ritual Lord and Mafter, whofe Kingdom was not of this World, and who had not where to lay his Head in it. This was the main Reason why thofe first Planters of the Gospel amongst Jews and Gentiles, never once interpofed in their Preaching or Writing, with the particular Conftitution of any Country, or the Form of Government established in it; nor with the Extent of Power in any Prince; nor with the Foundations of Property and Rights in any People. But leaving fuch Ordinances of Men, to their antecedent Settlement by Compact or Custom of every Place; they taught only the Things that made for mutual Peace and publick Good; That Magiftrates were the Minifters of God for that Good, and that Chriftian People fhould continue to fubmit them felves unto them, not as before only for Wrath, but now rather for Confcience fake. For had they taught Rulers to opprefs, or Subjects to rebel, they had not only exceeded their Commiffion, but they had been justly to be blam'd for Sowers of Sedition, Raif ers of Tumult, and even Turners of the World upfide down: Much more, had they caft their Congregations into Bands and Armies, and gone forth to plant their Gofpel by the Sword, and founded their Dominion in the Grace of that Gofpel of Chrift: This would have harden'd the Heathens from giving any Manner of Reception or Attention to them. But, I fay, the Practice of the Apoftles had no Appearance of this Evil in it: they went about like their Mafter doing Good, seeking the Redemption of loft Souls, and renouncing every Way of overcoming the World, but by Faith and Prayers. St. Paul defcribes well their fpiritual Warfare in his fecond Epiftle to thefe Profeffors at Corinth, VI. 4. In all Things approving our felves as the Minifters of God, in much Patience, in Afflictions, in Neceffities, in Diftreffes, and fo on in various Trials; yet hay

ing

ing no Weapons but the Word of Truth, and the Power of God; nor any other Armour, but that of Righteoufnefs on the Right Hand and on the Left, (Mark XIII. 10.) It was thus the Gospel was first publifhed among all Nations.

But alas, in the degenerate Ages of the Chriftian Church, then was Chrift fet up for a Martial Competitor with Mahomet. Then was War first call'd Holy; and Blood was again fhed on every Side of Ferufalem, to push on a Conqueft and new Dominion, which God for that Reason would never profper, but has left that Field of Contention ftill in the Hands of the Enemies of the Cross of Chrift: Yet the like Pride and Ambition of the Church of Rome went on to offer the Kingdoms of the World to the longest Sword of her Catholick Princes, pretending that the Donation of her Popes could give a Title to any Country of Infidels or Hereticks; and that it was lawful, and even meritorious, to recover by Force of Arms, whatever was fo convey'd by the Power of the Keys; and when acquir'd, the Right was in the Donor, to difpofe of all Temporals, in order at least to Spirituals.

It is well known that the firft Attempts and Acquifitions of the Spaniards in the West-Indies, were plainly upon this Foot; a Gift of the Pope to be obtain'd by military Arms; (b) by invading the Country, and expelling or inflaving the Inhabitants thercof; their own Authors (c) have not fuppreffed

(b) See the Bull of Pope Alex. VL granting the lands and Countries of the New World, to Ferdinand and Elizabeth, King and Queen of Caftile. dat. Roma M. CGCC. XCIII.

IV. Non. Maij Pont. Primo.

(c) Peter Martyr the Milanoife, who had been a Traveller in the Weft-Indies among the firft Adventurers, fends an Account

to

fed the Evidence of this Truth; efpecially the Spanish Bishop of Chiapa in Mexico was not able to contain his Humanity on this Subject. He condol'd the Mifery of the poor Indians, that they were hunted into Converfion like Beafts into Nets and Toils: That their Country was conquer'd and laid waft by Fire and Sword round about them; that the Cross was fet up for a Title of the New Chriftian Poffeffion; and that it was Death for the Natives to remove it. That their best Condition was to be Fugitives and Exiles in fome other Land; for that they could ftay only to be Slaves and Sacrifices to the Will and Pleasure of their new Lords and Masters. (d)

By these Conquefts and Ufurpations, in the Name of the Church, it is certain that the poor Indians did imbibe a great Prejudice againft Chritianity: They could not but abhor a Religion that banish'd them, or murder'd them, and took their Lands and forry Houfes in Poffeffion. That Obftinacy,

to the Pope, that Egidius Gonfalas, one of the Spanish Governours, ufed to fend this Meffage to the Indian Kings, That they fhould become Chriftians, and fhould fubmit to be fubject to the great King of Spain; or if they refus'd, they must expect Violence and Deft: uction. Upon which moft of them would defire Peace and Baptifm. Pet. Mar. VI. Decad. Chap. 3. p. 237.

