288 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



fons equally denied the eucharift to the Indians and to the 

 Moors, who were flaves brought from Africa : that the 

 true reafons for denying it were, in the judgment of the 

 council, the negligence or floth, and the indifcreet and 

 mifapplied zeal of thofe ecclefiaftics, and that the council 

 found itfelf obliged to put a remedy to fo great a difor- 

 der by new decrees and fevere punilhments. "We know 

 well alfo, that thofe refpec"table decrees were not exa&ly 

 executed, and it became neceflary for thediocefan fynod 

 of Lima, Plata, Paz, Arequipa and Paraguay, to incul- 

 cate them afrefh ; but that demonftratcs the obftinacy of 

 the ecclefiaftics, not the want of capacity in the Ame- 

 ricans. 



With refpect to the bull of Paul III. we have already 

 fhewn that it was not intended to declare the Ameri- 

 cans men, but, on account of their right to all the privi- 

 leges of men, to condemn their oppreffors. 



In regard to the third error of Dr. Robertfon, which 

 we have mentioned above, omitting at prefent what be- 

 longs to other countries of America as it is not neceflary 

 here ; it is certain and notorious, that in all New Spain 

 the Indians are obliged as much as the Spaniards to re- 

 ceive the Eucharift at Eafter, except thofe of remote 

 countries, who are admitted or not to the facred ta- 

 ble, according to the judgment of the muTionaries. In 

 the three audiences into which New Spain is divided, 

 there are, fays Robertfon, at Jeaft two millions of Indi- 

 ans (a). We are confident that this number is much in- 

 ferior to the truth ; but be it fo and no more. The 

 Indians therefore, are not very few in number who pof- 

 fefs fo great a portion of fpiritual difcernment as to be 



judged 



(a) Hiftory of America, Book viii. 



