Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	believe_v	faith_n	word_n	11,191	5	4.5836	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39229	A late and further manifestation of the progress of the gospel amongst the Indians in Nevv-England declaring their constant love and zeal to the truth : with a readiness to give accompt of their faith and hope, as of their desires in church communion to be partakers of the ordinances of Christ : being a narrative of the examinations of the Indians, about their knowledge in religion, by the elders of the churches / related by Mr. John Eliot.	Eliot, John, 1604-1690.; Walton, William, d. 1668. Examination of the Indians at Roxbury.; Society for Propagation of the Gospel in New England.	1655 (1655)	Wing E517; ESTC R9453	17,654	32

the dead and of the last Judgement wherein they were through the grace of Christ in some measure instructed But it was said that they did perceive that they were instructed in points of Catechisme by what they had heard from them When they came to a conclusion one of the Elders viz. Mr. Ezek Rogers having first privately conferred with such of the Elders as sate near him spake words of acceptance and encouragement both to me and to the Indians in the name of the rest But Mr. Walton did not write them and therefore I omit the rehearsing of them This great and solemne work of calling up these poor Indians unto that Gospel light and beauty of visible Church-estate having now passed through a second Tryall In the former whereof of they expressed what experience they had found of Gods grace in their hearts turning them from dead works to seek after the living God and salvation in our Saviour Jesus Christ In this second they have in some measure declared how far the Lord hath let in the light of the good knowledge of God into their soules and what tast they have of the Principles of Religion and doctrine of salvation Now the Question remaineth What shall we further doe And when shall they enjoy the Ordinances of Iesus Christ in Church-estate The work is very solemne and the Question needeth a solemn Answer It is a great matter to betrust those with the holy priviledges of Gods house upon which the name of Christ is so much called who have so little knowledge and experience in the waye of Christ so newly come out of that great depth of darknesse and wild course of life in such danger of polluting and defiling the name of Christ among their barbarous friends and Countrey-men and under so many doubts and jealousies of many people and having not yet stood in the wayes of Christ so long as to give sufficient proof and experience of their stedfastnesse in their new begun profession Being also the first Church gathered among them it is like to be a pattern and president of after proceedings even unto following Generations Hence it is very needfull that this proceeding of ours at first be with all care and warinesse guided for the most effectuall advancement of the holinesse and honour of Jesus Christ among them Upon such like grounds as these though I and some others know more of the sincerity of some of them then others doe and are better satisfied with them Yet because I may be in a temptation on that hand I am well content to make slow hast in this matter remembring that word of God Lay hands suddenly upon no man Gods works among men doe usually goe on slowly and he that goeth slowly doth usually goe most surely especially when he goeth by counsell Sat cito si sat bene the greater proof we have of them the better approbation they may obtain at last Besides we having had one publick meeting about them already this summer it will be difficult to compasse another for we have many other great occasions which may hinder the same and it is an hard matter to get Interpreters together to attend such a work they living so remote The dayes also will soon grow short and the nights cold which will be an hindrance in the attendance unto the accomplishment of that work which will most fitly be done at Natick But above all other Reasons this is greatest that they l●ving in sundry Towns and places remote from each other and labourers few to take care of them it is necessary that some of themselves should be trained up and peculiarly instructed unto whom the care of ruling and ordering of them in the affaires of Gods house may be committed in the absence of such as look after their instruction So that this is now the thing we desire to attend for the comfort of our little Sister that hath no breasts that such may be trained up and prepared unto whom the charge of the rest may be committed in the Lord And upon this ground we make the slower hast to accomplish this work among them Mean while I hope the Commissioners will afford some encouragement for the furtherance of the instruction of some of the most godly and able among them who may be in a speciall manner helpfull unto the rest in due order and season And thus have I briefly set down our present state in respect of our Ecclesiasticall proceedings I beg the prayers of the good people of the Lord to be particularly present at the Throne of Grace in these matters according as you have hereby a particular Information how our condition is And for me also who am the most unfit in humane reason for such a work as this but my soule desireth to depend and live upon the Lord Jesus and fetch all help grace mercy assistance and supply from him And herein I doe improve his faithfull Covenant and Promises and in perticular the Lord doth cause my soule to live upon that word of his Psal. 37. 