Religious Life of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century: The Faith of Our FathersBrydon, G. MacLaren (George MacLaren)
Religion
Religious Life of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century: The Faith of Our Fathers
Brydon, G. MacLaren (George MacLaren)
Church of England in Virginia; Virginia -- Church history; Virginia -- Religion
They again began to bud forth, to spread further, to gather
wealth, which they rather profusely spent (as gotten with
ease) than providently husbanded, or aimed at any public
good; or to make a country for posterity; but from hand to
mouth, and for a present being; neglecting discoveries,
planting orchards, providing for the winter preservation of
their stocks, or thinking of anything stable or firm; and
whilst tobacco, the only commodity they had to subsist on,
bore a price, they wholly and eagerly followed that,
neglecting their very planting of corn, and much relyed on
England for the chiefest part of their provisions; so that
being not alwayes amply supplied, they were often in such
want, that their case and condition being relayted in
England, it hindred and kept off many from going thither,
who rather cast their eyes on the barren and freezing soyle
of New-England, than to joyn with such an indigent and
sottish people as were reported to be in Virginia.
Yet was not Virginia all this while without divers honest
and vertuous inhabitants, who, observing the general neglect
and licensiousnesses there, caused Assemblies to be call'd
and laws to be made tending to the glory of God, the severe
suppression of vices, and the compelling them not to neglect
(upon strickt punishments) planting and tending such
quantities of corn, as would not onely serve themselves,
their cattle and hogs plentifully, but to be enabled to
supply New-England (then in want) with such proportions, as
were extream reliefs to them in their necessities.
From this industry of theirs and great plenty of corn, (the
main staffe of life), proceeded that great plenty of cattle
and hogs, (now innumerable) and out of which not only
New-England hath been stocked and relieved, but all others
parts of the Indies inhabited by Englishmen.
The inhabitants now finding the benefit of their industries,
began to look with delight on their increasing stocks; (as
nothing more pleasurable than profit), to take pride in
their plentifully furnished tables, to grow not onely civil,
but great observers of the Sabbath, to stand upon their
reputations, and to be ashamed of that notorious manner of
life they had formerly lived and wallowed in....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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