Historical Collections of the Indians in New England, History · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of the other Means and Instruments, used and improved for Civilizing and reducing the Indians from Barbarism.
§. 1. FORASMUCH as a pious magistracy and christian government is a great help and means for promoting, cherishing, encouraging, and propagating, the christian religion among any people, especially a nation so circumstanced, as these rude, uncultivated, and barbarous Indians were; care was taken by the general court of the Massachusetts, at the motion of Mr. Eliot, to appoint some of the most prudent and pious Indians, in every Indian village that had received the gospel, to be rulers and magistrates among them, to order their affairs both civil and criminal, and of a more ordinary and inferiour nature. These rulers were chosen by themselves, but approved by a superiour authority.
But moreover the general court appointed and empowered one of the English magistrates, to join with the chief of their rulers, and keep a higher court among them; extending the power of this court to the latitude of a county court among the English; from the jurisdiction whereof nothing for good order and government, civil or criminal, is expected,*Probably the author meant excepted. but appeals, life, limb, banishment, and cases of divorce. The first English magistrate, chosen to be ruler over the praying Indians in the colony of Massachusetts, was first Mr. D. G. the author of these Collections; and this was in A. D. 1656. But not long after his occasions called him for England for two or three years; one Major Humphrey Atherton†Major General Atherton, of Dorchester. was appointed to conduct this affair, which he did about three years. But then the Lord taking him to himself, by death, and the author being returned back, in the year 1660, a year or more before Major Atherton's death, was again called and reinstated in that employ A. D. 1661, and hath continued in that work hitherto.
For the better clearing of things, I shall here insert the orders of the general court touching this matter. Law Book, page 77. §. 8, 9.
Whereas one end in planting these parts was to propagate the true religion unto the Indians; and that divers of them are become subject to the English, and have engaged themselves to be willing and ready to understand the law of God: It is therefore ordered, that such necessary and wholesome laws, which are in force, and may be made from time to time, to reduce them to civility of life, shall be once a year, if the times be safe, made known to them, by such fit persons as the general court shall appoint.
And again, §. 9.
For the better ordering and governing the Indians subject to us, especially those of Natick, Punkapaog, &c. it is ordered, that whosoever the court shall appoint, do take care that all such Indians, do live according to our laws, as far as they are capable: and to that end shall be authorized to constitute and appoint Indian commissioners in their several plantations, to hear and determine all such matters that do arise among themselves, as one magistrate may do amongst the English; with officers to execute all commands and warrants, as marshal and constables. And further they jointly shall have the power of a county court, to hear and determine all causes arising among them; the English magistrate appointing time and place of the court, and consenting to the determination and judgment. And all other matters beyond their cognizance, shall be issued and determined by the court of assistants.
There are divers other laws and orders, made by the general court of Massachusetts, relating unto the Indians, which are printed and published, but are too long here to recite particularly. The heads of them are 1. Declaring the Indians' title to lands, from Gen. i. 28. Chap. ix. 1. Ps. cxv. 16.—2. The civil Indians to have lands granted them for towns.—3. Indians not to be dispossessed of what lands they have subdued, or from their fishing places.—4. None to buy lands from the Indians without licence of the court.—5. All strong liquors prohibited to be sold or given to the Indians, unless in case of sickness, by permission.—6. Powows, or wizards and witches, prohibited upon penalty.—7. Orders to restrain and prevent drunkenness; and some others. I have only transcribed the former, being pertinent to our present subject.
§. 2. Besides the work above mentioned, transacted by the English magistrate and his assistants, there are sundry other things done by him in order to their good; as the making of orders, and giving instructions and directions, backed with penalties, for promoting and practising morality, civility, industry, and diligence in their particular callings: for idleness and improvidence are the Indians' great sin, and in a kind of second nature to them, which by good example and wholesome laws, gradually applied, with God's blessing, may be rooted out.
Likewise it is the care of this English magistrate, intrusted with this affair, to make and execute good orders for keeping holy the sabbath day; and that the people do attend the publick worship of God; and that schools for the education of youth be settled and continued among them; and to provide that the Indian teachers and rulers have some small encouragement distributed among them, according to the people's ability, which is done out of the tenths of their yearly increase of all sorts of grain and pulse. This tithe is set apart at the ingathering and threshing of their grain, and brought into one place in each town, as due unto the Lord; and is disposed of by order of the court, for support of those that attend publick service in both orders, in that place proportionably.
