us but sought totall subjection and strict obedience to God yet I told them that it was a matter of great weight shewing them many things which I thought necessary for them to know but needless now to relate A day of fasting and prayer to repent of our sins and seek the gracious help of our God for Christ Jesus sake we appointed and another shortly after to finish the work in Some of the Indians spake somthing for their benefit and about ten or twelve of them prayed not with any set Form like Children but like Men indued with a good measure of the knowledg of God their own wants and the wants of others with much affection and many Spiritual Petitions savoring of a Heavenly mind and so are they streitned in respect of help from man that it appears the more plainly to be the Dictates of Gods Spirit A Platform of the Covenant in Answer to their desires I drew forth the same morning in the Indian Language which I have here sent in English Wee the distressed Indians of the Vineyard or Nope the Indian name of the Island That beyond all memory have been without the True God without a Teacher and without a Law the very Servants of Sin and Satan and without Peace for God did justly vex us for our sins having lately through his mercy heard of the Name of the True God the Name of his Son Christ Jesus with the holy Ghost the Comforter three Persons but one most Glorious God whose Name is JEHOVAH We do praise His Glorious Greatness and in the sorrow of our hearts and shame of our faces we do acknowledg and renounce our great and many sins that we and our Fathers have lived in do run unto him for mercy and pardon for Christ Jesus sake and we do this day through the blessing of God upon us and trusting to his gracious help give up our selves in this Covenant Wee our Wives and Children to serve JEHOVAH And we do this day chuse JEHOVAH to be our God in Christ Jesus our Teacher our Law-giver in his Word our King our Judg our Ruler by his Magistrates and Ministers to fear God Himself and to trust in Him alone for Salvation both of Soul and Body in this present Life and the Everlasting Life to come through his mercy in Christ Jesus our Savior and Redeemer and by the might of his Holy Spirit to whom with the Father and Son be all Glory everlasting Amen After I had often read this Covenant and expounded it unto them they all with free Consent willingly and thankfully joyned therein and desired Jehovah his blessing for Jesus Christ his sake the Lord be gracious to our beginnings Within two or three weeks there came an Indian to me in business and by the way he told me that some Indians had lately kept a day of Repentance to humble themselves before God in prayer and that the word of God which one of them spake unto for their Instruction was Psal. 66. 7. He ruleth by his Power for ever his eyes behold the nations let not the rebellious exalt themselves I asked him what their end was in keeping such a day He told me those six things First they desired That God would slay the rebellion of their hearts Secondly That they might love God and one another Thirdly That they might withstand the evil words and temptations of wicked men and not to be drawn back from God Fourthly That they might be obedient to the good Words and Commands of their Rulers Fiftly That they might have their sins done away by the Redemption of Jesus Christ And Lastly That they might walk in Christs way Now for the state of things with us we are by the help of God about to begin a Town that they may Cohabit and carry on things in a Civil and Religious way the better The praying Indians are constant attenders to the word of the Lord and some of them I hope conscionable seekers after the knowledg of God and themselves and not without obtaining by the grace of God some saving benefit to their own Souls which will by his own blessing in the best time more plainly appear About 30. Indian Children are now at School which began the Eleventh day of the Eleventh month 1651. they are apt to learn and more and more are now sending in unto them The Barbarous Indians both men and women do often come on the Lecture dayes and complaining of their ignorance disliking their sinful liberty and refusing the helps and hopes of their own power seek Subjection to Jehovah to be taught governed and saved by him for Jesus Christs sake The Name of the Lord alone be praised for what is begun What is further needfull I earnestly desire may be fervently prayed for and expected by faith to be effected and finished by the gracious hand of God who have laid the foundation and will not leave his own works unperfect which is the comfort of an unworthy Laborer in the Lords Vinyard and an earnest desirer to be remembred at the Throne of Grace Having a little more liberty I shall certifie you of somthing more which I have taken notice of amongst the poor Indians I observed that the Indians when they chose their Rulers made choyce of such as were best approved for their godliness and most likely to suppress sin and encourage holiness and since they have been forward upon all occasions to shew their earnest desire thereof There was an Indian that was well approved for his Reformation that was suspected to have told a plain Lye for his Gain the business was brought to the publick Meeting and there it was notably sifted with zeal and good affection but at length the Indian defending himself with great disdain and hatred of such an evil proved himself clear and praised God for it The same Indian was a little before very sick and he told me that when he thought he should die he did so love God that he was not unwilling to die and leave his wife and children or any thing else but that he was only desirous to live for this cause That he might be more taught by the Word of God and be helpful to teach the Indians the Way of God I have also observed how God is pleased to uphold some of these poor Indians against opposition I was once down towards the further end of the Island and lodged at an Indians house who was accounted a great man among the Islanders being the friend of a great Sachem on the Mayn this Sachem is a great Enemy to our Reformation on the Island At this mans house when I had sate a while his son being about thirty years old earnestly desired me in his Language to relate unto him some of the ancient Stories of God I then spent a great part of the night in such discourse as I thought fittest for them as I usually do when I lodg in their houses what he then heard as he
