pent, but others that will bee ruled by him, they learne by him and come to know his minde; so wee said English men seek God, dwell in his house, heare his word, pray to God, instruct their children out of Gods booke, hence they come to know God; but Indians forefathers were stubborne and rebellious children, and would not heare the word, did not care to pray nor to teach their children, and hence Indians that now are, do not know God at all and so must continue unlesse they repent, and returne to God and pray, and teach their children what they now may learne: but withall wee told them that many English men did not know God but were like to Kitchamakins drunken Indians; Nor were wee willing to tell them the story of the scattering of Noahs children since the flood, and thereby to shew them how the Indians come to bee so ignorant, because it was too difficult, and the history of the Bible is reserved for them (if God will) to be opened at a more convenient season in their owne tongue. Their third question was, How may wee come to 3. Quest. serve God? [p. 11.] Wee asked him that did propound it whether he did desire indeed to serve him? and hee said, yes. Hereupon wee Ansio said, first, they must lament their blindnesse and Their fourth Question was, How it comes to passe 4. Quest. v that the Sea water was salt, and the Land water fresh./ Answ. 'Tis so from the wonderfull worke of God, as why are Strawberries sweet and Cranberries sowre, there is no reason but the wonderfull worke of God that made them so: our study was chiefly to make them acknowledge A Berry which God in his workes, yet wee gave them also the reason Winter and of it from naturall causes which they lesse understood, very sowre, yet did understand somewhat appearing by their usuall they are called signes of approving what they understand. here Bearber ries. Their fifth Question was, that if the water was higher then the earth, how comes it to passe that it doth not overflow all the earth? 5. Quest. Answ. Wee still held God before them, and shewed that this must needes bee the wonderfull worke of God, and we tooke an apple and thereby shewed them how the earth and water made one round globe like that apple; and how the Sun moved about it; and then shewed them how God made a great hole or ditch, into which hee put the waters of the Sea, so that though it was upon the earth and therefore above the earth, yet we told them that by making so deepe a hole the waters were kept within compasse [p. 12.] that they could not overflow, just as if Indians making a hole to put in much water, the water cannot overflow nor runne abroad, which they would if they had no such hole; so it was with God, it was his mighty power that digged a hole for all Sea-waters, as a deepe ditch, and there by God kept them in from overflowing the whole earth, which otherwise would quickly drowne all. They having spent much conference amongst themselves about Ansio. these Questions and the night hastening, we desired 6. Quest. them to propound some other Questions, or if not, we would aske them some, hereupon one of them asked us; If a man hath committed adultery or stolen any goods, and the Sachim doth not punish him, nor by any law is hee punished, if also he restore the goods he hath stolen, what then? whether is not all well now ? meaning that if Gods Law was broken and no man punished him for it, that then no punishment should come from God for it, and as if by restoring againe an amends was made to God. Althongh man be not offended for such sinnes yet God is angry, and his anger burnes like fire against all sinners: and here wee set out the holinesse and terrour of God in respect of the least sinne; yet if such a sinner with whom God is angry fly to Jesus Christ, and repent and seeke for mercy and pardon for Christ's sake, that then God will forgive and pity. Upon the hearing of which answer hee that propounded the question drew somewhat backe and hung downe his head as a man smitten to the very heart, with his eyes ready to drop, and within a little while after brake out into a complaint, Mee little know Jesus Christ, otherwise he thought he should seeke him better: we therefore told him, that looke as it was in the morning at first there is but a little light, then there is more light, then there is day, then the Sun is up, then the Sun warmes and heates, &c. so it was true they knew but little of Jesus Christ now, but wee had more to tell them concerning him hereafter, and after that more and after that more, untill at last they may come to know Christ as the English doe; and wee taught them but a little at a time, because they could understand but little, and if they prayed to God to teach them, he would send his Spirit and teach them more, they and their fathers had lived in ignorance untill now, it hath [p. 13.] beene a long night wherein they have slept and have not regarded God, but now the day-light began to stirre upon them, they might hope therefore for more ere long, to bee made knowne to them. Thus having spent some houres with them, wee propounded two Questions. What do you remember of what was taught you the last time wee were here? since 1 Quest. After they had spoken one to another for some time, one of them returned this answer, that they did much thanke God for our comming, and for what they heard, they were wonderfull things unto them. Doe you beleeve the things that are told you, viz. musquantum, i. e. very angry for the least sinne in your thoughts, or words, or workes? Answ. that God is 2 Quest. Answ. They said yes, and hereupon wee set forth the terrour of God against sinners, and mercy of God to the penitent, and to such as sought to know Jesus Christ, and that as sinners should bee after death, Chechainuppan, i. e. tormented alive, (for wee know no other word in the tongue to expresse extreame torture by) so beleevers should after death Wowein wicke Jehovah, i. e. live in all blisse with Jehovah the blessed God: and so we concluded conference. Having thus spent the whole afternoone, and night being almost come upon us; considering that the Indians formerly desired to know how to pray, and did thinke that Jesus Christ did not understand Indian language, one of us therefore prepared to pray in their own language, and did so for above a quarter of an houre together, wherein divers of them held up eies and hands to heaven; all of them (as wee understood afterwards) understanding the same; but one of them I cast my eye upon, was hanging downe his head with his rag before his eyes weeping; at first I feared it was some sorenesse of his eyes, but lifting up his head againe, having wiped his eyes (as not