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
has been and not undeservedly called The Apostle of the American Indians This Reverend Person not without very great labour Translated the whole Bible into the Indian Tongue c he Translated also several English Treatises of Practical Divinity and Catechisms into their Language Above 26 Years agoe he gathered a Church of Converted Indians in a Town called d Natick these Indians confess'd their sins with Tears and professed their Faith in Christ and afterwards they and their Children were Baptized and they were solemnly joyned together in a Church-Covenant the said Mr. Eliot was the first that Administred the Lords Supper to them The Pastor of that Church now is an Indian his Name is Daniel Besides this Church at Natick among our Inhabitants in the Massachusets Colony there are four Indian Assemblies e where the Name of the true God and Jesus Christ is solemnly called upon these Assemblies have some American Preachers Mr. Eliot formerly used to Preach to them once every fortnight but now he is weakned with Labours and Old-age being in the Eighty fourth Year of his Age and Preacheth not to the Indians oftner than once in two Months There is another Church consisting only of Converted Indians about fifty Miles from hence in an Indian Town called Mashippaug the first Pastor of that Church was an English Man who being skilfull in the American Language Preached the Gospel to them in their own Tongue f This English Pastor is dead and instead of him that Church has an Indian Preacher There are besides that five Assemblies of Indians professâ—ng the Name of Christ not far distant from Mashippaâ—g which have Indian Preachers g John Câ—â—ton Pastor of the Church at Plymouth Son of my venerable Faâ—her-in-Law John Cotton formerly the famous Teacher of the Church at B ston hath made very great progress in learning the Indian Tongue and is very skifull in it he Preaches in their own Language to the last five mentioned Congregations every Week Moreover of the Inhabitants of Sacones in Plymoâ—th Colony there is a great Congregation of those who for distinction sake are called Praying Indians because they Pray to God in Christ Not far from a promontory called Cape â—od there are six Assemblies of Heathens who are to be reckoned as Catechâ—mens amongst whom there are six Indian Preachers Samuâ—l Treaâ— Pastor of a Church at Eastham Preacheth to those Congregations in their own Language There are likewise amongst the Islanders of Nâ—â—â—ucket a Church with a Pastor who was lately a Heathen and several Meetings of Caâ—ecâ—uâ—eâ—s who are instructed by the Converted Indians There is also another Island about seven Leagues long called Marthas Vineyard where are two American Churches planted which are more famous than the rest over one of which there presides an ancient Indian as Pastor called Hiacâ—oms John Hiacooms Son of the said Indian Pastor also Preacheth the Gospel to his Countrey-men In another Church in that place John â—ockinosh a Converted Indian teaches In these Churches ruling Elders of the Indians are joyned to the Pastors The Pastors were chosen by the people and when they had fasted and prayed Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton laid their Hands on them so that they were solemnly Ordained All the Congregations n of the Converted Indians both the Catechumens and those in Church Order every Lords-day meet together the pastor or Preacher always begins with Prayer and without a Form because from the Heart when the Ruler of the Assembly has ended Prayer the whâ—â—â— Congregation of Indians Praise God with singing some of them are excellent Singers After the Psalm he that Preaches reads a place of Scripture one or more verses as he will and expounds its gathers Doctrines from it proves them bâ— Scriptures and Reasons and infers uses from them after the manner of the English of whâ—â— have been taught then another prayer to God in the Name of Christ concludes the whole Service Thus do they meet together twice every Lords-day They observe no Holy-days but the Lords-day except upon some extraordinary occasion and then they solemnly set apart whole days either in giving Thanks or Fasting and Praying with great fervour of mind Before the English came into these Coasts these barbarous Nations were altogether ignorant of the true God hence it is that in their Prayers and Sermons they use English Words and Terms he that calls upon the most Holy Name of God says Jehovah or God or Lord and also they have learned and borrowed many other Theological Phrases from us In short There are six Churches of Baptized Indians in New-England and eighteen Assemblies of Catechumens professing the Name of Christ Of the Indians there are four and Twenty who are Preachers of the word of God and besides these there are four English Ministers who Preach the Gospel in the Indian Tongue i I am now my self weary with writing and I fear left if I should add more I should also be tedious to you yet one thing I must add which I had almost forgot that there are many of the Indians Children who have learned by heart the Catechism either of that famous Divine William Perkins or that put forth by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster and in their own Mother Tongue can answer to all the Questionâ— in it But I must end I salute the Famous professorâ— in your University to whom I desire you to communicate this Letter as written to them also Farewell Worthy Sir the Lord preserve your Health for the Benefit of your Country his Church and of Learning Boston in New-England July 12. 