1: Ob: it is attended with many difficulties.

Answ: So is everye good Action: the heathen could saye Ardua virtutis via.

2: the waye of Godes kingdome (which is the best waye in the world) is accompanied with most difficultyes, and his servantes (who are the best of the world) meet with greatest troubles.

2: Ob: It will certainely overthrowe our Hues and estates.

Ans: 1: there is no apparent reason to feare this, for there is no suche danger either of sworde famine, or pestilence, as is supposed, and it must be by some of these or the like.

2: If the Action be good, then is it Godes worke, and he who gave vs our Hues and estates must have libertye to dispose of them at his pleasure, as he hathe doone with others of his faithfull servantes: thus he disposed of the Hues and estates of 80: of his priestes, whom Doeg slue,2 thus he disposed of the life and estate of Earl of Beziers3 in France, and of his subiectes4 who maintained a iust Cause of Religion and right against the vniust violence of the Earl Montfort5 and the Popes Legatt: Thus he dis­135posed of the Cityes of Tholouse6 merindall, Cabriers7 and many others, and of the lives and estates of the Inhabitantes, and so hathe he doone with those of the Pallatinate bothe prince and people in the like quarell.

3: Ob: If it succeed ill, it will rayse a scandall vpon our profession.

Ans: It is no rule in Philosophy (muche lesse in devinity) to iudge the Action by the successe: the enterprice of the Israelites against Beniamin succeeded ill twice, yet the Action was good, and prospered in the ende.8 The Duke of Saxonye9 and the Lantgrave of Hesse10 had ill successe in their warre with Charles the 5. in defence of the Gospell, for they were bothe taken and kept longe in prison and the Duke and his Children lost their wholl inheritance to this daye: The Kinge of Denmark11 and other Princes of the Vnion,12 had ill successe in assistinge the Palatinate. examples in this kinde are frequent, yet where the Cause was good, their profession suffered not, except it were with the adversaryes of Religion, which is no scandall.

4: Ob: It is a worke aboue the power of the vndertakers, being but 6: or 10: gent.

Ans: 1: This estimate falles shorte aboue 100: persons of quality or estate, who are interested heerin.

2: the wellfare of a bodye consistes not so muche in the quantitye, as in the proportion and disposition of the partes: and the smaler our number is the lesse provision will serve.

3: It is no wonder for great things to arise from smale and contemptible beginnings: it hathe been ofte seene in kingdomes and empires, and may as well holde in townes and plantations, nihil simul natum et perfectum. Abraham went out of vr with a small Company, and thoughe he and his posteryty liued amonge the Canaanites in a strange lande, yet God increased them to many great nations: Jacob went downe into Egipt with 70: souls, but they came back with a mighty hoste. The Waldenses were scattered into the Alpes and mountains of Peymont, by small Companyes, but they became famous Churches, wherof some remaine to this daye.

5: Ob: the Countrye affordes no naturall fortifications.

Answ: no more did Hollande, and other places, which had greater enemyes, and neerer at hande, then we shall have yonder. And God dothe vse to place his people in the middest of perills that they may trust in him and not in outward meanes of safety, so when he would choose a place to plant his onely beloved people in, he seated them not in an Hand, or other place fortified by nature, but in a plaine Contrye, besett with potent and bitter enemyes rounde about, yet so longe as they served him, and trusted in his helpe they were safe, so the Apostle Paul says of himself and his fellowes, that they were compassed with dangers on every side, and dayly were vnder the sentence of deathe, that they might learne to trust in the liuinge God.13

God hathe given man the facultye of Reason, to supplye all naturall defectes whereby (being the most naked of defence of all other Creatures) he is able to defende himselfe against the strength of them, and to bringe them all into subiection.

Ob: 6. The place affordes not comfortable means to the first planters.

Ans: No more did any other place of it selfe to the first Inhabitantes: but by Godes blessinge vpon the wisdome and industry of man, those defectes are ordenaryly supplied; and whatsoeuer we stand in need of is treasured vp in the earthe by the Creator, and is to be fetched thence by the sweatt of our browes.