3 4 5 6 7. wherein I have food rayment and all necessaries for my selfe and Children whom I have dedicated unto the Lord to serve him in this work of his if he will please to accept of them and this supply I live upon in these rich words of gracious Promise vers. 3. Trust in the Lord and doe good dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed Herein also I find supply of grace to believe the conversion of these poor Indians that not only in this present season in what I doe already see but in the future also further then by mine eye or reason I can see Which supply of grace I live upon in those words of his gracious Promise which I apply and improve in this particular respect vers. 4. Delight thy selfe also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart Herein also I find supply of grace to believe that they shall be in Gods season which is the fittest brought into Church-Estate faith fetching this particular blessing out of the rich Fountaine of those gracious words of Promise Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe Herein also my soule is strengthned and quieted to stay upon the Lord and to be supported against all suspitious jealousies hard speeches and unkindnesses of men touching the sincerity and reallity of this work and about my carriage of matters and supply herein Which grace my soule receiveth by a particular improvement of that rich treasury of the Promise in these words vers. 6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgement as the noon day And herein likewise I find supply of grace to wait patiently for the Lords time when year after year and time after time I meet with disappointments Which grace I receive from the commanding force of that gracious Promise vers. 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thy selfe either for one cause or for another Thus I live and thus I labour here I have supply and here is my hope I beg the help of prayers that I may still so live and labour in the Lords work and that I may so live and dye THe Corporation appointed by Act of Parliament for Propagation of the Gospel amongst the Heathen Natives in New-England desire all men to take notice That such as desire to be satisfied how the moneys Collected are disposed of may if they please repaire to Coopers-Hall London any Saturday between the houres of Nine and Twelve in the forenoone where the said Corporation meet FINIS

course of life unto civill Co-habitation and Government before they could according to the will of God revealed in the Scriptures be fit to be betrusted with the sacred Ordinances of Jesus Christ in Church-Communion And therefore I propounded unto them that they should look out some fit place to begin a Towne unto which they might resort and there dwell together enjoy Government and be made ready and prepared to be a People among whom the Lord might delight to dwell and Rule When they understood the mind of God in this matter they were desirous to set upon the work The reallity of which desires the living have actually expressed by their performance thereof in some poor measure and some of them dying left their earnest affections and desires with the rest to set upon that work especially Wampocas a godly man of whose death and exhortations that way I have made some mention in some former Letters We accordingly attended thereunto to search for a fit place and finally after sundry journeyes and travells to severall places the Lord did by his speciall providence and answer of prayers pitch us upon the place where we are at Natick Unto which place my purpose at first was to have brought all the Praying Indians to Co-habit together But it so fell out by the guidance of God as it now appeareth that because the Cohannet Indians desired a place which they had reserved for themselves and I finding that I could not at that time pitch there without opposition from some English I refused that place and pitched at Natick where I found no opposition at present This choyce of mine did move in the Cohannet Indians a jealousie that I had more affection unto those other Indians then unto them By which occasion together with some other Providences of God as the death of Cutshamoquin and the coming of I●sias to succeed in the Sachemship in that place their minds were quite alienated from the place of Natick though not from the work for they desire to make a Towne in that fore-mentioned place of their owne named Ponkipog and are now upon the work And indeed it now appeareth to be of the Lord because we cannot have competent accommodations at Natick for those that be there which are about fifty Lots more or lesse And furthermore by the blessing of God upon the work there are People partly prepared and partly preparing for three Townes more Insomuch as that it is most evident that had I procceded according to my first intentions to have called them all unto that one place we must have been forced very quickly to have scattered againe for want of accommodations for so great a company of Inhabitants and so have discouraged them at our first onset of drawing them from their scattered way of living unto Co-habitation seeing it would have brought them unto such wants and streights as they could not have grapled withall but rather would have been occasioned to think there were insuperable difficulties in this enterprise Whereas in lesser companies they may find a more plentifull and better course of life then they found in that former way out of which