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<DATE>2007-10-12</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Tears of Repentance:
Or, A further
Narrative of the Progre&s;s of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI>
Among&s;t the
INDIANS
IN
NEW-ENGLAND:</P>
<P>Setting forth, not only their pre&s;ent &s;tate
and condition, but &s;undry Confe&s;&s;ions of &s;in
by diver&s;e of the &s;aid <HI>Indians,</HI> wrought upon
by the &s;aving Power of the Go&s;pel; Together
with the manife&s;tation of their <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Hope</HI>
in <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and the Work of Grace upon
their Hearts.</P>
<P>Related by Mr. <HI>Eliot</HI> and Mr. <HI>Mayhew,</HI> two Faithful Laborers
in that Work of the Lord.</P>
<P>Publi&s;hed by the Corporation for propagating the Go&s;pel there, for the
Satisfaction and Comfort of &s;uch as wi&s;h well thereunto.</P>
<Q><BIBL>I&s;ay, 42. 3.</BIBL>
A brui&s;ed Reed &s;hall be not break, and the &s;moaking
Flax, &s;hall be not quench.</Q>
<P><HI>London:</HI> Printed by <HI>Peter Cole</HI> in <HI>Leaden-Hall,</HI> and are to Sold at
his Shop, at the Sign of the Printing-Pre&s;s in Cornhil,
near the Royal Exchange. 1653.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO
HIS EXCELLENCY
The Lord General
CROMWEL.</HEAD>
<P>_WHat the Jews once &s;aid of their
Centurion, <HI>He loved our Na|tion,
and built us a Syna|gogue,</HI>
the &s;ame may we affirm
upon a more Noble Accompt of
Your Lord&s;hip, and of tho&s;e faithful Centurions
and Soldiers under Your Conduct; by how much
the Adventure of your Lives in the Cau&s;e of
God, for the Good of your Country, is a more in|fallible
Demon&s;tration of your Love to it: for|a&s;much
as the King of Saints, is al&s;o King of
Nations, and when he &s;hall be the de&s;ire of
all Nations, will prove their &s;afe&s;t Intere&s;t.
<PB REF="3">
&V;pon con&s;ideration whereof, it was but equal
that Mr. <HI>Eliot</HI> a faithful Laborer of Chri&s;t in
&s;preading the <HI>Everla&s;ting Go&s;pel</HI> to the Poor
<HI>Indians,</HI> &s;hould prefix Your Lord&s;hips Name
to his Relation of the Progre&s;s of Divine Grace
among&s;t them: And with his Judgment, We of
the Corporation, who are &s;ubordinately intru|&s;ted,
do &s;o far concur, e&s;pecially moved there|unto
by that liberal and Exemplary Contributi|on
to this Glorious Work lately promoted by Your
Lord&s;hip, and Your Officers with the Army,
that we thought not fit either to &s;ever that
Narrative, and this of Mr. <HI>Mayhew</HI>'s, or
to &s;end them abroad under any other Name to
the Publick View.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Coopers-Hall, <HI>London,</HI>
<DATE>March, 26. 1653.</DATE></DATELINE>
Signed in the Name, and by
the Appointment of the
&s;aid Corporation, by
<SIGNED>William Steel, <HI>Pre&s;ident.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>To the much Honored Corporation in <HI>London,</HI>
Cho&s;en to Place of Publick Tru&s;t for the
promoting of the Work of the Lord among the
<HI>Indians</HI> in <HI>NEW-ENGLAND.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Worthy Sirs,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IT hath not been from any di&s;re&s;pect
to your &s;elves, that I have not for|merly
directed to your Pre&s;ence,
and pre&s;ented into your Hand, what
have already been let go, which
made Relation of the Work of God
among the <HI>Indians</HI> in this I&s;land
(commonly called <HI>Martins Vineyard)</HI>
This year there was an opportunity not to be refu&s;ed, of
certifying the Right Wor&s;hipful <HI>John Endicot</HI> E&s;quire,
Governor of the <HI>Ma&s;&s;achu&s;&s;ets</HI> in <HI>New-England</HI> of what I had
to communicate concerning the <HI>Indians,</HI> from who&s;e
hand al&s;o you will receive it; but yet I may not for &s;eve|ral
cau&s;es, neglect the writing to your &s;elves the &s;ame
things, with more particulars &s;ince adjoyned, in the con|clu&s;ion
to accompany the former unto your Pious and
Prudent con&s;ideration, to which they are committed to
be (as I have received them from God) the tokens of
more Grace in &s;tore to be be&s;towed on Indian &s;ouls.</P>
<PB REF="4">
<P><HI>Highly e&s;teemed in the Lord Je&s;us,</HI></P>
<P>WHen the Lord fir&s;t brought me to the&s;e poor Indians
on the <HI>Vinyard,</HI> they were mighty zealous and ear|ne&s;t
in the Wor&s;hip of Fal&s;e gods, and Devils; their Fal&s;e
gods were many, both of things in Heaven, Earth, and
Sea: And there they had their Men-gods, Women-gods,
and Children-gods, their Companies, and Fellow&s;hips of
gods, or Divine Powers, guiding things among&s;t men,
be&s;ides innumerable more feigned gods belonging to
many Creatures, to their Corn, and every Colour of it:
The Devil al&s;o with his Angels had his Kingdom among
them, in them; account him they did, the terror of the
Living, the god of the Dead, under who&s;e cruel power
and into who&s;e deformed likene&s;s they conceived them|&s;elves
to be tran&s;lated when they died; for the &s;ame
word they have for <HI>Devil,</HI> they u&s;e al&s;o for a <HI>Dead Man,</HI> in
their Language: by him they were often hurt in their
Bodies, di&s;tracted in their Minds, wherefore they had
many meetings with their <HI>Pawwaws</HI> (who u&s;ually had a
hand in their hurt) to pacifie the Devil by their Sacrifice,
and get deliverance from their evil; I have &s;ometimes
marvelled to &s;ee the vehemency of their Spirits, which
they acted with no le&s;s bodily violence therein. The
<HI>Pawwaws</HI> counted their Imps their Pre&s;ervers, had them
trea&s;ured up in their bodies, which they brought forth
to hurt their enemies, and heal their friends; who when
they had done &s;ome notable Cure, would &s;hew the Imp
in the palm of his Hand to the Indians, who with much
amazement looking on it, Deified them, then at all times
&s;eeking to them for cure in all &s;ickne&s;&s;es, and coun&s;el in
all ca&s;es: This Diabolical way they were in, giving heed
to a multitude of Heathen Traditions of their gods, and
many other things, under the ob&s;ervation whereof, they
<PB REF="4">
with much &s;lavery were held, and abounding with &s;ins,
having only an ob&s;cure Notion of a good greater than all,
which they call <HI>Mannit,</HI> but they knew not what he was,
and therefore had no way to wor&s;hip him.</P>
<P>What an entrance I had at fir&s;t among&s;t the&s;e mi&s;era|ble
Heathen, how called thereunto, and what &s;ucce&s;s
God ble&s;&s;ed us with, hath been in &s;ome mea&s;ure already
publi&s;hed, which will I hope through the dew of Gods
ble&s;&s;ing from Heaven, have &s;uch a gracious increa&s;e, that
the blo&s;&s;oming and budding time &s;hal at lea&s;t be acknow|ledged,
and by many more God ble&s;&s;ed for it, in the
growth of the fruit to more maturity; Since it hath
plea&s;ed God to &s;end his Word to the&s;e poor captivated
men (bond&s;laves to &s;in and Satan) he hath through mer|cy
brought two hundred eighty three Indians (not coun|ting
yong children in the number) to renounce their
fal&s;e gods, Devils, and Pawwaws, and publickly in &s;et
meetings, before many witne&s;&s;es, have they di&s;claimed
the Divinity of their formerly adored multitude, defied
their tyrannical De&s;troyer the Devil, and utterly refu|&s;ed
the help of the Pawwaws in any ca&s;e; neither have
they at any time, either by threatnings or flatteries been
drawn thereto, although their lives have been in hazard;
yea, eight of their Pawwaws have for&s;aken their Devil|li&s;h
craft, and profitable trade as they accounted it, for to
embrace the Word and Way of God. The Indians
which do pray to God, were not compelled thereto by
power, neither al&s;o could they be allured by gifts, who
received nothing for about &s;even years time, much le&s;s
that which counterpoy&s;e their troubles, and exceed to
the drawing of them from the beloved waies of their
own Wor&s;hips: Surely it were great uncharitablene&s;s,
and derogatory from the glory of God, to think that
none of the&s;e are truly changed, and that God him&s;elf
<PB REF="5">
by his Word and Spirit, hath not in mercy prevailed in
their hearts again&s;t the&s;e evils; nay, may we not hope
and be per&s;waded by this, and &s;ome other appearances
of God among&s;t them, that &s;ome of them are truly tur|ned
to God from Idols, to &s;erve the Living and true
God? Serve him, through mercy they do in &s;ome hope|ful
Reformations, walking inoffen&s;ively and diligently
in their way, which I hope will more plainly appear
when they are in a way more hopeful (by the ble&s;&s;ing of
God to their further well-being) which I hope will be in
the be&s;t time.</P>
<P>I cannot but take notice of this good providence of
God by the way, That he hath mercifully pre&s;erved all
the Indians which call upon his Name (from the begin|ing
of the Work unto this day) from all extraordinary
evil, whereby the Devil and Witches u&s;e to torment the
Bodies and Minds of Men, not one of them or their chil|dren
(as I know) or have heard have been touched by
them in this kind (only a Pawwaw or two, have not been
delivered from his Imps pre&s;ently after his renouncing
of them, but for &s;ome time have had the &s;ence of them
in his Body with much pain:) The mi&s;chief that the
Pawwaws and Devils u&s;ually do to the common Indian
this way, is both by outward and bodily hurt, or inward
pain, torture, and di&s;traction of mind, both which I have
&s;een my &s;elf: To accompli&s;h the fir&s;t, the Devil doth a|bu&s;e
the real body of a Serpent, which comes directly
towards the man in the hou&s;e or in the field, looming or
having a &s;hadow about him like a man, and do &s;hoot a
bone (as they &s;ay) into the Indians Body, which &s;ome|times
killeth him. An in&s;tance whereof I can give,
whereby it may the more plainly appear, that it is a great
mercy to be delivered therefrom; and it is of a youth,
who living with his Parents upon a neck of Land, They
<PB REF="5">
did not pray unto <HI>Jehovah,</HI> yet their Neighbors who lived
there with them, did; This Youth was hurt after the
&s;ame manner, and then pre&s;ently his Parents pulled
down the hou&s;e they lived in, and fled to an I&s;land near
by, where I &s;aw the Indian thus hurt in his Thigh, he
was grievou&s;ly tormented, and his Kindred about him
mourning, not knowing where to find any comfort, or
help, for cure could not be had from their gods or
Pawwaws: I then took the opportunity to rea&s;on with
them about their way, with the be&s;t wi&s;dom God gave
me, but all in vain, for they would not hear to &s;eek the
true God, notwith&s;tanding he had &s;hewn his di&s;plea&s;ure
&s;o apparantly again&s;t them for their former refu&s;ing of
Him, but they &s;till followed on their wonted Serpentine
Machinations: The Pawwaws, and their devilli&s;h train,
with their horrible outcries, hollow bleatings, painful
wre&s;tlings, and &s;miting their own bodies, &s;ought delive|rance,
but all in vain, for he died mi&s;erably. Hereby,
and by &s;everal other things, I perceive that they are not
(in a manner) indifferent, whether they &s;erve their own
gods or not, or change them (as &s;ome think) for they
are naturally like the Heathens of <HI>Chittim</HI> and <HI>Kedar,</HI>
which would not change their gods, which yet are no
gods; when God blames his people for changing their
glory for that which doth not profit; I hope therefore
that it is &s;omething of Grace, that many chu&s;e to wor|&s;hip
the true God. But touching the former vexing
mi&s;chiefs, A <HI>Sachem,</HI> and no good friend to the work,
could not but acknowledg the ble&s;&s;ing of God among
the Praying Indians; When I came over (&s;aid he) at the
further end of the I&s;land, there was a &s;torm (mentio|ning
the afore&s;aid evils, with &s;ome more) but when I
came to this end I found a calm, the Praying Indians
were all well, they aro&s;e in the morning, Prayed to God,
<PB REF="6">
and went about their bu&s;ine&s;s, and they are not hurt nor
troubled like the other Indians: And the Pawwaws
them&s;elves, &s;ome of them do &s;ay, That they cannot
make their Power &s;eize on any of them: Que&s;tionle&s;s
they have tried their Skill, and Satan hath not been wan|ting
to a&s;&s;i&s;t them, who is &s;o unwilling to fall down from
his Rule, and to be driven from his old Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions. A
Pawwaw told me, who was of no &s;mall note among the
Heathen formerly, and al&s;o with the be&s;t, now he hath
for&s;aken his Pawwawing, That after he had been
brought by the Word of God to hate the Devil, and to
renounce his Imps (which he did publickly) that yet his
Imps remained &s;till in him for &s;ome months tormenting
of his fle&s;h, and troubling of his mind, that he could ne|ver
be at re&s;t, either &s;leeping or waking: At length one
time when I went down to keep the farthe&s;t Lecture a|bout
&s;even miles off, he asked me &s;ome Que&s;tions,
whereof this was one, <HI>viz.</HI> That if a Pawwaw had his
Imps gone from him, what he &s;hould have in&s;tead of
them to pre&s;erve him? Whereunto it was An&s;wered,
That if he did beleeve in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, he &s;hould have
the Spirit of Chri&s;t dwelling in him, which is a good and
a &s;trong Spirit, and will keep him &s;o &s;afe, that all the
Devils in Hell, and Pawwaws on Earth, &s;hould not be a|ble
to do him any hurt; and that if he did &s;et him&s;elf a|gain&s;t
his Imps, by the &s;trength of God they &s;hould all
flee away like Muskeetoes: He told me, That he did
much de&s;ire the Lord, it might be &s;o with him. He fur|ther
&s;aid, That ever &s;ince that very time God hath in
mercy delivered him from them, he is not troubled with
any pain (as formerly) in his Bed, nor dreadful vi&s;ions of
the night, but through the ble&s;&s;ing of God, he doth lie
down in ea&s;e, &s;leeps quietly, wakes in Peace, and walks
in &s;afety, for which he is very glad, and prai&s;es God.</P>
<P><PB REF="6">
This la&s;t &s;pring, the Indians of their own accord made
a motion to me they might have &s;ome way ordered a|mong&s;t
them, as a means whereby they might Walk in
good Subjection to the Law of God, wherunto they de&s;i|red
to enter into Covenant; they told me that they were
very de&s;irous to have their &s;ins &s;uppre&s;&s;ed which God
did forbid, and the duties performed, which he hath
Commanded in his Word; and thereunto they de&s;ired
me to inform them, what puni&s;hment the Lord did
appoint to be inflicted on tho&s;e which did break any
part of His Law, for they were very willing to &s;ub|mit
them&s;elves to what the will of the Lord is in
this kind. I was not willing on the &s;udden to draw forth
in writing an An&s;wer to their de&s;ire, but rather cho&s;e to
take a longer time of Con&s;ideration in a Work of &s;o great
Concernment, and refer them to the Word of God,
&s;hewing them many places for their information, mo&s;t
whereof they had heard of formerly: They al&s;o fur|ther
de&s;ired, That they might have &s;ome men Cho&s;en
among&s;t them with my father and my &s;elf, to &s;ee that
the Indians did walk orderly, and that &s;uch might be
incouraged, but that tho&s;e which did not, might be dealt
with acording to the word of the Lord; I could not but
approve and incourage the motion, &s;eeing they &s;pake
not as tho&s;e in <HI>P&s;al. 2. 3. Let us break their bands a&s;under and
ca&s;t away their cords from us,</HI> but &s;ought totall &s;ubjection
and &s;trict obedience to God: yet I told them that it was
a matter of great weight, &s;hewing them many things
which I thought nece&s;&s;ary for them to know, but need|le&s;s
now to relate. A day of fa&s;ting and prayer to repent
of our &s;ins, and &s;eek the gracious help of our God for
Chri&s;t Je&s;us &s;ake, we appointed; and another &s;hortly
after to fini&s;h the work in: Some of the Indians &s;pake
&s;omthing for their benefit; and about ten, or twelve
<PB REF="7">
of them prayed, not with any &s;et Form like Children,
but like Men indued with a good mea&s;ure of the know|ledg
of God, their own wants, and the wants of others,
with much affection, and many Spiritual Petitions, &s;avo|ring
of a Heavenly mind; and &s;o are they &s;treitned in
re&s;pect of help from man, that it appears the more
plainly to be the Dictates of Gods Spirit. A Platform
of the Covenant in An&s;wer to their de&s;ires, I drew forth
the &s;ame morning in the Indian Language, which I have
here &s;ent in Engli&s;h.</P>
<P>Wee the di&s;tre&s;&s;ed <HI>Indians</HI> of the <HI>Vineyard</HI> (or <HI>Nope, the
Indian name of the I&s;land)</HI> That beyond all memory have been
without the True God, without a Teacher, and without a Law,
the very Servants of Sin and Satan, and without Peace, for
God did ju&s;tly vex us for our &s;ins; having lately through his mer|cy
heard of the Name of the True God, the Name of his Son Chri&s;t
Je&s;us, with the holy Gho&s;t, the Comforter, three Per&s;ons, but
one mo&s;t Glorious <HI>God,</HI> who&s;e Name is <HI>JEHOVAH:</HI> We
do prai&s;e His Glorious Greatne&s;s, and in the &s;orrow of our hearts,
and &s;hame of our faces, we do acknowledg and renounce our great
and many &s;ins, that we and our Fathers have lived in, do run unto
him for mercy, and pardon for Chri&s;t Je&s;us &s;ake; and we do this day
through the ble&s;&s;ing of God upon us, and tru&s;ting to his gracious
help, give up our &s;elves in this Covenant, Wee, our Wives, and
Children, to &s;erve <HI>JEHOVAH:</HI> And we do this day chu&s;e
<HI>JEHOVAH</HI> to be our God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, our Teacher, our
Law-giver in his Word, our King, our Judg, our Ruler by his
Magi&s;trates and Mini&s;ters; to fear God Him&s;elf, and to tru&s;t in
Him alone for Salvation, both of Soul and Body, in this pre&s;ent
Life, and the Everla&s;ting Life to come, through his mercy in
Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Savior, and Redeemer, and by the might of his
Holy Spirit; to whom with the Father and Son, be all Glory e|verla&s;ting.
<HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P><PB REF="7">
After I had often read this Covenant and expounded
it unto them, they all with free Con&s;ent willingly and
thankfully joyned therein, and de&s;ired <HI>Jehovah</HI> his ble&s;|&s;ing
for Je&s;us Chri&s;t his &s;ake, the Lord be gracious to our
beginnings.</P>
<P>Within two or three weeks there came an Indian to
me in bu&s;ine&s;s, and by the way he told me, that &s;ome
Indians had lately kept a day of Repentance to humble
them&s;elves before God in prayer, and that the word of
God which one of them &s;pake unto, for their In&s;tructi|on,
was <HI>P&s;al. 66. 7. He ruleth by his Power for ever, his eyes
behold the nations, let not the rebellious exalt them&s;elves.</HI> I
a&s;ked him what their end was in keeping &s;uch a day?
He told me tho&s;e &s;ix things: Fir&s;t, they de&s;ired, That
God would &s;lay the rebellion of their hearts. Secondly,
That they might love God, and one another. Thirdly,
That they might with&s;tand the evil words and tempta|tions
of wicked men, and not to be drawn back from
God. Fourthly, That they might be obedient to the
good Words and Commands of their Rulers. Fiftly,
That they might have their &s;ins done away by the Re|demption
of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. And La&s;tly, That they might
walk in Chri&s;ts way.</P>
<P>Now for the &s;tate of things with us, we are by the
help of God about to begin a Town that they may
Cohabit and carry on things in a Civil and Religious way
the better; The praying Indians are con&s;tant attenders
to the word of the Lord, and &s;ome of them (I hope) con|&s;cionable
&s;eekers after the knowledg of God, and them|&s;elves,
and not without obtaining (by the grace of God)
&s;ome &s;aving benefit to their own Souls, which will by his
own ble&s;&s;ing, in the be&s;t time, more plainly appear.
About 30. Indian Children are now at School, which
began the Eleventh day of the Eleventh month. 1651.
<PB REF="8">
they are apt to learn, and more and more are now &s;end|ing
in unto them. The Barbarous Indians, both men and
women, do often come on the Lecture dayes, and
complaining of their ignorance, di&s;liking their &s;inful
liberty, and refu&s;ing the helps, and hopes of their own
power, &s;eek Subjection to <HI>Jehovah,</HI> to be taught, gover|ned,
and &s;aved by him, for Je&s;us Chri&s;ts &s;ake. The
Name of the Lord alone be prai&s;ed for what is begun;
What is further needfull, I earne&s;tly de&s;ire may be fer|vently
prayed for, and expected by faith, to be effected,
and fini&s;hed by the gracious hand of God, who have laid
the foundation, and will not leave his own works un|perfect,
which is the comfort of an unworthy Laborer in
the Lords Vinyard, and an earne&s;t de&s;irer to be remem|bred
at the Throne of Grace.</P>
<P>Having a little more liberty, I &s;hall certifie you of
&s;omthing more, which I have taken notice of among&s;t
the poor Indians.</P>
<P>I ob&s;erved that the Indians when they cho&s;e their
Rulers, made choyce of &s;uch as were be&s;t approved for
their godline&s;s, and mo&s;t likely to &s;uppre&s;s &s;in, and en|courage
holine&s;s, and &s;ince they have been forward up|on
all occa&s;ions, to &s;hew their earne&s;t de&s;ire thereof.
There was an Indian that was well approved for his Re|formation,
that was &s;u&s;pected to have told a plain Lye
for his Gain; the bu&s;ine&s;s was brought to the publick
Meeting, and there it was notably &s;ifted with zeal and
good affection; but at length the Indian defending him|&s;elf
with great di&s;dain, and hatred of &s;uch an evil, pro|ved
him&s;elf clear, and prai&s;ed God for it. The &s;ame
Indian was a little before, very &s;ick, and he told me
that when he thought he &s;hould die, he did &s;o love God,
that he was not unwilling to die, and leave his wife, and
children, or any thing el&s;e, but that he was only de&s;i|rous
<PB REF="8">
to live for this cau&s;e, That he might be more
taught by the Word of God, and be helpful to teach the
Indians the Way of God.</P>
<P>I have al&s;o ob&s;erved how God is plea&s;ed to uphold
&s;ome of the&s;e poor Indians again&s;t oppo&s;ition. I was
once down towards the further end of the I&s;land, and
lodged at an Indians hou&s;e, who was accounted a great
man among the I&s;landers, being the friend of a great
<HI>Sachem</HI> on the <HI>Mayn;</HI> this <HI>Sachem</HI> is a great Enemy to our
Reformation on the I&s;land: At this mans hou&s;e when I
had &s;ate a while, his &s;on being about thirty years old,
earne&s;tly de&s;ired me in his Language, to relate unto him
&s;ome of the ancient Stories of God; I then &s;pent a great
part of the night (in &s;uch di&s;cour&s;e as I thought fitte&s;t
for them) as I u&s;ually do when I lodg in their hou&s;es,
what he then heard (as he expre&s;&s;ed) did much affect
him: And &s;hortly after he came and de&s;ired to joyn
with the praying Indians to &s;erve <HI>Jehovah,</HI> but it was to
the great di&s;contentment of the <HI>Sachems</HI> on the <HI>Mayn,</HI> and
tho&s;e Indians about him: News was often brought to
him that his life was laid in wait for, by tho&s;e that
would &s;urely take it from him, they de&s;ired him ther|fore
with &s;peed to turn back again; The man came to me
once or twice, and I perceived that he was troubled, he
a&s;ked my coun&s;el about removing his Habitation, yet
told me, That if they &s;hould &s;tand with a &s;harp weapon
again&s;t his brea&s;t, and tell him that they would kill him
pre&s;ently, if he did not turn to them, but if he would,
they would love him, yet he had rather lo&s;e his life
than keep it on &s;uch terms; for (&s;aid he) when I look
back on my life as it was before I did pray to God, I &s;ee it
to be wholly naught, and do wholly di&s;like it, and hate
tho&s;e naughty waies; but when I look on that way
which God doth teach me in his Word, I &s;ee it to be
<PB REF="9">
wholly good; and do wholly love it. Ble&s;&s;ed be God
that he is not overcome by the&s;e temptations.</P>
<P>The next thing I judg al&s;o worthy to be ob&s;erved,
My Father and I were lately talking with an Indian, who
had not long before almo&s;t lo&s;t his life by a wound his
Enemies gave him in a &s;ecret hidden way, the mark
whereof, he had upon him, and will carry it to his grave:
This man under&s;tanding of a &s;ecret Plot that was to take
away his Enemies life, told my Father and I, That he
did freely forgive him for the &s;ake of God, and did tell
this Plot to us that the mans life might be pre&s;erved:
This is a &s;ingular thing, and who among the Heathen
will do &s;o?</P>
<P>I ob&s;erve al&s;o that the Indians them&s;elves do indeavor
to propagate the knowledg of God, to the glory of God
and the good of others: I heard an Indian (after I had
&s;ome di&s;cour&s;e with the Indians in the night) a&s;k the
<HI>Sachem,</HI> and many others together, how they did like that
coun&s;el they heard from the word of God: They an&s;we|red,
very wel; then &s;aid he, why do you not take it? why
do you not do according to it? He further added, I can
tell you why it is, Becau&s;e you do not &s;ee your &s;ins, and
becau&s;e you do love your &s;ins; for as long as it was &s;o
with me, I did not care for the Way of God; but when
God did &s;hew me my &s;ins, and made me hate them, then
I was glad to take Gods Coun&s;el: this I remember
he &s;pake, with &s;ome other things, with &s;uch Gravity
and truth, that the <HI>Sachem</HI> and all the company was not
able to gain-&s;ay.</P>
<P><HI>Myoxeo</HI> al&s;o lately met with an Indian, which came from
the <HI>Mayn</HI> who was of &s;ome note among them; I heard
that he told them of the great things of God, and of
Chri&s;t Je&s;us, the &s;infulne&s;s and folly of the Indians, the
Pardon of &s;in by Chri&s;t, and of a good life; and &s;o were
<PB REF="9">
they both affected, that they continued this di&s;cour&s;e
two half nights, and a day, until their &s;trength was &s;pent:
He told him in particular, how a Beleever did live above
the world, that he did keep worldly things alwaies at his
feet (as he &s;hewed him by a &s;ign) That when they were
demini&s;hed, or increa&s;ed, it was neither the cau&s;e of his
Sorrow, or joy, that he &s;hould &s;toop to regard them, but
he &s;tood upright with his heart Heavenward, and his
whol de&s;ire was after God, and his joy in him. Now
Much honored in the Lord, and all that love Chri&s;t Je|&s;us
in truth, let me prevail with you that we may be pre|&s;ented
by you at the Throne of Grace in his worthine&s;s
to obtain tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ings, that concerns his Kingdom and
Glory; our comfort and Salvation: And you are, and
&s;hall al&s;o be, ever humbly &s;o prayed for, by him, who is</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>From the Vinyard the
<DATE>22. of October, 1652.</DATE></DATELINE>
Yours obliged, and ever
to be commanded in the
Work of the Lord Je&s;us
<SIGNED>Thomas Mayhew.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="10">
<PB REF="10">
<HEAD>To His Excellency, the Lord General
<HI>Cromwel</HI>; Grace, Mercy, and Peace
be Multiplied.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honorable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_ENvy it &s;elf cannot deny that the Lord
hath rai&s;ed and improved You in an E|minent
manner to overthrow Anti|chri&s;t,
and to accompli&s;h, in part, the
Prophe&s;ies and Promi&s;es of the Chur|ches
Deliverance from that Bondage: In all which Ser|vice,
the Lord hath not only kept Your Honor un&s;teined,
but al&s;o cau&s;ed the Lu&s;tre of tho&s;e precious Graces of Hu|mility,
Faith, Love of Truth, and Love to the Saints, &amp;c.
with which, through His Free Grace, He hath enriched
You, to &s;hine forth abundantly beyond all exception of any
that are, or have been Adver&s;aries to Your Proceedings.
Now as the de&s;ign of Chri&s;t in the&s;e daies is double, name|ly,
Fir&s;t, To overthrow Antichri&s;t by the Wars of the
Lamb; and Secondly, To rai&s;e up His own Kingdom in
the room of all Earthly Powers which He doth ca&s;t down,
and to bring all the World &s;ubject to be ruled in all things
by the Word of His mouth. And as the Lord hath rai|&s;ed
and improved You, to accompli&s;h (&s;o far as the Work
hath proceeded) the fir&s;t part of His De&s;ign, &s;o I tru&s;t
<PB REF="11">
that the Lord will yet further improve You, to &s;et upon the
accompli&s;hment of the &s;econd part of the de&s;ign of Chri&s;t;
not only by indeavoring to put Government into the hands
of Saints, which the Lord hath made You eminently care|ful
to do, but al&s;o by promoting Scripture Government
and Laws, that &s;o the Word of Chri&s;t might rule all. In
which great Services unto the Name of Chri&s;t, I doubt
not, but it will be &s;ome Comfort to Your heart to &s;ee the
Kingdom of Chri&s;t ri&s;ing up in the&s;e We&s;tern Parts of
the World; and &s;ome confirmation it will be, that the
Lords time is come to advance and &s;pread His Ble&s;&s;ed
Kingdom, which &s;hall (in his &s;ea&s;on) fill all the Earth:
and &s;ome incouragement to your heart, to pro&s;ecute that
part of the De&s;ign of Chri&s;t, namely, That Christ might
Reign. Such Con&s;iderations, together with the Favora|ble
Re&s;pect You have alwaies &s;hewed to poor <HI>New-Eng|land,</HI>
hath imboldned me to pre&s;ent unto Your Hand,
the&s;e first Confe&s;sions of that Grace which the Lord hath
bestowed upon the&s;e poor Natives, and to publi&s;h them
under the protection of Your Name, begging earnestly
the continuance of Your Prayers for the further procee|ding
of this gracious Work: And &s;o committing Your
Honor to the Lord, and to the Word of His Grace, and
all Your weighty Affairs to His Heavenly Direction,
I re&s;t</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Honors to &s;erve You,
in the Service of Chri&s;t
JOHN ELIOT.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="author to the reader">
<PB REF="11">
<HEAD>To the READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Chri&s;tian Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I Know thy Soul longeth to hear Tydings of
Gods grace powred out upon the&s;e goings
down of the Sun, becau&s;e the Spirit of God
by the Word of Prophe&s;ie, u&s;eth to rai&s;e up
and draw forth &s;uch actings of Faith, as ac|cord
with the accompli&s;hment of tho&s;e Pro|phe&s;ies,
when the time of their accompli&s;hment is come. When
<HI>I&s;rael</HI> was to return from <HI>Babylon,</HI> the Spirit by the word
of Prophe&s;ie, rai&s;ed up &s;uch actings of Faith, as were put
forth in the exerci&s;e of all gifts nece&s;&s;ary for the accompli&s;h|ment
thereof. <HI>Daniel</HI> prayeth. <HI>Zerubbabel</HI> hath a Spirit
of Ruling, the peoples affections are loo&s;e from their dwell|ings,
and have a Spirit of Traveling. <HI>Ezra, Nehemiah,</HI>
and all the re&s;t of the Worthies of the Lord, are rai&s;ed at that
time to accompli&s;h what is Prophe&s;ied. In the&s;e times the Pro|phe&s;ies
of <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> his down fall are accompli&s;hing. And do
we not &s;ee that the Spirit of the Lord, by the word of Prophe|&s;ie,
hath rai&s;ed up men, in&s;truments in the Lord hand, to
accompli&s;h what is written herein. And the Spirit of Prayer,
and expectation of Faith is rai&s;ed generally in all Saints, by
the &s;ame word of Prophe&s;ie. In like manner the Lord ha|ving
&s;aid, <HI>That the Go&s;pel &s;hall &s;pread over all the
Earth, even to all the ends of the Earth; and
from the ri&s;eing to the &s;etting Sun; all Nations
&s;hal become the Nations, and Kingdoms of the Lord
and of his Chri&s;t.</HI> Such words of Prophe&s;ie hath the Spirit
<PB REF="12">
u&s;ed to &s;tir up the &s;ervants of the Lord to make out after the
accompli&s;hment thereof: and hath &s;tirred up a mighty Spi|rit
of Prayer, and expectation of Faith for the Conver&s;ion
both of the <HI>Jewes,</HI> (yea all <HI>I&s;rael)</HI> and of the <HI>Gentiles</HI>
al&s;o, over all the world. For this Cau&s;e I know every beleeving
heart, awakened by &s;uch Scriptures, longeth to hear of the
Conver&s;ion of our poor <HI>Indians,</HI> whereby &s;uch Prophe&s;ies are
in part begun to be accompli&s;hed. Yea, the De&s;ign of Chri&s;t
being to erect his own Kingdom, in the room of all tho&s;e Do|minions,
which he doth, and is about to overturn: You &s;hall
&s;ee a Spirit by &s;uch words of Prophe&s;ie powred forth upon the
Saints (into who&s;e hands Chri&s;t will commit the manage|ing
of his Kingdom on Earth) that &s;hall carry them forth to
advance Chri&s;t to rule over men in all affairs, by the word of
his mouth, and make him their only Law-giver, and &s;upream
Judge, and King.</P>
<P>It is a day of &s;mall things with us: and that is Gods &s;ea|&s;on
to make the &s;ingle beauty of his humbling Grace, to &s;hine
in them, that are the verie&s;t ruines of mankind that are
known on earth; as Mr. <HI>Hooker</HI> was wont to de&s;cribe the
forlorn condition of the&s;e poor <HI>Indians.</HI> I &s;ee evident de|mon&s;trations
that Gods Spirit by his word hath taught them,
becau&s;e their expre&s;&s;ions, both in Prayer, and in the Confe&s;|&s;ions
which I have now publi&s;hed, are far more, and more full,
and &s;piritual, and various, then ever I was able to expre&s;s un|to
them; in that poor broken manner of Teaching which I
have u&s;ed among them. The~ir turning Doctrins into their
own experience, which you may ob&s;erve in their Confe&s;&s;ions,
doth al&s;o demon&s;trate the Teachings of Gods Spirit, who&s;e
fir&s;t &s;pecial work is Application. Their different Gifts
likewi&s;e, is a thing ob&s;ervable in their Confe&s;&s;ions, wherein
it is not to be expected that they &s;hould be all Eminent, it is
not &s;o in any Society of men; but in that there be &s;ome a|mong
them that are more eminent, it is a &s;ign of Gods favor,
<PB REF="12">
who is rai&s;ing up among them&s;elves, &s;uch as &s;hall be his in|&s;truments
to conveigh a ble&s;&s;ing unto the re&s;t. Their frequent
phra&s;e of Praying to God, is not to be under&s;tood of that
Ordinance and Duty of Prayer only, but of all Religion, and
comprehendeth the &s;ame meaning, with them, as the word
[Religion] doth with us: And it is ob&s;ervable, becau&s;e it
&s;eemeth to me, That the Lord will make them a Praying peo|ple:
and indeed, there is a great Spirit of Prayer powred
out upon them, to my wonderment; and you may ea&s;ily ap|prehend,
That they who are a&s;&s;i&s;ted to expre&s;s &s;uch Confe&s;&s;ions
