Callings we keep up Heavenly Frames we buy and sell and toyl yea we eat and drink with some eye both to the Command and the Honour of God in all Behold I have not now left an inch of time to be carnal it is all Engrossed for Heaven And yet lest here should not be enough Lastly We have our spiritual Warfare We are alwayes Encountring the Enemies of our Souls which continually raises our hearts unto our Helper and Leader in the Heavens Let no man say 'T is impossible to live at this rate for we have known some live thus and others that have written of such a life have but spun a Web out of their own blessed experiences New-England has Examples of this life tho alas 't is to be lamented that the Distractions of the world in too many professors do becloud the beauty of an Heavenly Conversation In fine our Employment lies in Heaven In the morning if we ask Where am I to be to day Our Souls must answer In Heaven In the evening if we ask Where have I been to day Our Souls may answer tâ— Heaven If thou art a Believer thou art no stranger to H â—ven while thou livest and when â—hou dyest Heaven will be no strange place to thee no thou hast been there a thousand times before In this language have I heard him express himself and he did what he sâ—id he was a Boniface as well as a Benedict and he was one of those Qui faciendo docent quae facienda docent It might be said of him as that Writer characterises Oâ—igen Quemadmodum doeuit sic viâ—it quemadmodum vixit sit docuit Article II. His particular care and zeal about the Lords-day THis was the Piety this the Holiness of our Eliot but among the many instances in which his Hâ—liness was remarkable I must not omit his exact Remembrance of the Sabbath-day to keep it holy It has been truly and justly Observed Thaâ— our whole Religion fares according to our Sabbaths that poor Sabbaths make poor Châ—istianâ— and that a strictness in our Sabbaths inspires vigour into all our other Duties Our Eliot knew this and it was a most Exemplary zeal that he acknowledged the Sabbaâ—h of our Lord Jesus Christ withal Had he been asked Servasii Dominicum he could have made a right Christian primitive answer thereunto The Sun did not set the evening before the Sabbath till he had begun his preparation for it and when the Lords-day came you might have seen John in the Spirit every week Every day was a sort of Sabbath to him but the Sabbath day was a kind type a tast of Heaven with him He laboured that he might on this High-day have no words or thoughts but such as we e agreeable â—hereunto he then allow'd in himself no Actions but those of a Raâ—sed Soul One should hear nothing dropping from his Lips on this day but the milk and honey of the Countrey in which there yet remains a â—est for the people of God and if he beheld in my person whatsoever whether old or young my profanation of this day he would be sure to â—estow lively Rebukes upon it And hence alâ—o unto the general Engagements of a Covenant â—ith God which 't was his Desire to bring the â—ndians into he added a particular Article wherein they bind themselves mehquontamunat â—abbath pahketeaunat tohsohke pomantamog i. e. â—o Remember the sabbath-Sabbath-day to keep it holy as â—ong as we live The mention of this gives me an opportunity not only to Recommend our Departed Eliot but also to Vindicate another great man unto the Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ The Reverend and Renowned OWEN in his Elaborate Exercitations on The Lords-day had let fall such a passage of this I judge that the Observation of the Lords-day is to be Commensurate unto the use of our natural strength on any other day from morning to night The Lords-day is to be sâ—t apart unto the ends of an holy Rest unto God by every one according as his natural strength will enable him to employ himself in his lawful Occasions any other day of the week This passage gave some scandal unto several very Learned and Piouâ— Mâ—n among whom our Eliot was one whereupon with his usual zeal gravity and sanctity he wrote unto the Doctor his Opinion thereabout who returned unto him an answer full of Respect some part where of I shall here transcribe As to what concerns the Natural strength of man saith he Either I was under some mistake in my Expression or you seem to be so iâ— your Apprehension I never thought and 〈◊〉 hope I have not said for I cannot find it that the Continuance of the Sabbath is to bâ— commensurate unto the natural strength of man but only that it is an Allowable mean of meâ— Continuance in Sabbath Duties which I suâ—pose you will not deny lest you should caâ— the Consciences of professors into inextricable Difficulties When first I engaged in that work I intended not to have spoken one word about the practical Obsâ—rvation of the Day but only to have endeavoured the Revival of a Truth which at present is despised and contemned among us and strenuously opposed by sundry Divines of the Vnited Provinces who call the Doctrine of the Sabbath Figmentum Anglicanum Upon the Desire of some Learned Men in these parts it was that I undertook the Vindicaâ—ion of it Having now discharged the Debt which in this matter I owed unto the Truth and Church of God tho not as I ought yet with such a composition as I hope thro' the Interposition of our Lord Jesus Christ might find acceptance with God and his Saints I suppose I shall not again engage on that Subject I suppose there is scarce anâ— one alive in the world who hath more Reproaches cast upon him than I have tho hitherto God has been pleased in some measure to support my spirit under them I still relieved my self by this That my poor Endeavours have found acceptance with the Churches of Christ But my holy wise and gracious Father sees it needful to try me in this matter also and what I have received from you which it may be contains not your sense alone hath printed deeper and left a greater impression upon my mind than all the virulent Revilings and false Accusations I have met withal from my professed Adversaries I do acknowledge unto you that I have a dry and barren Spirit and I do heartily beg your prayers that the Holy One would notwithstanding all my sinful provocations water me from above but that I should now be apprehended to have given a wound unto Holiness in the Churches 't is one of the saddest frowns in the cloudy Bâ—ows of Divine Providence The Doctrine of the Sabbath I have asserted tho' not as it should be done yet as wel as I could The Observation of it in Holy Duties unto the utmost of the strength for them which God shall be pleased to
Luâ—kâ— as quickly said Claim unto â—t and strongly guarded it Nevertheless the Jesuits found a way bâ— Pricks and Bribes to engage the Turkish Guards into a Conspiracy with them for the Transporting of the inclosed and renouned Ashes into Europe but when they opened the grave there was no Body nor so much as a Relique there While they were under the confusion of this Disappointment a Turkish General came upon them and cut them all to pieces therewithal taking a course never to have that place visited any more But the Scholars of the Orient presently made this a Theme which they talk'd and wrote much upon and whether this were the true Sepulchre of Moses was a question upon which many Books were pubâ—â—shed The world would now count Me very absurd if after this I should say that I had found the Sepulchâ—e of Moses in Amerâ—ca but I have certainly here found Moses himself we have had among us One appearing in the Spiâ—it and Power of a Moses and it is not the Grave but the Life of such a Moses that we value our selves upon being the owners of Having implored the Assistence and Acceptance of that God whose Blessed Word has told us The Righteous shall be had in everlasting Remembrance I am attempting to write the Life of a Righteous Person concerning whom all things but the meanness of the Writer invite the Reader to expect nothing save what is truly Extraordinary 'T is the Life of One who has better and greater thiâ—gs to be affirmed of him than could ever be reported concerning any of those famous men whâ—ch have bâ—en celebrated by the Pens of a Plutarch a Pliny a Lâ—â—eritus an Eunapius or in any pagan Histories 'T is the Life of One whose Character might â—ery agreeably be look'd for among the Collections of a Dorotheus or the Orations of a Nazianzen or is worthy at least of nothing less than the exquisite Style of a Melchior Adam to Eâ—ernize it If it be as it is a true Assâ—rtion That â—â—e least Exercise of true Faith or Love towards God in Christ is a more glorious thing than all the â—riumphs of a Caesar there must be something very considerable in the Life of One who spent several scores of years in such Exercises and of One in the mention of whose Aâ—chievements we may also recount that he fought the Devil in once his American Territories till he had recovered no small party of his old Subjects and Vassals out of his cruel Hands it would be as unreasonable as unprofitable for posterity to bury the Memory of such a Person in the Dust of that Obscurity and Oblivion which has covered the Names of the Hero's who dy'd before the Days of Agâ—memnoiâ— PRAELIMINARY I. The Birth Age and Family of Mr. ELIOT T is the Life of the Renowned John Eliot which is to be now put into our Pages a Life which Commenced about the Year 1604. And Expired in the Year 1690. THe Inspired Moses relating the Lives of those Ante-diluvian Patriarchs in whom the Church of God and Liâ—e of Christ was continued through the first sixteen hundred years of Time recites little but their Birth and â—heir Age and their Death and their Sons and Daughters â—f those Articles would satisfie the Appetites and Enquiries of such as come to Bâ—ead the Life of our Eliot we shall soon have dispatc ' d the work now upon our Hands The Age with the Death of this worthy man has â—een already terminated in the Ninetieth year â—f the present Century and the Eighty sixth Year of his own Pilgrimage And for his Birth it was at a Town in England the Namâ— whereof I cannot presently Recover nor is 〈◊〉 necessary for me to look back so far as the plaâ—â— of his Nativity any more than 't is for me tâ— recite the Vertues of his Parentage of