Purchas his pilgrimes. part 1 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

§. V. [ 30] Of the proprietie which Infidels haue in their Lands and Goods: of proprietie in the Sea, and of Salomons proprietie of the Sea and Shoare at Ezion Geber.

THus haue wee discoursed of the prerogatiue of Gods peculiar, the right which the true Children of the Church haue in Christ and by him in all things: but what shall we say of propriety? of propriety of Infidels? Christs Kingdome is not of this world, and pro∣perly neither giues nor takes away worldly proprieties, ciuill and politicall interests; but addes to his subiects in these things a more sanctified vse, all things being pure to the pure, im∣pure [ 40] to the impure; for they are sanctified by the word and praier, which Infidels know not. In that interior court of conscience (which in the wicked is defiled) the iust haue before God a iuster vse,* 1.1 vsing the world as not abusing it, not being high minded, nor trusting in vncertaine riches: not setting their heart on them,* 1.2 though they increase, nor loosing their hearts with them in their decrease or losse: not laying vp to themselues treasures on earth where rust and moth and theefe haue power: not singing a requiem, soule take thine ease, thou hast laid vp treasure for many yeeres, when this fooles soule it selfe is the worst thing it hath, and may be turned this night out of that secure body and secu∣red state. But in the outward ciuill Court, and before Men, the Gospell alters not, remoues not the land marke of the law, but as well bids Giue to Caesar that which is Caesars, as to God that which [ 50] is Gods. And therefore the rights of men by the royall or common lawes established (all deriued from that, of Nature, and consequently from God, who is Natura naturans, the creator of Nature) are in conscience of Gods commandement to be permitted to them. Neither without Gods speciall command might the Israelites spoile (as they did) the Egyptians, or inuade the Ca∣naanites. It is Saint Iudes note of filthy Sodomites, fleepers, ignorant, beasts, disciples of Cham, Ba∣laam, and Core, rockes, clouds without water, corrupt trees twise dead, raging waues, wandring starres, to despise gouernment:* 1.3 naturall bruit beasts (saith Saint Peter prophesying of his pretended successors) spots and blots, wels without water, clouds carried about with a tempest, to whom the blacke darkenesse is reserued for euer:* 1.4 promising to others liberty, and are themselues the seruants of corruption (in this sence the seruants of seruants.) Neither could the Diuell deuise a greater scandall to the Gospell, then that it should rob Kings of their supremacy and preheminence, subiects of their lands and state, as [ 60] if to conuert to Christ were to euere out of their possessions, and subuert states: which is the cause of so few Iewes conuerted, and so peruerse conuersions in America, as I haue elsewhere shewed. The Gospell is not a sword to take away earth, but to destroy hell, and addes the Keyes of the King∣dome

of heauen, not a hammer to breake in peeces the doores of earthly Kingdomes: and least of all making instead of Keyes, Picklockes (the note of a theefe, euen though he should enter at the doore and lawfully succeede lawfull Bishops) which open and shut all at pleasure; against which there is but one word of force, and that is, force it selfe and power which their faction cannot o∣uerthrow, the Romish conscience being Lesb••an and leaden, or Iron and running compasse and va∣riation, as the Needle of that See hath touched it to obserue the Pope as the magneticall Pole, which Philosophers say is not that of heauen but of the earth. God hath made vs men, his Sonne hath called vs to be Christians, and this opinion doth turne men into Beasts, yea Christian men into wilde Beasts without all propriety, or any thing proper to humanity, which with the rights [ 10] thereof extends to Infidels.

These hold not Christ, nor hold of him, as ioynt heires: yet are they not without all right,* 1.5 yea of him also they hold in another tenure, not as sonnes, but as seruants (and the seruant abideth not in the house for euer, but the Sonne abideth euer: but if the Sonne make them free they are free indeede?) These hold, in a tenure of villenage not in state of spirituall inheritance, which yet warrants a iust title for the time, contra omnes gentes, against all men (as seruants vse their Masters goods) but be∣ing called by death to giue accompt to their Lord, are dispossessed of all and themselues also for e∣uer: whereas the children here seeme in wardship, and to receiue some short allowance in the nonage of this life, but in the day of death (the birth day of true and eternall life) as at full age, enter into full possession of heauen and earth for euer. That tenure yet of godlesse men (which are without hope, [ 20] without Christ, without God in the world) is a tenure from God,* 1.6 though as is said in a kin••e of vil∣lenage; and warrants against all men, as holden of and at the will of the Lord Christ, by whom and for whom all things were created, and hee is before all things, and in him all things consist. And hee is the Head of the Body the Church. This tenure in capite is the Churches ioynture; that of humane nature, from him whose all things are iure creationis, remaines to forreiners,* 1.7 which are strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel, and from the priuiledges of the Holy Citie the New Ierusalem. For af∣ter the Image of God, by this Image of the inuisible God were all Men created▪ which though it bee in part by sinne defaced, yet through the mercy of God in part remaineth in the worst of men, which still retaine an immortall reasonable spirit indued with vnderstanding, will, and memory (resembling the vnity and Trinity) animating and ruling (how imperfectly soeuer) the organicall [ 30] body, and with it the inferiour creatures: which dominion ouer the creatures is by God him∣selfe reckoned to the image of God; infected with sinne, and infested with a curse; but God euen in the sentencing that iudgement remembring mercy, added thornes, and ihistles, and sorrow,* 1.8 and sweate, but tooke not away the vse; yea he renewed the blessing to all the Sonnes of Noah, and enlarged their commission, indenting in mans heart this naturall right, and in the Beasts this na∣turall awe and subiection, by Natures owne hand writing.

