Jews in America, Preface
The Preface to the READER.
BOna domus in ipſo veiſtbulo debetagnoſci ſaith De Doct. Chr. l. 4.Auſtin, the portall commonly promiſeth ſomewhat of the houſe it ſelf, and prefaces be as doors that let in the Reader to the Booke, and beſpeake much of the intention of the writer; you are in ſome meaſure prepared already by the foregoing Epiſtle, with the forefront, and firſt page: Marſilius Ficinus ſaid of his booke De triplici Vita. Eſca tituli tam ſuavis quam plurimos alliciet ad guſtandum, The title will invite ſome Longa, San… Caele…us, Apolog. ad finem.to further enquiry; it is in mans nature to be well pleaſed with novelties, thence later times have had good leave to correct former miſtakes. It was written with confidence long ſince, that the ſhee Beares did licke their informe litter into faſhion, that the young Viper thruſts its Dam out of the world to bring it ſelfe into it, and that the Swan ſings its owne dirige at his dying, all which Oblect. Acad. c. 21. Pſeud. Epidem.be ſufficiently confuted by after experiences, famous varieties of this ſort be daily produced to view, thoſe are curious enquiries into common errors by Doctor Browne. It was ſaid of one contort in body, but of a fine ſpirit, Animus Galbae malè habitat, It was a bad houſe for ſo good an Inhabitant; many thought ſo and worſe of Richard the third, King of England, till Mr Bucks Hiſt.thoſe late endeavours to rectifie him and his readers. that Geographia Sacra is an exact and accurate worke, in reſpect of the ſubject and materials, the ſcattering of Nations at the building of Babel, and it may puzzle ſome mens thoughts, that hee ſhould know ſo well the places of their diſperſion ſo long ſince, and yet wee continue ignorant what is become of Gods owne firſt people, which ſhall be recovered to him againe, and have not been miſſing ſo many yeeres. The Trojans, though now no Nation, live yet in the ambitious deſire of other people, clayming from them their deſcent: The Jewes, once the Lords owne peculiar people, are now the ſcomme and ſcorne of the world; Florus calls Hiſt. Rom. Tac…tus. Id…os ab Ida. l. 5. Plut. Symp. c. 9. Suidas in foreign.their glory the Temple, Impiae gentis arcanum; Democritus another Hiſtorian ſaid they worſhipped an Aſſes head, every third yeere ſacrificed a man, &c. Others ſpeake ſpightfull things of them, and their pettigree; only the Lacedemonian King, in that Letter whereof you have a copy, 1 Macab. 12. 20. &c. tells Onias the High Prieſt. It is found in writing that the Spartans and Jewes are Brethren, and come out of the generation of Abraham. The originall indeed of the Jewes is aſſuredly knowne to themſelves and all Chriſtians; Wee have no ſuch evidence for any other people that have now a being; there is nothing more in the darke to the inhabitants of the ſeverall parts of this earth, then their owne beginnings, and tis thus in Countries of along time knowne to each other, and yet in ſuch diſquiſition they cannot affoord one another almoſt any light or help; no wonder therefore that the Originall of the Americans is in ſuch uncertaine obſcurity, for their very name hath not been heard of much more than one hundred and fifty yeares, tis a wonder rather that ſo great a part of the world ſhould be till then Terra incognita, notwithstanding the ambition, curioſity, and avarice of mankind carried him into a greedy inquiſition after all places and corners where men and beaſts abode, or any commodity was to be found: Hieronimus Benzo in his Nova novi orbis Hiſtoria, ſo often hereafter mentioned, profeſſeth, that above all things concerning the Americans, his great deſigne was to finde out what thoughts l. 2. c. 18. p. 248. Io. de Lact deſcriptio Am…ric. dedic. Carolo R. Britan. Mr. Caſtel, Mr. Gage, &c.they had of Chriſtians; touching the Countrey it ſelfe in the Topography and other particulars, beſides divers mentioned in the following diſcourſe; ſome have of late done excellently that way: that tis no part of my buſineſſe, which, next to the deſire of their converſion to Chriſt, was, and is, to aske whence they came; and that they be Judaicall, I have laid together ſeverall conjectures as they occu… in reading and obſerving, to ſtirre up and awaken more able inquiſitors, to looke after the beginning, nature, civilizing, and Goſpellizing thoſe people, and to caſt in my poore mite towards the encouragement of our Countreymen in ſuch their pious undertaking; and though ſome men have ſpoken meane things of them in reference to their labours that way, as if they had been negligent therein, ſuch men conſider not I feare, how long their Countreymen have been wraſtling with divers difficulties, and buſily employing their minds and time in providing outward accommodations for themſelves in a strange land, they remember not the naturall perverſeneſſe of all mankind to ſpirituall things, nor with what counterworkes Satan doth oppoſe the underminers of his Principalities, nor how he hath broken