The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

196 TOBIAS SMOLLETT
(answered the lieutenant) it is among those Indians a matter of
great simplicity—they never heard of any Alliance between Church
and State.—They, in general, worship two contending principles;
one the Fountain of all Good, the other the source of evil.—The
common people there, as in other countries, run into the absur-
dities of superstition; but sensible men pay adoration to a Supreme
Being, who created and sustains the universe.’ ‘O! what pity,
(exclaimed the pious Tabby) that some holy man has not been
inspired to go and convert these poor heathens!’
The lieutenant told her, that while he resided among them, two
French missionaries arrived, in order to convert them to the
catholic religion; but when they talked of mysteries and revela-
tions, which they could neither explain nor authenticate, and called
in the evidence of miracles which they believed upon hearsay;
when they taught, that the Supreme Creator of Heaven and Earth
had allowed his only Son, his own equal in power and glory, to
enter the bowels of a woman, to be born as a human creature, to be
insulted, flagellated, and even executed as a malefactor; when they
pretended to create God himself, to swallow, digest, revive, and
multiply him ad infinitum, by the help of a little flour and water,
the Indians were shocked at the impiety of their presumption.—
They were examined by the assembly of the sachems, who desired
them to prove the divinity of their mission by some miracle.—
They answered, that it was not in their power.—‘If you were really
sent by Heaven for our conversion, (said one of the sachems) you
would certainly have some supernatural endowments, at least
you would have the gift of tongues, in order to explain your doctrine
to the different nations among which you are employed; but you
are so ignorant of our language, that you cannot express yourselves
even on the most trifling subjects.’
In a word, the assembly were convinced of their being cheats,
and even suspected them of being spies:—they ordered them a
bag of Indian corn a-piece, and appointed a guide to conduct them
to the frontiers; but the missionaries having more zeal than dis-
cretion, refused to quit the vineyard.—They persisted in saying
mass, in preaching, baptizing, and squabbling with the conjurers,
or priests of the country, till they had thrown the whole com-
munity into confusion.—Then the assembly proceeded to try
them as impious impostors, who represented the Almighty as a
trifling, weak, capricious being, and pretended to make, unmake,