I came across a description of late seventeenth century Pennsylvania life on Woodsrunner's blog. Daniel Pastorius (founder of Germantown, Philadelphia) writes:
"They (American Indians) listen very willingly, and not without perceptible emotion, to discourse concerning the Creator of Heaven and earth and His divine Light, which enlightens all men who have come into the world and who are yet to be born, and concerning the wisdom and love of God, because of which he gave his only-begotten and most dearly-beloved Son to die for us. It is only to be regretted that we can not yet speak their language readily and therefore cannot set forth to them the thoughts and intent of our own hearts, namely, how great a power and salvation lies concealed in Christ Jesus. They are very quiet and thoughtful in our gatherings, so that I fully believe that in the future, at the great Day of Judgment, they will come forth with those of Tyre and Sidon and put to shame many thousands of false nominal and canting Christians."
I found that pretty humbling and something of a warning. You can read the whole thing here, if you like.
LSP
They are very quiet and thoughtful in our gatherings....
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather was a very quiet man too; regrettably, that warning was not heeded, and may have been an epitrope for abuse in his generation, and well into the 80s.
On topic, I had never heard of Pastorius but his wikipedia page references "'Operation Pastorius' a failed sabotage attack on the United States in World War II" I don't know how Nazis sublated that sucker
Quite a quote, well said Pastorius.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Germantown for a time, opposite the old Merck mansion and i think Pastorius' house still exists. Difficult place these days, Germantown.
As for the Nazis, what insane wickedness.