(d) The Spaniards commanded the Indians to embrace the Christian Religion upon pain of Death; they menac'd them with cruel Slavery, or the moft exquifite Tortures, to fore them to turn Chriftians; as if the Son of God, who Dy'd for the Redemption of Men, had ordain'd thofe whom he fent to preach the Gofpel, and declare the Kingdom of God, to contrain People that lived Peaceably in their own Country, to make Profeffion of his Doctrine, on pain of being Plunder'd of their Goods, of being feparated from their Wives and Children, of lofing their Liberty, and of being Condemn'd to a cruel Death. --Relation of the Spanish Voyages and Cruelties in the Weft-Indies, By Barth. des Cafas, Bishop of Chiapa, 8vo. p. 74.

ftinacy, with which many of them now refift the Gofpel is owing to this Averfion and Hatred which they found in their Fore-fathers, and which is improved in their Minds, by what they fee, where Popery prevails among them; where the Governours, call'd Chriftians, are often fo many Executioners and Tormentors of them; and where the very Miffionary Priefts are rather worldly Tyrants and Oppreffors, than Guides and Leaders unto Hea

ven.

How the Church of Rome has carried on the fame Cause, under the fame Standard of War and Conqueft, in all other habitable Parts of the World, tho' (God be thanked) with lefs Succefs, (e) is too large a Subject for this Time. I would only obferve to you, that the foft and falutary Methods of Conversion, taken by this Society, are of a more Christian Nature; are far from breathing out any Threatnings, or any Slaughter, any Conqueft or Slavery of the People of the Land. Our Plantations were at firft fettled, as it were upon derelict Lands, whereon the former Inhabitants had been well nigh Extinct by Wars and Peftilence, and

(e) See their Converfions in the Kingdom of Congo in Africa, in the Years 1666, and 1667. By the Reverend Fathers Michael Angelo of Gattina, and Dennis de Carli of Piacenza, Capuchins and Apoftolical Miffioners to the faid Kingdom. Another Voyage to Congo, and feveral other Countries, by Father Jerome Merolla de Sarento, a Capuchin and Apoftolick Miffioner, in the Year 1682, as tranflated and inferted in the Collect. of Travels. I Vol. Fol. Printed for A. and J. Churchill.The Hiftory of the Church of Malabar, from the time of its being firft difcover'd by the Portuguese in the Year 1501, &c. By Michael Geddes, Chancellor of Sarum, 1694. 8vo. A brief Account of the Rebellions and Bloodfhed occafioned by the Antichriftian Practices of the Jefuits, and other Emiffaries, in the Empire of Ethiopia, Collected out of a Manufcript Hiftory, written in Latin by Jo. Michael Wansleben, a learned Papift. London, 1679. 4to. &c.

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and the Remnant of them had, for the most Part, retired into remoter, fafer Habitations. Our farther Progrefs in thofe Countries has been by acknowledging the Property of the original People, entring into Alliance and Commerce with them, receiving Allotments of Ground by fair Purchase from them, taking them into our Protection, and defending them from the Inroads of any other Enemy. It was a Senfe of this juft and honoura ble Ufage of them, that fo lately brought over their Chiefs or Princes into this Nation, to do Honour unto our QUEEN, not by being made Vaffals, but in becoming Friends and Confederates, and defiring and depending on Her Protection against him, whom thofe Nations have long thought to be the common Enemy and Oppreffor. We must always fo act with them upon the Laws of Nations, and the most amicable Rules of the Gofpel; and we may reafonably hope by fuch Means, to bring the Gentiles fooner to the Knowledge of

the Truth.

:

" II. The Second Let and Impediment in planting "the Gospel, is for the Planters of it to be driv"ing on a Trade, and meerly fecular Interest and "Gain, instead of feeking the Glory of God, and "the Good of Souls.:

It ftands recorded among the Mercies, and even among the Miracles of our Bleffed Saviour, (Mart. XI. 5.) That the Poor had the Gofpel preached to them, i. e. without Price or any mercenary Regards. St. Paul could appeal to all the Elders of the Church at Ephefus, that he had coveted no Man's Silver, or Gold, or Apparel; but had rather made his own Hands to minifter unto his Neceffities, and to them that were with him, (A&ts XX. 33.) He tells his People of Theffalonica, being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the Gospel