before men, are not without a good mea&s;ure of inlargement of
Spirit before the Lord.</P>
<P>The points of Doctrine that are here and there dropped in
their Confe&s;&s;ions, may &s;uffice at pre&s;ent for a little ta&s;te to the
Godly di&s;cerning Saints, That they are in &s;ome mea&s;ure in|&s;tructed
in the chief points of Salvation, though there be no
Doctrinal Confe&s;&s;ion on purpo&s;e &s;et down to declare what
they have learned, and do beleeve.</P>
<P>If any &s;hould conceive that that word which they &s;o often
u&s;e <HI>[I thought,</HI> or <HI>I think]</HI> &s;hould need explication, as a
godly Brother did intimate to me on the Fa&s;t day, let this &s;uf|fice,
That it is to be Con&s;trued by the pre&s;ent Matter: For
&s;ometimes it is a thought of Faith; &s;ometime of Fear;
&s;ometime of &V;nbelief; &s;ometime of Carnal Rea&s;on; and
&s;ometime of Ignorance.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, It is plainly to be ob&s;erved, That one end of Gods
&s;ending &s;o many Saints to <HI>NEW-ENGLAND,</HI> was the Con|ver&s;ion
of the&s;e <HI>Indians.</HI> For the Godly Coun&s;els, and Ex|amples
they have had in all our Chri&s;tian Families, have been
of great u&s;e, both to prepare them for the Go&s;pel, and al&s;o to
further the Lords work in them, as you may evidently di&s;cern
in mo&s;t of their Confe&s;&s;ions.</P>
<P>Beloved Reader, I have no more to &s;ay as nece&s;&s;ary to Pre|pare
for the following Matter, only to beg, yea earne&s;tly to beg
<PB REF="13">
the continuance of all your Prayers; by the power whereof
(through the Grace and Interce&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t) I beleeve
this wheele of Conver&s;ion of the&s;e <HI>Indians,</HI> is turned: and
my Heart hath been alwayes thereby encouraged, to follow on
to do that poor little I can, to help forward this ble&s;&s;ed Work
of Spreading and Exalting the Kingdom of our dear Savior
Je&s;us Chri&s;t, under the direction and protection of who&s;e
Word and Grace, by Faith committing you; I re&s;t,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your unworthy Brother,
in our dear Savior,
JOHN ELIOT.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="13">
<HEAD>To the Chri&s;tian Reader.</HEAD>
<P>_THE Amplitude, and large Extent of
the Kingdom of Je&s;us Chri&s;t upon
Earth, when <HI>the Heathen &s;hall be his Inhe|ritance,
and the uttermo&s;t parts of the Earth
his Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; and when all Kings &s;hall
fall down unto him, and all Nations do
him &s;ervice, all contrary Kingdoms and Powers being
broken in pieces and de&s;troyed,</HI> is a thing plainly and
plentifully foretold and promi&s;ed in the Holy Scrip|tures;
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. 8. and 22. 27. and 72. 11. and 86. 9. <HI>Dan.</HI>
2. 35. 44, 45. and 7. 26, 27. <HI>Zech.</HI> 14. 9. And al|though
as yet our Eyes have never &s;een it &s;o, nor
our Fathers afore us, many Nations and People ha|ving
hitherto been over&s;pread, and overwhelmed
in Pagan Blindne&s;s and Ignorance, having &s;carce e|ver
heard of Chri&s;t, or of His Name; and many o|thers
that in &s;ome &s;ort have heard of Him, having
no more Grace but to make and maintain Oppo&s;iti|on
again&s;t Him, and again&s;t His Kingdom, &s;ome
more profe&s;&s;edly, and others more covertly and un|der
fairer pretence, as in the great Dominions of
the <HI>Turk,</HI> and of the <HI>Pope,</HI> is apparent; yet <HI>the time is
coming, when things &s;hall not thus continue, but be greatly
changed and altered, becau&s;e the Lord hath &s;poken this Word,
and it cannot be that his Word &s;hould not take effect:</HI> And
<PB REF="14">
if the Lord have &s;poken it, his People have good
ground and rea&s;on to beleeve it, and to &s;ay as the
holy Apo&s;tle in another ca&s;e, <HI>I beleeve God that it &s;hall
be even as it was told me, Act.</HI> 27. 25. Yea, to beleeve
it and wait for it, as for that which in Gods appoin|ted
and due time &s;hall &s;urely come to pa&s;s, and not
fail, as <HI>Hab.</HI> 2. 3. And not only &s;o, but heartily to
de&s;ire it, and fervently to pray for it, as a thing
wherein the Glory of God, and of Je&s;us Chri&s;t is not
a little concerned and intere&s;&s;ed; for if the multi|tude
of People be the Kings Honor, <HI>Prov.</HI> 14. 28. it
mu&s;t needs be the Honor of Chri&s;t Je&s;us the King of
<HI>Sion,</HI> when multitudes of People do &s;ubmit unto
Him as to their King; and therfore it &s;hould be ear|ne&s;tly
craved of God by all his Saints in their Pray|ers,
that &s;o it may be, according as the Sanctifying of
Gods Name, and the coming of his Kingdom are the
two fir&s;t Petitions in that Rule and Pattern of Pra|yer
commanded, and taught by our Savior to His
Di&s;ciples, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 9, 10. And no man needs to
doubt but that tho&s;e things which are matter for
Faith and Prayer to be exerci&s;ed about their accom|pli&s;hment,
are matters of Thank&s;giving when once
they come to pa&s;s.</P>
<P>Which being &s;o, the godly Chri&s;tian, who &s;hall
read or hear this en&s;uing Relation concerning the
workings of Gods Grace towards the&s;e Indians in
<HI>New-England,</HI> and the Confe&s;&s;ions of &s;undry among&s;t
them, will, I doubt not, &s;ee abundant cau&s;e of
thank&s;giving to the Lord therein. For hereby it
will appear, That the Kingdom of the Lord Je&s;us
which every faithful &s;oul, doth &s;o much de&s;ire to
&s;ee enlarged, is now beginning to be &s;et up where it
never was before, even among&s;t a poor people,
<PB REF="14">
forlorn kind of Creatures in times pa&s;t, who have
been without Chri&s;t, and without God in the world,
they and their Fathers, for I know not how many
Generations; yea, &s;o far from knowing and ac|knowledging
God in Chri&s;t, that they have been lit|tle
better than the Bea&s;ts that peri&s;h. But now they
that were far off, the Lord is at work to make them
neer unto him&s;elf by the Blood of Je&s;us, as <HI>Eph. 2.
13.</HI> that they which in time pa&s;t were not a People,
might ere long become the People of God; and
they be called Beloved, which were not Beloved;
and in the place where it was &s;aid unto them, <HI>Ye are
not my People&punc;</HI> that there ere long, they might be cal|led,
<HI>The Children of the Living God,</HI> as 1 <HI>Pet. 2. 10. Rom.</HI>
9. 25, 26. which is the Lords doing, and it ought to
be marvelous in our eyes. And the truth is, there
are many marvels in it; marvelous free-grace, and
riches thereof, to look upon a People &s;o wretched
and unworthy; yea, it were marvelous Grace &s;o
much as once to offer the Salvation of God in Chri&s;t
to any &s;uch as they are, being not only the poor and
maimed, halt and blind, but al&s;o, as it is in <HI>Luk, 14.
21.</HI> ranging and roving in the High-waies, and Hed|ges;
and yet behold, even the&s;e are not only invi|ted,
but their hearts inclined to come in. Mavelous
Wi&s;dom and Power is in it al&s;o, that of matter &s;o
rugged, and unlikely the Lord &s;hould ever frame
and fa&s;hion any gracious and holy building to Him|&s;elf,
which I hope He is now a doing. And to &s;ay
no more, His mervelous Soveraignty and Liberty is
therein to be ob&s;erved al&s;o, who till now of late
hath &s;een meet never to look after this People, but
hath &s;uffered them all this while to walk in their
own waies, waies of Sin, and waies of Death: yea,
<PB REF="15">
and though there hath been Plantations of the Eng|li&s;h
in the Country now 20. years and more, yea,
&s;ome a matter of 30. years, or thereabout, yet of all
this time (except &s;ome little workings in a few) no
con&s;iderable work of Grace hath appeared among&s;t
the Indians till now of late; &s;o true is that &s;aying,
<HI>The times and &s;ea&s;ons, the Father hath put them in his own
Power, Act.</HI> 1. 7.</P>
<P>If any &s;hall &s;ay, Oh but, we are doubtful whe|ther
any &s;ound and &s;aving work be yet wrought in
them or no: Such an one I would wi&s;h &s;eriou&s;ly to
weigh and con&s;ider the en&s;uing Confe&s;&s;ions, and
then perhaps he will be better &s;atisfied touching
this Point; for there he &s;hall find many expre&s;&s;ions
&s;avoring of their clear &s;ight and &s;ence of &s;in, and that
not only of gro&s;s and external &s;ins, but al&s;o of &s;uch
as are more inward in the Heart and Soul: Al&s;o he
&s;hall find expre&s;&s;ions tending to &s;hew their expe|cting
all righteou&s;ne&s;s and &s;alvation by Chri&s;t alone.
Now con&s;idering how the Work of the Spirit of
God is &s;aid by Chri&s;t Him&s;elf to con&s;i&s;t in great part
in convincing of &s;in, and of righteou&s;ne&s;s; of &s;in in
mens &s;elves, and of righteou&s;ne&s;s in Chri&s;t, <HI>Joh. 16.
9.</HI> And con&s;idering al&s;o, how the lea&s;t beginnings
of Grace are accepted of him that would not
break the brui&s;ed Reed, nor quench the &s;moa|king
Flax, <HI>Matth.</HI> 12. 20. And la&s;tly, con&s;idering
how it were not rea&s;onable to expect &s;uch ripene&s;s
in the&s;e people, as might be expected and found in
others, who have had more time and means, and
better help and breeding than the&s;e have had: If
the&s;e things I &s;ay be con&s;idered, it may be an In|ducement
to hope the be&s;t in charity concerning
the Work of Grace in their Souls, as Charity hopeth
<PB REF="15">
all things, beleeveth all things, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13. But thus
much at the lea&s;t I conceive is cleer, and cannot be
denied that &s;ince the Word of God hath been
taught and preached among them, the Spirit of the
Lord hath been working thereby in the hearts of
many of them &s;uch Illumination, &s;uch Conviction,
&amp;c. as may ju&s;tly be looked at (if not as a full and
through Conver&s;ion, yet) as an hopeful beginning
and preparation thereto, if the Lord be plea&s;ed to
go on with what he hath begun, as I hope he will.
And if there were no more but only an hopeful be|ginning,
and preparative to Conver&s;ion, yet even
this were matter of much comfort to the Saints, and
of thank&s;giving to the Lord; as it was in <HI>I&s;rael</HI> at
the building of the Temple, when no more was yet
done, but only the foundation laid, <HI>Ezr.</HI> 3. 10, 11.
yet even then they &s;ung for joy, giving prai&s;e and
thank&s;giving to the Lord: How much more &s;hould
it be &s;o, if the Work of Regeneration be already
truly wrought in any of them, as I hope it is in &s;un|dry;
In &s;uch ca&s;e, how ever it be with men on
Earth, &s;ure there is joy in Heaven among&s;t the An|gels
of God, when there is &s;o much as one &s;inner
that is truly brought home to God by Repentance,
<HI>Luke</HI> 15. 7. 10.</P>
<P>But how &s;hall we know that the Confe&s;&s;ions here
related, being &s;poken in their Tongue, were indeed
uttered by them in &s;uch words, as have the &s;ame
&s;ignification and meaning with the&s;e that are here
expre&s;&s;ed, for we have only the te&s;timony of one
man to a&s;&s;ure us of it? It is true, we have only the
te&s;timony of one man for it; but yet it is &s;uch an
one, as is unwillingly alone in this matter, having
&s;eriou&s;ly endeavored to have had divers other In|terpreters
<PB REF="16">
pre&s;ent at <HI>Natick</HI> that day, but could not
obtain what he did de&s;ire and endeavor herein; a
man who&s;e pious and painful labors among&s;t this
People, have rendred him approved and highly ho|nored
in the eyes of his Brethren about him, for in|defatigable
diligence, and earne&s;t love to the Lord
Je&s;us, and their poor &s;ouls; a man who&s;e integrity
and faithfulne&s;s is &s;o well known in the&s;e Parts, as
giveth &s;ufficient &s;atisfaction to beleev that he would
not wittingly utter a fal&s;hood in any matter whate|ver,
and much le&s;s &s;o many fal&s;hoods, &amp; that in &s;uch
a publick manner, in the view of God &amp; the World,
as he mu&s;t needs have done if he have coyned the&s;e
Confe&s;&s;ions of his own head, and have not to his be&s;t
under&s;tanding truly related them in our Tongue,
according as they were uttered by them in theirs.</P>
<P>If any &s;hall then a&s;k, If there be &s;uch a Work of
God among&s;t them, Why were they not combined
and united into Church-E&s;tate, when there was that
great A&s;&s;embly at <HI>Natick,</HI> on the thirteenth of <HI>Octob.</HI>
la&s;t? Such an one may do well to con&s;ider, that the
material Temple was many yeers in building, even
in the daies of <HI>Solomon,</HI> who wanted no helps and
furtherances thereunto, but was abundantly furni|&s;hed
therewith, and longer in Re-edifying after the
Captivity; and therefore no marvel if the building
of a Spiritual Temple, an holy Church to Chri&s;t, and
a Church out of &s;uch rubbi&s;h as among&s;t Indians, be
not begun and ended on a &s;udden; It is rather to be
wondered at, that in &s;o &s;hort a time, the thing is in
&s;o much forwardne&s;s as it is. Be&s;ides, It is a grea|ter
matter to have Indians accepted and owned as a
Church among&s;t them&s;elves, and &s;o to be inve&s;ted
with all Church-power as a Church, when yet they
<PB REF="16">
are not furni&s;hed with any to be an able Pa&s;tor and
Elder over them, by whom they might be directed
and guided in all the Affairs of the Church, and Ad|mini&s;trations
of the Hou&s;e of God: this I conceive
is a far greater matter than the admitting of them as
Members into any Church or Churches of the Eng|li&s;h
already &s;o furni&s;hed; which latter (for ought I
know) might &s;peedily be done, and with much &s;a|tisfaction,
if it were &s;uitable in regard of their dif|ferent
Language, and the remotene&s;s of their Habi|tations,
whereas to the former there &s;eems to be a
great nece&s;&s;ity, or expediency at the lea&s;t, that they
&s;hould fir&s;t be provided of &s;ome to be afterward &s;et
over them in the Lord. Even among&s;t the Engli&s;h,
when any company among&s;t us have united them|&s;elves
into Church-E&s;tate, it hath been u&s;ual that
they have had one or other among&s;t them upon
whom their eyes have been &s;et, as intending them to
be Pa&s;tors or Teachers to them; afterward, when
once they &s;hould be combined as a Church, and
where it hath &s;o been, they have found the comfort
and benefit of it; whereas tho&s;e few that have pro|ceeded
otherwi&s;e, have found trouble and inconve|niency
therein. And if it be &s;o among&s;t the Eng|li&s;h,
who u&s;ually have better abilities, how much
more among&s;t the Indians, who&s;e knowledg and
parts mu&s;t needs be far le&s;s? Not to in&s;i&s;t upon the
Rehear&s;al of tho&s;e two Rea&s;ons mentioned by the
Reverend Author of this Relation, <HI>viz.</HI> The &s;hort|ne&s;s
of the time to furni&s;h the Work that day, and
the want of Interpreters, of whom there was not
any pre&s;ent him&s;elf. Concerning which Rea|&s;ons,
I can freely ad my te&s;timony, that tho&s;e two
were the principal, if not the only Rea&s;ons which
<PB REF="17">
that day were in&s;i&s;ted on, and publickly rendred for
deferring the Inchurching of them to another
time.</P>
<P>It may be &s;ome have thought, and I hear &s;ome
have &s;poken little le&s;s, That this whol bu&s;ine&s;s of
the Indians, of which there have been &s;o many
&s;peeches in Old <HI>England</HI> and New, is but a devi&s;e
and de&s;ign to get money, and that there is indeed
no &s;uch matter as any Work of Gods grace among&s;t
that People. But if there were any truth in this
&s;aying or Surmi&s;e, I marvel why the Magi&s;trates
and Elders then pre&s;ent at <HI>Natick,</HI> did upon the rea|&s;ons
rendred, advi&s;e the deferring of the inchurch|ing
of the Indians that day, and why they did not
rather ha&s;ten forward the Work without any more
ado, or longer delay. For the report of a Church
of Indians would in all likelihood have more pre|vailed
for the end alledged, than all that hath been
reported hitherto But our attending in this bu&s;ine&s;s
to the Honor of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the good of this
poor peoples &s;ouls, and &s;o to that which Rule and
right Rea&s;on required, rather than to what might
&s;eem conducible for wordly advantage, may be a
&s;ufficient witne&s;s of our &s;incerity, contrary to the
conceit and &s;urmi&s;e afore mentioned, and a &s;uffici|ent
confutation of it. And yet though they be not
combined into Church-E&s;tate, there is &s;o much of
Gods Work among&s;t them, as that I cannot but
count it a great evil, yea, a great injury to God and
his goodne&s;s for any to make light or nothing of it.
