Page:Cole (1885) The Hope of Sherbro's Future Greatness.pdf/11

—7— presence of hundreds of people who came to witness the sight. We are thankful to God that the same spirit is still existing in our present chief, T. N. Caulker, and is manifested by the friendly conference he had with Chief Richard Caulker, but a few months ago. And his willingness to receive and protect missionaries, his abhorence of war, which led him often to give up his rights, and his discouragement of slavery, brings forcibly before our eyes the influence and power of the gospel.

Thus have we attempted to briefly sketch the past history of the Sherbro nation, from the dark days of slavery to the golden age of the Caulkers and the establishment of Christianity in this country. The civilization, customs, morals, religions, and manners of this country during those ages can not be expected to supersede those of the Germans, French, and Britons when they were first invaded by Cæsar. Of the French he says, “Natio est omnis Gallorum admodum dedita religionibus” (C. J. Cæsaris Lib. VI., Cap XV.); that is, The whole country of French, or Gaul, is greatly addicted to superstition. They offered human sacrifices, and owned the god Pluto as their great ancestor. Hence they reckoned time by nights. Of the Britons he says, “They had their wives in common, and children sometimes married their parents.” The Germans, on the other hand, neglected agriculture, lest any desire of money should arise, whence spring factions and dissensions. (Lib. VI., Cap XI.)

But in proportion as Christianity was advancing, idolatry and superstition sunk. The groves of Druid ism took their flight, the mistletoe became merely a plant, reason supplanted fear, and these once uncivilized nations are now the most civilized and the most powerful in the world, whilst Rome, once the mistress of the world, is “Rome no more.”