alone in this matter having seriously endeavored to have had divers other Interpreters present at Natick that day but could not obtain what he did desire and endeavor herein a man whose pious and painful labors amongst this People have rendred him approved and highly honored in the eyes of his Brethren about him for indefatigable diligence and earnest love to the Lord Jesus and their poor souls a man whose integrity and faithfulness is so well known in these Parts as giveth sufficient satisfaction to beleev that he would not wittingly utter a falshood in any matter whatever and much less so many falshoods that in such a publick manner in the view of God the World as he must needs have done if he have coyned these Confessions of his own head and have not to his best understanding truly related them in our Tongue according as they were uttered by them in theirs If any shall then ask If there be such a Work of God amongst them Why were they not combined and united into Church-Estate when there was that great Assembly at Natick on the thirteenth of Octob. last Such an one may do well to consider that the material Temple was many yeers in building even in the daies of Solomon who wanted no helps and furtherances thereunto but was abundantly furnished therewith and longer in Re-edifying after the Captivity and therefore no marvel if the building of a Spiritual Temple an holy Church to Christ and a Church out of such rubbish as amongst Indians be not begun and ended on a sudden It is rather to be wondered at that in so short a time the thing is in so much forwardness as it is Besides It is a greater matter to have Indians accepted and owned as a Church amongst themselves and so to be invested with all Church-power as a Church when yet they are not furnished with any to be an able Pastor and Elder over them by whom they might be directed and guided in all the Affairs of the Church and Administrations of the House of God this I conceive is a far greater matter than the admitting of them as Members into any Church or Churches of the English already so furnished which latter for ought I know might speedily be done and with much satisfaction if it were suitable in regard of their different Language and the remoteness of their Habitations whereas to the former there seems to be a great necessity or expediency at the least that they should first be provided of some to be afterward set over them in the Lord Even amongst the English when any company amongst us have united themselves into Church-Estate it hath been usual that they have had one or other amongst them upon whom their eyes have been set as intending them to be Pastors or Teachers to them afterward when once they should be combined as a Church and where it hath so been they have found the comfort and benefit of it whereas those few that have proceeded otherwise have found trouble and inconveniency therein And if it be so amongst the English who usually have better abilities how much more amongst the Indians whose knowledg and parts must needs be far less Not to insist upon the Rehearsal of those two Reasons mentioned by the Reverend Author of this Relation viz. The shortness of the time to furnish the Work that day and the want of Interpreters of whom there was not any present himself Concerning which Reasons I can freely ad my testimony that those two were the principal if not the only Reasons which that day were insisted on and publickly rendred for deferring the Inchurching of them to another time It may be some have thought and I hear some have spoken little less That this whol business of the Indians of which there have been so many speeches in Old England and New is but a devise and design to get money and that there is indeed no such matter as any Work of Gods grace amongst that People But if there were any truth in this saying or Surmise I marvel why the Magistrates and Elders then present at Natick did upon the reasons rendred advise the deferring of the inchurching of the Indians that day and why they did not rather hasten forward the Work without any more ado or longer delay For the report of a Church of Indians would in all likelihood have more prevailed for the end alledged than all that hath been reported hitherto But our attending in this business to the Honor of Jesus Christ and the good of this poor peoples souls and so to that which Rule and right Reason required rather than to what might seem conducible for wordly advantage may be a sufficient witness of our sincerity contrary to the conceit and surmise afore mentioned and a sufficient confutation of it And yet though they be not combined into Church-Estate there is so much of Gods Work amongst them as that I cannot but count it a great evil yea a great injury to God and his goodness for any to make light or nothing of it To see and to hear Indians opening their mouths and lifting up their hands and their eyes in solemn Prayer to the Living God calling on him by his Name JEHOVAH in the Mediation of Jesus Christ and this for a good while together to see and hear them exhorting one another from the Word of God to see them and hear them confessing the Name of Christ Jesus and their own sinfulness sure this is more than usual And though they spake in a language of which many of us understood but little yet we that were present that day we saw them and we heard them perform the duties mentioned with such grave and sober countenances with such comely reverence in gesture and their whol carriage and with such plenty of tears trickling down the cheeks of some of them as did argue to us that they spake with much good affection and holy fear of God and it much affected our hearts Nor is it credible to me nor for ought I know to any that was present that day that in these things they were acted and led by that Spirit which is wont to breath amongst Indians the Spirit of Satan or of corrupt Nature but that herein they had with them another Spirit But if there be any work of Grace amongst them it would surely bring forth and be accompanied with the Reformation of their disordered lives as in other things so in their neglect of Labor and their living in idleness and pleasure I confess the Allegation is weighty and I deny not but some sober and godly persons who do heartily wish well to this work have been as much troubled in their minds touching this particular as any that I know of But yet somthing may be said in answer therto chiefly this That since the Word of God came amongst them and that they have attended thereto they have more applied themselves unto Labor than formerly For
