doe very much profit with a very little helpe especially some of them for they are very ingenuous And whereas I had thoughts that vvee must have an Englishman to be their Schoole-Master I now hope that the Lord will raise up some of themselves and enable them unto that worke with my care to teach them well in the reason of the sounds of Letters and spelling I trust in the Lord that vvee shall have sundry of them able to reade and write who shall vvrite every man for himselfe so much of the Bible as the Lord shall please to enable me to translate Besides those workes which concerne Religion and Learning wee are also a doing according to the measure of our day of small things in the civill part of this worke wee have set out some part of the Towne in severall Streets measuring out and dividing of Lots which I set them to doe and teach them how to doe it many have planted Apple-Trees and they have begun diverse Orchards it s now planting-time and they be full of businesse yet wee are doing some publicke workes the last weeke I appointed our Lecture to be at a Water which is a common passage and where the Fish wee call Alewives come there wee built a bridge and made a wyre to catch Fish and being many of them some wee appointed to one worke and some to another through the blessing of God wee brought both these workes to perfection wee also have begun a Pallizadoe Fort in the midst whereof wee intend a meeting-house and Schoole-house but wee are in great want of Tooles and many necessaries and when wee cannot goe wee must be content to creepe this present weeke I am going to Pawtucket the great Fishing place upon Merimek where I heare sundry doe expect my coming with a purpose to submit themselves unto the Lords hand Sir I doe earnestly beg your prayers both for mee and for this worke of the Lord which he hath set mee about John Eliott Roxbury the 28th of the 2d 1651. The former Letter of Mr Elliots came to hand about six Moneths before the latter and that 's the reason you have another of his followeth next after his former whereby the Reader may see and observe the constant goodnes of God in carrying on his owne worke notwithstanding all the opposition of Men. Every day bringing forth as it were additionall improvements to the praise of God who delighteth so much in this his day of small things Worshipfull and much honoured in the LORD IT is through the grace of Christ who hath called you into the fellowship of his Kingdome that you are willing to take such care and paines for the advancement and furtherance of his Kingdome and the Lord fill your hearts with the Consolations of his holy Spirit whose spirit hee hath set to seeke his glory in promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ and because the fruite of our Labours coming in with a blessing is a great meanes to quicken the heart to be constant in that worke which the Lord delighteth to prosper and blesse It is my duty to let you understand how it pleaseth the Lord to prosper and proceed in this worke of his among the Indians for the promoting vvhereof you travaile with care and paines that so you may goe on with the more Comfort and the better know how to direct your prayers unto the Lord in that behalfe I will not trouble you with rehearsall of such things as I have already this yeare written about unto our honoured Friend Mr Winslowe so farre as I can call to minde vvhat I wrote hoping in the Lord that the Ships are safely arrived and my Letters come unto his hands I know not whether I have yet mentioned our Schoole vvhich through the Lords mercy vvee have begun though vvee cannot yet be constant in it vvee have two men in some measure able to teach the youth vvith my guidance and inspection And thus vvee order the Schoole The Master daily prayeth among his Schollers and instructeth them in Catechisme for which purpose I have compiled a short Catechisme and vvrote it in the Masters booke vvhich he can reade and teach them and also all the Copies he setteth his Schollers vvhen he teacheth them to write are the Questions and Answers of the Catechisme that so the Children may be the more prompt and ready therein wee aspire to no higher learning yet but to spell reade and vvrite that so they may be able to vvrite for themselves such Scriptures as I have already or hereafter may by the blessing of God translate for them for I have no hope to see the Bible translated much lesse printed in my dayes Therefore my chiefe care is to Communicate as much of the Scriptures as I can by vvriting and further my scope so to traine up both men and youths that when they be in some measure instructed themselves they may be sent forth to other parts of the Countrey to traine up and instruct others even as they themselves have been trained up and instructed This consideration doth make mee very carefull to put on the Schoole and attend it with what diligence I can although I cannot as yet doe in it what I desire There be severall providences of God appearing to worke which make mee thinke that the most effectuall and generall way of spreading the Gospel will be by themselves when so instructed as I have above-mentioned 〈◊〉 for my preaching though such whose hearts God hath bowed to attend can picke up some knowledge by my broken expressions yet I see that it is not so taking and effectuall to strangers as their owne expressions be who naturally speake unto them in their owne tongue To the end therefore that they may be the better able to teach others I doe traine them up and exercise them therein vvhen I am among them on the Lords dayes appointing two each Sabboth to exercise and when they have done then I proceed and assuredly I finde a good measure of abilitie in them not onely in prayer wherein they exceed my expectation but in memory to rehearse such Scriptures as I have read unto them and expounded to expound them also as they have heard mee doe and apply them And now also the Schoole-Master taking the care of catechizing the Children I leaving that to him doe catechize the men examining and trying their knowledge which yet I am wary in doing least I should dampe and discourage the weake These things I attend with the more intention because it seemeth to mee God will imploy these first instructed to instruct others of which I have had sundry experiences some I shall instance it pleased Mr Winthrop son unto our late Honoured Governour now at rest to advise mee to send two discreete men to the greatest and most potent Sachem among the Naragansets to answer such Questions as they might propound and to stirre them up to call on God I did accordingly and sent him a Present by
