The Triumphs of the Reformed Religion in America, Part 3

The Triumphs of the Reformed Religion in America · Part 3

Part III. Or, Eliot as an Evangeliſt.

THe Titles of a Chriſtian and of a Miniſter, have rendred our Eliot conſiderable; but there is one memorable Title more, by which he has been ſignalized unto us. An honourable perſon did once in Print put the Name of an Evangeliſt upon him; whereupon in a Letter of his to that perſon afterwards Printed, his Expreſſions were, There is a Redundancy, where you put the Title of Evangeliſt upon me; I beſeech you to ſuppreſs all ſuch thing… let us do and ſpeak and carry all things with Humility; it is the Lord who hath done what is done; and it is moſt becoming the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt to lift up him, and ſay ourſelves low; I wiſh that word could be obliterated. My Reader ſees what a caution Mr. Eliot long-ſince entred againſt our giving him the Title of an Evangeliſt; but his Death has now made it ſafe, as his Life had long made it juſt, for us to acknowledge him with ſuch a Title. I know not whether that of an Evangeliſt, or one ſeparated for the employment of Preaching the Goſpel in ſuch places where no p. 74Churches have hitherto been gathered, be not an Office that ſhould be continued in our days; but this I know, that our Eliot very notably did the Service and Buſineſs of ſuch an Officer.

¶ The Natives of the Countrey now Poſſeſſed by the New-Englanders, had been forlorn and wretched Heathen ever ſince their firſt herding here; and tho we know not When or How thoſe Indians firſt became Inhabitants of this mighty Continent, yet we may gueſs that prob… bly, the Divel decoy'd thoſe miſerable Salvages hither, in hopes that the Goſpel of the Lord Jeſus would never come here to deſtroy or diſturb his Abſolute-Empire over them. But our Eliot was in ſuch ill terms with the Divel, as to alarm him with ſounding the Silver-Trump…ts of Heaven in his Territories, and make ſome Noble and Zealous Attempts towards outing him of his Ancient poſſeſſions here. Juſt before the firſt Arrival of the Engliſh in theſe parts, a prodigious Mortality had ſwept away vaſt Numbers of the poor Indians; and thoſe Pagans who being told by a Shipwrack'd Frenchman which dy'd in their hands, That God would ſhortly extirpate them, and introduce a more civil and worthy people into their place, blaſphemouſly reply'd, That God could not kill them; were quickly kill'd with ſuch a raging and waſting Pe…tilence, as left the very earth covered with their Carcaſes. Nevertheleſs, there were, I think, Twenty ſeveral Nations (if I may call them ſo) of Indians upon that ſpot of ground, p. 75which fell under the Influence of our Three Ʋni…d Colonies; and our Eliot was willing to reſcue as many of them as he could, from that old uſurping Land-Lord of America, who is by the wrath of God, the Prince of this world.

I cannot find that any beſides the Holy Spirit of God, firſt moved him to the bleſſed Work of Evangelizing theſe periſhing Indians; 'twas that Holy Spirit which laid before his mind the Idaea of that which is now on the Seal of the Maſſachuſet-Colony; A poor Indian having a Label going from his mouth, with a, COME OVER AND HELP US. It was the Spirit of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, which enkindled in him a Pitty, for the dark dying, damning ſouls of theſe Natives, whom the god of this world had blinded, through all the By paſt Ages. He was none of thoſe that make, The Salvation of the Heathen, an Article of their Creed; b…t (ſetting aſide the unrevealed and extraordinary Steps which the Holy One of Iſrael may take out of His uſual Pathes) he thought men to be loſt if our Goſpel be hidden from them; and he was of the ſame Opinion with one of the Ancients, who ſaid, Some have endeavoured to prove Plato a Chriſtian, till they prove themſelves little better than Heathen. It is indeed a principle in the Turkiſh Alcoran, That Let a man's Religi…n be what it will, he ſhall be ſaved, if he conſcientiouſly live up to the Rules of it: but our Eliot was no Mahometan. He could moſt heartily ſubſcribe p. 76to that paſſage in the Articles of the Ch. of Eng…. They are to be held accurſed, who preſume to ſay, that every man ſhall be ſaved by the Law or Sect which he profeſſeth, ſo that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law, …nd Light of Nature; For Holy Scripture doth ſet out unto us, Only the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, whereby men muſt be Saved. And it aſtoniſhed him to ſee many diſſembling Subſcribers of thoſe Articles, while they have grown up to ſuch a Phrenſy, as to deny peremptorily all Church-ſtate, and all Salvation to all that are not under Dioceſan Biſhops, yet at the ſame time to grant that the Heathen might be ſaved without the Knowledge of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. No, it very powerfully moved his holy Bowels, to hear the Thunderclapps of that Imprecation over the heads of our Naked Indians, Pour out thy Fury upon the Heathen that know thee not; and thought he, What ſhall I do to reſcue theſe Heathen from that all-devouring Fury?

But when this Charitable pitty had once begun to flame, there was a concurrence of many things to caſt Oyl into it. All the good men in the Country were glad of his Engagement in ſuch an undertaking; the Miniſters eſpecially encouraged him, and thoſe in the Neighbourhood kindly ſupply'd his place, and perform'd his work, in part, for him at Roxbury, …hile he was Abroad Labouring among them p. 77that were Without. Hereunto, he was further …wakened by thoſe expreſſions in the Royal Charter, in the aſſurance and protection whereof this Wilderneſs was firſt peopled; namely, To win and incite the Natives of that Country to the knowledge and Obedience of the only true God and Saviour of Mankind, and the Chriſtian Faith, in our Royal Intention, and the Adventurers free profeſſion is the principal end of the Plantation. And the remarkable zeal of the Romiſh Miſſionaries, compaſſing Sea and Land that they might make Proſelytes, made his devout Soul think of it with a further Diſdain, that we ſhould come any whit behind in our care to Evangelize the Indians, whom we dwelt among. Laſtly, when he had well begun this Evangelical Buſineſs, the good God, in an anſwer to his Prayers, mercifully ſtirred up a liberal Contribution among the godly people in England for the promoting of … by means whereof, a conſiderable Eſtate and Income was at length entruſted in the hands of an Honourable Corporation, by whom 'tis to this Day very carefully employ'd in the Chriſtian Service, which it was deſigned for. And then, in ſhort; inaſmuch as our Lord Jeſus had beſtow'd on us, our Eliot was gratefully and generouſly deſirous to obtain for him, The Heathen for an Inheritance, and the utmoſt parts of the Earth for a Poſſeſſion.

The exemplary Charity of this excellent perſon in this important Affair, will not be ſeen in its due Luſtre, unleſs we make ſome Reflections upon ſeveral circumſtances which he behold theſe forlorn Indians in. Know then, that theſe doleful Creatures are the verieſt Ruines of Mankind, vvhichwhich are to be found any vvhere upon the face of the Earth. No ſuch Eſtates are to be expected among them, as have been the B…s which the pretended Converters in other Countries ha…e ſnapped at. One might ſee among them, what an hard maſter the Devil is, to the moſt devoted of his Vaſſals! Theſe abject Creatures, live in a Country full of Mines; we have already made entrance upon out Iron; and in the very ſurface of the ground among us, there lies Coper enough to ſuppl… all this world; beſides other Mines hereafter to be expoſed; but our ſhiftleſs Indians were never Owners of ſo much as a Knife, till we come among them; their name for an Engliſh man, was a Knife man; Stone was inſtead of Metal for their tools; and for their Coins, they have only little Beads with Holes in them to ſtring them upon a bracelet, whereof ſome are white; and of theſe there go ſix for a penny; ſome are black or blew; and of theſe, go three for a penny; this Wampam, as they call it, is made of the Shell-fiſh, which lies upon the Sea-Coaſt continually.

They Live in a Country, where we now have all the conveniences of humane life: but as for them, their houſing is nothing but a few w…ts …'d p. 79about poles faſtened in the earth, where a good fire is their Bed-Clothes in the coldeſt ſeaſons; their Clothing is but a skin of a Beaſt, Covering their Hind-parts, their Fore-parts having but a litle Apron where Nature calls for ſecrecy; their diet has not a greater dainty than their Nokehick, that is, a ſpoonful of their parch'd meal, with a ſpoonful of water, which will ſtrengthen them to travel a day together; except we ſhould mention the Fleſh of Deers Bears, Mouſe, Rackoons, and the like, which they have when they can catch them; as alſo a little fiſh, which if they would preſerve 'twas by drying, not by ſalting; for they had not a grain of Salt, in the world, I think, till we beſtow'd it on them. Their Phyſick is, excepting a few odd Specificks, which ſome of them Encounter certain caſes with, nothing hardly, but an Hot-houſe, or a Powaw; their Hot-Houſe is a little cave about eight foot over, where after they have terribly heated it, a crue of them go ſit and ſweat and ſmoke for an hour together, and then immediately run into ſome very cold adjacent brook, without the leaſt miſchief to them; 'tis this why they recover themſelves from ſome Diſeaſes, particularly from the French; but in moſt of their dangerous Diſtempers, 'tis a Powaw that muſt be ſent for; that is, a Prieſt, who has more Familiarity with Satan then his Neighbours; this Conjurer comes and Roars, … Howls, and uſes Magical Ceremonies over p. 80the Sick man, and will be well payd for it when he has done; if this don't effect the cure, the mans Time is come, and ther's an end.

They live in a Countrey, full of the beſt Ship-Timber under Heaven: but never, ſaw a Ship till ſome came from Europe hither; and then they were ſcar'd out of their wits, to ſee the Monſter come ſailing in, and ſpitting fire with a mighty noiſe, out of her floating ſide; they croſs the water, in Canoo's, made ſometimes of Trees which they burn and hew, till they have …ollow'd them; and ſometimes of Barks, which they ſtitch into a light fort of a Veſſel, to be …aſily carried over land; if they over-ſett, it is but a little paddling like a dog, and they are ſoon where they were.

