Appendix to the Journal (part 1 of 2)
T SHOULD have concluded what I had at present to offer respecting my Mission, but that [ lately received from the President of the Correspondents, the copy of a letter directed to him from the Society for propagating Christian knowledge, dated at Edinburgh, March 21, 1745, expressly enjoining upon their missionaries, “ That they give an exact account of the methods they make use of for instructing themselves in the Indian language, and what progress they have already made in it. What methods they are now taking to instruct the Indians in the principles of our holy religion; and particularly, that they set forth in their Journals what difficulties they have already met with, and the methods they make use of for surmounting the same.”
As to the two former of these particulars, I trust that what { have already noted in my Journals from time to time, might have been in a good measure satisfactory to the Honourable Society, had these Journals arrived safely and seasonably, which I am sensible they have not in general done, by reason of their falling into the hands of the enemy, although I have been at the pains of sending two copies of every Journal, for more than two years past, lest one might miscarry in the passage. But with relation to the latter of these particulars, I have purposely omitted saying any thing considerable, and that for these two reasons. First, Because I could not oftentimes give any tolerable account of the difficulties I met with in my work, without speaking somewhat particularly of the causes of them, and the circumstances conducing to them, which would necessarily have rendered my Journals very lengthy and tedious. Besides, soma of the causes of my difficulties I thought more fit to be concealed than divulged.—Secondly, Because I thought a~ - frequent mentioning of the difficulties attending my work, might appear as an unbecoming complaint under my burdens; or as if I would rather be thought to be endowed with a singular measure of self-denial, constancy and holy resolution, to meet and confront so many difficulties, and yet.to
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hold on and go forward amidst them all. But since the Honourable Society are pleased to require a more exact and particular account of these things, I shall cheerfully endeavour something for their satisfaction in relation’ to each of these particulars; although in regard of the latter, 1 am ready to say, [nfandum——jubes renovare dolorem.
- The most successful method I have taken for instructing myself in any of the Indian languages is, to translate English discourses by the help of an interpreter or two, into their language, as nearly verbatim as the sense will admit, and ta observe strictly how they use words, and what construction they will bear in various cases; and thus to gain some acquaintance with the root from whence particular words proceed, and to see how they are thence varied and diversified. But here occurs a very great difficulty; for the interpreters being unlearned, and unacquainted with the rules of language, it is impossible sometimes to know by them the part of speech of some particular words, whether noun, verb, or participle; for they seem to use participles sometimes —where we should use nouns, and sometimes where we should use verbs in the English language. But notwithstanding many difficulties, 1 have gained some acquaintance with the grounds of the Delaware language, and have learned most of the defects in it; so that | know what English words can, and what cannot be translated into it. I have also gained some acquaintance with the particular phraseologies, as well as peculiarities of their language, one of which 1 cannot but mention. Their language does not admit of their speaking any word denoting relation, such as, father, son, &c. absolutely; that is, without prefixing a pronoun passive to it, such as my, thy, his, &c. Hence they cannot be baptized in their own language in the name of the Father, and the Son, &c.; but they may be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and his Father, §c. I have gained so much knowledge of their language, that I can understand a considerable part of what they say, when they discourse upon divine things, and am frequently able to correct my interpreter, if he mistakes my meaning. But I can do nothing to any purpose at speaking the language myself.
