AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1592. 



to receive or deliver unto others, opinions (grounded 

 upon no plaine and manifest places of Scripture) for 

 certainties and trueths. Deut. 4. and 12. Esay 8. Matth. 

 27. 2. Tim. 3. 



Further also that commendation wherewith Munster 

 and Krantzius doe grace the Islanders, is meerly contrary 

 to Christian religion : namely, that they make al one 

 reckoning of their whelps and of their children. But 

 more of this matter anone in the 7. section. So there- 

 fore Munster disagreeth with himselfe, whereas those 

 whom he affirmeth to be Christians, afterward he maketh 

 to be master-builders of hell. Also Krantzius and 

 Munster both together, when as those whom they affirme 

 to be engraffed by faith into Christ, they exempt from all 

 sense of pietie and honesty, in that they write that their 

 sonnes are not dearer unto them then their whelpes. 



But to returne to the matter : In very deed we have 

 no great thing to say concerning our religion, what, or of 

 what sort it was when Gentilisme was first put to flight. 

 No more (I thinke) have other Northern nations neere 

 unto us to say concerning ye beginning of their faith. 

 For (alas) we must needs confesse & bewaile with deepe 

 sighes, that untill that day which shined unto us like the 

 beginning of immortalitie, & brought unto us the pure 

 doctrine of the gospel, our countrymen, as likewise other 

 churches of the North, were over-spred with more then 

 Cimmerian darkenesse. But we may justly and re- 

 ligiously thinke thus much, that among us and our 

 neighbors of Norway (for I wil not range out of my 

 bounds, nor affirme any thing of unknowen people) 

 after heathenish idolatry was rooted out. Christian faith 

 & religion did florish far more sincere and simple, as 

 being lesse infected with the poison of poperie at that 

 time, then afterward, when as the pestiferous leaven of 

 the see of Rome being augmented, & the contagious 

 mischiefe growing ripe, the poison thereof was dispersed 

 through ye whole world : for, as it shal afterward 

 appeare. Island embraced Christ many yeeres before the 



144 



