486 CHARITY IS CHRISTIANITY.

Catholic Church just in the time when I may desire it, leaving it
to the goodness of Christ to perfect his work in his own time and
in his own way? Certainly I would rejoice if all the savages in
America were brought like this poor woman to pray to God,
though they were to be all Protestants at first, rather than they
should continue pagans and heathens, firmly believing that He that
had bestowed the first light to them would further illuminate them
with a beam of his heavenly grace, and bring them into the pale
of his Church when he should see good.”

I was astonished at the sincerity and temper of this truly pious
Papist, as much as I was oppressed by the power of his reasoning ;
and it presently occurred to my thoughts, that if such a temper was
universal, we might be all Catholic Christians, whatever church or
particular profession we joined to, or joined in; that a spirit of
charity would soon work us all up into right principles. And in
a word, as he thought that the like charity would make us all
Gatholics, so I told him I believed had all the members of his
church the like moderation, they would soon be all Protestants.
And there we left that part, for we never disputed at all.

However, T talked to him another way, and taking him by the
hand, “ My friend,” says I, ‘TI wish all the clergy of the Romish
Church were blessed with such moderation, and had an equal share
of your charity. I am entirely of your opinion; but I must tell
you that if you should preach such doctrine in Spain or Italy,
they would put you into the Inquisition.”

“Tt may be so,” said he; “T know not what they might do in
Spain or Italy; but I will not say they would be the better
Christians for that severity, for 1 am sure there is no heresy in too
much charity.”

Well, as Will Atkins and his wife were gone, our business there
was over, so we went back our own way; and when we came back,
we found them waiting to be called in. Observing this, I asked
my clergyman if we should discover to him that we had seen him
under the bush, or no; and it was his opinion we should not, but
that we should talk to him first, and hear what he would say tc
us. So we called him in alone, nobody being in the place but
ourselves, and I began with him thus :—