experience I had in my retirement:  It was that infinite and inexpressible blessing, the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ, which was so plain and easy to be understood, as immediately to direct me to carry on the great work of sincere repentance for my sins, and laying hold of a Saviour for eternal life, to a practical stated reformation, and obedience to all God’s institutions, without the assistance of a reverend and orthodox divine; and especially by this same instruction, so to enlighten this savage creature, as to make him so good a Christian, as very few could exceed him.  And there was only this great thing wanting, that I had no authority to administer the Holy Sacrament, that heavenly participation of Christ’s body and blood; yet, however, we rested ourselves content; that God would accept our desires, and according to our faith, have mercy on us.

But what we wanted one way, was made up in another, and that was universal peace in our little church.  We had no disputes and wrangling about the nature and equality of the holy, blessed, and undivided Trinity, no niceties in doctrine, or schemes of church government; no sour or morale dissenters to impose more sublimated notions upon us; no pedant sophisters to confound us with unintelligible mysteries:  but, instead of all this, we enjoyed the most certain guide to Heaven; that is, the word of God:  besides which, we had the comfortable views of his Spirit leading us to the truth, and making us both willing and obedient to the instruction of his word.  As the knowledge and practice of this are the principal means of salvation, I cannot see what it avails any christian church, or man in the world, to amuse himself with speculations and opinions, except it be to display their particular vanity and affectation.

You may well suppose, that, by the frequent discourse we had together, my man and I became most intimately acquainted, and that their was but very little that I could say, but what Friday understood; and, indeed, he spoke very fluently, though it was but broken English.  I now took a particular pleasure in relating all my adventures, especially those that occurred since my being cast on this island.  I made him understand that wonderful mystery, as he conceived, of gunpowder and bullet, and taught him how to shoot.  I also presented to him a knife, which pleased him exceedingly, making him a belt, with a frog hanging thereto, like those in which we wear hangers in England; and, instead of a hanger to put in the frog, I gave him a hatchet, which was not only as good, but even a better weapon upon many occasions.  In a word, my man thus accoutred, looked upon himself as great as Don Quixote, when that celebrated champion went to combat the windmill.