THE BANNERS Of GRACE and LOVE DISPLAYED In the farther Conversion of the Indians In NEW-ENGLAND Held forth in sundry Letters from divers Ministers to the Corporation established by Parliament for Promoting the Gospel amongst the Heathen in New-England and farther attested by Edm. Callamy Simon Ashe VVill. Spurstow Lazarus Seaman George Griffith Phil. Nye VVilliam Bridge Henry VVhitfield Joseph Carryll Ralph Venning LONDON Printed by W. Godbid for Edw. Farnham and are to be sold at his Shop in Popeshead-Alley M.DC.LVII TO THE SUPREAME AUTHORITIE OF THIS NATION The Parliament of the Common-Wealth of ENGLAND THat the Fathers joy at the returning of a Spend-thrift Sonne ought to have an influence upon the whole Family of Heaven and Earth that is called after his name to worke their suitable affections and conformity to himselfe cannot be questioned by any true childe thereof Behold then Right Honourable a call thereunto Poore Prodigalls who have not only with our selves lost that rich Treasure of grace and holinesse wherewith in our Common roote and Fountaine we were entrusted but also in a course of Rebellion for many Generations wasted the remainder of Natures Riches to the utmost degeneracy that an Immortall rationall being is obnoxious unto not returning a farre off but rejoycing in the imbraces of their Father and enterteined with his flesh and bloud who was slaine and sacrificed for them The ayme of our walking with God here is to come up to some conformitie to them who behold his face and doe his Will in Heaven amongst them there is joy at the Repentance of one Sinner and shall not wee finde sweetnesse in the first fruits of a barren Wildernesse in the shining of a beame of light into the darknesse of another World giving hope of a plentifull harvest and a glorious day to ensue Let men take heed lest by despising the day and opposing the Worke of the Lord towards those poore Sonnes of Adam notwithstanding all their zealous profession they proclaime themselves to pursue a Carnall Interest by which they declare the enlargement of the Dominion of Jesus Christ is of no Concernment unto them Wee are by many Pledges assured better things of you Right Honourable and such as accompany zeale for the House of our God and therefore the ensuing Testimonialls of the progresse of the Worke of the Gospel being sent unto us wee make bold humbly to present them to you partly that we may invite you as the friends of Jesus Christ to rejoyce with him that some sheepe of his who were lost are found and partly to lay before you some such fruits of the putting forth of your Authoritie for the carrying on this most glorious undertaking as may encourage you to goe on through him who doth enable you unto future reall expressions of your love and zeale thereunto Wee shall not need to draw forth any particulars from the ensuing Narrative to give you a taste of that Spirit whereinto these poore Creatures are sweetly baptized Wee hope your delight in the Worke of God will inforce a leasure to view the whole this in Generall wee may say that in the Wildernesse are waters broken out and streames in the Desert the parched ground is become a Poole and the thirsty Land-springs of water in the Habitation of Dragons where each lay there is grasse with Reeds and Rushes the Lord hath powred water upon him that is thirstie and flouds upon the dry ground He hath powred his Spirit on the seeds of the Heathen his blessing on their Off-spring they spring up as among the grasse as willowes by the water-courses One sayes I am the Lords and another calls himselfe by the name of Jacob and another subscribes with his hand unto the Lord and sirnames himselfe by the name of Israel The Lord hath done a new thing and wee know it he hath made a way in the Wildernesse and Rivers in the Desert the beast of the feild doth honour him the Dragons and the Owles because he gives waters in the Wildernes and Rivers in the Desert to give drinke to his People his chosen so that upon the Report heere read unto us wee cannot but glorifie God with those Primitive beleevers of old and say then hath God also to the poore naked Indians granted Repentance unto life Their outward wants and streights have often been presented unto you wee shall not need to repeate them blessed be the Lord and blessed be you of the Lord that your hearts have been stirred up to give encouragement unto this Worke and to open a Doore for the reliefe of those Eminent Instruments in the hand of the Lord who carry it on who though they communicate to them Spiritualls yet are so farre from receiving of their Temporalls that they impart unto them a Portion of their owne dayly bread and provision necessary from their owne subsistence The good Lord lay the weight and concernment of this Worke upon your spirits and wee no way doubt that you will in any way be wanting to the Publique improvement of this blessed opportunitie for the enlargement of the Kingdome of