The Triumphs of the Reformed Religion in America, Title page – Half title
The Triumphs of the Reformed Religion, in AMERICA.
The LIFE of the Renowned JOHN ELIOT; A Perſon juſtly Famous in the CHURCH of GOD, Not only as an Eminent CHRISTIAN, and an Excellent MINISTER, among the ENGLISH, But alſo, As a Memorable EVANGELIST among the INDIANS, of NEW-ENGLAND; With ſome Account concerning the late and ſtrange Succeſs of the Goſpel, in thoſe parts of the World, which for many Ages have lain Buried in PAGAN IGNORANCE.
Written by COTTON MATHER.
Bleſſed is that Servant, whom his Lord, when He cometh, ſhall find SO Doing.
Boſton, Printed by Benjamin Harris, and John Allen, for Joſeph Brunning at the corner of the Priſon-Lane. 1691.
To the Right Honourable PHILIP Lord WHARTON. A no leſs Noble than Aged PATRON of LEARNING and VIRTUE; And a Favourite of that Great KING Whoſ… Throne is in the Heavens, and whoſe Kingdom Ruleth over all.
May it pleaſe Your Lordſhip;
IF it be conſidered, that ſome Evangelical and Apoſtolical Hiſtories of the New-Teſtament, were by the Direction of the Holy Spirit Himſelf, Dedicated unto a Perſon of Quality, and tha… the Noble Perſon Addreſſed with One ſuch Dedica…i…n, entertained it with Reſentments that encouraged his dear Lucillius to make a Second, the world Will be ſatisfy'd that I do a thing but Reaſ…nable and Agreeable, when, unto a Narrative of many Evangelical and Apoſtolical Affa…rs, I preſume to prefix the Name of one ſo Excellent for Love to God, as Your Lordſhip is known to be: and One upon this account only, an Unmeet ſubject for th… praiſes of the obſcure pen which now writes, tha… Quis Vituperat? I do not, I dare not, ſo far Intrude upon Your Honour, as to ask Your Patronage unto all the New-Engliſh Principles & Practices, which are found in the Character of our Celebrated ELIOT; for; as the Diſtance of a Thouſand Leagues, ha… made it impoſſible for me to attend the (uſual) Orders and Manners of asking firſt Your Allowance for what I have openly Entitled you unto; ſo, the Renowned ELIOT is gone beyond any occaſions for the greateſt Humane Pa…ronage.
But that which has procured unto Your Lordſhip, the Trouble of this Dedication, is, My Deſire to Give You the Picture of One Aged Saint, Lately gone to that General Aſſembly, which the Eternal King of Heaven, by the Advances of Your Own Age in the way of Righteouſneſs does quickly Summon Your Self unto The Profound Reſpect which Our ELIOT had for Your Honour, will doub…leſs be anſwered and requited with Your own Value for the Memory of ſuch a memorable Chriſtian, Miniſte… and Evangeliſt; inasmuch as, Your Affections like his, take not their Meaſures from theſe or thoſe matters of Doub f…l Diſpu…atum, but from ſuch an univerſal Pie…, and Charity, and Holineſs, as he was an Inſtance of.
No man ever complained of it that in the works of Chryſoſtom, we find ſeven Orations no… for aſunder, in Commendation of Paul: … it any fault that I have now written One, in Commendation of a man whom a Pauline Spirit, had made Illuſtrious. In deſcribing him, I have made but little Touches upon his Parentage, and Family, becauſe as the truly Great Baſil excuſes his Omiſſion of thoſe things, in his Oration upon Gordius the Martyr, Eccleſia haec tanquam ſupervacaa dimittit. But I have related thoſe things of him, which cannot but create a good Eſteem for him, in the Breaſt of your Lordſhip, who are a Faithful and Ancient Witneſs againſt thoſe Diſtempers of the world, whereby (as the bleſſed Sal…ian Lamented it) Cogimur eſſe Viles ut Nobiles habeamur; and Raiſe the ſweetneſs of Your Thoughts upon Your Approaches, which may our God make both ſlow and ſure, unto that State, wherein, The Leaſt is Greater than this JOHN. But if I may more ingenuouſly Confeſs the whole Ground and Cauſe of this Dedication, I muſt own, 'Tis to pay … part of a Debt; a Debt under which You have laid my Countrey, when You did with Your Own Honourable Hand, Preſent unto His Majeſty the ſame Account, which I have here again Publiſhed, Concerning the Succeſs of the Goſpel among the I…dians in New-England.
My Lord, In one ELIOT, You ſee what a People 'tis, that You have counted worthy of Your Notice; and what a People 'tis, that with a…dent Prayers beſpeak the Mercies of Heaven for Your Noble Family. Indeed, It is Impo… ſible that a country So full as New-England is, of what is truly Primitive, ſhould not be expoſed unto the bittereſt Enmity and Calumny of thoſe, that will ſtrive to entangle the Church in a Sardian Unreformedneſs, until our Jeſus do ſhortly Make them know, that He has loved, what they have hated, maligned, perſecuted. But if the God of New-England have inclined any Great Perſonage, to Intercede or Interpoſe for the prevention of the Ruines which ill men have deſigned for ſuch Country; or to procure for a a People of an Eliot's Complexion in Religion, the Undiſturbed Enjoyment and Exerciſe of that Religion: it is a thing that calls for our moſt ſenſible Acknowledgments.
It is an odd Superſtition which the Indians of this countrey have among them, that they count it (on the penalty of otherwiſe never proſpering more) neceſſary for them, never to paſs by the Graves of certain famous perſons among them, without laying and leaving ſome Token of Regard thereupon. But we hope that all true Proteſtants, will count it no more … what is equal and proper, that the Land which has in it, the Grave of ſuch a Remarkable Preacher to the Indians as our ELIOT, ſhould be treated with ſuch a Love, as a Jeruſalem, uſes to find from them that are to proſper.
Upon that Score then, Let My Lord Accep… a Preſent from and for a Remote corner in th… New World, where God is Praiſed on Your behalf; a ſmall Preſent made by the Hand of a Rude American, who has nothing to recommend him unto Your Lordſhip, except this, That he is the SON of ONE whom You have admitted unto Your Favours; and, That he is Ambitious to Wear the Title of,
MY LORD, Your Lordſhips Moſt Humble and moſt Obedient Servant, COTTON MATHER.
The LIFE of the Renowned JOHN ELIOT
Sic mihi contingat vivere, ſicque mori▪