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II. Indian Settlements in connection with the Bethlehem congrega

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Availing themselves of the promise of the governor, verted Indians in New York and Connecticut gradually wandered to Pennsylvania, where their first permanent settlement was on the border of the province, in the Indian country beyond the Blue Mountains.

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The spot selected was about thirty miles from Bethlehem at the junction of the Mahony creek with the Lehigh. Here the Christian Indians settled, assisted by the inhabitants of Bethlehem, built a regular town and chapel and called the place GnadenhuetFor a time they had peace and were multiplied, dwelling together in unity, and growing in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh how must it not have rejoiced and gladdened the hearts of their devoted teachers to hear day by dayThe sound of prayer and praise From the Indian's cot ascending; His thoughtful heart, in joyous lays To his Saviour gladly rend'ring.

About eight years had past since the commencement of Gnadenhuetten and both here and in the more remote congregations of Connecticut already 353 Indians had been received into the fellowship of the Christian Church by holy baptism; but already the power of darkness was at work, planning the destruction both of the mission congregation at Gnadenhuetten and the Brethren's settlement in Bethlehem.

On the evening of Nov. 24th, 1755 after the last note of praise and prayer had been sung in the Indian congregation and every one retired to his hut-their faithful teachers were alarmed by a sound, which for years had not been heard in this peaceful valley, the dreaded warwhoop of the savage Indian. Soon after the report of firearms was heard; anon a lurid flame proclaimed, that the farm house on the other side of the river had been attacked and taken by the savages. Of the fifteen brethren and sisters dwelling there only four had escaped to bring the dreadful news, that their brethren and sisters had been murdered. The Christian Indians immediately assembled around their teachers, the brethren Mack, Grube and Powel, and offered to attack the enemy without delay; but being advised to the contrary they all fled to the woods, and gradually assembled in Bethlehem. As might be expected, the church and houses of Gnadenhuetten were soon after burned by the savages, but of the Christian Indians, at whom the blow had been aimed, none received any harm. At the same time was this murder of so many of their brethren and sisters by the hostile Indians the best indication of the brethren in Bethlehem that

they were not, as illwilled neighbors had reported, in league with the Indians and the French. "Alas, one exclaimed, what should we have had to answer for, had we followed our design of exterminating the Brethren, and destroying men, women and children upon the supposition that they were our enemies." Bethlehem and the faithful band of Christian Indians proved more than once in the "old french war" a greater safeguard for the whole province, than all the forts and military companies on the northern frontier.

For more than a year the Indian congregation lived in Bethlehem, attending the meetings of this congregation and assisting in various ways in the daily household occupations. But as the pros

pects for a permanent peace with the various Indian tribes were not fulfilled, in 1757 a regular Indian settlement was commenced, about a mile from Bethlehem called Nain and some years later a 2nd-Wechquetank-beyond the Blue Mountains.

Many pleasing fruits of the preaching of the gospel appeared among the numerous heathen who visited Nain during the various councils held with the Government at Easton, Lancaster and other places. One said: "Never did I hear any thing like this, that my God and Creator will receive and save sinners who come unto him; and that they may even come loaded with their sins. Praised be God that I came and heard such sweet words." A young Nantikok was taken very ill after his return to Philadelphia. Before his death he said to his two brothers: "In Nain they teach the right way to eternal life. There I have often heard, that our Creator became a man, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, rose again, and ascended up into heaven, and that whosoever be lieves in him, shall not perish; but when he dies, shall live with him for ever. If you wish to hear these good words, go to Nain."

For several years the Indian congregations at Nain and Wechquetank continued to flourish, receiving no disturbance from the savages. The peace and joy of the believers were however in 1763 unexpectedly interrupted by the intelligence of the hostilities committed by the Indians near the great lakes of Canada and on the Ohio, where they had murdered many white people. They had also begun to make excursions into Pennsylvania, and there was much reason to fear a repetition of those dreadful scenes exhibited in 1755. Fanatics again revived their doctrine, that this new war was a just punishment of God, because the Europeans, like the Israelites of old, had not destroyed the Cananites, and therefore declared that all Indians, without exception, ought to be put to the sword. That this was no idle threatening soon became manifest by the famous murder of the Conestoga Indians by the socalled "Paxton Boys" in Dec. 1763. The Christian Indians at Wechquetank and Nain had, before this horrible outrage was committed, by order of the government been taken to Philadelphia, and found a tempora

ry place of safety first at Province Island in the Delaware river, and afterwards in the barracks of Philadelphia where they lived in almost close confinement for more than a year (Jan. 1764— March 1765.) 56 died there of fevers and the small pox.

III. Wanderings of the Indian Congregations, 1765.

Peace being restored at length, the Christian Indians were permitted to depart to their former settlements. But being unwilling from sad experience to live in the neighborhood of white settlers;

Far from their homes and fault they turn,

Amid the forest lone,

For some rude glen, where they may turn
Unnoticed and unknown.

A home is found amid its bowers;
Altars to God they raise;

And here the Indian's happy hours

Are spent in prayer and praise.

Now commenced the wanderings of the Christian Indiaus, which extended through the wilds of Northern and Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, the Lakes as far as the wilderness of Lake St. Clair— and lasted 27 years until a resting place was found on British soil.

