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Show 246 A Relation of the Spandh Voyage: to have no Commerce with thol‘e publick Robbers, nor to fell 'em any Commodities for their ftolen Gold; they lhould not fo much as receive Prefents from "em, or eonfent to be their Heirs: And if f0, it. follows that all Spat-z is become guilty of the Crimes of thofe Men, fo that there are few but have reafon to be under trouble of Confcience, and are in danger of Damnation, became there are fcarce any who have not participated of the Rapine of thofe that have come from the New \Vorld. it has bin objefted by the Spaniards, that if they have not a jurifdiélion over the Indians as their \faiTals, it will be impolhble for 'em to live in the In(is: and confequently that your Majelty will not be able to keep thofe Kingdoms that have bin conquer'd in your Name, nor to publifh the Catholic Faith there. For they lay, if the Spaniards can't fubfilt the-re, the King of Spain can't preferve his Dominion over the Induzm, nor maintain Monks amon g 'cm to preach to 'em, f0 that they mutt be deltitute of the Light of the Gofpel; and thofe of 7em that have already receiv'd it, will gradually lofe it for want or frelh lnftruEtion, and fo‘return to their former Idolatry, and Other Sins. They that reafon after this manner, do it not (0 arch from a Principle of true Zeal and Compalhon, '7' to many Souls lhould perilh, as from a delire of iil'Cilll‘lfJ, thefe Pcopie, and that they may grow . by the Spoil they get from 'em. 'Tis onlytheir l a" lnterell: nakes 'em talk at this rate; for the); ' «at all oncern‘d about your h'laieity's lute- 57‘. or the Sa‘vation of the p or Indians. "lie no: :eod of the Public7 or the Glory of God tléi‘i WUVCS Cl"? 1'01 tl;-'1‘Conduitibfliciently fhewsvv'lzsf lzjtle rupee} they have to the Law of Cod7 which forbids 33m to do the lealt hurt to anv 0:19, how 353qu an admntagc foever it fill? ht procure 'cn‘. They and Crue/tie: in the "felt-Indies. 24,7 They ought to know, if they have the true Sentiments of Chriflianity, that tho your Majelty lhould run the risk of lofing all your Conquefl's in the In- dies, and be render'd uncapable of caufing the j Chriltian Faith to be preach'd among the Indians; it ‘ were better to forgo all fuch great Advantages, than Qto obtain "cm by ruining the Inhabitants after the manner hitherto praé‘cis'd. It had bin no great MilZ fortune to your Majelty, if your Empire had not extended f0 far as the Indies; and 'tis an ill way of going to work, to endeavour to eftablilh Chrillianity .there by fuch criminal Methods. The realbn ot' - which is evident, becaufe we are forbidden to do evil tbatgood may come, Rom. 3. 8. God is not pleas'd with the greatelt Sacrifices if polluted with any Sin, but abhors all fuch Offerings. 'Tis a molt hainous Sin, and worthy of eternal Damnation, to mall‘aere Infidels on pretence of introducing the Chriltian Faith among 'em, and of cxtirpating a part of "em to fave the relt. God dos not require Men to re- ceive his Word on fuch hard terms, and abfolutely forbids filCh a kind of Zeal for the Salvation of Souls as this. He would not have us pretend to be more conCern'd about the Salvation of Souls than himfelt. That which he requires of us is to keep within the compafs of his Laws, and not to exceed the Limits he has prefcrib'd. For 'twould be an Argument of much Stupidity, and a great lin for any one to throw aChild into a "fell to baptize it, and fo_to.drown it on pretence of Ewing its Soul. And 1;. it‘nota greater Crime, and more odious and abominable in the light of God, to fcaudalize7 dcll‘roy and malli: ere as many thoufand People, under the‘pretcxt ot putting the reft in the way of Salvatim 3 its out bill‘nefs to do all the Good we can in conforming our {Elves to God's Commandments, and keeping Within the bounds he has fet us, leaving the red to him: fear. R 4, |