evidence whereof appeal my be made to what was seen at Natick that day and is still to be seen in that place I mean the Grounds that they have fenced in and clawed and broken up and especially their capacious Meeting-house the Dimensions whereof are expressed in the Relation little did I think when I saw that Fabrick but that some English Carpenter or other had had the chief hand in the framing and erecting of it and that more hands than Indians yea and more English than one had been employed about it But now understanding that the Indians alone were the Builders of it it is a good testimony to me both of their industry and likewise of their Skill for where these are utterly wanting yea where there is not some good measure of them such a Building I conceive could never be raised It is true that considering the manner of their bringing up being little accustomed to labor but the contrary it is not much to be marveled if they be not comparable therein to some English who from their Child-hood have been trained up thereto yet we see they are coming to it and I hope will fall to it more and more let all that love their souls pray for them that they may yea let all that love the Lord Jesus Christ pray for them that the Work of God may still prosper amongst them that many more of them may be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God and that being converted they may be preserved in Christ and be built up in him to further growth and perfection from day to day And let unfeigned thanksgiving be rendred to the Lord by his Saints for all that is already wrought amongst them And Oh let the English take heed both in our dear Native Country and here lest for our unthankfulness and many other sins the Lord should take the Gospel from us and bestow our mercy therein upon them as upon a Nation that would yeeld the fruits thereof in better sort than many of us have done The sins of the Jewish Nation to whom the Gospel was first preached provoked God to take his Kingdom from them and to call in the Gentils yet it appeareth by Rom. 11. 11. 14. 31. that this mercy vouchsafed to the Gentiles shall in time provoke the Jews to an holy Jealousie and Emulation to look after that mercy again that once they refused that so through the mercy bestowed on the Gentiles they I mean the Jews might at last again obtain mercy Happy were the English if we could yeeld the fruits of Gods Gospel that it might not be taken from us and happy also if the mercy coming to these Indians though not yet taken from us might provoke us so to do that so the Kingdom of God the Gospel of Salvation being not taken from us and given to them but though given to them yet might still continue with us and with our Posterity from Generation to Generation Dorchester in New-England this 13th of 10ber 1652. RICH. MATHER A brief Relation of the Proceedings of the Lords Work among the INDIANS in reference unto their Church-Estate The Reasons of the not accomplishing thereof at present With some of their Confessions whereby it may be discerned in some measure how far the Lord hath prepared among them fit Matter for a CHURCH THese Indians the better and wiser sort of them have for some years inquired after Church-Estate Baptism and the rest of the Ordinances of God in the observation whereof they see the Godly English to walk I have from time to time delayed them upon this point That until they were come up unto Civil Cohabitation Government and Labor which a fixed condition of life will put them upon they were not so capable to be betrusted with that Treasure of Christ lest they should scandalize the same and make it of none effect because if any should through temptation fall under Censure he could easily run away as some have done and would be tempted so to do unless he were fixed in an Habitation and had some means of livelihood to lose and leave behind him such Reasons have satisfied them hitherunto But now being come under Civil Order and fixing themselves in Habitations and bending themselves to labor as doth appear by their works of Fencings Buildings c. and especially in building without any English Workmans help or direction a very sufficient Meeting-House of fifty foot long twenty five foot broad neer twelve foot high betwixt the joynts wel sawen and framed which is a specimen not only of their singular ingenuity and dexerity but also of some industry I say this being so now my argument of delaying them from entering into Church-Estate was taken away Therefore in way of preparation of them thereunto I did this Summer call forth sundry of them in the dayes of our publick Assemblies in Gods Worship somtimes on the Sabbath when I could be with them and sometimes on Lecture daies to make confession before the Lord of their former sins and of their present knowledg of Christ and experience of his Grace which they solemnly doing I wrote down their Confessions which having done and being in my own heart hopeful that there was among them fit matter for a Church I did request all the Elders about us to hear them reade that so they might give me advice what to do in this great and solemn business which being done on a day appointed for the purpose it pleased God to give their Confessions such acceptance in their hearts as that they saw nothing to hinder their proceeding to try how the Lord would appear therein Whereupon after a day of Fasting and Prayer among our selves to seek the Lord in that behalf there was another day of Fasting and Prayer appointed and publick notice thereof and of the names of Indians were to confess and enter into Covenant that day was given to all the Churches about us to seek the Lord yet further herein and to make solemn Confessions of Christ his Truth and Grace and further to try whether the Lord would vouchsafe such grace unto them as to give them acceptance among the Saints into the fellowship of Church-Estate and enjoyment of those Ordinances which the Lord hath betrusted his Churches withal That day was the thirteenth of the eighth month When the Assembly was met the first part of the day was spent in Prayer unto God and exercise in the Word of God in which my self first and after that two of the Indians did Exercise and so the time was spent till after ten or near eleven of the clock Then addressing our selves unto the further work of the day I first requested the reverend Elders many being present that they would ask them Questions touching the fundamental Points of Religion that thereby they might have some tryal of their knowledg and better that way than if themselves should of themselves declare what they beleeve or than if I