To &s;ee and to hear Indians opening their mouths,
and lifting up their hands and their eyes in &s;olemn
Prayer to the Living God, calling on him by his
Name JEHOVAH, in the Mediation of Je&s;us
<PB REF="17">
Chri&s;t, and this for a good while together; to &s;ee
and hear them exhorting one another from the
Word of God; to &s;ee them and hear them confe&s;|&s;ing
the Name of Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and their own &s;inful|ne&s;s,
&s;ure this is more than u&s;ual. And though they
&s;pake in a language, of which many of us under&s;tood
but little, yet we that were pre&s;ent that day, we
&s;aw them, and we heard them perform the duties
mentioned, with &s;uch grave and &s;ober countenan|ces,
with &s;uch comely reverence in ge&s;ture, and
their whol carriage, and with &s;uch plenty of tears
trickling down the cheeks of &s;ome of them, as did
argue to us that they &s;pake with much good affecti|on,
and holy fear of God, and it much affected
our hearts. Nor is it credible to me, nor for ought
I know to any that was pre&s;ent that day, that in
the&s;e things they were acted and led by that Spirit
which is wont to breath among&s;t Indians, the Spirit
of Satan, or of corrupt Nature, but that herein they
had with them another Spirit.</P>
<P>But if there be any work of Grace among&s;t them,
it would &s;urely bring forth, and be accompanied
with the Reformation of their di&s;ordered lives, as
in other things, &s;o in their neglect of Labor, and their
living in idlene&s;s and plea&s;ure. I confe&s;s the Alle|gation
is weighty, and I deny not but &s;ome &s;ober
and godly per&s;ons, who do heartily wi&s;h well to this
work, have been as much troubled in their minds
touching this particular as any that I know of. But
yet &s;omthing may be &s;aid in an&s;wer therto, &amp; chief|ly
this, That &s;ince the Word of God came among&s;t
them, and that they have attended thereto, they
have more applied them&s;elves unto Labor than for|merly:
For evidence whereof, appeal my be made
<PB REF="18">
to what was &s;een at <HI>Natick</HI> that day, and is &s;till to be
&s;een in that place, I mean the Grounds that they
have fenced in, and clawed and broken up, and e|&s;pecially
their capacious Meeting-hou&s;e, the Di|men&s;ions
whereof are expre&s;&s;ed in the Relation:
little did I think when I &s;aw that Fabrick, but that
&s;ome Engli&s;h Carpenter or other had had the chief
hand in the framing and erecting of it; and that
more hands than Indians, yea, and more Engli&s;h than
one had been employed about it. But now under|&s;tanding
that the Indians alone were the Builders of
it, it is a good te&s;timony to me both of their indu|&s;try,
and likewi&s;e of their Skill; for where the&s;e
are utterly wanting, yea, where there is not &s;ome
good mea&s;ure of them, &s;uch a Building I conceive
could never be rai&s;ed. It is true, that con&s;idering
the manner of their bringing up, being little accu|&s;tomed
to labor, but the contrary, it is not much to
be marveled if they be not comparable therein to
&s;ome Engli&s;h, who from their Child-hood have
been trained up thereto; yet we &s;ee they are co|ming
to it, and I hope will fall to it more and more;
let all that love their &s;ouls, pray for them that they
may, yea, let all that love the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t
pray for them, that the Work of God may &s;till pro&s;|per
among&s;t them, that many more of them may be
turned from darkne&s;s to light, and from the power
of Satan unto God; and that being converted they
may be pre&s;erved in Chri&s;t, and be built up in him
to further growth and perfection, from day to day.
And let unfeigned thank&s;giving be rendred to the
Lord by his Saints for all that is already wrought
among&s;t them: And Oh, let the Engli&s;h take heed,
both in our dear Native Country, and here, le&s;t for
<PB REF="18">
our unthankfulne&s;s, and many other &s;ins, the Lord
&s;hould take the Go&s;pel from us, and be&s;tow our
mercy therein upon them, as upon a Nation that
would yeeld the fruits thereof in better &s;ort than
many of us have done. The &s;ins of the Jewi&s;h Na|tion
to whom the Go&s;pel was fir&s;t preached, provo|ked
God to take his Kingdom from them, and to
call in the Gentils: yet it appeareth by <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 11.
14. 31. that this mercy vouch&s;afed to the Gentiles,
&s;hall in time provoke the Jews to an holy Jealou&s;ie,
and Emulation, to look after that mercy again that
once they refu&s;ed, that &s;o through the mercy be|&s;towed
on the Gentiles, they (I mean the Jews)
might at la&s;t again obtain mercy. Happy were the
Engli&s;h if we could yeeld the fruits of Gods Go&s;pel,
that it might not be taken from us; and happy al&s;o
if the mercy coming to the&s;e Indians (though not
yet taken from us) might provoke us &s;o to do, that
&s;o the Kingdom of God, the Go&s;pel of Salvation,
being not taken from us, and given to them, but
though given to them, yet might &s;till continue with
us, and with our Po&s;terity from Generation to
Generation.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Dorche&s;ter in New-England
<DATE>this 13^t^h <HI>of</HI> 10^b^e^r 1652.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>RICH. MATHER.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="19">
<PB N="1" REF="19">
<HEAD>A brief <HI>Relation</HI> of the Proceedings of
the Lords Work among the <HI>INDIANS,</HI>
in reference unto their Church-E&s;tate; The
Rea&s;ons of the not accompli&s;hing thereof at pre|&s;ent:
With &s;ome of their <HI>Confe&s;&s;ions</HI>; where|by
it may be di&s;cerned in &s;ome mea&s;ure, how far
the Lord hath prepared among them fit Matter
for a <HI>CHURCH.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THe&s;e <HI>Indians</HI> (the better and wi&s;er &s;ort of
them) have for &s;ome years inquired after
Church-E&s;tate, Bapti&s;m, and the re&s;t of
the Ordinances of God, in the ob&s;ervati|on
whereof they &s;ee the Godly Engli&s;h to
walk. I have from time to time, delayed
them upon this point, That until they
were come up unto Civil Cohabitation, Government, and
Labor, which a fixed condition of life will put them upon,
they were not &s;o capable to be betru&s;ted with that Trea&s;ure
of Chri&s;t, le&s;t they &s;hould &s;candalize the &s;ame, and make it of
none effect, becau&s;e if any &s;hould through temptation fall un|der
Cen&s;ure, he could ea&s;ily run away (as &s;ome have done)
and would be tempted &s;o to do, unle&s;s he were fixed in an Ha|bitation,
and had &s;ome means of livelihood to lo&s;e, and leave
behind him: &s;uch Rea&s;ons have &s;atisfied them hitherunto.
But now being come under Civil Order, and fixing them&s;elves
in Habitations, and bending them&s;elves to labor, as doth ap|pear
by their works of Fencings, Buildings &amp;c. and e&s;pecially
<PB N="2" REF="20">
in building, without any Engli&s;h Workmans help, or directi|on,
a very &s;ufficient Meeting-Hou&s;e, of fifty foot long twenty
five foot broad, neer twelve foot high betwixt the joynts, wel
&s;awen, and framed (which is a &s;pecimen, not only of their &s;in|gular
ingenuity, and dexerity, but al&s;o of &s;ome indu&s;try) I
&s;ay this being &s;o, now my argument of delaying them from
entering into Church-E&s;tate, was taken away. Therefore in
way of preparation of them thereunto, I did this Summer call
forth &s;undry of them in the dayes of our publick A&s;&s;emblies
in Gods Wor&s;hip; &s;omtimes on the Sabbath when I could be
with them, and &s;ometimes on Lecture daies, to make confe&s;&s;i|on
before the Lord of their former &s;ins, and of their pre&s;ent
knowledg of Chri&s;t, and experience of his Grace; which they
&s;olemnly doing, I wrote down their Confe&s;&s;ions: which ha|ving
done, and being in my own heart hopeful that there was
among them fit matter for a Church, I did reque&s;t all the El|ders
about us to hear them reade, that &s;o they might give me
advice what to do in this great, and &s;olemn bu&s;ine&s;s; which
being done on a day appointed for the purpo&s;e, it plea&s;ed
God to give their Confe&s;&s;ions &s;uch acceptance in their hearts,
as that they &s;aw nothing to hinder their proceeding, to try
how the Lord would appear therein. Whereupon, after a
day of Fa&s;ting and Prayer among our &s;elves, to &s;eek the Lord
in that behalf, there was another day of Fa&s;ting and Prayer
appointed, and publick notice thereof, and of the names of
Indians were to confe&s;s, and enter into Covenant that day,
was given to all the Churches about us, to &s;eek the Lord yet
further herein, and to make &s;olemn Confe&s;&s;ions of Chri&s;t his
Truth and Grace, and further to try whether the Lord
would vouch&s;afe &s;uch grace unto them, as to give them ac|ceptance
among the Saints, into the fellow&s;hip of Church-E|&s;tate,
and enjoyment of tho&s;e Ordinances which the Lord
hath betru&s;ted his Churches withal. That day was the thir|teenth
of the eighth month.</P>
<P>When the A&s;&s;embly was met, the fir&s;t part of the day was
&s;pent in Prayer unto God, and exerci&s;e in the Word of God;
in which, my &s;elf fir&s;t; and after that, two of the Indians did
Exerci&s;e; and &s;o the time was &s;pent till after ten, or near ele|ven
<PB N="3" REF="20">
of the clock. Then addre&s;&s;ing our &s;elves unto the fur|ther
work of the day, I fir&s;t reque&s;ted the reverend Elders
(many being pre&s;ent) that they would ask them Que&s;tions
touching the fundamental Points of Religion, that thereby
they might have &s;ome tryal of their knowledg, and better
that way, than if them&s;elves &s;hould of them&s;elves declare
what they beleeve, or than if I &s;hould ask them Que&s;tions in
the&s;e matters: After a little conference hereabout, it was
concluded, That they &s;hould fir&s;t make confe&s;&s;ion of their
experience in the Lords Work upon their hearts, becau&s;e in
&s;o doing, it is like &s;omething will be di&s;cerned of their know|ledg
in the Doctrines of Religion: and if after tho&s;e Confe&s;|&s;ions
there &s;hould yet be cau&s;e to inquire further touching a|ny
Point of Religion it might be fitly done at la&s;t. Where|upon
we &s;o proceeded, and called them forth in order to
make confe&s;&s;ion. It was moved in the A&s;&s;embly by Reverend
Mr. <HI>Wil&s;on,</HI> that their former Confe&s;&s;ions al&s;o, as well as the&s;e
which they made at pre&s;ent, might be read unto the A&s;&s;embly,
becau&s;e it was evident that they were daunted much to &s;peak
before &s;o great and grave an A&s;&s;embly as that was, but time
did not permit it &s;o to be then: yet now in my writing of
their Confe&s;&s;ions I will take that cour&s;e, that &s;o it may ap|pear
what encouragement there was to proceed &s;o far as we
did; and that &s;uch as may reade the&s;e their Confe&s;&s;ions, may
the better di&s;cern of the reality of the Grace of Chri&s;t in
them.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<PB N="4" REF="21">
<HEAD>The fir&s;t which was called forth is named <HI>Tother|&s;wamp,</HI>
who&s;e former Confe&s;&s;ion read before
the Elders, was as followeth:</HEAD>
<P>BEfore I prayed unto God, the Engli&s;h, when I came un|to
their hou&s;es, often &s;aid unto me, Pray to God; but I
having many friends who loved me, and I loved them, and
they cared not for praying to God, and therefore I did not:
But I thought in my heart, that if my friends &s;hould die, and
I live, I then would pray to God; &s;oon after, God &s;o
wrought, that they did almo&s;t all die, few of them left; and
then my heart feared, and I thought, that now I will pray un|to
God, and yet I was a&s;hamed to pray; and if I eat and did
not pray, I was a&s;hamed of that al&s;o; &s;o that I had a double
&s;hame upon me: Then you came unto us, and taught us, and
&s;aid unto us, <HI>Pray unto God;</HI> and after that, my heart grew
&s;trong, and I was no more a&s;hamed to pray, but I did take
up praying to God; yet at fir&s;t I did not think of God, and
eternal Life, but only that the Engli&s;h &s;hould love me, and I
loved them: But after I came to learn what &s;in was, by
the Commandements of God, and then I &s;aw all my &s;ins, lu&s;t,
gaming, &amp;c. (he named more.) You taught, That Chri&s;t
knoweth all our hearts, and &s;eeth what is in them, if humility,
or anger, or evil thoughts, Chri&s;t &s;eeth all that is in the
heart; then my heart feared greatly, becau&s;e God was angry
for all my &s;ins; yea, now my heart is full of evil thoughts,
and my heart runs away from God, therefore my heart fea|reth
and mourneth. Every day I &s;ee &s;in in my heart; one
man brought &s;in into the World, and I am full of that &s;in, and
I break Gods Word every day. I &s;ee I de&s;erve not pardon,
for the fir&s;t mans &s;inning; I can do no good, for I am like the
Devil, nothing but evil thoughts, and words, and works. I
have lo&s;t all likene&s;s to God, and goodne&s;s, and therefore
<PB N="5" REF="21">
every day I &s;in again&s;t God, and I de&s;erve death and damna|tion:
The fir&s;t man brought &s;in fir&s;t, and I do every day ad
to that &s;in, more &s;ins; but Chri&s;t hath done for us all righte|ou&s;ne&s;s,
and died for us becau&s;e of our &s;ins, and Chri&s;t tea|cheth
us, That if we ca&s;t away our &s;ins, and tru&s;t in Chri&s;t,
then God will pardon all our &s;ins; this I beleeve Chri&s;t hath
done, I can do no righteou&s;ne&s;s, but Chri&s;t hath done it for
me; this I beleeve, and therefore I do hope for pardon.
When I fir&s;t heard the Commandements, I then took up
praying to God, and ca&s;t off &s;in. Again, When I heard,
and under&s;tood Redemption by Chri&s;t, then I beleeved Je&s;us
Chri&s;t to take away my &s;ins: every Commandement taught
me &s;in, and my duty to God. When you ask me, Why do I
love God? I an&s;wer, Becau&s;e he giveth me all outward ble&s;|&s;ings,
as food, clothing, children, all gifts of &s;trength, &s;peech,
hearing; e&s;pecially that he giveth us a Mini&s;ter to teach us,
and giveth us Government; and my heart feareth le&s;t Go|vernment
&s;hould reprove me: but the greate&s;t mercy of all is
Chri&s;t, to give us pardon and life.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<HEAD><HI>Tother&s;wamp</HI>
The Confe&s;&s;ion which he made on the Fa&s;t
day before the great A&s;&s;embly, was as
followeth:</HEAD>
<P>I Confe&s;s in the pre&s;ence of the Lord, before I prayed, many
were my &s;ins, not one good word did I &s;peak, not one good
thought did I think, not one good action did I doe: I did act
all &s;ins, and full was my heart of evil thoughts: when the
Engli&s;h did tell me of God, I cared not for it. I thought it e|nough
if they loved me: I had many friends that loved me, and
I thought if they died, I would pray to God: and afterward it
&s;o came to pa&s;s; then was my heart a&s;hamed, to pray I was a|&s;hamed,
&amp; if I prayed not, I was a&s;hamed; a double &s;hame was
<PB N="6" REF="22">
upon me: when God by you taught us, very much a&s;hamed
was my heart; then you taught us that Chri&s;t knoweth all
our harts: therefore truly he &s;aw my thoughts, and I had
thought, if my kindred &s;hould die I would pray to God; ther|fore
they dying, I mu&s;t now pray to God: and therefore my
heart feared, for I thought Chri&s;t knew my thoughts: then I
heard you teach, <HI>The fir&s;t man God made was named</HI> Adam, <HI>&amp; God
made a Covenant with him, Do and live, thou and thy Children;
if thou do not thou mu&s;t die, thou and thy Children;</HI> And we are
Children of <HI>Adam</HI> poor &s;inners, therefore we all have &s;inned,
for we have broke Gods Covenant, therefore evil is my heart
therefore God is very angry with me, we &s;in again&s;t him every
day; but this great mercy God hath given us, he hath
given us his only Son, and promi&s;eth, That who&s;oever belee|veth
in Chri&s;t &s;hall be &s;aved: for Chri&s;t hath dyed for us in
our &s;tead, for our &s;ins, and he hath done for us all the words
of God, for I can do no good act, only Chri&s;t can, and only
Chri&s;t hath done all for us; Chri&s;t have de&s;erved Pardon for
us, and ri&s;en again, he hath a&s;cended to God, and doth ever
pray for us; therefore all Beleevers Souls &s;hall goe to Hea|ven
to Chri&s;t. But when I heard that word of Chri&s;t, Chri&s;t
&s;aid <HI>Repent and Beleeve,</HI> and Chri&s;t &s;eeth <HI>who Repenteth,</HI> then I
&s;aid, dark and weak is my Soul, and I am one in darkne&s;s, I am
a very &s;inful man, and now I pray to Chri&s;t for life. Hearing
you teach that Word that the Scribes and Phari&s;ees &s;aid
<HI>Why do thy Di&s;ciples break the Tradition of the Fathers?</HI> Chri&s;t
an&s;wered, <HI>Why do ye make void the Commandements of God?</HI>
Then my heart feared that I do &s;o, when I teach the Indians,
becau&s;e I cannot teach them right, and thereby make the
word of God vain. Again, Chri&s;t &s;aid <HI>If the blind lead the
blind they will both fall into the ditch;</HI> Therfore I feared that I
am one blind, and when I teach other Indians I &s;hal cau&s; them
to fall into the ditch. This is the love of God to me, that he
giveth me all mercy in this world, and for them al I am thank|full;
but I confe&s;s I de&s;erve Hell; I cannot deliver my &s;elf, but I
give my Soul and my Fle&s;h to Chri&s;t and I tru&s;t my &s;oul with
him for he is my Redeemer, and I de&s;ire to call upon him
while I live.</P>
<P><PB N="7" REF="22">
This was his Confe&s;&s;ion which ended, Mr. <HI>Allin</HI> further
demanded of him this Que&s;tion, How he found his
heart, now in the matter of Repentance</P>
<P>His an&s;wer was; I am a&s;hamed of all my &s;ins, my heart is
broken for them and melteth in me, I am angry with my &s;elf
for my &s;ins, and I pray to Chri&s;t to take away my &s;ins, and
I de&s;ire that they may be pardoned.</P>
<P>But it was de&s;ired that further Que&s;tion might be
forborn, le&s;t time would be wanting to here them all
&s;peak.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<HEAD>Then <HI>Waban</HI> was called forth, who&s;e Confe&s;&s;ion
was as followeth; no former confe&s;&s;ion of his being
read unto the Elders.</HEAD>
<P>BEfore I heard of God, and before the Engli&s;h came into
this Country, many evil things my heart did work,
many thoughts I had in my heart; I wi&s;hed for riches, I
wi&s;hed to be a witch, I wi&s;hed to be a Sachem; and many &s;uch
other evils were in my heart: Then when the Engli&s;h came,
&s;till my heart did the &s;ame things; when the Engli&s;h taught
me of God (I coming to their Hou&s;es) I would go out of their
doors, and many years I knew nothing; when the Engli&s;h
taught me I was angry with them: But a little while a|goe
after the great &s;ikne&s;s, I con&s;idered what the Engli&s;h
do, and I had &s;ome de&s;ire to do as they do; and after that I
began to work as they work; and then I wondered how the
Engli&s;h come to be &s;o &s;trong to labor; then I thought I &s;hall
quickly die, and I feared le&s;t I &s;hould die before I prayed to
God; then I thought, if I prayed to God in our Language,