1687. Yours ever INCREASE MATHER a The Success of the Gospel in the EAST INDIES AFter the Writing of this Letter there came one to my Hands from the famous Dr. Lousden together with a new and fair Edition of his Hebrew Psalter Dedicated unto the Name of my Absent Parent He therein informs me That our Example had awakened the Dutch to make some noble Attempts for the Furtherance of the Gospel in the East-Indies besides what memorable things were done by the Excellent Robert Junius in Formosa fifty years ago He also informs me That in and near the Island of Ceylon the Dutch Pastors have Baptised about three hundred Thousand of the Eastern Indians for altho' the Ministers are utterly ignorant of their Language yet there are School-Masters who teach them The Lords Prayer the Creed the Ten Commandments a Morning Prayer an Evening Prayer a Blessing before Meat and another after and the Minister in his Visits being assured by the Master who of them has learn'd all of them seven things he thereupon counts they have such a perfect number of Attainments that he presently Baptises them The pious Reader will doubtless bless God for this but he will easily see that one of our Converted Indians has cost more pains than many of those more thorough work has been made with them b Mr. Eliot's way of opening the Mysteries of the Gospel to our INDIANS T was in the
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
valiant Souldiers of the Lord Jesus who cheerfully encountred first the Perils of the Atlantick Ocean and then the Fatigues of the New-English Wilderness that they might have an undisturbed Communion with Him in His Appointments here And thus did he betimes procure himself the consolation of having afterwards and for-ever a room in that Remembrance of God I remember thee the kindness of thy youth and the Love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me into the Wilderness On his first Arrival to â—ew-England he soon joyned himself unto the Church at Boston 't was Church-work that was his Errand hither Mr. Wilson the Pastor of that Church was gone back into England that he might perfect the Settlement of his Affairs and in his Absence â—â—â—ng Mr. Eliot was he that supplied his place Upon the Return of Mr. Wilson that Church was intending to have made Mr. Eliot his Colâ—egue and their Teacher but it was thus diâ—erted Mr. Eliot had engaged unto a selâ—ct â—umber of his pious and christian Friends in England that if they should come into these Parts before he should be in the pastoral Carâ— of any other people he would give himself to Them and be for Their Service It happened that these Friends transported themselves hither the year after him and chose their Habitation at the Town which they called Roxbury A Church being now gathered at this place he was in a little while Ordained unto the Teaching and Ruling of that holy Society So 't was in the Orb of that Church that we haâ— him as a Star fixed for very near Threescorâ— Years it only remains that we now observâ— what was his Magnitude all this while and hoâ— he performed his Revolution Part I. Or Eliot as a CHRISTIAN Article I. His Eminent PIETY SUch was the Piety of our Eliot that like nother Mâ—ses he had upon his Face a coâ—tinual shine arising from his uninterrupted comunion with the Father of Spirits He was indâ— a Man of Prayer and might say after the Pâ—â—â—mist I prayer as being in a manner made up of it Could the walls of his old Study speak they would even Ravish us with a Relation of the many hundred and thousand servent Prayers which he there poured out before the Lord. He not only made it his dayly practice to enter into that closet and shut his Door and pray to his Father in Secret but he would not rarely set apart whole days for prayer with Fasting in secret places before the God of Heaven Prayer solemnized with Fasting was indeed so agreeable unto him that I have sometimes thought he might justly inherit the Name of Johannes Jejunator or John the Faster which for the like reason was put upon one of the Renowned Ancients Especially when there was any remarkable difficulty before him he took this way to encounter and overcome it being of Dr. Prestons mind That when we would have anâ— great things to be accomplished the best policy is to work by an Engine which the world sees nothing of He could say as the pious Robertson did upon his Death-bed I thank God I have loved Fasting and Prayer with all my heart If one would have known what that sacred thing The spirit of Prayer intends in him there might have been seen a most luculent and practical Exposition of it He kept his heart in a frame for prayer with a marvellous constancy and was continually