they are called as through Gods mercy and the bounty of good people in England whose love layeth the foundation-stone of the work they doe already feele and find at Natick and begin to find at Ponkipog In prosecution of this work in the year 1650 we began by the Lords assistance our first Towne at Natick where we built a Fort and one dwelling-house In the year 51 after Fasting and Prayer about that matter they gave up themselves and their Children to be governed by the Lord according to his word in all wayes of civility and chose among themselves Rulers of ten fifty and an hundred according to the holy Patterne so far as they could In which way of Government the Lord hath not a little owned them and blessed them In the year 52 I perceiving the grace of God in sundry of them and some poor measure of fitnesse as I was perswaded for the enjoyment of Church-fellowship and Ordinances of Jesus Christ I moved in that matter according as I have in the Narration thereof briefly declared In the year 53 I moved not that way for these Reasons I having sent their Confessions to be published in England I did much desire to hear what acceptance the Lord gave unto them in the hearts of his people there who daily labour at the Throne of grace and by other expressions of their loves for an holy birth of this work of the Lord to the praise of Christ and the inlargement of his Kingdome As also my desire was that by such Books as might be sent hither the knowledge of their Confessions might be spread here unto the better and fuller satisfaction of many then the transacting thereof in the presence of some could doe These Books came by the latter Ships as I remember that were bound for New-England and were but newly out when they set saile and therefore I had not that answer that year which my soule desired though something I had which gave encouragement and was a tast of what I have more fully heard from severall this year praised be the Lord Besides there fell a great damping and discouragement upon us by a jealousie too deeply apprehended though utterly groundlesse viz. That even these praying Indians were in a conspiracy with others and with the Dutch to doe mischief to the English In which matter though the ruling part of the People looked otherwise upon them yet it was no season for me to stir or move in this matter when the waters were so troubled This businesse needeth a calmer season and I shall account it a savour of God when ever he shall please to cause his face to shine upon us in it Yet this I did the last year after the Books had been come a season there being a great meeting at Beston from other Colonies as well as our owne and the Commissioners being there I thought it necessary to take that opportunity to prepare and open the way in a readinesse against this present year by making this Proposition unto them namely That they having now seen their confessions if upon further triall of them in point of knowledge they be found to have a competent measure of understanding in the fundamentall points of Religion and also if there be due testimony of their conversation that they walke in a Christian manner according to their light so that Religion is to be seen in their lives whether then it be according to God and acceptable to his people that they be called up unto Church-estate Unto which I had I blesse the Lord a generall approbation Accordingly this year 54 I moved the Elders that they would give me advice and assistance in this great businesse that they would at a fit season examine the Indians in point of their knowledge because we found by the former triall that a

day will be too little if the Lord please to call them on to Church-fellowship to examine them in points of Knowledge and hear their Confessions and guide them into the holy Covenant of the Lord Seeing all these things are to be transacted in a strange language and by Interpreters and with such a people as they be in these their first beginnings But if they would spend a day on purpose to examine them in their knowledge there would be so much the more liberty to doe it fully and throughly as such a work ought to be as also when they may be called to gather into Church-Communion it may suffice that some one of them should make a Doctrinall Confession before the Lord and his people as the rule of faith which they build upon the rest attesting their consent unto the same And themselves the Elders I mean if the Lord so far assist the Indians as to give them satisfaction might testifie that upon Examination they have found a competency of knowledge in them to inable them unto such a work and state And thus the work might be much shortned and more comfortably expedited in one day I found no unreadinesse in the Elders to further this work Some dispute there was about Officers in the Church if they should be found fit matter to proceed of which I shall anon speak God-willing They concluded to attend the work and for severall Reasons advised that the place should be at Roxbury and not at Natick and that the Indians should be called thither the time they left to me to appoint in such a season as wherein the Elders may be at best liberty from other publick occasions The time appointed was the 13 of the 4 moneth mean while I dispatched Letters unto such as had knowledge in the Tongue requesting that they would come and help in Interpretation or attest unto the truth of my Interpretations I sent also for my Brother Mayhu who accordingly came and brought an Interpreter with him Others whom I