and myfterious articles of the christian religion. Mr. Mayhew in his journal, writes, "That the Indians declared "the

of all religions and myfteries, is, the belief of the existence of a fupreme incomprehenfible BEING, director of the universe; this we can investigate no other ways but by reafon: the TRINITY ought to be introduced by fome rational obvious analogies, fuch as: We offer our praifes and prayers to the fupreme being, called GoD THE FATHER; invited and encouraged thereto, from the confideration of the divine clemency and benevolence, that is, by the mediation of GOD THE SON; with the affiftance of the DIVINE SPIRIT, GOD THE HOLY GHOST; all three being the attributes of, or perfonated by one and the fame GOD, and which we exprefs by three perfons in the godhead when the heathens come to understand thefe expreffions, they may be impreffed upon them in our usual myftical terms; but all abfrufe fanatical formulas and creeds, fuch as is the Athanafian creed, ought never to be offered to them.

The catechisms whereby we initiate our children and the Indian heathen into the chriftian religion perhaps require caftigation. That of the church of England in its first questions seems very low and filly, adapted to a nurse and her child, and may give the Indians a mean opinion of our religion doctors.

Question. What is your name?

Answer. A. B.

Queftion. Who gave you this name?

Anfwer. My godfathers and godmothers.

That of the Weftminfter affembly of divines, immediately enters into the most abftrufe articles of our religion.

How many perfons are there in the godhead?

What are the decrees of God?

Who is the redeemer of God's elect?

What is effectual calling?

Good works ought inceffantly to be preached to the Indians. Free will and predeftination ought not rafhly to be touched upon, according to our notions of the prefcience and omnifcience of God, and of the free agency of mankind which renders them accountable for their actions, they are so much in contraft, that to reconcile them is one of the greatest myfteries of the chriftian or any other religion.

Their inftruction ought to be brief, and not verbose, not to meddle with the manifold fmall differences and controverfies among our fectaries, because, as the conceptions, humours, and interest of several people are various, a general comprehenfion is impracticable in nature. Only teach them that all religions are good which are confiftent with fociety; that is, all religions are good, that teach men to be good. Our attachment to peculiar ways of worship, is not

I 2

from

"the difficulties of the chriftian religion were fuch as the "Indians could not endure; their fathers had made fome "trial of it, but found it too hard for them, and therefore "quitted it." The fundamental catholick articles of our religion are fhort, fimple, and easily understood by the meaneft capacity. 1. To adore one fupreme being, in his agency of creating and governing the universe. 2. To honour our natural parents, and all perfons in political authority (parents of the country) over us. 3. To love our neighbours as ourselves. 4. To be merciful, even to brute beafts. Whatever is inconfiftent with any of thefe, is irreligion. "What doth the Lord require of "thee, but to do juftly, and to love mercy, and to walk 66 humbly with thy God." The few credenda, or articles of

from any light within us; but is inculcated in our tender flexible years, by our parents, nurfes, preceptors, priests, and laws of our country. Orthodoxy in religion is ambulatory; upon a revolution, the party that prevails is the orthodox.

All bigots or uncharitable idle sectaries are difturbers of society, (fuch are the Roman catholicks, the high-fliers of the church of England, the covenanters or cameronians of the kirk of Scotland, &c.) and their ringleaders fall under the infpection of civil authority, and may without any imputation of perfecution upon account of religion, by way of a falutary civil remedy, be fent to a mad-house or workhouse, to bring them to a right mind.

Some proper degree of learning or literature, adminiftred to the Indians, is requifite, not only to civilize them, bring them to our language and manners, but to render them lefs fubject to credulity and frantickness in their devotions. The Roman catholick tenet of ignorance being the mother of devotion, is meant only of a fuperftitious devotion, not of a proper decent mode of worship.- -I do not join avowedly with the free-thinkers, who from the maxim of fruftra fit per plura fay, that the intricate method of our redemption from damnation and hellifh everlasting penances, by the omnipotent God, might in a peremptory manner been done by a fiat.

Myfteries, are properly deviations from the ordinary laws of nåture or providence: myfteries in most schemes of religion are unneceffary, and too much multiplied; the ftanding maxim ought to be, nec Deus interfit, nifi dignus vindice nodus. Human laws and fanctions cannot extend to numberlefs human vices and wickednesses therefore divine rewards and punishments of a God who knows in fecret ought to be inculcated.

faith in any scheme of practical religion; the lefs intricate, more comprehenfive, and confequently not fubject to fplit into fectaries: all enthufiaftical or juggling fchemes of devotion are a nufance; the Wh-ld (an infignificant perfon, but a happy dramatick actor of enthusiasm) newlights, pretend to know one another at first fight as much as if they were of the order of free-mafons.

