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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41851	Virginia's cure, or, An advisive narrative concerning Virginia discovering the true ground of that churches unhappiness, and the only true remedy : as it was presented to the Right Reverend Father in God Gvilbert Lord Bishop of London, September 2, 1661 : now publish'd to further the welfare of that and the like plantations / by R. G.	R. G.; Gray, Robert, 16th/17th cent.; Greene, Robert, 17th cent.	1662 (1662)	Wing G1624; ESTC R10987	16,780	29

then once repented it or whether they may best be promoted by some other way it being out of my Sphere I dare not presume to determine Your Lordship will best inform your self in th●s by Con●ulting with Virginia's presen ●onourable ●overnour Sir William B●rkly or their late Edward Diggs Esq What wa●●oeve they determine to be best I shall humbly in obedie●ce to your Lords●ips command endevour to contribut● towards the com●assing this Remedy by propounding 1. That your Lordship would be pleased to ac●uaint the King with the nece●sity of promoting the building Towns in each County of Virginia upon the consideration of the fore-mention●d sad Con●equent● of their present manner of living there 2. Th●t Your Lordship upon the fore-going consideration be plea●ed to move the pitiful and charitable heart of His ●r●cious Majesty considering the Poverty and need● of Virginia for a Coll●ction to be made in all the Churches of his three Kingdom●s there being considerable numbers of each Kingdome for the promoting a work of so great Ch●rity to the Souls of many thousands of his Loyal Subjects their Children and th● Generations after them and of numberlesse poor Heathen and that the Ministers of each Co●gregation be enjoyned with more then ordinary care and pains to stirre up the people to a free and liberal Contribution towards it or if this way be not thought sufficient that ●ome other way b● taken to do it 3. That the way of dispencing such collections for sending Work-men over for th● building Towns and Schooles and the assistance the persons that shall inhabit them shall contribute towards them may be determin'd here by the advice of Virginia's present or late Honourable Governours if in London and whom they shall make choice of for their assistants who have formerly lived in Virginia and that the King if he shall approve what is so determined may be humbly Petitioned to authorize it by his special command le●● what is duely ordered here be perverted there Fourthly That those Planters who have such a considerable number of Servants as may be judged may enable them for it if they not willing for I have heard some expresse their willingnesse and some their aver●nesse may by His Majesties Authority be enjoyned to contribute the Assistance that shall be thought meet for them to build themselves houses in the Towns-nearest to them and to inhabit them for they having horses enough in that ●ountry may be convenienc'd as their occasions require to visit their Plantations And the Masters who shall inh●bit the Towns having Families of Servants upon remote Plantations may be ordered to take care that upon Saturdays Afternoon when by the Custome of Virginia Servants are freed from their ordinary labour their Servants except one or two left by turns to secure their Plantations may repair to th●ir Houses in the Towns and there remain with their Masters until the publick Worship and Service of the Lor●s Day be ended Fifthl● That for a con●inual supply of able Minist●rs for their Churches after a ●et ter● of years Your Lordship would plea●e ●o en●evour the procuring an Act of Parliament whereby a c●●tain number of Fellowships as they happen to be next proportionably vacant in both the Universities may bear the name of Virginia Fellowships so long as the Needs of ●hat Church shall require it and none be admitted to th●m but su●h a● shall engage by promi●e to hold them seven years and no longer and at the expi●ation of tho●e seven years t●an●●ort thems●lv●s to Virginia and serve that Church in the Office of the Ministery seven ye●rs more the Church the●e p●oviding for them which being expir●d they shall be left to their own Liberty to return or not and if they p●r●●●m not the Condit●o●s of their Admittance then to be uncapable of any Prefe●me●t These things being procur●d I thi●k V●rginia will be in the most probable way that her pre●ent condit●on 〈◊〉 admit of being cured of the formentioned evils of her scatter'd Planting For hereby her Planters will be convenienced to give God the honour due unto his Name by attending constantly in full Congregations upon his publick Worship and Service they will enjoy the benefits of Christian Offices of frequent civil commerce and Society which begets mutual confidence trust and friendship the best ground-work for raising Companies of the best qualified and most able persons to combine in Designs most advantagious to their own and the publick Weal they will enjoy the benefits of vertuous Examples of publick Catechizing and instructing their Children and Servants in the Principles and Duties of the Christian