provoking all that were about him thereunto When he heard any considerable News his usual and speedy Reflection thereupon would beâ— Brethren let us Turn all this into prayer and he was perpetually jogging the wheel of Prayer both more privately in the Meetings and more publickly in the Churches of his Neighbourhood When he came to an House that he was intimately acquainted with he could often say Come let us not have a visit without a prayer let us pray down the Blessing of Heaven on your Family before we go Especially when he came into a Society of Ministers before he had sat long with them they would look to hear him urging Brethren the Lord Jesus takes much notice of what is done and said among his Ministers when they are together come let us pray before we part And hence also his whole Breath seemed in a sort made up of ejaculatory prayers many scores of which winged Messengers he dispatched away to Heaven upon pious Errands every day By them he bespoke Bâ—essings upon almost every person or affair that he was concerned with and he carried every thing to God with some pertinent Hâ—sannah's or Hallelujah's over it He was a mighty and an happy man that had his Quiver full of these Heavenly Arrows and when he was never so straitly besieged by Humane Occurrences yet he fastned the wishes of his devout Soul unto them and very dexterously shot them up to Heaven over the head of all As he took thus delight in speaking to thâ— Almighty God no less did he in speaking of him but in serious and savoury Discourses he still had his Tongue like the Pen of a ready Writer The Jesuits once at Nola made a no less profane than severe Order That no man should speak of God at all but this excellent person almost made it an Order wherever he came to speak of nothing but God He was indeed sufficiently pleasant and witty in Company and he was affable and facetious rather than morose in Conversation but he had a Remarkable Gravity mixed with it and a singular skill of Raising some holy Observation out of whatever matter of Discourse lay before him nor would he oâ—dinarily dismiss any Theme without some gratious divine pithy Sentence thereupon Doubtless he imposed it as a Law upon himself thaâ— he would leave something of God and Heaveâ— and Religion with all that should come a 〈◊〉 him so that in all places his company was aâ—tended with Majesty and Reverence and it waâ— no sooner proper for him to speak but liâ—â— Mary's opened Box of Oyntment he stil'd 〈◊〉 whole Room with the perfumes of the Grace in his Lips and the Châ—â—stian Hearers tasteâ— a grâ—ater sweetness in his â—ell-seasoned Speeces than the illuâ—â—â—â—ous â—â—â—er ascrib'd 〈◊〉 the Orations of hiâ— â—est Whole Lip drop'd Langâ—age tha◠〈◊〉 it 〈…〉 or abundance His Conferences were like those which Tertullian affirms to have been common among the Saints in his Days Vt qui sciret Dominum audire as knowing that the Ear of God was open to them all and he managed his Rudder so as to manifest that he was bound Heaven-ward in â—is whole Communication He had a particuâ—â—â—â—art at Spiritualizing of Earthly Objects Raising of high thoughts from very mean things As once going with some feebleness and weariness up the Hill on which his Meeting-house now stands he said unto the person that led him This is very like the way to Heaven 't is up Hill the Lord by his Grace fetch us up and instantly spying a Bush near him he as nimblâ—
these Tyrants but God inspir'd him with so much Resolution as to tell them I am about the work of the Great God and my God is with me so that I fear neither you nor all the Sachims in the Countrey I 'l go on and do you Touch mee if you dare upon which the Stoutest of them have shrunk and fell before him And One of them he at length Conquered by preaching unto him a Sermon upon the â—empâ—ations of Our Lord particularly the Temptation fetch'd from the Kingdoms and Glories of the World The Little Kingdoms and Glories of the Great Men among the Indians was a Powerful Obstacle to the success of Mr. Eliots Ministry and it is observable that several of those Nations which thus refused the Gospel qu ckly afâ—erwards were so Divel-driven as to begin an unjust and bloody War upon the English which issued in their speedy and utter Extirpation from the Face of Gods Earth It was particularly Remark'd in â—hilip the Ring-leader of the most calamitous war that ever they made upon us our Eliot made a Tender of the Everlasting Salvation to that King but the monster entertain d it with contempt and anger and after the Indian mode of joining signs with words he took â— Button upon the Coat of the Revereâ—â— Man adding That he cared for his Gospel just aâ— much as he cared for that Button The world has heard what a Terrible Ruine soon came upon that woful Creature and upon all his People It was not long before the Hand which now writes upon a certain oâ—casion took off the jaw from the blasphemous exposed Skull of that Leviathan and the Renowned Samuel Lee is now Pastor to an English Congregation sounding and showing the praises of Heaven upon that very spot of ground where Philip and his Indians were lately worshipping of the Devil