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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50391	The conquests and triumphs of grace being a brief narrative of the success which the gospel hath had among the Indians of Martha's Vineyard (and the places adjacent) in New-England : with some remarkable curiosities, concerning the numbers, the customs, and the present circumstances of the Indians on that island : further explaining and confirming the account given of those matters, by Mr. Cotton Mather, in the Life of the renowned Mr. John Eliot / by Matthew Mayhew ; attested by the Reverend Mr. Nath. Mather, and others ; whereto is added, an account concerning the present state of Christianity among the Indians, in other parts of New-England, expressed in the letters of several worthy persons best acquainted therewithal.	Mayhew, Matthew, 1648-1710.; Mather, Nathanael, 1631-1697.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.	1695 (1695)	Wing M1437; ESTC R36496	25,356	72

THE Conquests and Triumphs OF GRACE BEING A Brief Narrative of the Success which the Gospel hath had among the INDIANS of Martha's Vineyard and the Places adjacent in New-England WITH Some Remarkable Curiosities concerning the Numbers the Customs and the present Circumstances of the INDIANS on that Island Further Explaining and Confirming the Account given of those Matters by Mr. Cotton Mather in the Life of the Renowned Mr. Iohn Eliot By MATTHEW MAYHEW Attested by the Reverend Mr. Nath. Mather and others Whereto is Added An Account concerning the Present State of Christianity among the Indians in other Parts of New-England Expressed in the Letters of several Worthy Persons best acquainted therewithal LONDON Printed for Nath. Hiller at the Princes Arms in Leaden-hall-street over against St. Mary Axe 1695. WE whose Names are under-written are well Assured and Satisfied of the Truth of these Narratives concerning the State and Success of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New-England George Griffith Matthew Mead. John How Vincent Alsop Isaac Chauncy Nath. Mather TO HIS EXCELLENCY Sir William Phipps Knight Captain General and Governour in Chief of the Province of the Massachusett-Bay in new-New-England TO THE HONOURABLE William Stoughton Esq Lieutenant Governour TO Major GENERAL Wait Winthrop Esq To the Reverend Increase Mather Praesident of Harvard Colledge AND To the Reverend Charles Morton Pastor of the Church in Charlstown SHOULD I not make Honourable mention of Your Names for Your continual Care of and Inspection into the Great Work of Civilizing the Indians and Promoting the Work for their Conversion and the hope of future incouraging the Preaching of the Gospel to such who as yet are Strangers to the God of Israel I should be justly condemnable I have in the insuing Scrole presented to the World a True Narrative though Short of the Beginning Progress and Present State of the Indians on Martha's Vineyard and Islands Adjacent and Places on the Mainland to them relating respecting their Conversion That I have not spoken of other parts of New England may be justly Excused since I have Written little more than what is of my own knowledge of other places I must have presumed from report Of the Calumnies cast on the Indian Professors I have in the discourse presented to Your view as in other things spoken briefly which I hope will be some Satisfaction to You. I shall only desire of You that incouragement might be given to some English or Indian Spirited for such Service humbly conceiving an Indian most probably like to effect the same to visit the Indians bordering on New England who might carry to them the glad Tydings of the Gospel but since I may not doubt Your Prudence in this as in other your weighty Affaires I shall not add to this but Subscribe Your EXCELLENCIES And Your HONOVRS Most Humble Servant MATTHEW MAYHEW Martha's Vineyard Iune 18. 1694. THE PREFACE THAT Blessed Work which is the Principal Subject of these following Narratives was begun about Fourty or Fifty Years ago And there were then Published for Three or Four Years successively several Prints giving account of its Progress under the Titles of The Day dawning c. Strength out of Weakness c. Tears of Repentance c. to the great rejoycing of the Hearts of many Precious Saints of that Day Since that Time there hath been but little that I know of Communicated to the Publick concerning that Affair save only that Letter from my Dear Brother Mr. Increase Mather to Doctor John Leusden of Utrecht which is here Inserted and which was soon after it was Received Printed in Latine as it was Written and also Translated into French and into English and the French Translation Printed in the Netherlands the Latine and the English here in London first by it self and the English again afterward in the Story of the Life of Mr. John Eliot by my Dear Nephew Mr. Cotton Mather Which ●ife of Mr. Eliot was first Printed in New England and hath been Printed thrice here in London tho' not without being greatly maimed according to the Direction and Pleasure of our English Index Exp●…g●torius This Letter when first ●rinted here was Presented to the King by the Right Honourable the Lord Wharton These other Papers here joyned therewith were lately Printed at Boston in New England and sent over from thence to my Hand by my Dearest Brother there I give this so Particular an Account concerning these Relations that the Reader may rest assured and satisfied concerning the Truth and Certainty of Matter of Fact as here reported The Jesuits about 130 Years ago endeavoured to amuse the World by their Epistolae Indicae and other Prints with Stories of the Conversions wrought by