which hâ— said vix ea nostra voco The Atlantick Oceaâ— like a River of Lethe may easily cause us tâ— forget many of the things that happened oâ— the other side Indeed the Nativity of such a man were an Honour worthy the Contentioâ— of as many places as laid their Claims unto thâ— famous Homer's but whatever places may challenge a share in the Reputation of having Enioy'd the first Breath of our Eliot it is New-England that with most Right can call him Hers his best Breath and afterwards his last Breath was here and here 't was that God bestow'd upon him Sons and Daughters He came to New-England in the Month of November A. D. 1631. among those Blessed old Planters which laid the Foundations of a remarkable Country devoted unto the Exercise of the Protestant Religion in its purest and highest Reformation He left behind him in England a vertuous young Gentlewoman whom he had pursued and purposed a Marriage unto 〈◊〉 and she coming hiâ—her the year following that Marriage was Consummated in the Month of October A. D. 1632. This Wise of his youth lived with him until she became to him also the staff of his Age and 〈◊〉 left him not until about three or four years â—efore his own Departure to those Heavenly â—egions where they now together see Light â—he was a Woman very Eminent both for Hoâ—â—ness and Vsefulness and she excelled most of â—he Daughters that have done vertuously Her Name was Ann and Gracious was her Nature â—od made her a Rich Blessing not only to her â—amily but also to her Neighbourhood and when â—t last she dyed I heard and saw her aged Husâ—and who else very rarely wept yet now with â—ears over the Coffin before the good people 〈◊〉 vast confluence of which were come to her â—uneral say Here lâ—es my dear faithful pious â—rudent prayerful Wife I shall go to her and she â—ot return to me My Reader will of his own acâ—ord excuse me from bestowing any further Eâ—â—taphs upon that gracious Woman By her did God give him six worthy Chilâ—ren Children of a character which may forâ—ver stop the mouths of those Antichristian Blasâ—hemers who have set a false brand of Disaster and Infamy on the Offspring of a Married Clergy His First-born was a Daughter born Sâ—p 17. A. C. 1633 This Gentlewoman is yet alive and one well-approved for her Piety and Gravity His next was a Son born Aug. 〈◊〉 A. C. 1636 He bore his Fathers Name â—â—d had his Fathers Grâ—câ— He was a person of â—otable Accomplâ—shments and a lively zealous acute Preacher not only to the English 〈◊〉 New-Cambâ—idge bâ—t also to the Indians thereabout He grew so fast that he was found â—â—pâ— for Heaven many years ago and upon hiâ— Death-bed uttered such penetrating things aâ— coâ—ld proceed from none but One upon the Borders and Confines of Eâ—ernal Glory 'T is pity that so many of them are forgotten but one of them I think we have cause to Remember Well said he my dear Friends â—here is a dark day coming upon pâ—or New-England and in so dark a day I pâ—ay how will you
added And truly there are Thorns and Briars iâ— the way too Which instance I would not havâ— singled out from the many thousands of hiâ— Occasional Reflections but only that I might suggest unto the good people of Roxbury something for them to think upon when they are going up to the House of the Lord. It is enough that as the Friend of the famous Vrsin coulâ— profess that he never went unto him withoâ—â— coming away aut doctior aut melior either tâ—â— â—iser or the betteâ— from him so 't is an acknoâ—ledgment which more than one Friend of oâ— Eliot's has made concerning him I was 〈◊〉 with him but â—â—â—ot or might have got some 〈◊〉 from him 〈◊〉 hearing from the great God was an â—â—â—rcise of like satisfaction unto the Soul of this good man with speaking either to him or of him He was a mighty Student of the sacred Bible and it was unto him as his necessary food He made the Bible his Companion and his Councellor and the holy lines of Scripture more Enamoured him than the profane Ones of Tully ever did the famous Italian Cardinal He would not upon easy terms have gone one day together without using a portion of the Bible as an antidote against the infection of Temptation And he would prescribe it unto others with his probatum est upon it as once particularly a pious Woman vexed with a wicked Husband complaining to him That bad Company was all the day still infesting of her House and what should she do He advised her Take the Holy Bible into your Hand when the bad Company comes and you 'l soon drive them out of the House the woman made the experiment and thereby cleared her House from the Haunts that had molested it By the like way 't was that 〈◊〉 cleared his Heart of what he was loth 〈◊〉 Nesting there Moreover if ever any maâ— could he might pretend unto that evidence oâ— Uprightness Lord I have loved the Habitation oâ—â—hine House for he not only gave somethiâ—â— more than his presence there twice on 〈◊〉 Lords Dayes and once a Fortnight besides 〈◊〉 bâ— Lectures in his own Congregation ou◠〈◊〉 made his weekly visits unto the Lectures in thâ— Neighbouring Towns how often was he seen at Boston Charlstâ—â—n Cambâ—iâ—ge â—orâ—â—â—ster waiting upon the Word of God in the Recurring Opportunities and counting a Day in the Courts of the Lord better than a thousand It is hardly conceivable how in the mâ—dst of so many Studies and Labours as he was at home engaged in he could possibly repair to so many Lectures abroad and herein he aimed not only at his own Edification but at the Countenancing and Encouraging of the Lectures which he went unto Thus he took heed that he might Hear and he took as much heed how he Heâ—rd he set himself as in the presence of the Eternal God as the great Coâ—stantine used of old in the Assemblies where he came and said I will hear what God the Lord will speak he expressed a diligent attention by a watchful and wakâ—fâ—l posture and by turning to the Texts quoâ—ed by the Preacher he expressed a suitable affâ—câ—ion by feeding on what was delivered and accompanying it with hands and eyes devoutly eâ—evated and they whose good hap 't was to go â—ome with him were sure of having anotheâ— Sermon by the way until their very Hearâ—â— burned in them Lâ—ctâ—ntius truly said Non eâ—â—era Religio qua cum â—emplo â—elinquitur but oâ—â— Eliot alwayes carried much of Religion with him from the House of God In a word he was one who Liv'd in Heâ—â—â— while he was on Earth and there is no more thâ— pure Justice in our endeavours that he should Live on Earth after he is in Heaven We cannot say that we ever saw him walking any whither but he was therein walking with God wherever he satâ— he had God by him and it was in the Everlasting Arms of God th t he Siâ—pi at nâ—ght Mâ—thoughts he a little discovered his Heavenly way of liviâ—g when walkâ—ng one day in his Garden he â—luckâ—d â—p a wâ—â—d that he saw now and then growing there at when a Friend pleasantly said unto him Sir you tell us we must be Heavenly 〈◊〉 but he immediately Reply d Iâ— is â—â—re and â—his is no impediment unto that for were I sâ—re to go to Hâ—aven to morrow I would do what I do to Dâ—â— From sâ—ch a frame of spirit it was that once in a visiâ— fiâ—ding a Merchant in his Counting House where he saw Books of Bâ—sinesâ— only on his Table bâ—t all his Books of Devoâ—ioâ— on the shelf he gave this Advise unto him Sir Here 's Earth â—n the Table and Heaven on the sheâ—f pray dâ—â—'t sit so much at the Table as altogether to fâ—rget the shelf let not earth by any â—eaâ—s thrâ—st H â—veâ—â— out of your mind Indeed I caâ—not giâ—e a fuller Description of him than what was in a Paraphrase thaâ— I have heard himself to make upon that Scripture â—ur Coâ—vâ—â—saâ—i â—is to Hâ—aven I writt from him as he uttered it Behold Said he the Ancient and Excellent Character of a true Christian 't is that which â—eter calls Holiness in all manner of Conversation you shall not find a Christian out of the way of Godly Conversation For first a seventh part of our time is all Spent in Heaven when we are duely zealous for and zealous on the Sabbath of God Besides God has written on the Head of the Sabbath Remember which looks both Forwards and Backwards and thus a good part of the week will be spent in Sabbatizing Well but for the rest of our Time why we shall have that spent in Heaven ere we have done For Secondly we have many dayes for both Fasting and Thanksgiving in our pilgrimage and here are so many Sabbaths more Moreover Thirdly we have our Lectures every week and pious people won't miss them if they can help it Furthermore fourthly We have our private Meetings wherein we pray sing and Repeat Sermons and confer together about the things of God and being now come thus far we are in Heaven almost every day But a little farther Fifthly we perform Family-Duties every day we have our morning and evening Sacrifices wherein having read the Scriptures to our Families we call upon the Name of God and ever now and then carefully Catechise those that are under our Charge Sixthly we shall also have our daily Devotions in our Closets wherein unto Supplication before the Lord we shall add some serious Meditation upon his Word a David will be at this work no less than thrice a day Seventhly We have likewise many scores of Ejaculations in a day and these we have like Nehemiah in whatever place we come into Eighthly We have our Occasional Thoughts and our Occasional Talks upon spiritual matters and we have our Occasional Acts of Charity wherein we do like the Inhabitants of Heaven every day Ninthly In our Callings in our civil