the language of the Natives into ſeverall tongues and dialects to impede their converſion, nor how the Novangles have themſelves been broken into divers ruptures, leſt they ſhould be at leaſure to further the enlargement of Chriſts Kingdome upon the ſpoiles and diminution of his; this was in the purpoſe of their hearts at firſt, and now to their comfort they do abundantly ſee that the Natives are a docible people, who for their contempt of gold & ſilver, and for ſome other reaſons, have been deemed bruitiſh, and almoſt irrationall; but to what is after written it may be mentioned in this place, that in Mexico they were obſerved to be wiſe and politique in I l. p. 37.government, to the admiration of Chriſtians, yea they were not ignorant in thoſe parts of letters and writing, though in a different faſhion from others: Acoſta did obſerve, the Jewes write from the right hand to the left, others from the left to the right, the Chinois or Eaſt-Indians write from the top to the bottom, & the Mexicans l 6. c. 9.from the bottome to the top, the Reformed Dominican in his new ſurvey of the Weſt-Indies, tells of a Town as he travelled, called Amat Mr Gage p. 182Titlan, a Towne of Letters, and of very curious Artifices of p. 50. &c.their Citizens, of Goldſmiths worke and otherwiſe, their ingenuity, cunning and courage is marvelouſly manifeſt in their leading Acoſt. l. 3. c 15.a Whale as big as a mountaine, with a cord, and vanquiſhing him in this manner; by the helpe of their Canoes or little Boats, they come neare to the broad ſide of that huge creature, oand with great dexterity leape upon his necke, there they ride as on horſebacke, and thruſt a ſharpe ſtake into his noſthrill, ſo they call the hole or vent by which they breathe, he beats it in with another stake as forcibly as hee can, the furious Whale in the meane time raiſeth Mountaines of waters, and runnes into the deep with great violence and paine, the Indian ſtill ſits firme, driving in another ſtake in o that other paſſage, ſo ſtopping his breath, then hee goes againe to his Canoe, which with a cord hee had tied to the Whales ſide, and ſo he paeſſeth to land; the Whale running away with the cord, leaps from place to place in much pame till hee gets to ſhoare, and being on ground, hee cannot move his huge body, then a great number of Indians come to the conquerer, they kill the Whale, cut his fleſh in pieces, they dry it, and make uſe of it for food, which laſts them long, thus plainely verifying that expreſſion, Pſal. 74. 14. Thou breakeſt the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gaveſt him to be meat to the people inhabiting the Wilderneſſe: When, or where, or by whom is this thus done, but by theſe? who will not now deſire, and willingly lend his helpe to cover their naked bodies, and cloath their more naked ſoules with the Goſpel, who, and who alone have ſo litterally fulfilled that Scripture of our God? But let me commend three other things to thy conſideration, that thy affections may bee warmed towards thy Countreymen, and they receive encouragement in the planting of themſelves, and the Goſpel among the Natives.
Firſt, they may be preparing an hiding place for thy ſelfe, whoever, whatever now thou art, thou mayſt be overtaken by a tempeſt, and ſtand in need of a ſhelter, and where canſt thou be Gage ſurvey. p. 85. 1▪ 5. 139.better for ſweetneſſe of aire and water, with the fertility of the ſoile, giving two wheate harveſts in one yeare in ſeverall places, yea in ſome, three, ſaith P. Martyr, and Books generally ſpeake of that P. 153. 245.Land as of a ſecond Canaan: and for New-England you may believe the relation of a very friend there to his like here, who mutually agreed upon a private character, that the truth might be diſcovered without deceit or glozing, and thus he wrote to him whom he entirely loved. The aire of this Countrey is very Letter of A. C. 1635.ſweet and healthfull, the daies two houres ſhorter in Summer, and two houres longer in Winter then they be with you, the Summer is a little hotter, and the Winter, a little colder, our grounds are very good and fruitfull for all kind of corne, both Engliſh and Indian, our cattell thrive much better here then in Old England, Fowle encreaſe with us exceedingly, wee have many ſweet and excellent ſprings, and freſh Rivers, with abundance of good Fiſh in them; of a very truth, I believe verily, it will be within a few yeares the plentifulleſt place in the whole world, &c. I might proclaime, ſaith Lerius, the Inhabitants of that Land happy, meaning p. 168.the Natives, if they had knowledge of the Creator; ſo that as parents intending to marry their Daughters well, extend themſelves in what they may to encreaſe their portion, and make way for their preferment, our heavenly Father hath dealt thus with theſe Americans, enriching them with Gold, Silver, good aire, good water, and all other accommodations for uſe and delight, that they might be the more earneſtly wooed and ſought after.