_ As an apology for this defect, I must renew, or rather enlarge my former complaint, viz. That “while so much of my time is necessarily consumed in journeying,” while 1
LEARNING THE LANGUAGE. 433
am obliged to ride four thousand miles a year, as | have done in the year past, “TI can have little left for any of my necessary studies, and consequently for the study of the Indian languages.” This I may venture to say is the great, if not the only reason why the Delaware language is not familiar to me before this time; and it is impossible I’should ever be able to speak it without close application, which at present I see no prospect of having time for. To preach and catechise frequently; to converse privately with persons that need so much instruction and direction as these poor Indians do; to take care of all their secular affairs, as if they were a company of children; to ride abroad frequently in order to procure collections for the support of the school, and for their help and benefit in other respects; to hear and decide all the petty differences that arise among any of them, and to have the constant oversight and management-of all their affairs of every kind, must needs ingross most of my time, and leave me little for application to the study of the Indian languages. And when I-add to this, the time that is necessarily consumed upon my Journals, I must say I have little to spare for other business. As was observed before, 1 have not sent to the Honoarable Society less than two copies of every Journal, for more than two years past, most of which, | suppose, have been taken by the French in their passage. A third copy I have constantly kept by me, lest the others should miscarry, This has caused me not a little labour, and.so straitened me for time, when I have been at liberty from other business, and had opportunity to sit down to writing, which is but rare, that 1 have been obliged to write twelve and thirteen hours ina day, till my spirits have been extremely wasted, and my life almost spent, to get these writings accomplished. And after all; after diligent application to the various parts of my work, and after the most industrious improvement of time I am capable of, both early and late, [ cannot oftentimes ' possibly gain two hours in a week for reading, or any other studies, unless just for what urges and appears of absolute necessity for the present. Frequently when I attempt to redeem time, by sparing it out of my sleeping hours, I am by that means thrown under bodily indisposition, and rendered fit for nothing. This is truly my present state, and is likely to be so, for aught I can see, unless I could procure an Assistant in ny Ff 434 DIFFICULTY, &c.
work, or quit my present business. But though I have not made that proficiency I could wish, in learning the Indian languages; yet I ‘have used all endeavours ‘to instruct ‘them in the English tongue, which perhaps will be more advantageous to the Christian interest among them, than if I should ‘preach in their own language; for that is very defective, as I shall hereafter observe; so that many things cannot be communicated to them without introducing English -terms. Besides, they can‘have no books translated into their language, without great difficulty and expense; and if still accustomed to their own language only, they would ‘have no advantage of hearing other ministers occasionally, or in my absence. If therefore I had a perfect acquaintance with the Indian language, it would be of no great importance with regard to the congregation of Indians in New-Jersey, though it might be of service to me in treating with the Indians elsewhere.
The methods I am taking to instruct the Indians in the principles of our holy religion are, to preach, or open and improve some particular points of doctrine; ‘to expound particular paragraphs, or sometimes whole chapters of God’s word to them; to give historical relations from scripture of the most material and remarkable occurrences relating:to the church of God from the beginning; and frequently to catechise them upon the principles of Christianity. The latter of these methods of instructing, I manage in a twofold manner. I sometimes catechise systematically, proposing questions agreeable to the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism. This 1 have carried on tua considerable length. At other times I catechise upon any important subject that I think difficult to them. Sometimes when I have discoursed: upon some particular point, and made it as plain and familiar to:them as I can, | then catechise them upon the most material branches of my discourse, to see whether they had a thorough understanding of it. But as I have catechised chiefly in a systematic form, I shall here give some specimen of the method I make use of, as well of the propriety and. justness of my peaple’s answers to the questions Proposed to them.
CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION, 435
THE BENEFITS WHICH BELIEVERS RECEIVE FROM CHRIST AT DEATH.
Q. I have shewn you, that the children of God receive a great many good things from Christ while they live; now have they any more to receive when they cometodie? A. Yes.
Q. Are the children of God then made perfectly free from sin? A. Yes.
Q. Do you think they will never more be troubled with vain, foolish, and wicked thoughts? A. No, never at all:
Q. Will not they then be like the good angels I have so
often told you of. A. Yes. Q. And do you call this a great mercy to be freed from all sin? A. Yes.
Q. Do all God’s children count it so:
A. Yes, all of them.
Q. Do you think this is what they would ask for above all things, if God should say to them, Ask what you will, and it shall be done for you?
A. Oh yes, be sure, this is what they want.
Q. You say the souls of God’s people at death are made perfectly free from sin; where do they go then?
A. They grand live ‘with Jesus Christ.
Q. Does Christ shew them more respect and honour, and make them more happy* than we can possibly think of in this world? A. Yes.
Q. Do they go immediately to live with Christ i in heaven, as soon as their bodies are dead; or do they tarry somewhere else a while? A. They go immediately to Christ.
