eigners to settle here. Another advantage is, that they have in every town, an elderly man, called a Fiscal, who has his eye on all the town, especially in what concerns the service of God. He has the names of all the inhabitants, observes who are absent from church, and inquires into the reason of it. The town is also divided into quarters, each of which has an overseer. If any misdemeanour happens, the Fiscal informs the missionaries. The delinquent is admonished in private. If he offend again he is penanced accordingly. If his fault is public and scandalous, he is reproved before all the town. This is generally submitted to with great docility, and the person thanks the missionary for his care."*

Making due allowance for this picture, as the colouring of a friend, there is certainly much left to praise. The Indians were no doubt much benefitted, at least for a season, by their connexion with the Jesuits. But, afterwards the ambitious designs of these monks, gave umbrage to the court of Spain. The question arose whether the Indians should acknowledge for their mas ter the Jesuits or the King. An army was sent to en force obedience to the Spanish government. The missionaries were driven from the continent, and their converts, or subjects, either slain of made to bend under the yoke of slavery.t

The labours of the Jesuits were not confined to the countries which have been mentioned. They had missionaries in almost every part of the world, and continued them, with some success, though often banished, persecuted, and hunted down, until the final abolition of the order by Clement XIV. in 1773. But in most instances it may be doubted whether their converts deserve at all to be reckoned among the followers of Christ. By the compromising plan which they adopted, it was easy to bring the heathen to embrace their doctrines. They made it an object to effect a coalition *Lettres, Curioses et Edifantes, tome xiii,

↑ Miss. Reg. Vol. 1. p. 91.

between the Christian system and the schemes of Pa ganism, by magnifying, any apparent similarity between them, and by softening down the manifest points of difference. Thus in China, they taught that their religion came from Tien, the Chinese name for God ; and, that the worship of the saints and the Virgin Mary, was of the same nature with the worship which the Chinese paid to their departed ancestors. From the precepts of the Bible, and the maxims of the Chinese philosophers, they formed a strange medley which allowed the converts to prostrate their bodies before the tables of their deceased forefathers, while their minds worshipped God. Jesus Christ and Confucius were placed on the same level and their doctrines united to form a more acceptable religion than the Christian.

The same method was pursued in India. Robert de Nobile, an Italian Jesuit, sent on a mission to Madura, assumed the habits and appearance of a Bramin. By his austerities, and some artifice, he persuaded many even of the Bramins, that he was one of their order come from a distant country to instruct them more perfectly in their own religion. Influenced by their example, the common people became his disciples in great numbers.*

The worldly schemes which the Jesuits adopted, together with the insinuating arts which they used to ingratiate themselves into favour with the priests and men in power, do much to lower their character as missionaries of the Cross; while their permitting the converts to retain their heathen idolatries, only adding those of popery, destroys almost entirely our admiration of their success. Still I cannot, in contemplating what this Order has done, forbear to add, in the words of Dr. Burder, "Let it be remembered, that, however Jesuits or Capuchins may be despised or condemned by Protestants, their conduct is to us highly reproachful

Miss. Reg. Vol. 1, p. 86.

That we who vaunt a purer Christianity, and have so many nobler motives to animate our zeal, have been hitherto so backward in the work of heathen missions, so indifferent about enlarging the borders of Immanuel's kingdom, must be confessed our guilt and shame ; and can neither be too deeply lamented nor too soon amended."

Besides the exertions of the Jesuits, the Church of Rome was distinguished by various other efforts in propagating Christianity. In 1622 Gregory XV. founded at Rome the celebrated College "De propaganda fide." This College consisted of thirteen Cardinals, two priests, and one secretary; and was designed to propagate and maintain the religion of the Church of Rome in every quarter of the globe. Its funds soon become adequate to the most magnificent undertakings. Its attention was directed to the maintenance of missionaries, the translation of books, the establishment of seminaries, both for the instruction of missionaries and pagans, and the support of charitable institutions, for those who should suffer in their service. Besides this another of a similar kind was added in 1627, by Pope Urban VIII. which owed its origin to the piety, or munificence, of John Baptist Viles, a Spanish nobleman. In France, several establishments of a similar nature were formed, particularly the "Congregation of Priests of Foreign missions ;" and the Parisan Seminary for the mission abroad, one for the actual sending forth of missionaries, the other for the education of fit persons for that work. By these exertions the Church of Rome, though weakened by the defection of almost all those nations which composed her ancient strength, is still able to boast of a vast superiority, of numbers, to the Protestants, and to claim with some appearance of plausibility, her exclusive title to the character of the true church, from her possessing most eminently, the Apostolic spirit.*

*They who would see a more particular account of the Roman Catholic missions may consult-"Lettres Edifantes"-History of the Church of Japan"-" Le Comtes China”—and "Life of Xavier."

PART III.

PROPAGATION OF CHRISTIANITY BY THE ANGLO AMERICANS.

CHAPTER I.

Want of zeal among Protestants-Some efforts of the Dutch in the East-of the English-First attempts in America. Mr. Mayhew--Conversion of Hiaccoomes.Opposition of the Powaws.-Fortitude of Hiaccoomes. Indian converts.-Death of Mr. Mayhew.-Gov. Mayhew a missionary.-The Mayhew family distinguished.

We now commence the more pleasing task of tracing the progress of Christianity unmixed with the fopperies and absurdities of popery. It would be far more pleasing, however, could we here find Christians as zealously affected in a "good thing" as some, to whose exertions we have been attending, were, in a cause, whose character, to say the least, was often doubtful. But, so it is, that truth has always found, in our world, fewer advocates than error; and not only fewer, but less zealous. While the devotee of Brahma counts not his life dear to him, but offers it cheerfully beneath the care of his god, and while the followers of Mahomet, with the sword in one hand, and the Koran in the other, are ready to brave every danger to propagate the doctrines of their leader, the disciple of the Lord Jesus, too often, alas! shrinks, from insignificant hardships, when called to undergo them for the purpose of making himself and his fellow creatures more happy.

Unfavourably, too, indifference seems frequently to have prevailed most, among those whose form of wor ship is the most pure; as though truth, in proportion to its simplicity, lost its power to excite exertion. This

would be a paradox, were not men depraved, and were they not likewise surrounded by innumerable worldly excitements, which have a commanding influence over the carnal heart, but which cannot enter into the motives of those who are led by the spirit of God.

There is nothing, among the early attempts of the Protestants to extend their religion, like what we have witnessed in the Roman Catholics. If we except some exertions of the Swedes among the Laplanders, by which they were converted to a nominal Christianity, and received a translation of the New Testament, there was but one, and that a feeble attempt, to convert the heathen in the sixteenth century. This was sending from Geneva fourteen protestant missionaries to instruct the Indians of America. By whom this benev olent project was formed, or with what success it was attended, is not certainly known. Mosheim supposes they accompanied the colony, which the famous Admiral de Coligni established in Brazil. If so, they doubtless perished with the colony, which was destroyed by the Portuguese.

Nor was much done in the succeeding century. The inland situation of many Protestant countries indeed precluded them from advantages for doing much; but this was not the case with all. Both the English and Dutch had intercourse with almost all parts of the world. The only difficulty was, they found more profitable articles for exportation than missionaries and Bibles. They were too much occupied in commercial concerns to exert themselves for the propagation of Christianity.

The Dutch, however, in all their principal settlements, established their religion, and sent out ministers to officiate. In Ceylon, they required all their subjects to subscribe the Helvetic Confession of Faith, or be incapable of any place, of profit or trust. By a great number of ministers and school masters, they taught multitudes to repeat the Lord's Prayer, the ter