used to
liberate their slaves or continued to oppress and rob the natives.

Reduced to a formula the doctrine of Las Casas may be summed up: Convert
the Indians first and they will afterwards become Spanish subjects; as
against the contention of his adversaries that they must first be
conquered, after which their conversion would follow.

His enemies were not slow in seizing upon these definitions and in
twisting them into a denial of the sovereign rights of the Crown. Formal
denunciations of the teachings contained in the _Confesionario_ were laid
before the India Council, (66) and that body having summoned Las Casas to
explain his doctrines in writing, he submitted an exposition of the
contents of his book, in the form of thirty propositions, the substance of
which may be summarised as follows: (67)

1. The power and authority which the Pope holds from Jesus Christ,
extends over all men, whether they be Christians or infidels, as far
as everything touching their salvation is concerned. Their exercise
should, however, be different over pagans than over those who have
received or have refused to receive the true faith.
2. The primacy of the Pope imposes upon him the obligation to diffuse
the Christian religion throughout the world and to see that the
Gospel is preached to the heathen wherever they will receive it.
3. The Pope is bound to choose proper missioners for such propaganda.
4. It is evident that Christian rulers are his most suitable and
efficient assistants in this work.
5. The Pope is free to invite or justified in obliging Christian rulers
to lend their help, by the exercise of their power, by the
expenditure of money, and by sending suitable men to conduct
missions.
6. The Pope and the Christian sovereigns should act together for this
end, in agreement with one another.
7. The Pope may distribute heathen lands among Christian rulers,
designating where each is to labour for the conversion of the
infidels.
8. Such distribution should be made, however, for the purpose of
ensuring the instruction and the conversion of the pagan nations but
not at all to increase the territories of the Christian sovereign or
to augment his revenues, titles, and honours, at the expense of the
natives.
9. It may follow that Christian princes may incidentally derive some
profit from this conv