to drive men unto the Lord Jesus Christ in like manner the Lord Jesus Christ was the Loadstone which gave a touch to all the Sermons of our Eliot a glorious precious lovely Christ was the point of Heaven which they still verged unto From this Inclination it was that altho he Printed several English Books before he dy'd yet his heart seemed not so much in any of them as in that serious and savoury Book of his Entituled The Harmony of the Gospels in the holy History of Jesus Christ From hence also 't was that he would give that Advice to young Preachers pray let there be much of Christ in your Ministry and when he had heard a Sermon which had any special Relish of a blessed Jesus in it he would say thereupon O blâ—ssed be God that we have Christ so much and so well preached in poor New England Moreover he lik'd no Preaching but what had been well-stâ—died for and he would very much commend a Sermon which he could perceive had required some good Thinking and Reading in the Author of it I have been present when he has unto a Preachâ—r then just come home from the Assembly with him thus expressed himself Brother there was Oyl required for the Service of the Sanctuary but it must be beaten Oyl I praise God that I saw your Oyl so well beaten to day the Lord help us always by good Study to beat out Oyl that there may be no knots in our Sermons left undissolved and that there may a clear light be thereby given in the House of God! And yet he likewise look'd for something a Sermon beside and beyond the meer study of man he was for having the Spirit of God breathing in it and with it and he was for speaking those things from those impressions and with those Affections which might compel the Hearer to say The Spirit of God was here I have heard him complain It is a sad thing when a Sermon shall have that one Thing The Spirit of God wanting in it Article IV. His Cares about the Children of his people BUt he Remembred that he had Lambs in hiâ— flock and like another David he could not endure to see the Lion sieze upon any of them He always had a mighty concern upon his mind for little Children 't was an affectionate stroke in one of the little Papers which he published for them Sure Christ is not willing to lose â—is Lambs and I have cause to remember with what an hearty fervent zealous Application he address'd himself when in the Name of the Neighbour Pastors and Churches he gave me The Right-hand of Fellowship at my Ordination and said Brother Art thou a Lover of the Lord Jesus Christ Then I pray Feed his Lambs One thing whereof he was very desirous for poor Children was the Covenanting of them he was very sollicitous that the Lambs might pass under the Lords â—ything Rod be brought under the Bâ—nd of the Covenant He vey openly and earnestly maintained the cause of Infant-Baptism against a sort of persons Risen since the Reformation among which indeed there are many godly men that were dear to the Soul of our Eliot who forget that in the Gospel Church-state as well as in the Jâ—wish The Promise is to Believers and their Child en and are unwilling to reckon Childâ—en among the Disciples of Jesus Christ or to grant That of such is the Kingdom of Heaven or to know That the most undoubâ—ed Records of Antiquity affirm Infant Baptism to have been an usage in all the Primitive Churches That even before the early days of Nazianz n Chrysâ—sâ—om Basil Athanasius Epiphanius in the Greek and Ambrose Jerom Aâ—stin in the Latin Church all of which give glorious Testimonies for Infant Baptism even Cyprian before these assures us that in his days there was no doubt of it and Oâ—igen before him could say 'T was from the Apostles that the Church took up the Baptism of Infants and Clemens Romanus before him could say That Children should be Recipients of the Discipline of Christ besides what plain evidence we have in Irenaeus and Justin Martyr and that the very Arguments with which some of the Ancients did superstitiously advise the delay of Baptism do at the same time confess the Divine Right of Infants in it Our Eliot could by no means look upon the Infants of Godly Men as Vnholy and Vnbelievers and unfit Subjects to have upon them a Mark of Dedication to the Lord. Wherefore when there was brought among us a Book of pious Mr. Norcot's whereby some became Disposed to or Confirmed in a prejudice against Paedo-Baptism it was not long before Mr. Eliot published a little Answer thereunto the first lines whereof presently discover what a Temper he writ it with says he The Book speaks with the voice of a Lamb and I think the Author is a Godly though Erring Broth … but he acts the cause of a Roaring Lion who by 〈◊〉 crafty ways seeketh to devour the poor Lambs of the Flock of Christ And so he goes on to plead the cause of them that cannot speak for themselves No man could entertain a person of a different perswasion from himself with more sweetness and kindness than he when he saw Aliquid Christi or the Fear of God prevailing in them he could uphold a most intimate Correspondence with such a man as Mr. Jessey as long as he lived and yet he knew how to be an Hammer upon their unhappy Errors But having once Baptised the Children of his Covenanting Neighbours he did not as too many Ministers do think that he had now done with them No another thing wherein he was very laborious for poor Children was the Catechising of them he kept the great Ordinance of Catechising both publickly privately spent a world of time about the end of the Second Century before there had in the least begun to Start up New Officers in the Church of God we and there were persons called unto the Office of Publick Teaching who were not Pastors not Rulers not called unto the Administration of other Ordinances those in the Church of Alexaandria were of a special Remark and Renown for their Abilities this way and their Employment was to Explain and to Defend the princiâ—â—â— of the Christian Religion unto all with â—â—e â—om they could be concerned Here was the Catechist with reference unto whom the Apostle says Let the Catechised communicate unto him in all good things Now tho' some think a Teacher purely as such hath no Right unto further Church Administrations any more than the Rabby's or Doctors among the Jews had to Offer Sacrifices in the Temple yet he who is called to be a Teaâ—her may at the same time also be called to be an Elder and being now a Teaching Elder he becomes interested in the whole Government of the Church he has the power of all Sacred Administrations 'T is the latter and more compleat and perfect character which
the Churches of New-England have still acknowledged in their Teachers and such a Teaching Elder did our Eliot remember himself to be He thought himself under a particular Obligation to be that Officer which the Apostle calls in 1 Cor. 4.15 An Instructor of the young noâ— was he ashamed any more than some of thâ— worthiest men among the Ancients were to bâ— called A Catechist He would observe upon Joh. 21.15 That the care of the Lambs â—â—onet hird part of the charge over the Church of God â—t would be incredible if I should relate what pains he took to keep up the blessed Eccho's of Truth between himself and the young people of his Congregation and what prudence he used in suiting of his Câ—techisms to the age and strength of his little Câ—techumens But one thing I must observe which is That altho' there may be as one has computed no less than five hundred Catecoisms extant yet Mr. Eliot gave himself the Travail of adding to their number 〈◊〉 composing of some further Catechisms whicâ— were more particularly designed as an Antidoâ— for his own people against the Contagion oâ— such Errors as might threaten any peculiar danger to them And the effect and success of this Catechising bore proportion to the indefatigaâ—ble industry with which he prosecuted it it 〈◊〉 a well-principled people that he has left behinâ— him As when certain Jesuiâ—s were sent amoâ—g the Waldenses to corrupt their Children they returned with much Disappointment and Confusion because the Children of seven years old were well-principled enough to Encounter the most Learned of them all so if any Seducers were let loose to wolve it among the good people of Roxbury I am confident they would find as little prey in that well-instructed place as in any part of all the Countrey no civil Penalties would signify so much to save any people from the Snares of buisy Hereticks as the unwearied Catechising of one Eliot has done to preserve his people from the gangren of ill opinions There is a third instance of his Regards to the welfare of the poor Children under his charge and that is his perpetual Resolution and Activity to support a good School in the Town that belong'd unto him A Grammar School he would always have upon the place whatever it cost him and he importun'd all other places to have the like I can't forget the Ardour with which I once heard him pray in a Synod of these Churches which met at Boston to consider How the miscarriages which were among us might be prevented I say with what Fervour he uttered an Expression to this purpose Lord for Schools every where among us That our Schools may flourish That every Member of this Assembly may go home and procure a good School to be encouraged in the Town where he lives that before we dy we may be so happy as to see a good School encouraged in every Plantation of the Country God so blessed his Endeavours that Roxbury could not live quietly without a Free School in the Town and the issue of it has bin one thing which has made me almost put the Title of Schola Illustris upon that little Nursery that is that Roxbury has afforded more Scholars first for the Colledge and then for the Publick than any Town of its bigness or if I mistake not of twice its bigness in all New-England From the Spring of the School at Roxbury there have run a large number of the streams which have made glad this whole City of God I perswade my self that the good people of Roxbury will for-ever scorn to begrutch the Cost or to permit the Death of a School which God has made such an honour to them and this the rather because their Deceased Eliot has left them a fair part of his own Estate for the maintaing of the School in Roxbury and I hope or at least I wish that the Ministers of New-England may be as ungainsayably importunate with their people as Mr. Eliot was with his for Schools which may seasonably tinge the young Souls of the Rising Generation A want of Education for them is the blackest and saddest of all the bad Omens that are upon us Article V. His Church-Discipline IT yet more Endears unto us the Memory of our Eliot that he was not only an Evangelical Minister but also a true New-English one he was a Protestant and a Puritan and one very full of that Spirit which acted the first Planters of this Country in their peaceable Secession