to assasine him And the Governour upon the discovery thereof required of their King that their three heads which were in that conspiracy should be forthwith sent unto him for the expiating that high offence or else he and his people would revenge it upon the said King and his people The King being unwilling if not affraid by reason of the power and as some say alliance of two of them to execute justice in that rigour upon them all cut of the head of one of the three and sent it to the English Governour by the other two The Governour being not satisfied therewith sent those two with other messengers to their King to know the reason why he sent him but one of those heads when he required all three To which the King returned this answer That he had sent all the three heads that the Governour demanded to be sent And if the Governour were pleased to return two of them back again it was to be ascribed to his goodness and mercy and not to be imputed to any failing in him who had performed what was required There is one story more which I may not omit because it savours not onely of wit but of more true Wisdom and Religion than is usually found in multitudes that call themselves Christians and that is this When some of the English were imployed about building an house and some other work for an Indian King he being by covenant to provide victuals for them did accordingly constantly provide for them what was necessary the whole six daies of the week through but when the Lords day came and he saw the English forbear to work and falling to sporting and playing he commanded that no victuals should be allowed them which when the English complained of they had this answer returned them That the King would allow them no victuals on that day because on that day they did him no work To which when the English replyed That that day was a day set a part to serve God in and not a day to labour or work in It was told them again from the King That if he did see them serve God on that day they should have what is necessary allowed them but he was sure that they could not serve God by sporting and playing Thus may you see That although Wisdom as the son of Sirach brings her in speaking of her self Ecclus 24. had for a long time her dwelling in Jacob and her inheritance in Israel ver 8. And so took root in an honourable people even in the portion of the Lords inheritance and there grew and was exalted and stretched out her branches and cast forth a sweet smell ver 13 14 15 16. And after that was transplanted as the people and inheritance of the Lord was removed or a new people and portion chosen and they cast out Yet those Nations that were not or yet are not the Lords people evermore did and to this day do partake of Wisdoms fruits and in every Nation and People she got a possession ver 6. as we call a small portion of ground taken as the earnest or seasin of the whole in the souls of many And that earnest or seasin may in due time through the Law-Givers mercy and favour intitle her to and invest her in all the rest when for the full compleating of that Prophecy Isa 11.9 The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Then for the excellency of the Country If your Highness can but believe in these faithless times either what sundry men of different faith in other matters have as it were with one soul written concerning this or what divers of approved faith are ready with one voice or mouth farther to attest You may beyond all doubting be assured That the Climate of Virginea is healthfull the Land exceeding fruitfull yielding great plenty of whatsoever corn or grain is sown in it and of all other fruits that are planted in it and affording very great increase of all sorts of cattel that breed in it or that it is stockt withall The Woods which are very vast abound with Deer and other beasts whose carcases or skins or both are very usefull and profitable The Rivers are infinitely stored with all sorts of excellent Fish and water-Fowls as the dry Land is with other fowls The bowels of the earth are fraught with admirable Mines of Iron Lead Copper and as some say Silver And for the upper parts thereof besides what it sends forth naturally which is much variety of delightfull and usefull commodities It would with a little labour and industry in planting and keeping it be made extraordinary rich in the production of Silk Wine Currants Rasins Flaxe and almost any thing that any other Country yields O that it might but once bear as t is said of Canaan Wisdom 12.7 a worthy Colony of Gods children And then Canaan it self could scarce ever have been said to have excelled it Which that it may do shall be the earnest and incessant prayer of him who daily prays that the Lord would incline and move your Highness heart to contribute your best assistance to this great work tending so much to the glory of God the propagation of the Gospel the good and comfort of many thousands of souls in that vast Continent this Nations honour and your Highness highest renown Your Highness humble Remonstrant L. G. FINIS
to some pious prudent upright Governour under you as well as the Ministers of the Colonie indeavour it by their faithfull preaching and holy conversation May it therefore please your Highness in compassion of that great Colonie and in commiseration of so many thousand souls both Christian and Heathen as that Colonie and continent wherein they are seated abounds with to vouchsafe your best skill and to exercise your utmost power for the work needs and deserves both for the effecting that great and glorious design the preservation of that English Colonie from suddain temporal ruine and the saving both them and their neibouring Indians from eternal perdition the sole and soul desire of your unworthy Petitioner the only crime of his insuing Remonstrance And your Petitioner which thousands of thousands more shall incessantly pray for your Highness c. TO THE Candid Reader HE that sets himself to do any good Luke 14. especially for the publick must not only set down first and count the cost whether he have sufficient to finish his work least after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him saying This man began to build but was