Their way of living, is infinitely Barbarous: the men are moſt abominably ſloathful; making their poor Sqaws, or wives, to plant, and dreſs, and barn, and beat there Corn, and Build their Wigwains for them; which perhaps may be the reaſon of their extraordinary eaſe in Childbirth. In the mean time, their chief employment, when they'l condeſcend unto any, is that of Hunting; wherein they'l go out ſome ſcores, if not Hundreds of them in a company, driving all before them.

They contnue in a place, till they have burnt up all the Wood thereabouts, and then they pluck up Stakes; to follow the Wood, which they cannot fetch home unto themſelves; hence when they enq…ire about the Engliſh, Way come th… …ither they have themſelves very Learnedly determined the caſe, I was becauſe we wanted … ring. No Arts are underſtood among them, unleſs iuſt ſo far as to maintain their Brutiſh Converſation, wh ch is little more than is to be found among the very Bevers upon our Streams.

Their Diviſion of Time is by Sleeps, and Moons, and Winters; and by lodging abroad, they have ſomwhat obſerved the motions of the Stars; among which it has been ſurpriſing unto me to find, that they have always call'd Charles…s Wain by the name of Paukunnawaw, or T…e Bear, which is the name whereby Europeans … have diſtinguiſhed it. Moreover, they have little … any Traditions among them worthy of our notice; and Reading and Writing is altogether unknown to them, tho' there is a Rock or two in the Country that has unaccountable Characters Engrav'd upon it. All the Religion they have amounts unto thus much; they beleive, that there are many Gods, who made and own the ſeveral Nations of the world; of which a certain Great God in the South-weſt Regions of Heaven bears the greateſt Figure. They beleive, that every remarkable Creature has a peculiar God within it, or about it: there … with them, a Sun-God, a Moon-god, and the lik… and they cannot conceive but that the fire mu… be a kind of a God, inasmuch as a Spark of it will ſoon produce very ſtrange effects. They believe that when any good or ill happens to them, there is the favour or the anger of a God expreſſed in it; and hence as in a time of Calamity they keep a Dance, or a day of extravagant ridiculous Devotions to their God, ſo in a time of Proſperity they likewiſe have a Feaſt, wherein they alſo make preſents one unto another. Finally, they beleive, that their cheef God Kautantowit, made a man and woman of a Stone; which, upon diſlike, he broke to pieces, and made another man and woman of a Tree, which were the Fountains of all Mankind; and, that we all have in us immortal Souls, which, if we were godly, ſhall go to a ſplendid Entertainment with Kautantowit, but otherwiſe, muſt wander about in a reſtleſs Horror for-ever. But if you ſay to them any thing of a Reſurrection, they will reply upon you, I ſhall never believe it! And when they have any weighty undertaking before them, 'tis an uſual thing for them to have their Aſſemblies, wherein after the uſage of ſome Diabolical Rites, a Devil appears unto them; to inform them and adviſe them about their circumſtances; and ſometimes there are odd Events of their making theſe Applications to the Devil. For inſtance, 'tis particularly affirmed, That the Indians in their Wars with us, finding a ſore inconvenience by our D…gs, which would make a ſad yelling if in the Night they ſcented the approaches of them, they ſacrificed a Dog to the Devil; after whic… no Engliſh Dog would bark at an Indian fo… divers months enſuing. This was the miſerable people, which our Eliot propounded unto himſelf, the ſaving of! And he had a double work incumbent on him; he was to make Men of them, ere he could hope to ſee them Saints; they muſt be civilized er'e they could be Chriſtianized; he could not, as Gregory once of our Nation, ſee any thing Angelical to beſpeak his Labours for their eternal Welfare; all among them was Diabolical. To think on Raiſing a number of theſe hideous Creatures, unto the Elevations of our Holy Religion, muſt argu… more than common or little Sentiments in the Undertaker; but the Faith of an Eliot could encounter it!

I confeſs, there was one, I cannot call it ſo much gueſs as wiſh, wherein he was willing a little to indulge himſelf; and that was, T… our Indians are the poſterity of the diſpe…ſed and rejected Iſraelites, concerning whom our God has promiſed that they ſhall yet be ſaved, by the …eliverer coming to turn away ungodlineſs, from them. He ſaw the Indians uſing many Parables in their Diſcourſes; much given to Anointing of their Heads; much delighted in Dancing, eſpecially after Victories; computing their Times by Nights and Months; giving Dowries for Wives, and cauſing their Women to dwell by themſelves, … certain ſeaſons, for ſecret cauſes; and accuſtoming cuſtoming themſelves to grievous Mournings & Yellings for the Dead; all which were, uſual things among the Iſraelites. They have too a great unkindneſs for our Swine; but I ſuppoſe that is becauſe our H…gs devour the Clams which are a Dainty with them. He alſo ſaw ſome learned men, looking for the loſt Iſraelites among the Indians in America, and counting that they had Thorow-good reaſons for doing ſo. And a few ſmall Arguments, or indeed but Conjectures, meeting with a favourable Diſpoſition in the Hearer, will carry ſome conviction with them; eſpecially, if a Report of a Menaſſeh ben Iſrael be to back them. He ſaw likewiſe the Judgments threatned unto the Iſraelites of old, …trangly fulfilled upon our Indians; particularly that, Ye ſhal eat the fleſh of your Sons, which is done with exquiſite Cruelties upon the Priſoners that they take from one another in their Battels. Moreover, 'tis a Propheſy in Deut. 28.68. The Lord ſhall bring thee into Egypt again with Ships, by the way whereof I ſpake unto thee, Thou ſhalt ſee it no more again; and there ſhall ye be ſold unto your Enemies, and no man ſhall buy you. This did out Eliot imagine accompliſhed, when the Captives taken by us in our late wars upon them, were ſent to be ſold, in the Coaſts lying not very remote from Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea, and ſcarce any Chapmen would offer to take them off. Being upon ſuch as theſe accounts not unwilling, if it were poſſible, to p. 85have, the Indians found Iſraelites, they were you may be ſure, not a whit the leſs, Beloved for their (ſuppoſed) Fathers ſake; and the Fatigues of his Travails went on the more chearfully, or at leaſt, the more hopefully, becauſe of ſuch poſſibilities.

The Firſt ſtep which he judg'd Neceſſary now to be taken by him, was to learn the Indian-language; for he ſaw them ſo ſtupid and ſenſeleſs that they would never do ſo much as enquire after the Religion of the ſtrangers now come into their Country, much leſs would they ſo far imitate us as to leave off their beaſtly way of living, that they might be partakers of any Spiritual Advantage by us: unleſs we could firſt addreſs them in a Language of their own. Behold, new difficulties to be ſurmounted by our indefatigable Eliot! He hires a Native to teach him this exotick language, and with a laborious care and skill, reduces it into a Grammar which afterwards he publiſhed. There is a Letter or two of our Alphabet, which the Indians never had in theirs; tho there were enough of the Dog in their Temper, there can ſcarce be found an R in their language; ſave that the Indians to the Northward, who have a peculiar Dialect, pronounce an R where an N is pronounced by our Indians; but if their Alphabet be ſhort, I am ſure the words compoſed of it are long enough to tire the patience of any ſcholar in the p. 86world; they are Seſquipedalia Verba which their Linguo is compoſed of; one would think, they had been growing ever ſince Babel, unto the Dimentions to which they are now extended. For inſtance, if my Reader will count how many Letters there are in this one word, Nummatchekodtantamooong anunnonaſh, when he has done, for his reward I'le tell him, it ſignifies no more in Engliſh than, our Luſts; and if I were to tranſlate, our Loves, it muſt be nothing ſhorter than, Noowomantammoo…nkanunonnaſh. Nor do we find in all this Language the leaſt Affinity to, or Derivation from, any Europae…n ſpeech that we are acquainted with. I know not what thoughts it will produce in my Reader, when I inform him, that once finding that the Daemons in a poſſeſſed young woman, whereof I have heretofore given the world ſome account, underſtood the Latin and Greek and H brew Languages, my curioſity led me to make trial of this Indian language, and the Demons did ſeem as if they did not underſtand it. This tedious language our Elio… quickly became a maſter of; he employ'd a pregnant and witty Indian, who alſo ſpoke Engliſh well, for his aſſiſtance in it; and compiling ſome diſcourſes by his help, he would ſingle out a Word, a Noun, a Verb, and purſue it thro all its variations: having finiſhed his grammar, at the Cloſe he writes, Prayers and Pains thro Faith in Chriſt p. 87Jeſus will do any thing! and being by his Prayers & Pains thus furniſhed, he ſet himſelf in the Year 1646, to preach the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, among theſe Deſolate outcaſts.

¶ It remains, that I lay before the world, the Remarkable Conduct and Succeſs of this Famous Man, in his great Affayr; and I ſhall endeavour, to do it, by Engliſhing and Rep…inting a letter, ſent a while ſince by my Father, unto his Learned and Renoun'd correſpondent, the Venerable Dr. Leuſden at Ʋtrecht: which letter has already been publiſhed, if I miſtake not, in Four or Five divers Languages. I find it particularly publiſhed, by the moſt Excellent Jurieu, at the end of a Paſ…oral Letter; and this Refliecton then worthily made upon it, Cette Lettre doit apporter une …res grande Conſolation, a toutes les bonnes ames, qui ſont altereos de Juſtice, & qui ſont enflammees d… …le de la gloire de Dieu. I therefore perſwade my ſelf that the Republication of it will not …e ungrateful unto many good Souls in our Nation, who have a due thirſt and zeal for ſuch things as are mention'd in it; and when that is done, I ſhall preſume to make ſome Ann…tations for the illuſtration of ſundry memorable things therein Pointed at.

p. 88A LETTER Concerning the Succefs of the Goſpel, amongſt the INDIANS in New-England. Written by Mr. Increaſe Mather, Miniſter of the Word of God at Boſton, and Rector of the Colledge at Cambridge in New-England, to Dr. John Leuſden, Hebrew Profeſſor in the Univerſity of Ʋtrecht.