whether could God under&s;tand my prayers in our Language;
therefore I did ask Mr. <HI>Jackson,</HI> and Mr. <HI>Mahu,</HI> If God un|der&s;tood
prayers in our Language? They an&s;wered me, God
doth under&s;tand all Languages in the World. But I do not
<PB N="8" REF="23">
know how to confe&s;s, and little do I know of Chri&s;t; I fear
I &s;hall not beleeve a great while, and very &s;lowly; I do not
know what grace is in my heart, there is but little good in
me; but this I know, That Chri&s;t hath kept all Gods Com|mandements
for us, and that Chri&s;t doth know all our hearts;
and now I de&s;ire to repent of all my &s;ins: I neither have done,
nor can do the Commandements of the Lord, but I am a&s;ha|med
of all I do, and I do repent of all my &s;ins, even of all that
I do know of: I de&s;ire that I may be converted from all my
&s;ins, and that I might beleeve in Chri&s;t, and I de&s;ire him; I
di&s;like my &s;ins, yet I do not truly pray to God in my heart:
no matter for good words, all is the true heart; and this day
I do not &s;o much de&s;ire good words, as throughly to open my
heart: I confe&s;s I can do nothing, but de&s;erve damnation;
only Chri&s;t can help me and do for me. But I have nothing
to &s;ay for my &s;elf that is good; I judg that I am a &s;inner, and
cannot repent, but Chri&s;t hath de&s;erved pardon for us.</P>
<P REND="indent">This Confe&s;&s;ion being not &s;o &s;atisfactory as was de&s;ired,
Mr. <HI>Wil&s;on</HI> te&s;tified, that he &s;pake the&s;e latter expre&s;&s;ions
with tears, which I ob&s;erved not, becau&s;e I attended to
writing; but I gave this te&s;timony of him, That his
conver&s;ation was without offence to the Engli&s;h, &s;o far
as I knew, and among the Indians, it was exemplar: his
gift is not &s;o much in expre&s;&s;ing him&s;elf this way, but
in other re&s;pects u&s;eful and eminent; it being deman|ded
in what re&s;pect, I an&s;wered to this purpo&s;e, That
his gift lay in Ruling, Judging of Ca&s;es, wherein he is
patient, con&s;tant, and prudent, in&s;omuch that he is
much re&s;pected among them, for they have cho&s;en him
a Ruler of Fifty, and he Ruleth well according to his
mea&s;ure. It was further &s;aid, they thought he had
been a great drawer on to Religion; I replyed, &s;o he
was in his way, and did prevail with many; and &s;o it
re&s;ted.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<PB N="9" REF="23">
<HEAD>The next that was called, was <HI>William of Sud|bury,</HI>
his Indian Name is <HI>Nata&ocirc;us</HI>; his for|mer
Confe&s;&s;ion read before the Elders, was as
followeth:</HEAD>
<P>I Confe&s;s that before I prayed, I committed all manner of
&s;ins, and &s;erved many gods: when the Engli&s;h came fir&s;t,
I going to their Hou&s;es, they &s;pake to me of your God, but
when I heard of God, my heart hated it; but when they &s;aid
the Devil was my god, I was angry, becau&s;e I was proud:
when I came to their hou&s;es I hated to hear of God, I loved
lu&s;t in my own hou&s;e and not God, I loved to pray to many
gods. Five years ago, I going to Engli&s;h hou&s;es, and they
&s;peaking of God, I did a little like of it, yet when I went again
to my own hou&s;e, I did all manner of &s;ins, and in my heart I
did act all &s;ins, though I would not be &s;een by man. Then
going to your hou&s;e, I more desired to hear of God; and my
heart &s;aid, I will pray to God &s;o long as I live: then I went to
the Mini&s;ter Mr. <HI>Browns</HI> hou&s;e, and told him I would pray as
long as I lived; but he &s;aid I did not &s;ay it from my heart, and
I beleeve it. When <HI>Wahan</HI> &s;pake to me that I &s;hould pray to
God, I did &s;o. But I had greatly &s;inned again&s;t God, and had
not beleeved the Word, but was proud: but then I was angry
with my &s;elf, and loathed my &s;elf, and thought God will not
forgive me my sins. For when I had been abroad in the woods
I would be very angry, and would lye unto men, and I could
not find the way how to be a good man: then I beleeved your
teaching, That when good men die, the Angels carry their
&s;ouls to God; but evil men dying, they go to Hell, and pe|ri&s;h
for ever. I thought this a true &s;aying, and I promi&s;ed
to God, to pray to God as long as I live. I had a little grief
in my heart five years ago for my sins: but many were my
<PB N="10" REF="24">
prides; &s;omtime I was angry with my &s;elf, and pityed my
&s;elf; but I thought God would not pardon &s;uch a proud heart
as mine is: I beleeve that Chri&s;t would have me to for&s;ake my
anger; I beleeve that Chri&s;t hath redeemed us, and I am
glad to hear tho&s;e words of God; and I de&s;ire that I might
do al the good waies of God, and that I might truly pray
unto God: I do now want Graces, and the&s;e Chri&s;t only
teacheth us, and only Chri&s;t hath wrought our redemption,
and he procureth our pardon for all our sins; and I beleeve
that when beleevers dy, Gods Angels carry them to Heaven:
but I want faith to beleeve the Word of God, and to open my
Eyes, and to help me to ca&s;t away all sins; and Chri&s;t hath
de&s;erved for me eternall life: I have de&s;erved nothing my
&s;elf; Chri&s;t hath de&s;erved all, and giveth me faith to beleeve
it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<HEAD><HI>Willam</HI> of <HI>Sudbury</HI>:
His Indian Name is
<HI>NATA&Ocirc;US.</HI>
The Confe&s;&s;ion which he made on the fa&s;t day before
the great A&s;&s;embly was as followeth.</HEAD>
<P>BEfore I prayed to God, I commited all sins; and &s;erving
many gods. I much de&s;pi&s;ed praying unto God, for
I beleeved the Devil, and he did dayly teach me to sin, and I
did them: &s;omtimes hearing of God my heart did hate it, and
went to my own hou&s;e, becau&s;e I did love to commit all sin
there. About Six years ago, a little I liked to hear of God,
and yet I hated that which was good: hearing that <HI>Cut&s;ha|moquin</HI>
prayed, then I thought I will pray al&s;o: a year after,
I heard of praying to God, and I went to Mr. <HI>Browns</HI> hou&s;e
and told him I will pray to God as long as live; he &s;aid, I
doubt of it, and bid me cut off my hair, and I did &s;o pre&s;ently;
and then I desired to be like God, and Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and to call
<PB N="11" REF="24">
on him, but I found it very hard to beleeve; yet I thought, I
wil pray as long as I live. Hearing that Word, That Chri&s;t dyed
for us, was buried &amp; ro&s;e again, and hearing of that Word al&s;o,
Seek peace &amp; imbrace the Word: then I began to beleeve that
Chri&s;t died for us, for sin; and I &s;aw my heart very full of sin.
And hearing that word, That Chri&s;t went to the Mount <HI>Olives,</HI>
and a&s;cended, I beleeved and thought, Oh that God would
pardon me; but I fear he will not, becau&s;e I have been &s;o long
time a sinner. Somtime I am angry with my &s;elf, for my
many Evil thoughts in my heart; and to this day I want grace,
and cannot confe&s;s, becau&s;e I have been &s;o great a sinner: and
this day I confe&s;s, a little I pray, and that I can pray but a little
and weakly. When I heard that word of God, That all from
the rising to the &s;etting Sun &s;hall pray I fir&s;t under &s;tood it
it not, and wondered how it &s;hould be: after I &s;aw that
when they beleeve and obey God, then he will teach them
to do right things, and God will teach us to do al things
for God, &s;leeping and waking to be with God. But
&s;till do fooli&s;hly, and not according to my prayer: I cannot
get pardon of my sins, for my sins are great in thought,
word, and deed: and no man can ca&s;t off his own sins, but
that is the work of Chri&s;t only to work it in us; a man can|not
make a right prayer but when Chri&s;t a&s;&s;i&s;teth him; then
we &s;hall do all things well. I beleeve that Chri&s;t is God, and
the Son of God becau&s;e when he dyed, he ro&s;e again, and he
dyed for our &s;ins; and I beleeve he is in Heaven and ever pray|eth
for us, and &s;endeth his go&s;pel unto us: and I am angry with
my &s;elf, becau&s;e I do not beleeve the word of God, and go&s;pel
of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<PB N="12" REF="25">
<HEAD>The next which was called forth was <HI>Monequa&s;|&s;un,</HI>
who is our School-ma&s;ter; who&s;e former
Confe&s;&s;ion, read before the Elders, was as
followeth.</HEAD>
<P>I Confe&s;s my &s;orrow for all my &s;ins again&s;t God, and be|fore
men: When I fir&s;t heard in&s;truction, I beleeved not,
but laughed at it, and &s;corned praying to God; after|ward,
when we were taught at <HI>Cohannet</HI> (that is the place
where he lived) I &s;till hated praying, and I did think of
running away, becau&s;e I cared not for praying to God; but
afterwards, becau&s;e I loved to dwell at that place, I would
not leave the place, and therefore I thought I will pray to
God, becau&s;e I would &s;till &s;tay at that place, therefore I
prayed not for the love of God, but for love of the place
I lived in; after that I de&s;ired a little to learn the Cate|chi&s;me
on the Lecture daies, and I did learn the ten
Commandements, and after that, all the points in the Cate|chi&s;me;
yet afterwards I ca&s;t them all away again, then
was my heart filled with folly, and my &s;ins great &s;ins; af|terwards
by hearing, I began to fear, becau&s;e of my
many &s;ins, le&s;t the wi&s;e men &s;hould come to know them,
and puni&s;h me for them; and then again I thought of run|ning
away becau&s;e of my many &s;ins: But after that I thought
I would pray rightly to God, and ca&s;t away my &s;ins; then
I &s;aw my hypocricy, becau&s;e I did ask &s;ome que&s;tions,
but did not do that which I knew: afterward I con&s;idered
of my que&s;tion, and thought I would pray to God, and
would consider of &s;ome other Que&s;tion, and I asked this,
Que&s;tion, <HI>How &s;hould I get Wi&s;dom?</HI> and the An&s;wer to it
did a little turn my heart from sin, to &s;eek after God; and I
then considered that the Word of God was good; then I pray|ed
<PB N="13" REF="25">
to God becau&s;e of the Word of God. The next Lecture day
you taught that word of God, <HI>If any man lack Wi&s;dom, let
him ask it of God, who giveth freely to them that ask him, and up|braideth
no man, James,</HI> 1. 5. Then again a little my heart was
turned after God, the Word al&s;o &s;aid, <HI>Repent, mourn, and be|leeve
in Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> this al&s;o helped me on. Then you
taught, <HI>That he that beleeveth not Chri&s;t, and repenteth not of
&s;in, they are fooli&s;h and wicked; and becau&s;e they beleeve not, they
&s;hall peri&s;h:</HI> then I thought my &s;elf a fool, becau&s;e I beleeved
not Chri&s;t, but &s;inned every day, and after I heard the Word,
I greatly broke the Word. But afterward I heard this pro|mi&s;e
of God, <HI>Who ever repenteth and beleeveth in Chri&s;t, God
will forgive him all his &s;ins, he &s;hall not peri&s;h;</HI> then I thought,
that as yet, I do not repent, and beleeve in Chri&s;t: then I
prayed to God, becau&s;e of this his Promi&s;e; and then I pray|ed
to God, for God and for Chri&s;t his &s;ake: after that again
I did a little break the Word of Chri&s;t. And then I heard
&s;ome other words of God, which &s;hewed me my &s;ins, and my
breakings of Gods word; and &s;ometimes I thought God and
Chri&s;t would forgive me, becau&s;e of the promi&s;e to them
that beleeve in Chri&s;t, and repent of &s;in, I thought I did that
which God &s;pake in the Promi&s;e. Then being called to confe&s;s,
to prepare to make a Church at <HI>Natick,</HI> I loved <HI>Cohannet;</HI>
but after hearing this in&s;truction, <HI>That we &s;hould not only be
Hearers, but Doers of the Word,</HI> then my heart did fear. And
afterward hearing that in <HI>Matthew,</HI> Chri&s;t &s;aw two brethren
mending their Nets, he &s;aid, <HI>Follow me and I will make you
Fi&s;hers of men,</HI> pre&s;ently they followed Chri&s;t; and when I
heard this, I feared, becau&s;e I was not willing to follow Chri&s;t
to <HI>Natick;</HI> they followed Chri&s;t at his Word, but I did not,
for now Chri&s;t &s;aith to us, <HI>follow Me:</HI> then I was much trou|bled,
and con&s;idered of this Word of God. Afterward I
heard another word, the blind men cryed after Chri&s;t and
&s;aid, <HI>Have mercy on us thou Son of David,</HI> but after they came
to Chri&s;t, he called them, and asked them, <HI>What &s;hall I do for
you?</HI> they &s;aid, <HI>Lord open our eyes;</HI> then Chri&s;t had pity on
them, and opened their eyes, and they followed Chri&s;t;
when I heard this, my heart was troubled, then I prayed to
<PB N="14" REF="26">
God and Chri&s;t, to open mine eyes, and if Chri&s;t open my
eyes, then I &s;hall rejoyce to follow Chri&s;t: then I con&s;ide|red
of both the&s;e Scriptures, and I a little &s;aw that I mu&s;t fol|low
Chri&s;t. And now my heart de&s;ireth to make confe&s;&s;ion
of what I know of God, and of my &s;elf, and of Chri&s;t: I be|leeve
that there is only one God, and that he made and ruleth
all the World, and that he the Lord, giveth us al good things:
I know that God giveth every day all good mercies, life, and
health, and all; I have not one good thing, but God it is that
giveth it me, I beleeve that God at fir&s;t made man like God,
holy, wi&s;e, righteous; but the fir&s;t man &s;inned, for God pro|mi&s;ed
him, <HI>If thou do my Commandements, thou &s;halt live, and
thy children; but if thou &s;in, thou &s;halt die, thou and thy children;</HI>
this Covenant God made with the fir&s;t man. But the fir&s;t
man did not do the Commandements of God, he did break
Gods Word, he beleeved Satan; and now I am full of &s;in,
becau&s;e the fir&s;t man brought &s;in; dayly I am full of &s;in in my
heart: I do not dayly rejoyce in Repentance, becau&s;e Satan
worketh dayly in my heart, and oppo&s;eth Repentance, and
all good Works; day and night my heart is full of &s;in. I be|leeve
that Je&s;us Chri&s;t was born of the <HI>Virgin Mary;</HI> God
promi&s;ed her &s;he &s;hould bear a Son, and his Name &s;hould be
JESUS, becau&s;e he &s;hall deliver his people from their &s;ins:
And when Chri&s;t came to preach, he &s;aid, <HI>Repent, becau&s;e the
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand;</HI> again Chri&s;t taught, <HI>Except ye
repent and become as a little child, ye &s;hall not enter into the King|dom
of Heaven;</HI> therefore humble your &s;elves like one of
the&s;e little children, and great &s;hall be your Kingdom in Hea|ven.
Again Chri&s;t &s;aid, <HI>Come unto me all ye that are weary and
heavy laden with &s;in, and I will give you re&s;t: take up my Cro&s;s,
and Yoak, learn of me, for I am meek, and ye &s;hall find re&s;t to
your &s;ouls, for my yoak is ea&s;ie, and burden light:</HI> the&s;e are the
Words of Chri&s;t, and I know Chri&s;t he is good, but my works
are evil: Chri&s;t his words are good, but I am not humble;
but if we be humble and beleeving in Chri&s;t, he pardons all
our &s;ins. I now de&s;ire to beleeve in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, becau&s;e of
the word of Chri&s;t, that I may be converted and become as a
little Child. I confe&s;s my &s;ins before God, and before Je&s;us
<PB N="15" REF="26">
Chri&s;t this day; now I de&s;ire all my &s;ins may be pardoned;
I now desire repentance in my heart, and ever to beleeve in
Chri&s;t; now I lift up my heart to Chri&s;t, and tru&s;t him with
it, becau&s;e I beleeve Chri&s;t died for us, for all our &s;ins, and
de&s;erved for us eternal life in Heaven, and de&s;erved pardon
for all our &s;ins. And now I give my &s;oul to Chri&s;t becau&s;e he
hath redeemed: I do greatly love, and like repentance in my
heart, and I love to beleeve in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and my heart is
broken by repentance: al the&s;e things I do like wel of, that they
may be in my heart, but becau&s;e Chri&s;t hath all the&s;e to give,
I ask them of him that he may give me repentance, and faith
in Chri&s;t, and therefore I pray and be&s;eech Chri&s;t dayly for
repentance and faith; and other good waies I beg of Chri&s;t
dayly to give me: and I pray to Chri&s;t for al the&s;e gifts and
graces to put them in my heart: and now I greatly thank
Chri&s;t for all the&s;e good gifts which he hath given me. I
know not any thing, nor can do any thing that is a good work:
even my heart is dark dayly in what I &s;hould do, and my &s;oul
dyeth becau&s;e of my &s;ins, and therefore I give my &s;oul to
Chri&s;t, becau&s;e I know my &s;oul is dead in &s;in, and dayly doth
commit &s;in; in my heart I &s;in, and all the members of my bo|dy
are &s;inful. I beleeve Je&s;us Chri&s;t is a&s;cended to Heaven
through the clouds, and he will come again from Heaven:
Many &s;aw Chri&s;t go up to Heaven, and the Angels &s;aid, even
&s;o he will come again to judg all the world; and therefore I
beleeve Gods promi&s;e, That all men &s;hall ri&s;e again when
Chri&s;t cometh again, then all &s;hall ri&s;e, and all their &s;ouls
comes again becau&s;e Chri&s;t is tru&s;ted with them, and keeps
their &s;ouls, therefore I desire my &s;ins may be pardoned; and
I beleeve in Chri&s;t; and ever &s;o long as I live, I will pray to
God, and do all the good waies he commandeth.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<PB N="16" REF="27">
<HEAD><HI>Monequa&s;&s;un,</HI>
The Confe&s;&s;ion which he made on the Fa&s;t
day before the great A&s;&s;embly was as fol|loweth</HEAD>
<P>I Confe&s;s my sins before the Lord, and before men this day:
a little while &s;ince I did commit many &s;ins, both in my
hands and heart; lu&s;ts thefts, and many other sins, and that e|very
day: and after I heard of praying to God, and that others
prayed to God, my heart did not like it, but hated it, yea
and mocked at it; and after they prayed at <HI>Cohannet</HI> I &s;til
hated it, and when I heard the Word I did not like of it, but
thought of running away, becau&s;e I loved &s;in: but I loved the
place of my dwelling, and therfore I thought I wil rather pray
to God, and began to do it; a little I de&s;ired to learn the ten
Commandements of God, and other points of Catechi&s;me;
and then a little I repented, but I was quickly weary of
repentance, and fell again to sin, and full of evil thoughts was
my heart: and then I played the Hypocrite, and my heart was
full of sin: I learned &s;ome things, but did not do what
God commanded, but I sinned and playd the Hypocrite;
&s;ome things I did before man, but not before God. But
afterward I feared becau&s;e of my &s;ins, and feared puni&s;hment
for my &s;ins, therefore I thought again I would run away;
yet again I loving the place, would not run away, but
would pray to God: and I asked a Que&s;tion at the Lecture&punc;
which was this, <HI>How I &s;hould get wi&s;dom?</HI> the An&s;wer made
me a little to under&s;tand: but afterward I heard the word
<HI>If any man lack wi&s;dom, let him ask it of God, who giveth liberal|ly
to all that ask, and upbraideth none.</HI> But then I did fear
Gods anger, becau&s;e of all my &s;ins, becau&s;e they were great.