not able to finish but he must be sure also to arm himself both against himself and what his own flesh and blood shall object and against the Devil all Devilish men and what those wicked Spirits can suggest or belch forth for the hindering or retarding him in his work least otherwise he be fowly foyled in his undertaking it or fall off shamefully and disgracefully from it before he have perfected it and so both lose his Crown which is promised only to him that overcommeth Rev. cap. 2. and 3. and pull scorn and contempt upon himself for his weakness and apostacie and render the work it self for the more difficult and dreadfull to others that would happily otherwise have laboured successfully in it Now for the cost of this present undertaking its easi to be valued so far as it yet concerns me For all that I undertake is but the representing of the present sad condition of the English Colonie in Virginea with the rational causes thereof and the probable means of its relief and redress unto one that is known to have sufficiency both of skill and power and what else is requisite for effecting and accomplishing what is humbly desired of him or soberly intimated to him And although this cost me somewhat more both in expence of time and labour for the composing and framing both the Petition and the Remonstrance than to merit the ambitious time-crack of being autoschediastical or extempore for I dare not present ought to man that cost me nothing yet it cost me so little that I think it not worth the computing For some Planters in and Traders to Virginea that are of known credit and reputation furnished me with the collections and other Persons of honour undertook the procuring both them and my Petition access to his Highness and if I have or can thereby but lay the foundation of an happy reformation of that declining Plantation the honour of proceeding so far will in my account and in the estimate of all honest men much outweigh the scoffs and mocks of all Sanballats or Tobiahs that shall malign the finishing of the building And I hope God will stirr up the Spirits of some zealous Haggais and Zachariahs to incite and incourage some noble Heroick Zerubbabels and Joshuas to perfect what shall be left unfinished by those worthies whom I that am less than the least of the Lords Prophets and unworthy to be called a Prophet have called upon and incited to appear in this honourable and pious work And for what mine own flesh and blood could object against this undertaking though the objections were many and seemingly strong especially when they were backed by others that would have made me believe they love me as well as I can my self yet God to the glory of his grace be it spoken inabled me either to remove or leap over them all and I was and am confident that seeing I do not in this work seek my self but the glory of God and the good of so many soules if I should chance to lose my self in it I should finde my self and that both infinitely comforted in that loss and superabundantly recompenced for it The chief thing then that remaines to be done by me is the arming my self or rather the daily supplicating of God to arm me against the fiery darts that Satan and his complices wicked men shall cast at me to beat me off from this work or to affright me in it And praised be the Lord I have been so acquainted with their envy and detraction the two prime poysonous barbed arrowes of their Hellish quiver in some other undertakings that God hath honoured me with and carried me through that I onely so far fear them and the rest of that invenomed sheaf as to betake me to the armour which the Lord of hosts hath counselled me to make use of against them and to apply me to those holy means which he hath prescribed both for the getting that armour and the girting it on as also for the exercising and managing it to the best advantage I know that envy and detraction are as constant attendants upon every good action of note and eminency especially as the devill himself is a diligent malicous observer of it that to eat out the very heart of it if its venemous tooth can reuch it and this to grangrene some of the more exteriour usefull comely parts of it if the vitals escape its poyson But if God please to preserve the undertaker and to prosper his undertaking let the Red Dragon himself cast forth a whole flood of poyson after him and that which he travails with he can no more hurt him or hinder his effecting what he undertakes than he could the woman cloathed with the sun and her bringing forth her man-child Rev. 12. â— And for my part seeing envy makes the best workes the object of her malignity I shall be so far from being troubled at the envy of any that I wish from my heart the work may but prove worthy of such Spirits envy And for detraction if there be so much good in the work as is capable of mens detracting from it so that God may have the glory of that good from those that have any goodness in them let as many wicked ones as please glory in that their own shame I shall repute it no shame to me to have all the glory of all the good taken from me when there is not the least due to me and it will be honour sufficient as well as comfort to me that I have done any thing whereby God may be glorified on my behalf Yet because I would not willingly give the least occasion to any to sin so highly against God and their own soules I