should ask them Questions in these matters After a little conference hereabout it was concluded That they should first make confession of their experience in the Lords Work upon their hearts because in so doing it is like something will be discerned of their knowledg in the Doctrines of Religion and if after those Confessions there should yet be cause to inquire further touching any Point of Religion it might be fitly done at last Whereupon we so proceeded and called them forth in order to make confession It was moved in the Assembly by Reverend Mr. Wilson that their former Confessions also as well as these which they made at present might be read unto the Assembly because it was evident that they were daunted much to speak before so great and grave an Assembly as that was but time did not permit it so to be then yet now in my writing of their Confessions I will take that course that so it may appear what encouragement there was to proceed so far as we did and that such as may reade these their Confessions may the better discern of the reality of the Grace of Christ in them The first which was called forth is named Totherswamp whose former Confession read before the Elders was as followeth BEfore I prayed unto God the English when I came unto their houses often said unto me Pray to God but I having many friends who loved me and I loved them and they cared not for praying to God and therefore I did not But I thought in my heart that if my friends should die and I live I then would pray to God soon after God so wrought that they did almost all die few of them left and then my heart feared and I thought that now I will pray unto God and yet I was ashamed to pray and if I eat and did not pray I was ashamed of that also so that I had a double shame upon me Then you came unto us and taught us and said unto us Pray unto God and after that my heart grew strong and I was no more ashamed to pray but I did take up praying to God yet at first I did not think of God and eternal Life but only that the English should love me and I loved them But after I came to learn what sin was by the Commandements of God and then I saw all my sins lust gaming c. he named more You taught That Christ knoweth all our hearts and seeth what is in them if humility or anger or evil thoughts Christ seeth all that is in the heart then my heart feared greatly because God was angry for all my sins yea now my heart is full of evil thoughts and my heart runs away from God therefore my heart feareth and mourneth Every day I see sin in my heart one man brought sin into the World and I am full of that sin and I break Gods Word every day I see I deserve not pardon for the first mans sinning I can do no good for I am like the Devil nothing but evil thoughts and words and works I have lost all likeness to God and goodness and therefore every day I sin against God and I deserve death and damnation The first man brought sin first and I do every day ad to that sin more sins but Christ hath done for us all righteousness and died for us because of our sins and Christ teacheth us That if we cast away our sins and trust in Christ then God will pardon all our sins this I beleeve Christ hath done I can do no righteousness but Christ hath done it for me this I beleeve and therefore I do hope for pardon When I first heard the Commandements I then took up praying to God and cast off sin Again When I heard and understood Redemption by Christ then I beleeved Jesus Christ to take away my sins every Commandement taught me sin and my duty to God When you ask me Why do I love God I answer Because he giveth me all outward blessings as food clothing children all gifts of strength speech hearing especially that he giveth us a Minister to teach us and giveth us Government and my heart feareth lest Government should reprove me but the greatest mercy of all is Christ to give us pardon and life Totherswamp The Confession which he made on the Fast day before the great Assembly was as followeth I Confess in the presence of the Lord before I prayed many were my sins not one good word did I speak not one good thought did I think not one good action did I doe I did act all sins and full was my heart of evil thoughts when the English did tell me of God I cared not for it I thought it enough if they loved me I had many friends that loved me and I thought if they died I would pray to God and afterward it so came to pass then was my heart ashamed to pray I was ashamed if I prayed not I was ashamed a double shame was upon me when God by you taught us very much ashamed was my heart then you taught us that Christ knoweth all our harts therefore truly he saw my thoughts and I had thought if my kindred should die I would pray to God therfore they dying I must now pray to God and therefore my heart feared for I thought Christ knew my thoughts then I heard you teach The first man God made was named Adam God made a Covenant with him Do and live thou and thy Children if thou do not thou must die thou and thy Children And we are Children of Adam poor sinners therefore we all have sinned for we have broke Gods Covenant therefore evil is my heart therefore God is very angry with me we sin against him every day but this great mercy God hath given us he hath given us his only Son and promiseth That whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall be saved for Christ hath dyed for us in our stead for our sins and he hath done for us all the words of God for I can do no good act only Christ can and only Christ hath done all for us Christ have deserved Pardon for us and risen again he hath ascended to God and doth ever pray for us therefore all Beleevers Souls shall goe to Heaven to Christ But when I heard that word of Christ Christ said Repent and Beleeve and Christ seeth who Repenteth then I said dark and weak is my Soul and I am one in darkness I am a very sinful man and now I pray to Christ for life Hearing you teach that Word that the Scribes and Pharisees said Why do thy Disciples break the Tradition of the Fathers Christ answered Why do ye make void the Commandements of God Then my heart feared that I do so when I teach the Indians because I cannot teach them right and thereby make the word of God vain Again Christ said If the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch
thou Son of David but after they came to Christ he called them and asked them What shall I do for you they said Lord open our eyes then Christ had pity on them and opened their eyes and they followed Christ when I heard this my heart was troubled then I prayed to God and Christ to open mine eyes and if Christ open my eyes then I shall rejoyce to follow Christ then I considered of both these Scriptures and I a little saw that I must follow Christ And now my heart desireth to make confession of what I know of God and of my self and of Christ I beleeve that there is only one God and that he made and ruleth all the World and that he the Lord giveth us al good things I know that God giveth every day all good mercies life and health and all I have not one good thing but God it is that giveth it me I beleeve that God at first made man like God holy wise righteous but the first man sinned for God promised him If thou do my Commandements thou shalt live and thy children but if thou sin thou shalt die thou and thy children this Covenant God made with the first man But the first man did not do the Commandements of God he did break Gods Word he beleeved Satan and now I am full of sin because the first man brought sin dayly I am full of sin in my heart I do not dayly rejoyce in Repentance because Satan worketh dayly in my heart and opposeth Repentance and all good Works day and night my heart is full of sin I beleeve that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary God promised her she should bear a Son and his Name should be JESUS because he shall deliver his people from their sins And when Christ came to preach he said Repent because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand again Christ taught Except ye repent and become as a little child ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven therefore humble your selves like one of these little children and great shall be your Kingdom in Heaven Again Christ said Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden with sin and I will give you rest take up my Cross and Yoak learn of me for I am meek and ye shall find rest to your souls for my yoak is easie and burden light these are the Words of Christ and I know Christ he is good but my works are evil Christ his words are good but I am not humble but if we be humble and beleeving in Christ he pardons all our sins I now desire to beleeve in Jesus Christ because of the word of Christ that I may be converted and become as a little Child I confess my sins before God and before Jesus Christ this day now I desire all my sins may be pardoned I now desire repentance in my heart and ever to beleeve in Christ now I lift up my heart to Christ and trust him with it because I beleeve Christ died for us for all our sins and deserved for us eternal life in Heaven and deserved pardon for all our sins And now I give my soul to Christ because he hath redeemed I do greatly love and like repentance in my heart and I love to beleeve in Jesus Christ and my heart is broken by repentance al these things I do like wel of that they may be in my heart but because Christ hath all these to give I ask them of him that he may give me repentance and faith in Christ and therefore I pray and beseech Christ dayly for repentance and faith and other good waies I beg of Christ dayly to give me and I pray to Christ for al these gifts and graces to put them in my heart and now I greatly thank Christ for all these good gifts which he hath given me I know not any thing nor can do any thing that is a good work even my heart is dark dayly in what I should do and my soul dyeth because of my sins and therefore I give my soul to Christ because I know my soul is dead in sin and dayly doth commit sin in my heart I sin and all the members of my body are sinful I beleeve Jesus Christ is ascended to Heaven through the clouds and he will come again from Heaven Many saw Christ go up to Heaven and the Angels said even so he will come again to judg all the world and therefore I beleeve Gods promise That all men shall rise again when Christ cometh again then all shall rise and all their souls comes again because Christ is trusted with them and keeps their souls therefore I desire my sins may be pardoned and I beleeve in Christ and ever so long as I live I will pray to God and do all the good waies he commandeth Monequassun The Confession which he made on the Fast day before the great Assembly was as followeth I Confess my sins before the Lord and before men this day a little while since I did commit many sins both in my hands and heart lusts thefts and many other sins and that every day and after I heard of praying to God and that others prayed to God my heart did not like it but hated it yea and mocked at it and after they prayed at Cohannet I stil hated it and when I heard the Word I did not like of it but thought of running away because I loved sin but I loved the place of my dwelling and therfore I thought I wil rather pray to God and began to do it a little I desired to learn the ten Commandements of God and other points of Catechisme and then a little I repented but I was quickly weary of repentance and fell again to sin and full of evil thoughts was my heart and then I played the Hypocrite and my heart was full of sin I learned some things but did not do what God commanded but I sinned and playd the Hypocrite some things I did before man but not before God But afterward I feared because of my sins and feared punishment for my sins therefore I thought again I would run away yet again I loving the place would not run away but would pray to God and I asked a Question at the Lecture which was this How I should get wisdom the Answer made me a little to understand but afterward I heard the word If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth liberally to all that ask and upbraideth none But then I did fear Gods anger because of all my sins because they were great Afterward hearing that Word That Christ is named Jesus because he redeemeth us from all our sins I thought Christ would not save me because I repent not for he saveth only penitent Beleevers but I am not such an one but still a dayly sinner Afterward hearing that Word Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled then I
