again from their Knees, we obferv'd he ftood talking ftill eagerly to her; and we obferv'd by her Motion, that he was greatly affected with what he faid, by her frequent lifting up her Hands, laying her Hand to her Breaft, and fuch other Poftures, as ufually exprefs the greatest Seriousness and Attention; this continu'd about half a Quarter of an Hour, and then they walk'd away too; fo that we could fee no more of them in that Situation,

I took this Interval to talk with my Clergy-man: And firft I told him, I was glad to fee the Particulars we had both been Witneffes to; that tho' I was hard enough of Belief in fuch Cafes, yet that I began to think it was all very fincere here, both in the Man and his Wife, however ignorant they might both be; and I hop'd fuch a Beginning would have a yet more happy End; and who knows, faid I, but thefe two may in Time, by Inftruction and Example, work upon fome of the other? Some of them! Said he, turning quick upon me, ay, upon all of them; depend upon it, if thofe two Savages, for he has been but little better, as you relate it, fhould embrace Jefus Chrift, they will never leave 'till they work upon all the reft; for true Religion is naturally communica tive, and he that is once made a Chriftian, will never leave a Pagan behind him, if he can help it. I own'd it was a most Christian Principle to think fo, and a Testimony of a true Zeal, as well as a generous Heart in him: But, my Friend, faid I, will you give me Leave to ftart one Difficulty here, I cannot tell how to object the leaft Thing against that affectionate Concern, which you fhew for the turning the poor People from their Paganifm to the Chriftian Religion: But how does this com

fort

fort you, while thefe People are in your Account out of the Pale of the Catholick Church, without which you believe there is no Salvation; fo that you efteem thefe but Hereticks, and for other Reafons as effectually loft, as the Pagans themselves.

To this he answered with abundance of Can

dor and Christian Charity, Thus; Sir, I am a Catholick of the Roman Church,, and a Prieft of the Order of St. Benedict, and I embrace all the Principles of the Roman Faith: But yet if you will believe me, and that I do not speak in Compliment to you,or in respect to my Circumftances, and your Civilities; I fay, nevertheless, I do not look upon you, who call your felves reform'd without fome Charity: I dare not fay, tho' I know it is our Opinion in general; I fay, I dare not fay, that you cannot be fav'd: I will by no means limit the Mercy of Christ so far, as to think that he cannot receive you into the Bofom of his Church in a Manner to us unperceivable, and which it is impoffible for us to know, and I hope yon have the fame Charity for us; I pray daily for your being all reftor'd to Chrift's Church, by whatfoever Methods he, who is All-wife, is pleafed to direct: In the mean time, fure you will allow it to confift with me, as a Rman, to diftinguifh far, between a Proteftant and a Pagan; between one that calls on Jefus Chrift, tho' in a Way which I do not think is according to the true Faith, and a Savage, a Barbarian, that knows no God, no Chrift, no Redeemer; and if you are not within the Pale of the Catholick Church, we hope you are nearer being reftor'd to it than thofe that know nothing of God or his Church and I rejoice therefore, when I fee this poor Man, who you fay has been a Profigate, and almoft a Murtherer, kneel down and pray

to

to Jefus Chrift, as we fuppofe he did, tho' not fully inlighten'd; believing that God, from whom every fuch Work proceeds, will fenfibly touch his Heart, and bring him to the farther Knowledge of that Truth in his own Time; and if God fhall influence this poor Man to convert and inftruct the ignorant Savage his Wife, I can never believe, that he fhall be caft away himself; and have I not Reason than to rejoyce, the nearer any are brought to the Knowledge of Chrift, tho' they may not be brought quite home into the Bofom of the Catholiok Church, juft at the Time when I may defire it; leaving it to the Goodnefs of Chrift to perfect his Work in his own Time, and in his own Way. Certainly, I would rejoyce if all the Savages in America were brought like this poor Woman to Pray to God, tho' they were to be all Proteftants at firft, rather than they should continue Pagans and Heathens; firmly believing, that he that had bestow'd the firft Light to them, would farther illuminate them with a Beam of his heavenly Grace, and bring them into the Pale of his Church, when he fhould fee good.

I was aftonifh'd at the Sincerity and Temper of this truly pious Papift, as much as I was opprefs'd by the Power of his Reasoning; and it presently occur'd to my Thoughts, that if fuch a Temper was univerfal, we might be all Catholick Chriftians, whatever Church or particular Profeffion we joyn'd to, or joyn'd in; that a Spirt of Charity would foon work us all up into right Principles; and in a word, as he thought that the like Charity would make us all Catholicks, to I told him I believ'd, had all the Members of his Church the like Moderation, they

would

would foon be all Proteftants. And there we left that Part, for we never difputed at all.

However, I talk'd to him another way, and taking him by the Hand, my Friend, fays I, I wish all the Clergy of the Roman Church were bleft with fuch Moderation, and had an equal Share of your Charity. I am entirely of your Opinion; but I must tell you, that if you fhould preach fuch Doctrine in Spain or Italy, they would put you into the Inquifition.

It may be fo, faid he, I know not what they might do in Spain or Italy, but I will not fay, they would be the better Chriftians for that Severity, for I am fure there is no Herefy in too much Charity.

Well, as Will. Atkins and his Wife was gone, our Bufinefs there was over; fo we went back our own Way, and when we came back, we found them waiting to be call'd in; obferving this, I ask'd my Clergy-man if we fhould difcover to him that we had feen him under the Bufh, or no, and it was his Opinion we fhould not, but that we should talk to him firft, and hear what he would fay to us; fo we call'd him in alone, no Body being in the the Place but our felves; and I began with him thus:

Will. Atkins, faid I, prethee what Education had you? What was your Father?

W. A. A better Man than ever I fhall be. Sir, my Father was a Clergy-man.

R. C. What Education did he give you?

W. A.

W. A. He would have taught me well, Sir, but I defpis'd all Education, Inftruction, or Correction, like a Beast as I was.

R. C. It's true, Solomon, fays, he that defpifes R proof is brutish.

W. A. Ay, Sir, I was brutish indeed, I murther'd my Father; for God fake, Sir, talk no more about that, Sir, I murther'd my poor Father.

Pr. Ha! a Murtherer!

Here the Priest started, (for I interpreted
every Word as he fpoke it) and look'd
pale. It feems he believ'd that Will. had
really kill'd his own Father.

R. C. No, no, Sir, I do not understand him fo; Will. Atkins explain your felf, you did not kill your Father, did you, with your own Hands?

W. A. No, Sir, I did not cut his Throat, but I cut the Thread of all his Comforts, and fhortn'd his Days; I broke his Heart by the most ungrateful unnatural Return, for the most tender affectionate Treatment that ever Father gave, or Child could receive.

R. C. Well, I did not ask you about your Father, to extort this Confeffion; I pray God give you Repentance for it, and forgive you that, and all your other Sins; but I ask'd you,because It fee that, tho' you have not much Learning, yet you are not fo Ignorant as fome are, in Things

that