Q. Does Christ take any care of the bodies of his people when they are dead, and their souls gone to heaven, or does he forget them?
A. He takes care of them.
These questions were all answered with surprising readiness, and without once missing, as I remember. And in answering several of them which respected deliverance from —sin, they were much affected, and melted with the hopes of that happy state.
. * The only way I have to express their “entering into glory,” or being being glorified; there being no word in the Indian language answering to that come term. Ff2
486 CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION.
THE BENEFITS WHICH BELIEVERS RECEIVE FROM CHRIST AT THE, RESURRECTION.
Q. You see [ have already shewn you what good things Christ gives his good people while they live, and when they come to die: now, will he raise their bodies, and the bodies of others, to life again at the last day?
A. Yes, they shall all be raised.
Q. Shall they then have the same bodies they now have?
A. Yes.
Q. Will their bodies ‘then be weak, will they feel cold, hunger, thirst and weariness, as they now do?
A. No, none of these things.
Q. Will their bodies ever die any more after they are raised to life? A. No.
Q. Will their souls and bodies be joined together again?
A. Yes.”
Q. Will God’s people be more happy then, than they were
while their bodies were asleep? A. Yes. Q. Will Christ then own these to be his peuple before all the world? A. Yes.
Q. But God’s people find so much sin in themselves, that they are often ashamed of themselves, and will not Christ be ashamed to own such for his friends at that day?
A. No, he will never be ashamed of them.
Q. Will Christ then show all the world, that he has put away these peoples’ sins ;* and that he looks upon them asif they had never sinned at all? A. Yes.
Q. Will he look upon them as if they had never sinned, for the sake of any good things they have done themselves, or for the sake of his righteousness accounted to them as if it was theirs?
A. For the sake of his righteousness counted to them, not for their own goodness.
Q. Will God’s children then be as happy | as they can desire to be? A. Yes.
_ Q. The children of God while in this world, can but now and then draw near to him, and they are ready to think they
* The only way I have to express their being openly acquitted, When I speak of justification, I have no other way but to call it God’s looking upon | us as good creatures..
CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION. 4387
can never have enough of God and Christ; but will they have enough there, as much as they can desire 3?
A. Oh yes, enough, enough.
Q. Will the children of God love him then as much as they desire; will they find nothing to hinder their love from going to him?
A. Nothing at all; they shall love him as much as they desire.
Q. Will they never be weary of God and Christ, and the pleasures of heaven, so as we are weary of our friends and enjoyments here, after we have been pleased with them awhile? A. No, never.
Q. Could God’s people be happy if they knew God loved them, and yet felt at the same time that they could not love and honour him? A. No, no.
Q. Will this then make God's people perfectly happy, to love God above all, to honour him continually, and to fee} his love to them? A. Yes.
Q. And will this happiness last for ever?
A. Yes, for ever, for ever!
These questions, like the former, were answered without hesitation or missing, as I remember, in any one instance.
THE DUTY WHICH GOD REQUIRES OF MAN.
Q. Has God let us know any thing of his will, or what he would have us to do to please him? A. Yes.
Q. And does he require us to do his will, and to please him? A. Yes.
Q. Is it right that God should require this of us; has he any business to command us as a father does his children?
A. Yes.
Q. Why ‘is it right that God should command us to do what he pleases?,
A. Because he made us, and gives us all our good things.
Q. Does God require us to do any thing that will hurt us, and take away our comfort and happiness? A. No.
Q. But God requires sinners to repent and be sorry for their sins, and to have their hearts broken; now, does not this hurt them, and take away their comfort, to be made sorry, and to have their hearts broken? - A. No, it does them good.
Q. Did God teach man his will at first by writing it down
Ff 3 in a book, or did he put it into his heart, and teach him without a book what was right?
A. He put it into his heart, and made him know what he should do.
Q. Has God since that time written down his will ina book? A. Yes.
Q. Has God written his whole will in his book; has he there told us all that he would have us believe and do?
A. Yes.
Q. What need was there of this book, if God at first put his will into the heart of man, and made him feel what he should do?
