Cap. XI V. The Garibby-Iflands. 285 



reprefcntip^ fome ore of thofe curfed Spirits, in the molt hide- 

 ous pcfture ia which they had Tometime arpear'd unto them, 

 as we have hinted in the precedent Chapter. 



Itisalfo conceiv'd 9 That it is out of the ft me defign of infi- 

 nuating l hemfelves into the favour of thofe Monftersjthat many 

 times the\ macerate their Bodies by many bloody incifions and 

 fuperfriti vas abftinences, and that they nave fo great a venera- 

 tion for rhe Magicians, who are the infamous Minifters of thefe 

 infer al Furies, and the Executioners of their enraged Paffi- 

 ons : Yet. nave not thefe abus'd wretches any Laws determining 

 the precife time of all thefe damnable Ceremonies^ but the lame 

 wicked Spirit which inclines them thereto, finds them occafions 

 enough to exercife them, either by the ill treatment they re- 

 ceive frqm him, or their own curiofity to know the event of 

 fome military Enterprife, or the fuccefs of fome Difeafe, or 

 laftly to find out the means of revenging themfelves of their 

 Enemies. 



But fince thofe who have liv'd many years in the midft of 

 that Nation unanimoufly affirm, That in their greateft diftref- 

 fes they never few them invocate any of thofe Spirits, we are 

 perfwaded, that all thofe little Services, which fear forces from 

 them rather then reverence or love, ought not to be account- 

 ed a true Worfhip, or acts cf Religion } and that we fhall give 

 thofe fooleries their right denomination, if we call them Super- 

 ftiiions, Enchantments, Sorceries, and fhamefnl productions 

 of that Art which is as black as are thofe Spirits of darknefs 

 v lv HO? their Boyez confult : And we may conclude alfo, that 

 th • meat and drink which they prefent to thofe counterfeit Di- 

 v ties, cannot be properly called Sacrifices, but exprcis Com- 

 p ts 'between the Divels and the Magicians, obliging them to 

 a r > >< ar when they call for them. 



So that it is nor to be thought ftrange, that in all thefe weak 

 feptijpeents which moft of the Caribbians have of whatever hath 

 any appearance of Religion , they fhould among themfelves 

 laugh at the Ceremonies of the Chriftians,and think theworfe 

 of thofe of their Nation who exprefs any inclination to be Ba- 

 ptifed : The fureft way therefore for thofe whofe hearts God 

 fhould open to believe the holy Gofpel,would be to leave their 

 Country and Friends,and to go into fome of thofe Iflands which 

 are inhabited only by Chriftians : For though they are not fo 

 •fuperftitious as the people of the Kingdom of Calecut , who 

 think it a horror only to touch a perfon of a contrary perfwafion 

 to theirs, as if they were thereby defil'd 5 nor yet ib rigorous 

 as they are in the Kingdom of regu 0 where when a man embra- 

 ces the Chriftian Religion, the wife celebrates his Funeral as if 

 he were dead, and ere&s a Tomb , at which having made her 

 Lamentations, fhe is at liberty to marry again, as if (he were 

 effectually a Widow j yet he among the Caribbians who fhould 



embrace 