Ob: 7: Our breedinge at home hathe made vs the more vnfitt for the hardshipp we must endure there.

Ans: we must therfore learne of the Apostle, to want as well as to abounde

2: if we have sufficient to fill the belly and clothe the back, the difference in the quality may a litle displease vs, but it cannot hurt vs.

3. it may be God will by this meanes bringe vs to repent of our Intemperance here at home, and so cure vs of that disease, which sendes many amongst vs to hell, so he carried his people into the wildernesse, and made them forgett the fleshepottes of Egipt which was some pinch to them indeed, but he disposed it to their good, in the ende Deut: 8. 3: 16.

Ob: 8. The natiues wilbe ill neighbours in regard of their great number, and treacherousnesse.

Answ: if we may believe suche as have lived amonge them, there are not so many of them in 20: miles compasse as wilbe of vs.

2: ten of ours, are able (in regard of the advantage of our weapons) to overmatche 100: of them.

Ob: 9. The experience of other plantations may tell vs what will befall this.

Answ: 1: none of them sustained any great danger but Virginia, and that was merely through their one misgoverment, and securyty: and their mishapes hathe taught all other plantations to prevent the like occasions.

2: The Argument is not good, for thus it standes: some plantations have miscarried, therefore we are like to doe so also: It consists of particulars, and therefore concludes nothing, for we might as well reason thus, many houses have been burnt by drying of mault therefore we should vse no mault but drink water, many shippes have been cast away therefore we may not go to sea. some men have been vndoone by beinge in great offices, therefore we should resist all preferment, many men are kept from heaven by their riches therefore we should give away all our welthe.

Ob: 10: Is a Conclusion gathered from all the former obiections: that we must looke to be preserved by miracle, if we shall subsist there, and so it is a tempting of God.

Answ: 1: They who walke vnder the ordinarye meanes of safety and supplye doe not tempte God, but suche wilbe our Condition in this plantation, ergo: the proposition, cannot be denyed. the Assumption I proue thus: we shalbe as muche secured from ordinary dangers, as many 1000. places in the Civill partes of the world are, and we shall have as muche provision before hande as, any those townes, which feare a seige or dearthe do vse to provide, and sufficient meanes for raysing a succeeding store, against that be spent. If it be denyed that we shalbe as secure from enemys as many other places, I answer that such of our sea townes, and suche as are vpon the Confines of enemys Contryes in the Continent, lye open to more danger then we shall, and though such townes have sometymes been spoyled, yet men tempt not God to dwell still in them, and though many houses, which stande alone in the Contrye amonge vs, have been robbed, and the owners killed in them, yet no man will saye, that suche must look for miracles if they shalbe preserved and their goodes in safety:

2: Though miracles be ceased, yet we may expecte a more then ordinarye blessing from God vpon all lawfull meanes, where the work is the Lordes, and he is sought in it accordinge to his will: for it is vsuall with him to increase the strength of the meanes, or to weaken them as he is pleased, or displeased with the Instrumentes and the Action: and yet bothe without miracle: else you must conclude that he hathe lefte the government of the 138world, and comitted all power to the Creature, that the successe of things should wholly depend vpon the second Causes.

3: I appeal to the iudgment of our best soldiers, if 500: men may not in a month rayse a fortification, that with sufficient munition and victuall, they may make good against 2000 for many monthes, and yet without miracle

Lastly I propounde to these obiectors, if any of them will laye downe 20 li. vpon good securyty to have 100 li. for it, when any prince or nation shalbe at the charge and hazard to furnish out 1000 souldiers, for vj or 8: monthes, and land them in new: E to take a place any waye fortified, and where no booty can be expected: if they refuse this offer they must confesse, that our safety wilbe 5: to one lesse then miraculous.14

Lastly we propound to these objectors of such inevitable dangers, that they will give vs an Instance of any Prince or state, that hathe raysed 2000: men, and victualled them for vj monthes, with munition and shipps answerable to invade a place, so farr distant, as this is from any foreign enemye, and where they must runne a hazard of repulse, and no bootye, or iust title of sovereinty to allure them.