unto, till we enrich'd it with Oaths and Blafphemies; befides the Pride of Apparel, the Arts of Gaming, the new Devices of Luxury and Avarice, and fome other Vanities and Sins which they had never attained to, but by the Imitation of Strangers. (x)

Our only Hopes and Prayers are, that thefe Offences will be leffen'd by the Care of thofe Labourers whom we fend into that Vineyard, under the Lord of it; efpecially if Difcipline and Epifcopal Government () can there be fettled, to compleat the Face of Decency and Order.

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(x) A Letter from one of our Miffionaries at Rye, January 9. 1707-8. complain'd of the Indians juftifying their Infidelity by the Immoralities of the English. I have taken (fays he) fome Pains to teach fome of the Native Indians, but to no purpose. For they feem regardless of Inftruction. And when I have told them of the evil Confequences of their hard Drinking, &c. they replied, that English Men did the fame; and that it is not fo great a Sin in an Indian, as in an English Man; becaufe the English Man's Religion forbids it, but an Indian's does not. They further fay, they will not be Chriftians, nor do they fee the Neceffity for fo being; because we do not live according to the Precepts of our Religion. In fuch Ways do moft of the Indians that I have convers'd with, either here or elsewhere, exprefs them felves.

(y) In the last Addrefs of this Society to the Queen's most Excellent Majefty are thefe Words. We cannot but take this Opportunity further to reprefent to Your Majefty, with the greateft Humility, the earnest and repeated Defires not only of the Miffionaries, but of divers other confidera. ble Perfons that are in Communion with our Excellent Church, to have a Bishop fettled in Your American Planta tions, which we humbly conceive to be very useful and neceffary for Establishing the Gofpel in thofe Parts, that they may be better united among themfelves than at prefent they are, and more able to withstand the Defigns of their Enemies; that there may be Confirmations, which in their prefent State they cannot have the Benefit of; and that an eafie and fpeedy Care may be taken of all the other

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To conclude, take we Heed left any of us be found by any means to be Hinderers of the Gofpel of Chrift. There was a dreadful Woe given out of our Lord's own Mouth, upon those who shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against others; and would neither go in themselves, nor fuffer them that were entring to go in; or as another Evangelift, hinder'd them from going in, (Matt. XXIII. 13.) But it will be too little to be pallive only, and not to hinder this Work of the Lord: We must bear our Teftimony and Burden in the doing of it, in the forwarding and promoting the Knowledge of Salvation in those Parts committed to us; I fay, committed to us All: For as the firft Discovery of thofe Northern Tracts in America, was owing to the English Crown, (z) which thereby became juftly

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Affairs of the Church, which is much increased in thofe Parts, and to which, through your Majefties gracious Protection and Encouragement, we trust that yet a greater Addition will daily be made. We humbly pray leave to add, that we are inform'd the French have receiv'd feveral great Advantages from their Establishing a Bishop at Quebec.

(z) The Author of a Difcourfe of Spanish Practices, tendred to King James, Anno 1623. 4to. afferts his Majefty's Title to the whole Continent of America, by virtue of the first Discovery of it, in thefe Words, p. 36. I can prove your Majesty, by virtue of your Grand-Father of famous Memory Henry VII. to be as rightful Heir to all the firm Land of the West-Indies, as the King of Spain is to the Iflands of Cuba and Hifpaniola. For the Captains of Henry VII. being Sebaftian Cabot and his Companions, difcover'd the Continent on the North-part of America, from 60 degrees coafting the North Latitude, the very year before Columbus difcover'd the High-Land on the South-part of the Indies, and took Poffeffion of that new Difcovery, in the Name of King Henry VII. their Lord and Mailer, and his Succeffors. So that if firft Discovery and Poffeffion be the King of Spain's Title, your Majefty preceding him in the faid Title, muft neceffarily precede him in the Right thereof. See a Treatife of Mr. Robert Thorn to Dr. Lg, Amballador of King Henry VIII. to the Empercur Charles V.

intitled to them; fo it feem'd a Declaration of Providence, that hereby a great Door and effectual fhould be open'd to us, for enlarging the Kingdom of Christ. Our Fore-fathers had a pious Senfe of this Defignation of the Will of God, and took frequent Occafions to confefs, that it was the Finger of God, pointing out the Heathen (a) for his Son's Inheritance, and giving him the utmost Parts of the Earth for his Poffeffion. Hence likewife the first Royal Patents for Settlement and Propriety (b) in

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Charles V. 1527. in Mr. Hackluits Voyager, Fol. Vol. I. p. 214. and the Dedication of the II. Vol. By the Reverend Mr. Richard Hackluit to Sir Robert Gecil, dated October 24. 1599.

