with them only I still feared man after I heard the same word again to perswade us to pray to God and I did so but not for Gods sake only it was before man I remembred the Sabbath and I heard Mr Mathews also preach of it and therefore I thought I would keep the Sabbath but still I feared man Upon a Sabbath they wished me to teach what I remembred that the Minister had taught I did so and we had talk about what I said and we fell out Thereupon I went away and left praying to God I went into the Countrey but I remembred my wife and children and quickly returned but not for Gods sake Again the Minister preached on 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my son know the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imagination of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever This greatly troubled me because I had left praying to God and I had deserved eternall wrath Then I desired to pray I begged mercy but I knew not what to do for my sins were many my heart was full of originall sin and my heart was often full of anger but then I was angry at my self for I found my heart quickly carried after sin Afterward through the free mercy of God I heard that word He that penitently believeth in Christ shall be pardoned and saved then my heart did beg earnestly for pardon and mercy I heard Ioh. 15. Whatever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it you therefore my heart did now greatly beg for mercy in Christ and pardon Afterward I heard Mat. 5. 28. Who ever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery in his heart Then my heart was troubled because many were my sins in my eies and heart and actions too My heart did love the having of two wives and other lusts of that kind Then Satan said to me You are a great sinner and God will not pardon you therefore cast off praying and run away it is a vain thing for you to pray Here you want land but in the Countrey there is land enough and riches abundance therefore pray no more My heart did almost like it but I heard that word Mat 4. Satan tempted Christ and shewed him the Kingdoms of the world and the glory thereof and promised to give them to him if he would worship him Then my heart said that even thus Satan tempteth me to cast off praying to God and therefore my heart desired to believe that word of Christ Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Then I prayed again but still I was full of sin and very weak I was and I loved sin Again I heard Ioh. 14. I am the Way the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me Then I fully saw that Christ only is our Redeemer and Saviour and I desire to believe in Christ and my heart said that nothing that I can do can save me only Christ therefore I beg for Christ and a part in him Then said my heart I give my heart and my self to Christ and my wife and children let him do with us what he will Then my mother and two children died and my heart said What Christ will do so be it I have given them to him and I begged pardon and mercy if God will please to pardon me a poor sinner blessed be his name When I had read this Confession in the Assembly we called upon the witnesses as before we did whose answer was like as before it was John Speen Hee was next called forth and thus spake I Confess my sins this day before the Lord and not only before God but before all these people Before I prayed verily I was a great sinner yea in my mothers womb I was a sinner my sins are such as not only God knows but people also know them Before our praying I did thorowly sin and did commit all sins and now I confess these my sins before God After I prayed I did alos live in sin At first when I prayed I did not worship God nor believe in Christ but I did therefore pray because my brothers and friends and Waban and the rest did pray for their sakes I prayed And again I therefore prayed because many English knew me that I might please them and because I saw the English took much ground and I thought if I prayed the English would not take away my ground for these causes I prayed When I prayed it was but with my mouth yet I thought I do well enough in that I pray thus and I thought that for it God will pardon all my sins and I thought that my praying was good enough But yet again I sinned and did the like sins as before only I did outwardly pray but I mourned not for my sins I thought if we pray and leave Pauwauing who shall make us well when we are sick But again I thought man could not make us well because he must die himself and therefore Pauwauing is a vain thing and they die though they Pauwau But still my heart did not believe praying to God then I heard that word Repent and believe and if we repent and believe God will pardon all our sins Then sometimes I repented yet again quickly I committed sin and sometimes I thought I am throughly a sinner I heard that God made the world and all things in it and lastly man and that God formed him of the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life and he became a living soul and that God made a Covenant with Adam that he should eat of all the Trees of the Garden save one in the midst of the Garden and if he eat of that Tree he should die Then I understood that Adam sinned fell and thereby I uneerstood that I became a sinner born in sin my heart full of sin and God will not pardon sinners and yet again I sinned and therefore I feared that God will not pardon me because more and more I sinned and thus I sinned after praying as well as before praying When they chose Rulers and chose my brother and not me my heart was in an evil frame and then I thought sure I am a great sinner and yet still I was more and more a sinner After my brothers loved me still and then I repented of my sins but not for Gods sake but for my brothers sake then I desired to pray as long as I live My brother died which troubled me the people said Be you in your brothers place then my heart thought I will no more do as I had done but sure I was weak my praying was but words I was a great sinner After this a while since I heard that
A further Account of the progress OF THE GOSPEL Amongst the Indians In New England BEING A Relation of the Confessions made by several Indians in the presence of the Elders and Members of several Churches in order to their admission into Church-fellowship Sent over to the Corporation for Propagating the Gospel of Iesus Christ amongst the Indians in New England at London by Mr Iohn Elliot one of the Laborers in the Word amongst them LONDON Printed by Iohn Macock 1660. TO ALL That love the Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity and have a zeal for the propagation of Gospel-light to those who sit in darkness Grace and peace be multiplyed Brethren IT was the holy ambition and strife of the Apostle Paul that chosen Vessel to bear the Name of Christ before the Gentiles to preach the Gospel where Christ was not named lest hee should seem to build upon another mans foundation Rom. 15. 20. To hand on a good work begun by another is very commendable and shall not loose its reward but to break the ice and begin a good work is very honourable and shall surely have a great reward I am much perswaded it hath been the gracious strife I am sure it hath been the lot of many of our faithfull Brethren in New England to preach the Gospel where Christ was not named before and the Lord hath given a signal Testimony that they have not laboured in vain Wee reade of the First-fruits of Achaia unto Christ Rom. 16. 5. and again 1 Cor. 16. 15. Wee have also heard both of the First-fruits and Second-fruits of India in New England unto Christ and these are a fair assurance of a plentifull harvest there in due time A blessed Foundation is laid yea the Building begins to appear above ground in the visible profession or professed subjection of many poor Souls unto the Gospel of Christ May wee not therefore hopefully expect that the Top-stone shall be set up with a shout of Grace Grace to it Hee that attentively readeth the Report which is made in the following Collection of the Examinations and Confessions of several Native Indians who have been wrought upon by the preaching of the Word in the Wilderness will see much cause to admire the free grace and goodness of God to them as also his mighty power and the revealing of his arme in them What strong and clear convictions of sin both of the sinfulness of their natures and of the sins of their lives have they been under who lay before dead in trespasses and sins wholly alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them What strugglings and strivings with corruption and temptation do they speak of before they could come off from sin and from that vain conversation received by tradition from their Fore-fathers What wrestlings had they with unbelief before they could close with Christ in the promise What full resignations of themselves have they made to the commands of Christ after closing with him by faith in the promise Yea what hungrings and thirstings do some of them express for more intimate communion with Christ in attendance upon all his Ordinances in a Church-state or holy Fellowship with his People Surely what these late Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel have found and declared as their spiritual experiences about the dealings of God with their hearts in bringing them off from sin and home to himself may shame many among us who have been born and bred up in the aire and sound of the Gospel all their dayes I may not unfitly make use of those Prophesies of Moses and Esaias concerning the Iewes and Gentiles and so applyed by the Apostle Paul Rom. 10. 