Page:Early voyages to Terra Australis.djvu/175

 THE SOUTHKKN LAND, 27

preaching to the entire southern hemisphere, and especially to that which lies in the Pacific Ocean, and without allowinir that any other Christian prince should go or send preachers hither.^ If Your Majesty do not send them, how shall they have any knowledge of their Redeemer and be converted to Him ? And as the charge was given that these gentiles were to be converted. Your Majesty and your Crown will be principally responsible for their conversion, for you will be the immediate cause of that infinite number of gentiles not hearing the word of the gospel or knowing their Redeemer ; for as they should know Him, who is it that, if j)reachers are not sent, has the guilt of not sending them, and not allowing others to send them? May Your Majesty ponder much upon this matter, for it touches nothing less than your salvation and the final loss of your crown, if we do not per- fectly discharge this most righteous duty, and acquit this most heavy debt to our Lord and Redeemer, by sending, as speedily as possible to the southern hemisphere, a sufficient number of preachers of the gospel.

May Your Majesty give no heed to the plausible argu- ments which some may perhaps advance, with some show of political consideration, that Your Majesty is not in a condi- tion to undertake the conquest of new kingdoms of such great extent and so far off, but will have enough to do to keep those which you already have. There will also not be wanting men learned in the scriptures, who will prove from them that Your Majesty may disregard the fulfilment of an obligation so distinct, and may withdraw from the contract you have made with the Redeemer, through the medium of His vicar and the head of His Church. May Your Majesty

^ We presume that the eccentric argument here advanced, is based upon the inference deduced by the writer at the commencement of this memorial, from the peculiar use in sacred writ of the word " Sepharat," rendered in Latin " Bosphorus," the especial meaning is there discussed. See page lo.