A. There was need of it, because we have sinned, and made our hearts blind.
Q. And has God written down the same things in his book,
that he at first put into the heart of man? A. Yes. _ In this manner I endeavour to adapt my instructions to the capacities of the people; although they may perhaps seem strange to others who have never experienced the difficulty _ of the work. It is my great concern, I trust, that instruction be given them in such a manner, that they may not only be doctrinally taught, but duly affected thereby; that divine truth may come to them, not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.”
DIFFICULTIES IN EVANGELIZING THE INDIANS.
I shall now attempt something with regard to. the last particular required by the Honourable Society in their letter,
' giz. To give some account of the “ difficulties I have already
met with in my work, and the methods I make use of for surmounting the same.” What I have to say upon this subject, I shall reduce to the following heads.
First, I have met with great difficulty in my work among the Indians, from the rooted aversion to Christianity that generally prevails among them. They are not only. brutishly stupid and ignorant of divine things, but many of them are obstinately set against Christianity, and seem to abhor even the Christian name.
This aversion arises partly from a view of the immorality and vicious behaviour of many who are called Christians. They observe that horrid wickedness in nominal Christians, which the light of nature condemns in themselves; and not
THE CONVEBSILON OF THE INDIANS. 439
having distinguishing views of things, they: are ready to look upon all the white people alike, and to condemn them alike for the abominable practices of some.—Hence when [ have attempted to treat with them about Christianity, they have frequently objected the scandalous practices of Christians, and cast in my teeth all they could think of that was odiaus in the conduct of any of them. They have observed to me that the white people lie, defraud, steal, and drink worse than the Indians; that they. bave taught the Indians these things, especially the latter of them; who before the coming of the English, knew. of no such thing as strong drink; that the English have by these means made them quarrel and kill one another; and in a word, brought them to the practice of all those vices which now prevail among them. So that they are now more vicious, and much more miserable, than they were before the coming of the white people into the country.
These, and such like objections, they frequently make. against Christianity, which are not easily answered to their satisfaction; many. of them being facts too notoriously true.
“The only way I have to take in order to surmount this
difficulty is, to distinguish between nominal and real Christians; and to shew them that the ill conduct of many of the former proceed not from their being Christians, but from. their being Christians only in name, and not in heart. To. this it has sometimes been objected, that if all those who. will cheat the Indians are Christians only in name, there are but few left in the country to be Christians in heart. This and many other of the remarks they pass upon the white people, and their miscarriages, [ am forced, to own, and cannot but grant that many nominal Christians are more abominably wicked than the Indians. But then I attempt to show them, that there are some who feel the power of Christianity who are not so, .And I ask them, when they ever saw me guilty of the vices they complain of, and charge Christians in general with? Still the great difficulty is, that the people who live baek in the country nearest to them, and the traders that go. among them, are generally of the most: irreligious and viciaus sort; and the conduct of one or two. persons, however exemplary, is not sufficient to. coupterbalance the vicious behaviour of so many of the same denomination, and sa to recommend. Christianity to, Pagans. rf 4 Another thing that serves to make them more averse to Christianity is, a fear of being enslaved. They are perhaps some of the most jealous people living, and extremely averse to a state of servitude; hence they are always afraid of some design forming against them. Besides, they seem to have no sentiments of generosity, benevolence and goodness; so that if any thing be proposed to them for their good, they are ready rather to suspect that there is at bottom some design forming against them, than that such proposals flow from goodwill to them, and a desire of their welfare. Hence, when I have attempted to recommend Christianity to their acceptance, they have sometimes objected that the white people have come among them, have cheated them out of their lands, driven them back to the mountains, from the pleasant places they used to enjoy by the sea-side; that therefore they have no reason to think the white people are now seeking their welfare; but rather that they have sent me out to draw them together, under a pretence of kindness to them, that they may have an opportunity to make slaves of them, as they do of the poor negroes, or else to ship them on board their vessels, and make them fight with their enemies, &c. Thus they have oftentimes construed all the kindness I could shew them, and the hardships 1 have endured in order to treat with them about Christianity. “ He never would (say they) take all this pains to do us good; he must have some wicked design to hurt us some way or other.” To give them assurance of the contrary is not an easy matter, while there are so many, who according to their apprehension are only ‘ seeking their own,’ not the good of others.
