better to staye till it come, and either we may flye then, or if we be overtaken in it we may well contente our selues to suffer with suche a Churche as ours is.

here may be added such reasons as doe necessaryly preclude flight thence Ans. It is like that this consideration made the Churches beyonde the seas (as the Palatinate Rochell etc.) to sitt still at home, and not look out for shelter while they might have founde it: but the woefull spectacle of their ruine, may teache vs more wisdome, to avoyde the plague when it is foreseene, and not to tarrye, as they did, till it overtake vs: if they were now at their former libertye, we may be sure, they would take other Course for their safety: and though most of them had miscarried in their escape, yet it had not been halfe so miserable to them selues, nor scandalous to Religion, as this desperate backslidinge, and abiuringe the truethe, which many of the auncient professors amonge them, and the whole posteryty that remaine have are now plunged into.

Ob. 3. We have heere a fruitfull lande with peace and plenty of all thinges etc.

Ans. our superfluities excepted we are like to be followed with as good consequences remaininge there in a shorte tyme, and be far from many temptations illegible meet with here.4 yet we must leave all this abondance, if it be not taken from vs: and when we are in our graves it wilbe all one to have liued in plentye or penurye, whither we had dyed in a bedd of downe, or a lock of strawe, and onely this is the advantage of a meane condition, that it is at more freedom to dye and the lesse comfort any hathe in the things of this world, the more 5 liberty and desire he may have to laye vp treasure in heaven.

Ob. 4. But we may perishe by the waye or when we come there, either hanginge hunger or the sworde etc., and how vncomfortable it would be to see our wiues children and freindes come to suche misery by our occasion?

Ans. Suche objection savours to muche of the flesh: who can saue him selfe or his familye from calamitys heere? if this course be warrantable we must trust Godes providence for these thinges, either he will keepe these evills from vs, or will dispose them for our good, and enable vs to beare them.

Ob. 5: But what warrant haue we to take that lande which is and hathe been of longe tyme possessed by other sonnes of Adam?

sol. That which is common to all is proper to none, these saluadge peoples ramble over muche lande without title or propertye: 2: there is more then enough for them and vs; 3: God hathe consumed the natives with a miraculous plague, wherby a great parte of the Country is left voyde of Inhabitantes. 4. We shall come in with good leave of the natiues.6

Ob. 6. we should yet send yonge ones, and suche as may best be spared, and not of our best ministers and magistrates.

sol. It is a greater worke and requires more skillfull artizans, to laye the foundation of a newe building, then to vphould or repaire one that is ready built: if great things be attempted by weake instrumentes, the effectes willbe answerable:

Ob. 7. We see those plantations, which have been formerly made, succeeded ill.

Ans. the fruit of any publick designe is not to be discerned by the immediate successe, 2: it may appeare in tyme, that they were all to good vse. 2: there were great and fundamentall errors in the other, which are like to be avoyded in this: for 1: their maine ende two words cancelled and purpose was carnall and not religious; they aymed cheifly at profitt, and not the propagating of Religion. 2: they vsed vnfitt instrumentes, a multitude of Rude and misgoverned persons the verye scomme of the lande. 3: they did not establish a right forme of Government.