then I considered whether I should pray but I found not in my heart that all should pray but then I considered of praying and what would become of me if I did not pray and what would become of me if I did pray but I thought if I did pray the Sacbems would be angry because They did not say pray to God and therefore I did not yet pray but considering of that word that all shall pray I was troubled and I found in my heart that I would pray unto God and yet I feared that others would laugh at me and therefore I did not yet pray Afterward God was yet merciful to me and I heard that God made the World and the first man and I thought it was true and therefore I would pray to God because he hath made all and yet when I did pray I thought I prayed not aright because I prayed for the sake of man and I thought this to be a great sin But then I wondered at Gods free mercy to me for I saw God made me and giveth me all mercies and then was I troubled and saw that many were my sins and that I do not yet beleeve then I prayed yet my heart sinned for I prayed only with my mouth and then I repented of my sins and then a little I considered and remembred Gods love unto us but I was a sinner and many were my sins and a little I repented of them and yet again I sinned and quickly was my heart full of sin then again was my heart angry with my self and often I lost all this again and fell into sin Then I heard that word That God sent Moses to Egypt and promised I will be with thee that promise I considered but I thought that in vain I did seek and I was ashamed that I did so and I prayed Oh God teach me truly to pray not only before man but before God and pardon al these my sins Again I heard that word that Christ taught through every Town and Village Repent and beleeve and be saved and a little I beleeved this word and I loved it and then I saw all my sins and prayed for pardon Again I heard that word He that casteth off God him will God cast off and I found in my heart that I had done this and I feared because of this my sin lest God should cast me off and that I should for ever perish in Hell because God hath cast me off I having cast of God then I was troubled about Hell and what shall I do if I be damned Then I heard that word If ye repent and beleeve God pardons all sins then I thought Oh that I had this I desired to repent and beleeve and I begged of God Oh give me Repentance and Faith freely do it for me and I saw God was merciful to do it but I did not attend the Lord only sometimes and I now confess I am ashamed of my sins my heart is broken and melteth in me I am angry at my self I desire pardon in Christ I betrust my soul with Christ that he may do it for me By such time as this man had finished the time was far spent and he was the fift in number their speeches being slow and they were the more slow at my request that I might write what they said oft I was forced to inquire of my interpreter who sat by me because I did not perfectly understand some sentences especially of some of them these things did make the work long-som considering the inlargement of spirit God gave some of them and should we have proceeded further it would have been sun-set before the Confessions in likelyhood would have been finished besides all the rest of the work that was to be done to finish so solemn a work and the place being remote in the woods the nights long and cold and people not fitted to lie abroad and no competant lodgings in the place for such persons and the work of such moment as wonld not admit an hudling up in hast And besides all this though I had fully used all fit means to have all the Interpreters present that I could that so the intetpretation might not depend upon my single testemony yet so it was that they all failed and I was alone as I have been wont to be in this work which providence of God was not to be neglected in so solemn a business Wherfore the Magistrates Elders and Grave Men present advised together what to do and the Conclusion was Not to proceed any further at present yet so to carry the matter as that the Indians might in no wise be discouraged but encouraged to which end one of the Elders was requested to speak unto the English the two above said Reasons viz. The want of Interpreters And want of Time to finish at this time so solemn a Work but to refer it to a more fitting time And I was desired to declare it to the Indians which I did to this purpose That the Magistrates Elders and other Christian People present did much rejoyce to hear their Confessions and advised them to go on in that good way but as for the gathering a Church among them this day it could not be partly Because neither Mr. Mayhew nor Mr. Leveridg nor any Interpreter was here for whom they knew I had sent some of themselves being the Messengers to carry Letters time enough and it was Gods Ordinance That when any were to judg a Case though they could beleeve one Witness yet they could not judg under two or three Also I told them That themselves might easily see there was not time enough to finish so solemn a work this day therefore they advised and God called to refer it to a fitter season in which advice they rested And so was the Work of that day with prayers unto God finished the accomplishment being referred to a fitter season As for my self the Lord put it into the hearts of the Elders to speak unto me words of Comfort and acceptance of my poor Labor expressing their loving fear lest I should be discouraged by this disappointment I shall therefore nakedly declare and open my very heart in this Matter The Lord he knoweth that with much fear and care I went about this work even unto the sensible wasting and weakning of my natural strength knowing that the investing these young Babee in Christ with the highest and all the external priviledges of the Church the Spouse of Jesus Christ on Earth would have drawn upon me much more labor and care lest they should in any wise scandalize the same unto which I have now more time assigned me by the Lord to prepare them yea and a greater advantage than I had before because this dispensation of the Lord doth give me occasion to instruct them of their need to be filled with deeper apprehensions of the weight and solemnity of that great Work though it is most true that they also came