Tranſlated out of Latin into Engliſh.

Worthy and much Honoured Sir,

YOur Leters were very grateful to me, (a) by which I underſtand that you and others in your famous Univerſity of Ʋtrecht deſire to be informed concerning the converted Indians in America: Take therefore a true Account of them in a few words.

It is above forty Years ſince that truly godly Man, Mr. John Elliot, Paſtour of the Church at Rocksborough, (about a mile from Boſton in New-England) being warmed with a holy Zeal of Converting the Americans, ſet himſelf to learn the Indian Tongue, that he might more eaſily and ſucceſsfully (b) open to them the Myſteries of the Goſpel; upon account of which he has been (and not undeſervedly) called, The Apoſtle of the American Indians. This Reverend Perſon, not without very great labour, Tranſlated the whole Bible into the Indian Tongue; (c) he Tranſlated alſo ſeveral Engliſh Treatiſes of Practical Divinity and Catechiſms into their Language. Above 26 Years agoe he gathered a Church of Converted Indians in a Town called (d) Natick; theſe Indians confeſſ'd their ſins with Tears, and profeſſed their Faith in Chriſt, and afterwards they and their Children were Baptized, and they were ſolemnly joyned together in a Church-Covenant; the ſaid Mr. Eliot was the firſt that Adminiſtred the Lords Supper to them. The Paſtor of that Church now is an Indian, his Name is Daniel. Beſides this Church at Natick, among our Inhabitants in the Maſſachuſets Colony there are four Indian Aſſemblies, (e) where the Name of the true God and Jeſus Chriſt is ſolemnly called upon; theſe Aſſemblies have ſome American Preachers. Mr. Eliot formerly uſed to Preach to them once every fortnight, but now he is weakned with Labours and Old-age, being in the Eighty fourth Year of his Age, and Preacheth not to the Indians oftner than once in two Months.

There is another Church, conſiſting only of Converted Indians, about fifty Miles from hence in an Indian Town called Maſhippaug: the firſt Paſtor of that Church was an Engliſh Man, who being skilfull in the American Language, Preached the Goſpel to them in their own Tongue. (f) This Engliſh Paſtor is dead, and inſtead of him that Church has an Indian Preacher.

There are beſides that, five Aſſemblies of Indians profeſſ…ng the Name of Chriſt, not far diſtant from Maſhippa…g, which have Indian Preachers: (g) John C…ton, Paſtor of the Church at Plymouth (Son of my venerable Fa…her-in-Law John Cotton, formerly the famous Teacher of the Church at B ſton) hath made very great progreſs in learning the Indian Tongue, and is very skifull in it; he Preaches in their own Language to the laſt five mentioned Congregations every Week. Moreover of the Inhabitants of Sacones in Plymo…th Colony there is a great Congregation of thoſe who for diſtinction ſake are called Praying Indians, becauſe they Pray to God in Chriſt

Not far from a promontory called Cape …od, there are ſix Aſſemblies of Heathens who are to be reckoned as Catech…mens, amongſt whom there are ſix Indian Preachers: Samu…l Trea…, Paſtor of a Church at Eaſtham, Preacheth to thoſe Congregations in their own Language. There are likewiſe amongſt the Iſlanders of N…ucket a Church, with a Paſtor who was lately a Heathen, and ſeveral Meetings of Ca…ec…u…e…s who are inſtructed by the Converted Indians. There is alſo another Iſland about ſeven Leagues long (called Marthas Ʋineyard) where are two American Churches planted, which are more famous than the reſt, over one of which there preſides an ancient Indian as Paſtor, called Hiac…oms: John Hiacooms, Son of the ſaid Indian Paſtor, alſo Preacheth the Goſpel to his Countrey-men. In another Church in that place, John …ockinoſh a Converted Indian teaches. In theſe Churches ruling Elders of the Indians are joyned to the Paſtors: The Paſtors were choſen by the people, and when they had faſted and prayed, Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton laid their Hands on them, ſo that they were ſolemnly Ordained. All the Congregations (n) of the Converted Indians (both the Catechumens and thoſe in Church Order) every Lords-day meet together; the paſtor or Preacher always begins with Prayer, and without a Form, becauſe from the Heart; when the Ruler of the Aſſembly has ended Prayer, the wh… Congregation of Indians Praiſe God with ſinging ſome of them are excellent Singers: After the Pſalm, he that Preaches reads a place of Scripture (one or more verſes as he will) and expounds its gathers Doctrines from it proves them b… Scriptures and Reaſons, and infers uſes from them after the manner of the Engliſh, of wh… have been taught; then another prayer to God in the Name of Chriſt concludes the whole Service. Thus do they meet together twice every Lords-day. They obſerve no Holy-days but the Lords-day, except upon ſome extraordinary occaſion; and then they ſolemnly ſet apart whole days, either in giving Thanks or Faſting and Praying with great fervour of mind.

Before the Engliſh came into theſe Coaſts theſe barbarous Nations were altogether ignorant of the true God; hence it is that in their Prayers and Sermons they uſe Engliſh Words and Terms; he that calls upon the moſt Holy Name of God, ſays, Jehovah, or God, or Lord, and alſo they have learned and borrowed many other Theological Phraſes from us.

In ſhort, There are ſix Churches of Baptized Indians in New-England, and eighteen Aſſemblies of Catechumens, profeſſing the Name of Chriſt: Of the Indians there are four and Twenty who are Preachers of the word of God, and beſides theſe there are four Engliſh Miniſters who Preach the Goſpel in the Indian Tongue. (i) I am now my ſelf weary with writing, and I fear left if I ſhould add more; I ſhould alſo be tedious to you; yet one thing I muſt add (which I had almoſt forgot) that there are many of the Indians Children who have learned by heart the Catechiſm, either of that famous Divine William Perkins, or that put forth by the Aſſembly of Divines at Weſtminſter, and in their own Mother Tongue can anſwer to all the Queſtion… in it.

p. 93But I muſt end I ſalute the Famous profeſſor… in your Univerſity, to whom I deſire you to communicate this Letter, as written to them alſo.

Farewell, Worthy Sir; the Lord preſerve your Health for the Benefit of your Country, his Church, and of Learning.

Boſton in New-England July 12. 1687. Yours ever, INCREASE MATHER,

p. 94(a) The Succeſs of the Goſpel in the EAST INDIES

AFter the Writing of this Letter, there came one to my Hands from the famous Dr. Louſden, together with a new and fair Edition of his Hebrew Pſalter, Dedicated unto the Name of my Abſent Parent. He therein informs me, That our Example had awakened the Dutch to make ſome noble Attempts for the Furtherance of the Goſpel in the Eaſt-Indies; beſides what memorable things were done by the Excellent Robert Junius, in Formoſa fifty years ago. He alſo informs me, That in and near the Iſland of Ceylon, the Dutch Paſtors have Baptiſed about three hundred Thouſand of the Eaſtern Indians; for altho' the Miniſters are utterly ignorant of their Language, yet there are School-Maſters who teach them, The Lords Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments, a Morning Prayer, an Evening Prayer, a Bleſſing before Meat, and another after; and the Miniſter in his Viſits being aſſured by the Maſter, who of them has learn'd all of them ſeven things, he thereupon counts they have ſuch a perfect number of Attainments, that he preſently Baptiſes them. The pious Reader will doubtleſs p. 95bleſs God for this; but he will eaſily ſee that one of our Converted Indians has coſt more pains than many of thoſe; more thorough work has been made with them.

(b) Mr. Eliot's way of opening the Myſteries of the Goſpel to our INDIANS

Twas in the year 1646. that Mr. Eliot accompany'd by three more, gave a viſit unto an Aſſembly of Indians, of whom he deſired a Meeting at ſuch a time and place, that he might lay before them the things of the… Eternal Peace. After a ſerious Prayer, he gave them a Sermon which continued about a quarter above an hour, and contained the principal Articles of the Chriſtian Religion, applying all to the condition of the Indians preſent Having done, he asked of them, whether they underſtood? and with a general reply they anſwered, They underſtood all. He then began what was his uſual method afterwards in treating with them; that is, he cauſed them to propound ſuch queſtions as they pleas'd, unto himſelf; and he gave wiſe and good anſwers to them all. Their Queſtions would often, tho' p. 96not always, refer to what he had newly Preached; and he this way not only made a Proof of their profiting by his Miniſtry, but alſo gave an Edge to what he delivered unto them. Some of their Queſtions would be a little Philoſophical, and required a good meaſure of Learning in the Miniſter concerned with them; but for this our Eliot wanted not. He would alſo put proper Queſtions unto them, and at one of his firſt Ex…rciſes with them, he made the young ones ca…able of regarding thoſe three Queſtions,

Q. 1. Who made you and all the world?

Q. 2. Who do you look ſhould ſave you from Sin and Hell?

Q. 3. How many Commandments has the Lord given you to keep?

It was his wiſdom that he began with them upon ſuch principles, as they themſelves had already ſome Notions of; ſuch as that of an Heaven for good, and Hell for bad people, when they Dy'd. It broke his gracious heart within him to ſee, what Floods of Tears fell from the Eyes of ſeveral among theſe Degenerate Salvages, at the firſt Addreſſes which he made unto them; yea, from the very worſt of them all. He was very inquiſitive to learn who were the Powawes, that is, the Sorcerers and Seducers, that maintained the Worſhip of the Devil in any of their Societies; and having in one of his firſt Journeys to them, found out one of thoſe Wretches, he made the Indian come unto p. 97him and ſaid, Whether do you ſuppoſe God, or Chepian (i. e. the Devil) to be the Author of all good? The Conjurer anſwered, God. Upon this he added with a ſtern Countenance, Why do you pray to Chepian then? and the poor man was not able to ſtand or ſpeak before him; but at laſt made promiſes of Reformation.