Hee that then blessed them with, Replenish the earth, did confound their Babel building,* 1.9 and scatter them abroad from thence vpon the face of all the earth, to put it in execution, and hath made of one bloud all Nations of men (as is said before) to dwell on all the face of the earth,* 1.10 and hath deter∣mined the times and bounds of their habitation.* 1.11 Thus hee that gaue Canaan to the Israelites is said [ 40] (in a proper sense though differing manner) to haue giuen Are vnto the children of Lot for a pos∣session, the land of the Emims, and the land of the Zamzummims which hee destroyed be∣fore them: as he did that of the Horims to the children of Esau, that as the former generations entered by the Law of Nature, as first finders, so these by the law of Warre, as confounders of the former, and founders of a second state and succession, both guided by the hand of diuine pro∣uidence. Salomon gaue Hiram twenty Cities in recompence of Cedars, and Firre-trees and Gold: and innumerable are the compacts and contracts mentioned in Histories, whereby the rule of Countries and States haue beene made ouer to new Masters, or to the old in a new tenure, as Ioseph bought all Egypt, their land•• and persons to Pharaoh. But in all these workes of Me••, God is a coworker; the most high ruleth in the Kingdomes of Men, and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee [ 50] will, was verified both actiuely and passiuely in Nebuchadnezzar: Cyrus is called his seruant Pilates power is acknowledged by the Lord of power to be giuen from aboue, and to that Ro∣man soueraignty (how vniust soener their conquest was) hee submitted himselfe in his birth (oc∣casioned at Bethlehem by the decree and taxation of Augustus) in his life by paiment of tribute, and in his death by a Roman both kinde and sentence. Per me reges regnant is his Proclamation, whether * 1.12 by diuine immediate vocation as in Moses, or mixed with Lot, or meere, or free choise, or inheritance, or conquest of warre, or exchange, or gift, or cession, or mariage, or pur∣chase; or titles begun in vniust force, or fraud at first, yet afterward acknowledged by those whom it concerned, and approued by time, which in temporall things proscribeth, and prescribeth: by this King of Kings doe Kings reigne, and the powers that be are ordained of God, to which eue∣ry [ 60] soule must be subiect, euen for conscience sake, & propter Deum; Whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordenance of God, and they that resist shall receiue to themselues dam∣nation.

This was written when all Kings were Idolaters and Infidels, nor had the World many Ages after euer heard, that Infidelitie, Heresie, or Idolatry were causes sufficient for rebellion in Sub∣iects

or inuasion of Neighbours, as in the many examples of the Israelitish and Iewish Kings, which nei••her inuaded others for Infidelitie, nor were at home depriued for Heresie, though all the neighbours were Infidells, and most of those Kings Idolaters. To vsher Religion by the Sword is scarsly approued amongst Mahumetans, which permit men liberty of soule, though not of body: but to turne all the World into Timars, and Knights or Souldiers fees, is more intolerable. It was barbarous Latine to turne fides into feodum, the title of all, free lands of Subiects holden in fide, in * 1.13 trust of performing rents, seruices, and other conditions annexed to the first Donation by the superior Lord: but this more barbarous Diuinitie, to dipossesse Barbarians of their Inheri∣tance, and by their want of Faith to increase our fees of Inheritance, as if all the world were holden of the Pope in Catholike fee, obtruded on vs for Catholike Faith: Christ came not to de∣stroy [ 10] the Law but to fulfill it; and therefore did not disanull by the Gospel, that naturall Com∣mandement of Alleageance and Obedience to Princes, the Honor due to the Parents of our Coun∣trey. Neither doth Religion make a Father or Mother, but Nature; and it is said, Honour thy Fa∣ther and Mother, without annexion of qualitie good or bad. Nor could Ionathan deny filiall ob∣seruance, or loyall subiection to Saul with such excuse; nor could the Keyes that came later ex∣pell Scepters, which were of more ancient foundation: nor heauenly Keyes open or shut earthly Doores: nor can Infidelitie which concerneth Diuine Law, yea in matters supernaturall, take a∣way that right which Positiue or Naturall Law hath giuen; nor exclude from iust title on Earth, which some hold poena, rather then peccatum, in such as haue not heard: nor can a pretended Vi∣car challenge iustly, what his Lord neuer claimed, what hee also disclaimed: nor did hee send [ 20] Souldiers but Preachers, to conuert the World to the Faith truly Catholike, and therein shewed himselfe a true Salomon, a Prince of Peace, figured by this our Salomon who sent Ships of Merchan∣dise and not of Warre to Ophir. And as for any High Priests Bull (whose roaring might coniure the spirits of Princes, within the circle of Pontificall censure) those dayes knew no such brutish dialect, yea wise and iust Salomon was so farre from fearing or desiring the Bulls of Abiathar, that hee put him out of the High Priests place for intermedling with the Crowne-succession, and set Zadok in his roome. And for Ophir, long before inhabited (as appeareth, Gen. 10.) he did not for the discouery thereof, then new, challenge iurisdiction or Soueraigntie, as Lord of that Sea or Region by him discouered (no more then the Ophirians had beene Lords of Israel, if they had then discouered it) but left things as hee found them, the Countrey appropriate to the Inhabitants, [ 30] the Sea open to such as would and could in like manner aduenture. Otherwise it was with him and his right in Ezion Geber, on the shoare of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. For this was pecu∣liar (both the shoare and sea adioyning) vnto Salomon, chiefe Lord of Edom: which Dauid had before conquered, and so it continued vnder the Kings of Iuda till the euill dayes of Iehoram the sonne of good Iehoshaphat, who made like vse of this Hauen, but with vnlike effect.