them and their Companions in the East-Indies and Adjacent Isles But as many of the Stories which they tell are palpable and impudent Impostures so if all that they vaunt of their Conversions were true no milder Censure of them can be given than that which Christ passeth on the Conversions made by the Pharisees who he tells us compassed Sea and Land to make one Proselyte and when he was made he became twofold more a Child of Hell than they who proselyted him Of the Justness of this Judgment there needs no other Evidence than that Book Entituled Manuale ad Sacramenta Ecclesiae ministranda D. Ludovici Ce●…queira Japonensis Episcopi opera ad usum sui Cleri ordinatum Cum approbatione facultate Nangsaquij in Collegio Japonico Societatis Jesu Anno Domini MDCV. It is a Directory for the Ministring of their Sacraments as also for Reconciling or Purifying Churches and Burying-Places for making Holy-water for blessing Priests Garments New Crosses a Paschal Lamb Bread New Fruits Candles New Houses New Ships Nets New sown or planted Ground Sick Cattle as also for exorcising or driving out Devils from Bodies from Storms of Hail and Lightning from Haunted Houses with more such Trumpery It appears by it all along what woful Christians they there make the most Solemn Services wherein they are instructed and to which they are ingaged being full of abominable Idolatries foul and gross and sottish Superstitions execrable Blasphemies horrid Conjurations and damned Magical Practises In all which their miserable Converts follow and have going before them those Agents for Hell and Factors for the Devil their wretched Priests and Perverters But in these New England Preachers and Converts among the Indians there the Reader will find nothing but the Plainness and Simplicity of the Gospel and the Power of the Grace of Christ accompanying it It must be confessed they have not in use among them either Lordlike Bishops or Pompous Ceremonies or Set Forms of Human Composure and Prescribing for Publick Prayer and Praise But surely there may be Real Converts to Christ True and Pure Churches and Acceptable Worship tendred up to God without those Things which the Scripture knoweth nothing of The truth is those Persons whom the Lord hath used and honoured in this Blessed

Work have no more fondness for such Things than the Zealots for them have for the Preaching and Propogating of the Gospel But be Men of what Perswasion soever if they be good and be of Holy Paul's Spirit they will nevertheless rejoice That however Christ is Preached and Received among those who they and their Fore-fathers for many Generations even beyond all Memory or Record sate in Darkness and in the Region and Shadow of Death if ever any did These Assaults upon the so long quietly continued Possession of the Devil and the rescuing so many of his miserable Thralls from his Power it is likely hath much inraged him against New-England and caused him to bear a singular Spite to that Plantation And certain it is he hath by his Instruments raised more Trouble to those Colonies than to any other of the English Nation in America That this Work of Gospellizing the Barbarous Indians hath been set on foot so soon kept alive so long and carried on to such a Progress by a Generation of Dissenters should be lookt upon as a Real upbraiding of the other Colonies of the English Nation in those Goings-down of the Sun for their great Neglectfulness of it Never let it be said nor let there be occasion given for it to be thought that the English Prelacy Liturgy and Ceremonies will not admit of the Gospel's being Preached to blind perishing Heathens that they might be saved nor that the Vsers and Approvers thereof can have no Heart or Zeal for such a Good Work O that what of that kind hath been done in New England might provoke others to an earnest Imitation of this Example and an holy Emulation of them in this Work so manifestly tending to the Glory of Christ So prayeth Nath. Mather This 29th of the 11th Month 1694 5. Of the Indians Inhabiting in new-New-England and Adjacent Provinces Language TO speak more of the Original of this People than that they are descended from the Loins of their great Grandfather Adam however divers worthy men have their divers Sentiments I shall not pretend but that they are Originally of one Language is most evident nor is the admired knowledge of those Ancients so admirable for their ready speaking more than Twenty Languages which may rationally be supposed to have been but one Originally though suffering some Change by occasional accidents We know the divers pronouncing of the same words without difference in Dialect may render the speaker hardly intelligible to him that writes alike with him nor do I think the speech of these Americans so divers but that an Indian who is well acquainted with his own may by conversing with those supposed of a different and other speech promptly Express himself in very few years so as to be well understood by Forty of these Nations who by reason of Wars the want of Trassick and Commerce and the advantage other Nations have had by Literature have severally suffered much alteration of that Language at first indifferently spoken by all which yet is not more differing than the present Language of the English from their speech not many hundred years since which although it would not readily be understood by a present Londoner if he should speak with his great Grand-father who than lived yet hath not so altered but no long Converse might render them mutually intelligible Of words not unlike in the Indian Tongue hardly intelligible without customary discourse of Nation with Nation I might instance in above an hundred such as Nuppaw Duppaw