Afterward hearing that Word, That Chri&s;t is named <HI>Je&s;us,</HI>
becau&s;e he redeemeth us from all our &s;ins: I thought Chri&s;t
<PB N="17" REF="27">
would not &s;ave me, becau&s;e I repent not, for he &s;aveth only
penitent Beleevers; but I am not &s;uch an one, but &s;till a day|ly
&s;inner. Afterward hearing that Word, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they
that hunger and thir&s;t after righteou&s;ne&s;s, for they &s;hall be filled:</HI>
then I thought I am a poor &s;inner, and poor is my heart: then
I prayed to God to teach me to do that which he requireth,
and to pray aright. Afterward hearing that word, <HI>Who ever
looks upon a Woman to lu&s;t after her, hath already committed A|dultry
with her in his heart;</HI> then I thought I had done all
manner of &s;ins in the sight of God, becau&s;e he &s;eeth lu&s;t in the
heart, and knoweth all the evil thoughts of my heart; and
then I did pray unto God, <HI>Oh! give me Repentance and Pardon.</HI>
Afterwards when I did teach among the Indians, I was much
humbled becau&s;e I could not reade right, and that I
&s;inned in it; for I &s;aw that when I thought to do a good
work, I &s;inned in doing it, for I knew not what was right,
nor how to do it. In the night I was con&s;idering of my &s;ins,
and could not find what to do: three nights I con&s;idered what
to do, and at la&s;t God &s;hewed me mercy, and &s;hewed me
what I &s;hould do. And then I desired to learn to read Gods
Word, and hearing that if we ask wi&s;dom of God, he will
give it, then I did much pray to God, that he would teach me
to reade. After a years time, I thought I did not rightly
&s;eek, and I thought I sinned, becau&s;e I did not rightly desire
to read Gods Word, and I thought my praying was sinful,
and I feared, how &s;hould I, my wife, and child be cloathed, if
I &s;pend my time in learning to reade; but then God was mer|ciful
to me, and &s;hewed me that Word, <HI>Say not, what &s;hall I
eat, or drink, or wherewith &s;hall I be cloathed, wicked men &s;eek af|ter
the&s;e; but fir&s;t &s;eek the Kingdom of Heaven, and the&s;e things
&s;hall be added to you;</HI> then I pr<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">yed God to teach me this word,
and that I might do it: and then I desired to read Gods word,
what ever I wanted. Afterward hearing that we mu&s;t make
a Town, and gather a Church at <HI>Natick,</HI> my heart di&s;liked
that place; but hearing that word, <HI>That Chri&s;t met two Fi|&s;hers,
and &s;aid, follow me, and I will make you fi&s;hers of men, and
they pre&s;ently left all and followed him;</HI> hearing this, I was much
troubled, becau&s;e I had not beleeved Chri&s;t, for I would not
<PB N="18" REF="28">
follow him to make a Church, nor had I done what he com|manded
me, and then I was troubled for all my &s;ins. Again
hearing that word, <HI>That the blind man called after Chri&s;t, &s;aying,
thou Son of</HI> David <HI>have mercy on me; Chri&s;t asked him what he
would have him do, he &s;aid, Lord open my eyes;</HI> and pre&s;ently
Chri&s;t gave him &s;ight, and he followed Chri&s;t: then again
my heart was troubled, for I thought I &s;till beleeve not, be|cau&s;e
I do not follow Chri&s;t, nor hath he yet opened mine
eyes: then I prayed to Chri&s;t to open mine eyes, that I might
&s;ee what to do, becau&s;e I am blind and cannot &s;ee how to fol|low
Chri&s;t, and do what he commandeth, and I prayed to
Chri&s;t, Teach me Lord what to do, and to do what thou
&s;aye&s;t; and I prayed that I might follow Chri&s;t: and then
I thought I will follow Chri&s;t to make a Church. All this
trouble I had to be brought to be willing to make a Church:
and quickly after, God laid upon me more trouble, by &s;ick|ne&s;s
and death; and then I much prayed to God for life, for
we were all &s;ick, and then God would not hear me, to give
us life; but fir&s;t one of my Children died, and after that my
Wife; then I was in great &s;orrow, becau&s;e I thought God
would no hear me, and I thought it was becau&s;e I would
not follow him, therefore he hears not me: then I found
this &s;in in my heart, That I was angry at the puni&s;hment of
God: but afterward I con&s;idered, I was a poor &s;inner, I have
nothing, nor Child, nor Wife, I de&s;erve that God &s;hould
take away all mercies from me; and then I repented of my
&s;ins, and did much pray, and I remembred the promi&s;e to
follow Chri&s;t, and my heart &s;aid, I had in this &s;inned, that
followed not Chri&s;t, and therefore I cryed for pardon of this
&s;in: and then hearing of this Word, <HI>Who ever beleeveth in
Chri&s;t, his &s;ins are pardoned, he beleeving that Chri&s;t died for us;</HI>
and I beleeved. Again hearing that Word, <HI>If ye be not con|verted,
and become as a little Child, you cannot go to Heaven;</HI> then
my heart thought, I do not this, but I de&s;erve Hell fire for
ever; and then I prayed Chri&s;t, Oh! turn me from my &s;in,
and teach me to hear thy Word; and I prayed to my Father
in Heaven: and after this, I beleeved in Chri&s;t for pardon.
Afterward I heard that Word, That it is a &s;hame for a man
<PB N="19" REF="28">
to wear long hair, and that there was no &s;uch cu&s;tom in the
Churches: at fir&s;t I thought I loved not long hair, but I
did, and found it very hard to cut it off; and then I prayed
God to pardon that &s;in al&s;o: Afterward I thought my heart
cared not for the Word of God: but then I thought I would
give my &s;elf up unto the Lord, to do all his Word. After|ward
I heard that word, <HI>If thy right foot offend thee, cut it off,
or thy right hand, or thy right eye; its better to go to Heaven with
one foot, or hand, or eye, than having both to go to Hell;</HI> then I
thought my hair had been a &s;tumbling to me, therefore I cut
it off, and grieved for this fin, and prayed for pardon. Af|ter
hearing that word, <HI>Come unto me all ye that are weary and
heavie laden with your &s;ins, and I will give re&s;t to your &s;ouls;</HI> then
my heart thought that I do dayly hate my &s;ins, Oh! that I
could go to Chri&s;t! and Chri&s;t looketh I &s;hould come unto
him, therfore I will go unto him, and therfore then I prayed,
Oh! Chri&s;t help me to come unto thee: and I prayed becau&s;e
of all my &s;ins that they may be pardoned. For the fir&s;t man
was made like God in holine&s;s, and righteou&s;ne&s;s, and God
gave him his Covenant; but <HI>Adam</HI> &s;inned, beleeving the De|vil,
therefore God was angry, and therefore all we Chil|dren
of <HI>Adam</HI> are like the Devil, and dayly &s;in, and break e|very
Law of God, full of evil thoughts, words, and works,
and only Chri&s;t can deliver us from our &s;ins, and he that be|leeveth
in Chri&s;t is pardoned; but my heart of my &s;elf can|not
beleeve: Satan hath power in me, but I cry to God, Oh!
give me faith, and pardon my &s;in, becau&s;e Chri&s;t alone can
deliver me from Hell; therefore I pray, Oh! Je&s;us Chri&s;t
deliver me. Chri&s;t hath provided the new Covenant to &s;ave
Beleevers in Chri&s;t, therefore I de&s;ire to give my &s;oul to
Chri&s;t, for pardon of all my &s;ins: the fir&s;t Covenant is broke
by &s;in, and we de&s;erve Hell; but Chri&s;t keepeth for us the
new Covenant, and therfore I betru&s;t my &s;oul with Chri&s;t.
Again, I de&s;ire to beleeve in Chri&s;t, becau&s;e Chri&s;t will come
to judgment, and all &s;hall ri&s;e again, and all Beleevers in
this life &s;hall then be &s;aved; therefore I de&s;ire to beleeve
Chri&s;t, and mortifie &s;in as long as I live; and I pray Chri&s;t to
help me to beleeve: and I thank God for all his mercies eve|ry
<PB N="20" REF="29">
day: and now I confe&s;s before God that I loath my &s;elf for
my &s;ins and beg pardon.</P>
<P REND="indent">Thus far he went in his Confe&s;&s;ion; but they being &s;low
of &s;peech, time was far &s;pent and a great a&s;&s;embly of Eng|li&s;h
under&s;tanding nothing he &s;aid, only waiting for my
interpretation, many of them went forth, others whi&s;pe|red,
and a great confusion was in the Hou&s;e and a|broad:
and I perceived that the graver &s;ort thought the
time long, therfore knowing he had &s;poken enough unto
&s;atisfaction (at lea&s;t as I judged) I here took him off.
Then one of the Elders asked, if I took him off, or
whether had he fini&s;hed? I an&s;wered, That I took him
off. So after my reading what he had &s;aid, we called
another.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<HEAD>The next who was called forth was <HI>Ponampam,</HI>
who had formerly twice made confe&s;&s;ion, and
both read before the Elders. His fir&s;t Confe&s;&s;ion
was as followeth.</HEAD>
<P>VVHen God fir&s;t had mercy on us, when they
fir&s;t prayed at <HI>Noonanetam,</HI> I heard of it, and the
fir&s;t word that I heard was, <HI>That all from the ri&s;ing of the
&s;un to the going down thereof, &s;hall pray unto God;</HI> and I thought,
Oh! let it be &s;o. After I considered what the word may be,
and under&s;tood by it, That God was mercyfull; afterwards
when you alwayes came to us, I only heard the word, I
did not under&s;tand it, nor meditate on it, yet I found that
al my doings were sins again&s;t God; then I prayed unto God.
Afterwards I heard, That God would pardon all that beleeve
in Chri&s;t! and quickly after I &s;aw my sins to be very many;
I &s;aw that in every thing I did, I sinned: &amp; when I &s;aw the&s;e my
sins again&s;t God, I was weary of my &s;elf, &amp; angry with my &s;elf
<PB N="21" REF="29">
in my heart; but the free mercy of God, cau&s;ed me to hear
his word, and then I feared becau&s;e every day sin was in my
heart, and I thought in vain I looked to Chri&s;t: Then hearing
this word of Chri&s;t, that Chri&s;t taught through every town,
and village, <HI>Repent and beleeve.</HI> If any one repent, and mourn,
and beleeve, I will pardon him; then my heart thought I
will pray to God as long as I live: but &s;omtimes my heart was
a&s;hamed, and &s;omtimes my heart was &s;trong, and God &s;eeth
my heart: I now desire to repent, and beleeve in Chri&s;t,
and that Chri&s;t will pardon me, and &s;hew mercy to us all.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<HEAD><HI>Ponampam,</HI>
His Second Confe&s;&s;ion was as followeth:</HEAD>
<P>WHen I prayed not unto God I ever sinned every day:
but when <HI>Noonanetam Indians</HI> fir&s;t prayed, I heard
of it, and three nights I con&s;idered whether I &s;hould pray
or no, but I found not how to pray unto God, but how not
to pray: but then I heard Gods free mercy in his word,
call all to pray, <HI>from the ri&s;ing of the Sun to the going down
thereof;</HI> yet pre&s;ently I lo&s;t that word, and &s;inned again,
and committed many &s;ins. Then Gods free mercy &s;hewed me
in the Catechi&s;m, <HI>That God made all the World,</HI> yet my heart did
not beleeve, becau&s;e I knew I &s;prung from my Father and Mo|ther:
I did alwaies act many &s;ins, becau&s;e I was born in &s;in, and
in vain I heard Gods word. Then I heard Gods Word, <HI>That
Chri&s;t was made man,</HI> yet I did but hear it, though I thought
it might be true: I thought I would ca&s;t off all sin, but
then I found that I loved them very much. I heard Gods
promi&s;e to <HI>Abraham, To increa&s;e his Children as the Stars for
number,</HI> but I beleeved not, becau&s;e he had but one Son:
and thus I ca&s;t off the word, and committed sins. I heard
al&s;o from the word, That all men are not alike to God, &s;ome
are fir&s;t to God, [or preferred before other;] but I did
<PB N="22" REF="30">
not beleeve it becau&s;e all men die alike; therefore they are
not the Sons of God, and God is not their Father: So &s;till
I beleeved not the Word, but broke Gods Word dayly, and
in vain I heard Gods Word. Afterward I heard that Word of
God to <HI>Mo&s;es, I'le be with thy mouth, for who maketh the &s;eeing
Eye, or hearing Ear, is it not I?</HI> &s;aith the Lord: then I under&s;tood
a little of God, and of his Word; but &s;till I acted much &s;in.
Afterward I heard that Word of Free-Grace, <HI>Repent, and be|leeve
the Go&s;pel, and who ever beleeve &s;hall be &s;aved;</HI> then my heart
beleeved, then I &s;aw I had prayed but afore man, &amp; &s;o was my
hearing, or any other duty; and I &s;aw other of my &s;ins again&s;t
God; and then I &s;aw that my heart did not beleev as it &s;hould,
&amp; I de&s;ired to be open in my doings; I &s;aw I brake every com|mand
of God: yet pre&s;ently I lo&s;t this, and the Word of Chri&s;t
was of little worth unto me; and I &s;aw I loved &s;in very much.
