Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	fundamental_a	point_n	protestant_n	5,493	5	9.7792	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50190	A brief relation of the state of New England from the beginning of that plantation to this present year, 1689 in a letter to a person of quality.	Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.; Kick, Abraham. To Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723. De successu Evangelii apud Indos in Nova-Anglia epistola. English.	1689 (1689)	Wing M1189; ESTC R3614	12,192	22

A BRIEF RELATION OF THE STATE OF New England From the Beginning of that PLANTATION To this Present Year 1689. In a Letter to a Person of Quality LICENCED July 30th 1689. LONDON Printed for Richard Baldwine near the Black Bull in the Old-Baily 1689. A BRIEF RELATION OF THE STATE OF New England HONOVRED SIR I Have received yours wherein you desire me to give you a Brief Account of the past and present State of New England which in as few words as I can and as straits of time will permit me I shall endeavour your Satisfaction in New England contains that Tract of Land which is between forty and forty five Degrees of Northern Latitude It was for some time known by the name of the Northern Plantation but King Charles the First then Prince of Wales gave it the name of New England The first settlement of the English there was in the year 1620 viz. at New Plymouth New England differs from other Foreign Plantations in respect of the Grounds and Motives inducing the First Planters to remove into that American Desert other Plantations were built upon Worldly Interests New England upon that which is purely Religious for although they did and do agree as is evident from their Printed Confession of Faith with all other Protestant Reformed Churches and more especially with England in Matters of Doctrin and in all Fundamental Points of Faith yet as to the Liturgy Ceremonies and Church-Government by Bishops they were and are Non-conformists It was grievous to them to think of living in continual difference with their Protestant Brethren in England upon which account they resolved on a peaceable SECESSION into a corner of the World and being desirous to be under the Protection of England about twenty worthy Gentlemen obtained a Charter from King Charles the First bearing date from the year 1628. which giveth them Right to the Soil for they hold their Titles of Lands as of the Mannor of East-Greenwich in Kent and in Common SOCAGE which notwithstanding they purchased their Lands of the Indians who were the Native Proprietors By their mentioned Charter they are Empower'd to Elect yearly their own Governor and Deputy-Governor and Magistrates as here in London and in other Towns Corporate the Freemen chuse their Lord Mayors Mayors Aldermen c. They have also Power to make such Laws as shall be most proper and suitable for the Plantation Nevertheless as an acknowledgment of their dependance on England by their Charters they are obliged not to make any Laws which shall be repugnant to the Laws in England Also the fifth part of all Oar of Gold or Silver found in that Territory belongs to the Crown of England The Report of this Charter did encourage many very deserving persons to Transplant themselves and their Families into New England Gentlemen of Ancient and Worshipful Families and Ministers of the Gospel then of great fame here in England Tradesmen Artificers and Planters to the Number of about four thousand did in twelve years time go thither The hazards they run and the difficulties which they encountred with in subduing a Wilderness cannot be easily exprest in a large Tract But the Almighty God by a wonderful Providence carried them through all In the year 1637 they were in imminent danger of being cut off by the barbarous Heathen but when it came to a War mighty numbers of the Indians were slain by a few of the English which caused a terror of God to fall upon the Heathen round about so that after the Pequod Indians were subdued there was peace in the Land for forty eight years together and being setled under a good and easie Government the Plantation increased and prospered wonderfully yea so as cannot be parallelled in any History never was place brought to such a Considerableness in so short a time that which was not long since a howling Wilderness in few years time became a pleasant Land wherein was abundance of all things meet for Soul and Body which can be imputed to nothing else but to their Religion the Gospel bringing a fulness of Blessings along with it Some have observed that since the year 1640 more Persons have removed out of New England than have gone thither Nevertheless the four thousand who did between that and the year 1620 transplant themselves into New England are so marvelously increased as that if the Computation fail not they are now become more than Two hundred thousand Souls There are Towns and Villages on the Sea-Coasts from Long Island to Boston which is Three hundred English Miles and the like from Boston to Pemmaquid which is Two hundred Miles more In the year 1662 Conecticot Colony as also Read Island with the Plantations thereunto belonging had Charters granted to them by King Charles the Second being much of the same Tenor with the Patent of the Massachusets whereby these Colonies were made distinct Government In the year 1675 the Indians began a second War with the English the Issue of which was that whole Nations of them were destroy'd Never did men shew greater Courage and Bravery in their Encounters with the Barbarous Heathen than they did Although it must be acknowledged that the Indians advantages were such as they could not have been overcome if God had not fought against them by sending the Evil Arrows of Famine and Mortal Diseases among them I have often thought of an Expression of an Indian there We could easily be too hard for the English but said he striking on his Breast The Englishmens God makes us afraid here As long as they enjoyed their first Government no Enemies could stand before them but since that they have not been able to subdue an hundred Indians who did the last year commit some outrages among them having been as I am credibly insormed designedly provoked thereunto by some Injuries done unto them by those then in Power who intended the Ruine of the English and Advancement of the French Interest in that Territory As for your Enquiry By what means they came to be deprived of their Charters Rights and Liberties please to understand that in the year 1683 a Quo Warranto was issued out against them and with the Notification thereof by the then King's Order there was a Declaration published enjoyning those few particular Persons mentioned in the Quo Warranto to make their defence at their own perticular Charge without any help by a publick Stock By this it was easie to see that some Persons were resolv'd to have the Charters condemned quo jure quaque injuria Nevertheless the Governor and Company appointed an Attorney to appear and answer to the Quo Warranto in the Court of King's Bench. The Prosecutors not being able to make any thing of it there a new Suit was Commenced by a Scire facias in the High Court of Chancery But tho they had not sufficient time given them to make their Defence yet Judgment was entred against them for Default in not appearing when

