The Clear Sunshine of the Gospel Upon the Indians of New England, Part 2 – Part 3
Theſe things thus wrought in a ſhort time about Concord ſide, I looke upon as fruits of the miniſtery of the Word; for although their high eſteem bred lately in them, eſpecially the chief and beſt of the Engliſh, together with that mean eſteem many of them have of themſelves, and therefore will call themſelves ſometimes poore Creatures, when they ſee and heare of their great diſtance from others of the Engliſh; I ſay, although theſe things may be ſome cauſes of making theſe orders and walking in theſe courſes, yet the chiefe cauſe ſeemes to bee the power of the Word, which hath been the chiefe cauſe of theſe Orders, and therefore it is that untill now of late they never ſo much as thought of any of theſe things.
I am not able to acquaint you very much from my owne eye and care witneſſe of things, for you know the neare relation between me and the fire ſide uſually all winter time, onelyonly I ſhall impart two or three things more of what I have heard and ſeen, and the reſt I ſhall relate to you as I have received from faithfull witneſſes, who teſtifie nothing to me by their writings, but what is ſeene in the open Sun, and done in the view of all the world, and generally known to be true of people abiding in theſe parts wee live in.
As ſoone as ever the fierceneſſe of the winter was paſt, March. 3. 1647. I went out to Noonanetum to the Indian Lecture, where Mr. Willſon, Mr. Alleu, of Dedham, Mr. Dunſter, beſide many otherChriſtains were preſent; on which day perceiving divers of the Indian women well affected, and conſidering that their ſoules might ſtand in need of anſwer to their ſcruples as well as the mens; & yet becauſe we knew how unfit it was for women ſo much as to aske queſtions publiquely immediatly by themſelves; wee did therefore deſire them to propound any queſtions they would bee reſolved about by firſt acquainting either their Husbands, or the Interpreter privately therewith: whereupon we heard two queſtions thus orderly propounded; which becauſe they are the firſt that ever were propounded by Indian women in ſuch an ordinance that ever wee heard of, and becauſe they may bee otherwiſe uſefull, I ſhall therefore ſet them downe.
The firſt queſtion was propounded by the wiſe of one Wampooas a well affected Indian, viz. whether (ſaid ſhe) do I pray when my husband prayes if I ſpeak nothing as he doth, yet if I like what he ſaith, and my heart goes with it? (for the Indians will many times pray with their wives, and with their children alſo ſometime in the fields) ſhee therefore ſearing leſt prayer ſhould onelyonly be an externall action of the lips, enquired if it might not be alſo an inward action of the heart, if ſhe liked of what he ſaid.
The ſecond queſtion was propounded by the Wiſe of one Totherſwampe, her meaning in her queſtion (as wee all perceived) was this, viz. Whether a husband ſhould do well to pray with his wife, and yet continue in his paſſions; & be angry with his wife? But the modeſty and wiſdome of the woman directed her to doe three things in one, ſor thus ſhee ſpake to us, viz. Before my husband did pray hee was much angry and froward, but ſince hee hath begun to pray hee was not angry ſo much, but little angry: wherein firſt ſhee gave an honorable teſtimony of her husband and commended him for the abatement of his paſſion; ſecondly, ſhee gave implicitly a ſecret reproofe for what was paſt, and for ſomewhat at preſent that was amiſſe; and thirdly, it was intended by her as a queſtion whether her husband ſhould pray to God, and yet continue in ſome unruly paſſions; but ſhe wifely avoyded that, l…ſt it might reflect too much upon him, although wee deſired her to expreſſe if that was not her meaning.
At this time (beſide theſe queſtions) there were ſundry others propounded of very good uſe, in all which we ſaw the Lord Jeſus leading them to make narrow inquiries into the things of God, that ſo they might ſee the reality of them. I have heard few Chriſtians when they begin to looke toward God, make more ſearching queſtions that they might ſee things really, and not onelyonly have a notion of them: I for beare to mention any of them, becauſe I forget the chiefe of them; onelyonly this wee tooke notice of at this dayes meeting, that there was an aged Indian who propoſed his complaint in propounding his queſtion concerning an unruly diſobedient ſon, and "what one ſhould do with him "in caſe of obſtinacy and diſobedience, and that will not heare "Gods Word, though his Father command him, nor will not "forſake his drunkenneſſe, though his father forbid him? Unto which there were many anſwers to ſet forth the ſinne of diſobedience to parents; which were the more quickned and ſharpned becauſe wee knew that this rebellious ſonne whom the old man meant, was by Gods providence preſent at this Lecture: Mr. Wilſon was much inlarged, and ſpake ſo terribly, yet ſo graciouſly as might have affected a heart not quite ſhut up, which this young deſperado hearing (who well underſtood the Engliſh tongue) inſtead of humbling himſelf before the Lords Word, which touched his conſcience and condition ſo neare, hee was filled with a ſpirit of Satan, and as ſoone as ever Mr. Wilſons ſpeech was ended hee brake out into a loud contemptucus expreſſion; So, ſaith he: which we paſſed by without ſpeaking againe, leaving the Word with him, which we knew would one day take its effect one way or other upon him.
