them, they fhould be left to approach, and withdraw from it, at their leifure, till their judgment is formed. And if its afpect is not evidently forbidding, their fcruples will be likely to vanish as it becomes familiar. As they will not haftily adopt any thing that is new, and as they are difpofed to think and act for themfelves, to urge them to an immediate decifion with respect to an object with which they are unacquainted, is the fure way to make them decide against it, notwithstanding all that can be done by the most perfuafive arguments or the influence of friends. Thefe tho'ts have helped to confole me of late under a review of the grievous delays I have met with." 1. POETRY. COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL. The awakened and repenting finner`s refalve. V To heav'n's ble hills I turn my view, 3. The dream is fled, ny foul awakes, 1. JE Jefus the Chriftian's refuge in trouble. ESUS, my Saviour and my king, Thy mercy and thy truth I'll fing; Thy pard'ning mercy hath no bound, And all thy words are faithful found. 2. When firft my finful ftate I faw, And fled the terrors of the law, 3. And now, beneath these clouded fkies, While waves of trouble round me rife, Shall I thy goodness doubt, or fear Thou wilt no more attend my prayer? 4. I will not fear; thy grace and pow'r Have often cheer'd my darkest hour: My fun, my fhield, I know thy name, Thy pow'r and grace are still the fame. 5. Thou knoweft why thy children Donations to the Miffionary Society of Connecticut. January 18. Solomon Goodell, Jamaica, Vermont, appro priated to Indian Miffions, 28. Rev. John Willard, New Settlements, Feb. 11. From a friend of Miffions, NOTE. D. C. 116 75 In the Editors' New Year's addrefs p. 245, it is mentioned that the Rev. Mr. Potwine was the only minifler who had died in this flate during the year 1802. This was a miflake which the Editors hope their readers will excufe. The Reverend and learned John Devotion, for many years Paflor of the third Society in Saybrook, died the 6th of last September CHAPTER II. Concerning the propagation of the Gofpel among the Indians in New England, particularly in the colonies of the Massachusetts, and New Plymouth, in the feventeenth century, by the miffionary labors of the Rev. John Eliot, of Roxbury, and of thofe divines, who, after fome time, were affociated with him, as fellow-laborers in the good work. INTRODUCTION.-Some account of Mr. John Eliot prior to his coming to New EnglandHis arrival, and fettlement in the Miniftry, at Roxbury, near Bofton-Of the refolution he formed to make an attempt to gofpelize the Heathen, particularly in Maffachusetts and New Plymouth colonies; and of his preparing himfelf for a Miffion by learning the VOL. III. No. 10. | language of the natives about the year 1644-Act of the General Affembly of the Maffachusetts to the Indians-Of the affiftance Mr. encourage the chriftianizing of Eliot received from the Minifters, and the encouragement given by good men, in general, in the New England colonies-Of his firft public effay in 1646, to inftruct fome of the natives a few miles from his own houfe; his mode of inftruction, and the pleafing profvifits-Of his tranflating the Bipect which opened upon his firft ble, and other books upon divine fubjects into the Indian language His early care that fchools fhould be inftituted among the Indians-His reducing those whom he first taught, to fome degree of civil order, and industry-General Court of Maffachusetts pafs fome Refolves to reduce the natives to civil order-Indians at Concord express their defire to be civilized, and taught Chriftianity; and a vifit is paid them for this purpose to fome good effect-Mr. Eliot's great diligence in his miffionary work-The obftructions he met with in purfuing his work; the hardships he endured, and the Z z tury. He that makes any effays in hiftory, cannot but wish for the benefit of original writers. However, in the prefent case, this de dangers to which he was expofed in his miffionary courfe; and his patience, fortitude, perfeverance, and truft in Divine Providence amidst all his trials and perils-fect may be, in a good measure, Brief account of the London So- fupplied, by Dr. Cotton Mather, ciety for propagating the Gofpel Mr. Neale, and Governor Hutchin New England, and parts adja- infon. These three gentlemen, cent, who affifted in fupporting at least the two firft, as it appears, the Miffionaries-Of the fettle- had many of the original publicament of the Indians at Natick, tions