XI. and imperfect summary of the condition of New- CHAP. foundland, and her claims upon England's sympathy, it is impossible to pass by unnoticed the exertions of a Society which has been engaged, since the year 1823, in the work of supplying the children of its poor inhabitants with the means of Christian education. To Mr. Samuel Codner, a Newfoundland merchant, its formation is to be ascribed; and his personal exertions have never been wanting to uphold and promote its efficiency. The Government of this country also answered the appeals addressed to it on behalf of the Society; evidence of which is to be found, not only in the personal support of the Earl of Liverpool, at that time Prime Minister, and of the Earl of Bathurst, and other Secretaries of State for the Colonies, but also in the facilities of a free passage to the Island, which have been afforded to its Teachers, and in the grants of land and advances of money which the local authorities had been instructed to make in furtherance of its objects. These objects have to a great extent been realised. The Teachers,-who, according to the rules of the Society, are to be members of the United Church of England and Ireland, and to conduct the schools, as far as circumstances may permit, on Dr. Bell's System,-have been faithful and efficient; and testimonies the most unequivocal, have been given from every quarter, demonstrating the value of their services. The Society has of late years extended its operation to the Diocese of Montreal, with the sanction of the Bishop; and there, as in Newfoundland, CHAP. the fidelity and usefulness of its Teachers have been XI. amply proved 85. But, thankful as we ought to be for any instrument of help which has been extended to this Colony in her distress, it is evident that many more are needed; and that even this has not been altogether derived from the sources which should have furnished it. The poor of the flock of Christ ought not to have been suffered to remain in the condition in which this Society found them. The Church ought not thus to have left it to the zeal of individual members, to have supplied her own lack of service. And yet, what means had she properly possessed, of executing the high office committed to her charge, in this most ancient possession of the British Crown? To have planted a permanent settlement upon its shores would have been, in earlier years, to contravene the law. Her ministers were constrained to be as migratory as the fishermen with whom they went and returned. Where, then, could a resting-place be found for truth? If these causes of evil have been now removed, and the opportunity is at length extended to the Church to show forth her Master's glory in that land, assuredly, necessity is laid upon her,—yea, woe be unto her, if she improve it not unto the uttermost. True, 85 A convincing proof of this Foreign Parts. Ten also, who were sent into Canada, have been ordained; of whom seven are entirely maintained by local resources. Α fuller notice of the proceedings of this Society is intended hereafter to be given. XI. there are peculiar difficulties which must impede her CHAP. progress; difficulties, arising, on the one hand, from the nature of the country, and, on the other, from the religious differences which subsist among its population. From causes which have been in operation, more or less, ever since the time when Sir George Calvert first encouraged members of the Church of Rome to resort to the Island, emigrants of the same communion, chiefly from Ireland, have chosen it for their abode. They comprise, at the present time, somewhat more than half of the whole population. A considerable proportion of the remainder are members of the Church of Scotland, or of dissenting bodies, of whom the Wesleyans are the most important. It is, therefore, no ordinary demand, made upon the faith, watchfulness, wisdom, and patience, of our brethren in this Island; no ordinary claim, which the circumstances of their position present upon the sympathy, the prayers, the support of ourselves at home. May the claim be listened to! May he, who is now appointed to be the pastor and overseer of this portion of the flock of Christ, and who has already expressed his joy at beholding the "order" of his Clergy "and the stedfastness of their faith in Christ 86," be cheered by a continuance of the same support ! May he feel, too, that his hands are strengthened by the friends whom he has left in England, and who "esteem" him "very highly in love for his work's sake 87 !" 86 With these words of the Apostle (Col. ii. 5.) Bishop Feild closes the Dedication of his first Charge to his Clergy. CHAPTER XII. XII. PROGRESS OF COLONIZATION IN OTHER PARTS OF NORTH AMERICA, WEST INDIES, &C. IN JAMES THE A. D. 1607-1625. Hudson's Voyages from 1607 to 1610-Bylot's and Baffin's Voyages in 1615 and 1616-Some of the regions visited by them interesting as the future scenes of the Moravian Missionaries' labours-Others associated with the past services of Master Wolfall, Preacher-Nova Scotia assigned in 1621, by Royal Patent, to Sir William Alexander -The first settlement of the Plymouth Company at the river Sagahadoc, in 1607, unsuccessful-Smith explores the adjoining country in 1614-The country called New England-An abortive attempt of the Plymouth Company to colonize it under Smith, in 1615—His history of New England-A fresh Charter granted to the Plymouth Company, November 3, 1620; but not available-First settlement of the Puritans in New England-The character of the covenant, by which they agreed to be governed, considered-Abortive attempt of Gorges and Morrell, in 1623, to extend the influence of the Church of England in that Colony-Ralegh's Patent to colonize Guiana, in 1617-Failure of the attempt-A part of Guiana, now a possession of the British Crown-The settlement of St. Kitt's by the English in 1623-Possession taken of Barbados by the English in 1605; but no settlement made until 1624-The relations of England with Africa, and with India, during the reign of James the First. CHAP. THE attempts which England made towards Colonization, during James the First's reign, were mainly towards the West and North West; and several points of interest, connected with the progress of the work in that direction, remain yet to be noticed, before XII. we can glance at the enterprises, undertaken in CHAP. other quarters of the globe and in the time of his successors. The voyages made by Frobisher and Davis, towards the end of the sixteenth century, in search of the North-West passage to India and China, have already been referred to1; and, before the reader's attention is turned to other scenes, it may be well to advert, for a moment, to those voyages which, in the beginning of the next century, were undertaken, in the same direction and with the same object, by the celebrated navigator, Henry Hudson. voyages 1610. His first voyage was 'set forth at the charge of Hudson's certaine Worshipfull Merchants of London, in May, from 1607 to 1607;' and the very first line which records the Journal of his proceedings, bears testimony to the religious feeling by which he and his company were animated. The reader will be reminded by it of a similar evidence which has been noticed in the case of Frobisher; and will see, in both instances, that the strength of the English adventurer was sustained, as he went forth to deeds of daring enterprise, and his spirit was refreshed, by the prayers and ordinances of the Church. The passage runs thus: 'Anno 1607, Aprill the nineteenth, at Saint Ethelburga, in Bishops Gate street, did communicate with the rest of the Parishioners these persons, Seamen, purposing to goe to Sea foure days after, to discouer a Passage by the North Pole to Iapan and See pp. 106-109 of this Volume. 2 Ibid. p. 107. |