And yet further, as he commended his houſe offered to ſale, that it had good neighbours, if thou beeſt driven thither, goe chearefully, Plutar. Themiſtfor thou goeſt to thine owne Countreymen, from one England to another, New England indeed, witneſſe that experimented aſſeveration of him worthy of credit, who having lived in a Colony there of many thouſand Engliſh almoſt twelve yeares, Sim. C, p 61.and was held a very ſociable man, ſpeaketh conſiderately, I never heard but one oath ſworne, never ſaw one man drunke, nor ever heard of three women adultereſſes, if theſe ſinnes be among us privily, the Lord heale us, I would not be underſtood to boast of our innocency, there is no cauſe I ſhould, our hearts may be bad enough, and our lives much better. And yet they have more abundantly teſtified their pious integrity in ſerious endeavours to propogate Goſpel-holineſſe, even to thoſe that be without, their godly labours Christianizing the Natives muſt be remembred to their praiſe, they have had long and longing preparative thoughts and purpoſes that way, and as Saint Paul once to his Corinthians, 2. 6. 11. they have ſeemed to ſay O Americans, our mouth is opened unto you, our heart is enlarged, you are not ſtraightned in us, be not ſtraightned in your owne bowels, and now for a recompence of all our endeavours to preach Chriſt unto you, we aske no more, but be ye alſo enlarged with gladneſſe to receive the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: their active induſtry in this kind with the ſucceſſe is now famouſly viſible in ſeverall diſcourſes, which whoſoever ſhall read will be ſufficiently contented in his ſpirituall and outward well-wiſhings to his friends, both of this Nation and the Natives, for the Goſpel runs there and is glorified: and here I crave leave to ſpeake a word or two to the Military Reader, the late Engliſh American traveller, dedicating his obſervations upon Mr. Gage.his journeys of three thouſand three hundred miles within the maine Land of America, to the Lord Fairefax, ſpeakes knowingly to his Excellency, that with the ſame paines and charge that the Engliſh have been at in planting one of the petty Iſlands, they might have conquered ſo many great Cities, and large territories on the Continent as might very well merit the title of a Kingdom; he ſhewes further, that the Natives have not onelyonly juſt right to the Land, and may transferre it to whom they pleaſe, but that it may eaſily be wonne from the Spaniards, and that for theſe three Mr Gage pref. & p. 139, & 10reaſons among the reſt. 1. The Spaniards themſelves are but few and thinne. 2. The Indians and Blackamoores will turne againſt them, and ſo will 3. The Criolians, that is, the Spaniards borne in America, whom they will not ſuffer to beare office in Church or ſtate; Looke Weſtward then yee men of Warre, thence you may behold a riſing Sunne of glory, with riches and much honour, and not onelyonly for your ſelves, but for Chriſt, whom you ſay you deſire above all, and are delighted to honour: In yonder Countries, that the following leaves speake of, non cedunt arma togae, the pen yeelds to the pike, the firſt place of honour is given to the profeſſion of armes, and therefore in Mexico the Noblemen Acoſta. Hiſt. l. 6. c. 26.were the chiefe ſouldiers; thus you may enlarge not onelyonly your owne renowne, but the borders of the Nation, yea the Kingdome of the King of Saints. We have all made covenants and profeſſions of reformation at home, with promiſes to propagate the Gospell of our deare Lord among thoſe that remaine in great and miſerable blindneſſe, how happy were it for them and us, if this England were in ſuch a poſture of holineſſe and tranquility, that all opportunities might be imbraced to advance its territories abroad; In the interim I could wiſh with the moſt paſſionate, and compaſſionate of all the holy Prophets, Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountaine of teares, that I might weep day and night for the ſinnes, and for the ſlaine of the daughter of my people, Oh that I had in the wilderneſſe, &c. Ier. 9. 1. 2. Our Countrey is juſtly called our mother, whoſe heavy groanes under multiplied miſeries be heard from all places, whoſe bowels doe not ſympathize with her, and yerne over her, who is not unwilling or aſhamed to gather riches or honour from her rents and ruine; the Heathen Orator ſpake affectionately, our parents are Cic. de Offic.dear to us, and ſo be our children, alliances and familiars, but the love of our countrey, comprehends in it and with it all other dearneſſes whatſoever; and in another place, Omnes qui patriam conſerverunt, Somn. Scip.adjuverunt, auxerunt, certum eſt eſſe in caelo, tis certaine they are all in heaven that have been lovers and conſervators of their Countrey; and when heatheniſh Babylon was the place of Iſraels exile, they are commanded by God himſelfe, to ſeeke the peace of the City whether they were carried, and pray unto the Lord for it, Jer. 29. 