Religion according to the Constitutions of the Church of England whereby not only Children and Servants but Parents and Masters who are ignorant may without being ashamed be enlightned with true saving knowledge and their Children in Schools of Learning may grow up to be serviceable both in Church and State And by good Discipline and careful tending in well order'd Societies under faithful Teachers and Magistrates both Parents and Children would by the grace of God grow into habits of Christian Living and the light of their Graces and good works shining before the Heathen would above all other Oratory prevail with them both to be desirous to learn themselves and to bring their Children to be taught in the Christians Schools how to glorifie the same God with them That the former benefits will accrue to themselves needs no Proof the experience of all united well order'd Christian Societies sufficiently confirms it That the latter viz. the gaining the Heathen to the Christian Faith will be the hopeful Consequ●nt of their habitual Christian living of the united l●ght of their graces and good works shining bef●re the Heathen I shall not presuming to inform Your Lordship but not knowing to whom this Paper may be communicated make bold to add a brief Confirmation of it First by the testimony of that vertuous Heathen Emperour Alexander Sev●rus who when he p●rceived two of his Servants to be per●waded to receive the ●hristian Faith by the Eloquent Orations Origen had made before him to prove the Truth of it I perceive saith he Ye do wonder at the Learning of Origen whereby ye are induced to embrace the Christian Profession But tru●y the Humility and Charity of the Christian People which ● do hear of and daily b●hold with my E●es do much more move me to believe that their Christ is God then all his ●loquent Perswasion● This Heathen Emperour understood the Language of Origen and as the History relates w●s much moved with the convincing perswasive Arguments Origen u●ed to prove the Truth of the Christian Faith yet he professeth he was much more p●rswaded to believe it by the Humility and Charity the graces and ve●tues which appeared in the Ch●istians lives which he heard of an● daily beheld But the Heathen in Virginia neither understand the Christians language no● the Christians theirs and although they did understand it I think it too

Imprimatur GEO. STRADLING S. T. P. Rever in Christo Pat. GILE Episc. Lond. à Sac. domest Ex Aed Sabaud Sept. 15. 1662 Virginia's Cure OR An ADVISIVE NARRATIVE CONCERNING VIRGINIA DISCOVERING The true Ground of that CHURCHES Unhappiness and the only true Remedy As it was presented to the Right Reverend Father in God GVILBERT Lord Bishop of LONDON September 2. 1661. Now publish'd to further the Welfare of that and the like PLANTATIONS By R. G. And this Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preach'd in all the world for a witness unto all Nations and then shall the End come Mat. 24.14 Is it time for y●u O ye to dwell in your ceiled houses and this House lie waste Now therefo●e thus saith the Lord of Hosts Consider your wayes Hag 1.4 5. London Printed by W. Godbid for Henry Brome at the Signe of the Gun in Ivy-lane 1662. A PREFACE THat the following Advisive Narrative was not at first intended for publique view there needs no other argument then it self the occasion and manner of address to perswade belief The occasion of writing this The present careful and ingenious Deputy Governour of VIRGINIA Col. Francis Morison sent Petitionary Letters with Propositions for bettering the state of that Church which fell to my lot to present to the Right reverend Fathers in God the Lord Bishop of London and the then Lord Bishop of Worcester understanding the Propositions I made bold to intimate that those Propositions though good would onely palliate not cure the miseries of that Church Whereupon my Lord of London was pleased to enjoyn me to set down in writing some Propositions concerning it I gladly embrac'd the injunction and blest God for the occasion But when I had stated and digested the Propositions upon a reflex they seemed too Magisterial to present to such a r●verend Father of our Church without giving some account of the g●ounds and reasons enforcing their Necessity In persuance whereof I thought fit to premise a brief and plain D●scription of our Peopl●● sc●tt●r●d manner of Planting VIRGINIA which as to the in●abitants or those that have seen that Countrey is I con●ess needless But as to those he●e who can have no other Idea●s of it than such as others Rela●●ons frame in their Minds as also to the Discov●rie of the Grounds of their present unhappiness and the asse●ting the kind and manner of their Remedie which is the argument of this Discourse seemed to me no more then needful It is now publish'd through the hopes some have it may further the Publique Good designed which I pray God it may do and possibly it may by some or other of these ways Fi●st It may occasion s●me of greater Abilities to assert more copiously and fully the T●uth of that Proposition I have bri●fly proved viz. Th●t it is the Duty of Christians ●especially of such