There is no woorke deemed more lawefull and more requisite, then the plantation and establishinge of a true church for the propagatinge of true Religeon and the Christian faythe; but yett in the due tyme and place, with a wary regarde of all necessary circumstances belonginge to the same, and with a due respecte to all future contingencies, that in steade of buyldinge there bee not an overthrowenge.

This service of reisynge, and setlinge a particular church, is suche a woorthie woorke, and carries suche a bewtifull pretexte, that it doothe anticipate, the awnswere to all obiections, and drawes a concession for sondrye reasons averred. Yett the furtherance of a particular church is not so to be preferred, before the betteringe of some2 smalle parte of a church allredy setled, that by absence of wonted care and respecte, the same maye suffer a defecte and diminution in recession. For, For wante of wonted assistaunce the state of the church decayeth, which in progression by presence of all the partes, prospereth.

It is not denied, but the newe church once truly setled in the due tyme and place, maye throwghe a sympathie bothe of nature and grace, bee of more vse and comforte, to hir moother church in future tymes of calamitie, then suche whom shee doothe styll noryshe in hir owne bosome For it is the condition of the church some tymes to wanze, not allwayes eminently to growe; but sometymes to be ecclipsed in parte, darkened, or persecuted; when as it is iuste to seeke refuge for saftye, especially where safest hope maye be founde.

To leave a place of lesse consideration, for a charge of greter consequence, imposed by the generall callinge of the better sorte, maye no dowte be allowed, especially as thinges stande, heere at this daye, where the inferiour magistrate, yf he be true and stricte for the due execution of his place, especially againste poperye, or againste the common synnes of the tyme, is altogether discoraged and discowntenanced And3 so many instances may be geven, how private persons of this kinde have iustely derelinquished, there places, even with good successe, for the comon benefyte and better service of God.

If the State of thinges be so farre gone, that withowte your presence, the cheefe undertakers of this plantation, (men of greate goodnes, qualitie and wysdome) wyll no wayes stirre in this buysynes. And yf the invitation of sondry devynes, moste deere vnto you, Juditious, and of greate vnderstandinge, with the calle of supreame auctorite, rectefyenge and awnsweringe all impediments and obiections whatsoever ( which was no wayes knowen to your friendes in these partes, which wyshed and prayed for your good, as entyrely and respectyvelye as any others.) there is no reason, 129and lesse conscience, for a perticular vncertayntie, and an vncomfortable charge heere at home, to omytte and overthrowe a woorke of so eminente consideration and consequence abroade, wherein more service maye be doone to God, the comon benefyte and your owne perticular, which it were greate indiscretion to neglecte, nowe the doore is opened, and were a greate forgettfull vnthankefullnes to the lorde, to refuse imployment in so hie an ordinance.

And therefore your friendes doe now rather encorage you to proceede, and do entreate the Allmightye Lorde of Hostes, to goe with you, to blesse and governe you in all your wayes

It is agayne acknowledged, there can be no woorke or service of greater consequence, then to plante the ghospell in the remote partes of the woorlde, even for a Rebutter againste Antichriste: and the more for that wee see, the moste parte of the protestante churches of Europe are destroyed, where-with if the same lotte commeth vpon this lande, as longe synce hathe byn feared, How woonderfull is the lorde in mercye, that hathe reysed this newe plantation, for so comfortable a refuge, for all suche whom he hathe exempted owte of that generall divastation, which our Synnes have so muche deserved

This contrye riche in the plenty of a longe peace, and full with the surfetts of a contynewall ease, hathe longe synce growen weary of hir Inhabitants, especially the poorer sorte, reputed but as the burden of the State. And indeede thinges are growne, to suche a transcendente heighte of excesse in all intemperance and ryotte, that no mans meanes are enoughe to keepe sayle with his equalls, wherein who so ever can not doe as other men doe, oh with what scorne and contempte doothe he lyve in! Now from this it befalleth, that wee see suche fraude and deceipte in all artes and trades, that it is deemed allmoste impossible for a good and an uprighte man, to maynetayne his charge, and to lyve comfortably amonge any of them.