The Text which he firſt Preach'd upon, was that in Ezek. 37.9, 10. That by Propheſying to the Wind, the Wind came and the dry bones lived; and it was an obſervation made by one, who then juſtly confeſſed, there was not much weight in it; That the word which the Indians uſe for Wind is Wauban, and an Indian of that Name was one of the firſt that here zealouſly promoted the Converſion of his Neighbours. But having thus entred upon the Teaching of theſe poor Creatures, t'is incredible how much time, toyl, and hardſhip, he underwent in the Proſecution of this Undertaking; how many weary dayes and nights rolled over him; how many tireſome Journeys he endured; and how many terrible dangers, he had experince of. If you briefly would know what he felt, and what carried him through all, take it in his own words, in a Letter to the Honourable Mr. Winſlow; ſays he, I have not been dry night nor day, from the third day of the week unto the ſixth, but ſo Travelled, and at night pull off my Boots, wring my blockings, and on with them again, and ſo continue, p. 98But God ſteps in and helps. I have conſidered the Word of God in 2. Tim. 2.3. Endure hardſhip as a good Souldier of Chriſt.

(c) His Tranſlating the Bible, and other Books of Piety into the INDIAN TONGUE.

ONe of his Remarkable Cares for theſe illiterate Indians, was to bring them into the uſe of Schools and B…ks. He quickly procured the benefit of Schools for them; wherein they profited ſo much, that not only very many of them quickly came to Read and Write, but alſo ſeveral arrived unto a Lib…ral Education in our Colledge, and one or two of them took their degree with the reſt of our Graduates. And for Books, t'was his chief deſire that the ſacred Scriptures might not in an unknown Tongue be Locked or Hidden from them; very hateful and helliſh did the policy of Popery appear to him on this Account; Our Eliot was very unlike to that Franciscan, who writing into Europe gloried much how many thouſands of Indian he had Converted, but added, That he deſire… his Friend would ſend him the Book called th… Bible; for he had heard of there being ſuch a Boo… in Europe, which might be of ſome uſe to him. p. 99No, our Eliot found he could not live without a Bible himſelf; he would have parted with all his Eſtate ſooner than have loſt a Leaf of it; and he knew it would be of more than ſome uſe unto the Indians too; he therefore with a vaſt Labour tranſlated the Holy Bible into the Indian Language. Behold, ye Americans, the greateſt Honour that ever you were Partakers of … This Bible was Printed here at our Cambrid…; and it is the only Bible that ever was Printed in all America, from the very Foundation of the World. The whole Tranſlation he writ… with but one Pen; which Pen had it not been loſt, would have certainly deſerved a Richer Caſe than was beſtow'd upon that Pen which Holland writt his Tranſlation of Plutarch with. The Bible being juſtly made the Leader, of all the reſt, a Little Indian-Library quickly followed: for beſides Primers, and Grammars, & ſome other ſuch Compoſures, we quickly had, The Practice of Piety, in the Indian Tongue & the Reverend Richard Bax…ers, Call to the Ʋnconverted: he alſo Tranſlated, ſome of Mr. Shepherd's Compoſures; & ſuch Ca…ech…ſ…ms likewiſe as there was occaſion for. It cannot but be hoped that ſome Fiſh were to be made Alive, ſince the Waters of the Sanctuary thus came un… them.

p. 100(d) His Gathering of a Church at NATICK

The Indians that had felt the Impreſſions of his Miniſtry, were quickly diſtinguiſhed by the Name of, Praying Indians; and theſe Praying Indians as q…ickly were for a more Decent, and Engliſh way of Living, and they deſired a more Fixed Cohabitation. At ſeveral Places did they now combine and ſettle; But the place of Greateſt Name among their Towns, is that of Natick.

Here 'twas, that in the year 1651. thoſe that had heretofore lived like the wild Beaſts in the Wilderneſs now compacted themſelves into a Town; and they firſt apply'd themſelves to the forming of their Civil Government. Our Gene…al Court, notwithſtanding their exact ſtudy to keep theſe Indians very ſenſible of their being ſubject unto the Engliſh Empire, yet had allowed them their ſmaller Courts, wherein they might govern their own ſmaller Caſes and Concerns, after their own particular Modes, and might have their Town-Orders, if I may caſt them ſo, peculiar to themſelves. With reſpect hereunto, Mr. Eliot on a Solemn Faſt made a publick Vow, That ſeeing theſe Indians were not prep ſſeſſed with any Forms of Government, he would …nſtruct them into ſuch a Form, as we had written p. 101in the Word of God, that ſo they might be a people in all things ruled by the Lord. Accordingly, he Expounded unto them the eighteenth Chapter of Exodus; and then they choſe Rulers of Hundreds, of Fifties, of Tens; and therewithal Entred into this Covenant.

We are the ſons of Adam; We and our Forefathers have a long time been Loſt in our ſins; but now the mercy of the Lord beginneth to find us out again; therefore the grace of Chriſt helping us, we do give our ſelves and our Children, unto God, to be his people. He ſhall Rule us in all our Affairs; The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King; he will ſave us; and the wiſdome which God has taught us in his Book ſhall guide us. Oh Jehovah, Teach us Wiſdome; ſend thy Spirit into our hearts; take us to be thy people, and lett us take thee to be our God.

Such an o…inion about the perfection of the Scripture had he, that he thus expreſſed himſelf upon this occaſion, God will bring Nations into Diſtreſs and Perplexity, that ſo they may be forced unto the Scriptures; all Governments will be ſhaken, that men may be forced at length to Pitch upon that firm foundation, The Word of God.

The Little Towns of theſe Indians being pitched upon this foundation, they utterly abandoned that Polygamy which had heretofore been Common among them; they made ſevere Lawes p. 102againſt Fornication, Drunkenneſs, and Sabbath-breaking, and other Immoralities; and they next began to Lament after the Eſtabliſhment of a Church-order among them, and after the ſeveral Ordinances and Priviledges of a Church-Communion. The Churches of New-England have uſually been very ſtrict in their Admiſſions to Church-Fellowſhip, and required very ſignal demonſtrations of a Repenting and a Believing Soul, before they thought men fit ſubjects to be entruſted with, The Rights of the Kingdom of Heaven. But they ſeem'd rather to Augment than Abate their uſual Strictneſs, when the examination of the Indians was to be performed. A Day was therefore ſet apart, which they called, Natootom…threack…ſuk, or, a Day of Asking Queſtions, when the miniſters of the Adjacent Churches, aſſiſted with all the beſt Interpreters that could be had, publickly examined a good Number of theſe Indians, about their Attainments both in Knowledge and in Vertue. And notwithſtanding the great ſatisfaction then received, our Churches being willing to proceed Surely, and therefore Slowly, in Raiſing them up to a Church-State which might be Comprehended in our Conſociations, the Indians were afterwards called in Conſiderable Aſſemblies convened for that purpoſe, to make open Confeſſions of their Faith in God and Chriſt, and of the Efficacy which his word had upon them for their Converſion to Him; which Confeſſions being taken in writing p. 103from their mouths by able Interpreters, were ſcanned by the people of God, and found much Acceptance with them.

I need paſs no further Cenſure upon them, than what is given by my Grand-father, the well-known Richard Mather, in an Epiſtle of his, Publiſhed on this occaſion; ſays he, There is ſo much of Gods work among them, as that I cannot but count it a great evil, yea a great injury to God and His Goodneſs, for any to make light of it. To ſee and hear Indians opening their mouths, and lifting up their hands and eyes, in Prayer to the Living God, calling on him by his Name Jehovah, in the Mediation of Jeſus Chriſt, and this for a good while together; to ſee and hear them. Exhorting one another from the Word of God; to ſee and and hear them confeſſing the Name of Chriſt Jeſus, and their own ſinfulneſs; ſure this is more than uſual! And tho' they ſpoke in a Language, of which many of us underſtood but little, yet we that were preſent that day, we ſaw and heard them perform the Duties mentioned with ſuch grave and ſober Countenances; with ſuch comely Reverence in their Geſture, and their whole carriage, and with ſuch plenty of Tears trickling down the Cheeks of ſome of them, as did argue to us that they ſpake with the Holy Fear of God, and is much affected our Hearts.

At length was a Church-ſtate ſettled among p. 104them: they entred, as our Churches do, into an holy Covenant, wherein they gave themſelves, firſt unto the Lord, and then unto one another, to attend the Rules, and Helps, and expect the Bleſſings of the Everlaſting Goſpel; and Mr. Eliot, having a Miſſion from the Church of Roxbury, unto the work of the Lord Chriſt among the Indians, conceived himſelf ſufficiently Authorized unto the performing of all Church-work about them; grounding i… on Act. 13.1, 2, 3, 4. and he accordingly Adminiſtred, firſt the Baptiſm, and then the Supper of the Lord unto them.

(e) The Hindrances and Obſtructions, that the DEVIL. gave unto HIM.