Perhaps this custom introduced among the Indians, will be censured by some, as favouring too much of judaism and antichristianism. But it is hoped, others will be candid and charitable, especially towards good Mr. Eliot, who first led them into this way; and this he did, not without good reason. First, taken from the moral equity of the duty, for encouragement of such publick persons. Secondly, from the rule and example prescribed in God's word, and the practice of the people of God. So Melchizedek, being king and priest, received the tenth of Abraham. Gen. xiv. 20. Heb. vii. 4. Doubtless some part of every man's estate is due to God, who is the giver of all. If any part, why not a tenth part, if the people agree to it; seeing there is such ample precedent for it, both before the ceremonial law, and in the time of it, and since it was abrogated? But it is not my work here to dispute the point.
Besides the particulars above mentioned, there are sundry other things, that fall under the consideration of the English magistrate, that have great influence into their religious concern, and hath frequent occasions and opportunities to press christian exhortations upon them for their soul's good.
§. 3. The reason, why the English government is concerned with the Indians' affairs in point of rule and order, is because all those praying Indians in Massachusetts colony did long since, before they began to worship God, actually and solemnly submit themselves unto the jurisdiction and government of the English in the Massachusetts, as the records do declare.
Besides the care taken, as before, for their government, the general court of Massachusetts hath bounded, stated and settled, several townships and plantations of lands unto these praying Indians, of which we shall speak hereafter more particularly. Some of these villages are of a larger; others, of lesser dimensions, according to their numbers; and as there may be occasion, the general court will grant more villages to the Indians.
The reasons inducing to this are: First, to prevent differences and contention among the English and Indians in future times about the propriety of land. Secondly, to secure unto them and their posterity places of habitation; this being a provision in all those grants, that they shall not fell or alienate any part of those lands unto any Englishman, without the general court's consent: for the Indians being poor, as well as improvident, are very prone to sell their land to the English, and thereby leave themselves destitute. A third reason is, that they may cohabit together, without which neither religion or civility can well prosper.
If any should object, that it is not necessary, that the English should grant them land, forasmuch as it was all their native country and propriety, before the English came into America; the answer is ready: First, that the English claim right to their land, by patent from our king. Secondly, yet the English had the grant of most of the land within this jurisdiction, either by purchase or donation from the Indian sachems and sagamores, which were actually in possession, when the English came first over. Therefore the propriety is in the English; and it is necessary for the Indians, as the case stands, for their present and future security and tranquillity, to receive the lands by grant from the English, who are a growing and potent people, comparatively to the Indians.
§. 4. Before we conclude this chapter, it may not be impertinent, for the better clearing of things, to remark, that the English magistrate attending this service among the Indians, never had any compensation for his travail and expenses in this kind, either from Indians or English in New England; though it is well known, he hath, as well as their teacher, Mr. Eliot, had many weary journies among them yearly, and under sundry trials, when he is forced to lodge in their woods and wigwams. But the Honourable Corporation at London, for propagating the gospel among the Indians in New England, have been pleased of late years, by the hands of their delegates, the honoured Commissioners of the united colonies in New England, to confer upon him out of the publick stock, at first fifteen pounds, now twenty pounds, New-England money, per annum, and as an honorarium for his service among the praying Indians. This is spoken here to declare, that those that labour in this harvest, are first to endeavour to learn perfectly that first lesson in Christ's school, I mean self denial. Secondly, to keep the eye of faith fixed upon God, whose work it is, who will never fail to recompense either here or hereafter, all that work in his harvest. Indeed if he please to employ and accept us in Christ Jesus, it is a sufficient reward. Lastly, let not any be so uncharitable, as to think that what is here mentioned, is to reflect upon any, or to repine at God's bounty in the portion allotted, being it is far more than was expected. When the work was engaged in and undertaken, the principles and motions thereunto were, through grace, of higher alloy than gold, yea than fine gold.