on unto it with many fears and questions what they should do when they should be a Church When therefore I saw the Lord by the Counsel of his Servants which is an holy reverend Ordinance of Christ and by his Providence denying me the help of all Interpreters having many witnesses how much care and pains I took every way I knew to be supplied therein and that the work it self was extended by the Lords gracious inlarging them in their Confessions so that the day was not sufficient to accomplish it I say when I saw the Lord speaking that delatory word I cannot express what a load it took off my heart and I did gladly follow the Lord therein yea and I bless the Lord for that day that it was carried so far as it was for the cause of Christ hath many waies gained by it many hundreds of the precious Saints being much comforted and confirmed in their hopes of this work of Christ among them and their faith and prayers much quickned by what they heard and saw And because all witnesses failed me let me say but this I began and have followed this work for the Lord according to the poor measure of grace received not for base ends I have been true faithful unto their souls and in writing and reading their Confessions I have not knowingly or willingly made them better than the Lord helped themselves to make them but am verily perswaded on good grounds that I have rather rendered them weaker for the most part than they delivered them partly by missing some words of weight in some Sentences partly by my short and curt touches of what they more fully spake and partly by reason of the different Idioms of their Language and ours Now follow those Preparitory Confessions which were read before the Elders most of them The first that made a publick Confession and was took in Writing was Peter a Ruler of Ten among them a Godly man who quickly after he had made this Confession fell sick and died and now injoyeth the fruit of his Faith the end of his Hope the salvaion of his Soul among the Blessed where I am perswaded he shall be found in the great day His Confession was as followeth VVHen I first prayed to God I did not fear God but I feared perdition because the English had told me that all should be damned that call not upon God But now I know that God made all the world and I fear him now I beleeve that which you teach is true Now I beleeve that God calleth us to Natik that here we may be ruled by God and gather a Church now I beleeve that it is Gods Command that we should labor Six dayes and keep the Sabbath on the Seventh day now my heart is greatly abased for all my sins for we see though we pray to God we are ready to offend each other and be angry with each other and that we love not each other as we should do and for this I grieve my heart crieth now I remember that God saith thou shalt not lust but before I prayed to God I was full of lusts God saith We must have but one Wife and at first did make but one man and one woman but I followed many women God saith Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy but I did hunt or shoot or any thing on the Sabbath day many other sins I committed but now I see them and wil cast them away because they are vile and God forbiddeth them when I prayed first my sins were not pardoned for my praying is worth nothing now I am humbled and mourn for my sins and yet cannot deliver my self nor get pardon therfore I trust Christ with my soul The next Confession was made by John Speene as followeth His first confession was this WHen I first prayed to God I did not pray for my soul but only I did as my friends did because I loved them and though I prayed to God yet I did not fear sin nor was I troubled at it I heard that when good men die their souls go to God and are there happy but I cannot say that I beleeved it Afterward my heart run away into the country after our old wayes and I did almost cast off praying to God A little while after that I saw that I had greatly sinned and then I saw all my sins afore I prayed to God and since I prayed to God and I saw that God was greatly angry for them and that I cannot get pardon for them but yet my heart saith I will pray to God as long as I live I thought God would not pardon me and yet I would cast away my sins I did greatly love hunting and hated labor but now I beleeve that word of God which saith Six dayes thou shalt labor and God doth make my body strong to labor John Speene This Confession being short in some main points he afterward made Confession as followeth WHen I first prayed I prayed not for my soul but for the sake of men I loved men and for their sakes I prayed to God Before I prayed many were my sins and my heart was heaped full and ran over in all manner of lusts and sins After I heard of praying to God I let it fall and regarded it not after I came to hear the word I sometimes feared but soon lost it again Then my heart ran away after our former courses and then what ever I heard I lost because my heart was run away and many were my sins and therfore I could not get pardon because my heart run away and many were my sins and I did indeed go into the Country But afterwards I hearing the Catechism I desired to learn it and then I beleeved that when Beleevers die their souls go to God and are ever happy when Sinners die their souls go to Hel and are ever tormented and that when Christ judges the world our bodies rise again and then we shall receive the judgment of Christ the good shal stand at his right hand the bad at his left this I beleeved was true and then I saw all my great follies and evils and now my heart desired to lay by hunting and to work every day and this is Gods Command and therfore a good way God said Thou shalt work six daies and if thou work thou shalt eat therfore I beleeve it and my heart promiseth that I will this do as long as I live Now I see I did great folly for now I hear that God saith Work and now I fear because God hath afflicted me in taking away my brother a Ruler now I am troubled I fear I sinned in not beleeving our Ruler because now God hath taken him away he taught me good words but I beleeved them not and now I repent because Christ calleth me to it great is the punishment of God in taking away our Ruler and now I pray and say to Christ Oh Jesus Christ Christ