before them, when they and forming themselves into a wrote their histories; and the laft body politic under the direction had some of them; and they were of Mr. Eliot-They defire to be gentlemen much esteemed in the formed into a Church: Elders province of history. and Brethren from neighboring churches convene upon the occafion, and examine their qualifications. In the feventeenth century, not a little was done to propagate the Gofpel among the Indians in New England. Some writers indeed, contrary to hiftoric truth, have attempted to diminish the work; and indeed have had the confidence Rev. Richard Mather's remarks ' upon the ferious appearance of the Indians at Natick at the time the council met to examine them.*to affirm, that what was done was Gathering a church, and ordaining a minifter at MahipaugeOf Mr. Eliot's affiftants in his miffionary services-The ftate of the chriftianized churches and congregations under the fuperintendance of Mr. Eliot in 1670Religious exercises in the Indian congregations, and a fpecimen of the exhortations, or fermons of two of their teachers, comprehended within a very narrow com.pafs. INTRODUCTION. IT is matter of regret to the compiler, that he has not been able, after much enquiry made by his friends and himself, to obtain any books upon the fubject of Mr. Eliot's Mifion and labors, prior to Dr. Cotton Mather's hiftory of his life, published in the latter part of the feventeenth cen They are kept for a feafon, in the ftate of Catechumens; and at length are formed into a church. trifling, fcarcely worthy of being mentioned; and have paffed fe vere cenfures upon our ancestors; but it will appear in the sequel, in connexion with the narratives, which have been already given, that their cenfures were ill founded-that great pains were taken to propagate the Gospel among the natives; and that, tho' many rejected the offer of the Gofpel, yet the endeavors of the Miffionaries were crowned with no fmall fuccefs. However, it may seem, at this day, not a little strange, that such pious men as the early fettlers of New England undoubtedly were in general, fhould fo long neglect to make any fpecial attempts to chriftianize the Heathen, confidering that the work was fo benevolent and excellent, and that the Charter, granted by King Charles I. to the Maffachusetts Company, exprefsly mentions this as one defign of encouraging the plantation, that the emigrants A much better apology can be made for the colony of New Plymouth, than for either Maffachufetts or Connecticut; and indeed a good apology for the early planters of the former. The people of New Plymouth were, for many years, few in number-in very low circumftances at their first fettlement, and for ma might have an opportunity to carry on this pious work: the words of the Charter are thefe, viz. "To win and incite the natives of that country to the know-ny years after; having had their ledge and obedience of the only property greatly reduced by pertrue God and Saviour of mankind, fecution in their native country; and the Christian faith, is in our by being obliged to remove to royal intention; and the adven- Holland, that they might enjoy turers' free profeffion, is the prin- that religious liberty which they cipal end of the plantation."* were unreasonably denied in England, and peaceably worship God agreeably to the dictates of their confciences; and by the great expenfe incurred by coming to New England, and making a fettlement here. Befides, the lands on which they planted were far from being productive; they met with heavy loffes at fea; they were alfo for a confiderable time deftitute of a fettled minister; Mr. Robinson, their very worthy paftor, was prevented from coming over from Holland; and after his death, for a confiderable courfe of years, they were repeatedly difappointed of having one fixed among them for any long term. * «As the conversion of the Heathen was, from the first, one profeffed aim of our forefathers in fettling New England; fo almost all the royal charters, grants, letters patent, and acts of government, in England, relative to this country, have made mention of, and encouraged, yea enjoined upon the fettlers the profecution of this pious defign: to which purpose is the following paffage in the charter of the Maffachusetts (ufually called the New Charter) granted in the 12th of William and Mary-" To difpofe of matters and things whereby our fubjects, inhabitants of our faid province,may be "religiously, peaceably and civilly gove "erned, protected and defended; fo as "their good life, and orderly converfa"tion may win the Indians, natives of the country, to the knowledge and "obedience of the only true God, and "Saviour of mankind, and the Chrif"tian faith; which his royal majefty, "our royal grandfather, King Charles "the First, in his faid letters patent "declared was his royal intention, and "the adventurers' free profeffion to be "the principal end of faid plantation." -Dr. Mayhew's Remarks upon Mr. Apthorp. William Penn, in the charter granted him as proprietary of Pennsylvania, by King Charles the Second, is reprefented as having it in view, in propofing to fettle a colony-"To reduce the favage "natives, by gentle and juft manners, "to the love of civil fociety and the "Chriftian religion." But the Maffachusetts colony in particular, could not plead fuch fpecial inabilities, many of the first planters having been gentlemen of a handfome property, fome of them opulent, and fundry of the original churches having been fupplied with two ministers each, as Bofton, Dorchefter, Watertown, Salem, Ipfwich, Newbury,* and feveral others. There was no war, except that with the Pequots in 1637, till the general war in 1675. That with the Pequots was not of long continuance. Though there were repeated difputes with the natives at other times, and there was a profpect of war breaking out, yet by one Wonder working Providence of Zion's Saviour in New England. mean or another it was prevented, and accommodations took place. The neglects of the original planters were observed by the natives, and, it may be, prejudiced the minds of many of them against Chriftianity, and the profeffors of it. The Indians afked, "How it happened, if Chriftianity was of fuch importance, that for fix and twenty years the English had faid nothing to them about it."* And a Sachem on Martha's Vineyard told Mr. Mayhew," That he wondered the English fhould be almoft thirty years in the country, and yet the Indians fools fill."+-The anfwer of the English to these criminations was, "That they repented that they had not inftructed the Indians in Christianity long ago; telling the Indians, at the fame time, that they were not willing to hear, &c. Governor Hutchinfon obferves that " as one profeffed defign of the colony charter was the gofpelizing the natives, fo the long neglect of any attempt that way, cannot be excused." To fpeak of the neglects and failings of predeceffors, or anceftors, is not, in itself, a pleafing topic; and is not to be defended upon any other principle than that of benefitting our contemporaries, and pofterity; and promoting, if it may be, an extenfive good. The mistakes and omiffions of thofe that have gone before us, are exhibited, as a caveat, to those that fucceed; as well as their virtues an incentive to laudable actions. Notwithstanding thefe neglects, it muft however be allowed, and fpoken of with high commenda • Hutchinson's Hift. Maffa. vol. i. P. 160. ↑ Mayhew's Indian Converts, p. 8o. tion, that when the work of gofpelizing the Indians was begun in earneft, it was carried on with vigor and perfeverance, both in the colonies of Maffachusetts and New Plymouth, by the excellent Mr. Eliot of Roxbury, near Bofton, and other pious minifters, his affociates in the good work, whose names will be mentioned and their worthy fervices related in the fequel of the hiftory. Laudable exertions were also made by feve ral eminent minifters in Connecticut to Chriftianize the Indians in that jurisdiction. The labors of the Miffionaries were encouraged by gentlemen of prime diftinction in the civil department, as well as by their brethren in the miniftry, in the feveral colonies now mentioned. T who read may be the Evangelical be acceptable to fome, Magazine, that before an account be particularly given of Mr. Eliot's faithful, laborious and fuccefsful miflionáry labors, there fhould be inferted a brief account of him in the younger part of his life, (preceding his arrival in America) as drawn by Dr. C. Mather, and abridged by Rev. Thomas Prince of Boston. N. B. The words included within brackets were, I suppose, inferted by Mr. Prince. "Mr. John Eliot was born in England [I fuppofe about Nov. 1604.] His parents gave him a pious education; [and] his firft times were seasoned with the fear of God, the word and prayer. He was educated at one of the univerfities; [I fuppofe at Cam bridge] God had furnished him with a good meafure of learning, which made him capable of divi Annals, vol. ii. p. 48. |
