Life of John Eliot, the apostle to the Indians

367 Pages·2010·5.3 MB·English

by  Convers Francis

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RJ'C1l-:U'.HD o:ilUY.IES ilCV,I'll'!ETT
THE
LIBRARY
OF
AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY.
CONDUCTBD
Bw JARED BPARJCB.
VOL. V.
BOSTON:
BILLIARD, GRAY, AND CO.
LONDON:
BICBABD IAIlB8 ltBNNBTT.
1836.
OF
JOHN ELIOT,
OSTLE INDIANS~
By CONVERS FRANCIS.
BOSTON:
BILLIARD GRA Y, AND CO.
BICBAR
EDtered according 10 the act of Congress in the year 1886,
JA D AR
in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District ofM assachusetts.
CAMBRIDGE:
FOLJ5UM,
nUIT• • 'IQ TH& UKIYJ:.ltSlTY.
PREFACE.
IN preparing the following account of· the
Apostle Eliot, it has been my object to con
fine the narrative as strictly as possible within
the limits of his personal biography, and of
the circumstances necessarily connected with
it. The story obviously furnishes many
points, at which a writer would desire to
avail himself of the opportunities presented
for discussion and general remarks. Among
these topics, the condition and fate of the
American Indians, and the character of mis
sionary enterprises among them since Eliot's
time, would open a large field for inquiry
and reflection, in connexion with the history
of a man, who labored so strenuously for that
interesting race. It would likewise be desir
able to take a somewhat ample notice of Mr.
Eliot's fellow-laborers in the same benevo
lent work. But my limits have necessarily
vi PREFACE.
precluded these and similar digressions. The
object of a work. like the p.esent is to give a
distinct and faithful picture of the life, doings,
opinions, and habits. Q( the individual; and
the reader must be left to derive from the
aeCOltllt StICh materiab. for $J),eCulation as
may be S'UMested to his o.wn mind..
Of the SOlll'CeS" fl'0m which I have· dl'aWJill
the i8.ets for ~. biographical sketch, sOIOO
are obvKms, ad :have OOen before llsed; ~Q
otAers access has hitherto been had either
:&0t at all, or CilDly. at second hand. The" Col. ..
lections. of the· Massachusetts H~orical 8Q..
eietY','~ which are full of useful materials fOl"
the student of American history, have Ilf. .
forded important aid. These volumes, be.~
Sl"des. the account of the apostle Eliot pre.
pared by his Jltighly· respected Damesake, thQ
Reverend Dr. Joe Eliot of Boston, contain
seattered facts. and documents COll.Ilected
with *he subject of this work.. I :tmve con:-
sulted the· Colony Records, and in a few in ...
stances' theY' have furnished me with faets,.
lfllich I was. ghW. to, oJ,tain.
vu
PREFACE.
I have been reluctantly compelled, by
want of room, to omit many of the most in
teresting questions proposed by the Indian
converts to their teacher, and some details of
Mr. Eliot's proceedings. But I hope the book
will be found to· present a fair representation
of his deeds and character, and to consti
tute a memorial not altogether unworthy of
one belonging to the venerable class of "the
righteous who shall be in everlasting remem
brance." The record of the wise and good
will never be forgotten by a community, who
understand what they owe to themselves;
and it may be refreshing briefly to withdraw
from the heating excitements, which daily
crowd upon the public mind, to the con
templation of a man, whose long life was a
life of moral labor, whose active spirit was
a spirit of self-sacrifice and of pure be
neyo1ence.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
I».p
Eliot's Birtla. - Edw:ation. - Cmuanion Vlitla
Mr. Hooker. - Arrival tutti Ministry in Bos-
ton. - Marrit1(fe. - Settkmtnt at Rozbury. 3
CHAPTER n.
Eliofs AniflUldrJersi6IIJ on tie P'fWI Treat,.
His Connesioa fI1itla tAe Trial of Mrs. Hula..
inson. - His Agent!! ira tlae N"" EJtlflad
Version of t1ae Psalms. • • •• l'
CaAPTER III.
General Remarks on tlte Indians. - Interest in
tlaeir COl,version to Ckristianit!/.-Mr. EWs
Preparation for flat Work b!!'earniJtlf t1ae In,.
ditIA LartgUQ{fe. • • • • • • • • • • 80
CHAPTER IV.
Eliofs ~Nt Visits to t1ae InditJ'IU at NtntaIIIuttI. 48
CHAPTER. V.
De NMIJIIba EllahlU""'-L.-M. ... _
EW., Preaelting til Neporasd. - ~
lin. - Qvutions mad DiJicultia prt1pIIIIIi"
lie Iadias. -Eliot at Omwrd. • • • • t1'I
x CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VI.
Visit of Shepard and Others to Nonantum. - A
Court established for the "Praying Indians."
- Their Appearance bifore a Synod. - Their
Questions. - Their Observance of the Sabbath.
- Funeral of a Child. . . • . . . • . 86
CHAPTER VII.
Eliot's Visits to Passaconaway at Pautucket.
Kindness experienced by Him from the Nashrr
way Sachem, and his Exposure and Suffering.
- His Agency with Regard to Murders com,..
mitted among the Indians. - Excursion to
Yarmouth. ..••.....•. 104
CHAPTER VIII.
Eliot's Care of Nonantum. - Questions. - Eli-
ot's Endeavors to interest Others in the Cause.
- His Need of Assistance. - &ciety for Pro
pagating the Gospel among the Indians estab
lished in England. • • . . . . . • . 124.
CHAPTER IX.
Further LalJors of Eliot among the Natives.
His Letters to Winslow. - Questions of tM
Indians. - Eliot's Converts troubled by Gor
ton's Doctn'nes.-Desire of the Indians for a
Town and &hool.. - Oppositionfromthe Pow-
tJtDI and 8rJeAenu. • • • • • • • • • 138
CONTENTS. xi
CHAPTER X.
The &ttlemmt at Natick. -Labors of tM In
dians at tkat Place. - Form of Polity deuised
for them by Eliot. - Their auil Couenant. -
Visit of GOIJerRor Endicot and Mr. Wilson to
Natick, and their; Account. - Eliot's EndeQf1-
or,
to form Indian Preachers. -Further Par
ticulars of Natick. . . • . • • • • . 160
CHAPTER XI.
Pruposed Organization of a Okurch at Natick.
- Examination and Confessions of tke In
1,,,.
dians. - Delays. - Intemperance among the
dians. - Purfher Examinations. - A Church
established. - Affectiooate Regards and Kind
Services of the Christian Natives.-Misrtpre
sentatiO?"s as to Eliot and his Work. - Ap
pointment of English Magistrates for tM
" Praying Indians." . . . . • . • • 183
CHAPTER XII.
Eliofs "Okristian Commoowealth."-His Trans
lation of tAe Scriptures into the Indian Lan
guage. - &cond Ediiion of the Translation.
-Remarks on the Work. . • • • 210
CHAPTER XIII.
hrther Trarulations and other Books for tM
Ckristian Indians by Mr. Eliot. -His Indian
Graznmar. - His "Communion of OkurcMs,"
. 4-c. -Indians at HaTfIard University. -In
dian College. - Towns of" Praying Indians." ~