shall do my indeavour to prevent all such folly so far as a faithfull account of my appearing and proceeding in the business may do it Vpon what grounds I undertook this work I have declared to him with whom I dare not dissemble And what incouragements I have had both from God and good men to go on with it so far at the least as to make tryal how it will be relished or disgested by those who have power either to crush it or crown it are fitter for mine own breast to retain than for this or any other paper to publish This every one that knowes me will I hope believe that certainly I had some friends of worth and credit who furnished me with the particulars of this Remonstrance as I before hinted or else being a stranger to Virginea and the affaires thereof I neither could have known them nor would have rceived any information concerning them upon trust much less have presumed the presenting them to his Highness And the truth is There is not one particular mentioned by me to which I cannot produce a sufficient testimonie for the confirmation thereof by such a number of witnesses as the Lord himself approves for the establishing of every truth And for the most they are so well known to every Planter there and trader thither especially those that trade in their own persons as that he must have very little aequaintance with either or give little faith to both that shall doubt thereof farther than to enquire of them which all unsatisfied persons are desired to do And whereas you will find some very fowl acts particularised and yet the actors or committors not named charge that if you please upon my charity who though I had their names given me as there was reason I should and that by those that are neither affraid nor ashamed to have their names known if it shall be required by any that have authority so to do Yet I thought it my duty to silence them that so the Persons that are guilty of those horrid crimes may be the sooner invited to repent of them when they shall see that upon their repenting as God hath promised their transgressions shall not be mentioned unto them by him nor ought to be by others so there is the best course taken by me that I could that they themselvs shall never be upbraided with them as knowing that often times the open disgracing men for some fowl facts makes them the more impudent in those sins and the more obdurat against all perswasions to turn from them As also that this discovering their sins and yet covering their names may assure them that it is the detestation of those crying crimes not any hatred of their persons that occasioned this complaint and therefore if upon the telling that such and such sins are committed by some they find themselves to be the men that committed them as t is desired they may there will be no need to say to any of them as Nathan sometimes was constreined to say to David Thou art the man and if themselves then please but to confess with David one by one I have sinned against the Lord I shall intercede with the Lord so far as I am able that he would please to say to their soules one by one again what Nathan said to David The Lord hath put away thy sin and if they shall be thus ashamed of what they have done t is all the shame is wished them for so doing But because by those wicked deeds they have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme let them beware lest if they do escape the judgement of men the severe judgments of God do not seize upon them in some remarkable manner here in this life for others to take warning thereby and for the taking of those enemies of the Lord from their farthar blaspheming thereat Besides if all this will not quiet some Spirits that shall find themselves concerned in this Remonstrance as conceiving that the publishing of such particular crimes will cause an inquisition to be made by many after the particular names of those that committed them as indeed all men are generally too inquisitive after other mens sins too busie in proclaiming them or it may be his Highness himself may upon the information of such crimes heing commited command the names of those that commited them to be given in to him that justice may proceed against them Let such know that if any private men shall inquire of me the names of those whose particular crimes are complained of in the following Remonstrance I can through his grace who sets a watch before my mouth and keeps the door of my lips commond my tongue silence as well as my pen but I have no power over the tongues of other men farther than to beseech them to be as carefull of preserving others good names as of their own and that care of others will increase and inlarge the honour of their own and where any deserve to have their names stink and rot that they would suffer them so to do without their raking too much in the noisom filth loathsome putridness putre of them But if his Highness command me to give him or any deputed by him either any or all their names that so judgement may be executed upon some of those Zimris and Achans those Colonie-destroying offendors to the better appeasing of Gods wrath gone out against that Colonie and for the more happy prevention of the like provocation by others I fear the displeasure both of God and his Highness too much to disobey that command And if their names or persons do suffer thereby they may blame themselves who were so audaciously wicked as to do that to others without blushing at it which now they are ashamed or afraid to hear of from others with so much as being named to have done it and take it ill to have those detestable acts of theirs but mentioned before one that hath power to punish them which they never stuck at to perpetrate before him that hath power to damn them for them But I forget my self and the work in hand too much in labouring thus long to satisfy those that are enemies to both Apologies to such do but raise more jealousies and sharp rebukes are fitter charms for such Spirits than soft answers There are indeed some persons of honour and integrity yet living that had the unhappiness to be Governours when some of those horrid facts were commited by some of the Planters And so they might in justice be charged upon their account so far as the not prohibiting oppugning and punishing them could contract the guilt of them should not I be so just as to give others that fair account thereof which I received from those who abhor to justifie the wicked or condemn the righteous Most true it is what Salust saith That in cujus manu est ut prohibeat jubet agi si non