In former times, before hired miffionaries from incorporate focieties took place, the voluntier provincial miffionaries, viz. Mr. Elliot, Mr. Mayhew, &c. of NewEngland, who believed what they taught, were of exemplary good life, and fpared no fatigue, were of great fervice in civilizing our intermixed Indians, though their faith was not strong enough to carry them out among the tribes of our adjacent wilderness Indians. We have fcarce any account to give of the late miffionaries from the three feveral focieties now fubfifting for propagating of christian knowledge amongst the wild Indians, or men of the woods, as the French call them. The Albany church of England miffionary, fometimes vifits the adjacent tribe of Mohawk Indians of the Iroquois nation. The congregationalist miffionaries from the New-England fociety in London upon the New-England frontiers at Gorges, Richmond and Fort-Dummer, act only as chaplains to these small garrifons of ten or a dozen men each. Mr. * Brainerd, a late miffionary upon the frontiers of

66

the

The rev. Mr. Brainerd, a miffionary from the Scot's fociety to the Indians upon the rivers of Delaware and Sefquahanna, was a true and zealous miffionary, giving allowances for his weak enthufiaftick turn of mind. In his printed book, Philadelphia 1745, concerning the Indian converfions, "at a distance with my bible in my hand, I was refolved if poffible, to fpoil their fpirit of Powowing, and prevent their receiving an anfwer from the infernal world." In the year 1744, he rode about 4000 miles to and fro among the Indians, fometimes five or fix weeks together, without feeing a white man; he had three houfes of refidence at diftances in the Indian countries. Is there any miffionary from any of the focieties for propagating the gofpel in foreign parts, that has reported the like?

13

Enthufiafm

the Jerfies and Penfylvania upon the exhibition of the Scots fociety for propagating chriftian knowledge, feems to have been the only minifter who faithfully performed the service of an Indian miffionary.

In all royal charters, and proprietary grants of colonies in British North-America, one of the principal defigns is faid, to be the converfion of the Indians by good inftruction and an exemplary good life: the miffionaries from the fociety do not in the leaft attempt the converfion of the Indians, because it requires travel, labour, and hardfships: and the British people in general, instead of chriftian virtues, teach them European vices; for inftance, by introducing the use of intoxicating liquors, for private profit, they difpenfe more ftrong liquor than gofpel to the Indians; and thus have deftroy'd, and continue to destroy perhaps more Indians, than formerly the Spaniards did, by their inhumane and execrable cruelties, under the name of converfions; the Spaniards deftroyed only their bodies, we destroy body and mind. Mr. Mayhew in his journals writes, that the Indians told him, that, "they could not observe the benefit of christianity, because the English christians cheated them of their lands, &c, and the use of books made them more cunning in cheating." In his Indian itineraries, he "defired of Ninicroft, fachem of the Narraganset Indians, leave to preach to his people; Ninicroft bid him go and make the English good first, and

Enthusiasm in the Roman Catholick miffionaries is encouraged by their church and states; it prompts them (fome as merit, fome as penance) to endure all manner of hardfhips towards promoting, not only their religion, but also their trade and national interest with the Indians. Religious fuperftitions, by falling in with the weak and enthufiaftick natural propenfities of mankind, are very powerful; but in time ought to be rectified, as reafon gets the better of thefe human infirmities. As ftrong reasoning is not accommodated to the bulk of mankind, credulity or revelation is a more eafy poffeffion of the mind; without revelation a man is quite at a lofs, from whence he came, for what purpose he exifts, and where he is to go when he ceafes to live: there is a ftrong propenfity in human nature to religion; fome abandoned politicians make a wrong ufe of this, to promote their wicked defigns, ambitions, and interefts.

chid Mr. Mayhew + for hindering him from his business and labour;" in another place Mr. Mayhew writes, "the Mohog Indians told him, that they did believe in God, and worship him, but as feveral nations had their diftinct ways of worship, they had theirs, which they thought a good way." The Indians were entirely wanting in any fet form of religious devotional worship.

Seeing the religion miffionaries neglect the converfion of the Indians, and take no further care than with relation to their falaries or livings, and of being stationed in the most opulent towns, which have no more communication with the favage Indians, than the city || of London has; the refpective governments upon the continent of America ought to contrive fome method of civilizing the Indians, which will be attended with many confiderable advantages. 1. Our own tranquility. 2. 'Our Indian fkin and fur trade. 3. By rendering them serviceable to us in our agriculture and navigation; thus a too great importation of foreigners may be avoided. In Penfylvania has been a vaft importation of Palatines, Saltsburghers, and other foreigners. By a late letter from a gentleman of Philadelphia, a man of veracity, penetration, and authority in the province of Pensylvania, I am informed; (this I publish with relation to those gentlemen, who feem inadvertently to infift upon the introducing of floods of foreigners among us :)

This faying of Ninicroft's was very applicable to Mr. Wh--ld, a late vagrant dramatick enthufiaft in North-America; H-ly of the oratory, fo called in London, an ecclefiaftical mountebank; and fuch like impoftors, ought to be animadverted upon; they are a fcandal and reproach to the christian religion.

As to the converfion of Indians they make it a fine-cure, or only a name or free gift, and may be enjoyed any where to the fame advantage. As an hiftorian upon the place of obfervation, I could not avoid (without fufpicion of partiality) reprefenting thefe mifapplicàtions in a true and proper light, being a publick affair; I do not meddle with the perfonal character of any miffionary; if the bishop's commiffary has any authority, it is his office and care; I avoid being officious.