Ruppaw the Sun Attik Ahtooque c. a Deer Winnit Wirrit Good and the like Pum Pum me Pim Oyl or Fat these and the like were doubtless the same words little altered beside which the alone difference in Pronouncing the same word might seem a great difference in the Speech or Language for Example Wirrit pronounced short sounds Writ and might be not less readily understood by differently accenting the same word to which I might add words as such Expressing the mind of the speaker being Compounded of other words suitable for such Composition yet as such might be called new or distinct from a speech in former use of which words near the one half of this Peoples Language is I have been the larger concerning their Language that such English whose hearts may incline to so good and great a work may be incouraged to go among those who yet have hardly heard the Name of the LORD named among them Government Their Government was purely Monarchical and as for such whose dominions extended further than would well admit the Princes personal guidance it was committed into the hands of Lieutenants who Governed with no less absoluteness than the Prince himself notwithstanding in matters of difficulty the Prince Consulted with his Nobles and such whom he esteemed for Wisdom in which it was admirable to see the Majestick deportment of the Prince his Speech to his Council with the most deliberate discussion of any matter proposed for their advice after which what was by him resolved without the least hesitation was applauded and with at lest a seeming Alacrity attended The Crown if I may so term it alwayes descended to the Eldest Son though Subject to Succession usurpation not to the Female unless in defect of a Male of the Blood the Blood Royal being in such Veneration among this People that if a Prince had issue by divers Wives such Succeeded as Heir who was Royally descended by the Mother although the Youngest esteeming his issue by a Venter of loss quality than a Princess not otherwise than Sachims or Noblemen Nobles Their Nobles were either such who descended from the Blood Royal or such on whom the Prince bestowed part of his Dominions with the Royalties or such whose descent was from Ancestors who had time out of mind been Esteemed such Yeomen Their Yeomen were such who having no stamp of Gentility were yet esteemed as having a natural right of living within their Princes Dominion and a Common use of the Land and were distinguished by two Names or Titles the one signifying Subjection the other Tiller of the Land Villians Although this People retained nothing of Record nor use of Letters yet there lived among them many Families who although the time of their Forefathers first inhabiting among them was beyond the Memory of man yet were known to be Strangers or Forreigners who were not Priviledged with Common Right but in some measure Subject to the Yeomanry nor were not dignified in attending the Prince in Hunting or like Exercise unless called by particular favour Revenue The Princes as they had not other Revenue than the Presents of their Subjects which yet was counted Due debt Wrecks of the Sea with the Skins of Beasts killed in their dominion and many like things as First Fruits c. so they wanted none for in case of War both People and Estate was wholly at their dispose therefore ●one demanded nor Expected Pay

The Church then are a Selected Company of Professing Believers in Covenant according to the Congregational practice having Officers accordingly and keeping up the Exercise of a severe Discipline by publick Admonition in case of the disorderly walking of any member of their Society and if after the Reproof and Admonition of the Church any proceed in their evil Courses such are proceeded with by Excommunication I would then willingly know of those Detractors who either publickly or more privately have indeavoured to Scandalize so great a work What kind of people they expect to see a Church consist of Or when it will come to pass that some shall not be retained in Churches who yet may be deemed an Holy People whose Conversation may be grievous to the Church though the Church can find no Expedient for their Excomunication I know that many who are in no measure qualified for Church Fellowship think it no small disparagement to themselves that Indians should be accounted worthy of what themselves cannot be admitted to how it is in other places I know not but here some whose religious pretences have gained Credit abroad and have not Scrupled to Stigmatize the Indians with greatest opprobry in particular cases of their complaint the Indians have been found wholly innocent and themselves sordidly Vilanous but when shall it be that the Seed of the Serpent shall cease to hiss at and open their Mouthes against the Seed of the Woman which yet I could demonstrate hath in several cases which have occurr'd here against the Indians broken the Serpents head in his Children and if it were possible filled them with Shame and Confusion however the Sober Religious People here have done and doe esteem them as Christians indeed and although the Building be not all of Living Stones yet as it is an House is so far esteemed an House of God Insomuch that I have heard some Godly English their Neighbours Members of Churches profess they were troubled that their unacquaintedness in their Language was such that they could not well but otherwise would gladly partake with them in the Ordinances of the Lords Supper I must acknowledge that as the Number of the Indians are greatly decreased so especially of the Godly and Religious it being a thing so obvious that in the year 1690. of the Indians of Martha's Vineyard alone of the number of more than