*5
o
A !y\ew Survey ofthe Weft-Indies.

Fryers and Priefts, who ftudy nothing more then their own ends, and to enrich them-
felves from the Church and Altar 1 their policies (who are the wife and prudent chil-
dren of this world fpoken of in the Gofpell) can eafily overtop and matter the fim-
plicity of the poor Indians.-^ who rather then they will bring, an affront upon their
Town, by fuffering any of. their Saints to be caft out of their Church, or to be with
niony redeemed out of «he fecular powers hands, will make haft to prefent unto hua
an owner of that orphan Saint, who for him fhall give to the Prieft not only what he
maybe prized to be worth in a Painters fhop for the workmanfhip, gold.and colours
belonging to him ; but befides fhall prefent him what before hath been obferved, for
the foiernnizing of his feaft, Thefe feafts bring yet unto the Saints more profit then
hitherto hath been fpoken of ;? for the Indians have been taught that upon fuch dayes
they ought to offer up fomewhat unto, the Saints; and therefore they prepare either
money (fome a Riall, fome two, fome more) or elfe commonly about Guatemala white
wax-candles, and in other places Cacao, or fruits, which they lay before the image
of the Saint,, whilft the Maffe is celebrating. Some Indians will bring a bundle of can-
dles ofa dozen tied together ofRials apiece fome, fome of three or four for a Riall,
and will if they be let alone light them all together and burn them out, fo that the
Prieft at the end ofthe Maffe will find.nothingbut the ends. Therefore (knowing
well, of the wayes of policy and coveteufheffe) he chargeth the Church officers, whom
I faid bdore were called Mayordomo's to look tothe offerings,and not to fuffer the /«-
dians who bring candles to light more then one before the Saint, and to leave the other
before himunlighted (having formerly taught them, that the Saints are as well pleafed
with their whole candles as with their burnt candles) that fo he may have the more
to fell and make money of. After Maffe the;Prieft and the Mayordomo's take and fweep
away from the Saint whatfoever they find hath been offered unto hiçi; fothat fome-
times in a great Town upon fuch a Saints day the Prieft may havein money twelve or
twenty Rials, and fifty or a Hundred candles,; which may be worth unto him twenty or
thirty fhillings, befides fome ends and pieces.. Moft ofthe Fryers about 'Guatemala
are with thefe offeringsaswdf ftored with :candles, as is any Wax-chandfers.fh©p ht
the City. And the fame candles which thtas they have received by-offerings they
need not care to fell them away to Spaniards,who come about to buy them (though fome
will rather fell them together to fuch though cheaper,, thac their money might come in
all at once) for the Indians themfelves when they want again any candles tor the like
feaft, or for aChnftening, and for a womans Churching (at which times they alfo
offer candles ) will buy their own again of the Prieft, who fometimes receiveth the
fame candles and money for them again five or fix times. And becaufe they find that the
Indians incline very much to this kind of offerings, and that they are fo profitable unv
to them, the Fryers do much preffe upon the Indians in their preaching this point of
thdr Rdlgion, and devotion. But if you demand of thefe ignorant, but zealous of-
ferers the Indians an account of any point of faith, they will give you little or none.
The myftery of the Trinity, and of the incarnation of Chnft, and our redemption
by him istoohardfor them; they will only anfwer what they have been taught in a
Catechifme of queftions x.,u infwers; but if you aske them if they believe fuch a
point of Chriftianity, they will, never anfwer affirmatively, but only thus, Perhaps it
may be fo. They aie taught there the dodrine of Rome, that Chrifts body is truely
and really prefent in the Sacrament,, and no bread in fubftance,but only the accidents;
if thewifeft/«„w»beasked, whether he believe this, he wifi anfwer, Perhaps it may
befo. Once an old woman, who washeld to be very religious, inthe Town of Mixco,-
came to me about receivingtheSacrament,and whileft I was inftruding of her, I asked
her if fhe believed that Chrifts body was in the Sacrament, file anfwered, Peradventure _
may be fo. A little while after to try her and get her ; out of this ftrain and common an-
fwer,I asked her what and who wasinthe Sacrament which flie recdved frofn the Pneitft-
hand at the Altar ; fhe anfwered nothing for a while-, and at laft I preffedupon her for-
an affirmative anfwer : and then fhe began to look about to the Saints in the Church ,
(which was dedicated to a Saint which they call St. Dominicty and, as it feemed, be-
ing troubled and doubtful what to fay,at laft fhe«aft her eyes upon the high Altar ;but Î
feeing fhe delayed the time, asked her again,who was in the Sacrament r to which the re-
plyed,St. Dominkk., who was the Patron of that Church and Town. At this I finiled, and
would yet further try her fimplicity with a fimple queftion.I told her flie fâw St. Demwkk-
was