desirous to be seene) I easily perceived his eyes were not sore, yet somewhat red with crying; and so held up his head for a while, yet such was the presence and mighty power of the Lord Jesus on his heart that hee hung downe his head againe, and covered his eyes againe and so [p. 14.] fell wiping and wiping of them weeping abundantly, continuing thus till prayer was ended, after which hee presently turnes from us, and turnes his face to a side and corner of the Wigwam, and there fals a weeping more aboundantly by himselfe, which one of us perceiving, went to him, and spake to him encouraging words; at the hearing of which hee fell a weeping more and more; so leaving of him, he who spake to him came unto mee (being newly gone out of the Wigwam) and told mee of his teares, so we resolved to goe againe both of us to him, and speake to him againe, and wee met him comming out of the Wigwam, and there wee spake againe to him, and he there fell into a more abundant renewed weeping, like one deeply and inwardly affected indeed, which forced us also to such bowels of compassion that wee could not forbeare weeping over him also: and so wee parted greatly rejoycing for such sorrowing. Thus I have as faithfully as I could remember given you a true account of our beginnings with the Indians within our owne bounds; which cannot but bee matter of more serious thoughts what further to doe with these poore Natives the dregs of mankinde and the saddest spectacles of misery of meere men upon earth: wee did thinke to forbeare going to them this winter, but this last dayes worke wherein God set his seale from heaven of acceptance of our little, makes those of us who are able, to resolve to adventure thorow frost and snow, lest the fire goe out of their hearts for want of a little more fewell: to which we are the more incouraged, in that the next day after our being with them, one of the Indians came to his house who preacht to them to speake with him, who in private conference wept exceedingly, and said that all that night the Indians could not sleepe, partly with trouble of minde, and partly with wondring at the things they heard preacht amongst them; another Indian comming also to him the next day after, told him how many of the wicked sort of Indians began to oppose these beginnings. Whence these Indians came here to inhabit is not certaine, his reasons are most probable who thinke they are Tartars passing out of Asia into America by the straits of Anian, who being spilt by some revenging hand of God upon this continent like water [p. 15.] upon the ground are spread as farre as these Atlanticke shores, there being but few of them in these parts in comparison of those which are more contiguous to the Anian straits, if we may credit some Historians herein what ever these conjectures and uncertainties bee, certaine it is, that they are inheritors of a grievous and fearefull curse living so long without Ephod or Teraphim, and in nearest alliance to the wilde beasts that perish; and as God delights to convey blessings of mercy to the posterity of some, in respect of his promise to their fathers, so are curses entailed and come by naturall descent unto others, for some great sinnes of their Ancestors, as no doubt it is in respect of these. Yet notwithstanding the deepest degeneracies are no stop to the overflowing grace and bloud of Christ, when the time of love shall come, no not to these poore outcasts, the utmost ends of the earth being appointed to bee in time, the Sonne of Gods possession. Wee are oft upbraided by some of our Countrymen that so little good is done by our professing planters upon the hearts of Natives; auch men have surely more spleene then judgement, and know not the vast distance of Natives from common civility, almost humanity it selfe, and 'tis as if they should reproach us for not making the windes to blow when wee list our selves, it must certainely be a spirit of life from God (not in mans power) which must put flesh and sinewes unto these dry bones: if wee would force them to baptisme (as the Spaniards do about Cusco, Peru, and Mexico, having learnt them a short answer or two to some Popish questions) or if wee would hire them to it by giving them coates and shirts, to allure them to it (as some others have done) wee could have gathered many hundreds, yea thousands it may bee by this time, into the name of Churches; but wee have not learnt as yet that art of coyning Christians, or putting Christs name and Image upon copper mettle. Although I thinke we have much cause to bee humbled that wee have not endeavoured more then wee have done their conversion and peace with God, who enjoy the mercy and peace of God in their land. Three things have made us thinke (as they once did of building the Temple) it is not yet time for God to worke, 1. Because till the Jewes come in, there is a seale set upon the hearts of those people, as [p. 16.] they thinke from some Apocalypticall places. 2. That as in nature there is no progresses ab extremo ad extremum nisi per media, so in religion such as are so extreamly degenerate, must bee brought to some civility before religion can prosper, or the word take place. 3. Because wee want miraculous and extraordinary gifts without which no conversion can bee expected amongst these: But me thinkes now that it is with the Indians as it was with our New-English ground when we first came over, there was scarce any man that could beleeve that English graine would grow, or that the Plow could doe any good in this woody and rocky soile. And thus they continued in this supine unbeliefe for some yeares, till experience taught them otherwise, and now all see it to bee scarce inferiour to Old-English tillage, but beares very good burdens; so wee have thought of our Indian people, and therefore have beene discouraged to put plow to such dry and rocky ground, but God' having begun thus with some few it may bee they are better soile for the Gospel then wee can thinke: I confesse I thinke no great good will bee done till they bee more civilized, but why may not God begin with some few, to awaken others by degrees? nor doe I expect any great good will bee wrought by the English (leaving secrets to God) (although the English surely begin and lay the first stones of Christs Kingdome and Temple amongst them) because God is wont ordinarily to convert Nations and peoples by some of their owne country men who are nearest to them, and can best speake, and most of all pity their brethren and countrimen, but yet if the least beginnings be made by the conversion of two or three, its worth all our time and travailes, and cause of much thankfulnesse * |