t is the essence of worship,
without which there can be no religion, and in the presence of
this mystery our attitude cannot be very unlike that of the natural
philosopher, who beholds with awe the Divine in all creation.

It is simple truth that the Indian did not, so long as his native
philosophy held sway over his mind, either envy or desire to imitate
the splendid achievements of the white man. In his own thought he rose
superior to them! He scorned them, even as a lofty spirit absorbed
in its stern task rejects the soft beds, the luxurious food, the
pleasure-worshiping dalliance of a rich neighbor. It was clear to
him that virtue and happiness are independent of these things, if not
incompatible with them.

There was undoubtedly much in primitive Christianity to appeal to this
man, and Jesus' hard sayings to the rich and about the rich would have
been entirely comprehensible to him. Yet the religion that is preached
in our churches and practiced by our congregations, with its element of
display and self-aggrandizement, its active proselytism, and its open
contempt of all religions but its own, was for a long time extremely
repellent. To his simple mind, the professionalism of the pulpit, the
paid exhorter, the moneyed church, was an unspiritual and unedifying
thing, and it was not until his spirit was broken and his moral and
physical constitution undermined by trade, conquest, and strong drink,
that Christian missionaries obtained any real hold upon him. Strange as
it may seem, it is true that the proud pagan in his secret soul despised
the good men who came to convert and to enlighten him!

Nor were its publicity and its Phariseeism the only elements in the
alien religion that offended the red man. To him, it appeared shocking
and almost incredible that there were among this people who claimed
superiority many irreligious, who did not even pretend to profess the
national faith. Not only did they not profess it, but they stooped so
low as to insult their God with profane and sacrilegious speech! In our
own tongue His name was not spoken aloud, even with utmost reverence,
much less lightly or irreverently.

More than this, even in those white men who professed religion we found
much inconsistency of conduct. They spoke much of spiritual things,
while seeking only the material. They bought and sold everything:
time, labor, personal independence, the love of woman, and even the
ministrations of their holy faith!