19 20 21. in this present case between us in England and the Indians The Lord hath begun to provoke us to Jealousie by them that were no people and by a foolish Nation hee hath angred us hee is found of them that sought him not hee is made manifest to them that asked not after him but all the day long hath hee stretched out his hands unto us a disobedient and gainsaying people Conversions are grown somewhat rare that 's sad in England and such accounts of Conversion much more rare And as we finde but few able to give any passable account of their conversion to God so wee finde not a few offended at the requiring and taking of it before admission into compleat Church-communion Wee have many who profess the Religion they were born in but wee have comparatively only a few who profess Religion upon the evidences of their New-Birth And that 's one great reason why the Church and the world the pretious and the vile are in so lamentable a mixture in most places at this day It were a very desireable mercy that the practise and example of our native Brethren yea of the native Indians in New England might kindle in us the fire of a blessed emulation in this matter and that the Ministers of the Gospel would every where exspect and diligently enquire after some hopefull proofs of the work of Grace from all those who in their own right partake of those higher Priviledges the Seals of the Covenant of Grace Doubtless then Churches would appear more like Churches in the beauties of Holiness and the fruits of the presence of Christ would be more gloriously visible in them The great thing which wee upon whom the ends of the world are come should earnestly pray endeavour and wait for is that the new Jerusalem may be seen coming down from heaven like a Bride adorned for her Husband and to be any way rightly instrumentall for the bringing in of this glory is a piece of the best Glory which wee are capable of on this side our heavenly Glory 'T was therefore a very gracious as well as a noble Design to create and establish a Corporation in this our England to receive improve mannage and issue a free contribution and the profits arising from it for the constant support encouragement and promotion of this work of Christ in That Other England Nor can wee but with much thankfulness to God take notice of the liberal charity of many who have already contributed to it as also of the faithfulness diligence prudence and Godly zeal of those worthy Persons who are entrusted with the disposal of those Contributions And because as the whole Work is great so there are some great parts of it now in hand as the Printing of Davids Psalms and the New Testament besides an intendment of printing the whole Bible in the Indian Language which must needs be a work of great charge as well as of excellent use for these reasons I say it would be a most acceptable Charity either to procure or advance additional Contributions How can any honour the Lord better with their perishing substance then by forwarding a Design which may be a means to keep thousands of Souls from perishing Yea what an honour will it be to this whole Nation that
you shall have pardon and be saved and therefore sometime I believe and sometimes I doubt again Afterward I had temptation to drinking and to vain courses nigh half a year yet when Sabbath came my heart would turn to God when the Soldiers came upon us on the Sabbath while wee were at meeting and made us bring our guns hither then my heart said Sure God hath not said Keep the Sabbath day holy and then my heart cast off God yet it was only in my heart When wee came to the Magistrates and Cutshamoquin asked Why they came on the Sabbath day my heart was troubled and I did believe when wee went from the Magistrates I was thirsty and I drank a great deal and I was drunk and was carried before the Magistrates and then I was ashamed Then I came to the Ministers house and I was greatly ashamed and my heart said Sure I have now cast off praying to God but I repented and cryed to God Oh God pardon all my sins and this my sin for my sins are great I had other temptations to drinking and I found my heart weak and doubting but my heart was troubled and I was ready to stumble like a little weak childe After this I heard that word of God Mat. 12. Do yee not remember what David did on the Sabbath day and was blamelesse Then I thought the Souldiers did not sin but then I saw that I was a great sinner and that I had broken the Sabbath Again I heard that word Mat. 3. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire and this troubled mee because I had evil fruits Again Mat. 6. Christ saith Be ye not like hypocrites which seem to pray before men I thought this was my case I did only pray before men but I doubted of Christ and his Grace Again Mat. 5. Who ever breaks the least of Gods Commandements and teach men so to do shall be least in the Kingdom of heaven Then I was troubled because I had been an active sinner in lust and other sins and I was worse then a beast in my sins Then I cryed to God Oh Christ pardon all my great sins Oh Christ have mercy on mee Oh God remember mee to pardon all my sins Thus I cryed and desired pardon but I was weak in believing But then about two years after I was greatly troubled about my weakness I desired to do well but I was weak Then I cryed to God Oh God help mee by thy spirit in mee and send thy spirit into my heart Sometimes I read and taught on the Sabbath day but weakly Then I heard Mat. 23. Christ bid the people do what the Scribes and Pharisees said but not do as they do I said Lord that is my case I teach better then I do and therefore I desired repentance for my sin and to forsake my sin Then Mat. 7. Christ saith Thou hypocrite first cast the beam out of thy own eye and then thou mayst see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brothers eye My heart said Truly it is so I teach others but I do not well my self I reprove sin and yet I do it Then was my heart weary and I desired again to do well and amend but I found my self very weak Sometime my heart hated praying to God and meeting on the Sabbath dayes and therefore I see I deserve hell torments and then I cryed Oh Christ pardon all these my sins Then afterward my heart desired strongly to pray unto God but I saw I deserved misery and punishment and I was weak Then I desired my heart might be made strong by Church-covenant Baptism and the Lords Supper which might be as a Fort to keep me from enemies as a Fort keepeth us from our outward enemies Yet my heart was sometime backward and said No matter do it not but still do what thy heart would have thee And I saw Satan did thus follow mee with these temptations to misbelief and doubting But now I see Satan tempteth mee because hee desireth I should be ever tormented with him Then I learned that in Iohn 6. I am the true bread and hee that eateth mee shall live for ever and hee that drinketh my blood shall have life but hee that doth not eat my flesh and drink my blood shall not have life Then my heart saith Truth Lord that is my case Again I learnt Iohn 3. Hee that believeth shall not perish but have eternal life And my heart said Yea Lord let it be so Again Mat. 16. Christ saith Thou art Peter a Rock and on this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Therefore my heart said I desire this because Christ dwells in the Church and is in the midst of them where two or three are met together in my name Oh! I do therefore desire Church Ordinances that I might be with Christ and that I might have the Seals Mat. 3. Christ sayes Let it be for it is necessary that I should fulfill all righteousness My heart said Oh that I might also so do O Lord now my heart desireth and thirsteth Oh God have mercy on mee and pity my weakness that I may have pardon in Christ and strength from Christ in all his Ordinances and that I might leave all my sins and Oh God pardon all my sins for thy mercies sake I know not what to do I am so weak Oh God help and have mercy on mee And the same I desire of you before whom I am in this house help mee for Mat. 16. whom yee binde on earth are bound in heaven and whom yee loose on earth are loosed in heaven and my desire is that Christ would pardon all my sins and that I may be helped Elder Heath propounded this Question which hee answered in broken English Question Whether doth Satan still tempt you with former lusts and temptations and what do you when you are tempted Answer to the first part Yes alwaies to this day To the second part When Devil comes I sometime too much believe him but sometime I remember to do Gods Word because Gods Word is all one a sword and breaks the Devils temptations Deacon Park propounded this Question What is it in sin why hee hateth it now more then before Answ. his answer in broken English I did love sin but now not all one so because I hear Gods Word and that shewes mee that which I loved is evil and will bring mee to hell therefore I love it not now Deacon Park urged Doth hee hate sin because it is against God Answ. That chiefly Anthony FIrst I make confession in the presence of God and of all these Elders and this I confesse that I am not able to speak before the Lord yet I do it according as God requireth I should Assuredly I am a sinner but now I hope Christ hath taught mee his Word Oh let him my Lord help mee to
Say not I will pray hereafter but now Today if yee will hear his voice harden not your hearts but pray to God and that made my heart to yield to do it Then I understood Gen. 2. that God formed man out of the dust of the earth and breathed into him a living soul by this I did believe that God made me And I heard that God caused Adam to sleep and took out a rib and made it a woman and by this I believed that surely this is the work of God Again I heard that wee are born in sin under the guilt of Adams sin and by that I believed that I was a sinner Again I heard Gen. 6. that all the thoughts and imaginations of the heart of man are only evil continually and that God did threaten to destroy man whom hee had made and all beasts and living creatures which hee had made and by this I saw that surely sin is a very great evil Again I heard that Noah found grace and hee onely was upright before God and that God drowned all the world except Noah and his sons and their wives eight persons this did make mee remember my sinnes and confesse them and I saw that God is angry with sin It rained forty dayes and so drowned all the world then I said Surely this is Gods work and hee doth as he threatned to do to sinners and the same may God do to me who am a sinner and my heart is full of sin and evil thoughts c. And then I prayed Oh God be not angry with mee but be mercifull to mee and shew mee what I should do Then I considered why did God bid Noah make an Ark and saved Noah and his Sons and their Wives and by it my heart saw that this is Gods work who does what hee speaketh and hath mercy on whom hee will And my heart thought does God pardon mee and love mee It may be God will have mercy on mee I heard that promise Mat. 3. Repent and believe for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand then my heart said Oh that God would help mee and pardon my sins And God made mee wonder at Gods mercy to mee I heard of Sodom and their great sin and destruction and that did make me to remember my great sins and the great work of God that hee had almost kill'd mee Oh I thought this is Gods work to shew mee my sinnes and as God saved Lot by the Angels and sent him out of the place but burnt Sodom and all the people this I saw to be Gods work now I desired to fear God and pray unto him all the dayes of my life Again I heard Mat. 3. The axe is laid to the root of the tree every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire then I feared my own case because my fruits were sin and I deserved to be cut down then I desired to believe in Christ I did believe that Christ is the Son of God by that word Matth. 