from the unwarrantable things elsewhere impos'd upon their Consciences The Judgment and Practice of one that readily underwent all the misery attending the Infancy of this Plantation for the sake of a true Church-order is a thing which we young people should count worthy to be enqâ—ired after and since we saw him so well behaving himself in the House of God it cannot but be worth while to know what he thought about the Frame and Form and Constitution of that blessed House He was a modest humble but very reasonable Nâ—n conformist unâ—o the Ceremonies which have bin such unhappy Apples of strife in the Church of England otherwise the dismal thickets of America had neâ—er seen such a person in them He could not count it lawful for him ordinarily to perform his Ministerial Acts of solemn and public Prayer by reading or using any Forms of Prayer composed by other persons for him as thousands of Preachers do at this day And thâ—s not only because an Abâ—lity to express the case of a Congregation in prayer is a Ministerihl Gift which our Lord forbids his Ministers to Neglect and a Minister that should only Read Forms of Sermons composed for him would as truly discharge the Duty of Preaching as one that shâ—â— only read such Forms of prayers would the dutâ— of praying in it but also because he could noâ— find that any Forms of prayer were used in anâ— part of the Church until about four hundred years after Christ nor any made for more than some single Province until sâ—x hundred years nor any imposed until eight hundred when all manner of Abominable Things began to be found in the Temple of God and he had over and above his particulrr Dissatisfactions at the English Liturgy for weighty causes rather increased than abated since his first notice of them He could not wear a Surplice in and for the Worship of God as well-knowing the Original of that unholy Vestment and agreeing with Dr. Abbot who was no Fanatick and yet says in his Book of Antichrist That all Priestly Garments whereby Ministers are distinguished from the rest of the Church are a special part of the character of the Beast He could not use the Cross in Baptism forasmuch as Dr. Taylor himself confesses 't is An Vninstituted Ceremony retained as a part of External Worship and so 't is as much a violatiion of the Second Commandment in the Law of our God as the oyl cream salt and spitâ—le
with which that Institution has been defiled by the Roman Catholicks Indeed he thought with Learned Parker That the Cross is the greatest Devil among the Idols of Rome He could not Kneel before the Eucharist inasmuch as it was a usage introduced about the thirteenth Century meerly to suit and serve the Idolatry of the Transubstantiation He conceived that no protestation of ours could now free this gesture from the just interpretation of Idolatry because of the antecedent interpretation put upon it by those that first contrived it enjoyned it and have hitherto maintained it and it affrighted him to read what the Popish Writers assert about Kneeling if the Sacramental Bread remain Bread after the Consecration He could not understand a Bishop that should not be ejusdem Jurisdictionis and much less one that should not be ejusdem Ordinis with a Presbyter and when he saw the Clergy of a whole Nation at length of late so much Annihilate themselves as to Subscribe unto Canons which took away from every Parish-Minister all Obligation to teach or Authority to rule in the Church of God he soon said upon it Vnto their Assembly mine Honour be not thou Vnited It afflicted him to see these and more such as these things continued in the Church of England by the Artifice of certain persons who were loth to have the Refomation carried on unto those further Degrees which the most eminent of the first Reformers had in their Holy Designs and it fill'd him with a just Horrour and sorrow to see above twenty Hundred faithful Ministers in one Black Day turned out of their employments and several Thousands of Christians and Families in a little while Ruined because they could not swallow down such unaccountable superstitions We see what was not his opinion but let us hear what it was It was his as well as his master the great Ramus â—s principle that in the Reformatiâ—e of Churches to be now endeavoured things ought to be Reduced unto the Order wherein we find them at tâ—eir Primitive Original Apostolical Institution And in pursuance of this principle he Justly Espoused that way of Church-Government which we call the Congregational he was fully perswaded that the Church-state which our Lord Christ hath instituted in the New Testament is In a Congregation or Society of Professed Believers Agreeing and Assembling together among themselves with Officers of Divine Appointment for the Celebration of Evangelical Ordinances and their own mutual Edification For he saw it must be a cruel hardship used upon the Scriptures to make them so much as Lisp the least intimation of any other Church-state prescrib d unto us and he could assert That no Approved Writers for the space of two hundred years after Christ make any mention of any other Organical Vâ—sible Professing Church but that onely which is Congregational He look'd upon the Congregational way as a Largess of Divine Bounty bestow'd by the Lord Jesus on his people that follow'd him into this Wilderness with a peculiar zeal for Communion with him in his pure Worship here He perceived in it a sweet sort of Temperament between Rigid Presbyterianism and Levelling Brownism So that on the one side the Liberties of the people are not oppressed and overlaid on the other side the Authority of the Elders is not rendred insignificant but a dâ—ie Ballance is herein kept upon them both And hence he closed with our platform of Church-Discipline as being the nearest of what he had yet seen to the pattern in the Mount He could not comprehend that this Church-state can arise from any other Formal cause But the Consent Concâ—rrence Confederation of those concerned in it he looked upon a Relation unto a Church as not a Natural or a Violent but a Voluntary thing and so that it is to be entred no otherwise than by an Holy Covenant or as the Scripture speaks by giving our selves first unto the Loâ—d and then one unto another He could not think that Baptism alone was to be accounted the cause but rather the effect of Church-member-ship inasmuch as upon the dissolution of the Church to which a man belongs his Baptism would not become a Nullity nor that meer â— rof ssum would render men members of this or that Church for then it would be impossible to cut off a corrupt member from that Body Politic Nor that meer Co-habitation would make Church-members for then the vilest infidels would be actually incorporated with us And a Covenant was all that he now saw remaining in the Inventory But for the Subjects to be admitted by Churches unto all the priviledges of this Fellowship with them he thought they ought to be such as a trying Charity or a charitable Tryal should pronounce Regenerate He found the first Churches of the Gospel mentioned in the Scripture to be Churches of Saints and that the Apostles writing to them still acknowledge them to be Holy Brethren and such as were made meet for to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light and that a main end of Church-fellowship is to represent unto the world the Qualifications of those that shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord and Stand in his Holy Place forever He would therefore have Bona Mens and Purum pectus and Vita Innocens required as Lactantius tells us they were in his Dayes of all Communicants at the Table of the Lord and with Holy Chrysostom he would sooner have given his Heart-blood than the Cup of the Lord unto such as had not the hopeful Marks of our Lord's Disciples on them The Churches of New-England still retain a Custom which the great Justin Martyr in the second Century assures us to have been in the Primitive Churches of his Time namely To Examine those they Receive not only about their perswasion but also whether they have attained unto a work of Grace upon their Souls In the prosecution hereof besides the Enquiries of the Elders into the Knowledge and Belief and Conversation of them that offer themselves unto Church-fellowship it is expected tho' I hope not with any severity of imposition that in the Addresses which theâ— make to the Churches they give some written if not oral Account of what impressions the Regenerating Word of God has had upon their Souls This was a Custum which this holy man had a marvellous esteem and value for and I have taken from his Mouth such as these Expressions very publickly delivered thereabouts It is matter said he of great Thankfulness that we have Christ Confessed in our Churches by such as we Receive to full Communion there They open the works of Christ in their Hearts and the Relation thereof is an eminent Confession of our Lord experienced Saints can gather more than a little from it It is indeed an Ordinance of wonderful benefit the Lord planted many Vineyards in the first Settlement of this Countrey and there were ma Noble Vines in them it was their Heavenly-mindedness which dispos'd them