him whom our Soules doe love There is a vexation of spirit which through their formalitie and unbeliefe hath encompassed many Professors that whereas they have with much seeming earnestnes cryed out for mercies when they have been bestowed they have thought scorne of them so did the Jewes in the busines of their Messias and many at this day amongst our selves in the great workes of the Provinces of God It is so with some to this breaking forth of light amongst the Indians desiring it before it began despising it in its very beginnings the Lord lay it not unto their charge and keep all our spirits in an holy admiration and reverence of the powerfull efficacy of his eternall and unchangeable purposes which through so many sinfull Generations falling in their Rebellion have preserved a seed to himselfe whereof he will take care that one graine fall not to the Ground Your Honors humble Servants John Owen Joseph Caryl Will Greenhill William Bridge William Carter George Griffith Tho Goodwin Sidrach Simpson Phillip Nye William Strong Henry Whitfeld Ralph Venning To the READER Christian Reader THese ensuing Letters doe represent unto thee and to the Churches the out-goings of Christ as a Light to the Gentiles that the grace which brings Salvation hath appeared unto them also in the furthest parts of the Earth for the accomplishment of that ancient and glorious Promise I will give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou may'st be my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Isa 49.6 The People of God have been greatly affected with the appearances of Christ when he hath rode forth upon a red Horse to the destruction of his Enemies for he is glorious in his Apparell even when his garments are dipt in bloud but much more when he rides forth upon a white Horse for the Conversion of Soules and goes on Conquering and to Conquer Wee
them but the proud Sachem did little lesse then despise the offer though hee tooke the Present So they thought they should have returned without successe but when they came among the people especially such as were a little more remote from the great and proud ones they received them with great gladnesse one Company taking one of ours among them others taking the other of our men amongst them they asked them many Questions expressed their readinesse to call upon God if they had any to teach them expressing likewise that they did not expect their Sachems would pray to God because they vvere so proud by which I doe perceive that the Lord is preparing a plentifull harvest and not onely by this but by many other Evidences There is a great Countrey lying betweene Conectacott and the Massachusets called Nipnet where there be many Indians dispersed many of which have sent to our Indians desiring that some may be sent unto them to teach them to pray unto God And sometimes some of our best men doe goe to severall places for a little while and returne againe and not without successe These things being so the worke which vvee now have in hand will be as a patterne and Copie before them to imitate in all the Countrey both in civilizing them in their order government Law and in their Church proceedings and administrations and hence great care lyeth upon mee to set them right at first to lay a sure foundation for such a building as I foresee will be built upon it and in this matter I greatly need pray The order of proceeding with them is first to gather them together from their scattered course of life to cohabitation and civill order and Government and then to forme them the Lord having fitted them into visible Church-state for the guidance whereof I have instructed them that they should looke onely into the Scriptures and out of the word of God fetch all their Wisedome Lawes and Government and so shall they be the Lords people and the Lord above shall Reigne over them and governe them in all things by the word of his mouth Sundry of these which pray unto God have formerly subjected themselves unto the English So that in this Government among themselves they doe reserve themselves in that poynt to owne them as their superiours to make appeales unto them as neede may require and experience for these many yeares shew that though they have so subjected themselves yet the onely benefit they have is protection as for hearing and determining their causes the difference of language and paucitie of Interpreters prohibits and if their causes come they be so longsome and yet of small importance that it is of necessitie that either they must have no government as hitherto it hath been or else they must have it among themselves Besides all or many of their differences and causes they usually brought to mee which was not convenient and I was willing to avoyde themselves also found great need that some should be over them to judge their causes and end differences and much desired it Therefore upon the sixt day of the sixt Moneth of this present yeare their Pallizadoe Fort being finished they had a great meeting and many came together from diverse parts though sundry were hindred and came not at that time where with prayer to God I read and expounded to them the 18th of Exodus which I had done severall times before and finally they did solemnly choose two Rulers among themselves they first chose a Ruler of an Hundred then they chose two Rulers of Fifties then they chose Ten or Tithing Men so I call them in English for so they were called as is reported in England vvhen England did flourish happily under that kinde of Government And lastly for that dayes worke every man chose who should be his Ruler of ten the Rulers standing in order and every man going to the man he chose and it seemed unto mee as if I had seene scattered bones goe bone unto his bone and so lived a civill politicall