Roger Williams (1603-1683) and Louis Nicolas (1634-1682?) discuss the native people and religions of North America in different ways. Each wrote a book about an indigenous language; both describe Native customs and religious practices. Both of them believe that any non-Christian is lost, but their references to indigenous religions are different in tone, and reflect their positions in 17th-century controversies. In an apparent paradox based on theological grounds, the man who found New England Puritans not pure enough speaks more tolerantly of non-Christian religions than does the more broadly educated Jesuit.
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