verted to the christian faith; and all Indians which shall hereafter be sold by our neighbouring Indians or any other trafiqueing with us as for slaves are hereby adjudged deemed and taken, and shall be adjudged deemed and taken to be slaves to all intents and purposes, any law usage or customs to the contrary notwithstanding.

By the 3d Act of the same legislature, masters and overseers were forbidden to-"permitt or suffer, without leave or license of his or their master or overseer, any negroe or slave not properly belonging to him or them, to remain or be upon his or their plantation above the space of four houres at any one time." The penalty was two hundred pounds of tobacco. This act was intended as a safeguard against insurrection. It made the plantation of the master both the home, and the world, to the slave.

So the state of servitude stood in 1688. There were indented servants, redemptioners or those sold for a term of time for their passage, the dissolute and convicts and rebels sent away from England, and the African slaves. The last finally became predominant. They have done the hard work, and have in a measure moulded the habits and manners of Virginia. Toleration, in the forms of Religion, was unknown in Virginia in 1688. From the commencement of the colony, the necessity of the religious element was felt. The company knew not how to control the members composing the colony, but by religion and law. They exercised a despotism in both. The colonist left England from no ecclesiastical or political grievance. The advantages they expected to gain was a release from poverty and debt. The hope of improving their condition cheered them to undertake the perilous enterprise.

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In their habits, manners, tastes, and style of living, they as nearly resembled England, as their possessions, and the soil, climate and productions of their new home, would permit. force of circumstances they changed much, intentionally nothing. They had been educated in the Church of England. They chose her forms, and her creed. The minister, Robert Hunt, that came with them, had been set apart by Diocesan authority.

That many of the colonists disliked the restraints of that religion, all required for their well being, is evident from Smith. He says, vol. 1st, p. 150-"On the 19th of December, 1606, we set sayle from Blackwall, but by unprosperous winds were kept six weeks in the sight of England; all which time, Mr. Hunt our preacher was so weake and sicke, that few expected his recovery. Yet although he was but twentie myles from his habitation (the time we were in the Downes) and notwithstanding the stormy weather, nor the scandalous imputations (of

some few little better than Atheists, of the greatest rank amongst us) suggested against him, all this could never force from him so much as a seeming desire to leave the business, but preferred the service of God, in so good a voyage, before any affection to contest with his godlesse foes, whose disasterous designs (could they have prevailed) had even then overthrown the businesse, so many discontents did there arise, had he not with the water of patience, and his godly exhortations (but chiefly by his true devoted example) quenched those flowers of envie and dissention."

At first the adventurers laboured and lived and traded in common stock. This state of things was to continue for five years, by the King's order. The King in his directions in 1606, according to Stith, pp. 37, and 40, required-"that the said presidents, councils, and the ministers, should provide, that the true word and service of God be preached, planted, and used, not only in the said colonies but also, as much as might be, among the savages bordering upon them, according to the Rites and Doctrine of the Church of England. That all persons should kindly treat the savage and heathen people in those parts, and use all proper means to draw them to the true service and knowledge of God, and that all just and charitable courses should be taken with such of them, as would conform themselves to any good and sociable traffick, thereby the sooner to bring them to the knowledge of God and the obedience of the King."

Sir Thomas Dale who came over as high marshal of Virginia, introduced rules and regulations drawn up for him by Sir Thomas Smith, under the title of "Lawes, divine, morall, and marshall for Virginia." The first section of this document says "I do strictly command and charge all captaines and officers of what qualitie or nature soever, whether commanding in the field, or in towne, or townes, forts, or fortresses, to have care that the Almighty God bee duly and daily served, and that they call upon their people to hear sermons; as that also they diligently frequent morning and evening prayer themselves, by their own exemplar and daily life and duty, herein encouraging others thereunto; and that such who shall often and wilfully absent themselves, be duly punished according to the marshall law in that case provided." By the second law, death was the penalty of speaking "impiously" against the Trinity, or the known articles of religion. By the third law, boring the tongue with a bodkin was the penalty for profanity, the second offence. And for blaspheming God, the third offence was death by sentence of "Martiall Court." By the fifth law unbecoming treatment of ministers of religion was punished by whipping the offender three times publicly,

and he "aske public forgiveness in the assemblie of the congregation three several Sabbath daies." By the sixth, absence from church "on the first towling of the bell upon the working daies to heare divine service"-for the second offence, whipping, for the third, six months in the gallies. For neglecting divine service on the Sabbath,-the third offence, death. By the thirty-third law, a failure to give satisfactory account of religious knowledge to the minister,-whipping; the second offence, two whippings and public acknowledgment; for the third offence whipping every day till the offender comply with the law. While Stith exclaims against these laws as subversive of the rights of Englishmen, he admits that "had not these military laws been so strictly executed at this time, there were little hopes or probability of preventing the utter subversion of the colony."

The little we know of the first ministers that came to Virginia makes us wish we knew more. Rev. Robert Hunt, that saved the first colony from a mutiny while yet in sight of England, has left scarce a memorial. After the burning of Jamestown in 1607, 8, Smith says of him,-"Master Hunt our preacher lost all his library and all he had but the cloathes on his backe; yet none never heard him repine at his loss." We know not the time of his death.