To remove this difficulty I inform them, that I am not sent out by those persons in these provinces, who they suppose have cheated: them out of their lands; but by pious people at a great distance, who never had an inch of their lands, nor ever thought of doing them any hurt, but here will arise so many frivolous and impertinent questions, that it would tire one’s patience, and wear out one’s spirits to hear them. They would sdy, “ But why did not these good people send you to teach us before, while we had our lands down by the sea-side. If they had sent you then, we should likely have heard you, and become Christians.” ‘The poor creatures still imagining that I should be much beholding to them, in case they would hearken to Christianity; and insiauating that this was a favour they could not now be so good as to shew me, seeing they had received so many injuries from the white people..
Another spring of aversion to Christianity in the Indians is, their strong attachment to their own religious notions, if they may be called religious, and the early prejudices they have imbibed in favour of their own frantic and ridculouskind of worship. What their notions of God are in their pagan state, it is difficult precisely to determine. I have taken much pains to inquire of my Christian people, whether before their acquaintance with Christianity, they imagined there was a plurality of great invisible powers, or whether they supposed but one such being, and worshipped him in a variety of forms and shapes; but | cannot learn any thing of them so as to be fully satisfied upon the point. Their notions in. that state were so prodigiously dark and confused, that they seemed not to know what they thought themselves. But so far as J can learn, they had a notion of a plurality of invisible deities, and paid some kind of homage to them promiscuously, under a great variety of forms and shapes. It is certain that those who yet remain Pagans pay some kind of superstitious reverence to beasts, birds, fishes, and even reptiles; that is, some to one kind of animal, and some to another. They-do not indeed suppose a divine power essential to, or inhering in these creatures, but that some invisible beings, not distinguished from each other by certain names, but only notionally, communicate to these animals a great power, either one or other of them, just as it happens, or perhaps sometimes all of them, and so make these creatures the immediate authors of good to certain persons. Hence such a creature becomes sacred to the persons to whom he is supposed to be the immediate author of good, and through him they must worship the invisible powers, though to others he is no more than another creature. Another animal perhaps is looked upon to be the immediate author of good to another person, and consequently he must worship the invisible powers in that animal, And I have known a pagan burn fine. tobacco for incense, in order to appease the anger of that invisible power which he supposed presided over rattle-snakes, because one of these animals was killed by another Indian near his house.
442 DIFFICULTIES ATTENDING.
After the strictest inquiry respecting their notions of the Deity, I find that in ancient times, before the coming of the white people, some supposed there were four invisible powers. who presided over the four corners of the earth, Others imagined the sun to be the only deity, and that all things were meade by him: others at the same time having a confused notion of a certain body es fountaim of deity, somewhat like the amma mands, so frequently mentioned by the more learned ancient heathens, diffusing itself to various animals, and even te inanimate things, making them the immediate authors of good to certain persons, as was before observed, with respect to various supposed deities. But after the coming of the white people, they seemed to suppose there were three deities, and three only, because they saw people of three different kinds of complexion, viz. English, Negroes, and themselves.
. It is a notion pretty generally prevailing among them, that it was not the same God made them, who made us; but that they were made after the white people; which further shews, that they imagine a plurality of divine powers. And I fancy they suppose their God gained some special skill by seting the white people made, and so made them better: for it is certain they look upon themselves, and their methods of living, which they say their God expressly prescribed for them, as. greatly preferable to the white people, and their methods. Hence they will frequently sit and laugh at them, as being good for nothing else but to plow and fatigue themselves with hard labour; while they enjoy the satisfaction of stretching themselves on the ground, and sleeping as much as they please; and have no other trouble but now and then to chase the deer, which is often attended with pleasure rather than pain. Hence also many of them look upon it as disgraceful for them to become Christians, as it would be esteemed among Christians for any to become Pagans. But though they suppose our religion will do well enough for us, because prescribed by our God, yet it is no. ways proper for them, because not of the same make and. original. This they have sometimes offered as a reason why they did not incline to hearken to Christianity.