one hundred Adult Persons that dyed not less than three fourths were of the Sober Religious Professors that it was by the English Inhabitants vulgarly taken notice of the which notwithstanding in the year 1692 of the before mentioned Church were remaining more than one hundred without mentioning those many Confessors before mentioned whose Publick Declarations of their several Convictions Temptations and Resolutions to endeavour to Serve the true God would have drawn Tears from the eyes of any who had but in the Serious retirements of Consideration acknowledged a Deity I must not conclude before I tell the Reader that as in the Apostolick times the Church sent forth from among themselves for the Conversion of the Nations so these Indians on Martha's Vineyard did not only to the Island of Nantuket being about 1500 Adult Persons but likewise to the Maine-land Of those of Nantuket I shall subjoyn a Letter from the Worshipful John Gardner who is well acquainted with them having divers years Assisted them in their Government by instructing them in the Laws of England and deciding difficult cases among them Worshipful SIR I Haved Received Yours of April the 8 th 94. with your desire to be informed of the present State of our Indians as to their Number Worship and Government an Answer to your desires take briefly Their Decay is Great Chiefly in Number there being now but about Five hundred Grown Persons As to their Worship there is Three Societies or Churches Two Congregational One of the Baptists but their Number is small but their is Five Constant Assemblies or Meetings Two amongst them that went by the Name of the Antepeatames or Powatoms and that I may now say there is not known a Powaw amongst them and although it is true there is a great decay in Religion among the first Societies many of their best men and I may say Good men are Dead Yet amongst the now Praying Indians there is an Increase God Raising up some yea even of Themselves Preachers and Serious men too some of them which is cause of Thankfulness but that there is a decay with many is to be Lamented the cause I take to be their not preserving the Truth in the Love of it their Love to Drink their being more mindful of Form than Substance which puts me upon endeavour to make them sensible That it is neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision is any thing but the Keeping the Commandments of God Faith that works by Love the New Creature and things of that Nature As to their Government They are wholly under Their Majesties or the English Government the method is they have Three distinct or Town-Courts with Power to hear and determine to Forty Shillings the Magistrates they chuse themselves yearly and when Chosen and Approved of they have Commissions with liberty of Appeal to the English which they make much use of Greater matters come to the English This in short is the Truth of their Present State I am Your Real Friend and Servant Iohn Gardner Nantuket MAY 17 th 1694. Here we must take notice of Gods giving Success to the Ministry of the Indians and acknowledge that although there have been some decay yet on that Island there is not onely a Form but in some measure the Power of Godliness So likewise on the Maine-land by the alone Ministry of the Martha's Vineyard-Indians was the Civilizing and Conversion of the Indians on the Maine-land at a place called Succonet and parts Adjacent who as they were Converted by the Ministry sent from the Church of Martha's Vineyard so the Officers were by them as likewise were those of Nantuket Ordained by laying on the hands of their Presbytery of these although I have been no eye-witness yet I have received account from even such who bare no great respect to Religion that they are as beyond Comparison Exceeding the other Indians in moral Vertue so likewise from other Judicious Persons their Neighbours of whom I shall name Mr. William Vobes a Person now representing the Free-holders of those parts in the Great and General Assembly of the Province of the Massachuset-Bay in New-England nor have these People as yet dependance on nor Expectation from any other than their Mother the Church of Martha's-Vineyard Of the Indians Government when Christian I have already told my Reader that the Government of this People was the best of all Governments Monarchy and it has been judged not without reason that a main obstruction in the progress of the Gospel in the American Plantations was if not yet is the jealousy the Princes conceived of the Invasion of their

Government through the pretences of Religion and the Eclipsing their Monarchical Dignity The ever Honoured Thomas Mayhew therefore finding that the Princes on these Islands who although they maintained their absolute Power and Jurisdiction as Kings were yet bound to doe certain Homage to a Potent Prince on the Continent and although they were no great People yet had been wasted by Intestine Wars wherein the great Princes on the Continent not unlike European Princes for like Reasons of State were not unassisting whereby they were necessitated to make these Princes the ballance to decide their Controversies and several Jurisdictions by presents annually sent whereby obliging the Princes to give their several Assistance as occasion required and seeing his Son as aforesaid in a zealous indeavour for their Conversion he judged it meet that Moses and Aaron joyn hands he therefore prudently lets them know that by order from his Master the King of England he was to Govern the English which should inhabit these Islands that his Master was in Power far above any of the Indian Monarches but that as he was powerful so was he a great lover of Justice that therefore he