ministered by
priests; but they are instructed concerning them, and long most
vehemently for them. They have had great disputes among themselves,
whether one chosen by them to be a priest would not be thereby qualified
to do all the things that belong to that character, even though he had
no authority derived from the Pope; and they seemed to be resolved to
choose some for that employment, but they had not done it when I left
them.

Those among them that have not received our religion, do not fright any
from it, and use none ill that goes over to it; so that all the while I
was there, one man was only punished on this occasion. He being newly
baptized, did, notwithstanding all that we could say to the contrary,
dispute publicly concerning the Christian religion with more zeal than
discretion; and with so much heat, that he not only preferred our
worship to theirs, but condemned all their rites as profane; and cried
out against all that adhered to them, as impious and sacrilegious
persons, that were to be damned to everlasting burnings. Upon his having
frequently preached in this manner, he was seized, and after trial he
was condemned to banishment, not for having disparaged their religion,
but for his inflaming the people to sedition: for this is one of their
most ancient laws, that no man ought to be punished for his religion. At
the first constitution of their government, Utopus having understood
that before his coming among them the old inhabitants had been engaged
in great quarrels concerning religion, by which they were so divided
among themselves, that he found it an easy thing to conquer them, since
instead of uniting their forces against him, every different party in
religion fought by themselves; after he had subdued them, he made a law
that every man might be of what religion he pleased, and might endeavour
to draw others to it by the force of argument, and by amicable and
modest ways, but without bitterness against those of other opinions; but
that he ought to use no other force but that of persuasion, and was
neither to mix with it reproaches nor violence; and such as did
otherwise were to be condemned to banishment or slavery.

This law was made by Utopus, not only for preserving the public peace,
which he saw suffered much by daily contentions and irreconcilable
heats, but because he thought the interest of religion itself required
it. He judged it not fit to determine anything rashly, and seemed to
doub