life and the Lord was pleased to minister no small comfort unto my spirit when I saw it After this worke was ended they did enter into Covenant with God and each other to be the Lords people and to be governed by the word of the Lord in all things The words of which Covenant are these in English Wee doe give our selves and our Children unto God to be his people Hee shall rule us in all our affaires not onely in our Religion and affaires of the Church these wee desire as soone as wee can if God will but also in all our workes and affaires in this world God shall rule over us Isa 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King Hee will save us the Wisedome which God hath taught us in his Booke that shall guide us and direct us in the way Oh Jehovah teach us wisedome to finde out thy wisedome in thy Scriptures let the grace of Christ helpe us because Christ is the wisedome of God send thy Spirit into our hearts and let it teach us Lord take us to be thy people and let us take thee to be our God This Act of forming themselves into the Government of God and entring into this Government is the first publique Record among the Indians and for ought I know the first that ever was among them and now our next worke is to prepare them for Church-estate to which end I doe instruct them that the Visible Church of Christ is builded upon a lively confession of Christ and Covenanting to walke in all the Administrations of the publique worship of God under the Government and Discipline of Jesus Christ I doe therefore exhort them to try their hearts by the word of God to finde out what change the Lord hath wrought in their hearts and this is the present vvorke vvee have in hand Give mee leave much honoured Friends to goe a little backe in my relation that I might be more particular because these Letters I prepared in the sixt Moneth after they had chosen their Officers as I was propounding and teaching them the above-written Covenant for that I did often before wee did solemnely accomplish it that so they might doe it as an Act of knowledge and faith Now let mee relate the order of our proceeding Having againe and againe read this Covenant to them and instructed them in the meaning of it it pleased God to wrack Mr Webbers Ship at Conahasset though the Lord dealt favourably most goods were saved though much spoyled this was on the first day of the 7th Moneth wherefore at a Lecture at Natik on the 10th of the same Moneth I informed them of the plentifull supply which the Lord had made your selves his instruments to send unto them for the furtherance of this our worke and also how the Lord had frowned upon it and undoubtedly it was a fruit of sinne
and therefore the Lord called them to repentance and make peace with God besides wee were beginning a great worke of civill Cohabitation and Government and they wanted wisdome to carry on such a worke and the Lord had promised if any want wisdome aske it of God who gives liberally citing that of James which I had formerly preached on Moreover wee were in preparation for a Church-state and that was a great matter to seeke the Lord in and lastly they having chosen Rulers and intending to enter into a Covenant to promise unto God to be his people and to be ruled in all things by his Word Gods appointment is that such a Covenant should be entred into in a solemne day of fasting and prayer and all these causes concurred to put us on unto that worke Now though wee never yet had kept such a day unto the Lord yet I had instructed them therein for in the Spring wee had a generall day of humiliation in all the Churches and thereupon they moved this question Why the English often fasted and prayed and I never yet taught them so to doe to which I did answer by that of Christ unto the Disciples but told them that when wee set upon the great vvorkes of God to be his people governed by his Word and to gather a Church then they should be called of God unto it c. and now it came to passe my motion they deliberated on with some conference as their manner is and finally did consent unto it then I told them it was needfull they should pray and teach that day sundry of them and wee agreed that all such as vvere called to be Rulers should exercise that day or so many as wee had time for their exercise Before that day came even then when it was appointed Cutshamoquin the chiefe Sachem and therefore chosen the chiefe for hee is constant in his profession though doubtfull in respect of the throughnesse of his heart was in the Countrey neere Narraganset about appeasing some strife among some Sachems In which Journey some of those bad Indians and Cutshamoquin with them did buy much strong Water at Gortons Plantation and had a great drinking from which the wiser sort did withdraw themselves but Cutshamoquin was in it though not unto drunkennesse yet his Act was scandalous Before vvee solemnly appeared before God and made the above-written Covenant I advised with Mr Cotton about it and his Counsaile was to add these words in the beginning Wee are the sonnes of Adam wee and our forefathers have a long time been lost in our sinnes but now the mercy of the Lord beginneth to finde us out againe therefore the grace of Christ helping us wee doe give our selves and our Children c. When the day came this Act of Cutshamoquin being broken out wee suffered not him to teach onely he began the day with confession of his sinne and made a short prayer wherein he confessed Satan acted in his heart begged pardon and that the Spirit of God might dwell in him and act in him for time to come and so ended Then another of them began with prayer and for his Text tooke that in the 7th of Luke 36. to the end though they doe not know the Booke Chapter or Verse but distinguish my Lectures by the first materiall word in it Christ being invited by Symon the Pharisee the Woman washt his feete with her teares c. At vvhich Symon stumbling Christ spake the parable of the two Debtors both freely forgiven with the application all which he repeated pretty well and after his teaching he prayed againe and ended The second tooke for his Text the Lords Prayer because it is said he a day of prayer The third tooke for his Text the 7th of Matthew 19. to the end Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is cut downe c. And upon that parable of the two Builders on the rocke the first the other on the sand c. By this time the day was well up then I taught out of the 9th of Ezra 3. 