had desired came not I informed the Indians of this appointment and of the end it was appointed for which they therefore called and still doe when they have occasion to speak of it Natootomuhteáe kesuk A day of asking Questions or A day of Examination I advised them to prepare for it and to pray earnestly about it that they might be accepted among Gods people if it were the will of God It pleased God so to guide that there was a publick Fast of all the Churches betwixt this our appointment and the accomplishment thereof which day they kept as the Churches did and this businesse of theirs was a Principall matter in their Prayers It hath pleased God to lay his hand in sicknesse upon Monequassun our Natick Schoolmaster so that we greatly wanted his help and concurrence in this businesse Yea and such is his disease viz. an Vlcer in his Lungs that I fear the Lord will take him away from us to the great hindrance of our work in respect of humane means Lord increase our faith There fell out a very great discouragement a little before the time which might have been a scandall unto them and I doubt not but Satan intended it so but the Lord improved it to stir up faith and Prayer and so turned it another way Thus it was Three of the unsound sort of such as are among them that pray unto God who are hemmed in by Relations and other means to doe that which their hearts love not and whose Vices Satan improveth to scandalize and reproach the better sort withall while many and some good People are too ready to say they are all alike I say three of them had gotten severall quarts of Strong-water which sundry out of a greedy desire of a little gaine are too ready to sell unto them to the offence and grief of the better sort of Indians and of the godly English too and with these liquors did not onely make themselves drunk but got a Child of eleven years of age the Son of Toteswamp whom his Father had sent for a little Corne and Fish to that place near Watertowne where they were Unto this Child they first gave too spoonfulls of Strong-water which was more then his head could bear and another of them put a Bottle or such like Vessell to his mouth and caused him to drink till he was very drunk and then one of them domineered and said Now we will see whether your father will punish us for Drunkennesse for he is a Ruler among them seeing you are drunk with us for company and in this case lay the Child abroad all night They also fought and had been severall times Punished formerly for Drunkennesse When Toteswamp heard of this it was a great shame and breaking of heart unto him and he knew not what to doe The rest of the Rulers with him considered of the matter they found a complication of many sins together 1 The sin of Drunkennesse and that after many former Punishments for the same 2 A willfull making of the Child drunk and exposing him to danger also 3 A degree of reproaching the Rulers 4 Fighting Word was brought to me of it a little before I took Horse to goe to Natick to keep the Sabbath with them being about ten dayes before the appointed Meeting The Tidings sunk my spirit extreamly I did judge it to be the greatest frowne of God that ever I met withall in the work I could read nothing in it but displeasure I began to doubt about our intended work I knew not what to doe the blacknesse of the sins and the Persons reflected on made my very heart faile me For one of the offendors though least in the offence was he that hath been my Interpreter whom I have used in Translating a good part of the Holy Scriptures and in that respect I saw much of Satans venome and in God I saw displeasure For this and some other acts of Apostacy at this time I had thoughts of casting him off from that work yet now the Lord hath found a way to humble him But his Apostacy at this time was a great Tryall and I did lay him by for that day of our Examination I used another in his room Thus Satan aimed at me in this their miscarrying and Toteswamp is a Principall man in the work as you shall have occasion to see anon God-willing By some occasion our Ruling Elder and I being together I opened the case unto him and the Lord guided him to speak some gracious words of encouragement unto me by which the Lord did relieve my spirit and so I committed the matter and issue unto the Lord to doe what pleased him and in so doing my soul was quiet in the Lord I went on my journey being the 6 day of the week when I came at Natick the Rulers had then a Court about it Soon after I came there the Rulers came to me with a Question about this matter

they related the whole businesse unto me with much trouble and grief Then Toteswamp spake to this purpose I am greatly grieved about these things and now God tryeth me whether I love Christ or my Child best They say They will try me but I say God will try me Christ saith He that loveth father or mother or wife or Child better then me is not worthy of me Christ saith I must correct my Child if I should refuse to doe that I should not love Christ God bid Abraham kill his Son Abraham loved God and therefore he would have done it had not God with-held him God saith to me onely punish your Child and how can I love God if I should refuse to doe that These things he spake in more words and much affection and not with dry eyes Nor could I refraine from teares to hear him When it was said The Child was not so guilty of the sin as those that made him drunk he said That he was guilty of sin in that he feared not sin and in that he did not believe his counsells that