Evangelist or one separated for the employment of Preaching the Gospel in such places where no Churches have hitherto been gathered be not an Office that should be continued in our days but this I know that our Eliot very notably did the Service and Business of such an Officer ¶ The Natives of the Countrey now Possessed by the New-Englanders had been forlorn and wretched Heathen ever since their first herding here and tho we know not When or How those Indians first became Inhabitants of this mighty Continent yet we may guess that probâ—bly the Divel decoy'd those miserable Salvages hither in hopes that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus would never come here to destroy or disturb his Absolute-Empire over them But our Eliot was in such ill terms with the Divel as to alarm him with sounding the Silver-Trumpâ—ts of Heaven in his Territories and make some Noble and Zealous Attempts towards outing him of his Ancient possessions here Just before the first Arrival of the English in these parts a prodigious Mortality had swept away vast Numbers of the poor Indians and those Pagans who being told by a Shipwrack'd Frenchman which dy'd in their hands That God would shortly extirpate them and introduce a more civil and worthy people into their place blasphemously reply'd That God could not kill them were quickly kill'd with such a raging and wasting Peâ—tilence as left the very earth covered with their Carcases Nevertheless there were I think Twenty several Nations if I may call them so of Indians upon that spot of ground which fell under the Influence of our Three Vniâ—â—d Colonies and our Eliot was willing to rescue as many of them as he could from that old usurping Land-Lord of America who is by the wrath of God the Prince of this world I cannot find that any besides the Holy Spirit of God first moved him to the blessed Work of Evangelizing these perishing Indians 't was that Holy Spirit which laid before his mind the Idaea of that which is now on the Seal of the Massachuset-Colony A poor Indian having a Label going from his mouth with a COME OVER AND HELP US It was the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ which enkindled in him a Pitty for the dark dying damning souls of these Natives whom the god of this world had blinded through all the By past Ages He was none of those that make The Salvation of the Heathen an Article of their Creed bâ—t setting aside the unrevealed and extraordinary Steps which the Holy One of Israel may take out of His usual Pathes he thought men to be lost if our Gospel be hidden from them and he was of the same Opinion with one of the Ancients who said Some have endeavoured to prove Plato a Christian till they prove themselves little better than Heathen It is indeed a principle in the Turkish Alcoran That Let a man's Religiâ—n be what it will he shall be saved if he conscientiously live up to the Rules of it but our Eliot was no Mahometan He could most heartily subscribe to that passage in the Articles of the Ch. of Engâ— They are to be held accursed who presume to say that every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law â—nd Light of Nature For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us Only the Name of Jesus Christ whereby men must be Saved And it astonished him to see many dissembling Subscribers of those Articles while they have grown up to such a Phrensy as to deny peremptorily all Church-state and all Salvation to all that are not under Diocesan Bishops yet at the same time to grant that the Heathen might be saved without the Knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ No it very powerfully moved his holy Bowels to hear the Thunderclapps of that Imprecation over the heads of our Naked Indians Pour out thy Fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and thought he What shall I do to rescue these Heathen from that all-devouring Fury But when this Charitable pitty had once begun to flame there was a concurrence of many things to cast Oyl into it All the good men in the Country were glad of his Engagement in such an undertaking the Ministers especially encouraged him and those in the Neighbourhood kindly supply'd his place and perform'd his work in part for him at Roxbury â—hile he was Abroad Labouring among them that were Without Hereunto he was further â—wakened by those expressions in the Royal Charter in the assurance and protection whereof this Wilderness was first peopled namely To win and incite the Natives of that Country to the knowledge and Obedience of the only true God and Saviour of Mankind and the Christian Faith in our Royal Intention and the Adventurers free profession is the principal end of the Plantation And the remarkable zeal of the Romish Missionaries compassing Sea and Land that they might make Proselytes made his devout Soul think of it with a further Disdain that we should come any whit behind in our care to Evangelize the Indians whom we dwelt among Lastly when he had well begun this Evangelical Business the good God in an answer to his Prayers mercifully stirred up a liberal Contribution among the godly people in England for the promoting of 〈◊〉 by means whereof a considerable Estate and Income was at length entrusted in the hands of an Honourable Corporation by whom 't is to this Day very carefully employ'd in the Christian Service which it was designed for And then in short inasmuch as our Lord Jesus had bestow'd on us our Eliot was gratefully and generously desirous to obtain for him The Heathen for an Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for a Possession The exemplary Charity of this excellent person in this important Affair will not be seen in its due Lustre unless we make some Reflections upon several circumstances which he behold these forlorn Indians in Know then that these doleful Creatures are the veriest Ruines of Mankind vvhich are to be found any vvhere upon the face of the Earth No such Estates are to be expected among them as have been the Bâ—â—â—s which the pretended Converters in other Countries haâ—e snapped at One might see among them what an hard master the Devil is to the most devoted of his Vassals These abject Creatures live in a Country full of Mines we have already made entrance upon out Iron and in the very surface of the ground among us there lies Coper enough to supplâ— all this world besides other Mines hereafter to be exposed but our shiftless Indians were never Owners of so much as a Knife till we come among them their name for an English man was a Knife man Stone was instead of Metal for their tools and for their Coins they have only little Beads with Holes in them to string them upon a bracelet whereof some are white and of these there go six for a
our Eliot's Disciples if it were not soâ— But how do they Pray We are told it is Without a Form bâ—cause from the Hearts which is as I remember â—ertullians Expression concerning the the prayers in the Assemblies of the Primitive Christians namely â—â—â—e â—honiâ—ore quia de pectore It is evident that the Primitive Christians had no stated Liturgies among them that no Forms of Prayers were in their time imposed upon the Ministers of the Gospel that eâ—en about the platform of prayer given us by our Lord it was the opinion of Austin himself not-withstanding the Advances made in his Age towards what we count Suâ—eâ—stitious that our Lord therein â—augâ—â— not what Words we should use in prayer but what Things we should pray for And whatever Sâ—â—â—â—â— the profanity of our days has abused that Pâ—â—raâ— and Thing withal Grâ—gâ—ry Nâ—ziaâ—zen in his dayâ— counted it thâ— Honour of his Fatherâ— publicâ—â—raâ—ers That he had them from and made the◠〈◊〉 the Holy Spirit Our Indians accordingly â—nd that if they study the Words of God and their own Sins and Wants and Wâ—es they shall â—â—on come to that Attainment Behold they pray They can pray with much Pertinence and Enlargement and would much wonder at it iâ— they should hear of an English Clergy that should Read their prayers out of a Book when they should pour out their Souls before the God of Heaven Their Preaching has much of Eliot and therefore you may be sure much of Scripture but perhaps more of the Christian than of thâ— Scholar in it I know not how to describe it better than by reciting the Heads of a Sermon â—ttered by an Indian on a Day of Hâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 kept by them at a time when great Râ—iâ—â— â—â—d given much Damage to their Fruits and Fieldâ— it was on this wise A little I shall say according to that little I kâ—oâ— Gen. 8.20 21. And Noah built an Altar unto Jehovah and be took of every clean Beast and of every clea◠〈◊〉 and offered burnt-offerings on the Altar And the Lord smelled a sweet savour and the Lord said in his heart I will not again Curse 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—â—nd â—n that Noah Sacrificed he show'd himself Thankful in that Noah worshipped he shew himself Godly In that he offered Clean beasts he show'd that God is an Holy God And all that come to god must be pure and clean Know that we must by Repentance purge our selves which is the work we are to do this Day Noah Sacrificed and so Worshipped This was the manner of old time But what Sacrifices have we now to offer I shall answer by that in Psal 4.5 Offer to God the Sacrifice of Righteousness and put your Trust in the Lord. These are the true Spiritual Sacrifices which God requireth at our hands the Sacrifices of Righteousness that is we must look to our hearts and ways that they be Righteous and then we shall be acceptable to God when we Worship him But if we be unrighteous unholy ungodly we shall not be accepted our Sacrifices will be stark naught Again We are to put our Trust in the Lord. Who else is there for us to trust in We must believe in the Word of God if we doubt of God or doubt of his Word our Sacrifices are little worth but if we trust stedfastly in God our Sacrifices will be good Once more what Sacrifices must we offer My Answer is we must offer such as Abraham offered And what a Sacrifice was that we are told in Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not with helâ— thy Son thy only Son from me It seems he had but one dearly beloved Son and he offered that Son to God and so God said I know thou fearest me Behold a Sacrifice in Deed and in Truth such an one must we offer Only God requires not us to Sacrifice our Sons but our Sins our dearest Sins God calls us this day to part with all our Sins tho' never so beloved and we must not with-hold any of them from him If we will not part with All the Sacrifice is not right Let us part with such Sins as we love best and it will be a good Sacrifice God smelt a sweet savour in Noahs Sacrifice and so will God receive our Sacrifices when we Worship him aright But how did God manifest his Acceptance of Noahs Offering 't was by promising to Drown the world no more but give us Fruitful Seasons God has chastised us of late as if he would utterly Drown us and he has Drowned and Spoiled and Ruin'd a great deal of our hay and threatens to kill our Cattel 'T is for this that we Fast and Pray this Day Let us then Offer a clean and pure Sacrifice