Agayne the fowntaynes of all learninge Religion, and the wonted places for education of yowthe, are so corrupted, and so exceedingly chargeable, that the fynest wyttes of beste hope throwghe infynite ill examples of debauched Seminaries and governours, are vtterly spoyled and overthrowen

All this is confessed with the reste of your arguments which I forbeare further to wryte, bycawse that in suche a florishinge church and comon welthe (as the blinde lightes of this lande do pretende) where every place mourneth for wante of Justice, where the cryenge synnes goe vnponished, 130or vnreproved, crueltye and bloodde is in our streetes, the lande abowndeth with murthers slawghters Incestes Adulteryes, whoredome dronkennes, oppression and pride where well doinge is not mayntayned, or the godly cherished, but Idollatrye popery and what so ever is evyll is cowntenanced, even the leaste of these, is enowghe, and enowghe to make haste owte of Babylon, and to seeke to dye rather in the wyldernes then styll to dwelle in Sodome Mesheck and in the tentes of Kedar

And now bycawse I see a constante resolution for this expedition, I praye you yett geve me leave, by waye of cawtion, to enforme you, what I have observed, from others of greate Judgemente, wysdome, and longe experience in those remote affayres, not in the leaste sorte to contradicte your intention, but to make you more warye to provyde for these difficulties.

No sooner were thes partes discovered, but euery one earnestly called for plantation, in the which the Marchante had evermore a cheefe hande, stirringe up auctorite and Nobyllytie for the glory of the Kingdome, and all godly well disposed persons to contribute, and to collecte, many greate Summes, with these bewtifull pretextes, the honor of the Crowne to have newe accesses to the same, the enlargemente of Gods church where the Christian faythe was never yett preched, and the greate good of the lande, to employe so many ydle heere at home, for trade and traffacke, whereas for there owne perticular benefyte, (which was the ende of all there allegations, and which hathe byn the sole overthrowe of all these plantations) thay never once mentioned. For there shall you observe, yf the Marchante sawe not presente gayne, Supplie promised was eyther totally denyed, or so longe delayed, that they were all starved and consumed

Thay observed lykewyse from the beginninge of this discoverye plantations often attempted, but never succeeded, vnto which it wylbe awnswerd, the hystoryes relate sondry cawses thereof, of all which the presente generation wyll have good cawse to beware The evill happe of former fundamentall errors, may not hinder the successe of the latter, For perfection of thinges is not fownde in the beginnynges, but from the beginninges men proceede to those thinges which are perfectt.

Thay suppose that vntyll there bee, by more lengthe of tyme, a setled State, with good hope of certayntye, for a quiett enioyenge of the same, from so neere, and potente an adversary, who ever lysteneth, and gapeth for nothinge more, then when those partes shall once become, fytte for his praye, this is no tyme fytt to adventure there for further plantation.

But suppose the lande peopled the common welthe established, our lawes there setled for governmente, as it is heere at home. Hathe not former expe­131rience showed, that discontented myndes seinge a Presidente of weake Judgemente in dangers, and lesse industry in peace, with too hie a cariadge in his place, how soone he is distasted, even with the Cownsell Soldiers and Mariners, upon the successe of proceedinges in the Colonye, how he is contemned, his auctorite not regarded, alledgeinge he hathe no auctorite in that place, beinge no acquired, hereditary, or conquered, setled, or established place, as heere at home, and therefore the greater nomber proceede to depose hym and to choose a newe Presidente. For insolente cariadges in emimente auctorite, against perticular persons, may by longe patience be endured and by strengthe borne owte: But when errors towche the publicke, every member is sensible of wronge, and putts his hande to his downefall

Yea the Cownsell so often devyded by factions, throwghe misgoverment, when weake Presidentes appoynte vnskyllfull officers in places which belonge to them, who have spente longest tyme in the service of those partes

When the harvest is not duly gathered, the provision in store is moche spoyled or secretly solde to the enemyes, when pryvate Soldiers for victualls do sell there swoordes there powder and shott to trade with the Savages, when others of lesse woorthe and regarde then hym selfe, as he deemeth who never was acquaynted with those affayres, to be advaunced to the place of govermente him selfe and his service so longe tyme in those discoveries reiected, he murmureth, mutineth, and secretly conspireth with privie confederates, for the primacye. Therefore the beste direction of actions is cownsayle and wysdome to respecte every one in his place.