4. Satan tempted Christ If thou be the Son of God c. but Christ conquered Satan and therefore assuredly hee is the Son of God Then I considered that place Mat. 11. Many came to Christ the halt and blinde and lame and deaf and sick and hee healed all and if they did but touch Christ they were healed and therefore my heart believed assuredly hee is the Son of God and therefore now I will pray and Oh let Christ save mee And Christ hath promised Whatever yee ask in my name it shall be done therefore now I prayed Oh Christ Jesus pardon mee but my heart is weak and doubting and I cannot believe And I heard that word that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire then I said I deserve that Again that word Not every one that sayeth Lord Lord but hee that heareth the Word and doeth it Assuredly it is so and I desire not only to hear the Word but to do it then my heart was ashamed of my sinnes and grieved I heard that word Matth. 6. Blessed art thou Simon bar-Ionah flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my heavenly Father then my heart said Yea Lord no man has taught mee Christ onely God hath taught my heart to know Christ Again I heard that word Mat. 1. Hee will save his people from their sins then my heart said Be it so to mee Oh Lord Again I heard that Christ rose again the third day with an Earth-quake and the Watchmen were afraid and fled then my heart said Surely this is Christ the Son of God and whosoever believeth in Christ his soul shall go to heaven For again I heard of the Ascension of Christ and more then five hundred saw him ascend and therefore I believe this is Christ the Son of God Again I heard that in John 14. No man cometh unto the Father but by mee my heart answered Yea assuredly Oh Lord Christ is the way to believe in and come to God Again I heard that Mat. 25. Christ saith to the wicked Depart yee cursed I said God might justly say so to mee and send mee to eternal death But I earnestly cryed to God Oh God set mee into the right way and give mee Christ that I may ever walk with Christ for I am poor and weak and Christ promiseth that what wee ask hee will grant and I say Let God do with mee what hee will but I beg mercy in Christ onely I desire to pray to God as long as I live Iohn Speen THis I confess that I assuredly am a great sinner before the Lord but now I beseech God to help mee Oh Christ lead mee in the right way that I may speak that which is right This I confesse that before wee prayed to God I was wholly a sinner and not only before but since praying to God I have been a great sinner and now I desire to make a short confession for we desired that they would be shorter the time requiring so At first when I prayed my prayer was vain and only I prayed with my mouth and on the Sabbath only I came to the House of Prayer I prayed morning and evening and when I eat but I considered not what I prayed for I was sometime angry and passionate about wordly matters and I was troubled when I saw my brother was chosen to be a Ruler who was younger then I because now I saw that I was a sinner and though I repented yet presently again I fell into sin therefore I thought surely God hath cast me off because I thus sin and still my heart was full of sin all my thoughts were full of sin all my talk and doings were sinfull But now of late about 2 yeares ago I heard this word Mat. 12. When the unclean spirit was cast out hee went up and down unquiet then hee returned and took 7 devils with him worse
did not rightly pray though I came on the Sabbath day Then about the time that my Son who was at School was born the Minister taught on 1 Chron. 28. 9. Thou Solomon my son know the God of thy fathers c. if thou seek him hee will be found of thee if thou forsake him hee will cast thee off for ever Then I feared for I said This already I have done I have cast off God and therefore he will cast off me for every such one God will cast off I know not what to do It repented me for my sin I feared Gods wrath and damnation Then I prayed and call'd upon God yet only sometimes I repented and after I found my heart full of sin again But then I was angry at my self and knew not what to do alwayes I did fear God hath cast me off for all my many sins which I have done Hereby I was troubled and angry at my self Then I heard that word Who ever repent and believe shall be saved I l'e pardon them Then my heart cryed Oh Christ let it be so that my sins may be pardoned and that I may pray alwaies Then I begged Lord give me repentance and faith and I did pray to God much Then I did beg that I might give up my self wife and children to God as long as we live and then I prayed Then I heard that word Mat. 5. Hee that looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery in his heart I then remembred my sins that though I had promised to pray yet I had thus sinned and my heart was now troubled about this My heart said Cast off praying because you are filthy in lust your heart and eyes still commit adultery therefore run away from these that pray to God and go to Qunniticot or some other place and if you be in other places you may do what you will and my heart almost inclined to this sin But after that this merciful word of God I heard That Satan led Christ into the wilderness to tempt him and so I thought hee would do me Then I desired God to be merciful to me then I turned to God and cryed but knew not what to do for I feared God had cast me off and I shall perish for ever God has cast me off and I have deserved hell fire Then I heard that word Joh. 14. 6. None come to the Father but by me I did pray Oh Christ let it be so that by thee I may come to God and I pray Christ Jesus pardon all my sins this mercy I beg Then I repented my casting off praying to God then I promised I would not return again to sin and if Christ help me I and children shall serve God Then that Spring my mother and two children dyed and I was troubled and knew not what to do my heart said Lay by prayer but that I did not but I saw Christ came to give eternal life and therefore what Christ will do for me so let it be Therefore I believe only in Christ for eternal life and what Christ will do with my soul so let it be and my soul desireth that I may receive the Seals to make strong my heart Piumbuhhou ASsuredly I have nothing that I should confesse as I ought for my heart is full of foolishness and darkness stopt up is my heart and deaf are my ears I know not by what way I can get life I was born in sin into this world and therefore I am in folly and I know my heart is full of foolishness and ignorance I am a great sinner ever since I saw light in this world my foolishness appeareth in every thing I do in this life I know not what God hath given me but now I hear of the mercy of God who hath made the world and all things in it by this great work of his I know there is a God and because my heart checketh mee for sin and I fear the punishment of God And the Word of God now sheweth me that there is a God therefore my heart sayes I desire to pray to God and because God is angry with me for all my sins I know nothing by my self but that which is evil I heard that word Mat. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Then my heart said So be it Oh Lord to me and I love thee as long as I live Then said my heart I am a poor man and desire to pray to God Again God said Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Then when I heard that word my heart rejoyced and yet again I doubted and my heart misbelieved and feared Then that word came that Christ saith Be ye mercifull as your heavenly father is merciful And again Hee maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust When I heard it my heart rejoyced to hear of the mercy of God yet I doubted and my heart was hard again Now I confess before God because God is a great God and a mercifull God and I pray to him I heard of Gods great mercy to give us his only Son to dye for us therefore I loved God and I begged Oh God pardon all my sins and I give up my self to Jesus Christ Monotunkquanit BEfore I prayed to God I lived at Nipmuk I did not know that there was a God only I lived for nothing for no end or purpose but I alwaies did wilde actions I kept no Sabbath nor Lecture nor any work of Prayer nor did I remember my works I now know that all my words and works are naught my eyes and ears are stopped and mad works I dayly did After I went to Dorchester Indians the praying Indians and they that were my friends did say it was good to pray to God and said Tomorrow is our Lecture and the Minister cometh to teach us then my heart desired to see the Minister and hear what he said next day he came and taught the Indians I went and desired to see when I came my son Sam. came with mee the Minister call'd my son and set him afore and asked him Who made him and he was taught to answer God Then he commended my son and asked whose son he was they said Mine The Minister gave him two apples then the Minister said to me Do you pray to God you see your childe saith God made him and therefore it is your duty to pray to God Then I considered what he said I could not sleep that night I considered whether I should pray to God my heart did much doubt that night Shall I pray my heart said No yet I doubted Then Waban came to my house to Nipmuk and perswaded me to pray to God I said I know not how to pray Hee said God will teach you God is a great God and made all the world I
answered Who knoweth that and who can witness that He said The Minister is sent of God and sheweth us Gods Word and hee by that teacheth us Then I promised Waban that when hee came again I would pray to God Then Toteswamp came and exhorted me to pray to God and told me of Christ and pardon of sin and then almost my heart prayed to God Then I said English men understand not me and does God understand me They said God made all◠and understands all then I said I will pray to God Then I heard first that God made heaven and earth and all things and in six dayes finished them and also made man in his own Image wise and holy like God Then I heard that Satan came and tempted Eve and cozened her and she tempted the man And God had said Eat not of the tree in the midst of the Garden if yee eat thereof yee shall dye yet she did eat and gave unto man and he did eat and thereby he sinned and all his posterity became sinful and deserved damnation Then my heart said What shall I do and I prayed for my children for now I hear of eternal damnation and sure I am a great sinner Again I heard the Minister preach That Christ was born like a man and was both God and man and dyed for us and sheweth us the way of eternal life Then I cryed Oh Lord give me Christ because Christ hath dyed for us and hath made his righteousness ours and our sins are Christs as Adam made his sin ours Now my heart was broken and I saw that I was a great sinner When I heard of the great works of Christ I said Oh what shall I do that I may get Christ I said in my heart Oh let the holy Spirit help me for I am ashamed of my sins melted is my heart and I desire pardon of all my sins now I desire to forsake all my sins and now I desire dayly to quench lusts and wash off filth and cast out all my sins by the blood of Jesus