A Key into the Language of America, Chapter 21

A Key into the Language of America · Chapter 21

p. 114CHAP. XXI. Of Religion, the soule, &c.

p. 115Obs. He that questions whether God made the World, the Indians will teach him. I must acknowledge I have received in my converse with them many Confirmations of those two great points, Heb. 11. 6. viz:

1. That God is.

2. That hee is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him.

They will generally confesse that God made all: but then in speciall, although they deny not that English-mans God made English Men, and the Heavens and Earth there! yet their Gods made them and the Heaven, and Earth where they dwell.

Obs. I have heard a poore Indian lamenting the losse of a child at break of day, call up his Wife and children and all about him to Lamentation, and with abundance of teares cry out! O God thou hast taken away my child! thou art angry with me: O turne thine anger from me, and spare the rest of my children.

If they receive any good in hunting, fishing, Harvest &c. they acknowledge God in it.

Yea, if it be but an ordinary accident, a fall, &c. they will say God was angry and did it. p. 116musquantum manit God is angry. But herein is their Misery.

First they branch their God-head into many Gods.

Secondly, attribute it to Creatures.

First, many Gods: they have given m… the Names of thirty seven which I have, al… which in their solemne Worships they invo… cate: as

Kautántowwit the great South-West God, t… to whose House all soules goe, and fro… whom came their Corne Beanes, as they say

Even as the Papists have their He and Sh… Saint Protectors as St. George, St. Patric… St. Denis. Virgin Mary, &c.

Obs. I was once with a Native dying of wound, given him by some murtherous … (who rob'd him and run him throug… with a Rapier, from whom in the heat of h… wound, he at present escaped from them b… p. 117dying of his wound, they suffered Death at new Plymouth, in New-England, this Native dying call'd much upon Muckquachuckquànd, which of other Na…ves I understood (as they believed) had appeared to the dying young man, many yeares before, and bid him when ever he was in distresse call upon him.

Secondly, as they have many of these fained Deities: so worship they the Creatures in whom they conceive doth rest some Deitie:

Supposing that Deities be in these, &c.

When I have argued with them about their Fire-God: can i… say theybe, but this fire must be a God, or Divine power, that out of a stone will arise in a Sparke, and when a poore naked Indian is ready to starve with cold in the House and especially in the Woods, often saves his life, doth dresse all our Food for us, and if it be angry will burne the House about us, yea if a spark fall into the drie wood, burnes up the Country, (though this burning of the Wood to them they count a p. 118Benefit both for destroying of vermin, and keeping downe the Weeds and …hickets?)

Praesentem narrat quaelibet herba Deum.

Every little Grasse doth tell,

The sons of Men, there God doth dwell.

Besides there is a generall Custome amongst them, at the apprehension of any Excellency in Men, Women, Birds Beasts, Fish, &c. to cry out Manittóo, that is, it is a God, as thus if they see one man excell others in Wisdome, Valour, strength, Activity &c. they cry out Manittóo A God: and therefore when they talke amongst themselves of the English ships, and great buildings, of the plowing of their Fields, and especially of Bookes and Letters, they will end thus: Manittôwock They are Gods: …, you are a God, &c A strong Conviction naturall in the soule of man, that God is▪ filling all things, and places, and that all Excellencies dwell in God, and proceed from him, and that they only are blessed who have that Jehovah their portion.

Of this Feast they have publike, and private and that of two sorts.

First in sicknesse, or Drouth, or Warre, or Famine.

p. 119Secondly, After Harvest, after hunting, when they enjoy a caulme of Peace, Health, Plenty, Prosperity, then Nickómmo a Feast, especially in Winter, for then (as the Turke saith of the Christian, rather the Antichristian,) they run mad once a yeare) in their kind of Christmas feasting.

Obs. These doe begin and order their service, and Invocation of their Gods, and all the people follow, and joyne interchangeably in a laborious bodily service, unto sweating, especially of the Priest, who spends himselfe in strange Antick Gestures, and Actions even unto fainting.

In sicknesse the Priest comes close to the sick person, and performes many strange Actions about him, and threaten and conjures out the sicknesse. They conceive that there are many Gods or divine Powers within the …ody of a man: In his pulse, his heart, his Lungs, &c.

I confesse to have most of these their customes by their owne Relation, for after …nce being in their Houses and beholding …hat their Worship was, I durst never bee an …ye witnesse, Spectatour, or looker on, least I p. 120should have been partaker of Sathans Inventions and Worships, contrary to Ephes. 5. 14.

They have an exact forme of King, Priest, and Prophet, as was in Israel typicall of old in that holy Land of Canaan, and as the Lord Iesu ordained in his spirituall Land of Canaan his Church throughout the whole World: their Kings or Governours called Sachima…g, Kings, and At…owaūg Rulers doe govern: Their Priests performe and manage their Worship: Their wise men and old men of which number the Priests are also,) whom they call … they make solemne speeches and Orations, or Lectures to them, concerning Religion Peace, or Warre and all things.

