3. Another Step, and perhaps the most promising one we can take, to engage the Indians in Friendship with us is, to send Missionaries among their respective Tribes, Ministers and Schoolmasters, to instruct them in the Principles, and to persuade them to the Practice of Christianity. Tho’ they have so long lived near us, and been conversant with us, yet they remain ignorant of the Way of Salvation, Strangers to the Gospel, and are perishing for lack of Knowledge: A Case that might well move our Pity and Compassion towards them, and put us upon doing what we can for their Relief. And whether our former Neglect of Things of this Nature has not been provoking to Heaven, may be worthy of our serious Enquiry.
The Interest the Rev. Mr. Barclay had in the Mohawks, while he was with them, the Reformation of Manners he wrought among them, their Willingness to receive Instruction, and their Engagedness to prosecute Learning, are a plain Indication that faithful Missionaries would be welcome to them. And the Five Nations being nearest us, and their Friendship of very great Consequence, it might be proper to begin with them: And what has been done among them by Mr. Barclay and others, might be no small Help in the Case. If we should send Persons well qualified for the Business to reside among them, and support them well, there would be no Foundation for any Jealousy that we have an ill Design upon them, and if at any time such Jealousies should arise, they would soon subside, upon the Indians having a little Experience of our Kindness and Friendship to them. The prudent Conduct and faithful Labours of such Missionaries might, by the Blessing of God, serve to remove their Barbarity, correct their Manners, reform their Lives, promote in them virtuous Sentiments, and by Degrees form them to true Religion. This we may hope would be the happy Event, with Respect to many of them, tho’ not to all; and if, by much Labour and Expence, it might be brought to pass, should we not find our Account in it; for what would be the Charge of supporting a few Missionaries, compared with that of an Indian War? And is there not great Probability that such Measures would in a few Years Time attach them to us in a hearty Friendship? And if the Five Nations, who are a Terror to, and have in great Measure the Command of, other Tribes, were indeed our Friends, and made so by such Obligations laid upon them, would it not be an effectual Means of restraining other Indians from giving us Trouble in case of a War?
The general Objection here, I am sensible, will be;—There is no Likelihood of succeeding, and therefore it is not worth While to make any Trial; it would only be to spend Labour and Money to no good Purpose. To which I reply,
How can we draw the Conclusion before we have made the Experiment? Have we ever made any proper Trial, and found ourselves disappointed? And can it be looked upon just to draw such a Conclusion, in a Case of such Importance, unless we had better Grounds for it?
It is true, Mr. Sergeant made a Visit to the Susquehanna Indians, Mr. Brainard also, in his Day, did the same, without Success; but we know that the Excuse those Indians made was, that they held their Lands of the Five Nations, and therefore could not comply with such a Motion, till their Consent was first obtained. And besides, shall we esteem two or three Visits made by private Persons a sufficient Trial in this Case? Sufficient indeed it was to shew that those good Gentlemen were possest of an excellent Spirit, and of a laudable Zeal for the Good of the poor Natives; but yet I apprehend not sufficient to discourage further Attempts. If those Gentlemen, who went in a private Capacity, had sustained a publick Character, perhaps they had been more regarded. But however, when we have used our best Endeavours, and they indeed prove unsuccessful, we may be excusable; but can we look upon ourselves so, if we sit still, and use no Endeavours for the Help of those poor benighted People?
If proper Attempts should be made for Christianizing the Five Nations, there would, I am sensible, some notable Difficulties lie in the Way, but yet perhaps none but what might be surmounted.
One Difficulty that would doubtless attend such a laudable Undertaking, would arise from those who maintain a private Trade among them, from which they reap great Gain; especially by the Article of Rum, too much of which they convey to them, and by the Influence of which the Indians are easily defrauded.
These Traders would be very sensible, that if Christianity should prevail among those Nations, the Hope of their Gain would be gone, and seeing by this Craft they have their Wealth, they would use their utmost Endeavours to dissuade the Indians from embracing the Ways of Religion. They in Fact did so at Housatunnuk, where the Number of Indians was small, and their Trade not so considerable. How much more then will they do it, if Endeavours should be used to convert the Mohawks, whose Trade is vastly more advantageous? But as the Indians at Housatunnuk, by Mr. Sergeant’s Help, saw thro’ the Artifice they used, and were made sensible of the selfish Views of the Traders, so doubtless the Five Nations may easily be informed, and the Obstruction soon removed.
Another Difficulty will arise from the false Insinuations of Romish Emissaries, who will not fail to tell them, that we are about to teach them a false Religion, and if they hearken to us, they will all certainly be damned. But when those Indians are properly informed of the Conduct of the French, and other Roman Catholicks, how they deny the Use of the Bible to the common People among themselves, and that they have no Design to acquaint the Indians with the Word of God: And on the other Hand, that our Design is not to impose upon them, but to open the Bible to them, to enable them to read it, and to judge for themselves; will not this satisfy them of our honest Intentions towards them, and of the Safety and Propriety of their examining Things, that they may form a Judgment for themselves?
A third, and perhaps much the greatest Difficulty that would attend this good Design is, that those Indians esteem themselves Christians already, and value themselves upon their being as good Christians as their Neighbours. Mr. Sergeant, in his Journal of November 25, 1734, says,—‘The Mohawks are generally Professors of Christianity, but for want of Instruction have but little of it in Reality.—’ They are so ignorant of the Principles of Religion, that they know not the Difference between one who is baptized, and calls himself a Christian, and one who lives agreeably to the Rules Christ has given us to walk by. They are not sensible of the Necessity of being conformed to those Rules of Virtue and Holiness which Christ has prescribed. Romish Emissaries have baptized some of them, others (as I have been informed) have been baptized by Dutch Ministers; and they esteem it a Privilege belonging to them to have their Children baptized, whenever they present them, without any Regard being had, either to the Qualifications of the Parent, or the religious Education of the Child. When the Rev. Mr. Spencer was among them a few Years ago, they were much displeased that he declined baptizing some Children, whose Parents were notoriously ignorant, vicious and wicked. Some Indians from Canada, who had an English Woman to their Mother, came a few Years past to Westfield to visit their English Relations there, and while they staid at that Place, they had a Child born, and were much offended with the Rev. Mr. Balantine, who declined baptizing of it, as they desired. Since the Rev. Mr. Edwards has been at Stockbridge, one of the Mohawks residing there had a Child born, and was highly affronted because Mr. Edwards did not baptize it upon his Desire. From these Instances it is evident, that they account their Children have Right to Baptism, whenever they desire it. And being baptized, they esteem them good Christians, whatever their Conversation may be; for they derive their Notions of Christianity, not from the Bible (to which they are Strangers) but from the Example of the Dutch and French, with whom they are conversant, and who profess themselves to be Christians.