Christ and this I do by believing in Jesus Christ Gen. 6. there was only one Noah righteous and God saved him then my heart said Oh mercifull God who savest them that trust in thee save mee Again God made his Covenant with Abraham and with all the seed of Abraham now I desire to have this Covenant and to receive this Commandement of Christ Abraham was strong in faith and followed Christ and my heart doth desire to follow Christ because he hath dyed for us Wutásakómpauin OH Christ help mee I confess my sins before God and before men We are all born in sin because Adam sinned and made his sin ours Our Parents knew not God nor the way of life we Indians are all sinners and did all sins afore we heard of God we did pray to every thing that is in the world and knew not the way of life When English men came first we did pray to the Devil and many were our sins and God doth know all our sins all which we have committed before the English came After the English came I went to Sudbury to Mr Browns house and he said to me Pray to God but I did not like it nor to hear of praying to God but afterwards I heard Waban prayed to God and I was not glad of it yet after Waban prayed he told us of it and that the Minister came to Noonantam I heard him and he taught that the souls of good men die and go to heaven the souls of the wicked when they die they go to hell but I only heard it Then we resolved we would pray to God and carry our children to Roxbury that they might learn to pray but we feared that we should not learn to pray After the Minister taught that word that every man himself must pray and believe to be saved and though your sons be at Roxbury and learn to pray yet if you pray not you must be damned Again I heard many words of God this was one Therefore watch for ye know not the day or hour when the Lord will come When I heard that I knew not what to do nor do I know when is the day of death But I am full of sin and when I die Christ will not receive me because I am so full of sin After that my wise dyed and then weak was my heart almost I left praying to God but yet I did not so But after I heard that word of God Who ever heareth the word and doeth it is like a wise builder who built on a rock and when the storms and floods came and beat upon the house it stood because it was built upon a rock But hee that heareth the word and doth it not is like a foolish builder who built upon the sand and the storms and floods came and beat upon that house and it fell because it was built on the sand By this I saw that I was a foolish builder because the death of my wife did almost make me leave praying to God After I had another wife and shee dyed also Then I heard that word That it is Gods love by afflictions to call us to repentance and therefore my heart said Oh Lord I will pray Oh Lord help me Again I heard another word that at the end of the world all must appear before the Iudgment Seat of Christ and therefore now confess all your sins and repent because Christ hath writ down all your actions both good and bad and all shall be opened and therefore repent of your sins that they may be pardoned Then I said I am a great sinner and ever I commit sin I confesse I have deserved hell and I cannot deliver my self but I beg of God Oh Lord give me Christ and I give my soul to Christ that all my sins may be pardond and I now confess my sins before man but at the end of the world I must be judged by Jesus Christ Now I desire the spirit of God would help me to confess all my sins to God that they may be pardoned in Jesus Christ THese Confessions I wrote in English from their mouthes with the best of my endeavours both for diligence and also faithfulness and so soon as they had done I read them unto the Elders and Brethren and Sisters there present and that the substance hereof was delivered by them and faithfully translated and delivered by me to the lest of my understanding I do here before the Lord testifie JOHN ELIOT I Did understand most things that some of those Indians spake and though others spake not so well to my understanding yet many things I understood of what they all spake and thus much I may testifie that according to what I understood the substance of their Confessions is here truly set down JOHN ELIOT jun. Waban being sick when the rest made their Confession after the Lord had restored him came to Roxbury and
before the Elders made his Confession as followeth UNto this day I do understand but little of the English Language the Word of God came not first unto my heart by the English Language I did not know what state I was in at my first birth and my sin by birth I knew not When I was young I knew not what I was as now I do know for now I know that I am a sinful man Since I prayed to God I know more of my self but afore I cared not for such things nor what they said If I heard any thing I took no heed to it if any asked me whether I knew God I did not regard it yea I hated the knowledg of God nor did I regard any word of God but other kinde of praying which we used I did love to pray to the Devil this I loved But afterward I began to think it may be they say true that speak of God it may be it is true that God is in heaven and should any teach me in my language I might know God but if I should pray it may be it is in vain to pray in my language could I speak English I might learn to pray And I see the English love us and therefore it is like that is true which they say of God and I desire to live for ever where they do When I first heard the Word it said God is good a little I believed it but I did more doubt Mr Iackson asked me if I did pray to God I asked him whether God understood our language if I prayed to him Hee said yea all things God doth know and all languages Then my heart said It may be I may attain to pray But my heart was hard and therefore I could not pray afterwards it may be I may Sometime I thought if we did not pray the English might kill us but if I prayed I thought I did not pray right When I saw and considered that all men in the world dyed I knew not how I might come to live for ever how my soul might live and therefore I desired I might pray to God aright because they that so pray are all one as if they dyed not but live for ever I wish't I could pray aright but could not tell how to do it I did in my heart love wandering about and our wilde courses alwaies and when I did pray it was but out-side praying for in my heart I understood not right praying to God I understood not how to pray and I regarded not my weariness of that which was good many things hindred my heart I was ashamed because my heart was full of evil Sometimes I thought of my sins but it was but a little and I was soon weary of any good I did not think God was not mercifull but I saw my heart was naught and very little did I know the evils of my heart No humility was in my heart and to this day my heart is evil and hard is my heart When you taught us the Word of God my heart did not believe but went contrary to the Word of God I saw my mourning for sin was not good I do confess my heart did not submit to God only I hoped I might might learn the Word of God which you taught us My heart did afore love praying to the Devil but I do not finde that I so love praying to God therefore I did pray Lord break my heart that I may pray to God aright My heart was weary of praying quickly and therefore my heart said Surely my heart is nought and I am like a dead man and therefore I prayed Lord help me now to pray aright to God Now I knew that God knoweth all the thoughts of my heart and my many sins and contrary doings and how little I know of God Surely I am a great sinner and this I do throughly know that great are my sins and that my heart is contrary to praying to God and my heart desired wilde courses and I see that my heart loveth not praying to God Yet now my heart began to desire to pray and to love those things which are according to right praying but I knew not what to do Then I asked what I should do then I heard this answer I should desire Christ to break my heart by his spirit none else in the world could do it no man could work faith in me but the Word which I heard doth it I could not my self repent of sin or be ashamed but this I know that the Word of God saith Those that believe in Christ shall not perish but have eternal life Then my heart said Oh Lord let it be so to me and let not my heart say contrary Again I heard If any be foolish let him ask wisedom of God who giveth freely Then my heart said I am foolish Oh Lord teach me Then I feared that my heart in vain seeketh and then I desired humility and that I might not pray in vain and that I might not pray only outwardly But my heart had contrary and misbelieving thoughts dayly and my heart did not dayly desire after God and but a little could I remember of God Sometime my heart desired not to be like to such as prayed aright unto God therefore I desired the Image of God upon me and that I might be like to them wch prayed to God aright alwaies I thought that what God said in his Word was right I heard this word The Foxes have holes and the Birds have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head Then my heart said Truth Lord the riches of this world are of no value and therefore I desire not this worlds goods but only heavenly blessings and grace I desire the way to the Heavenly Kingdom And always my heart saith touching my poverty and misery I give myself and my soul to God and to Christ because that is right Again I learn in the Catechize Q. What hath Christ done for us A. He dyed for us hee was buried he rose again for us and by his resurrection hee raiseth our souls unto grace and also at the last day And my heart said Oh let it be so in me Again it is said What else hath Christ done for us A. He ascended to heaven to raise our hearts first to heaven and then to carry us to heaven also to be with him for ever My heart saith Oh God I am not able to save my self I cannot save my own soul this is only thy work Oh God and my heart believeth it and with God is mercy and goodness but in this world is nothing but weariness and I know my weakness therefore I am ashamed and Oh let God put grace into my heart and my heart saith Oh let me not say in vain that I believe Oh Lord help that I may truly believe not by my works but by thy Word Oh God Again it is said in Catechism Why is