Christians as ●eat Plantations among the Heathen● so to unite their Habitations in Societies in Towns and Villages as may ●est convenience them constant●y to attend upon the publique Ministery of Gods Word Sacram●nts and wo●ship A Duty of so cle●r consequence from Holy Sc●i●ture and so necessary to be put in practise for 〈◊〉 the w●ll being of such Plantations as I hope will app●●● by the e●●uing Narrative and Dis●ourse that ●f 〈…〉 to promote it thr●ugh mens want of 〈…〉 gain their assent by the ●vidence ●f 〈…〉 means alone the number of the 〈…〉 if they assent they will at least be 〈…〉 may not a little advantage the putting this Du●y into P●ac●is● especially in VIRGINIA the most considerable Countrey under the Heavens which hath so long been abused and yet languisheth under the neglect of it which is the main End design'd Secondly It may possibly help to prevent the like Errors in Seating some new Plantations which were committed and are yet continued in Planting VIRGINIA Thirdly It may direct noble Heroick Spirits those liberal Souls that devise liberal things to the most moving objects of Christian Compassion and Charity that I think the whole Latitude of our most orthodox Protestant Church can present them Particularly it may direct their Charity to endow Fellowships in our Universities of Cambridge and Oxford which may bear the Name of VIR●INIA Fellowships and may be appropriated for supply of the Churches in VIRGINIA upon the Conditions specified in the fifth Proposition pag. 10. Nor need such Persons doubt to obtain by the Parliament a Confirmation of the Penalty therein specified in case the Persons that shall be admitted to such Fellowships shall refuse to perform the Conditions of their Admittance at the time limited to transport themselves to VIRGINIA to Serve that Church in the Office of the Ministry Nor can such Ministers plead their poverty and disability to do it because there is sufficient Provision made to defray the Charges of their Transportation of which they are desired to take notice by the seventh Proposal pag. 22. Nor is it the least considerable that such Students knowing for the space of seven yeers before hand th● Work to which they are design'd will be careful to order their Studies so as may best fit them for it Other ways there are by which the making this Publique may be subservient to the End design'd which I purposely omit However it succeed it may be some Testimony to my Friends there that I am not altogether unmindful of procuring to my Power the welfare of that poor scatter'd Church which indeed I am not not onely upon the account of Duty paying some solemn vows made in a time of trouble and extremity of Danger● but even of Gratitude for the kind reception I found among them for the space of above Ten years when I could no longer endure ●he late Tyrannical Usurpations of my native Countrey Virginia's Cure OR An Advisive NARRATIVE CONCERNING VIRGINIA TO shew the unhappy State of the Church in Virginia and the true Remedy of it I shall first give a brief Description of the Manner of our Peoples scatter'd Habitations there next shew the s●d unhappy consequent● of such their scatter'd Living both in reference to themselves and the poor Heathen that are about them and by the way briefly set down the cause of scattering their Habitations then proceed to propound the Remedy and means of procuring it next assert the Benefits of it in re●erence both to themselves and the Heathen ●et down the cause why this Remedy hath not been hitherto comp●ss'd● and lastly till it can be procured give directio●● for the present supply of their Churches That part of Virginia which hath at present craved your Lo●dships Assistance to preserve the Christian Religion and to promote the Building Gods Church among them by supplying them with sufficient Ministers of the Gospel is bounded on the North by the great River Patomek on the South by the River Chawan including also the Land inhabited on the ●●st side of 〈◊〉 B●y called Accomack and contains above half as muc● L●n● 〈◊〉 Engl●nd it

Sacrifices of prayers and praises offered in a comely order in their publique congregations To contemplate the poor Church whose plants now grow wilde in that Wildernesse become like a garden enclosed like a Vineyard fenced and watch'd like a flock of Sheep with their Lambes safely folded by night and fed by day all which are the promised fruits of well ordered Towns under Religious Pastours and Magistrates with what joy and delight may you likewise think upon their comely and most ingenious Children like hopefull plants growing up in Nurseries of learning and piety and when their time of fruit is come Transplanted into the enclosed gardens of God and becoming fruitfull and usefull trees of righteousnesse which is the promised happinesse and benefit of well ordered Schooles in well governed Towns And lastly wh●t rejoycing will it be to your most Christian heart to behold the glorious issue of that Prophecy concerning the calling the Gentiles fulfilled in those numerous herds of Heathen in Virginia Isa. 11.6 c. The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid c. To