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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42949	The Negro's & Indians advocate, suing for their admission to the church, or, A persuasive to the instructing and baptizing of the Negro's and Indians in our plantations shewing that as the compliance therewith can prejudice no mans just interest, so the wilful neglecting and opposing of it, is no less than a manifest apostacy from the Christian faith : to which is added, a brief account of religion in Virginia / by Morgan Godwyn ...	Godwyn, Morgan, fl. 1685.	1680 (1680)	Wing G971; ESTC R21645	117,175	190

wear out and make the contrary become Natural 15. And this doth seem to come down to our Case wherein we have a perfect concurrence in all the parts except only in the Principal The Masters professing themselves Christians their Slaves being indeed Infidels but giving no proof of any Malice or disaffection to Religion The Masters armed with full power over them and having themselves vowed to imploy that whole Power and all that is theirs besides in the Service of Christ Yet for a petty inconsiderable Interest to be certainly recompenced with much greater Advantages as will soon be shewed refusing to promote that Faith which they themselves do own among those of their own Families Now if this be to comply with such Obligations then may it be concluded that a Christian hath a mighty Advantage above other Men and that he may without the least guilt or stain to his Soul both swear and forswear whatsoever his Interest shall persuade him to 16. I confess I do not hold it to be alike every Man's Duty to labour herein but do yet dare to affirm it every Christians Duty to concern himself about it so far as his condition of Subsistence and living and his knowledg shall enable him For as Mr. Glanvil in his Dialogue concerning Preaching P. 57. tells us Every private Christian may and ought to preach in this Sense Every such is a Priest to his own Family that is it is his Duty to teach them the great things of Religion according to the best of his Skill and Knowledg This is one way to provide for our Families and 't is the most necessary Men had better neglect the getting their Children and Servants Bread and Clothes then to omit their care about this greater and more needful Provision It 's true 't is not perchance every Mans Duty to traverse the World from one Quarter to the other to preach the Gospel and to Convert Heathens But if they happen to be brought Home to us and made members of our Families we are beyond dispute each Soul of us obliged as we tender our own Salvation to endeavour theirs That Interrogatory 1 Cor. 7. 16. How knowest thou c carrying in it an Argument greatly enforcing the like charitable care and endeavours for the saving of others tho lodged at a remoter distance from us than our Bosoms For he whose whole business it is to do good must never be idle whilst there are any objects of his Charity especially under his Roof For he fails of his Duty so much as he falls short in any particular Office within his power though of an inferiour nature to this And if unmercifulness be the only Crime observable from our Saviour's Charge at the Day of Judgment represented St. Mat. 25. Doubtless they that have thus cruelly treated their Slaves and what in them lieth destroyed their Souls shall then find an Hell hotter than ordinary and like Nebuchadnezzar's Furnace heated seven times more and a Devil proportionably merciless provided for them Where they shall come too late to know that God doth above all things detest Hypocrites and that he will by no means endure to be yoaked with Mammon § IIII. 1. But here forgetting the absolute necessity of this Duty our People to acquit themselves do offer some things by way of Excuse As 1. The Difficultie and as they pretend even Impossibility of effecting any thing upon them 2. Their want of English 3. Their Stupidity and utter incapacity for Instruction Lastly Their irreconcileable averseness and hatred to all Religion All which are certainly false of the major part of them at least of divers as my self upon my particular knowledg and experience can truly affirm But as to the second there are 1. Many who have lived a considerable time in the Island 2. Others that were born in it A 3d sort that have been brought up and baptized in England who can all of them speak English no worse than the natural born Subjects of that Kingdom These I presume will make more than one moity of the whole And for the rest even the very Novices of them I do not see why they should not be as capable of Religion as of Business But it is notoriously known that even those of the third sort when Trapand hither are as little regarded as the rawest Barbarian in the whole herd And so of those whom themselves have caused to be Baptized in England whereof I have spoken P. 37. in the former Chapter And it is no less certain that their very Domestics that attend them in their Chambers and at their Tables the rest living in sheds and separated places without Doors purposely allotted for them are taught to avoid the room which also hath been observed of them in England as often as Prayers