VVE find four Aſſemblies of Praying Indians beſides that of Natick, in our Neighbourhood. But why no more? Truly, not becauſe our Eliot was wanting in his Offers and Labours for their good; but becauſe many of the obdurate Infidels would not receive the Goſpel of Salvation. In one of his Letters, I find him giving this ill report, with ſuch a good reaſon for it; Lyn-Indians are all naught, ſave one, p. 105who ſometimes comes to hear the Word; and the reaſon why they are bad, is, principally becauſe their Sachim is naught, and careth not to pray unto God. Indeed the Sachims, or the Princes, of the Indians generally did all they could that their Subjects might not entertain the Goſpel; the D… vils having the Sachims on their ſide, thereby kept their poſſeſſion of the people too. Their Pauwaws or Clergy-men, did much to maintain the Intereſt of the Devils in this Wilderneſs, thoſe Children of the Devil; and Enemies of all Righteouſneſs, did not ceaſe to pervert the Right ways of Lord; but their Sachims or Magiſtrates did M…re towards it; for they would preſently Raiſe a Storm of Perſecution upon any of their vaſſals that ſhould Pray unto the Eternal God. The ground of this conduct in them, was, an odd Fear, that Religion would abridge them of the Tyranny which they had been us'd unto; they always like the Divel held their people i… a moſt abſolute ſervitude, and Rul'd by no Law but their Will, which left the poor Slaves nothing that they could call their Own. They now ſuſpected that Religion would put a Bridle upon ſuch uſurpations, and oblige them to a more Equal and Humane way of Government; they therefore ſome of them, had the Impudence to Addreſs the Engliſh, that no motions about the Chriſtian Religion might ever he made unto them; and Mr. Eliot ſometimes in the Wilderneſs, without the Company or Aſſiſtence of any other Engliſhman, has been treated in a very Threatening and Barbarous manner by ſome of theſe Tyrants; but God inſpir'd him with ſo much Reſolution as to tell them, I am about the work of the Great God, and my God is with me; ſo that I fear neither you, nor all the Sachims in the Countrey; I'l go on, and do you Touch mee, if you dare! upon which the Stouteſt of them have ſhrunk and fell before him. And One of them he at length Conquered by preaching unto him a Sermon upon the …emp…ations of Our Lord; particularly, the Temptation fetch'd from the Kingdoms and Glories of the World.

The Little Kingdoms and Glories of the Great Men among the Indians, was a Powerful Obſtacle to the ſucceſs of Mr. Eliots Miniſtry; and it is obſervable that ſeveral of thoſe Nations which thus refuſed the Goſpel, qu ckly af…erwards were ſo Divel-driven as to begin an unjuſt and bloody War upon the Engliſh, which iſſued in their ſpeedy and utter Extirpation from the Face of Gods Earth. It was particularly Remark'd, in …hilip, the Ring-leader of the moſt calamitous war that ever they made upon us; our Eliot made a Tender of the Everlaſting Salvation to that King; but the monſter entertain d it with contempt and anger, and after the Indian mode of joining ſigns with words he took … Button upon the Coat of the Revere… Man, adding That he cared for his Goſpel, juſt a… p. 107much as he cared for that Button. The world has heard what a Terrible Ruine ſoon came upon that woful Creature, and upon all his People. It was not long before the Hand which now writes, upon a certain o…caſion took off the jaw from the blaſphemous expoſed Skull of that Leviathan; and the Renowned Samuel Lee is now Paſtor to an Engliſh Congregation, ſounding and ſhowing the praiſes of Heaven, upon that very ſpot of ground, where Philip and his Indians were lately worſhipping of the Devil.

Sometimes the more immediate Hand of God, by cutting off the principal Oppoſers of the Goſpel among the Indians made way for Mr. Eliot's Miniſtry. As, I remember, he relates that an Aſſociation of profane Indians near our Weym…uth, ſet themſelves to deter and ſeduce the Neighbour Indians from the R…ght w…s of the Lord. But God q…ickly ſent the Small-Pox among them, which …ike a g…eat Plague ſoon ſwept them away, and thereby engaged the reſt unto himſelf. I need only to add, That one Attempt made by the Devil, to prejud…ce the Pagans againſt the Goſpel, had ſomething in it extraordinary. While Mr. Eliot was Preaching of Chriſt unto the other Indians, a Daemon appeared unto a Prince of the Eaſtern-Indians, in a ſhape that had ſome Reſemblance of Mr. Eliot or of an Engliſh Miniſter, pretending to be, The Engliſh-man's God. The Spectre commanded him, To forbear the drinking of Rum, and To p. 108obſerve the Sabbath-day, and To deal juſtly with his Neighbours, all which things had been inculcated in Mr. Eliot's Miniſtry; promiſing therewithal unto him, That if he did ſo, at his death his Soul ſhould Aſcend unto an happy place; otherwiſe Deſcend unto miſeries; but the Apparition all the while, never ſaid one word about Chriſt, which was the main ſubject of Mr. Eliot's Miniſtry. The Sachim received ſuch an impreſſion from the Apparition, that he dealt juſtly with all men, except in the bloody Tragadies to Cruelties he afterwards committed on the Engliſh in our Wars; he kept the Sabbath-day like a Faſt, frequently attending in our Congregations; he would not meddle with any Rum tho' uſually his Country-men, had rather dy… than undergo ſuch a piece of Self-denial; tha… Liquor has meerly Enchanted them. At laſt, an… not long ſince this Daemon appear'd again unt… this Pagan, requ ring him to kill himſelf an… aſſuring him that he ſhould Revive in a day o… two, never to dy any more. He thereupon divers times attempted it, but his Friends ver… carefully preven ed it; however at length … found a fair opportunity, for this fowl Buſineſ… and Hanged himſelf; you may be ſure, withou… his expected Reſurrection. But it is eaſy to ſ… what a ſtumbling block was here laid before th… miſerable Indians.

p. 109(f) The Indian-Churches at Maſhippaug, and elſewhere.

THe ſame ſpirit which acted Mr. Eliot, quickly Inſpired others elſewhere, to proſecute the work of reſcuing the poor Indians out of their worſe than Egyptian-Darkneſs, in which Evil Angels had been ſo long preying upon them. One of theſe was the Godly and Gracious Richard Bourn, who ſoon ſaw a great effect of his Holy Labours. In the 1666. Mr. Eliot accompany'd by the Honourable Governour, and ſeveral Magiſtrates and Miniſters of Plymouth-Colony, procured a vaſt Aſſembly at Maſhippaug; and there a good number of Indians, made confeſſions touching the knowledge and belief, and Regeneration of their Souls, with ſuch ander…tanding and affection as was extreamly grateful to the pious Auditory. Yet ſuch was the ſtrictneſs of the good people in this Affair, that before they would countenance the advanaement of theſe Indians unto Church-Fellowſhip, they ordered their Confeſſions to be written and ſent unto all the Churches in the Colony, for their Approbation; but ſo approv'd they were, that afterwards the Meſſengers of all the Churches giving their pr…ſence and conſent, they became a Church, and choſe Mr. Bourn to be their Paſtor; who was then by Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton p. 110Ordain'd unto that Office over them. From hence Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton went over to an Iſland called Martha's Vineyard, where God had ſo ſucceeded the honeſt Labours of ſome, & particularly of the Mayhew's, as that a Church was gathered.

This Church, after Faſting and Prayer, choſe one Hiacoomes to be their Paſtor, John Tockinoſh, an able and a diſcreet Chriſtian to be their Teacher; Joſhua Mummeecheegs and John Nanaſo to be ruling Elders; and theſe were then Ordained by Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton thereunto. Diſtance of Habitation, cauſed this one Church by mutual agreement afterwards to become tw…; the Paſtor and one Ruling Elder taking one part, & the Teacher & one Ruling Elder, another, & at N…ntucket another adjacent Iſland was another Church of Indians quickly gathered, who choſe an Indian, John Gib, to be their Miniſter. Theſe Churches are ſo exact in their Admiſſion, and ſo ſolemn in their Diſcipline, & ſo …rlons in their Communion, that ſome of the Chriſtian Engliſh in the Neighbourhood, which would have been loth to have mixed with them in a civil Relation, yet have gladly done it in a Sacred One

'Tis needleſs for me to repeat what my Father has written about the other Indian Congregations; only there having been made mention of one Hi…cooms, I am willing to annex a Paſſage or two concerning that memorable Indian. That Indian was a very great Inſtrument p. 111of bringing his Pagan and wretched Neighbours, to a ſaving acquaintance with our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and God gave him the Honour, not only of ſo doing much for ſome, but alſo of ſuffering much from others, of thoſe unhappy Salvages. Once particularly, this Hiacoomes received a cruel blow from an Indian P…ince, which i… ſome Engliſh had not been there, might have killed him, for his Praying unto God. And afterwards he gave this account of his Trial in it; ſaid he, I have two hands; I had one Hand for Injuries, and the other for God; while I did receive wrong with the one, the other laid the greater hold on God.

Moreover, the Powawes did uſe to hector and abuſe the Praying Indians, at ſuch a rate, as terrify'd others from joyning with them; but once when thoſe Witches were bragging, that they could Kill all the Praying Indians, if they would; Hiacoomes reply'd, Let all the Powawes in the Iſland come together, I'l venture my ſelf in the midſt, of them; let them uſe all their witchcrafts; with the help of God, I'l tread upon them all. By this courage, he ſilenced the P…wawes: but at the ſame time alſo he Heartned the People, at ſuch a rate as was truly wonderful; nor could any of them ever harm this Eminent Confeſſor afterwards; nor indeed any Proſelyte which had been by his means brought home to God; yea, twas obſerved after this, that they rather Kill'd than Cur'd all ſuch of the Heathen as would yet make p. 112uſe of their Enchantments for help againſt their Sickneſſes.

(g) Of Mr. Eliot's Fellow-labourers in the INDIAN-WORK.

