Page:Notes on the History of Slavery - Moore - 1866.djvu/40

 ''Sermon before the Soc. for the Prop. of the Gospel, 1731, p.'' 19. Cotton Mather's peculations on their origin illutrate the temper of the times.

"We know not When or How thee Indians firt became Inhabitants of this mighty Continent, yet we may gues that probably the Devil decoy'd thee mierable Salvages hither, in hopes that the Gopel of the Lord Jeus Chrit would never come here to deftroy or diturb his Absolute Empire over them." Magnalia, Book, Part

The intructions from the Commiioners of the United Colonies to Major Gibbons, on being ent againft the Narraganetts in 1645, further illutrates this pirit.

He was directed to have "due regard to the honour of God, who is both our word and hield, and to the ditance which is to be oberved betwixt Christians and Barbarians, as well in warres as in other negociations." Of this Hutchinon says: "It was indeed trange that men, who profeed to believe that God hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, hould upon every occaion take care to preerve this ditinction. Perhaps nothing more effectually defeated the endeavors for Chritianizing the Indians. It eems to have done more: to have unk their pirits, led them to intemperance, and extirpated the whole race." Hutchinon's Collection of Papers, 151.

In 1646, the Commiioners of the United Colonies made a very remarkable order, practically authorizing, upon complaint of trepas by the Indians, the eizure of “any of that plantation of Indians that hall