Christ a Prophet A. To teach me the way to heaven therefore my heart desireth that Christ may ever lead me by his Word and it is only the mercy of Christ that must do this for me and he giveth me true comfort only by believing in him THe Lord was so graciously with them in these Confessions that they had good acceptance Wee advised with the Church touching our further progress the conclusion whereof was that we sent Letters to all the neighbor-Churches informing them of our progress in this matter in order to our receiving them desiring them or any among them that had any just offence against any of these eight Indians whom we named that they would orderly communicate the same unto us and seasonably or if they had such knowledg of any of them as to give us encouragement we should be thankfull or their silence we should take in good part also We had both incouragement and testimony from some Churches only the paucity of Interpreters to co-attest with my Interpretation was a matter of much difficulty and no small impediment for which cause I sent to Mr Peirson to old Mr Mayhu to Thomas Stanton to be present with us losing no known opportunity to bring our waies into the light and to make all things clear We proposed it to our Church to agree about the publick day of Confessions the conclusion was that a Council was called we sent unto ten Churches about us requesting them by their Messengers to be present on Roxbury Lecture day being the 5th of the 5th Moneth 1659. acquainting them that that day was set apart to hear the Indians Confessions and we requested counsel and direction from them and concurrence with us After Prayer I first declared to the Congregation what supply of Interpreters we had for co-attestation with my Interpretation of the Indians Confessions First here was Mr Peirson and we had for clearness of our way because of his unacquaintance with our dialect ordered the confessing Indians to keep Sabbath at Roxbury we spent half the Sabbath among them a good part whereof was spent in hearing some of their Confessions and all the second day we so spent so that Mr Peirson had taken in writing all their Confessions so that if the Assembly pleased they might hear the Confessions which they made before the Elders of Roxbury which I have here in writing and had been already seen by sundry of the Elders also they might hear the Confessions which Mr Peirson and I had taken yesterday which compared with what the Lord shall assist them to utter this day may help to clear up the verity and reality of their hearts in these their Confessions Moreover I declared that here was a godly brother of Martyns Vineyard named Peter Fouldger who had for many years taught the Indian School in Mr Mayhu's life time since he hath been by the Cōmissioners imployed to teach the Indians each other Sabbath who told me when I spake unto him about this work that by reason of the different dialect he durst not alone undertake to give in a testimony but if he brought one of his Indians with him as need might be to help him then he durst undertake to give a testimony upon Oath if need were This man and his Indian with him are this morning come and are present in the Assembly and set in a convenient feat together Again I declared that my son was present who doth in some measure understand the Language Also here are present two sons of Thomas Stanton one of which the Commissioners maintain at the Colledg And lastly here are the Indian Scholars present so that if the Assembly think meet to make use of any of these youths in this grave business they might so do Further I declared that in all this matter we did submit our selves to the guidance of the Reverend Council here present and desired them to direct us and order us as they saw meet to do in the Lord Then we proceeded to hear the Indians Confessions which are as followeth Nishóhkou I called him forth and said Stand up and make your Confession before the Lord and his people Hee said I Desire to confess before God and all these wise men and God helping by the mercifull help of his gracious spirit that I may confess all my sins I heard that word Gen. 5. that God made Adam in his own Image both male and female and after many years Adam begat a son in his own Image having lost Gods Image And God did form man in the womb of our mother in Adams Image and so I was formed in the Image of Adam and when I was born I lived in the same way in the Image of Satan and original sin was rooted in my heart and grew up there also I confess that when I was a Child my Parents and I were all wilde we prayed to many Gods and many other sins we did and all the people did the same both men and women they lived in all lusts they prayed to every creature the Sun Moon Stars Sea Earth Fishes Fowl Beasts Trees c. all these things I saw when I was a youth and all these things I liked and loved to do and was delighted with these things in all these things I lived and with these things my memory was exercised and in my youth I did what I listed as pauwauing or what else I would when I was grown up I loved lust and delighted in it I knew it not to be a sin but an excellent delight I loved all sin but especially lust and all that I did was for the sake of lust such things as women might like of if I cut my hair it was to please women if I cut my hair in another fashion and left a Lock on one side it was with respect to lust if I got fine cloaths stockins shoes all was for to serve lust our meetings and drinkings were with respect to lust so that this was the chief thing I did delight in and these things were in my bones and there grew then the Minister came to Channit to teach us I came to the Meeting but in vain I came for lust to look on women alwayes I did thus and I thought teaching to be madness and so I continued two years after we prayed to God after two years I heard a little my ears were a little opened I first understood that word He that doubteth is like a wave of the Sea driven to and fro and tossed and that word If any man lack wisdome let him ask it of God who giveth freely and upbraideth no man Also the same Winter I heard that word Gen. 6. God said I will destroy man whom I have created and he repented that he had made him These things I understood and remembred but I confess before God that I did only hear and know these things as I did sometimes speak of what I did remember but I believed not yea I laughed
as other youths did at all these things because thereby did original sin grow in me and hard it was to root it out and hard to believe After this I heard still and more I understood I heard Gen. 16. that the people were full of sin lust and all other sin and therefore the Lord destroyed them and I knew that I had the same sins and therefore I was afraid but I feared only this bodily life and not for my Soul After this my heart did a little desire to pray to God because God found Noah righteous and did save him therefore I desired to pray but again I laid it by and I said it is vain to pray for if I pray and should commit sin I shall be punished or imprisoned but if I pray not I may commit what sin I will and have no punishment for it About a year after I heard the Minister teach another word that the Death of Christ is precious and our death is nothing worth therefore God promiseth pardon of all sins for Christ his sake he bid us remember this against next time When he came again he asked me and I did remember it and do to this day but I confess I did not believe only I did remember it and answered when I was asked And then again I desired to pray to God and would not go away but it was because I loved our place and dwelling I prayed but I believed not I considered not Eternal Life but only this worldly life And thus I went on till they chose Rulers at Natik they chose me and I refused because I believed not After that my Wife and Child died and I was sick to death but lived again and being well I thought I could not pray I was a Child and therefore could not I put off praying to God my Relations died and why should I pray but then I considered why does God thus punish me yea the Minister spake to me about it and said it may be it was because I refused to do Gods work as Moses when he first refused God was patient but when he persisted in his refusal God was angry and then my heart saw my sin and then my heart almost believed I desired to do right and to keep the Sabbath for I further heard in the 4th Commandment Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy and Psa. 101. I will walk wisely in a perfect way Also in Isay 58. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath and do not thy own works nor find thy own pleasure nor speak thy own words therefore my Soul desired to keep the Sabbath then the Souldiers came upon us on the Sabbath day while we were at meeting and took away our Guns and caused us to bring them as far as Roxbury that night my heart was broken off my heart said God is not the Sabbath is not it is not the Lords Day for were it so the Souldiers would not have then come then my heart cast off praying then we came before the Magistrates and Cutshamoquin asked Why they came on the Sabbath-day It was answered that it was lawful but I did not understand it That day I being very thirsty did drink too much and was brought before the Magistrates and was ashamed I came to Roxbury to the Minister and there I was ashamed also because I had greatly sinned then I cried to God for Free-mercy because precious is the Death of Christ oh pardon this my sin Yet again I had temptations to drinking and then I considered what a great sinner I was even like a beast before God Then I heard that word Mat. 5. He that breaketh the beast of Gods Commands and teacheth others so to do shall be the least in the Kingdome of Heaven My heart said Lord such an one have I been for I have been an active sinner yet I cried again for mercy O Lord freely pardon my great sins Again I confess I am very weak even like a very child and I so walk and know not what to do if I die I fear I shall die in my sin yet I cried again O God pardon me for Christ his sake Again further I confess that when I was troubled about our wants poverty and nakedness I considered that text Foxes have holes and Birds have nests but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head And again Mat. 6. The Birds plough not and the flowers spin not and yet God doth both feed and cloath them and therefore be not over-much troubled about these things yet I desire to follow labour with my hands because Gen 1. God gave Adam dominion over the creatures and commanded him to Till the ground And Gen. 2. He set him in the Garden and commanded him to dress it and keep it Also Gen. 3. he said Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy face all thy dayes till thou returnest to thy dust When I remember these things my heart doth bow to labour also I heard that riches were the root of all evil and Dives with his fine apparel and dainty fare was in hell and poor Lazarus was in heaven When my heart is troubled about our Land â—nd about riches I quiet my heart with these meditations Also I further heard when my heart was troubled about Salvation and doubted I heard that there is no means of Salvation but Christ not any thing in the world can carry us to heaven only Christ which I did believe by Gen. 28. where Iacob dreamed a dream and he saw a Ladder which stood on earth and the top reached up to heaven and that Ladder is Christ who is Man and so toucheth the earth and God and so is in heaven and by believing in him we ascend to heaven as by a ladder This helped me almost to believe and I cried Oh Christ be thou my Ladder to heaven Again Ioh. 14. Christ saith None cometh to the Father but by me therefore I believe nothing can carry me to God but only Christ if I penitently believe in him Again I confess I do still find my self very weak to resist sin for if I read and teach on the Sabbath I teach indeed but I do not as I ought and therefore that Word of Christ doth rebuke me Mat. 23. Hear and do what they say but do not as they do When I do among others reprove sinners that Word of Christ reproveth me Thou hypocrite first cast the beam out of thine own eye and then thou mayest see clearly so cast the moat out of thy brothers eye Again when I pray I find hypocrisie in my heart to do it to be seen of men and that Word of Christ reproveth me Mat. 6. They pray to be sâ—en of men verily they have their reward and then I cryed mightily to God O Lord help me pardon me what shall I do Again I heard Mat. 9. The Son of Man hath power to pardon sin on earth and therefore me O Lord then