as Noah did so God will smell a favour of Rest and he will with-hold the Rain and Bless us with such Fruitful Seasons as we are desiring of him Thus preached an Indian called Nishâ—kkon above thirty years ago and since that I suppose they have grown a little further into the New-English way of preaching you may have iâ— their sermons a Kuâ—kootonâ—wehteaâ—nk that is a Doctrine Nahtoâ—toâ—wchâ—â—aonk or an Answer a Wiâ—cheaâ—euonk or a Reason with an Ouworeank or an Uâ—â— for the close of all As for Holidays you may take it for granted our Eliot would not perswade his Indians to any Statted ones Even the Christmas-Festival it self he knew to be a stranger unto the Apostolical Times that the exquisite Vossius himself acknowledges 't was not Celebrated in the first or second Century and that there is a Truth in the words of the great Chemnuius Anniversarium Diem Natales Christi celebratum fuisse apud veâ—â—stissimos nunquam legitur He knew that if the Day of our Lords Nativity were to be observed it should not be in December that many Churches for divers Ages kept it not in December but in January that Chrysostom himself about four hundred years after our Saviour excuses the Novelty of the December season for it and confesses it had not been kept above ten years at Constantinople No that it should be rather in September in which Month the Jews kept the Feast that was a Type of our Lords Incarnation and Solomon also â—rought the Ark into the Temple for our Lord waâ— thirty years old when he entred upon his publick Ministry and he continued in it three years and an half Now his Death was in March and it is easy then to calculate when his Birth ought to be He knew that indeed God had hid this Day as he did the body of Moses to prevent Idolatry but that Antichrist had chose this day to accommodate the Pagans in their Licencious and their Debauched Sâ—turnâ—lia and that a Tertullian would not stick to say Shall we Christians who have nothing to do with the Festivals of the Jews which were once of Divine Institution embrace the Saturnalia of the Heathen How do the Gentiles shame us who are more true to their
Religion than we are to ours None of them will observe the Lords-day for fear lest they should be Christians and shall not we then by observing their Festivals fear lest we be made Ethnicks In fine it was his opinion That for us to have stated Holy Days which are not appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ is a deep Reflection upon the Wisdom of that glorious Lord and he brought up his Indians in the principles which the old Waldenses had about such unwarrantable Holydays Nevertheless he taught them to set apart their Days both for Fasting and Prayer and for Feasting and Praise when there should be Extraordinary Occasions for them and they perform the duties of these Days with a very laborious Piety One party of the Indians long since of their own Accord kept a Day of Supplication together wherein one of them discoursed upon Psal 66.7 He Rules by his power for ever His Eyes behold the Nations let not the Rebellious exalt themselves And when one asked them afterwards what was the Reason of their keeping such a day they reply'd It was to obtain five mercies of God First That God would slay the Rebellion of their hearts Next that they might love God and one another Thâ—rdly that they might withstand the Temptations of wicked men so that they might not be drawn back from God Fourthly that they might be Obedient unto the counsils and commands of their Rulers Fifthly that they might have their sins done away by the Redemption of Jesus Christ And lastly that they might walk in the good wayes of the Lord. I must here embrace my opportunity to tell the world that our Cautious Eliot was far from the opinion of those who have thought it not only warrantable but also commendable to Adopt some Heathenish Usages into the Worship of God for the more easy and speedy gaining of the Heathen to that Worship The policy of treating the Paegan Rites as the Jews were to do Captives before they married them to shave their Hair and pare their Nails our Eliot counted as ridiculous as pernicious He knew that the Idolatries and Abominations of Popery were founded in thiâ— way of Proselyâ—ing the barbarous Nations which made their Descent upon the Roman Empire and he look'd upon the like methods which the Protestants have used that they might ingratiate themselves with the Papists and that our Separation from them should become the less dangerous and sensible to be the most sensible and dangerous wound of the Reformation Wherefore as no less a man than Dr. Henry Moor says about our Compliances with the Papists which are a sort of Pagans Their Conversion and Salvation being not to be compassed by needless Symbolizing with them in any thing I conceive our best policy is studiously to imitate them in nothing but for all indifferent things to think rather the worse of them for their using of them As no person of Honour would willingly go in the known Garb of iâ—famous persons Whatsoever we Court them in they do but turn it to our scorn and contempâ— are the more hardened in their own wickedness To act upon this principle is the design and glory of New-England And our Eliot was of this perswasion when he brought his Indians to a pure plain Scripture Worship He would not gratify them with a Samaritan sort of blended mixed Worship and he imagined as weâ—l he might that the Apostle â—aul's first Epistle to the Câ—rinthians had enough in it for-ever to deter us all from such Unchristian and unhappy â—emporizing I A Comparison between what the New-Englanders have done for the Conversion of the Indians and what has been done elsewhere by the Roman Catholicks IT is to be confessed That the Roman Catholicks have a Clergy so very Numerous and so little Encumbred and are Masters of such prodigious Ecclesiastical Revenues as renders it very easy for them to exceed the Protestants in their Endeavours to Christianize the Pagan Salvages Nor would I Reproach but rather Applaud their Industry in this matter wishing that we were all touched with an Emulation of it Nevertheless while I commend their Industry they do by their Clamours against the Reformed Churches upon this account oblige me to tax divers very scandalous things in the Missions which they make pro propaganda side throughout the world and therewithal to compare what has been done by that little Handful of Reformed Churches in this Country whâ—ch has in divers Regards out-dyie the furthest Efforts of popery The Attainments which with Gods help we have carried up our Indiâ—ns unto are the chief Honour and Glory of our Labours with them The Reader will smile perhaps when I tell him that by an odd accident there are lately fallen into my hands the Manuscripts of a Jesuite whom the French Employ'd as a Missionary among the Western Indians in which Papers there are both a Catechism containing the principles which those Heathen are to be instructed in and Cases of Conscience referring to their Conversations The Catechism which is in the â—roquoise Language a Language remarkable for this that there is not so much as one Labiâ—l in it with a Translation annexed has one Chapter about Heaven and another about Hell wherein are such Thick-skull'd passages as these Q. How is the Soyl made in Heaven A. 't is a very fair Soil they want neither for Meats nor Cloths 't is but Wishing and we have them Q. Are they employ'd in Heaven A. No they do nothing the fields yeeld Corn Beans Pumpkins and the like without any Tillage Q what sort of trees are there A. Always Green-Full and Florishing Q. Have they in Heaven the same Sun the same wind the same Thunder that we have here A. No the Sun ever shines 't is always fair weather Q. But how their Fruits A. In this one quality they exceed ours that they are never wasted you have no sooner pluck't one but you see another presently hanging in its Room And after this rate goes on the Catechism concerning Heaven Concerning Hell it thus discourses Q What sort of a Soyl is that of Hell A. A Very wretched Soyl 't is a fiery pitt in the Center of the Earth Q. Have they any light in Hell A. No. T is alwayes Dark there 's alwayes Smoke there their eyes are alwayes in pain with it they can see nothing but the Divels Q. What shap'd things are the Divels A. Very ill shap'd things they go about with Vizards on and they terrify men Q. What do they Eat in Hell A. They are alwayes Hangry but the Damned feed upon hoâ—â— Ashes and Sâ—rpents there Q Wâ—â—â—â—ver have they to Dâ—ink A. Horrid water nothing but melted lead Q. Don't they Dy in Hell A. Nâ— yet they eat one another every day But anoâ— God restâ—res and renewes the Man that was eaten as a cropt Plant in a little time repullâ—laâ—es It seems they have not thought this Divinity too Grâ—ss for the Barbariams But I shall makâ— no
