The works of George Berkeley, D.D. late Bishop of Cloyne in Ireland. To which is added, an account of his life [by J. Stock] and several of his letters to Thomas Prior, Esq., Dean Gervais, and Mr. Pope, etc

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i ma

ri dirum o h

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FORE IGN PLANTATIONS,

AND FORConverting the Savage AMERICANs to CHRISTIANI TY, By a COLL E G Ε to be erected in the SUMMER IsLANDs, otherWisecalled the Istes of BERMUDA.

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A L 1 H O U G H there are severat excellent persons of the Church of

England, whose good intentions and endeavours have not been wantingio propagate the gospei in foret gn paris, who have even combined intosocieties for that very purpose, and gi ven great encourage ment, not Onlysor Eulyh missionaries in the me Indies, but also, for the reformed ofother nations, ted by their example, to propagate christianity in the east :it is neverthelesi acknowledged, that there is at this day, but litile senseos religion, and a most notorious corruption os manners, in the Englisscolonies setiled on the continent of America, and the istands. It is also achnowledged, that the gospei hath hitherio made but a very inconsiderable progress among the neigh bouring Americans, who stili continue in much the same ignorance and barbarism, in which we und them abovea hundred yearS ago. I stati there re venture to submit my thoughts upon a potnt, that Iliave long considered, to beller judgmenis, in hopes that any expedient will he favourably hearhened to, whicli is proposed for the remedy of these eviis. Now, in order to effect this, it mould stem the natural proper method, to provide, in the first place, a constant supply of worthyclergymen sor the Engli h churches in those paris; and in the second

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place, a like constant supply of gealous mission aries, weli fitted sor propagat ing christiani ty among the se vages. For though the furest means to resor m the morais, and sesten the bellavio ur of men, be, to preach to them the pure uncorrupi doctrine of the gospei, yet it cannot he dented, that the success of preaching depend-eth in good mea re on the character and skill of the preacher : sorasmuchas manhind are more apt to copy characters than to practi se precepis, and forasmuch as argument, to attain iis fuit strength, doth not lese require the life of geat, than the weight of reason; and the fame doctrine, which maheth great impression, when deli vered with decency and addrest, loseth very much of iis force by pasting through auli ard or unciilsul

Now the clergy sent over to America have proved, too many of them, very meanly quali fieti hoth in learning and morais for the discliarge of their office. And indeed litile can be expected Dom the example or instruction of those, who quit their native Country on no Other motive, than that they a re not able to procure a live lihood in ii, whicli is knownto be osten the case. To this may be imputed the smali care that hath been talien to convert the negroes of our plantations, who, to the infamy of England, and scand il of the wortii, Continue heathen under christi an masters, and in

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And though it be allowed that me of the clergy in Our colonies havo approved them selves men os merit, it will at the same time be allowed that the most gealous and able missionary from England must find himselfbut ill qualified sor converting the American hea then, is we consider thedisserence of langu age, their wild way of living, and above ali, the great

jealou sy and prejudice whicli savage nations have to ard8 soreigners, orinnovations introduced by them. These considerations mahe it evident, that a college or seminary in those paris is very much Wanted ; and there re the providing such a seminary, is earnestly proposed and recommended to ali those, who have it in their pomer, to contribute to Q good a Work. By this, two endswould be obtained.

of their native country, whicli are noN a drain sor the very dregs and refuse of Ouria At present, there are, I am told, many churches vacant in Our plantatioris, and many very ill supplied ; nor can ali the vigilance and wisdomos that great prelate, Whose peculiar care it is, prevent this, so long asthe asoresa id churches are supplied from England

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vert S.

The young Americans necesiary sor this purpose, may, in the hegin- ning be procured, ei ther by peacea ble methods Dom those se vage nations, whicli horder on Our coloni es, and are in friends,ip with us, or by tahingcaptive the child ren os our enem ies. It is proposed to admit into the a resaid college only such se vages asare under ten years of age, before evit habiis have taken a deep root; and yet not io early as to prevent reta in ing their mollier longue, whichmould be preserved by intercourse among them selves. It is fur ther proposed, to ground these young Americans thoroughly in religion and morali ty, and to give them a good tincture of other learn ing; particularly of eloquence, history, and practical mathematiclis; to whichil may not be improper to add some skill in physic. Is there Were a yearly supply of ten or a dogen suci, mission aries sentabroad into their respective countries, aster they had received the degreeos master of aris in the a resaid college, and holy orders in Engian

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essedis thereos For, to any considering man, the employing American mission aries sorthe conversion of America, Will, of ali others, appear the mos lihely method to succeed , especialty is care he talien, that, during the whole cour of their education, an eye s ould be had to their mission; that theymould be taught betimes to consider them selves as tra ined up in that sole view, without any other prospect os Pro Visit On, Or employment; that ageat sor religion, and love of their country, sinould be early and constantly instilled in to their minds, by repea ted lectu res and admonitioris; that theyshould not only be incited by the common topies of religion and nature, hut farther anima ted and infla med by the great examples in passt ages, of public spirit and virtve, to rescue their countrymen from their se vagem anners, to a life of civili ty and religion. Is his majest y would graci oussy plea se to grant a charter sor a collegeto be erected in a proper place for these uses, it is to be hoped a fundmay he soon rat sed, by the contribution of well-disposed persons, sussicient for bullding and endo ing the fame. For as the necessary expencewould he smali, si there a re men os religion and humanity in England who would be plea sed to see any desii gn set sor ard sor the glory of Godand the good of manliind. A smali expence would suffice to subsist and educate the Americanmission aries in a plain simple manner, lach as might malle it easy sorthem to return to the coarse and poor methods of li se in use among their countrymen; and nothing can contribute more to tessen this expence, than a judici ous choice of the sit uation, where the seminary isto stand.

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Many things ought to be considered in the choice of a stuation. Itmould be in a good air; in a place Where provisions are cheap and plen-ty; where an interco urse might easiily be kept up With ali paris of Am rica and the istands; in a place of securi ty, not exposed to the insulis of pirates, sevages, or other enem ies; Where there is no great trade, whichmight tempt the readers or sellows of the college to be come merclianis, to the neglect of their proper bustinest; Where there a re ne i ther riches nor luxury to divert, or tessen their application, or to malle them unea' and dissatisfied with a homely frugal subsisterice; lastly, where the inhabitanis, is such a place may be found , a re noted sor innocence and simia plici ty of manners. I need not say of how great importance this poliat would be toward forming the morais of young studenis, and what mightyinfluence it must have ora the mission.

It is evident the college long since projected in barba loes would be defective in many of these particulars; for though it may have iis use among the inhabitants, yet a place of so hi gli trade, se much wealth and luxury, and such dissolute morais, not to mention the great price and scarci ty of provision si) must at fit si sight seem a very improper sit uation sor a generat seminary intended sor the forming missionaries, and educating youthin religion and sobriely os manners. The same objections lie against theneigh bouring issand s. And is W e confider the accounts gi vera of their avarice and licentiou Gness, their coidnesse in the practice of religion, and their aversion nompropagat ing it, hicli appears in the withholding their flaves Dom baptism) it is to be fearod, that the inhabitanis in the populous paris of our

plantations on the continent are not much sitier, than tho se in the isandsa bovementioned, to influence or assist suci, a design. And as to the more

remote and leis frequented paris, the dissicut ty of being supplied with necessaries, the danger of boing ex sed to the inroads of se vages, and