my heart did desire Christ and to pray as long as I live and my heart was stirred up thereunto by Luke 18. Christ spake a parable that we should pray and not be weary because the Widdow tyred the unjust Judge and made him help her how much more shall God the righteous Judge hear and help his children that cry night and day therefore I desired to pray unto God as long as I lived Then my heart said What shall I do for I am weak and I fear I shall perish then I heard that word Ioh. 3. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Eternal Life And again it is said that God loved his Son and gave all things into his hand I am weak and though I pray yet I am weak therefore I desired to be in Christs hand as in a Fort in a Fort we are safe from exercise they cannot easily catch us out of a Fort we are open to them So I desire Church-Estate the Seals of Baptisme and the Lords Supper and all Church-Ordinances as a Fort unto my Soul I heard that Word of Christ Mat. 16. Thou art Peter and on this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Oh I desire to be there kept Again I heard Mat. 3. God is able of these stones to raise â—p seed to Abraham therefore raise up me O Lord And again Christ came to Iohn to be baptized Iohn refused but Christ said Suffer it to be so It is necessary to fulfill all unrighteousness therefore so I desire to do all that is right and I desire to be baptized Again I confess I fear I shall sin again and defile my self after I am washed and baptized even as the dog returneth to his vomit therefore I cry O God help me for thy free mercies sake Again I heard that in Mat. 18. where two or three are met together in my Name Christ is in the midst of them Therefore I desiâ—â— to have the Ordinances of Christ to be with Christ but my heart saith if I be bound by Ordinances then I shall be imprisoned but yet I desire to be there in prâ—â—on with Christ if my heart say I shall be as dead but yet I desire to be so with Christ Again I heard in Iohn Christ saith Who ever cometh to me I cast him not away but he shall have life But Ioh. 5. Christ doth say Ye will not come unto me that you might have life Therefore my heart did greatly fear and pray Oh that I might come to Christ and Christ is the everlasting Son of God therefore my Soul desireth to be with him And this I confess that though I believe in Christ yet I am still weak and therefore I desire to be made strong by the Seals but I fear I am unworthy because of that word Mat. 7. Cast not Pearls before Swine nor holy things to dogs yet my heart saith O Lord remember me and yet let me a dog come under thy Table to get a crum and I cry to God because of all my weakness I confess I cannot deliver or help or save my self only Christ Jesus can do it and let Free-grace pardon me and save me O God have mercy on me Again Mat. 18. Whatever ye bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever ye loose on earth is loosed in heaven therefore I desire to be loosed both in earth and in heaven and to be sealed with Gods Seal When I had read this Confession of his I said because the Lord hath said that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every Truth shall be established therefore I desired that the rest of the Interpreters might attest unto this which I had read FIrst Mr. Peirson said so far as I discern I doubt not of the truth of what Mr. Eliot hath delivered and for that which he hath now uttered though some things the Indian hath added more then he spake in private and some things left out and some things otherwise placed yet for the substance of his present Confession it is the same with that which he delivered in private where we did carefully try all things that we might be sure that we understood him right Then Bro. Fouldyer was desired to speak who saith That he did not expect to have understood so much of his speech and so plainly as he did and his Interpreter did perfectly understand all and to his best understanding that which Mr. Eliot had delivered was the very same which he spake I said unto the Assembly In that he spake so plain to his understanding it is because I had advised him and so all the rest to express themselves in the most plain and familiar words and expressions they could for my more easie and perfect understanding Again for that my Bro. Peirson observed that they left out something and added other and varied in sundry expressions It is true I observed the same and it may well be so for they have not any writing or like helps only their memory and the help of Gods Spirit to read in their own hearts what they utter Then the two Sons of Thom. Stanton were called to testifie the Schollar spoke first and said that he did understand perfectly all that the Indian said and he did not observe any difference in what Mr. Eliot had delivered but it was the same which the Indian spake The other spake and said he did not perfectly understand all that the Indian said but so far as he did understand Mr. Eliot had delivered the truth My Son was called to speak who said I did for the most part well understand the Indian and to my best understanding my Father hath given a true interpretation thereof Antony He was next called who thus spake I Confess my sins before the Lord and all these people and godly men for ye throughly know that we are great sinners not only before God but before man also I confess that in my Mothers Womb I was conceived in sin and that I was born in iniquity my Father and Mother were sinners and lived in fin they prayed to many Gods the Sun Heavens Beasts Trees and every thing in the world they made them their Gods and throughly we followed these sins When I was born I was in the Image of Satan I knew not that God made all this world I was only wise to sin and I did all those things which I liked to do even all lusts from my youth up and now I confess my sins before God and all men for God and men do know them I did all my delights When I was a youth the English came but I regarded them not Afterward I heard that the Indians prayed but my heart-said I will not pray so long as I live for they be vain words to pray unto God my Parents taught me to pray unto many Gods Sometime I came to
saith The Tree that brings not forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire My heart said sure so is my heart and I have deserved to be cast into the fire I have brought forth such fruits as may justly cut me down Again I heard the word of Christ He that heareth the Word and doeth it shall be blessed Then my heart said I have deserved not to be pardoned but I beg for mercy Again the word saith This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased My heart said sure God is merciful to send his own Son and Christ is merciful that he came and died for us Again I heard that the Tempter came to Christ and said If thou be the Son of God make these stones bread But Christ said man liveth not by bread only but by every word which cometh out of the mouth of God Then I believed that Christ was the Son of God and that my Soul liveth not by bread but by the Word of God Again Mat. 8. the Leper came to Christ and said Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole and Iesus touched him and he was healed Then my heart said surely Christ is the Son of God and he only can heal my sins Again I heard in Mat. 6. If ye forgive one another God forgiveth you Then my heart said I desire to do this else God will be angry with me Again I heard Mat. 9. all diseased came to Christ the blind halt c and he healed them therefore I believed that he was the Son of God and I begged of Christ to pardon my sins and save me because sure he is Christ the Son of God Again the word saies Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome but he that doth the will of my Father Then my heart said I do fear because I do very weakly obey the Word of God and therefore Christ saith Depart ye workers of iniquity My heart said such an one am I but now I cry to and trust to Christ to pardon all my sins Again I heard Mat. 11. that Christ said Capernaum was lifted up to heaven by the Gospel but should be cast down to hell for refusing it I thought I did now pray iâ— I now fall off I shall perish And again Christ saith It shall be easier for Tyre and Sidon in that day Then my heart said I have deserved the worst of Gods wrath for I believed not the great works of God and therefore I desire pardon of all my sins and to forsake all my sins and to pray to Christ as long as I live Again I heard Mat. 5. That Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot or tittle of the Word of God but all shall be fulfilled Therefore my heart did desire that I may both hear and do the Word of God which will never perish Again I heard Mat. 16 Christ saith Who say ye that I am Peter said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Christ said Blessed art thou Peter flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee but my Father and on this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Therefore my heart believed that God helped me to receive Christ and I desire to take that promise to Peter and my heart joyed more and more in Christ and in the Word of God Again I heard Mat. 26. Iesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it and said Take eat this is my body which is broken for you and likewise the Cup c. saying This is my blood in the New Testament which was shed for remission of sins c. My heart said sure Christ is full of love and hath given us great mercy and I desire to partake of it Again the wicked did kill Christ but he rose again and ascended to heaven then my heart believed Christ Again I heard Iohn 14. No man cometh to the Father but by me My heart said so be it Lord I desire to come to God by Christ and I said Why did the wicked