Then again I heard that word, That all &s;hall pray from the
ri&s;ing to the &s;itting Sun; then I thought I will pray to God,
and yet only my tongue prayed. Then again I heard the
Catechi&s;m, That God made <HI>Adam</HI> and <HI>Eve,</HI> and al the world,
and a little I beleeved that word. Afterward I heard ano|ther
word, <HI>That they are Ba&s;tards, not Sons, whom God afflicts
not:</HI> I did a little think this to be a truth, and then I prayed
more unto God, and yet I &s;aw I feared man more than God:
but notwith&s;tanding, I have prayed unto God from that day
unto this day; yet I &s;ee <HI>I</HI> &s;in every day. When I heard that
Word that God &s;pake to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in the Mount by a Trumpet,
and &s;aid, <HI>Thou &s;halt not have any other God, thou &s;halt not lu&s;t,
nor lye, nor kill, &amp;c.</HI> I &s;aw all the&s;e I had broken; I heard the
Word, but &s;inned in what I heard: I heard that my heart
mu&s;t break and melt for &s;in, and beleeve in Chri&s;t, and that
we &s;hould try our hearts if it be &s;o; yet I could try but little,
nor find but little, but &s;till I &s;inned much. I heard that
Word, That they which ca&s;t off God, God will ca&s;t off them;
and I feared le&s;t God &s;hould ca&s;t me away, becau&s;e of my
&s;ins: I was a&s;hamed of my &s;ins, and my heart melted, and I
thought I wil give my &s;elf to God, and to Chri&s;t, and do
what he will for ever; and becau&s;e of this promi&s;e of pardon
to al that repent and beleeve, my heart de&s;ireth to pray to
God as long as I live.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession">
<PB N="23" REF="30">
<HEAD><HI>Ponampam</HI>;
The Confe&s;&s;ion he made on the Fa&s;t day, before the
great A&s;&s;embly was as followeth:</HEAD>
<P>BEfore I prayed unto God, I committed all manner of &s;ins;
and when I heard the Catechi&s;m, <HI>That God made me,</HI> I did
not beleeve it, becau&s;e I knew I &s;prang from my Father and
Mother, and therefore I de&s;pi&s;ed the Word, and therefore a|gain
I did act all &s;ins, and I did love them. Then God was
merciful to me, to let me hear that Word, That al &s;hal pray
from the ri&s;ing to the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ting Sun; and then I con&s;idered whe|ther
I &s;hould pray, but I found not in my heart that all &s;hould
pray: but then I con&s;idered of praying, and what would
become of me if I did not pray, and what would become of
me, if I did pray; but I thought if I did pray, the <HI>Sacbems</HI>
would be angry, becau&s;e They did not &s;ay, pray to God, and
therefore I did not yet pray; but con&s;idering of that word,
that all &s;hall pray, I was troubled, and I found in my heart
that I would pray unto God; and yet I feared that others
would laugh at me, and therefore I did not yet pray. Af|terward
God was yet merciful to me, and I heard that God
made the World, and the fir&s;t man, and I thought it was
true, and therefore I would pray to God, becau&s;e he hath
made all; and yet when I did pray, I thought I prayed not
aright, becau&s;e I prayed for the &s;ake of man, and I thought
this to be a great &s;in. But then I wondered at Gods free mer|cy
to me, for I &s;aw God made me, and giveth me all mercies:
and then was I troubled, and &s;aw that many were my &s;ins,
and that I do not yet beleeve; then I prayed, yet my heart &s;in|ned,
for I prayed only with my mouth: and then I repented
of my &s;ins, and then a little I con&s;idered and remembred
Gods love unto us: but I was a &s;inner, and many were my
<PB N="24" REF="31">
sins, and a little I repented of them; and yet again I sinned,
and quickly was my heart full of sin: then again was my
heart angry with my &s;elf, and often I lo&s;t all this again, and
fell into sin. Then I heard that word, <HI>That God &s;ent</HI> Mo&s;es
<HI>to</HI> Egypt, <HI>and promi&s;ed I will be with thee;</HI> that promi&s;e I con|sidered,
but I thought that in vain I did &s;eek, and I was a|&s;hamed
that I did &s;o: and I prayed, Oh God teach me truly
to pray, not only before man, but before God, and pardon al
the&s;e my sins. Again I heard that word, that Chri&s;t taught
through every Town and Village, <HI>Repent and beleeve, and be
&s;aved,</HI> and a little I beleeved this word, and I loved it, and
then I &s;aw all my &s;ins, and prayed for pardon. Again I heard
that word, He that ca&s;teth off God, him will God ca&s;t off;
and I found in my heart, that I had done this, and I feared be|cau&s;e
of this my sin, le&s;t God &s;hould ca&s;t me off, and that I
&s;hould for ever peri&s;h in Hell, becau&s;e God hath ca&s;t me off, I
having ca&s;t of God: then I was troubled about Hell, and
what &s;hall I do if I be damned! Then I heard that word, If ye
repent and beleeve, God pardons all sins; then I thought,
Oh that I had this, I desired to repent and beleeve, and I beg|ged
of God, Oh give me Repentance and Faith, freely do it
for me; and I &s;aw God was merciful to do it, but I did not at|tend
the Lord, only &s;ometimes; and I now confe&s;s I am a&s;ha|med
of my sins, my heart is broken, and melteth in me; I
am angry at my &s;elf; I desire pardon in Chri&s;t; I betru&s;t
my &s;oul with Chri&s;t, that he may do it for me.</P>
<P REND="indent">By &s;uch time as this man had fini&s;hed, the time was far
&s;pent, and he was the fift in number, their &s;peeches being &s;low,
and they were the more &s;low at my reque&s;t, that I might write
what they &s;aid; &amp; oft I was forced to inquire of my interpreter
(who &s;at by me) becau&s;e I did not perfectly under&s;tand &s;ome
&s;entences, e&s;pecially of &s;ome of them: the&s;e things did make
the work long-&s;om, considering the inlargement of &s;pirit God
gave &s;ome of them; and &s;hould we have proceeded further,
it would have been &s;un-&s;et before the Confe&s;&s;ions in likely|hood
would have been fini&s;hed, be&s;ides all the re&s;t of the
work that was to be done to fini&s;h &s;o &s;olemn a work; and the
<PB N="25" REF="31">
place being remote in the woods, the nights long and cold
and people not fitted to lie abroad, and no competant lodgings
in the place for &s;uch per&s;ons, and the work of &s;uch mo|ment
as wonld not admit an hudling up in ha&s;t. And
besides all this, though I had fully u&s;ed all fit means, to have
all the Interpreters pre&s;ent that I could, that &s;o the intetpre|tation
might not depend upon my single te&s;temony, yet
&s;o it was that they all failed, and I was alone (as I have been
wont to be in this work) which providence of God was not to
be neglected in &s;o &s;olemn a busine&s;s. Wherfore the Magi|&s;trates,
Elders, and Grave Men pre&s;ent, advi&s;ed together what
to do, and the Conclu&s;ion was, Not to proceed any further
at pre&s;ent, yet &s;o to carry the matter, as that the Indians
might in no wi&s;e be di&s;couraged, but encouraged; to which
end, one of the Elders was reque&s;ted to &s;peak unto the Eng|li&s;h,
the two above &s;aid Rea&s;ons, <HI>viz.</HI> The want of Interpre|ters,
And want of Time, to fini&s;h at this time &s;o &s;olemn a
Work; but to refer it to a more fitting time. And I was de|sired
to declare it to the Indians, which I did to this purpo&s;e,
That the Magi&s;trates, Elders, and other Chri&s;tian People pre|&s;ent,
did much rejoyce to hear their Confe&s;&s;ions, and advi&s;ed
them to go on in that good way; but as for the gathering a
Church among them this day, it could not be; partly, Becau&s;e
neither Mr. <HI>Mayhew,</HI> nor Mr. <HI>Leveridg.</HI> nor any Interpreter
was here (for whom they knew I had &s;ent, &s;ome of them&s;elves
being the Me&s;&s;engers to carry Letters time enough) and it was
Gods Ordinance, That when any were to judg a Ca&s;e, though
they could beleeve one Witne&s;s, yet they could not judg un|der
two or three. Al&s;o I told them, That them&s;elves might
easily &s;ee there was not time enough to fini&s;h &s;o &s;olemn a work
this day; therefore they advi&s;ed, and God called to refer it
to a fitter &s;ea&s;on; in which advice they re&s;ted: And &s;o was
the Work of that day, with prayers unto God, fini&s;hed; the
accompli&s;hment being referred to a fitter &s;ea&s;on.</P>
<P REND="indent">As for my &s;elf, the Lord put it into the hearts of the Elders,
to &s;peak unto me words of Comfort, and acceptance of my
poor Labor, expre&s;&s;ing their loving fear, le&s;t I &s;hould be di&s;|couraged
by this di&s;appointment: I &s;hall therefore nakedly
<PB N="26" REF="32">
declare, and open my very heart in this Matter. The Lord he
knoweth, that with much fear, and care I went about this
work, even unto the &s;en&s;ible wa&s;ting, and weakning of my
natural &s;trength, knowing that the inve&s;ting the&s;e young
Babee in Chri&s;t, with the highe&s;t, and all the external pri|viledges
of the Church, the Spou&s;e of Je&s;us Chri&s;t on Earth,
would have drawn upon me much more labor and care, le&s;t
they &s;hould in any wi&s;e &s;candalize the &s;ame; unto which I
have now more time a&s;&s;igned me by the Lord to prepare them,
yea, and a greater advantage than I had before, becau&s;e this
di&s;pen&s;ation of the Lord, doth give me occa&s;ion to in&s;truct
them of their need to be filled with deeper apprehen&s;ions of
the weight and &s;olemnity of that great Work, though it is
mo&s;t true, that they al&s;o came on unto it with many fears,
and que&s;tions, what they &s;hould do when they &s;hould be a
Church: When therefore I &s;aw the Lord by the Coun&s;el of
his Servants (which is an holy reverend Ordinance of Chri&s;t)
and by his Providence denying me the help of all Interpre|ters,
having many witne&s;&s;es how much care and pains I took
every way I knew, to be &s;upplied therein; and that the work
it &s;elf was extended by the Lords gracious inlarging them in
their Confe&s;&s;ions, &s;o that the day was not &s;ufficient to ac|compli&s;h
it; I &s;ay, when I &s;aw the Lord &s;peaking that dela|tory
word, I cannot expre&s;s what a load it took off my heart,
and I did gladly follow the Lord therein, yea, and I ble&s;s
the Lord for that day, that it was carried &s;o far as it was, for
the cau&s;e of Chri&s;t hath many waies gained by it, many hun|dreds
of the precious Saints, being much comforted and con|firmed
in their hopes of this work of Chri&s;t among them,
and their faith and prayers much quickned by what they
heard and &s;aw. And becau&s;e all witne&s;&s;es failed me, let me
&s;ay but this, I began, and have followed this work for the
Lord according to the poor mea&s;ure of grace received, &amp; not
for ba&s;e ends. I have been true &amp; faithful unto their &s;ouls, and
in writing and reading their Confe&s;&s;ions, I have not know|ingly,
or willingly made them better, than the Lord helped
them&s;elves to make them, but am verily per&s;waded on good
grounds, that I have rather rendered them weaker (for the
<PB N="27" REF="32">
mo&s;t part) than they delivered them; partly by mi&s;&s;ing &s;ome
words of weight in &s;ome Sentences, partly by my &s;hort and
curt touches of what they more fully &s;pake, and partly by
rea&s;on of the different Idioms of their Language and ours.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>Now follow tho&s;e Preparitory Confe&s;&s;ions,
which were read before the El|ders,
mo&s;t of them.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">The first that made a publick Confe&s;&s;ion, and was
took in Writing, was <HI>Peter,</HI> a Ruler of Ten a|mong
them, a Godly man, who quickly after he
had made this Confe&s;&s;ion, fell &s;ick, and died,
and now injoyeth the fruit of his Faith, the end
of his Hope, the &s;alvaion of his Soul, among the
Ble&s;&s;ed; where I am per&s;waded he &s;hall be found
in the great day. His Confe&s;&s;ion was as followeth.</HEAD>
<P>VVHen I fir&s;t prayed to God, I did not fear God, but
I feared perdition, becau&s;e the Engli&s;h had told me,
that all &s;hould be damned, that call not upon God. But now
I know that God made all the world, and I fear him;
now I beleeve that which you teach is true; Now I beleeve
that God calleth us to <HI>Natik,</HI> that here we may be ruled by
God, and gather a Church; now I beleeve that it is Gods
Command, that we &s;hould labor Six dayes, and keep the
Sabbath on the Seventh day: now my heart is greatly aba&s;ed
for all my &s;ins; for we &s;ee though we pray to God we are
ready to offend each other, and be angry with each other, and
that we love not each other as we &s;hould do; and for this I
grieve &amp; my heart crieth: now I remember that God &s;aith thou
<PB N="28" REF="33">
&s;halt not lu&s;t, but before I prayed to God I was full of lu&s;ts.
God &s;aith, We mu&s;t have but one Wife, and at fir&s;t did
make but one man and one woman; but I followed many
women. God &s;aith, Remember to keep the Sabbath day ho|ly;
but I did hunt, or &s;hoot, or any thing on the Sabbath day:
many other &s;ins I committed; but now I &s;ee them, and wil ca&s;t
them away becau&s;e they are vile, and God forbiddeth them:
when I prayed fir&s;t my sins were not pardoned, for my praying
is worth nothing: now I am humbled, and mourn for my sins
and yet cannot deliver my &s;elf nor get pardon, therfore I tru&s;t
Chri&s;t with my &s;oul.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>The next Confe&s;&s;ion was made by <HI>John Speene,</HI>
as followeth. His fir&s;t confe&s;&s;ion was this,</HEAD>
<P>WHen I fir&s;t prayed to God, I did not pray for my &s;oul
but only I did as my friends did, becau&s;e I loved them;
and though I prayed to God, yet I did not fear &s;in, nor was
I troubled at it. I heard that when good men die, their
&s;ouls go to God, and are there happy, but I cannot &s;ay that
I beleeved it. Afterward my heart run away into the coun|try,
after our old wayes, and I did almo&s;t ca&s;t off praying to
God. A little while after that, I &s;aw that I had greatly &s;inned,
and then I &s;aw all my &s;ins, afore I prayed to God, and &s;ince I
prayed to God, and I &s;aw that God was greatly angry for
them, and that I cannot get pardon for them; but yet my heart
&s;aith I will pray to God as long as I live: I thought God
would not pardon me, and yet I would ca&s;t away my &s;ins. I
did greatly love hunting, and hated labor: but now I beleeve
that word of God, which &s;aith, Six dayes thou &s;halt la|bor.
and God doth make my body &s;trong to labor.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<PB N="29" REF="33">
<HEAD><HI>John Speene,</HI>
This Confe&s;&s;ion being &s;hort in &s;ome main points, he
afterward made Confe&s;&s;ion as followeth.</HEAD>
<P>WHen I fir&s;t prayed I prayed not for my &s;oul, but
for the &s;ake of men, I loved men, and for their &s;akes
I prayed to God. Before I prayed many were my &s;ins,
and my heart was heaped full, and ran over in all
manner of lu&s;ts and &s;ins. After I heard of praying to God, I
let it fall and regarded it not; after I came to hear the word,
I &s;ometimes feared, but &s;oon lo&s;t it again. Then my heart
ran away after our former cour&s;es, and then what ever I heard
I lo&s;t, becau&s;e my heart was run away; and many were my
&s;ins, and therfore I could not get pardon, becau&s;e my heart run
away, and many were my &s;ins, and I did indeed go into the
Country. But afterwards, I hearing the Catechi&s;m, I de&s;ired
to learn it, and then I beleeved that when Beleevers die, their
&s;ouls go to God, and are ever happy; when Sinners die, their
&s;ouls go to Hel and are ever tormented; and that when Chri&s;t
judges the world, our bodies ri&s;e again, and then we &s;hall re|ceive
the judgment of Chri&s;t; the good &s;hal &s;tand at his right
hand, the bad at his left: this I beleeved was true, and then I
&s;aw all my great follies and evils: and now my heart de&s;ired
to lay by hunting, and to work every day; and this is Gods
Command, and therfore a good way; God &s;aid, Thou &s;halt
work &s;ix daies, and if thou work, thou &s;halt eat; therfore I be|leeve
it, and my heart promi&s;eth that I will this do as long as I
live. Now I &s;ee I did great folly, for now I hear that God &s;aith
<HI>Work;</HI> and now I fear becau&s;e God hath afflicted me, in taking
away my brother a Ruler: now I am troubled, I fear I &s;inned
in not beleeving our Ruler, becau&s;e now God hath taken him
away; he taught me good words, but I beleeved them not,
and now I repent becau&s;e Chri&s;t calleth me to it: great
is the puni&s;hment of God in taking away our Ruler;
and now I pray, and &s;ay to Chri&s;t, Oh Je&s;us Chri&s;t
<PB N="30" REF="34">
Chri&s;t I have &s;inned: I beleeve that if I repent and be hum|bled,
and pray not only outwardly but inwardly, and be|leeve
in Chri&s;t, then God will pardon all my &s;in; but I can|not
get pardon of &s;in, I cannot de&s;erve pardon, but only
Chri&s;t hath merited pardon for us: I cannot deliver my &s;elf
from all my &s;ins, but Chri&s;t redeemeth, and delivereth from
all &s;in: I de&s;erve not one mercy of God, but Chri&s;t hath me|rited
all mercies for us.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>The next are the Confe&s;&s;ions of <HI>Robin Speene,</HI>
who three &s;everal times came forth, and confe&s;&s;ed
as followeth. His fir&s;t Confe&s;&s;ion:</HEAD>
<P>I Was a&s;hamed becau&s;e you taught to pray to God, and I
did not take it up; I &s;ee God is angry with me for all my
&s;ins, and he hath afflicted me by the death of three of my
children, and I fear God is &s;till angry, becau&s;e great are my
&s;ins, and I fear le&s;t my children be not gone to Heaven, be|cau&s;e
I am a great &s;inner, yet one of my children prayed to
God before it died, and therefore my heart rejoyceth in that.
I remember my Panwaning [for he was a <HI>Panwan]</HI> my lu&s;t,
my gaming, and all my &s;ins; I know them by the Comman|dements
of God, and God heareth and &s;eeth them all; I can|not
deliver my &s;elf from &s;in, therefore I do need Chri&s;t, be|cau&s;e
of all my &s;ins, I de&s;ire pardon, and I beleeve that God
calls all to come to Chri&s;t, and that he delivereth us from
&s;in.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<PB N="31" REF="34">
<HEAD><HI>Robin Speen,</HI>
His Second Confe&s;&s;ion.</HEAD>
<P>I Have found out one word more: great are my &s;ins, and
I do not know how to repent, nor do I know the evil of
my &s;ins; only this one word, now I confe&s;s I want Chri&s;t, this
day I want him; I do not truly beleeve nor repent: I &s;ee my
&s;in, and I need Chri&s;t, but I de&s;ire now to be redeemed: and
I now ask you this Que&s;tion, <HI>What is Redemption?</HI> <Q>I an&s;we|red
him, by &s;hewing him our e&s;tate by Nature, and de&s;ert,
the price which Chri&s;t paid for us, and how it is to be appli|ed
to every particular per&s;on; which done, he proceeded in
his Confe&s;&s;ion thus:</Q> I yet cannot tell whether God hath
pardoned my &s;ins, I forget the Word of God; but this I de|&s;ire,
that my &s;ins may de pardoned, but my heart is fooli&s;h,
and a great part of the Word &s;tayeth not in my heart &s;trong|ly.
I de&s;ire to ca&s;t all my &s;ins out of my heart: but I re|member
my &s;ins, that I may get them pardoned, I think God
doth not yet hear my prayers in this, becau&s;e I cannot keep
the Word of God, only I de&s;ire to hear the Word, and that
God would hear me.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD><HI>Robin Speen,</HI>
His Third Confe&s;&s;ion.</HEAD>
<P>ONe word more I cal to mind, Great is my &s;in! this &s;aith
my heart, I have found this &s;in, when I fir&s;t heard you
teach, that all the world from the ri&s;ing to the &s;itting Sun
&s;hould pray to God, I then wondered a<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> it, and thought, I
<PB N="32" REF="35">
being a great &s;inner, how &s;hal I pray to God; and when I &s;aw
many come to the Meeting, I wondred at it: But now I do not
wonder at that work of God, and therefore I think that I do
now greatly &s;in: and now I de&s;ire again to wonder at Gods
Works, and I desire to rejoyce in Gods good waies. Now I
am much a&s;hamed, and fear becau&s;e I have de&s;erved eternal
wrath by my &s;ins: my heart is evil, my heart doth contrary
to God: and this I desire, that I may be redeemed, for I can|not
help my &s;elf, but only Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath done al this for
me, and I de&s;erve no good, but I beleeve Chri&s;t hath de&s;erved
all for us; and I give my &s;elf unto Chri&s;t, that he may &s;ave
me, becau&s;e he knoweth eternal life, and can give it; I can|not
give it to my &s;elf, therefore I need Je&s;us Chri&s;t, my heart
is full of evil thoughts; and Chri&s;t only can keep my &s;oul
from them, becau&s;e he hath paid for my deliverance from
them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>The next are the Confe&s;&s;ions of <HI>Ni&s;hohkou</HI>; who
twice made preparitory Confe&s;&s;ions; the fir&s;t of
which only, was read before the Elders.</HEAD>
<P>GOD in Heaven is merciful, and I am &s;inful: when I fir&s;t
heard the Word of God, I neither &s;aw nor under&s;tood;
but after, when you taught the&s;e words, <HI>Be wi&s;e, Oh all ye peo|ple,
and beleeve in Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> then I prayed unto God; yet
afterwards I sinned, and almo&s;t for&s;ook praying to God. Af|terward
I under&s;tood, That God who made all the World was
merciful to sinners: and truly I &s;aw my heart very sinful, be|cau&s;e
I promi&s;ed God to pray as long as I live, but my heart
hath not &s;o done. Again I promi&s;ed God I will follow Chri&s;t
in al things, and now I find my heart backward, and not &s;o
forward to make a Church. God promi&s;eth, If fooli&s;h ones
pray to God for Wi&s;dom he will give it: this Promi&s;e I be|leeve,
but I find my heart full of temptations; but now I pro|mi&s;e
<PB N="33" REF="35">
God, as in the <HI>P&s;alm,</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;alm, 101. 2.</NOTE> All my works &s;hal be done in wi&s;|dom,
for I confe&s;s al my works and words, have been fooli&s;h.
