_&c._
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Generall Considerac̅o̅ns for y^e plantac̅o̅n in _New England_, w^{th}
an aunswere to seuerall objections[1]
First it will be a service to y^e Church of great consequence,
to carry y^e gospell into those parts of y^e world, & to raise a
bulwarke ag^t y^e kingdo̅s̅ of Antichrist w^{ch} y^e Jesuits labour
to reare vp in all places of y^e world.
Secondly all other churches of Europe are brought to desolac̅o̅n, &
it may be justly feared y^t y^e like judg^{mt} is com̅ing vpon vs: &
who knowes but y^t God hath provided this place to be a refuge for
many whom hee meanes to saue out of y^e generall destruction.
Thirdly the land growes weary of her inhabitants, so that man w^{ch}
is y^e most precious of all creatures is here more vyle & base
then y^e earth they tread upon; so as children neighbours & friends
especially of y^e poore, are counted y^e greatest burdens, w^{ch} if
things were right would be y^e highest earthly blessings.
Wee are growen to y^t excesse & intemperaunce in all excesse of riot
as no meane estate almost will suffice to keepe saile w^{th} his
equalls & hee y^t fayles in it must [live] in scorne & contempt.
Hence it comes to passe y^t all arts & trades are carried in y^t
deceitfull man̅er & vnrighteous course, as it is almost impossible
for a good upright man to maintayne his chardge & liue co̅fortably in
any of y^m.
Fiftly y^e Schooles of learning & religion are so corrupted, as
(besides y^e unsupportable chardge of this educac̅o̅n) most children,
(euen y^e best wittiest & of fayrest hopes) are perverted, corrupted
& utterly ouerpowered by y^e multitude of evill examples & licentious
governors of those seminaries.
Sixtly y^e whole earth is y^e Lords garden & hee hath giuen it to
y^e sons of Adam to bee tilled & improoued by y^m why then should
we stand starving here for places of habitac̅o̅n (many men spending
as much labour & cost to recouer or keepe so̅e̅tymes an acre or
two of lands, as would procure him many hundreths of acres, as
good or better in another place) & in y^e meane tyme suffer whole
countreyes as profitable for y^e use of man, to lye wast w^{th}out
any improouement.
Seaventhly, what can bee a better worke and more noble & worthy a
Christian, then to helpe to raise & support a particular church while
it is in it infancy, & to [join] o^r forces w^{th} such a co̅pany
of faithfull people, as by a tymely assistaunce may grow stronger &
prosper, & for want of it may be put to great hazzard if not wholly
ruinated?
Eightly if any such as are knowne to bee godly & liue in wealth &
prosperity here, shall forsake all this to joyne y^mselves w^{th}
this church, & runne in hazard w^{th} y^m of hard & meane condic̅o̅n,
it will be an example of great vse both for y^e remooving of Scandall
& sinister & worldly respects, to giue more lyfe to y^e faith of Gods
people in their prayers for y^e plantac̅o̅n, & also to encourage
others to joyne y^e more willingly in it.
_Objections_:
Obj. 1. It will bee a great wrong to o^r owne church & countrey
to take away the best people; & we still lay it more open to y^e
judg^{mts} feared.
Aunsw. 1. The number will be nothing in respect of those y^t are
left. 2ly many y^t liue to no vse here, more then for their owne
priuate familyes may bee employed to a more com̅o̅ good in another
place. 3^{ly} such as are of good vse here may yett be so employed
as y^e church shall receiue no losse. and since Christs coming y^e
church is to be conceiued as universal w^{th}out distinctio̅ of
countryes, so as hee y^t doth good in any one place serves y^e church
in all places, in regard of y^e vnitye. 4^{thly} it is y^e revealed
will of God y^t y^e gospell should be preached to all nations, and
though we know not whether y^e Indians will receiue it or not, yet it
is a good worke to observe Gods will in offering it to y^m, for God
shall haue glory by it though y^y refuse it.
Object. 2. wee haue feared a judge^{mt} a long tyme, but yet we are
safe; therefore it were better to stay till it come, & either we may
flie then, or if we be ouertaken in it wee may well bee content to
suffer w^{th} such a church as ours is.
Aunsw. It is likely y^t this considerac̅o̅n made y^e churches beyond
y^e seas as y^e Palatinate & Rochel &c to sit still at home, & not
looke out for shelter while y^y might haue found it. but y^e wofull
spectacle of their ruine may teach us more wisdome to avoid y^e
plague while it is foreseene, & not to tarry as y^y did till it
ouertooke y^m. If they were now at their former liberty, wee may be
sure y^y would take other courses for their safety. And though most
of y^m had miscarried in their escape, yet it had not bene halfe so
miserable to th^mselves, or scandalous to religion, as this desperate
backsliding and abjuring y^e truth, w^{ch} many of y^e auntient
professours among y^m, & y^e whole posterity that remayne are plunged
into.