contemplate the Heathen who in that Prophesie are likened to Wolves Leopards Lyons Bears Apes and Cockatrices couching quietly harmlesly in the same fold of Christs Church with the Sheep and Lambes of Christ which will be the hopeful Consequent of well ordered Towns and Schooles And the procuring these the only true effectual Remedy for Virginia's Disease as hath been shewed But this is a Work of time to compasse and we have an English Proverb Whilst the grasse growes the Steed Starves before this can be compassed many poor Christians there may p●rish for want of their souls food where there is no vision the people perish and that is the case of the far greater part of that Colony The encouragement therefore of Ministers to adventure thither to help them I humbly propound First That your Lordship be pleased to procure that the next grand Assembly in Virgin●a may enact That what Tobacco any Parish agrees to pay their Minister shall be payed of the best Tobacco of every Man 's own Crop and with Cask otherwise experience hath shewed that a Ministers livelyhood there will be very uncertain Secondly Th●t at the same Assembly it be Enacted that every Parish chuse a Vestry in case they have not one already chosen and the Vestry of each Parish be enjoyned to subscribe what quantity of Corn and Tobacco of the best of their own Crops with Cask they will allow a sufficient Minister yearly Thirdly That in the next and every Assembly the Act for paying 15 l. of Tobacco per annum for every Tythable person in every Parish destitute of a Minister which Act was made at an Assembly March 27. 1656. be carefully executed and strict Enquiry made whether the Tobacco due by that Act be duely collected and employed to the ends express'd in that Act viz. Building Churches purchasing ●leabes and stocks of Cattel to belong to them And if any Parish hath imployed any part of such Arrears to any other use that they be enjoyned to make them good again Fourthly That the Act made in the same Assembly concerning disposing intestate estates to publick uses in case no Administratour of Kin to the diseased Proprietour appears may serve in the first place the needs of the Church for furnishing each Parish with Gleabes and the Gleabes with Stocks of Cattel before any part of such estates be employed to any other use Fifthly that there being divers persons already in the Colony fit to serve the Church in the office of Deacon a Bishop be sent over so soon as there shall be a City for his See as for other Needs of that Church so also that after due Probation and ●xamination such persons may be ordained Deacons and their Duty and Service be appointed by the Bishop Sixthly That the Ministers that go thither be not hired by the year as is now usual but firmly instituted and inducted into Livings of stated value by the Subscriptions of their Vestries according to the second Proposition Seventhly That all Ministers desirous to go to Virginia and not able to transport themselves be acquainted with an Act of Assembly of that Country whereby it is provided that wh●t●oever sufficient Minister shall not be able to pay for his transportation any Merchant that shall defray the charge of it if such Minister agree not with him upon other conditions shall receive 20 l. Sterling for his passage from the Parish that entertains him or two Thousand pound of Tobacco who shall also repay any Sums of money disburs'd for his accommodation and the Minister to be free to choose his Parish which shall make such disbursements for him This is all I can think meet to propound at present only for a Conclusion I shall add for the Encouragement both of Bishop and Ministers that shall adventure thither out of pity and compassion to the souls of so many of their poor Brethren that as their reward will be great in Heaven so also they shall in a very pleasant and fruitful Land meet with a People which generally bear a great love and respect to their Ministers And if they behave themselves as becommeth their high calling they shall find their ready help and assistance in their Needs and which should be much more encouraging they will find a People which generally bear a great love to the stated Constitutions of the Church of England in her Government and publick Worship which gave us who went thither under the late Persecutions of it the advantage of Liberty to use it constantly among them after the Naval force had reduced that Colony under the power but never to the obedience of the Usurpers Which Liberty we could not have enjoyed had not the People generally express'd a great Love to it And I hope even this will be a consideration not of least regard to move Your Lordship to use all possible care and endevour to supply Virginia's Needs with sufficient Orthodoxe Ministers in the first place and before any other of our forraign Plantations which crave your help because in the late times of our Churches Persecution her people alone cheerfully and joyfully embraced encouraged and maintained the Orthodoxe Ministers that went over to them● in their publick Conformity to the Church of ENGLAND in her Doctrine and stated manner of Publick Worship FINIS