would in no measure invade there Jurisdictions but on the contrary Assist them as need required that Religion and Goverment were distinct things Thus in no long time they conceived no ill Opinion of the Christian Religion When afterwards the number of the Christian Indians were increased among them he perswaded them to admit of the Counsels of the Judicious Christians among themselves and in cases of more than ordinary consequence of a Jury for Tryal when likewise he promised his Assistance and Direction with the Prince when notwithstanding the Princes assent was to be obtained though he were no Christian Thus within a few years there was a happy Government settled among them and Records kept of all Actions and Acts passed in their several Courts by such who having learned to Write fairly were appointed thereto The Princes with their Sachims or Nobles made Publick acknowledgment of their Subjection to the King of England being nothwithstanding mindful to be understood as Subordinate Princes to Govern according to the Laws of God and the King Here I shall take leave to insert two Remarkables During the late unhappy War between the English and Indians in New-England about Nineteen years since an Evil Spirit possessed too many of our English whereby they suffered themselves to be unreasonably exasperated against all Indians of such there were some on these Islands who could hardly be so moderated by Mr. Mayhew and others in Government with him as to be restrained from rising to assay the disarming of the Indians for whose satisfaction Capt. Richard Sarson Esq was ordered with a small party the Indians being on these Islands Twenty to one having Arms to Treat the Indians on the West end of Martha's Vineyard who were mostly to be doubted he returns with the insuing Answer That the delivering their Arms would expose them to the will of the Indians ingaged in the present War who were not less theirs than the Enemies of the English that they had never given occasion of the distrust intimated if in any thing not hazarding their safety they could give any Satisfaction for proof of their Fidelity they would willingly attend what should reasonably be demanded of them but they were unwilling to deliver their Arms unless the English would propose some means for their safety and livelihoood With this Return they drew a Writing in their own Language which I have often read and would have Verbatim inserted but cannot at present find it the Substance was that as they had Submitted to the Crown of England so they resolved to Assist the English on these Islands against their Enemies which they esteemed in the same respect equally their own as Subjects to the same King which was Subcribed by the Persons of greatest note among them Having this answer the Government resolved and accordingly improved them as a guard furnishing them with suitable Ammunition and found them so faithful that even some nearly related in observance of general instructions given them so soon as they landed from the Continent were immediately brought before the Governour to attend his pleasure insomuch that the English although the War with respect to the multitude of Indians inhabiting the Continent and their advantage by the nearness to the French had no good aspect took no care but left the whole to the Indians nothing doubting to be advertised by them of any danger from the Enemy This was the effect of the bringing the Gospel of Peace among them Viz. a Peace-bringing Gospel The other observable I shall add to show as their Loyalty so their observance of the Laws of England In the time of the late Revolution when manny in hopes there was no King in Israel expected to have done what they saw good in their own eyes Several of our English threatning to fetch certain Sheep in possession of the Indians inhabiting a small Island Adjacent to Martha's Vineyard which Sheep they asserted were Stolen from them who met with repulse the Sachim least there should happen any misunderstanding of that matter immediately makes his report to me in these words Viz. Several of your English have been on my Island and would have forceably taken Sheep from thence and we are much threatned therewith I am doubtful if they persist in that Resolution it may Occasion Blood-shed you know that while your Grand-father and my Father lived there never happened any difference in such things nor hope will be Occasion given by me I desire the same Amity may be continued nor can the English say that we have not manifested our Allegiance to the King by a continued Subjection And although it is true we have desired your Order should come to us rather than your Officer which hath generally been observed yet we are willing in Case the English pretend any thing ours have injured them in let an Officer by writ from Authority doe his duty then we shall know how in an orderly way to be relieved yet shall the least Boy bringing your Order as in your Grand-fathers time Command any thing And if you see cause on any complaint about our Sheep your may command all of them hoping to find as hitherto a decision by the Rules of Justice We hope we shall not see as is too much practised in other places an English-man pretending an Indian to be in his debt to come to our Houses and pay himself or in other cases beat our People but as hitherto we may have equal Justice being the King Subjects and Violence and Riot committed on our People by the English may be esteemed of the same nature and quality as ours against them of which with the Justices we pray you would Consider and take speedy care I shall as to their Government only add that in their several Plantations or Town-ships they Elect three or more to joyn