The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in New-England. Or,…The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in Nevv-England. Or,…

There is another great question that hath been several times propounded, and much sticks w••• such as begin to pray, namely, If they leave off Powwawing, and pray to God, what shall they do when they are sick? for they have no skill in physic, though some of them understand the virtues of sundry things, yet the state of mans body, and skill to apply them they have not: but all the refuge they have and rely upon in time of sickness is their Powwows, who by antic, foolish and irrational conceits delude the poor people; so that it is a very needful thing to inform them in the use of Physic, and a most effectual means to take them off from their Powwawing. Some of the wiser sort I have stirred up to get this skill; I have showed them the anatomy of mans body, and some general principles of Physic, which is very acceptable to them, but they are so extremely ignorant, that these things must rather be taught by sight, sense, and experience then by precepts, and rules of art; and therefore I have had many thoughts in my heart, that it were a singular good work, if the Lord would stir up the hearts of some or other of his people in England to give some maintenance toward some School or Collegiate exercise this way, wherein there should be Anatomies and other instructions that way, and where there might be some recompense given to any that should bring in any vegetable or other thing that is virtuous in the way of Physic; by this means we should soon have all these things which they know, and others of our Countrymen that are skilful that way, and now their skill lies buried for want of encouragement, would be a searching and trying to find out the virtues of things in this country, which doubtless are many, and would not a ⟨p. 26⟩little conduce to the benefit of the people of this Country, and it may be of our native Country also; by this means we should train up these poor Indians in that skill which would confound and root out their Powwows, and then would they be fa•re more easily inclined to leave those ways, and pray unto God, whose gift Physic is, and whose blessing must make it effectual.

There is another great question that hath been severall times propounded, and much sticks w••• such as begin to pray, namely, If they leave off Powwawing, and pray to God, what shall they do when they are sick? for they have no skill in physick, though some of them understand the vertues of sundry things, yet the state of mans body, and skill to apply them they have not: but all the refuge they have and relie upon in time of sicknesse is their Powwaws, who by antick, foolish and irrationall conceits delude the poore people; so that it is a very needfull thing to informe them in the use of Physick, and a most effectuall meanes to take them off from their Powwawing. Some of the wiser sort I have stirred up to get this skill; I have shewed them the anatomy of mans body, and some generall principles of Physick, which is very acceptable to them, but they are so extreamely ignorant, that these things must rather be taught by sight, sense, and experiance then by precepts, and rules of art; and therefore I have had many thoughts in my heart, that it were a singular good work, if the Lord would stirre up the hearts of some or other of his people in England to give some maintenance toward some Schoole or Collegiate exercise this way, wherein there should be Anatomies and other instructions that way, and where there might be some recompence given to any that should bring in any vegetable or other thing that is vertuous in the way of Physick; by this means we should soon have all these things which they know, and others of our Countreymen that are skilfull that way, and now their skill lies buried for want of incouragement, would be a searching and trying to find out the vertues of things in this countrey, which doubtlesse are many, and would not a