SO little was the Soul of our Eliot infected with any Envy, as that he long'd for nothing more than Fellow-Labourers, that might move and ſhine in the ſame Orb with himſelf; he made his cryes both to God and Man, for more Labourers to be thruſt-forth, into the Indian-Harveſt; and indeed it was an Harveſt of ſo few ſecular Advantages and Encouragements, that it muſt be nothing leſs than a Divine Thruſt, which could make any to Labour in it. He ſaw the Anſwer of his prayers, in the Generous and vigorous Attempts made by ſeveral other moſt worthy preachers of the Goſpel, to Goſpellize our periſhing Indians. At the writing of my Fathers letter there were Four; but the Number of them increaſes apace among us. At Martha's Vineyard, the old Mr. Mayhew, and ſeveral of his Sons, or Grandſons have done very worthily for the Souls of the Indians; there were fifteen years ago, by computation, about fifteen hundred Seals of their Miniſtry upon that one Iſland. In Connecticut, the holy and acute Mr. Fitch, has made noble Eſſays towards the Converſion of the Indians, but, I think, the Prince he has to deal withal, p. 113being an obſtinate Infidel gives unhappy Remora's to the Succeſſes of his Miniſtry. And godly Mr. Pierſon, has in that Colony, deſerved well, if I miſtake not, upon the ſame account. In Maſſachuſets we ſee at this day, the pious Mr. Daniel Gookin, the gracious Mr. Peter Thatcher, the well-accompliſhed and induſtrious Mr. Guindal Rawſon, all of them hard at work, to turn theſe Poor Creatures from darkneſs unto light, and from Satan unto God. In Plymouth, we have the moſt Active Mr. Samuel Treat laying out himſelf to ſave this Generation; and there is one Mr. Tupper, who uſes his laudable Endeavours for the inſtruction of them.

'Tis my Relation to him, that cauſes me to defer unto the laſt place, the mention of Mr. John Cotton, who addreſſes the Indians in their own Language with an admirable Dexterity, and has done more than a little Service for them. He hired an Indian, after the rate of twelve pence per day for fifty days, to teach him the Indian Tongue; but his knaviſh Tutor having received his whole Pay too ſoon, ran away before twenty days were out; however, in this time he had profited ſo fat, that he could quickly Preach unto the Natives, and he has ever-ſince being doing much for God among them. Having told my Reader, that the S… cond-Edition of the Indian Bible was wholly o… his Correction and Amendment; becauſe it … p. 114not proper for one to ſay much of him, I ſhall only a…d this Remarkable Story. Mr. Cotton, accompany'd by the Governour and Major-General, and ſundry Perſons of Quality, made a Journey to a Nation of Indians in the Neighbourhood, with a free Offer of the Words whereby they might be Saved. The Prince took time to conſider of it, and according to the true Engliſh of …aking Time in ſuch caſes, at length he told them, He did not accept the Tender which they made him. They then took their leaves of him, not without firſt giving him this plain and ſhort Admoni…ion, If God have any mercy for your miſerable people, He will quickly find a way to take … out of the way. 'Twas preſently after this, that this Prince going forth to a Battel againſt ano…her Nation of Indians, was killed in the Fight; and the young Prince being in his Minority, the Government fell into the Hands of Protectors, which favoured the Intereſt of the Goſpel. Mr. Cotton being adviſed of it, ſpeedily and proſperouſly Renewed the Tidings of an Eternal Saviour to the Salvages, who have ever ſince attended upon his Miniſtry; and the young Sachim, after he came to Age, expreſſed his Approbation of the Chriſtian Religion; eſpecially, when a while-ſince, he lay a Dying of a tedious Diſtemper, and would keep Reading of Mr. Baxter's Call to the Ʋ … converted, with floods of Tears in his Eyes, while he had any ſtrength to do it.

p. 115Such as theſe are the perſons, whom our Eliot left Engag'd in the Indian-work, when he departed from his Employment unto his Recompence. And theſe Gentlemen are ſo indefatigable in their Labours among the Indians, as that the moſt aequal Judges muſt acknowledge them worthy of much greater Salaries than they are generouſly contented with. But one may ſee then, who inſpired that clamorous (tho' contemptible) Perſecutor of this Country, who very zealouſly Addreſſed the A. B. of Canterbury, that theſe Miniſters might be deprived of their Little Stipends, and that the ſaid Stipends might go to maintain that Worſhip among us, which the Plantation was Erected on purpoſe for the peaceable Avoiding of.

(h) The ſacred and ſolemn Exerciſes performed in the Indian Congregations.

MY Fathers Account of the Exerciſes performed in the Indian-Congregations, will tell us what a Bleſſed Fruit our Eliot ſaw of his Labours, before he went unto thoſe Rewards which God had Reſerv'd in the Heavens for him. Some of the Indians quickly Built for themſelves, good and large Meeting-houſes af…er the Engliſh Mode, In which alſo after the Engliſh Mode, they attended the Things of the Kingdome of Heaven. And ſome of the Engliſh were helpful to them, upon p. 116this account; among whom I ought particul…rly to mention that Learned, Pious, and Charitab…e Gentleman, the Worſhipful Samuel S…. E…; who at his own charge built a Meeting houſe fo… one of the Indian Congregations, and gave thoſe Indians cauſe to pray for him under that ch… racter, He loveth Our Nation, for he hath built as a Synagogue.

It only remains that I give a touch or two upon the Worſhip which is attended in the Synagogues of the Indians. And firſt, the very Name of Praying Indians will aſſure us that Prayer is one of their Devotions; be ſure, they could no… be our Eliot's Diſciples if it were not ſo…. But how do they Pray? We are told, it is Without a Form, b…cauſe from the Hearts; which is as I remember, …ertullians Expreſſion concerning the the prayers in the Aſſemblies of the Primitive Chriſtians; namely, …e …honi…ore quia de pectore. It is evident, that the Primitive Chriſtians had no ſtated Liturgies among them; that no Forms of Prayers were in their time impoſed upon the Miniſters of the Goſpel; that e…en about the platform of prayer given us by our Lord, it was the opinion of Auſtin himſelf, not-withſtanding the Advances made in his Age towards what we count Su…e…ſtitious, that our Lord therein …aug… not what Words we ſhould uſe in prayer, but what Things we ſhould pray for. And whatever S… the profanity of our days has abuſed that P…ra… and Thing withal, Gr…g…ry N…zia…zen in his day… p. 117counted it th… Honour of his Father… public… …ra…ers, That he had them from, and made the… … the Holy Spirit. Our Indians accordingly …nd, that if they ſtudy the Words of God, and their own Sins and Wants and W…es, they ſhall …on come to that Attainment, Behold they pray. They can pray with much Pertinence and Enlargement; and would much wonder at it; i… they ſhould hear of an Engliſh Clergy, that ſhould Read their prayers out of a Book, when they ſhould pour out their Souls before the God of Heaven.

Their Preaching has much of Eliot, and therefore you may be ſure, much of Scripture, but perhaps more of the Chriſtian than of th… Scholar in it. I know not how to deſcribe it better, than by reciting the Heads of a Sermon, …ttered by an Indian, on a Day of H… … kept by them, at a time when great R…i… …d given much Damage to their Fruits and Field…, it was on this wiſe.

A little I ſhall ſay, according to that little I k…o….

Gen. 8.20, 21.

And Noah built an Altar, unto Jehovah, and be took of every clean Beaſt, and of every clea… … and offered burnt-offerings on the Altar. And the Lord ſmelled a ſweet ſavour, and the Lord ſaid in his heart, I will not again Curſe … …nd.

…n that Noah Sacrificed, he ſhow'd himſelf p. 118Thankful; in that Noah worſhipped, he ſhew himſelf Godly. In that he offered Clean beaſts, he ſhow'd that God is an Holy God. And all that come to god, muſt be pure and clean. Know, that we muſt by Repentance, purge our ſelves; which is the work we are to do this Day.

Noah Sacrificed, and ſo Worſhipped. This was the manner of old time. But what Sacrifices have we now to offer? I ſhall anſwer by that in Pſal. 4.5. Offer to God the Sacrifice of Righteouſneſs, and put your Truſt in the Lord. Theſe are the true Spiritual Sacrifices which God requireth at our hands, the Sacrifices of Righteouſneſs; that is, we muſt look to our hearts and ways, that they be Righteous; and then we ſhall be acceptable to God when we Worſhip him. But if we be unrighteous, unholy, ungodly, we ſhall not be accepted; our Sacrifices will be ſtark naught. Again, We are to put our Truſt in the Lord. Who elſe is there for us to truſt in? We muſt believe in the Word of God; if we doubt of God, or doubt of his Word, our Sacrifices are little worth; but if we truſt ſtedfaſtly in God, our Sacrifices will be good.

Once more, what Sacrifices muſt we offer. My Anſwer is, we muſt offer ſuch as Abraham offered. And what a Sacrifice was that? we are told in Gen. 22.12. Now I know that thou feareſt me, ſeeing thou haſt not with hel… thy Son, thy only Son from me. It ſeems, he had but one p. 119dearly beloved Son, and he offered that Son to God; and ſo God ſaid, I know thou feareſt me! Behold, a Sacrifice in Deed and in Truth ſuch an one muſt we offer. Only, God requires not us to Sacrifice our Sons, but our Sins; our deareſt Sins. God calls us this day to part with all our Sins, tho' never ſo beloved; and we muſt not with-hold any of them from him. If we will not part with All, the Sacrifice is not right. Let us part with ſuch Sins as we love beſt, and it will be a good Sacrifice!

God ſmelt a ſweet ſavour in Noahs Sacrifice; and ſo will God receive our Sacrifices, when we Worſhip him aright. But how did God manifeſt his Acceptance of Noahs Offering: 'twas by promiſing to Drown the world no more, but give us Fruitful Seaſons. God has chaſtiſed us of late, as if he would utterly Drown us; and he has Drowned and Spoiled and Ruin'd a great deal of our hay, and threatens, to kill our Cattel. 'Tis for this that we Faſt and Pray this Day. Let us then Offer a clean and pure Sacrifice, as Noah did; ſo God will ſmell a favour of Reſt, and he will with-hold the Rain, and Bleſs us with ſuch Fruitful Seaſons as we are deſiring of him.

Thus preached an Indian called Niſh…kkon, above thirty years ago; and ſince that I ſuppoſe, they have grown a little further into the New-Engliſh way of preaching: you may have i… their ſermons, a Ku…kooton…wehtea…nk that is, a p. 120Doctrine, Nahto…to…wch…aonk, or, an Anſwer, a, Wi…chea…euonk, or, a Reaſon, with an Ouworeank, or, an, U… for the cloſe of all.