A brief but honourable testimony is borne of Mr. Whitaker, minister of Bermuda Hundred, who instructed Pocahontas in the principles of the Christian religion, administered to her the ordinance of baptism, and performed for her the marriage ceremony. Smith, vol. 2d, p. 32, says "Master Whitaker their preacher-(under date of June 18th 1614) complaineth, and much museth, that so few of our English ministers, that were so hot against the surplice and subscription come hither, where neether is spoken of. Doe they not wilfully hide their talents, or keep themselves at home for feare of losing a few pleasures; be there not any among them of Moses his minde, and the Apostles, that forsook all to follow Christ, but I refer them to the Judge of all hearts, and to the King that shall reward every one according to his talent." Mr. Whitaker had the charge of the town of Henrico, built in the year 1611. He enclosed a hundred acres of land, and built a parsonage which he called Rockhall. In the Epistle dedicatorie of W. Crashawe to the "Good Newes from Virginia" there is this eulogium. "I hereby let all men know that a schollar, a graduate, a preacher, well borne and friended in England; not in debt, nor disgrace, but competently provided for, and liked and beloved where he lived; not in want, but (for a schollar and as these days may be) rich in possession, and more in possibilitie; of himself, without any persuasion (but God's and his

own heart) did voluntarily leave his warme nest; and to the wonder of his kindred and amazement of them that knew him, undertooke this hard, but, in my judgement, heroicall resolution to go to Virginia, and helpe to beare the name of God unto the Gentiles. A memoir of this man would find readers every where.

In 1619-the year the first colonial assembly was held-the year African servants were brought into the colony-the year that the king determined to send dissolute persons to Virginia, and the company determined to send the colonists wives, Mr. Stith tells us there were about six hundred persons in the colony divided into eleven parishes, and for the supply of these there were five preachers. The doings of the colonial assembly before the year 1623, 4, are not known; but from after reference it appears the salary of the ministers was ten pounds of tobacco per poll and a bushel of corn, provided it did not exceed fifteen hundred pounds of tobacco and sixteen barrels of corn.

In 1623, 4, the first assembly, whose records have been preserved, held its meeting in the month of March. The first Act says "There shall be in every plantation, where the people use to meete for the worship of God, a house or room sequestered for that purpose, and not to be for any temporal use whatever, and a place empaled in, sequestered only for the buryal of the dead.”

"Act 2d. That whosoever shall absent himselfe from divine service any Sunday without an allowable excuse shall forfeite a pound of tobacco, and he that absenteth himselfe a month shall forfeite 50 pounds of tobacco."

"Act 3d. That there be an uniformity in our church as neere as may be to the canons in England, both in substance and circumstances, and that all persons yield readie obedience to them under paine of censure.

"Act 5th. That no minister be absent from his church above two months in all the yeare upon penalty of forfeiting halfe his means, and whosoever shall absent above foure months in the yeare shall forfeit his whole means and cure.

"Act 7th. That no man dispose of any of his tobacco before the minister be satisfied, upon pain of forfeiture double his part of the ministers means, and one man of every plantation to collect his means out of the first and best tobacco."

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The meaning of the word "poll" is defined in Act 1st, 1642, 3—“be it also enacted and confirmed, that there be ten pounds of tob'o per poll and a bushell of corne per poll paid to the ministers within the severall parishes of the collony for all titheable persons, that is to say, as well for youths of sixteen years of age as upwards, as also for all negro women at the age of sixteen years." By Act 8th, 1662, the tithables were

intended to include all males imported and all negroes males or females imported.

In the year 1632, there was a revisal of the laws. The act for conformity was re-enacted, somewhat varying in words but not in spirit. The penalty for non-attendance at church was changed to "one shillinge for every tyme of any person's absence from church having no lawfull or reasonable excuse to bee absent." By Act 6th, The minister was required to preach one sermon every Sunday in the year—"havinge no lawful impediment." By Act 7th, The ministers were required to catechise the youth and others every Sabbath "halfe an houre or more before evening prayer." By Act 13th, "All preachinge, administeringe of the communion baptizinge of children and marriages shall be done in the church except in cases of necessilie.'

Act 11th, 1632-"Ministers shall not give themselves to excesse in drinkinge or ryott, spending their tyme idelie by day or by night playinge at dice, cards, or any other unlawfull game, but at all tymes convenient they shall heare or reade somewhat of the holy scriptures or shall occupie themselves with some other honest studies, or exercise, always doinge the things which shall appertayne to honestie and endeavour to profitt the church of God, havinge alwayes in mynd that they ought to excell all others in puritie of life, and should be examples to the people, to live well and christianlie."

By Act 56, 1632-"It is ordered, That no person or persons shall depart out of this colony to inhabit or abide within any other plantations of New England or elsewhere, unlesse he obtayne a lysense or passe for his departure under the Governor's hand.'

In the Revisal of 1642, the Act for conformity was made more severe on ministers. "Ffor the preservation of the puritie of doctrine and unitie of the church, It is enacted that all ministers whatsoever which shall reside in the collony are to be conformable to the orders and constitutions of the church of England, and the laws therein established, and not otherwise to be admitted to teach or preach publicly or privately, And that the Gov. and Counsel do take care that all nonconformists upon notice of them shall be compelled to depart the collony with all convenience."

This law was not a dead letter as will be seen in the treatment of the Puritans. These people began early to emigrate to Virginia hoping to find a resting place. And although in 1614 Mr. Whitaker-"complaineth and museth much, that so few of our English ministers that were so hot against the surplice and subscriptions come hither where neither is spoken off"-in ten years the colonial Legislature resolved to con