Object. 3. wee haue here a fruitfull Land w^{th} peace & plenty of
all things.
Aunsw: wee are like to haue as good condic̅o̅ns there in tyme; but
yet we must leaue all this abundance, if it bee not taken fro̅ vs.
When we are in o^r graues, it will bee all one whether we haue liued
in plenty or in penury, whether we haue dyed in a bed of downe or
lockes of straw. Onely this is y^e advantage of y^e meane condic̅o̅n,
y^t it is a more freedo̅e̅ to dye. And y^e lesse co̅fort any haue
in y^e things of this world, y^e more liberty y^y haue to lay vp
treasure in heauen.
Obj. 4. wee may perish by y^e way or when we co̅e̅ there, having
hunger or y^e sword &c and how vnco̅fortable will it bee to see o^r
wives & children & friends come to such miserie by o^r occasion?
Aunsw. Such objections savour too much of y^e flesh. Who can secure
himselfe or his fro̅ y^e like calamities here? If this course bee
warrantable, we may trust Gods providence for these things. Either
hee will keepe those evills fro̅ vs, or will dispose y^m for o^r good
& enable vs to beare y^m.
Obj. 5. But what warrant haue we to take y^t land, w^{ch} is & hath
bene of long tyme possessed of others y^e sons of Adam?
Aunsw. That w^{ch} is com̅o̅ to all is proper to none. This Savage
people ruleth ouer many lands w^{th}out title or property: for y^y
inclose no ground, neither haue y^y cattell to maintayne it, but
remooue their dwellings as y^y haue occasion, or as y^y can prevaile
agt their neighbours. And why may not Christians haue liberty to go
& dwell amongst y^m in their wast lands & woodds (leaving y^m such
places as y^y haue manured for their corne) as lawfully, as Abraham
did amongst y^e Sodomites? For God hath giuen to y^e sons of men a 2
fould right to y^e earth: there is a naturall right & a civill right.
The first right was naturall when men held y^e earth in com̅o̅, every
man sowing & seeding where hee pleased: then, as men and cattell
increased, y^y appropriated some parcells of ground by enclosing &
peculiar manurance, & this in tyme got y^m a civill right. Such was
y^e right w^{ch} Ephron y^e Hittite had _in_ y^e field of Machpelah,
wherein Abraham could not bury a dead corps w^{th}out leaue, though
for y^e outparts of y^e countrey w^{ch} lay com̅on, hee dwelt vpo̅
y^m & tooke y^e fruit of y^m at his pleasure. This appeares also in
Jacob & his sons who fedd their flocks as bouldly in y^e Canaanites
Land for hee is said to bee Lord of y^e countrey; & at Dotham and
all other places men accounted nothing their owne, but y^t w^{ch}
y^y had appropriated by their owne industry, as appeares plainly by
Abimelechs servaunts, who in their owne countrey did often contend
w^{th} Isaacks servaunts about wells w^{ch} y^y had digged; but neuer
about y^e lands w^{ch} y^y occupied. So likewise betweene Jacob
& Laban: hee would not take a kidd of Labans w^{th}out speciall
contract; but hee makes no bargaine w^{th} him for y^e land where y^y
fedd. And it is probable y^t if y^e countrey had not bene as free for
Jacob as for Laban, y^t covetous wretch would haue made his advantage
of him, & haue vpbraided Jacob w^{th} it as hee did w^{th} y^e rest.
2^{dly} there is more then enough for y^m & vs. 3^{dly} God hath
consumed y^e natives w^{th} a miraculous plague, whereby y^e greater
part of y^e countrey is left void of inhabitants. 4^{ly}, we shall
co̅e in w^{th} good leaue of y^e natiues.
Obj. 6. we shall send o^r young ones & such as may best bee spared, &
not of y^e best of o^r ministers & magistrates.
Aunsw. It is a great worke & requires more skilfull Artisans to
lay y^e foundac̅o̅n of a new building, then to uphoald & repayre
one y^t is already built. If great things bee attempted by weake
instru^{mts}, y^e effects will bee aunswerable.
Obj. 7. Wee see y^t those plantac̅o̅ns y^t haue bene formerly made,
succeeded ill.
Aunsw. 1 The fruit of any publique designe is not to bee discerned
by y^e im̅ediat successe: it may appeare in tyme, y^t y^y were all
to good vse. 2^{dly}, there were great fundamentall errours in
others w^{ch} are like to bee avoided in this: for 1 their mayne
end & purpose was carnall & not religious. 2 y^y aymed chiefely at
profitt & not at y^e propagac̅o̅n of religion. 3 y^y vsed too vnfitt
instru^{mts}, a multitude of rude vngoverned persons, y^e very scums
of y^e Land. 4 y^y did not stablish a right fourme of gouern^{mt}.