lose all in this world and lose my soul also because I beleeve not for all the Words of God are true which he hath taught me Now this day I think I will confess the truth Because I have sinned I want Jesus Christ and I will truly confess God because of that word of Christ He that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my Father I wonder at this Instruction I desire to confess my heart Another who made his Confession is named Antony upon whom the Lord was pleased the last Winter to lay an heavy stroke for he and another Indian being at work sawing of Board and finishing the Peece they laid it so short and the Rowl not so stedfast insomuch that this man being in the Pit directing to lay the Piece and the other above ordering thereof it slipped down into the Pit upon this mans head brake his neather Chap in two and cracked his Skull insomuch that he was taken up half dead and almost strangled with blood and being the last day of the week at night I had no word until the Sabbath day then I presently sent a Chyrurgion who took a discreet order with him and God so blessed his indeavors as that he is now well again blessed be the Lord and whereas I did fear that such a blow in their Labor might discourage them from Labor I have found it by Gods blessing otherwise yea this man hath performed a great part of the sawing of our Meeting-House and is now fawing upon the School-house and his recovery is an establishment of them to go on yea and God blessed this blow to help on the Work of Grace in his soul as you shall see in his Confession which followeth BEfore I prayed to God I alwaies committed sin but I do not know all my sins I know but a little of the sins I have committed therefore I thought I could not pray to God because I knew not al my sins before I prayed to God and since I heard of praying to God formerly when the English did bid me pray unto God I hated it and would go out of their houses when they spake of such things to me I had no delight to hear any thing of Gods Word but in every thing I sinned in my speeches I sinned and every day I broke the Commands of God After I heard of praying to God that Waban and my two brothers prayed to God yet then I desired it not but did think of running away yet I feared if I did run away some wicked men would kill me but I did not fear God After when you said unto me pray my heart thought I will pray yet again I thought I cannot pray with my heart and no matter for praying with words only but when I did pray I saw more of my sins yet I did but only see them I could not be aware of them but still I did commit them and after I prayed to God I was still full of lust and then a little I feared Sometimes I was sick and then I thought God was angry and then I saw that I did commit all sins then one of my brothers died and then my heart was broken and after him another friend and again my heart was broken and yet after all this I broke my praying to God and put away God and then I thought I shall never pray to God but after this I was afraid of the Lord because I alwaies broke my praying to God and then my heart said God doth nor hear my prayer When I was sick and recovered again I thought then that God was merciful unto me Hearing that word of God If you hear the Word of God and be forgetful hearers you sin against God then I thought God will not pardon such a sinner as I who dayly did so and broke my praying to God When I heard the Commandements I desired to learn them and other points of Catechism but my desires were but small and I soon lost it because I did not desire to beleeve then sometimes I feared Gods anger because of al my sins I heard the Word and understood only this word All you that hear this day it may be you shall quickly die and then I quickly saw that God was very angry with me Then God brake my head and by that I saw Gods anger and then I thought that the true God in Heaven is angry with me for my sin even for al my sins which every day I live I do When I was almost dead some body bid me now beleeve because it may be I shal quickly die and I thought I did beleeve but I did not know right beleeving in Christ then I prayed unto God to restore my health Then I beleeved that word That we must shortly appear before Jesus Christ then I did greatly fear lest if I beleeved not I should perish for ever When I was neer death I prayed unto God Oh Lord give me life and I will pray to God so long as I live and I said I will give my self soul and body to Christ after this God gave me health and then I thought truly God in Heaven is merciful then I much grieved that I knew so little of Gods Word And now sometimes I am angry and then I fear because I know God seeth it and I fear because I promised God when I was almost dead that if he giveth me life I will pray so long as I live I fear lest I should break this promise to God Now I desire the pardon of all my sins and I beg faith in Christ and I desire to live unto God so long as I live I cannot my self get pardon but I dayly commit sin and break Gods Word but I look to Christ for pardon Another who made His Confession is named Owussumag which is as followeth WHen I first heard that Waban prayed to God and after that many more prayed I first feared praying to God and instruction and I hated instruction by the Word of God and alwaies I laughed at them who prayed to God and I alwaies thought I will yet more commit sin and I went into the Country and there I acted much lust adultry and the like and all my Neighbors we did together seek after wickedness and every day I was proud and of high or open eyes When some of my neighbors began to pray I went away into the Country but I could find no place where I was beloved Then I heard That when beleevers die they go to Heaven when sinners die they go to Hel and my heart considered What good will it be if my soul go to Heaven But two years ago I began to think I had sinned against God and then somtimes I feared yet again sinned but my fear was of man not of God Then ever my heart said I should be better if I would pray to God and somtimes I beleeved that which I was taught yet again last year I sought to go