They seem to have some confused notion about a future state of existence, and many of them imagine that the chichung, i. e. the shadow, or what survives the body, will at death go southward, and in an unknown but curious place, will enjoy some kind of happiness, such as hunting, feastiag, dancing, and: the like. And what they suppose will contribute much to their happiness in that state is, that they shall never be weary of those entertainments. It seems by this notion of their going southward to obtain happiness, as if they had their course into these parts of the world from some very cold climate, and found the further they went southward the more comfortable they were; and thence concluded, that perfect felicity was to be found further towards the same point.
They appear to entertain some faint and glimmering notion about rewards and punishments, or at least happiness and misery in a future state, that is, some that I have canversed with, though others seem to know of ne such thing. Those who suppose this, seem to imagine that most wil] be happy, and that those who are not so will be punished only with privation, being only excladed the walls of that good world where happy souls shall dwell. These rewards and punishments they suppose to depend entirely upon their conduct, as to the duties of the second table, i. ¢. their behaviour towards mankind, and seem, so far as I can see, not to imagine that they have any reference to their religious notions or practices, or any thing that relates to the worship of God. 1 remember I once consulted a very ancient but intelligent Indian upon this point, for my own satisfaction. I asked him whether the Indians of old times supposed there was any thing of the man that would survive the body? He replied, Yes. I asked him where they supposed. its abode would be? He replied, “ [t would go southward.” I asked him further, whether it would be happy there? He answered, after a considerable pause, “ that the souls of good folks would be happy, and the souls of bad folks miserable,” 1 then asked him, who he called bad folks? His answer was, “ Those who lie, steal, quarrel with their neighbours, are unkind to their friends, and especially to aged parents, and, in a word, such as are a plague to mankind.” ‘These were his ‘ bad folks ;’ but not a word was said about their neglect of divine worship, and their badness in that respect.
They have indeed some kind of religious worship, are frequently offering sacrifices to some supposed invisible powers, and are very ready to impute their calamities in the present world to the neglect of these sacrifices; but there is no appearance of reverence or devotion in the homage they pay them; and what they do of this nature, seems to be done only to appease the supposed anger of their deities, to engage them to be placable to themselves, and do them no hurt; or at most, only to invite these powers to succeed them in those enterprises they are engaged in respecting the present life. In offering these sacrifices, they seem to have no reference to a future state, but only to present comfort; and this is the account my interpreter always gives me of this matter. “ They sacrifice, says he, that they may have success in hunting and other affairs, and that sickness and other calamities may not befal them, which they fear in the present world, ‘in case of neglect; but they do not suppose God will ever punish them in the coming world for neglecting to sacrifice.” Indeed they seem to imagine that those whom they call ‘ bad folks’ are excluded from the company of good people in that state, not so much because God remembers and is determined to punish them for sin of any kind, either immediately against himself or their neighbour, as because they would be a ‘ plague’ to society, and would render others unhappy if admitted to dwell with them. So that they are excluded rather of necessity, than by the act of a righteous Judge.
The Indians give much heed to dreams, because they suppose these invisible powers give them directions at such times about certain affairs, and inform them what animal they would chuse to be worshipped in. They are likewise much attached to the traditions and fabulous notions of their fathers, who have informed them of divers miracles that were anciently wrought among the Indians, which they firmly believe, and thence look upon their ancestors to have been the best of men. They also mention some wonderful things which, they say, have happened since the memory of some who are now living. One affirmed to me, that he himself had once been dead four days; that most of his friends were gathered together to his funeral, and that he should have been buried, but that some of his relations at 2 great distance, who were sent for upon that occasion, were not arrived; and before their coming, he came to life again. During this time, he says, he went to the place where the sun rises, (imagining the earth tobe plain,) and directly over that place, at a great height in the air, he was admitted into a great house, which he supposes was-several miles in length, and saw many wonderful things, too tedious as well as ridiculous to mention. Another person, a woman, whom I have not seen, but have been credibly informed of by the Indians, declares that she was dead several days; that her soul went southward, and feasted and danced with the happy spirits; and that she found all things exactly agreeable to the Indian notions of a future state.