9. where I described a day of fasting and the right carriage of it yet by the parable of a Nut I shewed that outward acts are as the shell which is necessary but a broken and believing heart is the kernell and so ended the forepart of the day After a little respite in which time a Question came to mee if it were lawfull to take a pipe of Tobacco we met againe the first took his Text Joh. 3.16.22 and his Preface was I reade or rehearse this and let every one reade it in his owne heart The second took his Text Matth. 13.24 to 31. from the parable of him that sowed good seed and the enemie came and while they slept sowed tares c. The third took his Text Luke 3d. 4 5 6. ver Prepare yee the way of the Lord make his paths straight c. By this time night drew on then I took for my Text Deut. 29. and the 1. to 16. where Israel entred into Covenant with the Lord and finally our Covenant in the forerecited words I expressed and they joyntly consented unto first the Rulers then all the people then was the Collections for the poore and by dark night wee finished our worke Thus have I briefly described that blessed day wherein these poore soules solemnely became the people of the Lord this was on the 24th day of the 7th Moneth 1651. Upon the 8th of the Oct. Moneth which was our next Lecture for it is in that place but once in a fortnight I houlding a Lecture each other weeke still at any other place it pleased our Governour with many others attending him to visit our poore workes and day of small things where they viewed our house our Fort our Bridge advised about a place for a Mill c. At the season they came unto our Lecture and observed the carriage and behaviour of things and men among other things one of our Indians did as we are wont exercise which they tooke so much notice of and were so farre affected with as that it pleased the Governour to advice me to write the substance of that which he spake which is as followeth his Text was Matth. 13.44 45 46 Againe the Kingdome of heaven is like vnto treasure hid in a feild the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth the feild 45. Againe the Kingdome of heaven is like unto a Marchant-man seeking goodly pearles 46. Who when he had found one pearle of great price he went and sould all that he had and bought it The substance of these words he did twice rehearse then for instruction he first propounded what is this treasure which is hid in a field he answered it is Repentance for sinne faith in Christ and pardon of sinne and all grace as also praying to God the worship of God and his appointments which are the meanes
The Lord vouchsafe to be the Omega among them as well as the Alpha of this blessed change Your most loving Friend and Brother in Christ John Wilson Boston 27 8ber 51. As Mr Wilson was stirred up in himselfe to send us the Relation of his owne observations upon his journey with Mr Eliot so he having received some precious lines from an able Minister of the Gospel viz. Mr Leverich of Sandwich in the Government of New Plymouth whom the Lord had stirred up to labour also in the conversion of the Indians the cares seeming as it were white unto harvest and the labourers but very few he adventures to put in his sickle not without hopefull successe as will appeare in his following lines And for the discouragements mentioned in his Letter know that divers of his people having cast off all the Ordinances of God in his Church at last came to be seduced by every idle spirit that came amongst them to be led into such fancies as we are ashamed to mention And so this good man upon this occasion turned to the Indians where he meets with an abundant blessing upon his endeavours Reverend Sir I Salute you in the Lord I shall trouble you onely with two things first the mooving causes inducing mee to set upon this worke Secondly with what successe I have hitherto been entertained by the blessing of God upon my weake endeavours For the first of these I suppose it s not unknowne to your selfe amongst many others what singular exercise I have had in these parts and what singular Conflicts I have met withall in my travails amongst our owne Countreymen divers of them transported with their though not singular Fancies to the rejecting of all Churches and Ordinances by a new cunning and I perswade my selfe one of the last but most pernicious plot of the Devill to undermine all Religion and introduce all Atheisme and profanenesse if it were possible together with which I have observed a spirit of Pharisaisme and formalitie too too evidently creeping upon and strongly possessing others generally besides other discouragements I shall forbeare to mention which considered divers of our brethren together with my selfe upon consultation had together were resolved to moove together else whether where wee might hope for more and better encouragement as touching our Communion if God so pleased but were disswaded by divers our honoured Friends both by their Letters and more private Councells unto whom we gave way at least for the present not long after having an hopefull Indian in my house he propounds to mee a motion