When throwghe the Presidents Improvidence, the Store is not wysely guyded or tymely renewed, from tradinge with the Savadges, And when vsuall supplie of these partes of all vitualls and necessaryes, cometh not soone as was expected, this wyll breede at the leaste suspicion, and infinite discontente yf not anarchy4 For then necessitie is neyther ruled by lawe, nor overruled by power, hir force is so greate, not only in the passive resistance, againste all harde Impressions but in actyve and vyolente impetuositie, that throwghe all obstacles and dayngers, shee wyll fynde a waye, or make it

Many in these partes havinge spente there estates, and ashamed heere to stryke sayle, have gone for this plantation, thinkinge there for to lyve at a lower rate, with some thinge remayninge; but changinge only the soyle and not the course of these degenerate tymes, to waste all in drynke and Tobaccho, then when the 2 handes can not feede one mouthe, nor clothe one backe, then they soone starve and pyne awaye And when the Presidente 132and Cownsell admitteth suche to lyve there, as can not woorke, but lyve ydlye, nor have any to woorke for them, nor able there to compasse any meanes, whereupon lyve and setle hym selfe, what shall become on them? wysdome is not geven to sytt styll, and to lyve ydlye, but it doothe directe to all vertuous endeavours. And Slothe and Idlenes which is the norsery of all evill in a comon wealthe, hasteneth the ruyne and dissolucion of the wholl bodye and frame of the State

To proceede further in this sorte were teadious, but to a Judgemente so quicke and apprehensyve it is in vayne, only where so many dangers maye appere, to take the leaste, ever dowbtinge what maye befalle For in pollicie, dowbte is the moother of good successe, and he that feareth the woorste, preventeth it soonest. Yf you doe well I shalbe moste gladde. That you maye ever do well I beseeche the allmighty. And when you have doone well, I shall infinitely reioyce and prayse the lorde, to whose blessed protection I ever more do leave you in all your wayes.

1: It is granted that the worke is lawfull and hopefull of successe for the great good of the Churche.

2: It must be advaunced by persons, gifted (in some competent measure) suteable to the worke.

3: Everye one who hathe meet giftes, hathe not a will to the worke, and no bonde of Conscience or other Compulsarye Call can ordinaryely be imposed vpon suche as have no minde to it.

4: The service of raysinge and vpholdinge a particular Churche is to be preferred before the betteringe some parte of a Churche allreadye established.

5. Of workes of the same kinde, that is most to be furthered, which (by common intendment) is of largest extente

6: The Exercise of an Office of lesse consequence, whereinto any is putt by ordinarye Callinge, may be lefte, vpon the like Call to some other imploy­133ment of greater consequence: especially where there followeth no violation of the rule of Righteousnesse.

7: A future good, if it be greater, may be preferred before a present good that is lesse: and in this respecte, the members of that Churche may be of more vse to their mother Churche heere then manye of those whom she shall still keepe in her owne bosome, so when the Churche in the Rev: 12: was persecuted by the dragon, her sonne was taken from her, not regarding so muche what losse she should have of him for the present, as the future good he should be reserved for.

8: It may be instanced in divers publike persons, and in many others of great vse, that have lefte the places, where they have been setled, and their Changes approved.

9: The takinge off a Scandall from a wholl Churche and Religion it selfe is to be preferred before the betteringe of the same Churche: It is a Scandall to our Churche and Religion, that professinge, in all our Plantations, the Conversion of those Barbarians, yet we declare to the world that we intende not that, but our owne profitt, in that we imploye not persons meete for suche a worke, but onely suche as are a burden to vs, or, for the most parte, suche as we can well spare, while the Papists in their like Attempts, sticke not to send forthe of their most able and vsefull Instrumentes.

10: Our constant practice in matters of like nature may be a rule in this: In all forraine expeditions, we sticke not to imploye of our best Statesmen: and we grutche not to want their service at home (though never so vsefull) while they are imployed for the good of other Churches abroad.

1: It is come to that Issue as (in all probabilitye) the wellfare of the Plantation dependes vpon his goeinge, for divers of the Cheife vndertakers (vpon whom the reste depende) will not goe without him.

2: He acknowledges a satisfactorye Callinge, outwarde from those of the Plantation, inwardly by the inclination of his owne hearte to the worke, and bothe approved by godly and iuditious Devines (whereof some have the first interest in him) and there is in this the like mediate call from the kinge, which was to his former imployment.

3: Though his meanes be sufficient for a comfortable subsistence in a private condition heere, yet the one halfe of them beinge disposed to his 3: elder sonnes, who are now of age, he cannot liue in the same place and callinge with that which remaines, his charge beinge still as great as before, when his meanes was double: and so if he should refuse this opportunitye, that 134talent, which God hathe bestowed vpon him for publike service, were like to be buried.

4: His wife and suche of his Children, as are come to years of discreation, are voluntaryly disposed to the same course.

5: Most of his freindes (vpon the former considerations) doe consent to his change.