A New Survey of the Weft-Indies.            175
he or Satan had againft the power of my faith in Chrift. After much arguing and rea-
foning according to the fhallow capacity of the Indians prefent, I told them if that
their God had power to deliver him from that execution, which I had intended againft
him ( which was there publickly to have him cut in pieces and burnt) they fhould not
believe the Gofpellof Jefus Chrift; but if they faw no power at all in him againft
me the weakeft inftrument of the true living God, then I befeeched them to be conver-
ted unto that true God who created all things, and to embrace falvation by his Son
the only Mediatour and Saviour Jefus Chrift, and to renounce and abjure from that
time all Heathenifh Idolatry of their forefathers, affuring them for what was paft I
wpuld intercede for them, and fecure them from what punifhment might be inflided
upon them by the Prfident and Bifhop, and if they would come to me, I would fpend
my beft indevours for the helping and furthering of them in the way of Chriftia-
nity.
And thus concluding without naming any perfon, I went down out Of the Pulpit,
and caufed the Idol to be brought after me, and fending for an axe, and for two or
three great pans of coals, I commanded him to be hewen in very fmall peeces, and to
be caft in the fire and burned before all the people in the midft ofthe Church. The
Spaniards cried out joyfully Viiior Vkior, arid others repeated, Gloria a nofiro Dios,
Glory to our God : the Idolaters held their peace and fpake not then a word. But af-
terwards they aded moft fpightfully againft me, and confpired day and night to get
me at fome advantage, and to kill me.- I writ to the frefident of Guatemala informing
him of what I had done; and to the Bifhop (as an Inquifitor to whom fuch cafes
of Idolatry did belong) to be informed from him of what courfe I fhould take with
the Indians who were butin part yet difcovered unto me, and thofe only by the rela-
tion of one Indian. From both I received great thanks for my pains in fearching the
mountain, and finding out the Idol, and for my zeal in burning of it. And as touch-
ing the Indian Idolaters their counfell unto me was, that I fhould further enquire af-
ter the reft and difcover as many as I could, and indevour to convert them to the
knowledge of the true God by fair and fweet means, fhewing pity unto them for
their great biindneffe, and proraifing them upon their repentance pardon from the In-
quifition, which confidering them to be but new plants ufetfr not fuch rigour with
them, which it ufeth with Spaniards if they fall into fuch horrible fins. This advife
I followed, and fent privately for the Fuentes to my chamber, and told them how mer-
cifull the Inquifition was unto them; expeding their converfion and amendment. They
feemed fomwhat ftubborne and angry for that  had burned that God, whom not only
they, but many others in the Town , and alfo in the Town of Saint fohn Sacatepe-
qucs 'did worfhip. I ufed reafons to perfwade them no honour was due unto it,as to a
God. But one of them boldly replyed, thatthey knew that it was a peece of wood
and of it felf could not fpeak, but feeing it had fpoken ( as they were all witneffes)
this was a miracle whereby they ought to be guided, and they did verily beleeve that
God was in that peece of wood, which fince the fpeech made by it was more then or-
dinary wood, having God himfelf in it, and therefore deferved more offerings and a-
doration then thofe Saints in the Church, who did never fpeak unto the people. I
told them that the Devill rather had framed that fpeech (if any they had heard ) for
to deceive their fouls and lead them to hell; which they might eafily perceive from the
Dodrine which I was informed he had preached againft Chrift tlie only begotten fon
of God, whom the Father loveth and in whom he is well pleafed, and againft whom
he certainly would not fpeak in that Idol. Another anfwered boldly, our forefathers
never knew what Chrift was, ntill the Spaniards came unto that Countrey , but they
knew there were Gods, and did worfhip therh,and did facrificeunto them ; and for ought
they knew this God of theirs belonged in old times unto their forefathers. Why then,
faid I unto them, he was a weak God who by my hands hath been burned i I per-
ceived that at that time there was no reafoning with them, for they were ftubborn and
captious, andfo I difiuiffed them. . Had not God ftioft graeioufly proteded me agaiiiff
thefe my enemies, I had certainly been murthered by them ; for a moneth after the
burning of the Idol, when I thought all had been forgotten, and that the Idolaters
were quiet, then they began to ad their fpight and malice,which firft I difcovered by a
noife which once at midnight I heard of people about my houfe, and at my chamber
door; to whom I called out from my bed flot daring to open, but Could have no,
ar-
.