OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 17 



''For, liowever ignorant and averse to European refinement and ways 

 of iliinking, on religious subjects, the Indians^ in general, might appear 

 to have been, yet, as in all other nations of mankind, it is most certain 

 there were some among them of a more exalted way of thinking, and 

 enlightened understandings, who, notwithstanding the great absurdities 

 among the generality, were not without some degree of a just sense and 

 acknowledgment of the providential care and regard of the Almighty 



he dedicated them to the university of Upsala, and requested them to furnish liim with 

 arguments, to confute such strong reasoning of the Indiaiis. The Indian speech, trans- 

 lated from the Latin, is as follows," viz : 



"A speech delivered by an Indian chief, in reply to a sermon, preached by a Swedish 

 Missionary, in order to convert tlie Indians to the Christian religion: 



" Since the subject of his (the Missionary's) errand is to persuade us to embrace a 

 new doctrine, perhaps it may not be amiss, before we offer him the reasons why we 

 cannot comply with his request, to acquaint him with the grounds and principles of that 

 i-eligion, which he would have us abandon. 



"Our forefathers were under a strong persuasion, a.s we are, that those who act well, 

 in this life, shall be rewarded in the next, according to the degree of their virtue : and 

 on the other hand, that those who behave wickedly here, will undergo such punish- 

 ments hereafter as are proportionate to the crimes they were gxiilty of. This hath 

 been constantly and invariably received and acknowledged for a truth, through every 

 successive generation of oiu- ancestors. It could not have taken its rise from fable ; for 

 liuman fiction however artfully and plausibly contrived, can never gain credit Ion"-, 

 among any people, where free enquiry is allowed ; which was never denied by our 

 ancestors; who, on the contrary, thought it the sacred, inviolable, natural right of 

 e\'ery man to examine and judge for himself. Therefore we think it evident that our 

 notion, concerning future rewards and punishments, was either revealed immediately 

 from heaven to some of our forefathers, and from them descended to us, or, that it was 

 implanted in each of us, at our creation, by the Creator of all things. Whatever the 

 methods might have been, whereby God hath been pleased to make known to us his 

 will, and give us a knowledge of our duty, it is still, in our sense, a divine revelation. 



"Now we desire to propose to him some few questions: Does he believe that our 

 forefathers, men eminent for their piety, constant and warm in the pursuit of virtue, 

 hoping tliereby to merit everlasting happiness, were all damned^ Does he think that 

 we, who are their zealous imitators, in good works, and influenced by the same motives 

 as they were, earnestly endeavoring, with the greatest circumspection, to ti'ead the 

 path.s of integrity, are in a state of damnation? If these be his sentiments, they are 

 surely as impious as they are bold and daring. 



"In the next place, we beg that he would explain himself more particularly con- 

 cerning the rerelation he talks of. If he admits no other than what is contained in his 

 'im-itteii book, the contrary is evident from what has been shewn before: but, if he says 

 Oo<l has revealed himself to us, but not sufficient for our .salvation; then, we ask, to 

 what purpose should he have revealed himself to us in any wise? It is clear that a 

 reflation insufficient to save, cannot put us in a better condition than we should ba 

 in without any revelation at all. We cannot conceive that God should point out to us 

 the end we ought to aim at, without opening to us the way to arrive at tliat end. But, 

 supposing our understandings to be so far illuminated as to know it to be our duty to 

 plea^se God, who yet hath left us under an incapacity of doing it, will this Missionary, 

 therefore, conclude that we shall be eternally damned? Will he take upon him to 

 pronounce damnation against us, for not doing those things which he himself acknowl- 



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