The Triumphs of the Reformed Religion in America, Preliminary 2
Praeliminary II.
Mr. Eliots, early Converſion, ſacred Employment, and juſt Removal into America.
But all that I have hitherto ſaid, is no more than an entrance into the Hiſtory of our Eliot. Such an Enoch as he, muſt have ſomething more than theſe things recorded of him; his Walk with God, muſt be more largely laid before the world, as a thing that would beſpeak us all to be Followers no leſs than we ſhall be Admirers of it.
He had not paſſed many Turns in the world, before he knew the meaning of a ſaving Turn from the Vanities of an Unregenerate State, unto God in Chriſt, by a true Repentance; he had the ſingular happineſs and priviledge of an early Converſion from the Ways, which Original Si… diſpoſes all men unto. One of the princip…l inſtruments which the God of Heaven uſed in tingeing, and filling the mind of this choſe… V…ſſ…l, with good principles, was that Venerable Thomas H…ok…r, whoſe Name in the Churches o… the Lord Jeſus, is, As an Oyntment poured forth even …hat H…oker, of whom worthy Maſter Fuller could write, As Latymer would not ſtick … ſay, Saint Bilney, ſo neither I to ſay, Saint Hooke… that Hooker, who having Angled many ſcores … Souls into the Kingdom of Heaven, at laſt a… his …ones in our New-England; it was an acquaintance with him, that contributed more than a little to the Accompliſhment of our Eliſha, for that work unto which the moſt High deſigned him. His liberal Education, having now the Addition of Religion, to direct it, and improve it, it gave ſuch a Biaſs to his young Soul, as quickly diſcovered it ſelf in very ſignal inſtances. His firſt Appearance in the world after his Education in the Ʋniverſity, was in the too difficult and unthankful but very neceſſary Employment of a School-maſter, which Employment he diſcharged with a good fidelity. And as this firſt Eſſay of his Improvement was no more Diſgrace unto him, than it was unto the famous Hieron, Whitaker, Vines, and others, that they thus began to be ſerviceable; ſo it rather prepared him, for the further ſervice, which his mind was now ſet upon. He was of worthy Mr. Thomas Wilſon's mind, that the calling of a Miniſter was the only one wherein a man might be more ſerviceable to the Church of God, than in that of a School-maſter. Wherefore having Dedicated himſelf unto God betimes, he could not Reconcile himſelf to any leſſer way of Serving his Creator and Redeemer, than the Sacred Miniſtry of the Goſpel; but, alas, where ſhould he have Opportunities for the Exerciſing of it? The Laudian, Grotian, and Arminian Faction in the Church-of-England, in the proſecution of their Grand-plot, for the reducing of England unto a moderate ſort of Popery, had pitched u… on this as one of their curſed methods for it namely, to creeple as faſt as they could, all th… Learned, Godly, Painful Miniſters of the Nation; and invent certain Sinboleths for the detecting and the deſtroying of ſuch men as were cordial Friends to the Reformation. 'Twas now … time when there were every day multiplied and impoſed thoſe unwarrantable Ceremonies in the Worſhip of God, by which the Conſcience of our conſiderate Eliot counted the ſecond Commandment notoriouſly violated; it was a time, when ſuch memorable Biſhops as Wren, and Pierce, with others of …h…t Co…ſpiracy, ſilenced, cenſured, and ruined ſuch Miniſters as would not Read a B…ok for Sports on the Lords Dayes, or did but uſe a Prayer of their own conceiving before or after Sermon, or did but Preach on an… Af…ernoon as well as in a morning, or on a Lecture, or on a Market, or did but explain the Church-Catechiſm, or in any wiſe diſcountenance the old Pagan Superſtitions. or new beaſtly Debaucheries among their miſerable Neighbours. Moreover, twas now a time, when ſome hundreds of thoſe amiable people which had the Nick-name of Puritans pu… upon them, tranſported themſelves, with their whole Familie… and Intereſts, into the Deſarts of America, tha… they might here peaceably Erect Congregation Churches, and therein a…tend and maintain al… the pure Inſtitutions of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt having the encouragement of Royal Charters, that they ſhould never have any interruption in the Enjoyment of thoſe precious and pleaſant things. Here was a proſpect which quickly determined the devout Soul of our young Eliot, unto a Remove into New-England, while it was yet a Land not ſown; he quickly Liſted himſelf among thoſe valiant Souldiers of the Lord Jeſus, who cheerfully encountred firſt the Perils of the Atlantick Ocean, and then the Fatigues of the New-Engliſh Wilderneſs, that they might have an undiſturbed Communion with Him in His Appointments here. And thus did he betimes procure himſelf the conſolation of having afterwards and for-ever a room in that Remembrance of God, I remember thee, the kindneſs of thy youth, and the Love of thine eſpouſals, when thou wenteſt after me into the Wilderneſs.
On his firſt Arrival to …ew-England, he ſoon joyned himſelf unto the Church at Boſton; 'twas Church-work that was his Errand hither. Mr. Wilſon, the Paſtor of that Church, was gone back into England, that he might perfect the Settlement of his Affairs; and in his Abſence, …ng Mr. Eliot was he that ſupplied his place. Upon the Return of Mr. Wilſon, that Church was intending to have made Mr. Eliot his Col…egue, and their Teacher; but it was thus di…erted. Mr. Eliot had engaged unto a ſel…ct …umber of his pious and chriſtian Friends in England, that if they ſhould come into theſe Parts before he ſhould be in the paſtoral Car… of any other people, he would give himſelf to Them, and be for Their Service. It happened that theſe Friends tranſported themſelves hither, the year after him; and choſe their Habitation at the Town which they called Roxbury. A Church being now gathered at this place he was in a little while Ordained unto the Teaching and Ruling of that holy Society. So 'twas in the Orb of that Church that we ha… him as a Star fixed for very near Threeſcor… Years; it only remains that we now obſerv… what was his Magnitude all this while, and ho… he performed his Revolution.