As for Holidays, you may take it for granted, our Eliot would not perſwade his Indians to any Statted ones. Even the Chriſtmas-Feſtival it ſelf, he knew to be a ſtranger unto the Apoſtolical Times; that the exquiſite Voſſius himſelf acknowledges, 'twas not Celebrated in the firſt or ſecond Century: and that there is a Truth in the words of the great Chemnuius, Anniverſarium Diem Natales Chriſti, celebratum fuiſſe, apud ve…ſtiſſimos nunquam legitur. He knew that if the Day of our Lords Nativity were to be obſerved, it ſhould not be in December: that many Churches for divers Ages kept it not in December, but in January; that Chryſoſtom himſelf, about four hundred years after our Saviour, excuſes the Novelty of the December ſeaſon for it, and confeſſes it had not been kept above ten years at Conſtantinople: No, that it ſhould be rather in September, in which Month the Jews kept the Feaſt that was a Type of our Lords Incarnation; and Solomon alſo …rought the Ark into the Temple; for our Lord wa… thirty years, old when he entred upon his publick Miniſtry; and he continued in it three years and an half; Now his Death was in March, and it is eaſy then to calculate when his Birth ought to be. He knew, that indeed God had hid this Day as he p. 121did the body of Moſes, to prevent Idolatry; but that Antichriſt had choſe this day, to accommodate the Pagans in their Licencious and their Debauched S…turn…lia; and that a Tertullian would not ſtick to ſay, Shall we Chriſtians who have nothing to do with the Feſtivals of the Jews, which were once of Divine Inſtitution, embrace the Saturnalia, of the Heathen? How do the Gentiles ſhame us, who are more true to their Religion, than we are to ours? None of them will obſerve the Lords-day, for fear leſt they ſhould be Chriſtians; and ſhall not we then by obſerving their Feſtivals, fear leſt we be made Ethnicks? In fine, it was his opinion, That for us to have ſtated Holy Days which are not appointed by the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, is a deep Reflection upon the Wiſdom of that glorious Lord; and he brought up his Indians, in the principles which the old Waldenſes had about ſuch unwarrantable Holydays.

Nevertheleſs, he taught them to ſet apart their Days both for Faſting and Prayer, and for Feaſting and Praiſe, when there ſhould be Extraordinary Occaſions for them; and they perform the duties of theſe Days with a very laborious Piety. One party of the Indians long ſince of their own Accord, kept a Day of Supplication, together, wherein one of them diſcourſed upon Pſal, 66.7. He Rules by his power for ever, His Eyes behold the Nations, let not the Rebellious exalt themſelves. And when one asked them afterwards, p. 122what was the Reaſon of their keeping ſuch a day, they reply'd, It was to obtain five mercies of God.

Firſt, That God would ſlay the Rebellion of their hearts. Next, that they might love God and one another. Th…rdly, that they might withſtand the Temptations of wicked men, ſo that they might not be drawn back, from God Fourthly, that they might be Obedient unto the counſils and commands of their Rulers. Fifthly, that they might have their ſins done away by the Redemption of Jeſus Chriſt; And laſtly, that they might walk in the good wayes of the Lord. I muſt here embrace my opportunity to tell the world, that our Cautious Eliot, was far from the opinion of thoſe who have thought it not only warrantable, but alſo commendable to Adopt ſome Heatheniſh Uſages into the Worſhip of God, for the more eaſy and ſpeedy gaining of the Heathen to that Worſhip. The policy of treating the Paegan Rites as the Jews were to do Captives, before they married them, to ſhave their Hair, and pare their Nails, our Eliot counted as ridiculous as pernicious. He knew that the Idolatries and Abominations of Popery, were founded, in thi… way of Proſely…ing the barbarous Nations, which made their Deſcent upon the Roman Empire and he look'd upon the like methods which the Proteſtants have uſed, that they might ingratiate p. 123themſelves with the Papiſts, and that our Separation from them ſhould become the leſs dangerous and ſenſible, to be the moſt ſenſible and dangerous wound of the Reformation. Wherefore, as no leſs a man than Dr. Henry Moor ſays about our Compliances with the Papiſts, which are a ſort of Pagans, Their Converſion and Salvation being not to be compaſſed by needleſs Symbolizing with them, in any thing, I conceive our beſt policy is ſtudiouſly to imitate them in nothing; but for all indifferent things, to think rather the worſe of them for their uſing of them. As no perſon of Honour, would willingly go in the known Garb of i…famous perſons. Whatſoever we Court them in, they do but turn it to our ſcorn and contemp…, & are the more hardened in their own wickedneſs. To act upon this principle, is the deſign and glory of New-England! And our Eliot was of this perſwaſion, when he brought his Indians to a pure, plain, Scripture Worſhip. He would not gratify them with a Samaritan ſort of blended, mixed Worſhip; and he imagined, as we…l he might, that the Apoſtle …aul's firſt Epiſtle to the C…rinthians had enough in it, for-ever to deter us all from ſuch Unchriſtian and unhappy …emporizing.

p. 124(I) A Compariſon between what the New-Englanders have done for the Converſion of the Indians, and what has been done elſewhere by the Roman Catholicks.

IT is to be confeſſed, That the Roman Catholicks have a Clergy ſo very Numerous, and ſo little Encumbred, and are Maſters of ſuch prodigious Eccleſiaſtical Revenues, as renders it very eaſy for them to exceed the Proteſtants in their Endeavours to Chriſtianize the Pagan Salvages. Nor would I Reproach, but rather Applaud their Induſtry in this matter, wiſhing that we were all touched with an Emulation of it. Nevertheleſs, while I commend their Induſtry, they do by their Clamours againſt the Reformed Churches upon this account, oblige me to tax divers very ſcandalous things in the Miſſions which they make pro propaganda ſide throughout the world; and therewithal to compare what has been done by that little Handful of Reformed Churches in this Country, wh…ch has in divers Regards out-dyie the furtheſt Efforts of popery.

The Attainments which with Gods help we have carried up our Indi…ns unto, are the chief Honour and Glory of our Labours with them. The Reader will ſmile perhaps, when I tell him, that by an odd accident there are lately fallen into my hands, the Manuſcripts of a p. 125Jeſuite, whom the French Employ'd as a Miſſionary among the Weſtern Indians; in which Papers there are, both a Catechiſm containing the principles which thoſe Heathen are to be inſtructed in; and Caſes of Conſcience, referring to their Converſations. The Catechiſm which is in the …roquoiſe Language (a Language remarkable for this, that there is not ſo much as one Labi…l in it) with a Tranſlation annexed, has one Chapter, about Heaven, and another about Hell, wherein are ſuch Thickskull'd paſſages as theſe.

Q. How is the Soyl made in Heaven?

A. 'tis a very fair Soil; they want neither for Meats nor Cloths; 'tis but Wiſhing and we have them.

Q. Are they employ'd in Heaven?

A. No, they do nothing; the fields yeeld Corn, Beans, Pumpkins, and the like, without any Tillage.

Q what ſort of trees are there?

A. Always Green-Full, and Floriſhing.

Q. Have they in Heaven the ſame Sun, the ſame wind, the ſame Thunder that we have here?

A. No, the Sun ever ſhines; 'tis always fair weather.

Q. But how their Fruits?

A. In this one quality they exceed ours; that they are never waſted; you have no ſooner pluck't one, but you ſee another preſently hanging in its Room. And after this rate goes on p. 126the Catechiſm concerning Heaven. Concerning Hell it thus diſcourſes.

Q What ſort of a Soyl is that of Hell?

A. A Very wretched Soyl; 'tis a fiery pitt, in the Center of the Earth.

Q. Have they any light in Hell?

A. No. Tis alwayes Dark; there's alwayes Smoke there; their eyes are alwayes in pain with it; they can ſee nothing but the Divels.

Q. What ſhap'd things are the Divels?

A. Very ill ſhap'd things; they go about with Vizards on; and they terrify men.

Q. What do they Eat in Hell?

A. They are alwayes Hangry; but the Damned feed upon ho… Aſhes and S…rpents there.

Q W… …ver have they to D…ink?

A. Horrid water; nothing but melted lead.

Q. Don't they Dy in Hell?

A. N…; yet they eat one another, every day; But ano…, God reſt…res and renewes the Man that was eaten; as a cropt Plant, in a little time repull…la…es.

It ſeems, they have not thought this Divinity too Gr…ſs for the Barbariams. But I ſhall mak… no Reflections on it; only add one or two Caſes of C…ſcience, from their Directory,

'Tis one of their weighty caſes, Whether a Chriſtian be bound to pay his Whore her Hire or no? To this Father Bruias anſwers, Tho he be bound in Juſtice to do it, yet inaſmuch as the Barbarians [and you muſt ſuppoſe p. 127their Whores to be ſuch!] Ʋſe to keep no Faith in ſuch matters, the Chriſtians may chooſe whether they will k…ep any too. But Father Pierron with a moſt profound Learning anſwers, He is not bound unto it all; inaſmuch as no man thinks himſelf bound to pay a Witch, that has Enchanted him; and this buſineſs is pretty much a kin to that. Another of their d fficult Caſes, is, Whether an indian ſtealing an Hatchet from a Dutchman, be bound to make Reſtitution? And it is very conſcientiouſly determined. That if the Dutchman be one that has uſed any Trade with other Indians, the Thief is not bound unto any Reſtitution; for 'tis certain, he gains more by ſuch a Trade than the value of many Hatchets in a year.

