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Show 196 A Relation of the Spanilh Vqyagas‘ have provided a Remedy, if due care had been taken to give you advice of it : Or if your Maj'elly had not done it, you would have very much wrong‘d and Cnae/ties in fine Well-Indies. I 97 ‘ profel's Chriltianity, becaufe 'tis directly oppolit to your Confcience in fending fuch Men into the new World to preach the Faith, and give tellimony to the Doétrin of jefus Chrilt, who are abfol‘utely uncapable of f0 honourable a Minil‘try, and even decry and debafe it by their fcandalous Converfation. 'Tis therefore necellary that this Employment be taken away from Secular, and committed to Reli- gious Perfons, as agreeing better with their Cha- into the World to obferve his Commands, and to apply themfelves to the exercife of Religion and raé‘ter, which may be done without giving thefe Ecclefialiical Minifiers any occafion to claim a temporal jurifdiétion over the Indians; for if that lhould be allowd, we lhould fall into the famelnconveniences we are endeavouring to avoid. The c0rrupt Lives and evil Examples of the Spaniards do more hurt than the preaching of an infinit number of Priel'ts and Monks can do good. There- fore your Majefty is oblig'd in Confcience to de- prive the Spaniards of the power they ufurp over the Indians, and never fuller 'em to make 'em their VaiTals. One principal Reafon that proves this Propofi- tion is, that People ought to enjoy Peace and Tranquillity, that they may be in a condition to at- .tend the Worlhip of God, and the good WOrks prefcrib'd by the Chrifiian Religion, and not to be diverted from the Sacraments by being condemn‘d to continual Labor. Which Ptatc of Peace and Reft can't fubfilt without preferving to every Man his Property, and guarding him from all the allaults of Injury and lnjultice. The Governors of Com- monwealths are bound by the Law of God to remove out of the way all Obftruétions to f0 necefl'ary al'esce‘, and fpeedily to allay thofe DiHEnfions and Troubles that may continue Difcord among fuch as pro- the end of God in creating Men; for he fends 'em good Works, that they may thereby merit eternal Life. This good order is necellary in every Chri l‘ti- an Republic, but there efpecially where the Chriltia Faith has been but lately entertain'd. The Spaniardns are too covetous and felf-interefted to have any Jurifdié'tion over the Indians granted 'em, beca ufe they'l never give 'em any refpit or repofe, but go _ on to rob and torment 'em all the ways they can in‘ vent. There IS no kind of Injul'tice but they com mit it to fpoil thefe poor People, and therefor-e j there is no way to lhelter 'em from their Oppref. lions, but by annexing the Indies to the proper Inheritance of your Majel'ty's Crown. The Spaniard s kill the Indians with impunity in the Fields, in the High-ways, and in the Mines, and do it more boldly, becaufe many times there are no Witnefl ‘es pre- lent to convict "em of their Cruelties. So that no» thing can be more evident, than that the Indians are not in a condition to compote their Minds to at- tend to the Divine Word, (0 as to be induc‘d to obey the Divine Commands, while the Spaniards are their abfolute Lords, who will continually harm's 691 With endlefs Trouble and Perfecution, which Will fill their minds with Anguilla and Vexation, and all kinds of Mifery, nay with an averlion to your Mneity, and a great hatred to our God, and to his Law, Which feems to 7em fo fevere, fo heaVy and intolerable a Yoke. They can't but think your MaEfil's Government is tyrannical, as well as that the uod whom we adore is unjult and unmerciful 3 {upWing him the Author of all the Violence they fuller "Om the Spaniards 5 becanfe while they, on pretence 0f Preaching the Catholic Faith, bring {0 many 0 3 terri- |