10 RELIGION, COLONISING AND TRADE
personal influence was not needed to induce English
promoters of discovery and settlement in the reign
of Queen Elizabeth to raise on high the missionary
banner. Among ‘the principal navigations > will be
found numbers of passages in which lip service, if no
more, is abundantly paid to the call of the mission field.
It is in evidence, where it would not be expected, in
the records of Frobishet’s voyages. Edward Hay, in
his account of Gilbert’s last voyage, argues that, if
Cabot’s discovery of the coast of North America had
been followed up by exploration inland, no doubt Her
Majesty’s territories and revenue had been mightily
enlarged and advanced by this day. And, which is
more, the seed of Christian religion had been sowed
amongst those pagans which by this time might
have brought forth a most plentiful harvest.’ 1 In
‘ Christopher Carlile’s Discourse,” written in 1583 in
the hope of inducing the Russia Company to take in
hand American discovery, the prospect of © reducing
the savage people to Christianity and civility’ is
coupled with that of providing for the unemployed ; 2
and—to take one more illustration—the discourse
written in the same year by Sir George Peckham in
connexion with Gilbert’s voyage, when dealing at
great length with the ethics of planting’ among
savages, lays down that ¢ the use of trade and traffic
(be it never so profitable) ought not to be preferred
before the planting of Christian Faith.” ®
It is certain that a call to evangelise the heathen
was prominently put forward in the days of Queen
1 Hakluyt, vol. viii, p. 35. 2 Ibid., p. 143.
3 Ibid. p. 98.