the late Government who made it their business to encroach upon their Lands and by degrees to drive them out of all But how many other Laws we made in favour of the Indians 't is not easy to reckon up T was one of our Laws That for the further encouragement of the hopeful work among them for the Civilizing and Christianizing of them any Indian that should be brought unto Civility and come to live orderly in any English Plantation should have such Allotments among the English as the English had themsâ—lves And that if a competent number of them should so come on to civility as to be capable of a Township the General Court should grant them Lands for a Plantation as they do unto the English Altho we had already bought up their Claims unto our Lands We likewise had our Laws That if any of our Cattle did any damage to their Corn we should make them ample satisfaction and that we should give them all manner of Assistance in Fencing of their Fields And because the Indians are excessively given unto the vice of Drunkenness which was a vice unknown to them until the English brought Strong-drink in their way we have had a severe Law against all selling or giving any Intoxicating Liquors to them It were well if this Law were more severely Executed By this time I hope I have stop'd the calumnious Exclamations of the Roman Catholicks against the Churches of the Reformation for neglecting to Evangelize the Natives of the Indies But let me take this occasion to address the Christian Indians of my own Country into some of whose Hands 't is likely this little Book may come ¶ Behold yee Indians what love what care what cost has been used by the English here for the Salvation of your precious and immortal Souls It is not because we have expected any Temporal Advantage from you that we have been thus concerned for your good No 't is God that ha's caused us to desire his Glory in your Salvation and our hearts have bled with Pitty over you when we have seen how horribly the Devil Oppress'd you in this and Destroy'd you in another world It is much that has been done for you we have put you into a way to be happy both on Earth while you live and in Heaven when you Dy. What can you think will become of you if you slight all these Glorious offers methinks you should say to your-selves Vttoh woh kittinne peh quoh humunan mishanantamog ne mohsag wadchaniltuonk You all beleeve that your Teacher ELIOT was a Good and a Brave Man and you would count it your Blessedness to be forever with him Nevertheless I am to tell you that if you don't become Real and Thorough and Holy Châ—istians you shall never have a comfortable sight of him any more You know how he has Fed you and Cloath'd you as well as Taught you you know how his Bowels yerned oâ—er you even as tho' you had been his Children when he saw any afflâ—ctions come upon you but if he find you among the wicked in the Day of Judgment which he so often warn'd you of he will then be a Dreadful Witness against you and when the Lord Jesus passes that sentence on you Depart ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire with the Divel and his Angels even your own ELIOT will then say Amen unto it all Now to deale plainly with you there are two Vices which many of you are too prone unto and which are utterly inconsistent with a True Christianity One of those Vices is that of Idleness If you had a Disposition to follow an Honest Calling what should hinder you from growing as Considerable in your Estates as many of your English Neighbours whereas you are now poor mean ragged starved contemptible and miserable and instead of being able as your English Neighbours do to support the ordinances of God you are beholden to them not only for maintaining of those Blessed ordinances among you but for many other kindnesses And have you indeed forgot the Commandment of God which has been so often laid before you Six Days shalt thou Labour for shame apply your selves to such Labour as may bring you into more Handsome Circumstances But the other of those Vices is that of Drunkenness There are godly English Neighbours of whom you should learn to Pray but there are some of you that learn to Drink of other profane debauch'd English Neighbours Poor Creatures 't is by this Iniquity that Satan still keeps Possession of many Souls among you as much as if you were still in all your woful Heathenism and how often have you been told Drunkards shall not inherit the Kingdom of God I beseech you to be sensible of the mischiefs to which this thing exposes you and never dream of escaping the Vengeance of Eternal Fire if you indulge your selves in this A ccuâ—sed Thing I have done when I have wish d That the Gospel of the Lord Jesus may always Run and be Glorify'd among you The CONCLUSION Or ELIOT Expiring BY this time I have doubtless made my Readers loth to have me tell what now remains of this little History doubtless they are wishing that this John might have Tarried until the Second Coming of our Lord. But alas All-Devouring Death at last snatch'd him from us and slighted all those Lamentations of ours My Father My Father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen there f When he was become a sort of Miles Emerituâ— began to draw near â—â—s End he grew still more Heavenly more Savoury more Divine and Scented more of thâ— spicy Country at which he was ready to put a shoar As the Historian observes of Liberius That when his Life and Strength were going from him his Vice â—et remained with him on the contrary the Grace of this Excellent Man rather increased than abated when every thing else was dying with him 'T is too usual with Old men that when they are past work they are least sensible of their inabilities and incapacities and can scarce endure to see another succeeding them in any part of their Office But our Eliot was of a Temper quite contrary thereunto for finding many Months before his Expiration That he had not strength enough to Edify his Congregation with publick Prayers and Sermons he importun'd his people with some impatience to â—all another Minister professing himself unable to Dy with Comfort until he could see a â—ood Successor ordained settled fixed among them For this cause he also cry'd mightily unto the Lord Jesus our Ascended Lord that he would give such a Gift unto Roxbury and he sometimes call'd his whole Town together to joyn with him in a East for suâ—h a blessing As the return of their Supplications our Lord quickly bestow'd upon them a person young in years but old in Discretion Gravity and Experience and one whom the Church of Roxbury hopes to find A Pastor after God's own Heart It was Mr. Nehemiah Walter
the Blessed FLIOâ— justly counted worthy of his utmost pains and cares It was the confession of â—hemistâ—cleâ— that the victorieâ— of Mâ—ltiâ—â—eâ— would not let him sleep in quie ness may those of our Eliot raise a like emutation in those that have now seen the life of this evangelical Heâ—â— When one Robert Baâ—ly manâ— years ago published a Book wherein several Gâ—oss Lieâ— by wh ch the name of that JOHN COTTON who was known to be one of the Holiest Men then alive was most Injuriously made odious unto the Churches abroad were accompanied with some Reflections upon poor New England whereof this was one The way of their Churches hath most exceedingly hindred the conversion of the poor Pagans of all that ever crossed the American seas they are noted as most neglectful of the work of conversion We have now seen those Aspersions and Calumnies aboundantly wip'd away But let that which has been the Vindication of New England be also the Aemulation of the world for shame let not poor little New England be the only Protestant country that shall do any Notable thing for the propagation of the Faith unto those Dark corners of the Earth which are ful of cruel Habitations But the Addresses of so mean a person as my self are like to prevail but little abroad with men of Learning and Figure in the world However I shall presume to utter my Wishes in the sight of my Readers and it is possible that the Great God who despises not the prayer of the poor may by the Influences of his Holy Spirit upon the Hearts of some whose Eyâ—s are upon these lines give a Blessed Answer thereunto Wherefore May the people of New Eâ—gland who have seen so sensible a Difference between the estates of those that sell Drink and of those that preach Truth unto the miserable salvages among them as that even this alone might inspire them yet from a nobler consideration than that of their own outward prosperity thereby advanced be encouraged still to prosecute first the Civilizing and then the Christianizing of the Barbarians in their Neighbourhood and may the New-Englanders be so far Politick as well as Religions as particularly to make a Mission of the Gospel unto the mighty Nations of the Western Indiâ—ns whom the French have been of late so studiously but so unsuccessfully Tampering with lest those horrid Pagans who lately as 't is credibly affirmed had such a measure of Devilism and Insolence in them as to shoot a Volley of great and small Sâ—ot agaâ—nst the Heavens in Revenge upon The Man in the Heavens as theâ— called our Lord whom they counted the Author of the heavy Calamities which newly have distressed them be found spared by our Long-suffering Lord who then indeed presently â—ore the Ground asunder with immediate and horrible Thunders from Heaven round about them but kill'd them not 〈◊〉 for a Scourge to Vs that have not â—sâ—d our advantages to make a vertuâ—us people of them If a King of the West Saxons long since ascribed all the Disasters on any of their Affaâ—rs to Negligencies in this point methâ—nks the New-Englanders may not count it unreasonable in this way to seek their own prosperity Shall we do what we can that our Lord Jesus may bestow upon Ameâ—icâ— which may more justly be call'd Columba that Salutation O my Dâ—ve May the several Plantations that live upon the Labours of their Negroes no more be guilty of such a prodigious wickedness as to deride neglect and oppose all due means of bringing their poor Negroes unto our Lord but may the Masters of whom God will one day require the Souls of the Slaves committed unto them see to it that like Abraham they have Catechised Servants and not imagine that the Almighty God made so many thousands of Reasonable creatures for nothing but only to serve the Lusts of Epicâ—res or the gains of Mammonists lest the God of Heaven out of meer Pity if not Justice unth those unhappy Black be provoked unto a vengeance which may not without Horrour be thought upon Lord when shall we see Ethiopians â—ead thy Scriptures with Vnderstanding May the Eâ—glish Nation do what may be done that the Welch may not be destroy'd for the lack of Knowledge lest our indisposition to do for their Souls bring upon us all those Judgments of Heaven which Gildâ—s their Country-man once â—old them that theâ— suffered for their disâ—â—â—ards unto ouâ— and may the â—â—sandous Massacres of the English by the Irish awaken the Eâ—glish to consider whether they have done enough to reclaim the Irish from the Popish â—igottries and Abominations with which they have been intoxicated May the several Fâ—ctories and Companies whose Concerns ly in Asia Africa or America be perswaded as Jacob once and before him his Grandfather Abraham was That they always owe unto God certain Proportions of their Possâ—ssions by the honest payments of which little Quit-rents they would certainly secure and enlarge their Enjoyment of the Principal but that they