Heo… she that makes this Nickòmmo Feast or Dance besides the Feasting of somet mes twenty, fifty, an hundreth yea I have seene neere a thousand persons at one of these Feasts) they give I say a great quantity of money, and all sort of their goods (according to and sometimes beyond their Estate) p. 121in severall small parcells of goods, or money, to the value of eighteen pence, two Shillings, or thereabouts to one person: and that person that receives this Gift, upon the receiving of it goes out, and hollowes thrice for the health and prosperity of the Party that gave it, the Mr. or Mistris of the Feast.

Obs. By this Feasting and Gifts, the Divell drives on their worships pleasantly (as he doth all false worships, by such plausible Earthly Arguments of uniformities, universalities, Antiquities, Immunities, Dignities, Rewards, unto submitters, and the contrary to Refusers) so that they run farre and neere and aske

They have a modest Religious perswasion not to disturb any man, either themselves English, Dutch, or any in their Conscience, and worship, and therefore say:

Derived from Cowwene to sleep, because say they, it workes and operates when the body sleepes. Michachu…ck the soule, in a highe… notion, which is of affinity, with a word signifying a looking glasse, or cleere resemblance, so that it hath its name from a cleer… fight or discerning, which indeed seemes very well to suit with the nature of it.

Obs. They beleive that the soules of Me… and Women goe to the Sou…west, their grea… and good men and Women to … his House, where they have hopes (as th… Turkes have of carnall Joyes): Murtherer… thieves and Lyers, their Soules (say they … wonder restlesse abroad.

Now because this Book (by Gods good providence) p. 123may come into the hand of many fearing God, who may also have many an o… portunity of occasionall discourse with some of these their wild brethren and Sisters, and may speake a word for their and our glorious Maker, which may also prove some prepara…ory Mercy to their Soules: I shall propose …ome proper expressions concerning the Cre…tion of the World, and mans Estate, and in …articular theirs also, which from my selfe many hundreths of times, great numbers of …hem have heard with great delight, and …reat convictions: which who knowes (in …ods holy season) may rise to the exalting …f the Lord Jesus Christ in their conversion, …d salvation?

Some will answer Tattá I cannot tell, some …ill answer Manittôwock the Gods.

A phrase which much pleaseth them, being proper for their wandring in the woods, and similitudes greatly please them.

Obs. At this Relation they are much satisfied, with a reason why (as they observe) the E…glish and Dutch, &c. labour six dayes, and rest and worship the seventh.

Besides, they will say, Wee never heard of p. 127this before: and then will relate how they have it from their Fathers, that Kawán…owwit made one man and woman of a stone, which disliking, he broke them in pieces, and made another man and woman of a Tree, which were the Fountaines of all mankind.

They apprehending a vast difference of Knowledge betweene the English and themselves, are very observant of the English lives: I have heard them say to an Englishman (who being hindred, broke a promise to them) You know God, Will you lie Englishman?

Obs. After I had (as farre as my language would reach) discoursed (upon a time) before the chiefe Sachim or Prince of the Countrey, with his Archpriests, and many other in a full Assembly; and being night, wearied with p. 129travell and discourse, I lay downe to rest; and before I slept, I heard this passage:

A Qunnihticut Indian (who had heard our discourse) told the Sachim Miantunnōmu, that soules went up to Heaven, or downe to Hell; For, saith he, Our fathers have told us, that our soules goe to the Southwest.

The Sachim answered, But how doe you know your selfe, that your soules goe to the Southwest; did you ever see a soule goe thither?

The Natiue replyed; when did he (naming my selfe) see a soule goe to Heaven or Hell?

The Sachim againe replied: He hath books and writings, and one which God himselfe made, concerning mens soules, and therefore may well know more then wee that have none, but take all upon trust from our forefathers.

The said Sachim, and the chiefe of his people, discoursed by themselves, of keeping the Englishmans day of worship, which I could easily have brought the Countrey to, but that I was perswaded, and am, that Gods way is first to turne a soule from it's Idolls, both of heart, worship, and conversation, before it is capable of worship, to the true and living God, according to 1 Thes. 1. 9. You turned p. 130to God from Idolls to serve or worship the living and true God. As also, that the two first Principles and Foundations of true Religion or Worship of the true God in Christ, are Repentance from dead workes, and Faith towards God, before the Doctrine of Baptisme or washing and the laying on of hands, which containe the Ordinances and Practises of worship; the want of which, I conceive, is the bane of million of soules in England, and all other Nations professing to be Christian Nations who are brought by publique authority to Baptisme and fellowship with God in Ordinances of worship, before the saving worke of Repentance, and a true turning to God, Heb. 6. 2.

Obs. Upon the relating that God hath once destroyed the world by water; and that He will visit it the second time with consuming fire: I have been asked this profitable question of some of them, What then will b…come of us? Where then shall we be?

The generall Observation of Religion, &c.

The wandring Generations of Adams lost posteritie, having lost the true and living God their Maker, have created out of the nothing of their owne inventions many false and fained Gods and Creators.

More particular:

Two sorts of men shall naked stand.

Before the burning ire… Thes. …. ….

Of him that shortly shall appeare,

In dreadfull flaming fire.

First, millions know not God, nor for

His knowledge, care to seeke:

p. 132Millions have knowledge store, but in

Obedience are not meeke.

If woe to Indians, Where shall Turk,

Where shall appeare the …ew?

O, where shall stand the Christian false?

O blessed then the True.