William Penn... God's Seed for a Nation...and the Brotherly Relationship of the Quakers and Native Americans
William Penn: "I eyed the Lord in obtaining it and more was I drawn inward to look to Him, and to owe it to His hand and power than to any other way. I have so obtained it, and desire to keep it that I may not be unworthy of His love. God that has given it to me through many difficulties, will, I believe, bless and make it the seed of a nation.
Much has been said of the Divine hand on America becoming a nation. No one can look back on history without awe and inspiration of some sort. Now, there are many untruths surrounding the founding of this nation, but let me be perfectly clear. God chose a handful of men and women at various times to perform various tasks that were woven together to create the most amazing form of free government in the history of mankind. I do believe that any talk about the Divine hand on the forming of this country has to touch on the Native Americans who were in this land long before any European settlers. To say they should have stayed away is to deny man the need to spread and seek a better life. However, that new life cannot, under God that is, come at the cost of depriving another soul their right to life, liberty, and property.
http://isaiah58ministries.blogspot.com/2015/03/are-you-ashamed-of-america-america-is.html
William Penn was a man who #1 Sought God with his whole heart, http://www.gospeltruth.net/Penn/nocrossnocrownIndex.htm
a man we should emulate and learn from. He sacrificed much and gave up all to follow Christ. In the end, while he did inherit the entire territory of Pennslyvania, he did not gain anything in the way of riches.
He did, however, make a name for himself among the Native Americans. In fact, not just he, but all the Quakers were known among the Native Americans as peaceful friends, honest, caring, and good neighbors.
"Penn envisioned his colony as a "Holy Experiment," and introduced a surprising number of reforms and liberties that were then unknown in the Old World. Establishing the colonial government upon laws that limited the power of those in government, Penn permitted Quaker settlers to elect their own representatives. In his First Frame of Government, he also proclaimed his respect for private property, free enterprise, free press, trial by jury, and religious toleration."
"William Penn saw to it that the relationship between the Quakers and Lenape was established on the basis of mutual affection, respect and understanding. Even before he came to his colony, he wrote to them to explain his faith and its guiding principles (especially pacifism), get their permission to settle in their homeland, and tell them about his mission."
The charter for Pennsylvania explained clearly that part of the Quaker mission in America was to bring the Indians "to the love of Civil Society and Christian Religion... by Gentle and just measures." In other words, Friends settled in the Delaware Valley were to show the Lenape and other Indians what true Christians were like. Additionally, the founder of the Quaker movement believed that his fellow believers were to travel to Indian villages and preach to them (which they did). Based on the Inner Light within them, the Indians would be moved to convert and become a part of this new, emerging society.
When Penn arrived in his colony in late October 1682, he reinforced the Lenape's favorable view of him. He took great pains to deal fairly, generously and honestly with the native inhabitants of the land that he claimed as his own. He personally met with them to purchase land, a practice memorialized in his legendary meeting with the Lenape along the banks of the Delaware River at
Penn Treaty Park. The proprietor also made a genuine effort to understand the Lenape by learning their language. At their invitation, he traveled to their villages and enjoyed their hospitality. In 1701, he traveled out to the Susquehanna River to meet with the Lenape and Susquehannocks who lived at the Conestoga Indian Town.During his stays in his colony, Penn enjoyed, attended and participated in many Lenape councils, feasts, festivals, recreational activities, and religious services. According to local legends, he ran foot races and wrestled with Lenape warriors. Penn's interaction with the Indians conveyed a genuine affection for them and they felt the same way about him, calling him "Brother Miquon." Miquon was the Lenape word for feather quill, which the English called a pen. His activities with the Lenape had such a significant impact that they have become part of oral histories of the Lenape, Shawnee and Iroquois as well as the white settlers' history of the region.
A new religious movement began in England in the late 1640s. The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, felt that it was possible for individuals to have a direct experience of Jesus Christ without the mediation of clergy. In addition, they believed in the spiritual equality of women. These two things made it easier for Native Americans, with a shamanistic and egalitarian background, to accept the Quakers among them as missionaries. William Penn and the Native Americans...their wonderful friendship
In 1765, Quaker missionary John Woolman preached to the Munsee and Delaware. He felt that the Delaware were already communing with the divine light inside them and he sought spiritual tutelage from the Indians. He wrote:
“in mine own eyes I appeared inferior to many amongst the Indians.”
In 1795, the Quakers appointed a committee for the civilization and welfare of Indians. The plan was to introduce among the Indians what the Europeans felt were the necessary arts of civilization, including animal husbandry and the mechanical arts. The following year, the Quakers began their Indian plan by sending tools to most of the Indian nations of the eastern United States.
Following their Indian plan, five Quakers arrived at the Seneca town of Jenuchshadago in 1795. The Seneca, under the leadership of Cornplanter, were hungry because floods and frost had damaged their corn harvest. After consideration of the Quaker request to live among them and teach them, Cornplanter told them:
“Brothers, you never wished our lands, you never wished any part of our lands, therefore we are determined to try to learn your ways.”
Not everyone was so kind and pursued peace with the Native Americans the way the Quakers and many others did.
Birth is a crazy thing. It's bloody, it's messy, sometimes it's deadly... but out of this amazing act comes a life. This life for America was our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence. And, when slavery was not dissolved speedily like our founders Washington and Adams hoped, it too went through a bloody birthing and finally brought forth what should have been in the beginning:freedom regardless of color or creed.
I feel it's so vital we remind ourselves that God's hand directed the founding of this nation just like God directed his people in the Old Testament. Did they always get it right? No, but when they did, God blessed them! When they sought Him with ALL THEIR HEART and PUT AWAY IDOLS and things that come before God and holiness.
God put the seed of this nation in the ground, God caused it to grow, God watered us and tended us. The devil and evil people have tried to take away God's blessings and cut God's hand away from His people who seek Him in everything, especially in how to govern the affairs of mankind.
This nation is on the brink of something GREAT!! We will again be one nation under God!! People are rising up, there is a rumbling... Christ is on the move. Those who turn to him will be rewarded, but those who sit idoly by will miss His coming, their lamps will not have oil...
Keep your lamps filled, keep your eyes on Christ!!
11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”2 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,[e] so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen.Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.[f] Amen.
