American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-08-08
Hmm prOad's History Of Pennsylvania.

''",osn,s which have been used by some Of these
UIa ar about the year Of cur Lord l7lO S'ce-
sA MISSIONARY preached sermon, at an Indian
.",r Md at Conestogoe i'll Pennsylvania in which
zen be "a, forth original sin, the Necessity Of a
ItJ;otor and endravored, by certain arguments,
;odu,e the TadiaRs TO embrace the Christian re-
E;,ia, A(ter he had ended his discourse, one OF
IT, Lli,s chiefs made speech 10 reply to the SER
|n.,. and the discourses on both sides, were made
aoyo hy interpreters The Missionary upon his
Ir.mrn IN Sgelen, published his sermon, and the
IJ,ajuu', answer. Having wrote them in L1tin, he
cheated them TO the university OF Upsat, and re-
sr.,ed them 10 furnish him with arguments, to
IsnfMs such s,ron, reasoning Of the Indians. The
Iian speech, translated from the Latin, is as fol.
,as" eiz.
Asv,ech delivered By an Indian chief in reply to
asermon, preached by 'S,cediSh Missionary, in
| order to CONVEX, the Indians 10 the Christian re-
/ igiOr
Since the subject of his (the Missionary's) err
saJis to persuade us to embrace new doctrine,
ehlps il may not be amiss, before we offer him
reasons, why we cannot comply with his request,
acquaint him with the grounds and principles OF
hi religion, which he would have us abandon.
o, as We arc, that those, who act WE'LL in this
e, shall be rewarded in the next, according to the
cree Of their virtue and on the other hand that
lose, who behave wickedly here, will undergo such
m,hmen,s hereafter, as are proportionate to the
rimes they were guilty Of This hath been con :
aatIy and invariably received and acknowledged
NJ ruth, through every successive generation Of
our ancestors. 1t could not have taken its rise from
| 4le for human fiction, however artful!y and plau-
| lilly contryed, can never gain credit long, among
any people, where free enquiry Is allowed; whio h
was never denied by our ancestors; who, on the
contrary, thought il the sacred, inviolable, natui al
| gh Of every man, TO examine and Judge for him
vi Therefore we think il eviden, that our notion,
concerning future rewards and punishments, was
|sltler revealed Immediately from heaven, 10 some
III our forefahers, and from them descended to US,
|0 that it was implanted in each OF US, at our crea
ZION, Ly 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
Il knowledge Of our duty, it is still, In our sense,
IiriAe recitation.
snow We desire to propose to him some few
Questions. Does he believe that our forelathers,
ms0 eminent tor their pety, constant and warm IN
|s pursuit OF virtue, hoping thereby to merit ever
hins happiness, were all damned 2 Does he think
hal We, whu are their jealous imitators, in good
ISoks and Influenced by the same motives as they
|SeFe, earnestly endeavoring, with the greatest cir
|umpeeon, to II cad the paths OF integrity, are in
d4e Of dalnRuti0n ? If these be his sentiments,
Oey are surely as impous as they are bold and dar-
ig
10 the next place, we beg that he would explain
tnsei more particularly concerning the rerctation
aiks OF. If be admits 90 other, than what is
oiahed in his lcrittea bo0E the contrary is evil
s'! from what has been shewn before but, ii he
@ys Tod has revealed himself to US, but not suttl.
ltll Tor our salvation; then, we ask, TO what pur-
poH should lie have revealed himself to US in any
She' Ii IS clear, that reretat0n insufficient to
%e cannot put u. in better condition, than we
should be in, without any revelation at all. we
aano conceive that God should point out to US the
0e' We ought TO aim at, without opening to US the
F way 10 arrive at tina, end. But, supposlng our un
Nf'andlngs TO be so far illuminated, as to know j
:" DC our duty 10 please God, who yet hath lett u'
'Hu'f an ineapacty OF doing 1t, will this .hlSS'on
| w. therefore, conclude that we shall be eternaH!
Ia@"edF win he take upon him to pronounce
Nl'ahalion against US, for not doing those things
"och he himself acknowledges were impossible b.
Y" " Oe done? It is our opinion that every man i
pA'essed OF sufficient knowledge for his salvation
'e Iiin'Saty, !or any thing we know, may has'
'umnalcaled the knowledge Of himself to dlffe
''a' race OF people, in ifierent manner.
some say, they have the will OF God in WrHtns
NN So; their rpreIation has no advantage aboV
'V'' snce both must be equally sufficient to save
Doewlse the end Of the revelation would be trus
4ea' BESIDES, if they be both true, they must b
"e s'mt N substance; and the difference can onl
IN The mode of communication. He tells U
'''e are many precepts in his lcriteh reUridtto'
"Nh we are entirely ignorant Of. But these tert
,p '@Hna6ds can only bc dt signed for those, VIII
p'e me pr'tlngs: they cannot possibly regard u
''u 'ae almighty thought so much knowledge nj
s'4'Y to our salvston his goodness would M
'S nave deferred The communication OF II TO us
~ " W that, IN a matter SO necessary, he coul
=" a' one and the same time, equally reveal him
!" 70 al mankind, is nothing less than an absolut
,"al OF his omnipotence. Without doubt he ca
% his will manifest, without the help al any book
WG assistance OF any bookiSh man whatever.
Chnll AZ, fba rNrI