he had often given him to take heed of evill company but he had believed Satan and sinners more then him therefore he needed to be punished After other such like discourse the Rulers left me and went unto their businesse which they were about before I came which they did bring unto this conclusion and judgement They judged the three men to sit in the stocks a good space of time and thence to be brought to the whipping-Post have each of them twenty lashes The boy to be put in the stocks a little while and the next day his father was to whip him in the School before the Children there all which Judgement was executed When they came to be whipt the Constable fetcht them one after another to the Tree which they make use of instead of a Post where they all received their Punishments which done the Rulers spake thus one of them said The Punishments for sin are the Commandements of God and the worke of God and his end was to doe them good and bring them to repentance And upon that ground he did in more words exhort them to repentance and amendment of life When he had done another spake unto them to this purpose You are taught in Catechisme that the wages of sin are all miseries and calamities in this life and also death and eternall damnation in hell Now you feele some smart as the fruit of your sin and this is to bring you to repentance that so you may escape the rest And in more words he exhorted them to repentance When he had done another spake to this purpose Heare all yee people turning himselfe to the People who stood round about I think not lesse then two hundred small and great this is the Commandement of the Lord that thus it should be done unto sinners and therefore let all take warning by this that you commit not such sins least you incur these Punishments And with more words he exhorted the People Others of the Rulers spake also but some things spoken I understood not and some things slipt from me But these which I have related remained with me When I returned to Roxbury I related these things to our Elder to whom I had before related the sin and my grief who was much affected to hear it and magnified God He said also That their sin was but a Transient act which had no Rule and would vanish But these Judgements were an Ordinance of God and would remaine and doe more good every way then their sin could doe hurt telling me what cause I had to be thankfull for such an issue Which I therefore relate because the Lord did speak to my heart in this exigent by his words When the Assembly was met for Examination of the Indians and ordered I declared the end and Reason of this Meeting and therefore declared That any one in due order might have liberty to propound any Questions for their satisfaction Likewise I requested the Assembly That if any one doubted of the Interpretations that should be given of their Answers that they would Propound their doubt and they should have the words scanned and tryed by the Interpreters that so all things may be done most clearly For my desire was to be true to Christ to their soules and to the Churches And the trying out of any of their Answers by the Interpreters would tend to the satisfaction of such as doubt as it fell out in one Answer which they gave the Question was How they knew the Scriptures to be the word of God The finall Answer was Because they did find that it did change their hearts and wrought in them wisedome and humility This Answer being Interpreted to Assembly my Brother Mahu doubted especially of the word Hohpoóonk signifying Humility it was scanned by the Interpreters and proved to be right and he rested satisfied therein I was purposed my selfe to have written the Elders Questions and the Indians Answers but I was so imployed in propounding to the Indians the Elders Questions and in returning the Indians Answers as that it was not possible for me to write unlesse I had caused the Assembly to stay upon it which had not been fitting therefore seeing Mr. Walton writing I did request him to write the Questions and Answers and help me with a Copy of them which I thank him he did a Copy whereof I herewith send to be inserted in this place on which this only I will animadvert That the Elders in wisdome thought it not fit to ask them in Catechisticall method strictly in which way Children might Answer But that they might try whether they understood what they said they traversed up and downe in Questions of Religion as here you see Postscript LET the Reader take notice That these Questions were not propounded all to one man but to sundry which is the reason that sometime the same Questions are propounded againe and againe Also the number Examined were about eight namely so many as might be first called forth to enter into Church-Covenant if the Lord give opportunity THE EXAMINATION OF THE INDIANS AT Roxbury The 13th Day of the 4th Month 1654. Quest WHat is God Answ An Ever-living Spirit Q. What are the Attributes of God A. God is Eternall Infinite Wise Holy Just Q. In which of these are we like unto God A. In Wisedome Holinesse and Righteousnesse But in Infinitenesse and Eternity God is onely like himselfe Q How many Gods are there A. There is one onely God Q. Have not some Indians many Gods A. They have many Gods Q. How doe you know these Gods are no Gods A. Before the English came we knew not but that they were Gods but since they came we know they are no Gods Q. What doe you find in the true God that you find not in false Gods A. I see in the English many things that God is the true God