Objection. But some will say, If all men will do their endeavours, as I do, I could be content with this generality; but many are idle and slothful, and eat up others’ labours, and therefore it is best to part, and then every man may do his pleasure.

If others be idle and thou diligent, thy fellowship, provocation, and example may well help to cure that malady in them, being together; but being asunder, shall they not be more idle, and shall not gentry and beggary be quickly the glorious ensigns of your commonwealth?

Be not too hasty to say men are idle and slothful. All men have not strength, skill, faculty, spirit, and courage to work alike. It is thy glory and credit, that canst do so well, and his shame and reproach, that can do no better; and are not these sufficient rewards to you both?

If any be idle apparently, you have a law and governors to execute the same, and to follow that rule of the Apostle, to keep back their bread, and let them not eat. Go not therefore whispering to charge men with idleness; but go to the governor and prove them idle, and thou shalt see them have their deserts.

And as you are a body together, so hang not together by skins and gymocks, but labour to be jointed together and knit by flesh and sinews. Away with envy at the good of others, and rejoice in his good, and sorrow for his evil. Let his joy be thy joy, and his sorrow thy sorrow. Let his sickness be thy sickness, his hunger thy hunger, his poverty thy poverty; and if you profess friendship, be friends in adversity, for then a friend is known and tried, and not before.

Lay away all thought of former things and forget them, and think upon the things that are. Look not gapingly one upon other, pleading your goodness, your birth, your life you lived, your means you had and might have had. Here you are by God’s providence under difficulties; be thankful to God it is no worse, and take it in good part that which is, and lift not up yourselves because of former privileges. Consider therefore what you are now, and where you are. Say not, I could have lived thus and thus; but say, Thus and thus I must live; for God and natural necessity requireth, if your difficulties be great, you had need to cleave the faster together, and comfort and cheer up one another, labouring to make each other’s burden lighter.

There is no grief so tedious as a churlish companion; and nothing makes sorrows easy more than cheerful associates. Bear ye therefore one another’s burthen, and be not a burthen one to another. Avoid all factions, frowardness, singularity, and withdrawings, and cleave fast to the Lord and one to another continually; so shall you be a notable precedent to these poor heathens, whose eyes are upon you, and who very brutishly and cruelly do daily eat and consume one another, through their emulations, wars and contentions. Be you, therefore, ashamed of it, and win them to peace, both with yourselves and one another, by your peaceable examples, which will preach louder to them than if you could cry in their barbarous language. So also shall you be an encouragement to many of your Christian friends in your native country, to come to you, when they hear of your peace, love and kindness that is amongst you. But, above all, it shall go well with your souls, when that God of peace and unity shall come to visit you with death, as he hath done many of your associates; you being found of him, not in murmurings, discontent, and jars, but in brotherly love and peace, may be translated from this wandering wilderness unto that joyful and heavenly Canaan.