The latter end of this yeare Mr. Wilſon, Mr. Eliot, and my ſelfe were ſent for by thoſe in Tarmoutb to meet with ſome other Elders of Plimoutb pattent, to heare and heale (if it were the will of Chriſt) the difference and ſad breaches which have been too long a time among them, wherein the Lord was very mercifull to us and them in binding them up beyond our thoughts in a very ſhort time, in giving not only that bruiſed Church but the whole Towne alſo a hopefull beginning of ſetled peace and future quietneſſe; but Mr. Eliot as hee takes all other advantages of time, ſo hee tooke this, of ſpeaking with, and preaching to the poore Indians in theſe remote places about Cape Cod: in which journey I ſhall acquaint you with what all of us obſerved.
Wee firſt found theſe Indians (not very farre from ours) to underſtand (but with much difficulty) the uſuall language of thoſe in our parts, partly in regard of the different dialect which generally varies in 40. or 60. miles, and partly and eſpecially in regard of their not being accuſtomed unto ſacred language about the holy things of God, wherein Mr. Eliot excells any other of the Engliſh, that in the Indian language about common matters excell him: I ſay therefore although they did with much difficulty underſtand him, yet they did underſtand him, although by many circumlocutions and variations of ſpeech and the helpe of one or two Interpreters which were then preſent.
Secondly, wee obſerved much oppoſition againſt him, and hearing of him at the day appointed, eſpecially by one of the chiefeſt Sacbims in thoſe parts, a man of a fierce, ſtrong and ſurious ſpirit whom the Engliſh therefore call by the name John: who although before the day appointed for preaching, promiſed very faire that he would come and bring his men with him; yet that very morning when they were to bee preſent, he ſends out almoſt all his men to Sea, pretending fiſhing, and therefore although at laſt he came late himſelfe to the Sermon, yet his men were abſent, and when he came himſelf, would not ſeem to underſtand any thing, although hee did underſtand as ſome of the Indians themſelves then told us, when Mr. Eliot by himſelf and by them inquired of him if he underſtood what was ſpoken: yet he continued hearing what was ſaid with a dogged looke and a diſcontented countenance.
Thirdly, not withſtanding this oppoſition wee found another Sachim then preſent willing to learne, and divers of his men attentive and knowing what was ſaid: and in the time which is uſually ſet apart for propounding queſtions, an aged Indian told us openly, That theſe very things which Mr. Eliot had taugh: them as the Commandements of God, and concerning God, and the making of the world by one God, that they had heard ſome old men who were now dead, to ſay the ſame things, ſince whoſe death there hath been no remembrance or knowledge of them among the Indians untill now they heare of them againe. Which when I heard ſolemnly ſpoken, I could not tell how thoſe old Indians ſhould attaine to ſuch knowledge, unleſſe perhaps by means of the French Preacher caſt upon thoſe coaſts many yeers ſince, by whoſe miniſtry they might poſſibly reape and retaine ſome knowledge of thoſe things; this alſo I hear by a godly and able Chriſtain who hath much converſe with them; that many of them have this apprehenſion now ſtirring among them, viz. That their forefathers did know God, but that after this, they ſell into a great ſleep, and when they did awaken they quite forgot him, (for under ſuch metaphoricall language they uſually expreſſe what eminent things they meane:) ſo that it may ſeeme to be the day of the Lords gracious viſitation of theſe poore Natives, which is juſt as it is with all other people, when they are moſt low, the wheele then turnes, and the Lord remembers to have mercy.