(a) The Lord Chancellor Bacon, in a Speech at the opening of a Parliament in January 1620-21. thought this Subject wor thy to be recommended in the King's Name, That the late Settlements in Virginia were a Call of Providence to propagate the Gofpel,and were on that account one of the greateft Glories of his Majefty's Reign. Thirdly, This Kingdom, now first in His Majefty's Times, hath gotten a Lot or Portion in the New World by the Plantation of Virginia and the Summer Islands. And certainly it is with the Kingdoms on Earth, as it is in the Kingdom of Heaven: Some times a Grain of Mustard-feed proves a great Tree. Who can tell? &c. Remains of Lord Bacon, Fol, p. 76. The Reverend Mr. Hackluit, in his Epistle to Sir Robert Cecil, Oftob. 24 1599. thus encouraged Her Majefty's Piety in thefe Affairs: Which Action of Propagating Religion and Ccmmerce in the West-Indies) it fhall please the Almighty to ftir up Her Majey's Heart to continue, with Her favourable Countenance, (as upon the ceafing of the Wars of Granada He ftirred up the Spirit of fabella, Queen of Cafile, to advance the Enterprife of Columbus) with Tranfporting One or Two Thousand of Her People. She fhall, by God's Affiftance, in fhort Space, reduce many Pagans to the Faith of Chrift, &c.

(b) The firft Letters Patents granted by K. James I. to eftablish a Company for Improving Trade and Plantations in Virginia, April 10. 1606. did exprefly enjoin the Propagation of the Chriftian Faith, as the End principally intended. A nother Patent in the fame Year granting Two Colonies to

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thofe Lands, did run upon the Covenant, and exprefs Condition of helping forward the Propagation of the Chriftian Faith; thereby creating a Feudal Tenure from God and the Crown, to be held for that Honour, and Service of our Religion; and if the Service be wilfully detain'd, the Right is extinguifh'd with it.

While this Duty lay in general upon all People, it was apt to be neglected, or to caufe Uncertainty and Confufion in the Methods of it. For which Reason a Body of Men was Incorporated by His late Majesty to attend this very Thing, to receives manage, and difpofe the Charity, that any Perfons fhould extend to thefe pious Ufes, and to make fuch other Provision as may be neceffary for the Propagation of the Gospel in those Parts.

The beft Way to recommend this Work, is to befeech Men of Understanding and excellent Spirit, to look into it, to enquire for our Accounts, to examine them, to fearch and fee what has been done, what greater Things are doing, and what muft remain undone, for want of a fufficient Fund of Charity.

We must do Juftice to this Ancient and Noble City: We must acknowledge that her Charity, running in many different Channels, (c) has exceed

ed

Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Summers, Knights; Richard Hackluit Clerk, Prebendary of Westminster, &c. directs it to the Furtherance of fo Noble a Work, which may, by the Providence of Almighty God, hereafter tend to the Glory of his Divine Majefty, in Propagating of Chriftian Religion to fuch People as yet live in Darkness, and miferable Ignorance of the true Knowledge and Worfhip of God, and may in time bring the Infidels and Savages to humane Civility, &c. (c) From the very firft Occafion of Promoting the Con verfion of ignorant and unbelieving Souls in our Colonies and Plantations; the Piety and Bounty of the City of Lon

don

ed that of any City in the World; and within this laft Year, a very liberal Collection has been made

don were very remarkable. Hence in a Sermon Preached at the Spittle the 17th of April 1609. by Dr Tynley, Archdeacon of Ely, Printed in 4to 1609. after a due Mention of the worthy Citizens Charity at Home amongst themselves in their feveral Hofpitals; there follows a Commemoration of their Zeal in Propagating the Gofpel abroad. Witness abroad the Planting intended, or rather, already happily begun, of our English Colony in Virginia, whither the Charity of our late Sovereign of all-bleed Memory Lady Elizabeth, and of his most Excellent Majefty now Reigning, affifted with the Godly Endeavours of many chief and of principal Note in this Noble City, hath extended to their great Cofts, Labours, and Perils, for the gaining and winning to Christ his Fold, and the reducing unto a civil Society (as hope may justly conceive) of fo many Thousands of those filly, bru tifh and ignorant Souls now fast bound with the Chains of Error and Ignorance, under the Bondage and Slavery of the Devil. See a Treatife Intituled, A Memorial of Religious Charity exercifed on Virginia, to the Glory of God, and good Example of Men, thefe Three last Years 1619, 1620, 1621. Lond. 4to. 1622.

See The Bleffing of Japheth, proving the Gathering in of the Gentiles, and final Converfion of the Jews, by Thomas Cooper; who in the Dedication of his Work, Anno 1615. to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffs of the City of London, tells them; That the rude and favage Nations, far and near, in Ireland and Virginia, have had this bleffed Light of the Gofpel conveyed and enlarged unto them. And who are they that have been forward to help the Lord against the Mighty? Who have enlarg'd themfelves for the Enlarging of the glorious Gospel of Chrift? Surely, as the Lord hath enlarged himself abundantly into this Honourable City, above all the Places of the Land; So bleffed be the Name of His Majefty for ever, that your Hearts and Purfes are enlarged plentifully to the Furtherance of this great and glorious Work, of the Gathering in of the Gentiles: So that the Plantations in Ireland and Virginia, are much furthered by your Industry. And have you not already receiv'd the firft Fruits of your Labours in Virginia? Is not a Virgin lately Married unto Jefus Chrift, and become one with you in the Houfhold of Faith? Hath not the Prince of our Peace, hereby eftablifh'd an inviolable League between thofe Nations and our Colonies, that fo we may not doubt of good Success in thofe Enterprises?