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Life of John Eliot, the apostle to the Indians PDF

367 Pages·2010·5.3 MB·English
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~- , -~ 1--1--:--.[m~ll- ',--- ---"'" OF ' ~EftIC~~IOGBAr~ -COND1:CTED BY~ JB <IlI§'lI''!J>.N. 1'lBlJ.i § ;m:ED :BY 'El1.LJAJm. GUY .. C <Ill. J.<IlIND1J>N, 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." ~

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familiarly known in New England history as the ApOSTLE TO THE INDIANS, a title as richly de- served, as it is significant and honorable. JOHN. ELIOT was born
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