kill Christ My heart said I believe that Christ died for my sin and therefore I desire to believe in Christ Then my heart did joy in Christ and to heartle Word of God but yet to this day I have doubts in my heart my heart is weak to this day And now I know that in six daies God made the world and before that God I desire to confess my sins and forsake them and no more to do them Sometimes my heart is in an ill frame and loveth sin and my heart hateth good therefore I desire the free Mercy of Christ to hold and keep my Soul When he had finished and I had read before the assembly this confession of his we called upon the witnesses to co-attest Who did in the same order as before express themseves to the like purpose Only when we called for Tho Stanton his sonnes they were not present nor did they any more appeare in the Congregation to attest the Indians confessions all the day Ponampiam He was next called forth and thus spake I Confess my sinnes before the Lord and his people this day While my Father lived and I was young I was at play and my Father rebuked me and said we shall all die shortly In private we asked him what ground or reason moved his Father so to speak he answered it was when the English were new come over and he thinketh that his Father had heard that Mr Wilson had spoken of the flood of Noah how God drowned all the world for the sinnes of the people Then I was troubled and thought sure what God saith shall be and not what man saith but I quickly forgot this and thought not of any good That same Winter the pox came all my kindred died only my Mother and I lived we came to Cohannit by Dorchester where I lived till I was a man and married All those daies I sinned and prayed to all gods and did as others did there I lived till the Minister came to teach us When I heard that they prayed my heart desired it not Sometime I prayed among them and sometime I neglected it I feared to pray because of the Sachems therefore I put it off for the fear of man Afterward I considered in my heart to pray to God not because I loved the word but for other reasons I heard that Word Mal. 1. From the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the heathen saith the Lord of hosts Then I was troubled in my thoughts about running away yet then I thought if I should go to another place they must pray also and therefore I cannot flie from praying to God therefore I tarried and when others prayed I prayed
word Mat. 12. The unclean spirit being cast out of a man he walketh about seeking rest and findeth none then hee returneth and bringeth 7 other spirits with him worse then himself and the end of that man is worse then his beginning When I heard this my heart feared I thought now I repent of my many sins for verily I am a great sinner I have offended I am 7 times worse then before I prayed then I repented Again I heard that Word He that penitently believeth shall be saved and then my heart did desire to repent and believe then I thought that men will not forgive me and therefore it is not good to abide in this place but I remembred that I had learned to read the Word and if I should forsake my friends I should lose the Word of God Then I heard that Word Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand my heart said ô let it be so and then my heart rested but yet quickly it was unquiet again Then I did strongly desire to repent of my sinnes I heard that Word that God Sowed good seed but evill seed was sowen by the Enemy and such were in my heart and as in my field there were many roots and weeds which spoyled the corne and I plucked them up and cast them out my heart said verily just so is my heart the Word is but a little in my heart and there be many ill roots in me and therefore God may justly cast me out from among his people because of my many sinnes Then my heart said I desire to pray to God as long as I live and now I forsake my sins who have been a great sinner Now I beg of Christ O give me thy spirit that I may confess my sins before God and not only before men again I remember that I cannot pardon or help my self but only Christ must help me Again I heard that Word All manner of sin shall be forgiven to a man but the sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Then my heart feared because many and great were my sins since I prayed to God and I cried to God for mercy and pardon and then I thought I will pray to God as long as I live But verily I am a sinner for I am guilty not only of Adams sin but of my own sins also and they are many I remember that in Catechisme I learn that God made a Covenant of works with Adam Do the Commands and thou shalt live and thy seed also but if thou sin thou shalt die and thy seed also therefore by that I know I am a sinner and have deserved to die Then I crie to God O God have mercy upon me and pardon me Again I heard of the mercy of God but I am forgetfull and cannot remember Gods mercies to me God made a Covenant with Abraham and said I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee then my heart said O let it be so to me O Lord And now Abraham is in heaven who believed and kept Gods Covenant So I if I believe and keep Gods Covenant God will have mercy on me I remembred the Covenant of Circumcision to him and all his family and such a Covenant I desire for me and mine Again I heard Mat. 3. In those daies Iohn baptized in Iordan saying Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand When I heard this my heart said the same is now with us not Abrahams signe but baptisme and therefore I desire to repent and Confess before God and before the Church and I desire not only to confess but to have repentance and faith that I may have grace mercy and pardon and such repentance as workes obedience Again the same Word saith vers. 6. They were baptized confessing their sins So I desire to do I do confess before God and desire to cast off and forsake my sins and to go to Christ The promise of pardon is to them that penitently believe and rest on Christ In the same Baptism of Iohn he said I baptize you with water but he that cometh after me is mightier then I he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire Now this Baptism I desire and not to receive the signe in vain I desire to purge out evill thoughts and therefore I confess these sins before God that they may be purged and I desire the spirit of God may dwell in me for ever to turn me to Christ I cannot of my self do any of these things but only Christ Jesus can by his spirit in me Again I heard another word As the Eagles are about a carkass so believers come to Christ then my heart said So be it Oh Lord when I receive the Covenant of God I am like the Eagles when I come to Christ I desire not to come in vain but if I feed not I shall die my soul will die Then I greatly begged that I might feed my soul on Christ and Oh Christ send thy spirit into my heart that I may not only know but do the Word of God Again Christ near his death took bread and blest it and broke it and gave it to his disciples and said Take yee eat yee this is my Body which was broken for you And so also he did the Cup and said Drink yee of it this is the Cup of my blood in the New Testament which is shed for the remission of sins Now this believers in Christ must do not only to eat Bread and to take the Sign but soul food therefore Christ sending his spirit and helping me I desire to receive the Sign not in vain but to help my faith When I had read this Confession in the Assembly we called upon the witnesses as before wee did whose answer was to the like purpose as before Wutasakompauin He was next called forth who thus spake HElp me Oh Jesus Christ to confess before the Lord Oh I am full of sin because Adams sin made mine and so was a sinner in my mothers womb When I was a youth I found many sins and after I was grown up I did the same alwaies all the daies of my life I lived in sin After the English came I went to their houses they would teach me about God but I hated it and went out I did not love such teaching Afterward the Minister taught and at first Waban perswaded me to pray and taught us I did not at first like it yet afterward I did Four years the Minister came to Noonantam I came but I only came I lost all he taught After I considered one word the Minister said That God sent him to teach us then I thought surely there is a God therefore I must believe and pray a little I believed but when I heard I did only outwardly hear After my wife and children died and then I almost cast off praying I had another wife and she died also
I heard that Christ only is our redeemer and Saviour my heart did much joy in it and I desired to pray and heare the Word as long as I live Another Word of Christ I heard Whoever forsaketh father or mother or brother or lands for my sake c. My heart said ô Lord let it be so I have for Christ his sake left all and come to pray And I desire now to confess before the Church of Roxbury and do submit to your government and Gods Ordinances among you He was going on but shortness of time made me take him off When I had read this confession and the witnesses had spoke as before some of the Elders present did move that seeing there be two more to speak and the time streight and seeing Mr Peirson had in private taken in writing their confessions which they perceived by his testimony to be for substance the same which they expressed in publick What if the Assembly should heare Mr Peirson read those two remaining confessions according as he had taken them The motion was acceptable to the Assembly and he did read them which are as followeth Piumbuhhou First THis I say in the presence of God and in your presence Verily I knew not how or what to confess or God before I prayed I knew not who gave me life and being but I thought my life was of my self I confess I was born in sin my Parents were sinners and I thought I had life from none but my Parents therefore my sins were very great from the first time that I saw light untill this day I do nothing else but sin hard is my heart proud is my heart and hypocriticall I do hypocriticall acts to this day I act foolishly and deceitfully therefore so many are my sinnes that I am not able to express them only this I say that I am naught Then I heard that Waban prayed and they said to me pray to God but I hated it for I had a wife and many children and therefore I cared not for praying I thought if they were any of them sick the Pauwaus could make them well therefore I believed not Waban when he exhorted me to pray to God Then my wife and children died then my afflicted poore heart came in and the Minister came to me and said pray to God because God afflicteth and tryeth you my heart said when the Minister spake to me let it be as you say that God may shew me that mercy then my heart said I will pray to God from henceforth as long as I live Then I heard the Minister Preach of the great works of God in making Heaven and Earth