of teaching the Indians neere us And sometime after Mr Eliot invites mee to the same worke by his Letters then I thought with my selfe I must stay and began to tast the motion with more affection resolving that it God would please to fit up the roomes of others with the accesse of such for lorne Creatures and bring in such as wandred in the high wayes lanes and hedges and Call in the lame and halt and blind in stead of those Contemners it would be a mercy and by no other respects in this world was my breast inclined unto this worke and to attend God in it As touching the second for matter of successe and incouragement I cannot but reckon this one and that not the least that though the Indian tongue be very difficult irregular and anomalous and wherein I cannot meete with a Verbe Substantive as yet nor any such Particles as Conjunctions c. which are essentiall to the severall sorts of axioms and consequently to all rationall and perfect discourses and that though their words are generally very long even sesquipedalia verba yet I finde God helping not onely my selfe to learne and attaine more of it in a short time then I thinke I could or did of Latine Greeke or Hebrew in the like space of time when my memory was stronger when all known rules of Art are helpfull to fasten such notions in the minde of the learner but also the Indians to understand mee fully as they acknowledge so farre as I have gone I am constrained by many ambages and circumlocutions to supply the former defect to expresse my selfe to them as I may The next encouragement I may not without ground omit to mention is this that it pleaseth God to helpe some of these poore Creatures to looke over and beyond the Examples of some of our looser sort of English which I looke upon as a great stumbling blocke to many It 's to be lamented that the name of God so generally professed by those looser sort of English should be so generally polluted by them and blasphemed by Heathens through the occasion of their loosenes and deniall of the power of godlinesse yet God gives some of theirs a spirit of discerning between precious and vile and a spirit of Conviction to acknowledge oh that ours would lay it to heart there is no difference between the worst Indians and such English saying they are all one Indians yea and further to put a like difference between such Indians amongst themselves here and elsewhere as appeare to be more serious in their Inquiries after God and conscientious according to their light and such others that are more slight and meere pretenders to Religions Thirdly for more particular observations 1. God hath brought some of them to a sence of their sinnes and a feare of his justice Here I shall insert an example or two one of them being to repeate such Principles I had begun to traine them in in a Catechisticall way for my penury confines mee to this method at present and I hope it may be never the worse for them was a good while before he could speake having his countenance sad before and as I have understood since a weeke together after our former exercise and in speaking the teares all the while trickling downe his Cheekes After being demanded by mee what was the matter of his sadnesse he answers mee he did now understand that God was a just God and for himselfe he had been very wicked even from a childe And another whom I used as my Interpreter now and then in teaching them falls suddenly and publiquely into a bitter passion crying out and wringing his hands out of the like apprehension of his Condition as he told mee afterwards and I finde no one of them daring men to speake of their good hearts but some more some lesse sensible of the Contrary Secondly God hath brought some of them to some Evangelicall Conviction one acknowledging that though he and others leave their former evills and should keepe Gods Commandements yet without Christ they must goe to hell Thirdly Two or three of them have complained of the hardnesse of their hearts and are questioning of Remedies Fourthly Speaking to them of the mercy of God in Christ one of them tells publiquely it did him more good to heare of Christ then to heare of all earthly good things I would faine hope for seeds
of Faith in such Fifthly Two of them I deale withall particularly for personall evills by name for the sinne of Fornication which they were carried away into which my Indian acquainting my selfe with after our exercise I spake unto shewing them the evills of this sinne and aggravating of it by the knowledge they now had of God c. and exhorting them to Repentance and to seeke mercy in Christ whereupon one of them fell into bitter weeping presently the other though his heart was shut up at present yet not long after and with longer continuance sayd I have observed in others a sence of temptations spirituall bondage which they expressed naturally thus one saith that he and the Devill were all one Souldiers and this in sadnesse of spirit and speech another laying his hands upon his knees and hammes complaines he was as a man tyed in Cords and prayes to God to be unloosed and in generall they are observed divers of them to pray with much affection mourning in so much that they are in this respect a wonderment to their Companions who enquired what is the matter why they doe so c. A fourth encouragement to mee is this I finde the Devill bestirring himselfe and betaking of himselfe to his wonted practice of stirring up oppositions against this worke by his Instruments as fearing the ruine of his Kingdome their Countrymen manifesting their hatred threatning they shall not plant hunt c. as before yea the Controversie or enmitie rather arises between Parents and Children c. Lastly and not long before I was last with you in the Bay upon a second day in the morning before they