True it is that if Man had continued in his first integritie, M••um & Tuum had neuer proued such quarrelling Pronounes, to make warre more then Grammaticall, in setting all the Parts of Speech together by the eares. But sinne entring into the world, yea as an inuading tyrant ruling, it was necessary that proprietie should preuent rapine of the idler and mightier, and incourage the industry of the iust laborer, which for the sweat of his browes might earne and eate his owne bread. [ 40] Thus had Cain and Abel their proper goods, he the fruits of the earth, this of his cattell, the pro∣per Obiects of their labour. And when the whole earth was filled with crueltie, God clensed the confusion of those Fence-breakers by a generall deluge. After the Floud, Noahs Posteritie had the earth diuided amongst them. And in that renouation of the world, in the Golden Age of the Church, when they had all things common; the reason was, as many as were possessours of lands sold them and brought the price: so that they had a iust proprietie of those their owne possessions, and conferred the same to others, and after it was sold the money was their owne, and remained in their owne power. Hee that refused to diuide the inheritance to brethren, would not dissolue and dissi∣pate it to strangers, and abolish one of the precepts * 1.14 of the Decalogue; for stealing in properest sense cannot bee, if there be no proprietie. Wickedly therefore doe the Anabaptists in generall, [ 50] the Papists for their owne aduantage; the one by confusion, the other by combustions, depriua∣tions, and deprauations of estates, remoue the Land-marke. Nor doe others well to take away all Sea-markes and right of Marine proprietie.

The contrary wee see in Salomons Ezion Geber. Thorow other Seas hee sailed by vniuersall and naturall right, in this as his owne proprietie, he builded his Fleet, prepared, victualled, man∣ned his Nauie, and altogether vsed the Sea and Shoares, and Port, as is his proper and iust In∣heritance.

[ 60]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tit. 1 vlt. 1 Tim. 4.
• * 1.2

  1 Cor. 7. 1 Tim. 6. Psa. 62. Mat. 6. Luk. 12.
• * 1.3

  Iud. Ep.
• * 1.4

  2 Pet. 2▪
• * 1.5

  Infidels pro∣priety. Ioh. 8.35.36.
• * 1.6

  Eph. 2.10. Col 1.16.17.1
• * 1.7

  Eph 2. Col. 1.
• * 1.8

  Gen. 1.26. & 3••.17.18▪ 19.
• * 1.9

  Gen. 1.7 8.
• * 1.10

  Act. ••7 26.
• * 1.11

  〈…〉〈…〉 19.20.••1.22. 1 ••eg. ••. Gen 47.20. Da••. 4. Ioh•• ••9 11.
• * 1.12

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.13

  Hence came the Law••ers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vid S.T. Smith•• com∣mon w••••lth. l 3. c. 10.

  See this questi∣on ha••dled more l••rgely in baiting P. Alex his bull. l. 2. c. 1. Read also a Spanish diuine Fr. à Vi∣ctoria in his Re∣lect. de pot. Ecc. & de Indis, He with many ar∣guments con∣futeth this pre∣tended power of the Pope. Ca••e••an also 2.2. q. 66. a. 8. T. Aq. 2.2. q. 10. ar. 1. vid. vict. de Ind. n 31. & per∣totam••ela. in which he prou∣eth the Popes gift, &c. could not giue iust title to the In∣dies, and con∣futeth 7 titles as vniust. 1 King. 2.35. Vict. vbi sup. Bar¦bari sunt veri domini & pub∣licè & priuatim. Ius autem genti∣um ot quod in nullius bonis est, occupanti cedat. d §. fere best. 1 Chro. 18.13. 2 Cro. 21. Rom. 5. & 6 & 7 Gen▪ 4. Gen. 10. Act. 4 32.34. & 45. Luk. 12.14.
• * 1.14

  Thou shalt not steale: this some borderers are reported to hold first put into the deca∣logue by King Hen. 8. They sure are borde∣rers, that is, theeues in di∣uinitie which will t••ke it out of the decalogu