Fourthly, a fourth and laſt obſervation wee took, was the ſtory of an Indian in thoſe parts, telling us of his dreame many yeers ſince, which he told us of openly before many witneſſes when we ſate at meat: the dreame is this, hee ſaid That about two yeers before the Engliſh came over into thoſe parts there was a great mortality among the Indians, and one night he could not ſleep above half the night, after which hee fell into a dream, in which he did think he ſaw a great many men come to thoſe parts in cloths, juſt as the Engliſh now are apparelled, and among them there a roſe up a man all in black, with a thing in his hand which hee now ſees was all one Engliſh mans book; this black man he ſaid ſtood upon a higher place then all the reſt, and on the one ſide of him were the Engliſh, on the other a great number of Indians: this man told all the Indians that God was mooſquantum or angry with them, and that he would kill them for their ſinnes, whereupon he ſaid himſelf ſtood up, and deſired to know of the black man what God would do with him and his Squaw and Papooſes but the black man would not anſwer him a firſt time, nor yet a ſecond time, untill he deſired the third time, and then he ſmil'd upon him, and told him that he and his Papooſes ſhould be ſafe, and that God would give unto them Mitcheu, (i. e.) victualls and other good things, and ſo hee awakened. What ſimilitude this dream hath with the truth accompliſhed, you may eaſily ſee. I attribute little to dreams, yet God may ſpeak to ſuch by them rather then to thoſe who have a more ſure Word to direct and warn them, yet this dream made us think ſurely this Indian will regard the black man now come among them rather then any others of them: but whether Satan, or fear, and guilt, or world prevailed, we cannot ſay, but this is certaine, that he withdrew from the Sermon, and although hee came at the latter end of it, as hoping it had been done, yet we could not perſwade him then to ſtay and hear, but away he flung, and we ſaw him no more till next day.
From this third of March untill the latter end of this Summer I could not be preſent at the Indian Lectures, but when I came this laſt time, I marvailed to ſee ſo many Indian men, women and children in Engliſh apparell, they being at Noonan…tum generally clad, eſpecially upon Lecture dayes, which they have got partly by gift from the Engliſh, and partly by their own labours, by which ſome of them have very handſomely apparelled themſelves, & you would ſcare know them from Engliſh people. There is one thing more which I would acquaint you with, which hapned this Summer, viz. June 9. the firſt day of the Synods meeting at Cambridge, where the forenoon was ſpent in hearing a Sermon preached by one of the Elders as a preparative to the worke of the Synod, the afternoon was ſpent in hearing an Indian Lecture where there was a great confluence of Indians all parts to heare Mr. Eliot, which we conceived not unſeaſonable at ſuch a time, partly that the reports of Gods worke begun among them, might be ſeen and beleeved of the chief who were then ſent and met from all the Churches of Chriſt in the Countrey, who could hardly beleeve the reports they had received concerning theſe new ſtirs among the Indians, and partly hereby to raiſe up a greater ſpirit of prayer for the carrying on of the work begun upon the Indians, among all the Churches and ſervants of the Lord Jeſus: The Sermon was ſpent in ſhewing them their miſerable condition without Chriſt, out of Epheſ. 2. 1. that they were dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes, and in pointing unto them the Lord Jeſus, who onelyonly could quicken them.
When the Sermon was done, there was a convenient ſpace of time ſpent in hearing thoſe queſtions which the Indians publikely propounded, and in giving anſwers to them; one queſtion was, What Countrey man Chriſt was, and where he was borne? Another was, How farre off that place was from us here? Another was, Where Chriſt now was?
And another, How they might lay hold on him, and where, being now abſent from them? with ſome other to this purpoſe; which received full anſwers from ſeverall hands. But that which I note is this, that their gracious attention to the Word, the affections and mournings of ſome of them under it, their ſober propounding of divers ſpirituall queſtions, their aptneſſe to underſtand and beleeve what was replyed to them, the readlineſſe of divers poore naked children to anſwer openly the chief queſtions in Catechiſm which were formerly taught them, and ſuch like appearances of a great change upon them, did marvellouſly affect all the wiſe and godly Miniſters, Magiſtrates, & people, and did raiſe their hearts up to great thankfulneſſe to God; very many deeply and abundantly mourning for joy to ſee ſuch a bleſſed day, and the Lord Jeſus ſo much known and ſpoken of among ſuch as never heard of him before: So that if any in England doubt of the truth of what was formerly w…it, or if any malignant eye ſhall queſtion and v…e this work, they will now ſpeak too late, for what was here done at Cambridge was not ſet under a Buſhell, but in the open Sunne, that what Thomas would not beleeve by the reports of others, he might be forced to beleeve, by ſeeing with his own eyes and feeling Chriſt Jeſus thus riſen among them with his own hands.