do happen to be said or read As if there were some secret Charm or power of doing mischief in Prayers Nor are they forced thence out of any scruple or superstitious fear of having their Services polluted by the intermixture of Vnbelievers a Nicety never here heard of but only upon this Supposition of the no necessity thereof nor benefit to Negro's or other Slaves 2. And as for their Averseness a charge most proper to be returned upon the Objecters own Heads I have always found them rather fond and desirous of being made Christians than any way averse thereto which a certain passage in Mr. Ligon's Description of this Island will further evince Tho as in that case and here I will suggest the worst this desire might possibly first arise only from an Ambition of being like the English Which should be no wonder especially in People who have never so much as heard whether there were any Salvation or Heaven for them but rather the contrary But our People being extraordinary Wise have to prevent further Trouble always taken it for granted that their Negro's have an Antipathy against Christianity Nor are they upon a due trial and experiment desirous to understand other 3. And here if it might not occasion too great an expence of Time for which reason I shall be brief I should crave leave to rehearse a Portion more of the above mentioned Christmas Discourse wherein I have an Apologie for them upon this Account ready formed to my hand in these words But are their Inclinations so much altered from what they were Surely the sacred Text doth furnish us with too notable Examples of Piety and Goodness in these People The first is that of Ebedmeleck Jer. 28. whose compassion to that Prophet in interceding for him and thereby delivering him out of the Dungeon was so highly pleasing unto God that in the next Chapter we find this high commendation and Eulogium given him That he had put his trust in the Lord and therefore had a promise of preservation from those fatal Calamities which suddenly befel that stubborn People amongst who he then lived 4. The second is that of Queen Candace's Treasurer Acts 8. who though

still retaining the fashion of those Elder times planting each Man his own provision of Maiz room being first made for the Seed to pass into the Ground with no subtiler Engine than a simple Stick thrust into it or it may be with his Finger And after this weeding his Corn with Fish shells instead of Hoa's used by the English and other wiser People And this they still practise without craving the least assistance unless possibly some few of them since our Arrival from those Trades of which as indeed of almost all other they are wholly ignorant 7. Thirdly turning to the Septuagint Bible he there reades that Cain talking with his Brother invites him in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go into the Field From which Clause not found in the Hebrew he is sure they must needs at that time dwell in some Town or City not so soon to be built by Adam's thin Race And therefore other Architects and Workmen must be fetcht from that imaginary Elder Creation But this Logic even admitting that Clause would never hold in Virginia where there is neither Town nor City their Metropolis excepted lately consisting of some twelve or fourteen Families but since the late Rebellion and Burning of it I suppose of fewer throughout that nor even the Neighbouring Provinces And even in this Island we know that Men do not always take their way thorow the Bridg-Town into their Plantations And no more necessity was there for Cain and Abel's not doing the same And here also the Natives and I shall suppose no less of the South of Africa could have taught him to erect places for Shelter and Lodging such as 't is possible both Adam and his Children for a long time might be contented with without the aid of Masons or other Builders than what were needful for platting of Arbours covered only with Leaves or the Bark of Trees which generally are the Royal Mansions and Basilicks of their greatest Kings and Emperours But this Eutopian or Atlantean City having no Foundation nor being any where extant but in our Quixots rambling Fancy there is no need to produce either Builders or Inhabitants for it 8. However to put an end to this Dispute There is no doubt but that these places in Genesis viz. Chap. 2. 5. 3. 20. 7. 21 22 23. and 10. 32. All levelled as it were expresly against this Doctrine of Pre-Adamitism as the learned Judge hath observed do certainly carry in them no less truth than those other which its first Author contrary to the sense and judgment of the whole World both Jews and Christians who have gone before him hath wrested to that his wicked purpose and ought with as great certainty to be believed So also doth Saint Paul's affirmation at Athens in the hearing of the Wits and Virtuosi there who refused not to acquiesce with him in the same judgment That God had made of one Blood all Nations of Men for to dwell on all the face of the Earth Acts 17. 