The first home in the forest to which the Christian Indians turned their eyes was the Indian village Machwihilusing, (Wyalusing) on the North Branch of the Susquehanna-now Bradford county. -Here David Zeisberger had passed with Bishop Cammerhof in 1750 on their way to the great Indian council of the six nations at Onondago. Nine years later an Indian teacher from this village, Papunhank, had visited at Nain, where he heard, for the first time, the great doctrine of the cross. Returning to his countrymen, he related in the most pathetic manner, what he had experienced, adding: "My dear people, I have told you many good things and pointed out the good way; but I have now learnt that it was not the right one. If we wish to be saved, we must look to that Jesus, whom the Brethren preach." Thus the minds of heathen were prepared by one of their own teachers, to receive the truth, as it is in Christ Jesus, and when in 1763, David Zeisberger for the first time in these forest wilds proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation, he found many who willingly and attentively listened to his heavenly message. Papunhank, a man naturally vain and high in his own conceit, was so overcome by the divine power attending the word of the cross, that he cast all his own righteousness aside, bemoaning his wretched life and total depravi

ty with true contrition. At his urgent solicitation he was baptized, June 26th, 1763. He received the christian name of John, and his whole demeanor bespoke the regeneration of his heart.Another Indian, who had formerly been Papunhank's opponent, was baptized after him, and called Peter. This man seemed at a loss how to express his joy and said: "that now his heart was easy, and freed from a burden which but lately appeared unsupportable to him."-When the war broke out, John Papunhank came with 21 Indians to Bethlehem to seek protection, and followed from thence his christian brethren to Philadelphia.

Once more at liberty, they all bent their steps to the distant Indian village, where the old huts are still standing, and where they hoped to be far removed from the influence of the whites. David Zeisberger, accompanied them, and was henceforth their faithful guide and firm friend among all the hardships and difficulties, to which they were exposed in their many weary wanderings. After five weeks of great fatigue, Wyalusing was reached at last. Devoting themselves anew to Him who had given them rest for the soles of their feet, they began their labors with renewed courage, and built a regular settlement a few miles below Wyalusing, which they called Friedenshuetten. (tents of peace).

This station continued to prosper for several years until 1772. Meanwhile the persevering Zeisberger had several times threaded the wilderness to the waters of the Allegheny and Ohio to proclaim to the benighted heathen the glad tidings of salvation. In 1767 he made his first visit in Goshgoshunk, (Cush-cush) a Delaware village on the left bank on the Allegheny-now Venango county-where probably no white men had been before; and commenced a mission. Subsequently when hostilities commenced betreen Suncas and Cherokees, the congregation collected in these parts set out in sixteen canoes and passing down the river past Pittsburg to the mouth of Beaver creek and thence to the interior-now Beaver County—a new station was established in 1770, and called Friedenstadt (Town of Peace.)

Thus Friedenshuetten on the Susquehanna and Fridenstadt on the Beaver Creek was for a time the favorite spot where the light of true Christianity might shine, while all around was yet heathen darkness. In the latter place even one of the Delaware chiefs, Glikkikan, relinquished the honors of his station to come and dwell among the people of God. But already new troubles were at hand, which at last forced all the Christian Indians to retire from the Pennsylvania soil.

The land on which Friedenshuetten was originally built, belonged to the Iroquois or Six Nations, who had made a full and unconditional grant to the Christian Indians. Regardless of this act they sold this land by the treaty of 1768 "from under their feet" to the English, and though the Governor of Pennslvaniay

promised them protection, it soon became evident that the white people, who coveted their well improved fields, would give them no rest until they had again removed further westward. In 1770 br. Zeisberger became acquainted with Nctawatwes, the principal chief of the Delawares in the west, who offered a tract of land on the Muskingum-Tuscarawas county, Ohio, to the Christian Indians, assuring them, that it would never be sold from under their feet to the white people. The offer was accepted, and Zeisberger went himself in April 1772 with five Indian families to make the needful preparations. The land selected possessed many attractions, which are beautifully described in the following lines;

Away in the forest, how fair to the sight,

Was the clear placid lake, as it sparkled in light,
And kiss'd with low murmur the green shady shore,
Whence a tribe had departed, whose traces it bore;
Where the lone Indian hasten'd, and wond'ring, hush'd
His awe, as he trod o'er their mould'ring dust.

How bright were the waters-how cheerful the song
Which the wood bird was cheruping all the day long:
And how welcome the refuge these solitudes gave
To the pilgrim, who toil'd over mountain and wave.
Here they rested-here gush'd forth, salvation to bring,
The fount of the cross by the "Beautiful Spring."

Schoenbrunn was the name which Zeisberger gave to this his favorite spot; on which he received, in August, the weary wanderers from Friedenshuetten, 241 in number, who had been accompanied thither by br. Ettwein from Bethlehem. Some time after a great part of the congregation of Friedenstadt also went to the Muskingum, led by br. Heckewelder, and built a settlement about ten miles below Schoenbrunn, which they called Gnadenhuetten.

After a while a third settlement was commenced at Lichtenau, and when in 1780 northern warriors began to molest its peaceful inhabitants, they were quickly resolved, left their beautiful little town, and built another village, Salem, nearer to the former stations.

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The mission on the Muskingum was both internally and externally, as far as man can judge, at the height of its prosperity.The congregations, far removed from the turmoil of the world, had rest, and prospered greatly. The gospel showed its divine power in the hearts both of visiting heathen, of whom many were added to the church of God,-and of the members of the church, whose growth in the love and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ gave their faithful teachers abundant cause for gratitude and joy.

But whilst they rejoiced in the Lord, the powers of darkness were at work; the arrow was being prepared already, which was

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