Reasons to be considered for iustifieinge the undertakeres of the intended Plantation in New England, & for incouraginge such whose harts God shall move to ioyne with them in it.

1. It will be a service to the Church of great consequence to carry the Gospell into those parts of the world, to helpe on the comminge of the fullnesse of the Gentiles, & to raise a Bulworke against the kingdome of AnteChrist which the Jesuites labour to reare up in those parts.

2. All other churches of Europe are brought to desolation, & or sinnes, for which the Lord beginnes allreaddy to frowne upon us & to cutt us short, doe threatene evill times to be comminge upon us, & who knowes, but that God hath provided this place to be a refuge for many whome he meanes to save out of the generall callamity, & seeinge the Church hath no place lefte to flie into but the wildernesse, what better worke can there be, then to goe & provide tabernacles & foode for her against she comes thether:

3. This Land growes weary of her Inhabitants, soe as man, whoe is the most pretious of all creatures, is here more vile & base then the earth we treade upon, & of lesse prise among us then an horse or a sheepe: masters are forced by authority to entertaine servants, parents to mainetaine their owne children, all townes complaine of the burthen of theire poore, though we have taken up many unnessissarie yea unlawfull trades to mainetaine them, & we use the authoritie of the Law to hinder the increase of our people, as by urginge the Statute against Cottages, & inmates, & thus it is come to passe, that children, servants & neighboures, especially if they be poore, are compted the greatest burthens, which if thinges were right would be the cheifest earthly blessinges.

4. The whole earth is the Lords garden & he hath given it to the Sonnes of men with a general Comission: Gen: I: 28 : increace & multiplie, & replenish the earth & subdue it, which was againe renewed to Noah: the end is double & naturall, that man might enioy the fruits of the earth, & God might have his due glory from the creature: why then should we stand striving here for places of habitation, etc, (many men spending as much labour & coste to recouer or keepe sometimes an acre or twoe of Land, as would procure them many & as good or better in another Countrie) & in the meane time suffer a whole Continent as fruitfull & convenient for the use of man to lie waste without any improvement.

5. We are grown to that height of Intemperance in all excess of Riott, as noe mans estate allmost will suffice to keepe saile with, his aequalls: & he who failes herein, must liue in scorne & contempt. Hence it comes that all artes & Trades are carried in that deceiptfull & unrighteous course, as it is allmost impossible for a good & upright man, to mainetayne his charge & liue comfortablie in any of them.

6. The ffountaines of Learning & Religion are soe corrupted as (besides the unsupportable charge of there education) most children (euen the best witts & of fairest hopes) are perverted, corrupted, & utterlie overthrowne by the multitude of evill examples & the licentious gouernment of those seminaries, where men straine at knatts & swallows camells, use all seuerity for mainetaynance of cappes & other accomplyments, but suffer all ruffianlike fashions & disorder in manners to passe uncontrolled.

7. What can be a better worke, & more honorable & worthy a Christian then to helpe raise & supporte a particular Church while it is in the Infancy, & to ioyne his forces with such a company of faithfull people, as by a timely assistance may growe stronge & prosper, & for want of it may be put to great hazard, if not wholly ruined:

8. If any such as are knowne to be Godly, liue in wealth and prosperity here, shall forsake all this, to ioyne themselues with this Church & to runne an hazard with them of an hard & meane condition, it will be an example of great use both for removinge the scandall of worldly & sinister respects which is cast upon the Adventurers; to give more life to the faith of Gods people, in their praiers for the Plantation; & to encorrage others to ioyne the more willingly in it.

9. It appeares to be a worke of God for the good of his Church, in that he hath disposed the heartes of soe many of his wise & faithfull servants, both ministers & others, not onely to approve of the enterprise but to interest themselves in it, some in their persons & estates, other by their serious advise & helpe otherwise, & all by their praiers for the wealfare of it. Amos 3: the Lord revealeth his secreat to his servants the prophetts, it is likely he hath some great worke in hand which he hath revealed to his prophetts among us, whom he hath stirred up to encourage his servants to this Plantation, for he doth not use to seduce his people by his owne prophetts, but comitte that office to the ministrie of false prophetts & lieing spiritts.