are under a very particular obligation to Communicate of our Spiritual Things unto those Heathen by whose Carnal Things they are Enriched And may they therefore make it it their study to employ some able and pious Ministers for the instruction of those Infidels with whom they have to deal and honourably support such Ministers in that Employment May the poor Greeks Armentans Muscovites and others in the Eastern Countrys wearing the Name of Christians that have little Preaching and no Printing and few Bibles or good Books now at last be furnished with Bibles Orthodox Catechisms and Praâ—tical Treatises by the Charity of England and may our Presses provide good stores of good Books for them in their own Tongues to be scattered among them Who knowes what convulsions might be hastened upon the whole Mahometan World by such an extensive charity May sufficient Numbers of great wise rich learned and godly men in the three kingdomes procure well-composed Socieâ—ies by whose united counsels the Noble Design of Evangelizing the world may be more effectually carried on and if some generous persons will of their own Accord combine for such consultations who can tell but like some other Celebrated Societies heretofore formed from such small Beginnings they may soon have that countenance of Authority which may produce very glorious Effects and give opportunity to gather vast Contributions from all well disposed people to Assist and Advance this progress of Christianity God forbid that popery should expend upon cheating more than ten times what we do upon Saving the Immortal Souls of men Lastly May many worthy men who find their circumstances will allow of it get the Language of some Nations that are not yet brought home to God and wait upon the Divine Providence for Gods Leading them to and Owning them in their Apostolical undertakings When they Remember what Ruffinus relates concerning the conversion of the Iberians and what Socrates with other Authors relates concerning the conversion wrought by occasion of Frumentius Aedesius in the Inner India all as it were by Accident surely t wil make them Try whaâ— may be done by Design for such things now in our Days Thus let them see whether while we at home in the midst of wearisome Temptations are Angling with Rods which now and then catch one Soul for our Lord they shall not be Fishing with Nets which will bring in many thousands of those concerning whom with unspeakable Joy in the Day of the Lord they may say Behold I and the Children which God has given me Let them see whether supposing they should prosper no farther than to Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom in all the World for a witness unto all Nations yet the End which is then to come will not bring to them the more happy Lott wherein they shall Stand that are found so Doing Let no man be discouraged by the Difficulties which the Devil will be ready to clog such Attempts against his Kingdome with for I will take leave so to Translate the words of the wise man in Prov. 27.4 what is able to stand before ZEAL I am well satisfy'd that if men had the Wisdom To discern the Signs of the Times they would be all Hands at Work to spread the Name of our JESUS into all the Corners of the Earth Grant it O my God and Lord Jesus Come Quickly FINIS ERRATA PAge 26. line 7. for of r. as p. 48. l. 19. f. Ministry r. Magistracy p. 58. l. 3. r. Second p. 77. l. 22. r. Corporation p. 87. l. 16. r. Reflection p. 120. l. 1. f. Answer r. Question and add Sampooaonk or an Answer
pâ—ovide for your own security My Counsel to you is get an Interest in the Blessâ—d Lord Jesus Christ and that will carry you to the worlds end His Third was also a Son born Dâ—cemb 20 A. C. 1038. Hâ—â— he call'd Joseph and made a Joseph of him This person is at this time a Paâ—tor to the Church at Gâ—â—ford and One of great Note as well thro' the whole Countrey as in the particular Colony of Connecticus which God has made hâ—m considerable to His Fourth was a Samuel born June 22 A. C. 164 who dy'd a most lovely young man eminent for Learning and Goodness a Fellow of the Colledge and a Candidâ—te of the Ministry His Fifâ—h was an Aaron born Feb. 15. A. C. 1643 who tho he dy'd very young yet first manifested many good things towaâ—ds thâ— Lord God of Israel His Last was a Benjamin born Jan. 29. A. C. 1646. Of all these three it may be said as it was of Haran They dyd before their Father but it may also be written over their Graves All these dy'd in Faith By the pious Design of their Father they were all Consecrated unto the Service of God in the Ministry of the Gospel but God saw meet rather to fetch them away by a Death wâ—ich therefore I dare not call Praemature to glorify him in another and a better world They all gave such Demonstrations of their Conversion to God that the good old man would somtimes comfortably say I hâ—ve had six Child en and I bless God for His Freâ—-grace they are all either with Christ or in Christ and my mind is now at rest concerning them And when some asked him how he could bear the Death of such excellent Children his humble Reply thereto waâ—â—his My desire was that they should have servâ—d God on Earth but if God will choose to have theâ—â—ather serve Him in Heaven I have nothing to obâ—ect against it but His Will be done His Benjamin was made the Son of his Righâ—-hand for the inâ—itation of the good people at Râ—xbury placed â—im in the same Pulpit with his Father where â—e was his Assiâ—tent for many years there they â—ad a Proof of him that as a Son wiâ—h his Father â—e served with him in the Gospel But his Fate â—as like that which the great Gregory Nazianâ—â—n describes in his Discourse upon the Death â—f his honourable Brother his aged Father beâ—â—g now alive and present My Father having â—id up in a better worlâ— a rich Inheritance for his Children sent a Son of his before to take possessioâ— of it Praeliminary II. Mr. Eliots early Conversion sacred Employment and just Removal into America But all that I have hitherto said is no more than an entrance into the History of our Eliot Such an Enoch as he must have something more than these things recorded of him his Walk with God must be more largely laid before the world as a thing that would bespeak us all to be Followers no less than we shall be Admirers of it He had not passed many Turns in the world before he knew the meaning of a saving Turn from the Vanities of an Unregenerate State unto God in Christ by a true Repentance he had the singular happiness and priviledge of an early Conversion from the Ways which Original Siâ— disposes all men unto One of the principâ—l instruments which the God of Heaven used in tingeing and filling the mind of this choseâ— Vâ—ssâ—l with good principles was that Venerable Thomas Hâ—okâ—r whose Name in the Churches oâ— the Lord Jesus is As an Oyntment poured forth even â—hat Hâ—oker of whom worthy Master Fuller could write As Latymer would not stick 〈◊〉 say Saint Bilney so neither I to say Saint Hookeâ— that Hooker who having Angled many scores 〈◊〉 Souls into the Kingdom of Heaven at last aâ— his â—ones in our New-England it was an acquaintance with him that contributed more than a little to the Accomplishment of our Elisha for that work unto which the most High designed him His liberal Education having now the Addition of Religion to direct it and improve it it gave such a Biass to his young Soul as quickly discovered it self in very signal instances His first Appearance in the world after his Education in the Vniversity was in the too difficult and unthankful but very necessary Employment of a School-master which Employment he discharged with a good fidelity And as this first Essay of his Improvement was no more Disgrace unto him than it was unto the famous Hieron Whitaker Vines and others that they thus began to be serviceable so it rather prepared him for the further service which his mind was now set upon He was of worthy Mr. Thomas Wilson's mind that the calling of a Minister was the only one wherein a man might be more serviceable to the Church of God than in that of a School-master Wherefore having Dedicated himself unto God betimes he could not Reconcile himself to any lesser way of Serving his Creator and Redeemer than the Sacred Ministry of the Gospel but alas where should he have Opportunities for the Exercising of it The Laudian Grotian and Arminian Faction in the Church-of England in the prosecution of their Grand-plot for the reducing of England unto a moderate sort of Popery had pitched uâ— on this as one of their cursed methods for it namely to creeple as fast as they could all thâ— Learned Godly Painful Ministers of the Nation and invent certain Sinboleths for the detecting and the destroying of such men as were cordial Friends to the Reformation 'T was now 〈◊〉 time when there were every day multiplied and imposed those unwarrantable Ceremonies in the Worship of God by which the Conscience of our considerate Eliot counted the second Commandment notoriously violated it was a time when such memorable Bishops as Wren and Pierce with others of â—hâ—t Coâ—spiracy silenced censured and ruined such Ministers as would not Read a Bâ—ok for Sports on the Lords Dayes or did but use a Prayer of their own conceiving before or after Sermon or did but Preach on anâ— Afâ—ernoon as well as in a morning or on a Lecture or on a Market or did but explain the Church-Catechism or in any wise discountenance the old Pagan Superstitions or new beastly Debaucheries among their miserable Neighbours Moreover t was now a time when some hundreds of those amiable people which had the Nick-name of Puritans puâ— upon them transported themselves with their whole Familieâ— and Interests into the Desarts of America thaâ— they might here peaceably Erect Congregation Churches and therein aâ—tend and maintain alâ— the pure Institutions of the Lord Jesus Christ having the encouragement of Royal Charters that they should never have any interruption in the Enjoyment of those precious and pleasant things Here was a prospect which quickly determined the devout Soul of our young Eliot unto a Remove into New-England while it was yet a Land not sown he quickly Listed himself among those