I have done with what I have obſerved my ſelf; I ſhall therefore proceed to give you a true relation of what I have heard from others, and many faithfull witneſſes have ſeene: and firſt I ſhall ſpeake a little more of the old man who is mentioned in the ſtory now in print; this old man hath much affection ſtirred up. by the Word, and comming to Mr. Eliots houſe (for of him I had this ſtory) Mr. Eliot told him that becauſe he brought his wife & all his children conſtantly to the Lecture, that he would therefore beſtow ſome Cloths upon him, (it being now winter & the old man naked:) which promiſe he not certainly underſtanding the meaning of, asked therefore of another Indian (who is Mr. Eliots ſervant and very hopefull) what it was that Mr. Eliot promiſed him? he told him that hee ſaid hee would give him ſome Cloths; which when hee underſtood, hee affectionately brake out into theſe expreſſions, God I ſee is mercifull: a bleſſed, becauſe a plain hearted affectionate ſpeech, and worthy Engliſh mens thoughts when they put on their Cloths; to thinke that a poor blind Indian that ſcarce ever heard of God before, that he ſhould ſee not only God in his Cloths, but mercy alſo in a promiſe of a caſt off worne ſute of Cloths, which were then given him, and which now he daily weares. But to proceed;
This ſame old man (as I think a little before hee had theſe Cloths) after an Indian Lecture, when they uſually come to prepound queſtions; inſtead of asking a queſtion, began to ſpeak to the reſt of the Indians, and brake out into many expreſſions of wond…ing at Gods goodneſſe unto them, that the Lord ſhould at laſt look upon them and ſend his Word as a light unto them that had been in darkneſſe and ſuch groſſe ignorance ſo long; me wonder (ſaith he) at God that he ſhould thus deale with us. This ſpeech expreſſed in many words in the Indian Languages, and with ſtrong actings of his eyes and hands, being interpreted afterward to the Engliſh, did much alſo affect all of them that were preſent this Lecture alſo.
There were this winter many other queſtions propounded, which were writ down by Mr. Edward Jackſon one of our Town, conſtantly preſent at theſe Lectures, to take notes both of the queſtions made by the Indians and returned by Mr. Eliot to them; this man having ſent me in his notes, I ſhall ſend you a taſt of ſome of them.
1 Why ſome men were ſo bad, that they hate thoſe men that would teach them good things?
2 Whether the devill or man were made firſt?
3 Whether if a father prayes to God to teach his ſons to know him, and he doth teach them himſelf and they will not learn to know God, what ſhould ſuch fathers doe? (this was propounded by an old man that had rude children.)
4 A *Indian woman.Squaw propounded this queſtion, Whether ſhe might not go & pray in ſome private place in the woods, when her husband was not at home, becauſe ſhe was aſhamed to pray in the Wigwam before company?
5 How may one know wicked men, who are good and who are bad?
6 To what Nation Jeſus Chriſt came firſt unto, and when?
7 If a man ſhould be incloſed in Iron a foot thick and thrown into the fire, what would become of his ſoule, whether could the ſoule come forth th…ce or not?
8 Why did not God give all men good hearts that they might bee good?
9 If one ſhould be taken among ſtrange Indians that know not God, and they would make him to fight againſt ſome that he ſhould not and be refuſe, and for his refuſall they kill him, what would become of his ſoule in ſuch a caſe? This was propounded by a *They hold that their ſtout and vali… an… men have a reward after death.ſtout fellow who was affected.
10 How long it is before men beleeve that have the Word of God made known to them?
11 How they ſhould know when their faith is good, and their prayers good prayers?
12 Why did not God kill the Devill that made all men ſo bad, God having all power?
13 If we be made weak by ſinne in our hearts, how can we come before God to ſanctifie a Sabbath?
There were many more queſtions of this kind, as alſo many Philoſophicall about the Sunne, Moon, Stats, Earth and Seas, Thunder, Lightning, Earthquakes, &c. which I forbear to make mention of, leſt I ſhould clog your time with reading, together with the various anſwers to them: by theſe you may perceive in what ſtreame their minds are carried, and that the Lord Jeſus hath at laſt an enquiring people among theſe poor naked men, that formerly never ſo much as thought of him; which queſtionings and enquiries are accounted of by ſome as part of the whitenings of the harveſt toward, wherever they are found among any people, the good and benefit that comes to them hereby is and will be exceeding great.