26. I say these with many other weighty Arguments and Testimonies from sacred Scripture ought to challenge from us at least an equal measure of credit with those Dreams of that Fantastic Author And may no less at the same time inform us how misbecoming Wise Men and Christians it is without consideration of what may be said on either side in a moment to run down and explode such ancient received Principles for an irrational Novelty never before thought on and thus to shake the foundation of the Christian Faith only to gratifie a silly Humour and to shew how bold they dare be with the Almighty Who yet if they are resolved not to be satisfied with the Account which Moses gives of the Creation as hitherto it hath been generally understood and received It much stands them upon since they reject the Old to find out a New and better which to give them their due they do not in the least pretend to beyond bare and empty Conjectures void of all Ground and Reason Which tho themselves may admire they must allow others a due liberty at the same time to esteem ridiculous 9. But here after this Deviation to return to the matter in hand we are to take notice that their objected Pre-Adamitism doth not at all prejudice nor even relate to this Question which is touching the Homoniety of our Negro's not their Origination or Descent That Creation which they pretend to be Antecedent to Adam's being according to the Principle of its first Author no less of Real Men than this latter their Posterity therefore must needs be such And our cause hath this further Advantage that as Cham's African Race and the Curse said to be annexed thereto do make nothing against our American nor yet Asian Slaves nor Tributaries so this Pre-Adamitism doth utterly evacuate and overthrow whatever they from thence might otherwise infer tho in it self never so conclusive and good 10. Nor are they like to speed better from the Ninth than from the three former Chapters unless they can make it appear that that Curse did deprive all Cham's Posterity of their Reason and so metamorphose them into Brutes Nor yet even so will it do their Work unless they also prove that all Negro's wheresoever found are his Posterity and particularly Descendents from Canaan against whom alone that Curse was denounced as in the progress of this Discourse I shall shew which will be no very easie task But this I shall refer to the next Section to be further considered what at present I shall think requisite to be spoken being only this that since Man alone is capable of Discipline of which our Negro's equally with other People are Nothing but Malice can be supposed to bespeak them less which even at the same time must be thought to bely it self And so for the present letting this and such other Arguments rest which they pretend to borrow from the Holy Scripture where in truth not the least syllable can be wrested so as to favour this their brutish supposition I shall proceed to examine whether the voice of Reason the thing they so mightily pretend to will determine more on their behalf than ether Religion or the sacred Writ 11. For to do them Right even in this so bad a Cause they are not of those who shun to answer at this Bar so long as they have any thing which they imagine will make for them there to be insisted on But here at last failing which 't is to be presumed in such a Case they cannot but soon do we may the less blame them if for their ultimate refuge and defence they betake themselves to Railing or even to worse Arguments Their specious Reasons on which this pious belief is grounded do seem to have been drawn from these four Pretences the Complexion Bondage Pretended Stupidity and Barbarousness of our Negro's Manners because different from ours Of the second of which they make this two-fold Vse first to

therefore no Christian can ever justifie his omiting any possible-lawful means for the advancement of his Religion much less that which is indeed the Principal Besides Christianity is of its self a profession of doing Good and of asserting not concealing the Truth which was the very end of our Blessed Lord's coming into the World as himself St. John 18. 37. witnesseth namely to bear witness to the Truth and to seek and to save that which was perishing or quite lost And therefore he was perpetually either imploying himself in preaching and working of Miracles or going from Place to Place and fetching many tedious and weary Circuits to find out Patients to exercise his Power and Virtue upon and to Heal their Distempers Removing Mens Diseases from their Bodies thereby to work greater Cures upon their Souls And without partiality or distinction curing Servants and Beggars of their Infirmities restoring the Blind Lame Deaf and Dumb without any respect to the quality but to the need of the Parties and no less out of pure humanity and pity to the Distressed than for the satisfaction of doing Good And from this Example and Doctrine of the Blessed Jesus the first Christians did not grudge to sell their Houses and Lands for the Relief of others Nor were they to confine and determin their Charity to the bounds of their own Profession tho the Houshold of Faith was in the first place to be supplied but were obliged to do good unto all Men not forgetting their very Enemies much less their Domestics and Slaves by whose Labour they had their whole