To these superstitious notions and traditions, and this kind of ridiculous worship, the Indians are extremely attached; and the prejudice they have imbibed in favour of these things, renders them not a little averse to the doctrines of Christianity. Hence some of them have told me, when I have endeavoured to instruct them; “ that their fathers had taught them already, and that they did not want to learn now.”
It will be too tedious to give any considerable account of the methods I make use of for surmounting this difficulty. I will just say that I endeavour as much as possible to shew them the inconsistency of their own notions, and so to confound them out of their own mouths. But I must also say, I have sometimes been almost nonplussed with them, and scarcely knew what to answer them; but never have been more perplexed than when they have pretended to yield to me as knowing more than they, and consequently have asked me numbers of impertinent and yet difficult questions; such as, “ How the Indians came first into this part of the world, away from all the white people, if what I said was true,” viz. that the same God made them who made us? “ How the Indians became black, if they had the same original parents with the white people?”
What further contributes to their aversion to Christianity is, the influence that their powwows, conjurers or diviners, have upon them. These persons are supposed to have a power of foretelling future events, of recovering the sick, at least oftentimes, and of charming, inchanting, or poisoning persons to death by their magic divinations. Their spirit, in its various operations, seems to.be a Satanical imitation of the spirit of prophecy which the church in early ages enjoyed. Some of these diviners are endowed with this spirit in infancy; others in adult age. It seems not to depend upon their own will, nor to be acquired by any endeavours of the person who is the subject of it, thought it is supposed to be given to children sometimes in consequence of some means which the parents use with them for that purpose. One of these is, to make the child swallow a small living frog, after having performed some superstitious rites and ceremonies upon it. They are not under the influence of this spirit always alike, but it comes upon them at times; and those who are endowed with it, are accounted singularly favoured.
I have laboured to gain some information respecting their conjuration, and have for that end consulted with the man mentioned in my Journal of May 9, who since his conversion to Christianity, has endeavoured to give me the best intelligence he could of this matter. But it seems to be sach a “ mystery of iniquity,” that I cannot well understand it, and know not oftentimes what ideas to affix to the terms he makes use of; and so far as 1 can learn, he himself has not any clear notions of the thing, now his spirit of divination is gone from him. However, the manner in which he says he obtained this spirit of divination was this: he was admitted into the presence of a great man, who informed him that he loved, pitied and desired to do him good. It was ‘not in this world that he saw the great man, but in a world above at a vast distance from this. The great man, he says, was clothed with the day; yea, with the brightest day he ever saw; a day of many years, yea, of everlasting continuance. This whole world he says was drawn upon him, so that in him, the earth, and all things in it, might be seen. I asked him if rocks, mountains, and seas was drawn upon or appeared in him? He replied, every thing that was beautiful and lovely in the earth was upon him, and might be seen by looking on him, as well as if one was on the earth to take a view of them there. By the side of the great man, he says, stood his shadow or spirit; for he used chichung, the word they commonly make use of to express: that of the man which survives the body, which word properly signifies a shadow. This shadow he says was as lovely as the man himself, and filled all places, and was most agreeable as well as wonderful to. him.—Here he says, be tarried some time, and was unspeakably entertained and delighted with a view of the great man, of his shadow or spirit, and of all things in him. Aud what is most of all astonishing, he imagines all this to have passed before he was born. He never had deen, he says, in this world at that time. And what confirms him in the belief of this is, that the great man told him, that be must come down to earth, be born of such a woman, meet with such and such things, and in particular, that he should once in his life be guilty of murder. At this he was displeased, and told the great man, he would never murder. But the great man replied, “ have said it, and it shall be so;” and it accordingly happened. At this time, he says, the great man asked him what he would chuse in life. He replied, first to be a bunter, and afterwards to be a powwow or-diviner. The great man told him he should have what he desired, ard that his shadow should go along with him down to earth, and be with him for ever. There was, he says, all this time no words spoken between them. The conference was not carried on by any human language, but they had a kind of mental intelligence of each other’s thoughts, dispositions and proposals. After this he saw the great man no more; but supposes he now came down to earth to be born. The spirit or shadow of the great man still attended him, and ever after continued te appear to him in dreams and other ways, until he felt the power of God’s word upon his heart; since which it has entirely left him.