went away there came to me to the number of twentie of them voluntarily professing one by one their desire to feare God promising that they would leave their sins some intermixing acknowledgements of their sins and ignorance and one that English and Indians knew shee had been very wicked hereunto calling Jehovah to witnes and this to doe all their dayes as long as they live some bringing their Children and causing them to make the like profession whereupon I was the more stirred towards them in my spirit though I acknowledge I was loath to make an absolute engagement to promise them I would endevour to be as helpfull to them as I could in teaching them which when I had done they gave mee thankes publiquely and since this they living some seaven miles from us have built a Wigwam of purpose neere our Towne to receive them when they come on the Lords dayes and truely Sir they are so attentive in hearing that it grieves me I cannot speake to them as I desire they seeming to be hungry and I wanting bread for them And thus Sir you have a naked Narration of our proceedings with the events fallen out by Gods providence within not many moneths It is I believe a day of small things and so lookt at by our English many of them who surely would have perished in their darknesse if all others should have contemned them as they these I pray God they perish not in the light however I am resolved to bable to them as I may considering that out of the mouthes of babes God ordaines praise and found strength to still the enemie c. the beginnings of Gods great works are often in great obscuritie where he appoints the end to be glorious Also I remember one sowes and another reaps which where ever they be such as are faithfull shall rejoyce together I doubt not Sir of your fervent prayers which I doe further beg of you and others that know how to pitty lost ones for my selfe and poore Indians that the Lord will prosper our endeavours this way and water them with his abundant blessings in Jesus Christ that the day-spring from on high may visit such poore soules as are in darknesse and the shadow of death and bring them to life in Jesus Christ William Leverich Sandwich this 22th of the 7th 1651. The next Letter is a testimoniall from a private hand of what Mr Leverich mentions in his to Mr Wilson where we may see some fruits of his labours testified by a neighbour of his at Sandwich which is fiftie miles from that place where Mr Eliot hath taught other Indians for divers years but we doe not a little rejoyce to heare that Mr Leverich is engaged in this worke because he is a grave learned knowing and a prudent Christian one indeed from whom by Gods blessing we may expect much good COncerning the Indians I have seene and heard more this Sommer then ever I did before I have seene some Indians crave a blessing before meate and returne thankes after meate pray morning and evening some of them doe frequent our meetings they come constantly eight or tenne miles every Saturday and the Monday they returne home againe while our Exercise doth last they doe attend diligently but understand but little but when that is done Mr Leverich and they doe put questions one to another and Mr Leverich hath an Indian that speakes good English and he is Interpreter There is a man that lives neere us that comes from an Island that is called Martins Vineyard where is a Minister that speakes good Indian he doth preach to them every weeke he hath told me that that Minister told him that there are some of them Indians that are able to give a better reason of their Faith then some of the Members of their Church some of them will preach and they have private meeting and keepe very good orders Anthoney Bessey Sandwich 21th September 1651. The next Letter we present thee withall good Reader is one from Mr Mayhew whom God hath honoured with abundant successe in making his labours the instrumentall meanes to turne many of the Heathen from their evill wayes to the Lord our God This he not onely wrote to Mr John Whitfield who is a Minister in Winchester but also to a Member of our Corporation being the same Narrative word for word for ought we discerne wherein appeareth a mighty progresse in godlines since our last Treatise published by Mr Henry Whitfield upon his comming hither from New England God not onely daily adding to their number such as in Charity we conceive appertain to his Election but stirred them up being neere two hundred persons to enter into a more close way of the Gospel declaring themselves to be the worshippers of the everliving God With many other things ministring much consolation to every Christian heart to see these very Powwawes fall off from the worship of Devills and embrace the glad tydings of Salvation Reverend and dearly beloved in Christ Jesus SIR WHat you have done in the Indian busines and concerning my selfe in particular doe give good testimony of your holy desires to further the worke of the Lord amongst them The good providence of God in bringing you unto us and the free engaging of your selfe in this worke of the Lord and that upon