Subsistance Now if they thought themselves obliged to relieve Mens Bodies the worser part much more were their Souls to have a share in this Charity By their extraordinary Care for which last and their contempt of the Miseries and Sufferings of the other when called to it it was evident what value they did put upon each As knowing that if they gained the whole World with the loss of their Souls they should have had but little left to be boasted of And if they held it their Duty to leave themselves destitute even of an House for shelter and to part with their Treasures the getting whereof did cost them so much Sweat and Care for the good of the Church and the increase of Religion themselves in the mean while depending only upon Providence there is no doubt but they presumed it much more their Duty to bestow their Breath and Words which could cost them no Labour besides that of uttering them nor any Expences more than of the time therein laid out and imployed 6. And conformable hereto hath been the Practice and Consent of Christianity in all Ages since For first of all St. Peter being Acts 4. forbidden to speak any more in the Name of Christ remembring his Commission and Calling and knowing what a prejudice to the Souls of Men his silence would prove He encouraged from Heaven with the hazard of his Life persists and goes on boldly in the most public place even in the Temple like a true Minister and Apostle speaking all the words pertaining to this Life that is to Christianity And those Christians that were scattered abroad upon the Persecution which arose about Stephen travelled into remoter Regions but there preached the Word some to the Jews only whilst others preached to the Gentiles also Both concurring in this Sentence That they understood it to be their Duty to promote the Doctrine of their Lord in whatsoever Territory they should happen to be cast This was the cause of St. Paul's toylsome Journeys into Syria Greece Spain Rome c. Others of the Apostles piercing into India and in a few Years subduing more Kingdoms to Christ than the Roman Eagles had conquered in many Ages Nor did Religious Christians think it any Disparagement to imploy their utmost Skill to advance this Service Besides the Charity and Love of Souls did beighten their Zeal to the effectual destroying the works of the Devil and to rescue out of his Snares those that were taken Captive at his will Nor could they be at rest till they had established him their most Natural Lord in his Hereditary Dominions over the Heathen and extended his Authority even to the utmost parts of the Earth Such was the deep sence they had of this Duty And therefore Tradition hath delivered that the Apostles by Lot like so many great Generals going to take in Cities and conquer Provinces sorted themselves to travel into the most distant Regions for the effectual carrying on of this great Work Notwithstanding that they knew there were no Dignities nor Preferments to be any where expected besides Affliction and Martyrdom Whereof St. Bartholomew is said to have betook himself to India St. Thomas to Parthia St. Andrew to Scythia St. Matthew to Aethiopia and St. Matthias is said to have adventured amongst the Canibals So that no People how Barbarous or Remote soever nor any Clime tho portending nothing but Destruction and Calamity to them nor even the most apparent and affrighting Dangers could by any means divert them as by an Instance we have Acts 21. 13. of St. Paul's resolution is manifest from prosecuting this so glorious a Design so much by us slighted Who instead of taking such difficult Voyages do even the best of us scarcely wish well to them and do think it enough to propagate the Gospel in Fable only and as at the Isle of Pines Never taking care to teach the Natives where we come any Good but to learn them in all the Evil which we practice our selves 7. Nor did this Zeal die with the Apostles and their immediate Successours but did shine most brightly in the Christians of the following Ages Neither Sex according to its Capacity believing it self exempted from this Service For as Women are said to have been Apostles to the Apostles so the Iberians as Socrates delivers l. 1. c. 15 16. do own their first knowledg of the Gospel to a poor She-Captive Which no doubt was by her at first undertaken and acted out of a sense of her Duty such an opportunity being providentially administred to her and the common Principles of all Christians directing her thereto 8. After the like manner we read that the middle India was converted by two Strangers their Names Frumentius and Aedesius And Eusebius in his l. 5. c. 20. of Eccl. History writes of St. Panten us whom he stiles a most famous Man for that he shewed so much and such Divine Zeal for the Word of God that he went to preach it to the Indians Either to subdue some new Province or to perfect what another had begun 9. And it was very early that St. Peter or St. Paul or St. Simon Zelotes or St. Joseph of Arimathea or St. Aristobulus or some other of the Apostolic Age whosoever they were came into Britain to give it the Honour of having the first Christian King And the Britains when invaded by the Saxons did not some