Digital Paxton: Digital Collection, Critical Edition, and Teaching Platform

A Serious Address (First Edition) - 5

Visiting the Iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children can only be understood of such Children, who, from the Examples of their Fathers (which is too commonly the Case) pursue the same vicious Courses. For to understand it otherwise, would be inconsistent with the moral Government of the Divine Being; who, by the Prophet has forbid to use this Proverb; “the Fathers have eaten sower Grapes, and the Childrens Teeth are set on Edge: Because the Soul that sinneth, shall die, and the Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father.”

To apply these Doctrines to the present Case of the Indians, let us consider;

THAT the Indians consist of different Nations or Tribes inde­pendent of one another, and make War or Peace separately without each others Consent,-------Some indeed for their mutual Protections have joined in Associations, like those of the Swiss Cantons, or the united Provinces. The Canostogoe Tribe in the Year 1701. confirmed a Grant of their Land to W. Penn; and, by a solemn Treaty with this Government, agreed to live together with us as 

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