386 lawson's history 



we neither give allowance for their natural disposi- 

 tion, nor the sylvian education,and strange customs 

 (uncouth to us) they lie under and have ever been 

 trained up to; these are false measures for chris- 

 tians to take, and indeed no man can be reckoned 

 a moralist only, who will not make choice and use 

 of better rules to walk and act by. We trade with 

 them, it is true, but to what end ? ]^ot to show 

 them the steps of virtue, and the golden rule, to do 

 as we would be done by. No, we have furnished 

 them with the vice of drunkenness, which is the 

 open road to all others, and daily cheat them in 

 every thing we sell, and esteem it a gift of Chris- 

 tianity not to sell to them so cheap as we do to 

 the christians, as we call ourselves. Pray, let me 

 know where is there to be found one sacred com- 

 mand or precept of our master, that counsels us to 

 such behavior ? Besides, I believe it will not ap- 

 pear but that all the wars which we have had with 

 the savages, were occasioned by the unjust deal- 

 ings of the christians towards them. I can name 

 more than a few, which my own enquiry has giv- 

 en me a right understanding of, and I am afraid 

 the remainder (if they come to the test) will prove 

 themselves birds of the same feather. 



As we are in christian duty bound, so we must 

 act and behave ourselves to these savages, if we 

 either intend to be serviceable in converting them 

 to the knowledge of the gospel, or discharge the 

 duty which every man, within the pale of the 

 christian church, is bound to do. Upon this score, 