Sometimes the more immediate Hand of God by cutting off the principal Opposers of the Gospel among the Indians made way for Mr. Eliot's Ministry As I remember he relates that an Association of profane Indians near our Weymâ—uth set themselves to deter and seduce the Neighbour Indians from the Râ—ght wâ—â—s of the Lord. But God qâ—ickly sent the Small-Pox among them which â—ike a gâ—eat Plague soon swept them away and thereby engaged the rest unto himself I need only to add That one Attempt made by the Devil to prejudâ—ce the Pagans against the Gospel had something in it extraordinary While Mr. Eliot was Preaching of Christ unto the other Indians a Daemon appeared unto a Prince of the Eastern-Indians in a shape that had some Resemblance of Mr. Eliot or of an English Minister pretending to be The English-man's God The Spectre commanded him To forbear the drinking of Rum and To observe the Sabbath-day and To deal justly with his Neighbours all which things had been inculcated in Mr. Eliot's Ministry promising therewithal unto him That if he did so at his death his Soul should Ascend unto an happy place otherwise Descend unto miseries but the Apparition all the while never said one word about Christ which was the main subject of Mr. Eliot's Ministry The Sachim received such an impression from the Apparition that he dealt justly with all men except in the bloody Tragadies to Cruelties he afterwards committed on the English in our Wars he kept the Sabbath-day like a Fast frequently attending in our Congregations he would not meddle with any Rum tho' usually his Country-men had rather dyâ— than undergo such a piece of Self-denial thaâ— Liquor has meerly Enchanted them At last anâ— not long since this Daemon appear'd again untâ— this Pagan requ ring him to kill himself anâ— assuring him that he should Revive in a day oâ— two never to dy any more He thereupon divers times attempted it but his Friends verâ— carefully preven ed it however at length 〈◊〉 found a fair opportunity for this fowl Businesâ— and Hanged himself you may be sure withouâ— his expected Resurrection But it is easy to sâ— what a stumbling block was here laid before thâ— miserable Indians f The Indian-Churches at Mashippaug and elsewhere THe same spirit which acted Mr. Eliot quickly Inspired others elsewhere to prosecute the work of rescuing the poor Indians out of their worse than Egyptian-Darkness in which Evil Angels had been so long preying upon them One of these was the Godly and Gracious Richard Bourn who soon saw a great effect of his Holy Labours In the 1666. Mr. Eliot accompany'd by the Honourable Governour and several Magistrates and Ministers of Plymouth-Colony procured a vast Assembly at Mashippaug and there a good number of Indians made confessions touching the knowledge and belief and Regeneration of their Souls with such anderâ—tanding and affection as was extreamly grateful to the pious Auditory Yet such was the strictness of the good people in this Affair that before they would countenance the advanaement of these Indians unto Church-Fellowship they ordered their Confessions to be written and sent unto all the Churches in the Colony for their Approbation but so approv'd they were that afterwards the Messengers of all the Churches giving their prâ—sence and consent they became a Church and chose Mr. Bourn to be their Pastor who was then by Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton Ordain'd unto that Office over them From hence Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton went over to an Island called Martha's Vineyard where God had so succeeded the honest Labours of some particularly of the Mayhew's as that a Church was gathered This Church after Fasting and Prayer chose one Hiacoomes to be their Pastor John Tockinosh an able and a discreet Christian to be their Teacher Joshua Mummeecheegs and John Nanaso to be ruling Elders and these were then Ordained by Mr. Eliot and Mr. Cotton thereunto Distance of Habitation caused this one Church by mutual agreement afterwards to become twâ— the Pastor and one Ruling Elder taking one part the Teacher one Ruling Elder another at Nâ—ntucket another adjacent Island was another Church of Indians quickly gathered who chose an Indian John Gib to be their Minister These Churches are so exact in their Admission and so solemn in their Discipline so â—â—rlons in their Communion that some of the Christian English in the Neighbourhood which would have been loth to have mixed with them in a civil Relation yet have gladly done it in a Sacred One 'T is needless for me to repeat what my Father has written about the other Indian Congregations only there having been made mention of one Hiâ—cooms I am willing to annex a Passage or two concerning that memorable Indian That Indian was a very great Instrument of bringing his Pagan and wretched Neighbours to a saving acquaintance with our Lord Jesus Christ and God gave him the Honour not only of so doing much for some but also of suffering much from others of those unhappy Salvages Once particularly this Hiacoomes received a cruel blow from an Indian Pâ—ince which iâ— some English had not been there