This spirit he says, used sometimes to direct him i in dreams to go to such a place and hunt, assuring him he should there meet with success, and soit proved. When he had been there some time, the spirit would order ‘him to another
‘place. Thus he had success in hunting, according to the
great man’s promise made to him at the time of his chusing this employment.
Sometimes this spirit came upon him in a special manner, and he was full of what he saw in the great man. Then he says he was all light, and not enly light himself, but it was light all around him, so that he could see through men, and knew the thoughts of their hearts. These ‘depths of Satan” I leave to others to fathom or to dive into as they please, and do not pretend for my own part to know what ideas to affix to such terms, and cannot well guess what.conceptions of things these creatures have at these times when they call themselves ‘all light.’ But my interpreter informs me, that he heard one of them tell a certain Indian the secret thoughts of his heart, which he had never divulged. The case was this: the Indian was bitten with a snake, and in extreme pain. The diviner being applied to for his recovery, told him that at such a time he had promised the next deer he killed should be sacrificed to some great power, but he had broken his promise. And now, said he, that great power has ordered this snake to bite you for your neglect. The Indian confessed it was so, but said he had never told any body of it, But as Satan, no doubt, excited the Indian to make that promise, it was no wonder he should be able to communicate the matter to the conjurer.
These things serve to fix them down in their idolatry, and to make them believe there is no safety to be expected but by their continuing to offer such sacrifices. And the influence that these powwows have upon them, either through esteem or fear, is no small hindrance to their embracing Christianity.
To remove this difficulty, I have laboured to shew the Indians, that these diviners have no power to recover the siek, when the God whom Christians serve has determined them for death, and that the supposed great power who influences these diviners bas himself no power in this case; and that if they seem to recover any by their magic charms, they are only such as the God I preached to them had determined should recover, and who would have recovered without their conjurations. And when | have apprehended them afraid of embracing Christianity, lest they should be inchanted and poisoned, 1 have endeavoured to relieve their minds by asking them, why their powwows did not inchant and poison me, seeing they had as much reason to hate me for preaching to them, and desiring them to become Christians, as they could have to hate them in case they should actually become such. And that they might have an evidence of the power and goodness of God engaged for the protection of Christians, 1 ventured to bida challenge to all their powwows and great powers to do their worst on me first of all, and thus
_laboured to tread down their influence.
Many things further might be offered upon this head, but
thus much may suffice for a representation of their aversion to, and prejadice against Christianity, the springs of it, and the difficulties thence arising.
Secondly, Another great difficulty [ have met with in m attempts to Christianize the Indians, has been to convey di vine truths to their understandings, and to gain their assent to them as.such.
In the first place, I laboured under a very great disadvantage for want of an interpreter, who had a good degree of doctrinal as well as experimental knowledge of divine things, In both these respects my present interpreter was very defece. tive when I first employed him, as I noted in the account I before gave of him. And it was sometimes extremely discouraging to me, when I ‘could not make him understand what I designed to communicate; when truths of the last importance appeared “ foolishness to him” for want of a spiritual understanding and relish of them; and when he addressed the Indians in a lifeless indifferent manner, without any heart or fervency; especially when he appeared irresolute about making attempts for the conversion of the Indians to Christianity, ashe frequently did. For though he had a desire that they should conform to Christian manners, as I elsewhere observed, yet being abundantly acquainted with their strong attachment to their own superstitious notions, and the difficulty of bringing them off, and having no sense of divine power and grace, nor dependence upon an almighty Arm for the accomplishment of this work, he used to be discouraged, and tell me, “ It signifies nothing for us to try, they will never turn,” §c. So that he was a distressing weight and burden to me. And here I should have sunk scores of times, but that God in a remarkable manner supported me; sometimes by giving me full satisfaction that he himself had called me to this work, and thence a secret hope that sometime or other I might meet with success in it; or if not, that “my judgment should notwithstanding be with the Lord, and my work with my God.” Sometimes by giv-