146


RELIGION  AND   PUBLIC   SPIRIT

in  1698  as  to  the  duty  of  conducting  commerce  to
the  glory  of  God,  puts  forward  a  striking  concep-
tion of  the  duty  of  the  Christian  merchant:  "As
"the  example  of  each  single  person  is  always  to  be
"measured  by  the  character  he  bears,  so  in  some
"sense  it  is  true  that  none  bears  a  greater  charac-
"ter  than  those  whom  Providence  has  ordained  to
"any  foreign  employment. For  the  charge  which
"they  carry  with  them  is  in  truth  an  inestimable
"charge;  no  less  than  the  credit  of  their  religion
"and  their  native  Country. They  ought  to  ap-
" prove  themselves  abroad,  not  only  as  persons  of
"sober  and  honest  conversation;  but,  what  is
"much  more,  as  becomes  true  Englishmen  and
"sincere  Christians."

In  the  sermons  preached  before  the  Society  for
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  there  was  frequent
appeal  to  the  London  merchants,  who  made  a
profit  through  trade  with  non-Christian  peoples,
to  discharge  an  obligation  which  was  specially  in-
cumbent upon  them  by  deputy. This  help,  says
Bishop  Trimnell  of  Norwich  in  1710,  "is  more
particularly  to  be  expected  from  such  persons  as
of  any  wealth  and  trade  in  these  countries,  be-
"  cause  they  have  by  the  direction  of  Providence  a
"more  immediate  relation  to  them."  There  was  a
very  strong  feeling  in  England  that  the  West  In-
dian planters,  while  making  large  fortunes,  were

147


CHRISTIANITY  AND  POLITICS

very  neglectful  of  any  sense  of  Christian  duty  to-
wards those  whom  they  employed. "Too  many
"complaints,"  says  Dr. White  Kennett,  subse-
quently Bishop  of  Peterborough,  preaching  before
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  in
which  he  was  keenly  interested,  "have  been  made,
"that  some  of  our  Planters  have  formerly  ob-
"structed  the  Conversion  of  their  Slaves,  from  a
"  strange  Suspicion  that  they  would  be  then  of  less
"value  to  them. And  that  some  of  our  Traders
"among  the  remoter  Indians,  have  artfully  in-
"  cited  them  to  Wars  and  Battles,  that  after  a  Vic-
"tory  on  either  side,  they  might  purchase  Slaves
"in  greater  numbers  and  at  easier  Rates. I  wish
"these  Men  could  take  the  Sin  and  Scandals  upon
"their  own  Heads,  and  not  cast  a  Reproach  upon
"our  Religion  and  our  Nation. 