troduction of the Christian faith. It was truly a sight
that might well inspire horror, to behold these savages tumbling among the
dark mountains of paganism, and guilty of the most horrible ignorance of
religion. It is true, they neither stole nor defrauded; they were sober,
frugal, continent, and faithful to their word; but though they acted right
habitually, it was all in vain, unless they acted so from precept. The new
comers, therefore, used every method to induce them to embrace and
practice the true religion--except, indeed, that of setting them the
example.

But not withstanding all these complicated labors for their good, such was
the unparalleled obstinacy of these stubborn wretches, that they
ungratefully refused to acknowledge the strangers as their benefactors,
and persisted in disbelieving the doctrines they endeavored to inculcate;
most insolently alleging that, from their conduct, the advocates of
Christianity did not seem to believe in it themselves. Was not this too
much for human patience? Would not one suppose that the benign visitants
from Europe, provoked at their incredulity and discouraged by their
stiff-necked obstinacy, would for ever have abandoned their shores, and
consigned them to their original ignorance and misery? But no: so zealous
were they to effect the temporal comfort and eternal salvation of these
pagan infidels that they even proceeded from the milder means of
persuasion to the more painful and troublesome one of persecution--let
loose among them whole troops of fiery monks and furious
bloodhounds--purified them by fire and sword, by stake and faggot; in
consequence of which indefatigable measures the cause of Christian love
and charity was so rapidly advanced that in a few years not one fifth of
the number of unbelievers existed in South America that were found there
at the time of its discovery.

What stronger right need the European settlers advance to the country than
this? Have not whole nations of uninformed savages been made acquainted
with a thousand imperious wants and indispensable comforts of which they
were before wholly ignorant? Have they not been literally hunted and
smoked out of the dens and lurking places of ignorance and infidelity, and
absolutely scourged into the right path? Have not the temporal things, the
vain baubles and filthy lucre of this world, which were too apt to engage
their worldly and selfish thoughts, been benevolently taken from them; and
have