Banks, (fo they call the place where they catch the fifh) where meeting with a French fhip bound from France to Quebec, in the river of Canada, and from thence to Martinico, to carry provisions, he thought he fhould have an opportunity to complete his first defign: But when he came to Quebec, the mafter of the ship died, and the ship proceeded no farther: So the next voyage he fhipped himself for France, in the ship that was burnt, when we took them up at sea, and then shipped them with us for the East Indies, as I have already faid. Thus he had been difappointed in five voyages, all, as I may call it, in one voyage, befides what I fhall have occafion to mention farther of the fame perfon.

But I fhall not make digreffions into other men's ftories, which have no relation to my own. I return to what concerns our affair in the island: He came to me one morning, for he lodged among us all the while we were upon the island; and it happened to be just when I was going to vifit the Englishmen's colony, at the farthest part of the island; I fay, hẹ came to me, and told me, with a very grave countenance, that he had, for two or three days, defired an opportunity of fome difcourfe with me, which, he hoped, would not be difpleafing to me, because he thought it might, in fome measure, correfpond with my general defign, which was the profperity of my new colony; and, perhaps, might put it, at leaft, more than he yet thought it was, in the way of God's bleffing.

I looked a little furprized at the last part of his difcourfe; and turning a little fhort, How, Sir, faid I, can it be faid, that we are not in the way of God's

bleffing,

bleffing, after fuch vifible affiftances, and wonderful deliverances, as we have seen here, and of which I have given you a large account?

If you had pleased, Sir, faid he, (with a world of modefty, and yet with great readinefs) to have heard me, you would have found no room to have been difpleafed, much lefs to think fo hard of met that I fhould fuggeft, that you have not had wonderful affiftances and deliverances: And, I hope, on your behalf, that you are in the way of God's bleffing, and your defign is exceeding good, and will profper. But, Sir, faid he, though it were more fo, than is even poffible to you, yet there may be fome among you that are not equally right in their actions: And you know, that in the ftory of Ifrael, one Achan, in the camp, removed GOD's bleffing from them, and turned his hand so against them, that thirty-fix of them, though not concerned in the crime, were the objects of divine vengeance, and bore the weight of that punishment.

I was fenfibly touched with this discourse; and told him his inference was fo juft, and the whole defign feemed fo fincere, and was really fo religious in its own nature, that I was very forry I had interrupted him; and begged him to go on; And, in the mean time, because it seemed, that what we had both to say, might take up fome time, I told him I was going to the Englishman's plantation, and asked him to go with me, and we might discourse of it by the way: He told me, he would more willingly wait on me thither, because there, partly, the thing was acted, which he defired to fpeak to me about: So

we

we walked on, and I preffed him to be free and plain with me, in what he had to fay.

Why then, Sir, fays he, be pleased to give me leave to lay down a few propofitions, as the foundation of what I have to fay, that we may not differ in the general principles, though we may be of fome differing opinions in the practice of particulars. First, Sir, though we differ in fome of the doctrinal articles of religion, and it is very unhappy that it is fo, efpecially in the cafe before us, as I shall shew afterwards; yet, there are fome general principles in which we both agree; viz. First, that there is a GOD; and that this GOD, having given us fome stated general rules for our service and obedience, we ought not willingly and knowingly to offend him, either by neglecting to do what he has commanded, or by doing what he has expressly forbidden; and let our different religions be what they will, this general principle is readily owned by us all: That the bleffing of GOD does not ordinarily follow a prefumptuous finning against his command; and every good Christan will be affectionately concerned to prevent any that are under his care, living in a total neglect of GOD and his commands. It is not your men being Proteftants, whatever my opinion may be of fuch, that difcharges me from being concerned for their fouls, and from endeavouring, if it lies before me, that they fhould live in as little diftance from, and enmity with their Maker as poffible; especially if you give me leave to meddle fo far in

cuit.

your

cir.

I could

I could not yet imagine what he aimed at, and told him I granted all he had faid; and thanked him, that he would fo far concern himself for us; and begged he would explain the particulars of what he had obferved, that, like Joshua, (to take his own parable) I might put away the accurfed thing from

us.

Why then, Sir, fays he, I will take the liberty you give me; and there are three things, which, if I am right, muft ftand in the way of GoD's bleffing upon your endeavours here, and which I should rejoice, for your fake, and their own, to fee removed. And, Sir, fays he, I promise myself that you will fully agree with me in them all, as foon as I name them; especially, because I fhall convince you, that every one of them may, with great eafe, and very much to your fatisfaction, be remedied.

He gave me no leave to put in any more civilities, but went on. Firft, Sir, fays he, you have here four Englifhmen, who have fetched women from among the favages, and have taken them as their wives, and have had many children by them all, and yet are not married to them after any stated legal manner, as the laws of GOD and man require; and therefore are yet, in the fenfe of both, no lefs than adulterers, and living in adultery. To this, Sir, fays he, I know you will object, that there was no clergyman, or prieft of any kind, or of any profeffion, to perform the ceremony; nor any pen and ink, or paper, to write down a contract of marriage, and have it figned between them. And I know alfo, Sir, what the Spaniard governor has told you; I mean, of the agreement

agreement that he obliged them to make when they took these women, viz. That they should chuse them out by confent, and keep feparately to them; which, by the way, is nothing of a marriage, no agreement with the women as wives, but only an agreement among themfelves, to keep them from quarrelling.

But, Sir, the effence of the facrament of matrimony (so he called it, being a Roman) consists not only in the mutual confent of the parties to take one another as man and wife, but in the formal and legal obligation that there is in the contract, to compel the man and woman, at all times, to own and acknow. ledge each other; obliging the man to abstain from all other women, to engage in no other contract while thefe fubfift; and on all occafions, as ability allows, to provide honeftly for them, and their children; and to oblige the women to the fame, or like conditions, mutatis mutandis, on their fide.

Now, Sir, fays he, thefe men may, when they please, or when occafion prefents, abandon these women, disown their children, leave them to perish, and take other women, and marry them whilst these are living. And here he added, with fome warmth, How, Sir, is God honoured in this unlawful liberty? And how shall a bleffing fucceed your endeavours in this place, however good in themselves, and however fincere in your design, while these men, who at prefent are your fubjects, under your abfolute government and dominion, are allowed by you to live in. open adultery?

I confefs, I was ftruck at the thing itself, but much more with the convincing arguments he fup

ported