Whitaker was the Anglican minister of Henrico parish. He sent this long sermon on the text, "Cast thy bread upon the waters: for after many daies thou shalt finde it again" (Ecc. 11:1) to the Council of the Virginia Company in England. In the introduction Whitaker interprets the text to command the readers to charity and liberality. The portion given here is the application of the biblical text, and Whitaker invites his readers to consider the inhabitants of Virginia as worthy objects of charity. He notes that Virginia was settled only by the Providence of God, that English charity would improve the lot of the savages, "naked slaues of the diuell . . . these sonns of Adam . . . in whom there bee remaining so many footsteps of Gods image", and that, finally, as Englishmen it is their Christian work to support God's plantation in Virginia.
And now let me turn your eyes, my brethen of England, to behold the waters of Virginia: where you may behold a ____________ for the exercile of your Liberalisis, persons enough on whom you may cast away your Bread, and yet not without hope, after many days to find it. Yea, I will not fear to affirm unto you, that those men whom God hath made able any way to be helpful to this Plantation, and made known unto them the necessities of our wants, are bound in conscience by vertue of this precept, to lay their helping hands to it, either with their purse, persons, or prayers, so fare forth as God hath made them fit for it. For it is evident that our wife God hath bestowed no gift upon any man, for their private use, but for the good of other men, whom God shall offer to their Liberalisis.
Wherefore, since God hath opened the door of Virginia, to our countrey of England, we are to think that God hath, as it were, by word of mouth called us in, to bestow our several Charity on them. And that this may the better appear, we have many reasons to encourage us to be Liberall minded and open handed toward them.
First, if we consider the almost miraculous beginning, and continuance of this plantation, we must needs confess that God hath opened this passage unto us, and led us by the hand unto this work.
For the ____________ that were sent hither first to discover this Bay of Chalapec, found it only by the mere directions of Gods providence. . .
So this Plantation, which the devil hath so often troden down, is by the miraculous blessing of God received, and daily growh to more happy and more hopeful success. I have shut up many things in few words, and have alleadged this only to prove unto us, that the finger of God hath been the only true worker here; that God __________ showed us the place, God first called us hither, and here God by his special providencehath maintained us. Wherefore, by him let us be encouraged to lay our helping hands to this good work, (yea Gods work) with all the strength of our ability.
Secondly, let the miserable condition of these naked ____________ of the devil move you to compassion toward them. Thus acknowledge that there is a great good God, but know him not, having the eyes of their understanding as yet blinded: wherefore they serve the devil for fear, after a most base manner, sacrificing sometimes (as I have been heard) their own Children to him. I have sent one Image of their god to the Counsel in England, which is painted upon one side of a toad-stool, much like unto a deformed monster. Their Priests (whom the call ___________) are no other but such as our English Witches are. They live naked in body, as if their shame of their sin ___________ no covering: . . .
Finally, there is a civil government amongst them which they strictly obscrue, and show thereby that the law of Nature dwelleth in them: for they have a rude kind of Common-wealth, and rough government, wherein they both honour and obey their Kings, parents, and Governors, both greater and less, they obscrue the limits of their own possessions, and incroach not upon their neighbours dwellings. Murder is a capital crime scarce heard of among them: adultery is most severely punished, and so are their other offences. These unnurtered grounds of reason in them, may serve to encourage us to instruct them in the knowledge of the true God, the rewarder of all rightiousness, not doubting but that he that was powerful to save us by his word, when we were nothing, will be merciful also to these sons of Adam in his appointed time, in whom there be remaining so many footsteps of Gods image. . . .
Awake you true hearted English men, you servants of Jesus Christ, remember that the Plantation is Gods, and the reward your Countries. Wherefore, time not at your present private gain, but let the glory of God, whose Kingdom you now plant, and good of your Country, whose wealth you seek, so __________ prevail with you, that you respect not a present return of gaine for this year or two: but that you would more liberally supply for a little space, this your Christian work, which you so charitably began.