Oppressions it is under in most parts of World. For which reason I have taken the boldness to become Your Royal Highnesses humble Remembrancer on the behalf of the People and Church of God in New England Who about Seventy years since forsook their own Native Country and went into that howling Wilderness that they might enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences in the Worship of God. They are a People indeed not much taken notice of yet a People by and for whom God hath done great things and by whose assistance the English Colonies and Plantations in America and the West-India Islands may be much profited and in case of War with France many of the French Colonies in those parts may be reduced to the Obedience and Interest of the English Nation They have erected a Vniversity amongst them that hath produced very many able Divines who have been very Instrumental in the Conversion of many of the Indians to the Christian Faith having for the furtherance of that good Work Translated the Bible into the Indian Tongue Their Confession of Faith and Church-Discipline I have made bold to present to Your Royal Highness that you may see they are Orthodox This People had a Patent granted them by King James to choose their own Governors and to make their own Laws not repugnant to the Laws of England wh●●● Patent was Ratified to them by King Charles the First and Second and so continued until the late ill Mode of Quo Warranto's came up and that they had one sent to them about their Patent For the defending of which they stood a Tryal at Westminster-hall and cast the King but the King caused it to be brought to a Review and by Stratagems used then in such like Cases forced a Judgment against the said Patent and thereupon took away all their Priviledges and Imposed a Governor and new Laws upon them which they exceedingly much groan under And although I am satisfied that so soon as they shall come to hear of the great and wonderful things that God hath done in England by His Highness for the Restoring of Charters and Priviledges they will then Address themselves to Your Highnesses seeking the Restoration of theirs yet in regard they are so many thousand Miles distant it will be long e're it come to their knowledge Therefore I have adventured on their behalf having had a Correspondency with the said People many years and knowing how much they will suffer if their new Governor be not speedily removed to give Your Royal Highness the trouble of these Lines praying to God that He will please to move your Heart to take the First opportunity to help them to the Restoration of their Ancient Patent Priviledges and Liberties That they and all the Churches of God may have reason to own His Highness and Your Royal Highness as Healers of their Breaches and Restorers of Paths to dwell in And to rejoyce in the Goodness of God in fulfilling that Promise of making Kings to be Nursing Fathers and Queens to be Nursing Mothers to his Church I humbly beg your Royal Highnesses Pardon for the trouble of these Lines and take leave to subscribe my self GREAT MADAM Your Royal Highnesses Most Obedient and Most humble Servant ABRAHAM KICK Hague the First of February 1689. S. N. Nay I will be bold to say that New England hath out-done the whole World for among the Indians who a while since were mere Heathens there are not only many Congregations of them who are converted to the Christian Faith and the Protestant which is the only True Religion But no less than Four and twenty of those Heathens are now not only Christians but Preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ And I challenge the whole World to produce me the like Instance as more fully appears by the following Relation abstracted out of a Letter written about two years since from Boston by the Reverend Mr. Mather President of the College there at the request and unto the famous Dr. John Leusden Hebrew Professor in the University of Vtricht and since translated into divers Languages in New England The whole Bible hath been translated into the Indian Language and there also printed It 's above forty five years since that truly pious and godly Man Mr. John Elliot Minister of the Church at Rocksborough a Mile from Boston being warm'd with a Compassionate and Holy Zeal for the Conversion of the Americans set himself to learn the Indian Tongue that he might the more easily and successfully open to them the Mysteries of the Gospel on account of which he hath been not undeservedly called the Apostle of the American Indians This Reverend Person was he that with indefatigable Labour and Study translated the whole Bible into the Indian Tongue and also several English Treatises of Practical Divinity and Catechisms About Twenty eight years since he gathered a Church of Converted Indians in a Town called Natick These poor Indians were brought to such a sense of God and Religion that they confessed 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 And Mr. Elliot was the first that Administred the Lords Supper to them The Minister of that Church is now an Indian named Daniel Besides this Church at Natick among our Inhabitants in the Massachusets Colony there are Four Indian Assemblies where the Name of the True God and Jesus Christ is solemnly called upon And these Four Assemblies have American Preachers Mr. Elliot formerly Preached to them once in Fourteen Days but now being Weakned with his Labours and in the Eighty Sixth Year of his Age doth not Preach to them more than once in Two Months About Fifty Miles from Boston is another Church consisting only of Converted Indians in an Indian Town called Marshippang the first Minister of which was an Englishman who being skilful in the American Language Preached the Gospel to them in their own Tongue but this Minister is lately Dead and they now have an Indian Preacher There are besides that Five Assemblies of Indians professing the Name of Christ not far distant from Marshippang which have Indian Preachers and also are Preached unto in their own Language once every weak by Mr. John Cotton Son of the Famous Mr. John Cotton somtimes Minister of the Church at Boston In Plymouth Colony of the Inhabitants of Saconet there is a great Congregation of those who for distinctions sake are called Praying Indians Because they Pray to God in Christ Not far from a Promontory called Cape Cod are Six Assemblies of Heathens who are to be reckoned as Catechumeni amongst whom are Six Indian Preachers Mr. Samuel Treat Minister of a Church at East Ham Preacheth to these Congregations in their own Language There are amongst the Islanders of Mantucket a Church with a Minister who was lately a Heathen and several meetings of Catechumeni who are instructed by the Converted Indians