The Jews Now in America, Part 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. To the Planters, and touching the cause of their removall hence.
THis discourse will be directed to the English planted there, and our selves at home; concerning the former, three or foure things may be minded.
1. Cause of their removall.
2. Hope of the Natives conversion.
3. Directions to it.
4. Cautions, and some other additions.
Deep considerations, without doubt, and mature, were in those that hence transplanted themselves into that other part of the world, but quo jure, by what right and title they could settle in a forraigne land was surely none of their last enquiries. Io. Bodin aMeth. Hist. p. 522.reckons five reasons why Colonies may be planted in other Regions. 1. Expulsion from their own native Countrey. 2. Increase of inhabitants upon a land. 3. Want of necessaries at home, and unseasonable times. 4. Desire to preserve and enlarge their owne territories. 5. Favour to prisoners and captives. The ampliation of the Kingdome of Christ was expected here as a motive in vaine; but I finde it elsewhere among our Novangles, and it shall be mentioned in due place: for those are causes why men goe out of their owne land, but for the jus and right of setling in another they say nothing.
When the Bishop De las Casas had set forth his tractCasas. p. 134. &c. of the Spanish cruelties committed in the Indies, some guilty persons he supposeth suborned Doctor Sepulveda, the Emperours Historian, to undertake their patronage, which he did in an elegant and rhetoricall discourse, endeavouring to prove, that the Spanish wars against the Indians were just and lawfull, and that they were bound to submit unto the Spaniards, as Ideots to the more prudent; but he could not obtaine leave to print a booke so irrationall and unchristian.
Their more plausible plea is, that Columbus was first employed by them to discover some of those parts; but the same offer was before tendred to this our Nation, and the King thereof; yea and the English were as early in that very designe as the Portingales, for our bStow ad An. 1501, & 1502.Chronicles shew that Sebastian Gabat or Cabot, borne at Bristol, was employed by King Henry the seventh, and he with some London Merchants, adventured three or foure ships into those New-found lands, Anno one thousand foure hundred ninety eight; and it cannot be doubted, but they had made some former sufficient experiments, before that their so confident engagement: Thence tis affirmed by others cPurchas. l. 4. c. 13., that the English were there before Columbus, and about the yeere dStow. Ibid.one thousand five hundred and two, three of those Natives were brought unto the King, they were cloathed in beasts skinnes, did eate raw flesh, spake a language none could understand, two of those men were seen at the Court at Westminster two yeeres after, cloathed like Englishmen. But wee of this Nation have yet a more ancient claime, three hundred yeeres before Columbus, in the time of Henry the second, Anno Dom. one thousand one hundred and seventy; when Madoc ap Owen Gwineth did not onelyonly discover the Countrey, but …lanted in some part of Mexico, and left Monuments of the Brittish language, and other usages, taken notice of by the Spaniands, since their arrivall thither. Mr. Herbert eL. 3. p. 360.in his travailes doth not onelyonly remember this, but sheweth it to have bin mentioned by many worthy men of late, and ancient times, as Cynwic ap Greut, Meredith ap Rhice, Gul. Owen, Lloyd, Powell, Hackluit, Davis, Broughton. And Purchas. l. 4. c. 13. p. 807.
But yet more particularly, Dr Donne fSermon to Virginia Planters. An. 1622. p. 20. 26.allowes that as a justifiable reason of mens removall from one place to another, publique benefit; Interest Reipublicae ut re sua quis bene utatur, every one must use his private for the common good: and if a State may take order that every man improve what he hath for the benefit of the Nation where he lives, then, interest mundo, all mankinde may every where, as farre as it is able, advance the good of mankinde in generall, which not being done by the Natives there, others are bound, at least have liberty to interpose their endeavours, especially, when by divine providence one land swells with inhabitants, and another is disempeopled by mutuall broiles, infectious diseases, or the cruelty of Invaders, all which have helped to sweepe away the Americans, while the English in the meane time did multiply in such manner and measure, as they could scarcely dwell one by another; and because man is commanded more than once to bring forth, multiply, and fill the earth, Gen. 1. 28. 9. 1. he may well therefore, and justly looke abroad, and if he finde convenient and quiet habitation, he may call the name of that land Rehoboth, because the Lord hath made him roome, Gen. 22. 26. That is also a lawfull cause of setling in other lands, when a right therein is acquired by purchase, as Abraham bought of Ephron the field of Machpelah, Gen. 22. 17. And thus Paspehai hDeclara. of Uirginia. p. 11.one of the Indian Kings sold unto the English in Virginia land to inhabit and inherit; and when Mr Williams of late iM. Cott. ans. p. 27▪ &c.called upon our Planters in New England to be humbled for making use of the Kings Patents, for removing hence, and residing there, he is well answered among other things, that they had those lands from the Natives by way of purchase and free consent. Againe, the Territories of strangers may be possessed upon the donation and fore-gift of the naturall Inhabitants, as Abimelech said to Abraham, behold the land is before thee, dwell where it pleaseth thee, Gen. 20. 15. and Pharaoh said to Ioseph, in the land of Goshen let thy father and brethren dwell, Gen. 47. 5, 6. So in Virginia King kDeclara. of Virgin. Ubi supra.Powhatan desired the English to come from Iames Town, a place unwholsome, and take possession of another whole Kingdome, which he gave them; thus the surviving lMr Cot. Ibid.Indians were glad of the comming of the English to preserve them from the oppression of the next borderers; and surely divine providence making way, the care of emprovement, the purchase from the Natives, their invitation and gift, some, or all these, may satisfie the most scrupulous in their undertaking, or else what will such our inquisitors say to maintaine the right of their owne inheritances? The English invaded the Britons the ancient inhabitants of this Island, and crowded them into the nooke of Wales, themselves in the meane time taking possession of the fat of this Land; by what right, or by what wrong I dispute not, saith mMetrop. 129.Crantzius; but such in those daies were the frequent emigrations of people to seeke out new habitations.
To these that other expression of the eloquent Deane nIbid:may be added, accepistis potestatem, you have your Commissions, your Patents, your Charters, your Seale from that soveraigne power upon whose acts any private subject in civill matters may rely; and though our forenamed Country-man seemeth to slight the Pattent of New-England, as containing matter of falsehood and injustice, that oIb. Mr Cott.imputation also is sufficiently removed by Mr Cotton in that his answer before mentioned. And yet further, the desire and endeavour to plant Christianity there, will fortifie the former reasons, and sufficiently vindicate the transplantation of people, this pIbid.seales the great seale saith that Doctor, authorizeth authority, and justifies justice it selfe, and Christians may have learned this from our deare Master Christ, who coasted the Countrey, and crossed the seas qSer. 16. initsaith Chrysologus, not to satisfie humane curiosity, but to promote mans salvation; not to see diversities of …ces, but to seeke, and finde, and save lost mankinde. And if such be the aime of our Nation there, we may with more comfort expect and enjoy the externalls of the Indians, when wee pay them our spiritualls, for their temporalls, an easie and yet most glorious exchange, the salvation of the salvages, to the hope of the one, the like sound of the other may give encouragement; but that is the next consideration.