598 SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA. 



of its doctrinal theology or theoretical politics, but because it is concern- 

 ed in the amendment of the social condition of the people. That is pre- 

 cisely the principle which accomplished the civilization of Europe ; and, 

 with regard to the capacity of those nations to receive Christianity, we 

 may, even to our shame, recall the circumstance that the Abyssinians are 

 yet a Christian people, still retaining the ancient faith delivered to them 

 in the apostolic ages, when our forefathers were pagan barbarians. Sur- 

 rounded by the most depressing and antagonizing influences, they have 

 held fast to their faith for nearly eighteen centuries. The hoary Abys- 

 sinian Church carries us back beyond the Council of Chalcedon and the 

 disputes of the Eutychians ; its literature is full of the questions which 

 exercised the faithful in the primitive times of the brethren at Jerusalem 

 circumcision, things strangled, meats prohibited by the law of Moses ; 

 and yet, to the discredit of the European and American, it must be said 

 that this Church, full of incidents of the most singular and touching in- 

 terest, has scarcely had (with one exception) any sympathy extended to 

 it by other Christian people. 



From these considerations of the effects of Asiatic civilization upon 

 Spread of Africa, we may profitably turn to a brief statement of that of 

 ^/t^Amer" Eur P e u P on tne red races of America. This result in the 

 icas. two continents, north and south, is, that in the latter, out of 



almost 1,700,000 aborigines, nearly 1,600,000 have embraced Christian- 

 ity, less than 100,000 remaining in the savage state. No such favorable 

 impression has been made upon the aborigines of the northern continent, 

 who, as is well known, are steadily diminishing in numbers, and many 

 tribes that were once numerous have disappeared. This has taken place 

 notwithstanding the care which has been manifested by the government 

 of the United States for all those who are within its territories. It does 

 not appear that the conclusion which has been drawn by some eminent 

 authors in view of these facts can be maintained, that " this considera- 

 tion, if we can separate it from the events of the Spanish conquest, for 

 which it is to be hoped that the soldiers, and not the ministers of relig- 

 ion, are responsible, must be allowed to reflect honor on the Eoman Cath- 

 olic Church, and cast a deep shade on the history of Protestantism." 



That this conclusion is incorrect is shown at once by the very tables 

 that are relied on for its support. Out of the 100,000 aborigines of 

 South America who remain heathen, more than 66,000, that is to say, 

 two thirds, belong to the Araucanian and Patagonian branches, who are 

 the counterparts for that continent of the Indians of the United States 

 and British American territories in this. Upon these it may be truly 

 said that no impression whatever has been made: Of the Patagonian 

 branch, estimated at more than 32,000, only 100 individuals are stated 

 to have embraced Christianity, and of the Araucanian branch, consisting 