I'l tire my Reader with no more of this wretched ſtuff. But lett him underſtand that the proſelyted indians of New-England ha…e been Inſtructed at a more Noble Rate; we have helped them to the ſincere milk of the word; we have given them the whole Bible in their own Language; we have laid before them ſuch a Cree… as the primitive Beleevers had, with ſuch Explications as we embark our own Souls upon the Aſſurance of. And God ha… bleſſed our education of theſe poor creatures in ſuch a meaſure, that they can Pray and Preach to b…tter edification (give me leave to ſay it) than multitudes of the Romiſh Clergymen. We could have Baptiſed many Troops of Indians, if we p. 128would have uſed no other meaſures with them, than the Roman-Catholicks did upon theirs at Maryland, Where they Baptized a great crue of Indians, in ſome New ſhirts, beſtow'd upon them to encourage them thereunto; but the Indians in a week or two, not knowing how to waſh their ſhirts, when they were grown foul, came and made a motion, that the Roman Catholicks would give more ſhirts to them, or elſe they would Renounce their Baptiſm. No, 'tis a Thorough-paced Chriſtianity without which we have not imagined our Indians Chriſtianized.

Nor have we been acted with a Roman-Catholick Avarice and Falſity and Cruelty in proſecuting of our converſions; 'tis the Spirit of an ELIOT, that has all along directed us. 'Tis a Specimen of the Popiſh Avarice that their Miſſionaries are very rarely employ'd but where Bever and Silver and vaſt Riches are to be thereby gained; their Miniſtry is but a fort of Engine, to enrich Europaeans with the Treaſures of the Indies; thus one eſcaped from Captivity among the Spaniards, told me, that the Spaniſh Friars had carried their Goſpel into the ſpacious Country of California, but finding the Indians there to be extremely poor, they q…ckly gave over the work, becauſe forſooth S… poor Nation was not worth Conve…ting. Whereas the New-Englanders could expect nothing from their Indians. We are to Feed them and …ath them, rather than receive any thing p. 129from them, when we bring them home to God. Again, the popiſh Falſi…y diſpoſes them to ſo much Lege…demain in their Applications as is very diſagreeable to the Spirit and Progreſs of the Goſpel. My Worthy Friend, Myn…eer Daille, who has been ſedulous and ſucceſsful in his Miniſtry among the Maqua'…, aſſures me, that a French predicator, having been attempting to bring over thoſe …ndians unto the Intereſt (not of our Saviour, ſo much as) of Canada, at laſt, for a cure of their Infidelity, told them, he would give them a ſign of God's Diſpleaſure at them for it; The Sun ſhould ſuch a day be put out. This terrify'd them at a ſad rate, and with great admiration and expectation, they told the Dutch of what was to come to paſs; the Dutch reply'd This was no more than eve…y Child among them could fo…etel; they all knew there would then be an Eclipſe of the Sun; but (ſaid they) ſpeak to Monſieur, that he would get the Sun extinguiſh'd a day before, or a day after what he ſpoke of, and if he can do that, bel…e…e him. When the Indians thus underſtood what a Trick the Frenchman would have put upon them, they became irreconcileably prejudiced, againſt all his offers; nor have the French been ſince able to ga…n much upon that conſiderable people. The New-Englanders have uſed no ſuch Stratag…ms and Kn…veries; 'tis the pure light of truth, which is all that has been uſed for the affecting of the rude people, whom 'twas eaſy to have p. 130cheated into our Profeſſion. Much leſs have we uſed that Popiſh Cruelty, which the Natives of Americ…, have by ſome other people been treated with. Even a Biſhop of their own, hath Publiſhed, very Tragical Hiſtories of the Spaniſh Cruelties upon the Indians of this Weſtern World. Such were thoſe Cruelties, that the I…d…ans at length declared, They had rather go to Hell with their Anceſtors, than to the ſame Heaven which the Spaniards pretended unto; 'tis indeed impoſſible to reckon up, the various and exquiſi e Barbaritie… with which theſe execrable Spaniards murdered in leſs than fifty years no leſs than fifty millions of the Indians; it ſeems this was their way of bringing them into the Sheepfold of our merciful Jeſus! But on the other ſide, the good people of New-England have carried it with ſo much tenderneſs towards the …awny Creatures among whom we live, that they would not own ſo much as one foot of Land in the Countrey, without a fair Purchaſe and Con… nt from the Natives that laid claim unto it; albeit we had a Royal Charter from the King of Great Britain, to Protect us in our ſettlement upon this Continent I ſuppoſe, 'twas in revenge upon us for this Conſcientiouſneſs, that the late oppreſſors of New England, acknowledged no than to have any Title at all unto one Foot of Land in all our Colony. But we did and we ſo, think, notwithſtanding the Banters of thoſe …ories, that the Indians had not by thei… p. 131Paganiſm ſo forfeited all Right unto any of their P…ſſeſſions, that the firſt pretended Chriſtians that could, might Violently and yet Honeſtly ſieze upon them. Inſtead of this, the people of New England, knowing that ſome of the Engliſh were ſufficiently coveteous and encroaching, and that the Indians in ſtreights are eaſily prevailed upon, to ſell their lands, made a Law, That none ſhould purchaſe, or ſo much as Receive any land of the Indians, without the Allowance of the Court. Yea, and ſome lands which were peculiarly convenient for the Indians, our people who were mo…e careful of them than they were of themſelves, made a Law That they ſhould never be bought out of their hands. I ſuppoſe af…er this it would ſurpriſe mank…nd, if they ſhould hear ſuch wonderful Crea…ures as our late Secretary Randolph affirming, This ba… barous people were never civilly treated, by the late Government, who made it their buſineſs to encroach upon their Lands, and by degrees to drive them out of all. But, how many other Laws we made in favour of the Indians, 'tis not eaſy to reckon up. Twas one of our Laws, That for the further encouragement of the hopeful work among them, for the Civilizing and Chriſtianizing of them, any Indian that ſhould be brought unto Civility, and come to live orderly in any Engliſh Plantation, ſhould have ſuch Allotments, among the Engliſh, as the Engliſh had themſ…lves. And, that if a competent number of p. 132them, ſhould ſo come on to civility, as to be capable of a Townſhip, the General Court ſhould grant them Lands for a Plantation as they do unto the Engliſh. Altho we had already bought up their Claims unto our Lands. We likewiſe had our Laws, That if any of our Cattle did any damage to their Corn, we ſhould make them ample ſatisfaction; and that we ſhould give them all manner of Aſſiſtance, in Fencing of their Fields. And becauſe the Indians are exceſſively given unto the vice of Drunkenneſs, which was a vice unknown to them, until the Engliſh brought Strong-drink in their way, we have had a ſevere Law againſt all ſelling or giving any Intoxicating Liquors to them. It were well, if this Law were more ſeverely Executed?

By this time I hope, I have ſtop'd the calumnious Exclamations of the Roman Catholicks againſt the Churches of the Reformation, for neglecting to Evangelize the Natives of the Indies. But let me take this occaſion to addreſs the Chriſtian Indians of my own Country, into ſome of whoſe Hands, 'tis likely, this little Book may come.

¶ Behold, yee Indians, what love, what care, what coſt, has been uſed by the Engliſh here, for the Salvation of your precious and immortal Souls. It is not becauſe we have expected any Temporal Advantage from you, that we have been thus concerned for your good; No, 'tis God that ha's cauſed us to deſire his Glory p. 133in your Salvation; and our hearts have bled with Pitty over you, when we have ſeen how horribly the Devil Oppreſs'd you in this, and Deſtroy'd you in another world. It is much that has been done for you; we have put you into a way to be happy both on Earth while you live, and in Heaven when you Dy. What can you think will become of you, if you ſlight all theſe Glorious offers! methinks you ſhould ſay to your-ſelves, Vttoh woh kittinne peh quoh humunan miſhanantamog ne mohſag wadchaniltuonk! You all beleeve that your Teacher ELIOT, was a Good and a Brave Man, and you would count it your Bleſſedneſs to be forever with him. Nevertheleſs, I am to tell you, that if you don't become Real, and Thorough and Holy Ch…iſtians, you ſhall never have a comfortable ſight of him any more. You know how he has Fed you, and Cloath'd you, as well as Taught you; you know how his Bowels yerned o…er you, even as tho' you had been his Children, when he ſaw any affl…ctions come upon you; but if he find you among the wicked, in the Day of Judgment, which he ſo often warn'd you of, he will then be a Dreadful Witneſs againſt you, and when the Lord Jeſus paſſes that ſentence on you, Depart ye Curſed into Everlaſting Fire with the Divel and his Angels, even your own ELIOT will then ſay, Amen, unto it all. Now, to deale plainly with you, there are two Vices, which many of you are too p. 134prone unto, and which are utterly inconſiſtent with a True Chriſtianity. One of thoſe Vices, is that of Idleneſs. If you had a Diſpoſition to follow an Honeſt Calling, what ſhould hinder you from growing as Conſiderable in your Eſtates, as many of your Engliſh Neighbours whereas, you are now poor, mean, ragged, ſtarved, contemptible and miſerable; and inſtead of being able, as your Engliſh Neighbours do, to ſupport the ordinances of God, you are beholden to them, not only for maintaining of thoſe Bleſſed ordinances among you, but for many other kindneſſes. And have you indeed forgot the Commandment of God which has been ſo often laid before you, Six Days ſhalt thou Labour! for ſhame, apply your ſelves to ſuch Labour as may bring you into more Handſome Circumſtances. But the other of thoſe Vices, is that of Drunkenneſs. There are godly Engliſh Neighbours, of whom you ſhould learn to Pray; but there are ſome of you that learn to Drink, of other, profane, debauch'd Engliſh Neighbours. Poor Creatures, 'tis by this Iniquity that Satan ſtill keeps Poſſeſſion of many Souls among you, as much as if you were ſtill in all your woful Heatheniſm; and how often have you been told, Drunkards ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God? I beſeech you to be ſenſible of the miſchiefs to which this thing expoſes you, and never dream of eſcaping the p. 135Vengeance of Eternal Fire, if you indulge your ſelves in this A ccu…ſed Thing. I have done, when I have wiſh d, That the Goſpel of the Lord Jeſus may always Run and be Glorify'd among you!