Dears The People of Ceylon (r) do firmly believe (r) Capt. the Refurrection of the Body. Knox his Hift. of C. The Indians in America (s) worfhipped a Ceylon, God, who, they faid, was One in Three and Part 3. Three in One. They Baptized (t) their Chil-For dren, and used the Crofs in Baptifm, having Acoft. Hift. ave a great veneration for the Crofs, and think-1.5.c.28. (t) Pet. ing it a prefervative against Evil Spirits: Mart. Dethey believed the (u) Refurrection of the cad.4.c.8. Body; they had Monafteries, Nunneries, c. 2. Confeffors and Sacraments: And the Mexi. () Lerii Navigat. cans, (x) in their ancient Tongue, called their High-Priefts Papae's, or Sovereign Bishops, c. 16. as it appears by their Hiftories. ment tic an cle the &Decad.8 in Braf. (x) Acoft 1. 5.c. 14, It is a remarkable Relation which Lerius 23,24,25. gives (y) of the People of Brafil, That ) Lerius when he had difcourfed to them concerning ibid. Navigat. Religion, and endeavoured to perfuade them to become Chriftians one of their ancient Men anfwer'd, That he had declared excellent and wonderful things to them, which put him in mind of what they had often heard from their Fore-fathers, That a long while ago, many Ages before their time, their came a Stranger into their Countrey, in fuch an Habit, and with a Beard, as they faw the French wear, for thefe Americans wear none) who preached to them in the fame manner, and to the fame effect, as they had now heard him do; but that the People would not hearken to him. Upon which Lerius obferves, that Nicephorus writes, That St. Mat K 2 (3) Horn. A de Orig. 4 meric. 1. 3. St. Matthew preached the Gospel to Cannibals, and he thinks it not improbable that fome of the Apostles might pafs into America, that the Sound of the Gospel might go into all the earth. And it is obfervable, that he found many words in the Brafilian Language taken out of the Greek Tongue. Hornius (z) owns, as every Man else must do that confiders it, that there are manifeft C. 2. & Tokens of the Rites and Doctrines both of 1.4.15 the Jewish and Chriftian Religion among the Americans, as of Circumcifion, Baptifm, the Trinity, the Lord's Supper, &c. but then he is for bringing the fews and thither his own way, and will have the Jews come in company of the Scythians; and the Chriftian Rites to be brought in with the Turks and Tartars, or from Japan and China : Though he likewife approves and confirms the Relation which Powel and Hackluyt give of a Colony transplanted into America, by Madoc, from Wales. Several Ufages which are obferved to be among the Natives, by the Miffionaries, both in the East and West-Indies, and to have a near refemblance to their own Rites, feem to prove that there have formerly been Chriftian Monks amongst them; rather than that this proceeds (as the Miffionaries imagined) from an ambition that the Devil has to Ape, as they fay, what is done in God's Service; or that we may conclude, conclude, as fome Proteftants have done a little too haftily, that this it felf is a fufficient Argument that the Devil is the Au thor of fuch Rites, because they are found amongst his Worshippers. If we confider ke the vast numbers of Monks, in ancient Times, in the Eaftern Parts of the World, who were Men of an active and indefatifel gable Zeal, it may well be fuppofed that fome of them might find the way into those Countreys which have been but lately difcovered to the reft of the World. Voy des, 1.3. de diverfis It is evident from the unanimous Testith mony both of Proteftants and Papists, that there are manifest Tokens, in all Parts of the World, that the Chriftian Religion has been preached amongst them. And it muft,.. in common Juftice, be confeft, that the lat-(a) Túter Miffionaries have preached the Gofpel vern among the Indians with great zeal and fuc-age des Incefs. A King of Ceylon (a) received Baptifm, c. 4. and was very zealous to bring over his Sub (Varen jects to the Chriftian Faith; and one of Gent.Relig their most learned Men became a Chriftian id. Voyage at the fame time; but the King was depofed de Perfe by his Idolatrous Subjects. Some of the ofor, de re Kings of Congo (b) have been converted, bus Eman 1.3, 8, 10. The King of Monomotapa (c), reigning (3) Tave voy A. D. MDCXXXI, was a Chriftian. And in ibidgede pers Japan (d), A. D. MDCXIII, there were (d) Ibid. (e) Varer. Four hundred thousand Chriftians, who de Relig.in were all destroyed (e) by the Perfecution Regno Fa K 3 raised, C. 14. & pon, c.11. 1 raised, through the Covetousness of some Dutch Merchants, and their malicious Plots. and Contrivances, to engrofs the Trade of thofe Islands to themselves. And indeed, by the Accounts which we have of those Parts, the Lives of the Europeans have been fo fcandalous, and fo contrary to their Religion, that befides the guilt of the fins themselves, they have a great deal to answer, for that hindrance which they have thereby given to the progrefs of Christianity among those poor People, who have generally fhewn a good inclination and forwardness to be inftructed; and in times of Perfecution, both from Mahometans and Idolaters, even Children have born all forts of Tor(f)Varen. ments (f) with wonderful Courage and Patience. ibid. €: 6, Semed Hift, of China, part 2, Bell. Tar tar. Le (8) Varen Several Kings of Japan (g) have been de Japan. converted: And in China, many of their principal Mandarines, or Governors, have been eminent for their zeal in the Chriftian Religion; and though the Chineses are naturally very timorous and cowardly, yet in all times of Perfecution, they have been obferved to continue firm and stedfast in the Faith. We are told, that the Mother, the Wife, and the Eldeft Son of the Emperor of China, were formerly converted, and that there is lately an Edict publifh'd in favour of the Chriftian Religion in China that a Prince of the Blood is be Compte, come come a Chriftian; and that the Emperor himself has caufed a Church to be erected. in his Palace, and lodges the Miffionaries near his own Person. And in the Wefts Indies, Cortes wrote to the Emperor, That I the People of Mechoacan (b) fent to him (b) 7.4for an Account of his Religion, being coff. 1.5. weary of their own, for its cruel and bloody الا Rites. C. 22.0 It is obfervable, That Chriftianity has been ftill profeffed in those Parts of the World where there has been moft Learning and Commerce; where they have been moft able, and have had moft opportunities to inftruct other Nations. To which end, the vaft extent first of the Greek, and Latin, and Syriac, and fince of the Sclavonian and Arabick Tongues, has been very advantageous; the Scriptures of the New Teftament being written in the firft, and tranflated into all the rest. And though, by the Juft and Wife Providence of God, Mabumetans and Idolaters, have been fuffered to poffefs themselves of thofe Places, in Greece, Afia and Africa, where the Chriftian Religion formerly moft flourished; yet there are still fuch remainders of the Chriftian Religion amongst them, as to give them opportunity to be converted; and when their fins fhall not hinder, to reftore the Gospel to those Countries, as before. For, by (i) BrereMr. Brerewood's Account, (i) in the Do- wood's En minions quir.c.io. K 4 |