prohibet admitti In whose power it is to prohibit a crime he commands it to be done if he do not prohibit the doing it or as Seneca expresseth it qui n on vetat peccare cum possit jubet He bids a man to sin that does not forbid him when be may And he that does not withstand a wicked man in his wickedness or punish him severely for it if he have power does both animat him in his wickedness and incourage others to do the like and is thereby as really guilty of that wickedness as if himself had committed it But t is as true say their compurgators that those worthies whose innocency alone I desire to vindicate leaving all unworthy Governours to answer for themselves had not that just power of prohibiting oppugning and punishing iniquity and the actors thereof at least not that due liberty of exercising their power that men of their place and authority should have but were so limited and bound up by the over-straightness of their investors that armed them with that power or by the dissenting of their assistants that should have stood by them and acted with them in the execution thereof or by the insolency and tumultuousness of those upon whom justice should have been executed That although they abhorred abominated those barbarous acts and the wicked contrivers and actors of them yet they were constrained for the better preservation of the publik peace and safety of the Plantation as well as their own persons and subsistance to forbear that forcible withstanding and judicial punishing them that they should and otherwise would have practised and proceeded in Such is the inseparable unhaippiness and mischief that constantly attends both the Governours and Governed where the power of the Governors depends upon the favour and pleasure of the people or is manacled and fettered by any Plebeian Tribunes or over-awed by any insulting Ephori Nevertheless that the resplendent eminencies of those Governours or my high esteem of their vouchers may not so mislead me as that whilest I am willing to excuse them from the guilt of others sins I should unwitingly pull upon my self the guilt of theirs I humbly beseech those Governours that as they desire to appear just before men so they would much more labour to acquit themselves before God And therefore if they know ought by themselves as they needs must more than others can charge them with they would not rest upon any mans justification of their actions much less presume them thereupon justifyable before God but earnestly and humbly beg of God his gracious pardon for what he knowes they have failed in or been guilty of either by their omitting or neglecting to exercise that power that he had put into their hands or by their otherwise partaking with others in their sins as well as for all their other transgressions and that will not onely comfort their soules and quiet their Spirits against all that have been or shall be objected against them but also add very much to their honour amongst all good men and exceedingly indear them to God himself the fountain of all true comfort honour and goodness Then for those friends of mine which pretend to be friends also to the work it self but not to my under taking it though I love their reproofes better thā I do others praises yet I would not willingly deserve that favour from them It may be the truth is I have been told as much by some that I believe cordially love me they may fear that my appearing in this business may be reputed by some that wish me well somewhat improper and a little Heterogeneal to my professon as a Minister but to such my humble request is that they would consider both my profession and this work a little better If the shewing a people their transgressions and their sins by my pen when my voice though lifted up like a trumpet cannot reach their eares or if the shewing those transgressions and sins to others that have hands long enough to reach and correct them when they can neither be first shewn to themselves or if they were would certainly be to very little or no purpose as to their amendment If when wrath is gone out against a people the calling upon others that have power to help pacify that wrath by executing wrath upon those that provoked it when the party that so calls upon others hath neither power nor commission to do it himself If to give a people warning when they are hastening to ruin and destruction and the supplicating others to contribute their utmost for the preventing it if it be possible If the seeking after not one sheep but a whole flock that are gone astray and in danger to be lost for ever and the desire to bring home to the same fold with them and after them millions of souls more that never yet were of that fold but have promises from the great Shepheard that they shall one day be brought into it If the complaining of poor injured oppressed inslaved Christian servants under most unjust cruel tyrannical unchristian Masters to such as have more power over those Masters than they have over their servants though both must remember that themselves have another Master in heaven to whom they must give account both of themselves and of their servants If the putting in minde those that are within the pale of the Church to walk honestly towards them that are without and to let their light of holy conversation so shine before those especially that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death as to invite and allure them to love the same light that they profess to walk in and to embrace that true light which came to be their light and lighteth every man with all the light he hath In a word if the trusting in God who hath the hearts of all men in his hands to turn as he please and so hoping that his Highness heart will be inclined by that God to this great and glorious work upon his right understanding it and that somewhat the more because he knows that he that supplicates his assistance therein never sought any great things for himself and abhorrs to beg ought of him for others but what he believes upon good grounds to be just and honourable for him to condescend to If these and the like acts and crimes to these be reputed as unbecoming me or unbeseeming my Ministerial function I must confess t is my desire not to say ambition to serve God by my Ministry in these waies which are reputed unbecoming and unbeseeming And if God in his mercy do but approve of me and my Ministry or rather my execution of that holy office for the office it self hath God for its institutor and and will assuredly find him its protector and defender as well as avenger I do no farther regard mans approving or disapproving either than to give no just occasion to any by any offence in my