and therefore fear the great punishments of God and because my heart so feared and condemned me therefore I did believe that God is who had punished me and took away my children Again I heard from Mat. 5. Christ saith Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of God and blessed are the mercifull for they shall find mercy my heart said I am a poore man and therefore I will pray to God so long as I live and I desire to find mercy with God Again now my heart saith I am weak and doubting and full of misbelief Again I heard that Word of Christ which saith Come unto me all yee that are weary and heavy laden and yee shall find rest my heart said be it so O Lord and now I will pray to God as long as I live my heart said surely I am greatly laden with many and great sins and therefore I will go to Christ and pray unto him as long as I live Again Christ saith Take up my hurden and learne of me for I am humble and meeke then my heart said surely I am a great sinner and therefore I desire to learne of Christ and to follow him Again Christ faith Yee shall find rest to your soul and therefore my soul desired to pray as long as I live that I may find rest to my soul in Christ Again my heart did gladly hear the Word of Christ and the great redemption of Christ Again I learned in a Catechism that Christ sendeth his Spirit into my heart to break it to make it repent to convert me to cause me to believe my heart said therefore I desire to pray to God and to believe for pardon and adoption and peace with God Then hearing of the mercy of Christ my heart said I am like a dead man and therefore I desire to be with Christ as long as I live my heart did not know how to Convert and turn to God therefore my heart did gladly pray to God for it my heart did desire to pray because I heard Christ is our redeemer and doth deliver our soules I cannot deliver my selfe therefore I desire that Christ may be my deliverer therefore I betrust my soul with Christ as long as I live and because Christ is my mercifull God therefore let him do with my soul what he will When Mr Peirson had read this Confession he was desired to go on and read the last which was Wabans Confession and is as followeth Waban First I Confess that before I prayed it was hard to love another fashion then my old course my Parents were sinners and in my Mothers belly I was in sin after I was born the same way of sin I followed When I was a child I grew up in sin and I did not know that they were sins but now of late I know them in my youth also in the same sins I lived and did not know them to be so but by the remebrance of my waies I do remember my sins and hereby I am made to understand that my Parents taught me to love sin And after they were dead others taught me to sin I liked to be taught to commit sin those that taught me said to me Choose to be a Pauwau they said If you be a Pauwau you may make others to live and if you he a Pauwau God will blesse you and make you rich and a man like God Then I desired so to do also I alwaies desired other sins for my heart did desire to grow up in those sins alwaies lust I desired alwaies my heart labored and desired to know how to adde to and to multiply my sins Thus it came to pass that I knew abundance of sins before I knew my waies were sin When the English came hither they said when I came to the Englist houses that I loved the Devil then I was very angry and my words were You know the Devil I do not know the Devil and presently I would go out of the house Sometime they spake meekly to me and would say God is in heaven and he is a good God yet I regarded not these words but strongly I loved my sins it was hard for me to believe what the English said after many yeares I sometime believed a word but I left not my sin When I began
to understand more I began to doubt but I desired not Conversion from sin Afterward when the English taught me I would sit still because they would give me good victuals then I sometimes thought certainly God is in heaven then my thoughts said It may be I have sinned Again I thought if I prayed God could not understand mee then I found it hard to believe and love God because I was almost an old man because I thought if any could read the book he would love God I asked Mr Iackson Whether God knew our language Hee answered Yea God knoweth all languages in the world and therefore now pray unto God then I first thought I will pray unto God a little I thought of praying sometimes I would a little pray when I eat about that time you came to teach us then I remembred the Word Glad tidings was sent us from Heaven then my heart said Now I will pray because the Minister is come to my house now I heard the Word of God Then you called the Children to Catechism and one question is Who redeemed you then you taught that Christ died for our sinnes Then my heart thought that Christ is a very great life-giving God Then I feared not Pauwaus nor loved them and the Minister taught that we must take heed of all these sins Then my heart said I will leave off my sins and again my heart said I will pray to God as long as I live Further you taught that Christ died for sin was buryed rose again ascended then my heart hoped and desired Oh that it might be so that I might have eternall life by Christ because Christ is a great life-giving God But then I found that I did not understand right words and therefore I walked not in the right way when the Word of God said Six daies shalt thou labour then I was strong yet I did not labour and I was soon weary of praying to God and therefore I saw I found not the right way unto righteousness therefore now I verily see that I am a sinner and did not believe my heart feared because of my great sins and my heart feareth that I do not yet much know the Word of God Sometime my heart saith I believe I am a believer but my heart wandereth away and the deceits of my heart I sometime know and my poverty I know but my heart careth not for that I reject riches but my heart saith strongly I will pray to God so long as I live I do not throughly know the vanity of my mind I have heard the Word but believed it not I remember that Word of Christ the Pharisees said Why doth you Master eat with Publicans and sinners Christ said Those that are not sick need not the Physitian but they that are sick My heart said sure I do not need the Physitian but my desire is now that I may need him and spirituall life by him Again I heard that Word of Christ A leper came to Christ and worshiped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane and Christ touched him and he was perfectly healed Then my heart said that outward healing which he had my soul desireth that I may have it in my soul for Christ healeth the outward diseases of the body but especially the inward filth of the soul this I desire may be healed Again I heard that Word go learn what that meaneth I desire mercy and not sacrifice I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Then my heart said my own righteousness cannot obtain mercy for me then my heart said Oh I fear that Christ the truest righteousness is not in my heart I am almost ready to die and now I desire to know Christ WHen Mr Peirson had done reading these two last Confessions Mr Wilson spake to this purpose though they have all spoken well of Jesus Christ in their Confessions and especially the last viz Monotunkaniâ— yet he desired further to heare how they were instructed in the knowledge of Christ This question touching Christ I called Piumbathou to answer and his answer was to satisfaction and then many other Catecheticall questions were propounded which would be too long to rehearse as touching Grace Ordinances Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper about Repentance and Faith all which they readily answered so as that there was no reply Nishâ—hkoâ— answered the question what Faith is Mr Allin asked him whether he had that Faith in his heart which he now spake off to which after a pause he answered to this purpose that he feared himself about it and if he spake he must say no! but he hoped in the Lords mercy that he would work it in him and help him to believe Then Mr Danforth said I ask you Nishohkou this question and answer me in English whether the same lusts which you have so much confessed do not follow you still and what you do to resist them I said that a question to the like purpose was asked him when he made Confession in private to which he answered in broken English if the Assembly pleased I would read that but he was desired to answer now and his answer was to this purpose that the Word of God is all one like a sword and he did with that resist his temptations He was asked further if he did diligently watch against his sins he answered he did not well know what a diligent watch is but he hoped that Jesus Christ would keep him Then Mr Danforth called Anthony and asked him whether he believed that it was the duty of men to labour six daies in the week After a pause he answered he believed it was Gods command but he confessed he did not obey it so much as he ought to do and saith Mr Danforth that I would have asked you next whether you obey it for you ought to do so and follow labour and cloath your selfe and family better and you ought to give towards the maintenance of Gods Ordinances After this I remember no more questions Then I declared to the Congregation that they having heard their Confessions if they thought meet they might hear what testimonies we have to produce touching their Conversation but it went not forward and so we ceased the work and Reverend Mr Wilson concluded with prayer After the publick meeting the messengers of the Churches met together and considered what answer to give to our Church and the vote among them all was that as touching their Confessions which was the work of the day they were satisfactory and they appeared in that respect to be fit matter for Church estate The End THese are to testify to all men whom it may concern That two of five Indian youths viz. Cales and Ioel that are instructed and educated in the Grammer School at Cambridge were publiquely examined at the Commencement in Cambridge mon. 6. 9. 59. concerning their progress in the learning of the Latine Tongue out of Buchanans Translation of Davids Psalmes and they gave good satisfaction unto our selves and also to the Honorable Magistrates and Reverend Elders that were present and others that were judicious as we have had opportunity to inquire off and we conceive that the other three Indian Youths that are trained up in the same School have made some competent proficiency for the short time that they have been with us In witness whereof we have subscribed our hands Camb. Sept. 6. 1659. Charles Chauncy Praesident of Haward Colledge in Cambridge Elijah Corlet Londinensis olim jam Ludimagister Cantabrigiensis Note here that God hath so blessed this youth that hee is one of our School-masters and an hopefull young man