Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/102

 go On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jews.

of Levi, they had forty-eight cities allotted them from the other tribes. And Mofes allures us, in Deut. xiv. 28, 29, that thofe tribes paid them alfo once in three years, the tithe, or tenth of all they poflefied, which is fuppofed to be about the thirtieth part of their annual pofTefllons, by which means they were reafonably maintained, as fpiritual paftors, and enabled to fulfil the cxtenfive and charitable application of their dues, as enjoined.

It hath been already hinted, that the Indian prophets undertake by the emanation of the divine fpirit of fire, co-operating with them, to bring down proper rains for crops, on the penalty of loofmg their own lives j as the Indians reckon that a regular virtuous life will fufficiently enable their great beloved men to bring bleffings of plenty to the beloved people ; and if they neglect it, they are dangerous enemies, and a great curfe to the community. They imagine his prophetic power is alfo reftriftive as to winter-rains, they doing more hurt than good ; for they juftly obferve, that their ground fel- dom fuflfers by the want of winter-rains. Their fentiments on this head, are very ftrong ; they fay, JJhtohoollo Aba allows the winter-rain to fall un- fought, but that he commanded their forefathers to feek for the fummer- rain, according to the old law, otherwife he would not give it to them. If the feafons have been anfvverable, when the ripened harveft is gathered in, the old women pay their reputed prophet with religious good-will,, a certain, proportional quantity of each kind of the new fruits, meafured in the fame large portable back-bafkets, wherein they carried home the ripened fruits. This ftated method they yearly obferve - s which is as confonant to the Levi- tical inftitution, as can be reafonably expected, efpecially, as their traditions have been time out of mind preferved only by oral echo.

Modern writers inform us, that the Perfees pay a tithe of their revenues to the chief Deftour, or Archimagus of a city or province,, who decides cafes of confcience, and points of law,, according to the inftitution of Zoro- after a mixture of Judaifm and paganifm^ Their annual religious offering to the Archimagi, is a mifapplication of the Levitical law concerning tithes,, contrary to the ufage of the American Aborigines, which it may be fuppofed. they immediately derived from the Hebrews, for, as the twelfth tribe was devoted to the divine fervice, they were by divine appointment, maintained, at the public expence. However, when we confider that their government was 7- of

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