Page:A New Survey of the West Indies or The English American his Travel by Sea and Land.djvu/23

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Chap. II.
of the West-Indies.
7

Antichrifts Policy and Ambition, doth Rome yearly visite her new nursed Children, greeting that Infantile Church of Asia and America with Troops of Messengers one after another, like Jobs Messengers, bringing under pretence of Salvation, Damnation and misery to their poor and wretched souls.


Chap. II.

Shewing that the Indians Wealth under a pretence of their Conversion hath corrupted the hearts of poor begging Fryers, with Strife, Hatred and Ambition.

IT is a most true and certain saying, Odia Religionum sunt acerbissima, hatred grounded in points and differences of Religion (let me add, if Ambition blow the fire to that hatred) is the most bitter and uncapable of reconciliation. Nay, it is an observation worth noting of some (see Doctor Day upon I Cor. 16. 9.) that the nearer any are unto a conjunction in matters of Religion, and yet some difference retained, the deeper is the hatred; as he observes, a Jew hates a Christian far worse then he doth a Pagan, or a Turk; a Papist hates a Protestant worse then he doth a Jew, and a Formalist hates a Puritan worse than he doth a Papist. No such hatred under Heaven (saith he) as that between a Formalist, and a Puritan, whereof our now Domestick and Civil Wars may be a sad and woeful experience. A truth which made Paul burst out into a lamentable complaint, I Cor. 16. 9. saying, A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

And as when the door of true Faith once is opened, then Adversaries begin to swarm and rage; so in all points of false and faigned Religion, where the entrance to it is laid open, hatred and enmity will act their parts. But much more if with such pretended Religion, Wealth and Ambi-

tion