as I judged it his gravitie and utterance was indeed very commendable which being done Mr Eliot taught in the Indian tongue about three quarters of an houre as neere as I could guesse the Indians which were in number men women neere about one hundred seemed the most of them so to attend him the men especially as if they would loose nothing of what was taught them which reflected much upon some of our English hearers After all there was a Psaime sung in the Indian tongue and Indian meeter but to an English tune read by one of themselves that the rest might follow and he read it very distinctly without missing a word as we could judge and the rest sang chearefully and prettie tuneablie I rid on purpose thither being distant from my dwelling about thirty-eight or fortie miles and truely I account it one of the best Journeys I made these many yeares Some few dayes after I desired Mr Eliot briefely to write mee the substance of the Indians Exercise which when he went thither againe namely to Naticke where the Indians dwell and where the Indian taught he read what he remembred of it first to their Schoole-Master who is an Indian and teacheth them and their Children to write and I saw him write also in English who doth it true and very legible and asked him if it were right and he said yea also he read it unto others and to the man himselfe who also owned it To tell you of their industry and ingenuitie in building oâ—â—n house after the English manner the hewing and squaring of their tymber the sawing of the boards themselves and making of a Chimney in it making of their groundsells and wall-plates and mortising and letting in the studds into them artificially there being but one English-man a Carpenter to shew them being but two dayes with them is remarkeable They have also built a Fort there with halfe trees cleft about eight or ten Inches over about ten or twelve foote high besides what is intrencht in the ground which is above a quarter of an acre of ground as I judge They have also built a foote bridge over Charles River with Groundsells and Spurres to uphold it against the strength of the Flood and Ice in the Winter it stood firme last Winter and I thinke it will stand many Winters They have made Drummes of their owne with heads and brases very neatly and artificially all which shewes they are industrious and ingenuous And they intend to build a Water-Mill the next Sommer as I was tould when I was with them Some of them have learnt to mow Grasse very well I shall no further trouble you with any more relation at this time concerning them But a word or two further with your patience concerning other Indians The works of God amongst the Indians at Martins Vineyard is very hopefull and prosperous also I mist of Mr Mayhew their Teacher who was lately at Boston and therefore cannot give you a particular account thereof at this present time yet I cannot but acquaint you what other motions there are touching other Indians There came to us upon the 20th of this instant Moneth at the generall Court one Pummakummin Sachem of Lunnubbágge dwelling amongst or neere to the Narragansets who offered himselfe and his Men to worship God and desired that some English may be sent from the Massachusets Government to plant his River that thereby he may be partaker of Government and may be instructed by the English to know God Wee shall I hope take some care and course about it and I hope wee shall have more helpe to carry on that worke also For there are some Schollers amongst us who addict themselves to the study of the Indian Tongue The Lord in mercy recommence it into your Bosomes All that labour of love vouchsafed to the poore Indians which are the hearty prayers and earnest desire of much honoured Your loving Friend in all service of Christ John Endecott Boston the 27th of the Eight 1651. The next thing we present the reader withall is a private passage from one in New England to his godly Friend here who was so much affected therewith as he found out our Treasurer of the Corporation by name Mr Richard Floyd at the Meremaide in Cheapside and desired it might be published to the world amongst other things when we should publish and print what we received of like nature And how ever it is but briefe in it selfe yet full of sweetnesse and plainnes of spirit which we offer to thy view THe best News I can write you from New England is the Lord is indeed converting the Indians and for the refreshing of your heart and the hearts of all the Godly with you I have sent you the Relation of one Indian of two yeares profession that I tooke from his owne mouth by an Interpreter because he cannot speake or understand one word of English The first Question was Q. How did you come first to any sight of sinne A. His answer was before the Lord did ever him any English to us my conscience was exceedingly troubled for sinne but after Mr Mahew came to preach and had been here some time one chiefe Sagamore did imbrace the Gospel and I hearing of him I went to him and prayed him to speake something to mee concerning God and the more I did see of God the more I did see my sinne and I went away rejoycing that I knew any thing of God and also that I saw my sinne Q. I pray what hurt doe you see in sinne A. Sinne sayth he is a continuall sicknesse in my heart Q. What further evill doe you see in sinne A. I see it to be a breach of all Gods Commandements Q. Doe you see any punishment due to man for sinne A. Yea sayth he I see a righteous punishment from God due to man for sinne which shall be by the Devills in a place like unto fire not that I speake of materiall fire sayth he where man shall be for ever dying and never dye Q. Have you any hope to escape this punishment A. While I went on in the way of Indianisme I had no hope but did verily believe I should goe to that place but now I have a little hope and hope I shall have more Q. By what meanes doe you look for any hope A. Sayth he by the satisfaction of Christ I prayed the Interpreter to tell him from mee that I would have him thinke much of the satisfaction of Christ and so he told him I prayed him to returne mee his Answer A. I thanke him kindly for his good Counsell it doth my heart good sayd he to heare any man speak of Christ Q. What would you thinke if the Lord should save you from misery A. If the Lord said he would save me from all the sinne that is in my heart and from that misery I should exceedingly love God and sayth be I should love a man that should doe mee any