We had this year a malignant drunken Indian, that (to caſt ſome reproach, as wee feared, upon this way) boldly propounded this queſtion, Mr. Eliot (ſaid he) Who made Sack? who made Sack? but he was ſoon ſnib'd by the other Indians, calling it *That is a childiſh queſtion.a Papooſe queſtion, and ſeriouſly and gravely anſwered (not ſo much to his queſtion, as to his ſpirit) by Mr. Eliot, which hath cooled his boldneſſe ever ſince, while others have gone on comfortably in this profitable and pleaſant way.
The man who ſent me theſe and the like queſtions with their ſeverall anſwers in writing, concluded his letter with this ſtory, which I ſhall here inſert, that you may ſee the more of God among theſe poore people:
Upon the 25. of Aprill laſt (ſaith he) I had ſome occaſion to go to ſpeack with *An Indian S…m.Wabun about Sunriſing in the morning, and ſtaying ſome half an hours time, as I came back by one of the Wigwams, the man of that Wigwam was at prayer; at which I was ſo much affected, that I could not but ſtand under a Tree within hearing, though I could not underſtand but little of his words, and conſider that God was fulfilling his Word, viz. The ends of the earth ſhall …member themſelves and turne unto him; and that Scripture, Thou art … God that heareſt pro…er, unto thee ſhall all fleſh come.
Alſo this preſent September I have obſerved one of them to call his children to him from their gathering of Corne in the field, and to crave a bleſſing, with much affection, having but a homely dinner to eate.
Theſe things me thinkes ſhould move bowels, and awaken Engliſh hearts to be thankfull, it is no ſmall part of Religion to awaken with God in family prayer, (as it ſeems theſe doe it early) and to crave a bleſſing with affectionate hearts upon a homely dinner, perhaps parcht Corne or Indian ſtalks: I wiſh the like hearts and wayes were ſeen in many Engliſh who profeſſe themſelves Chriſtians, and that herein and many the like excellencies they were become Indians, excepting that name, as he did in another caſe, except his bonds: and that you may ſee not only how farre Religion, but civility hath taken place among them, you may be pleaſed therefore to peruſe this Court Order, which is here inſerted.
The Order made laſt Generall Court at Boſton the 26. of May, 1647. concerning the Indians, &c.
VPonUpon information that the Indians dwelling among us, and ſubmitted to our government, being by the Miniſtry of the Word brought to ſome civility, are deſirous to have a courſe of ordinary Judicature ſet up among them: It is therefore ordered by authority of this Court, that ſome one or more of the Magiſtrates, as they ſhall agree amongſt themſelves, ſhall once every quarter keep a Court at ſuch place, where the Indians ordinarily aſſemble to hear the Word of God, and may then hear and determine all cauſes both civill and criminall, not being capitall, concerning the Indians only, and that the Indian Sachimsſhall have libertie to take order in the nature of Summons or Attachments, to bring any of their own people to the ſaid Courts, and to keep a Court of themſelves, every monethmonth if they ſee occaſion, to determine ſmall cauſes of a civill nature, and ſuch ſmaller criminall cauſes, as the ſaid Magiſtrates ſhall referre to them; and the ſaid Sachims ſhall appoint Officers to ſerve Warrante, and to execute the Orders and Judgements of either of the ſaid Courts, which Officers ſhall from time to time bee allowed by the ſaid Magiſtrates in the quarter Courts or by the Governour: And that all ſines to bee impoſed upon any Indian in any of the ſaid Courts, ſhall goe and bee beſtowed towards the building of ſome meeting houſes, for education of their poorer children in learning, or other publick uſe, by the advice of the ſaid Magiſtrates and of Maſter Eliot, or of ſuch other Elder, as ſhall ordinarily inſtruct them in the true Religion. And it is the deſire of this Court, that theſe Magiſtrates and Mr. Eliot or ſuch other Elders as ſhall attend the keeping of the ſaid Courts will carefully indeavour to make the Indians underſtand our moſt uſefull Lawes, and the principles of reaſon, juſtice and equity whereupon they are grounded, & it is deſired that ſome care may be taken of the Indians on the Lords dayes.
Thus having had a deſire to acquaint you with theſe proceedings among the Indians, and being deſirous that you might more fully underſtand, eſpecially from him who is beſt able to judge, I did therefore intreat my brother Eliot after ſome conference about theſe things, to ſet down under his own hand what he hath obſerved lately among them: which I do therefore herein ſend unto you in his owne hand writing as he ſent it unto mee, which I think is worthy all Chriſtian thankfull eares to heare, and wherein they may ſee a little of the Spirit of this man of God, whom in other reſpects, but eſpecially for his unweariedneſſe in this work of God, going up and down among them and doing them good, I think we can never love nor honour enough.