Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/376

 364 An Account of the Chikkafah Nation.

It feems very furprifing, that thofe who are invefted with a power of conferring ecclefiaftical orders, fhould be To carelefs in propagating the holy gofpel, and afllduous to prophane holy things, in appointing and ordaining illiterate and irreligious peribns to the fervice. What is it ? but faying, " go teach the American fools. My blefiing is enough. Cherifh con fidence, and depend upon it, they will not have confidence to laugh at you : Leave the remote and poor fettlements to the care of divine providence, which is difTtifive of its rich gifts. The harveft is great elfewhere. Only endeavour to epifcopize the northern colonies ; it is enough : there they are numerous, and able to pay Peter's pence, as well as our old jewifh, and new parliamentary tithes, and in time your labours will be crowned with fuccefs."

That court however, which fends abroad ftupid embafladors to reprefent it, cannot be reafonably expected to have fuccefs, but rather mame and de- rifion. What can we think at this diflance, when we fee the number of blind guides, our fpiritual fathers at home have fent to us, to lead us clear of the mazes of error ? but, that they think of us with indifference, and are ftudioufly bent on their own temporal intereft, inftead of our fpiritual welfare. There are thoufands of the Americans, who I believe have not heard fix fermons for the fpace of above thirty years and in fact they have more knowledge than the teachers who are fent to them, and too much religion to communicate with them. And even the blinder fort of the laity not finding truth fufficiently fupported by their purblind guides, grow proud of their own imaginary knowledge, and fome thereby proudly commence teachers, by which means they rend the church afunder; and, inftead of peace and love, they plant envy, contempt, hatred, revilings, and produce the works of the flefh, inftead of thofe of the fpirit.

Not fo act the uncivilized Indians. Their fuppofed holy orders are ob tained from a clofe attention to, and approved knowledge of their facred "myfteries. No temptations can corrupt their virtue on that head :. neither will they convey their divine fecrets to the known impure. This conduct is worthy to be copied, by all who pretend to any religion at all, and efpe- cially by thofe who are honoured with the pontifical dignity, and affume the name of " Right reverend, and Mod reverend Fathers in God." I have been importunately requefted at different times, by, feveral eminent gentle-

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