7. It is recorded to the honour of Mordecai, that he ſought the wealth of his people, Eſth. 10. 3. the contrary to this entailes ignominy to men and their poſterity, by the book of Gods own heral dry, Eſa. 14. 20. Thou ſhalt not be joyned with them in buriall, becauſe thou haſt deſtroyed thy land, and ſlaine thy people, the ſeed of evill doers ſhall never be renowned; for that Judge judged righteouſly: In a civill warre there is no Sir Io. Dod…. Hiſt of Princi. of Wales. p. 23.true victory, in aſmuch as he that prevaileth is alſo a loſer. But I returne, and reinvite to peruſe theſe probabilities, and if they like not, becauſe they are no more but gueſſes and conjectures, yet the requeſts I hope ſhall be listened unto, for they aime at Gods glory and mans ſalvation, and nothing elſe; and ſurely the poore Natives will not be a little encouraged to looke after the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt, when they ſhall underſtand that not onelyonly the Engliſh among them, but wee all here are daily ſutors for them at the throne of grace, ſo that we may ſay as Paul to the Romans, 1. 9. God is our witneſſe, whom wee ſerve with our ſpirit in the Goſpel of his Sonne, that without ceaſing wee make mention of them alwaies in our prayers; Mr. Elliot whoſe praiſe is now through all our Churches, 2 Cor. 8. 18. deſerves publique encouragement from hence, beſides thoſe ſprinklings of an Apoſtolicall ſpirit received from heaven, by which in an high and holy ambition he preacheth the Gospell where Chriſt had not been named, Rom. 15. 20. ſuch another foreign, like-minded ſoule-lover is not readily to be found, that naturally careth for their matters, Phil. 2. 20. regarding the Indians as if they were his owne charge and children, and as God hath furniſhed him with miniſteriall and ſpirituall abilities for the worke. I wiſh that he and his com-Presbyters and companions in that labour, might be ſupplyed with all externall accommodations, to further the civilizing, and Goſpellizing of the Americans.
And now me thinks I heare thee ſay alſo, Oh that the day breaking of the Goſpel there, might be the way of Saints, even the path of the juſt, as the ſhining light that ſhineth more and more unto the perfect day, Pro. 4. 18. and oh that all our Nation here and there, would forbeare all other ſtrivings, being aſhamed and afraid leſt their woefull quarrels be told in Gath, and publiſhed in the ſtreets of Askalon, to the prejudice of the Goſpels progreſſe here and there and every where; Eraſmus felt what he ſaid of the differences in his time, Tragaediae Lutheranae Ep. p. 819.mihi ipſi etiam calculo moleſtiores, and who laments not the wofull tearings of our Nation? who bewailes not to ſee the breakings of the ſheepfold? who mournes not to heare the ſtrange bleeting of the flocks? and what ſoule is not grieved for the great diviſions of England? and let me wiſh once more, Oh that all who love the Lord Jeſus in ſincerity, would ſtudy to ſpeake the ſame things, and that all would be perfectly joyned together in the ſame minde, and in the ſame judgement, 1 Cor. 1. 10. converting all their tongue-combats, and pen-contentions into an earneſt contending, that the faith once delivered to the Saints (Jud. 3.) might be preſerved whole, holy, and entire among themſelves, and be with like holineſſe and integrity communicated to the Indians, that doe now ſo much hunger and thirſt after that righteouſneſſe of our moſt deare Lord and Maſter Chriſt; let us all with our tongues, purſes, pens, counſels, and prayers, promote this worke of God with one ſhoulder and conſent: there be among us here that have had this in their daily devotions more then twenty yeares, which is mentioned to no other end but from deſire to call in thy helpe alſo; I will take leave by commending to thy practice the imitation of learned and holy Theod. Beza in his daily prayer for the Iewes, Lord Ieſus thou doſt juſtly avenge the contempt of thy ſelfe, and that ingratefull people is worthy In Rom. 11. 18of thy moſt ſevere indignation; but, Lord, remember thy covenant, and for thy names ſake be favourable to thoſe miſerable wretches, and to us the moſt unworthy of all men, unto whom thou haſt vouchſafed thy mercy, beſtow this goodneſſe alſo, that we may grow in thy grace, that we be not inſtruments of thy wrath againſt them, but rather, both by the knowledg of thy word, and by the examples of holy life, we may, by the aſſiſtance and vertue of thy holy Spirit, reduce them into the right way, that thou maiſt once be glorified of all Nations and people for ever,
Amen.