God is wi&s;e and good, but I am fooli&s;h. God who hath made
the World, &s;ent his own Son Je&s;us: and Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath
died for us, and de&s;erved for us, pardon and life, this is true;
and he hath done for me all Gods Commandements, for I can
do nothing, becau&s;e I am very sinful. God in Heaven is very
merciful, and therfore hath called me to pray unto God. God
hath promi&s;ed to pardon al their sins, who pray unto God,
and beleeve in the Promi&s;e of Chri&s;t, and Chri&s;t can give me
to beleeve in him.</P>
<P REND="indent">When he had made this Confe&s;&s;ion, he was much aba&s;hed,
for he is a ba&s;hful man; many things he &s;poke that I
mi&s;&s;ed, for want of through under&s;tanding &s;ome words
and &s;entences: therfore before the Fa&s;t day he made a|nother
Confe&s;&s;ion, which was not read before the El|ders;
which was as followeth.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>Ni&s;hohkou</HEAD>
<P>I am dead in &s;in, Oh! that my &s;ins might die, for they
cannot give life, becau&s;e they be dead: before I prayed
to God, I did commit all filthyne&s;&s;e, I prayed to many gods,
I was proud, full of lu&s;ts, adulteries, and all others &s;ins,
and therefore this is my fir&s;t Confe&s;&s;ion, that God is merci|full,
and I am a &s;inner, for God have given unto me in&s;truction
and cau&s;eth me to pray unto God, but I only pray words;
when I prayed, I &s;omtimes wondered, and thought true it is
that God made the world, and me: and then I thought I
knew God, becau&s;e I &s;aw the&s;e his works, and then I was glad
&s;omtimes, and gave thanks; yet pre&s;ently again I did not
rejoyce in it. Again &s;omtimes I thought, now I do wel
becau&s;e I pray, and work not on the Sabbath daies, but come
to the Meetings, and hear the Word of God: But afterward
again, I thought I do not wel, becau&s;e true it is, That yet I do
<PB N="34" REF="36">
not truly pray; for now I &s;ee I &s;in when I pray, becau&s;e
there is nothing but &s;in in my mouth, or hand, or heart, and
all &s;ins are there, for of the&s;e my &s;ins my heart is full, becau&s;e
my heart doth &s;ometimes lu&s;t, and &s;teal, and the like. A|gain,
I was not only proud before I prayed, but now I am
proud. Again, &s;ometimes my heart is humbled, and then
I pray, Oh God have mercy on me, and pardon the&s;e my
&s;ins; yet &s;ometimes I know not whether God did either hear
my prayer, or pardon my &s;ins. Again, afterwards I thought
I had greatly &s;inned, becau&s;e I heard of the good way of pra|ying
unto God, but I do wickedly becau&s;e I pray not truly,
yea, &s;ometimes I have much ado to pray with my mouth, and
therfore I &s;in. I heard of that good way, to keep the Sab|bath,
and not to work on that day, and I did &s;o: but yet a|gain
I &s;inned in it, becau&s;e I did not reverence the Word of
God; yea, and &s;ometimes I thought that working on the
Sabbath was no great matter. Again, I heard it was a good
way to come to the Meetings, and hear the word of God, and
I de&s;ired to do it; but in this al&s;o I &s;inned, becau&s;e I did not
truly hear: yea, &s;ometimes I thought it no great matter if I
heard not, and cared not to come to hear, and &s;till I &s;o &s;in|ned.
Then I thought God was angry, becau&s;e I have great|ly
&s;inned; de&s;iring to do well, and yet again to &s;in. When
I de&s;ired to do well, then I &s;inned, and in all things I &s;inned.
But afterward I was angry with my &s;elf, and thought I will
not &s;in again; and what God &s;aith, is good, but I am &s;inful
becau&s;e I have done all the&s;e evils. Again, &s;ometimes my
heart is humbled, and then I repent, and &s;ay, Oh God and
Je&s;us Chri&s;t, have mercy on me, and pardon my &s;ins. Now I
de&s;ire truly to pray; now I de&s;ire to reverence the Word every
Sabbath day: now I de&s;ire to hear the Word of God truly;
now I de&s;ire to bend my heart to pray, and it may be God
will hear me: but quickly after a temptation cometh to my
heart, and I did not de&s;ire it. Again, &s;ometimes I did think,
true it is I can do nothing of my &s;elf, but Je&s;us Chri&s;t mu&s;t
have mercy on me, becau&s;e Chri&s;t hath done for me all Gods
Commandements and good Works, therfore my heart &s;aith,
Oh Je&s;us give me de&s;ires after thee: &s;ometimes I think it is
<PB N="35" REF="36">
true, I have greatly &s;inned again&s;t God, but great are his mer|cies:
&s;ometimes I hear the Word on the Sabbath day, and
he giveth it me, [that is, maketh it my own] &s;ometimes I &s;ay
the great and mighty God is in Heaven, but the&s;e are but
words, becau&s;e I do not fear this great and mighty God; and
I &s;ometimes regard not Gods Word, and make it of none ef|fect,
becau&s;e I do not that which is good, but commit &s;in:
&s;ometimes I &s;ay I know Chri&s;t, becau&s;e I know he died for us,
and hath redeemed us, and procured pardon for us: yet a|gain
I &s;ay I &s;in, becau&s;e I beleeve not Chri&s;t, for that only is
right to beleeve in Chri&s;t, and do what he &s;aith; but I think
I do this in vain, becau&s;e I yet do not truly beleeve in Je&s;us
Chri&s;t, nor do what he commandeth, and therefore my heart
plays the hypocrite; and now I know what is hypocri&s;ie,
namely, when I know what I &s;hould do, and yet do it not.
Sometimes I think I am like unto Satan, becau&s;e I do al the&s;e
&s;ins, and &s;in in all things I do; if I pray I &s;in, If I keep
Sabbath I &s;in, if I hear Gods Word I &s;in, therefore I am like
the Devil. Now I know I de&s;erve to go to Hell, becau&s;e all
the&s;e &s;ins I have committed: then my heart is troubled, and I
&s;ay, Oh God and Chri&s;t pardon all my &s;in, for I cannot par|don
my &s;ins my &s;elf; for the fir&s;t man brought &s;in into the
world, and therfore I am &s;inful, therfore I pray thee O Lord
pardon all the &s;ins which I have done. Again, &s;ometimes
my heart is humbled, and I de&s;ire to fear God, becau&s;e he is
a great God, and I de&s;ire to do what he &s;aith, and now I de|&s;ire
to do the right way, and now I de&s;ire to beleeve Je&s;us
Chri&s;t; and &s;ometimes I think it may be God will hear me,
it may be he will pardon me, yet again I think I cannot be a|&s;hamed
of &s;in; but now I am a&s;hamed of all my &s;ins, and my
heart is broken, and all the&s;e my &s;ins I ca&s;t off, and take heed
of: yet then again I &s;ometimes &s;ay to God, I cannot my &s;elf
be humbled, or break my heart, or ca&s;t off &s;in, but I pray
thee O Je&s;us help me to do it. Again, &s;ometimes I confe&s;s
this is true, I cannot redeem my &s;elf, nor deliver my &s;elf, be|cau&s;e
of all the&s;e my many &s;ins; truly, full is my heart of &s;in
in every thing, all my thoughts, my words, my looks, my
works are full of &s;in; true <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> therefore I cannot deliver
<PB N="36" REF="37">
my &s;elf from &s;in; Oh redeem thou my &s;oul from Hel and tor|ment,
for I like not to do it with my own hand, therfore I de|&s;ire
Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that I may delight in him; take thou me and
my &s;oul, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t done Gods word, and all good
works for me, and ha&s;t procured pardon for all my &s;ins, and
ha&s;t prepared pardon in Heaven, therfore I de&s;ire, Oh I de&s;ire
pardon: but I &s;omtimes think Chri&s;t doth not delight in me
becau&s;e I do much play the hypocrite, but if I truly beleeve
then he will pardon, but true faith I cannot work; Oh Je&s;us
Chri&s;t help me, and give it me.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>Another who made Confe&s;&s;ion, is named <HI>Magus</HI>;
which is as followeth:</HEAD>
<P>HEretofore I beleeved not, that God made the world,
but I thought the world was of it &s;elf, and all people
grew up in the world of them&s;elves. When any bid me pray
to God, I &s;aid I cannot, and none of our Rulers beleeve
or pray to God; yet I went about to &s;eek how to pray to
God. I told the wi&s;e men, I &s;eek how to pray to God, and
all of them could not find how to pray to God. Afterward
I had a de&s;ire to pray God, le&s;t I &s;hould lo&s;e my &s;oul, but my
heart run away, and I could not find how to pray to God,
and therefore I thought of going away; yet I al&s;o thought
if I do go away, I &s;hall lo&s;e my ground. But after this I
heard of Gods anger again&s;t me, and I beleeved it; for God
made the fir&s;t man good, and told him if he did well he
&s;hould live, and this day I beleeve all men &s;hould do &s;o: and
then I thought I will pray as long as I live, and I will labor,
becau&s;e Gods promi&s;e is, If we labor we &s;hall eat; and I &s;ee
that that is a true word; for they that do labor do eat [that
is, have wherewith to be fed] I &s;ee that &s;in alwaies hath conti|nued,
from the beginning of the world. I beleeve that word
which God told <HI>Eve,</HI> That in &s;orrow &s;he &s;hould bring forth
<PB N="37" REF="37">
Children, and I &s;ee it dayly to be true. I beleeve that
word of God, that &s;in brings mi&s;ery, and all &s;hall die, be|cau&s;e
by &s;in, we break all the Commands of God: I
have been full of lu&s;ts, and thefts, &amp;c. all my life, and all
the time I have lived. I have done contrary to the Com|mand
of God. And I am now grieved, now I hear of all my
&s;ins: I beleeve Chri&s;t doth convert me to God, and he calleth
Children, and old men, and all men to turn unto God, and
from their &s;ins; he calleth to &s;orrow and repentance, and
ever to beleeve in Chri&s;t; and who ever doth this, &s;hall
be ever ble&s;&s;ed in Heaven; but if he do it not, he peri&s;heth:
if he turn not from &s;in, dying, he &s;hall go to Hell for ever.
I think al&s;o, that &s;o long as I live, God doth give me life.
I beleeve that we ought to gather into a Church, to &s;erve
God as long as we live. But I do not know whether yet
God hath pardoned my &s;ins, or not; but I know Chri&s;t, and
I know he hath already dyed for me, becau&s;e I cannot re|deem
my &s;elf.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>Another who made Confe&s;&s;ion, was named <HI>Poqua|num</HI>;
which was as followeth. His first
Confe&s;&s;ion.</HEAD>
<P>A Great while ago the Engli&s;h would tell me of God
but I hated it, and would go out of doors, when they
&s;o &s;pake unto me, and I murmured at it. When the Indians
fir&s;t prayed to God, I did not think there was a God, or that
the Bible was Gods Book, but that wi&s;e men made it:
When &s;ome prayed to God, I went with them, but I did not
know God. Afterward my mind was changed thus far,
That I de&s;ired to be wi&s;e, as others were, but yet I knew no|thing
of God; yea, after I prayed to God. I &s;till did
think there was no God. Afterward I found this in my heart,
That we pray to God for our &s;ouls, then I thought all my
<PB N="38" REF="38">
praying was nothing, becau&s;e I was &s;o fooli&s;h that I never
thought of dying: but after, I learned, That all mu&s;t die,
and good mens &s;ouls go to Heaven; and then I thought of
dying, and of my &s;oul: but then I thought we prayed for
nothing but that our &s;ouls might go to Heaven; I knew no|thing
of Chri&s;t. But after, when the Children were Cate|chi&s;ed,
and taught the ten Commandements, I hearkned, and
by them I came to know that there was a God, and that there
was &s;in again&s;t God; and hereby God made me to &s;ee all my
&s;ins, both before I prayed to God, and &s;ince; and I &s;aw Gods
anger again&s;t me for my &s;ins, before, and &s;ince I prayed, be|cau&s;e
&s;ometimes I came not to the Meeting; brake my word,
regarded not my children, and I &s;ee &s;in in me, and therfore
I do greatly fear Gods anger.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD><HI>Poquanum</HI>;
His Second Confe&s;&s;ion was as followeth:</HEAD>
<P>BEfore I prayed unto God, I greatly &s;inned, I prayed to
many gods, and u&s;ed Panwaning, Adultery, Lu&s;t, Lying,
and al other &s;ins, and many were my &s;ins, evil thoughts, e|vil
words, and nothing el&s;e but evil, hatred, and pride, and
all &s;ins again&s;t God, coveting other mens goods; when I
&s;tole, I added lying to it when I had done; I was very proud,
I much hatred many men, and loved them not becau&s;e I was
angry with them; and thus I did every day: I would &s;lan|der
my neighbors, great was my pride, I was dayly angry
with my neighbors, my heart was alwaies full of &s;uch waies.
When the Engli&s;h &s;aid, Pray to God, I cared not for God,
becau&s;e I loved &s;in, nor did I de&s;ire that God &s;hould forgive
my &s;in. Afterward I heard the word, That if we truly pray,
mourn for &s;in, ca&s;t off &s;in; de&s;ire to hear the word, and beleeve
in Chri&s;t, God will then pardon, and when he dieth Chri&s;t
will lead him to Heaven: I much rejoyced to hear of this
<PB N="39" REF="38">
pardon, but I mu&s;t truly beleeve in Chri&s;t, el&s;e I &s;hal not
have pardon; and fir&s;t I thought God will not pardon me,
becau&s;e I &s;till &s;inned. But afterward I heard, That though
we &s;hould pray as long as we live, and never &s;in more, yet
that was of no value; but we mu&s;t beleeve in Chri&s;t, el&s;e there
is no pardon; and this I rejoyced at.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>Another who made Confe&s;&s;ion, is named <HI>Nookau,</HI>
which is as followeth. His fir&s;t Confe&s;&s;ion.</HEAD>
<P>FIve years ago, before I prayed I was &s;ick, I thought I &s;hould
die; at which I was much troubled, and knew not what
to do; then I thought, if there be a God above, and he give
life again, then I &s;hall beleeve there is a God above, and
God did give me life: and after that I took up praying to
God. Now I beleeve God, one God that made all the World,
and governeth it, yet this I only &s;aid with my mouth, I did
not truly beleeve it in my heart. Then I under&s;tood, That
God made the fir&s;t man good, and like God, but he &s;inned,
and we have lo&s;t Gods Image, and are like the Devil, and de|&s;erve
Hell and Damnation: this I now know, and &s;ee that I
am fooli&s;h, and &s;ometime think not of God in an whol day,
&s;ometime I do think of God every day; &s;ometime my heart
greatly &s;inneth, then &s;ometime I pre&s;ently fear, but again
&s;ometimes I am &s;low to fear; I am very fooli&s;h becau&s;e I
do not under&s;tand the Word, but break the Word of God.
I beleeve the Catechi&s;m we learn to be according to the Word
of God; but the writings of the Bible are the very Words of
God, and the Spirit of God is the Word, and that God gi|veth
all things that are good: I now &s;ee my &s;ins before I
prayed unto God, and &s;ince, and I beleeve that God &s;eeth
them all: and my heart feareth, becau&s;e I do not yet for&s;ake
my &s;ins, and I think God will not forgive me: becau&s;e my
<PB N="40" REF="39">
heart is wicked; I know not when Chri&s;t forgiveth my &s;ins,
others may know, but I de&s;ire that my &s;ins may be pardoned
for Chri&s;t his &s;ake.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD><HI>Nookau,</HI>
His Second Confe&s;&s;ion.</HEAD>
<P>BEfore I prayed to God, I greatly &s;inned every day, I was
proud, and lived in adultery, lying, &amp;c. and my heart
alwaies full of evil thoughts, and when the Engli&s;h would in|&s;truct
me, I then thought my waies evil, but the bu&s;ine&s;s of
praying to God, good; then I did think, if I could fir&s;t un|der&s;tand,
then I would pray to God, and I was glad to hear
of any that did pray to God. When I heard that word at <HI>Co|hannet,
Who ever lacketh wi&s;dom, let him ask it of God;</HI> let fools
pray to God, and he will give them wi&s;dom: I thought I
was a fool, and I beleeved that Word of God. I heard that
word of the dry bones, God bid them hear, and promi&s;ed to
put fle&s;h, and &s;inews, and skin upon them, and make them
live; therefore I de&s;ired to hear, becau&s;e I beleeved the dry
bones, and that I was one that did not know God: afterward
I was glad of praying to God. Sometimes I beleeved not
God, and God will not look on &s;uch, alwaies I thought God
will not forgive me. I wondred at all that prayed to God,
becau&s;e I thought God had given them wi&s;dom: then I
thought I am glad I pray to God. Sometime my heart is bro|ken
becau&s;e I &s;hall lo&s;e all in this world, and lo&s;e my &s;oul al&s;o,
becau&s;e I beleeve not, for all the Words of God are true
which he hath taught me. Now this day I think I will con|fe&s;s
the truth; Becau&s;e I have &s;inned, I want Je&s;us Chri&s;t:
and I will truly confe&s;s God, becau&s;e of that word of Chri&s;t,
<HI>He that confe&s;&s;eth me before men, him will I confe&s;s before my Fa|ther:</HI>
I wonder at this In&s;truction, I de&s;ire to confe&s;s my
heart.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<PB N="41" REF="39">
<HEAD>Another who made his Confe&s;sion is named <HI>Antony,</HI>
upon whom the Lord was plea&s;ed the la&s;t Winter
to lay an heavy &s;troke; for he and another Indi|an
being at work &s;awing of Board, and fini&s;hing
the Peece, they laid it &s;o &s;hort, and the Rowl not
&s;o &s;tedfa&s;t, in&s;omuch that this man being in the
Pit directing to lay the Piece, and the other a|bove
ordering thereof, it &s;lipped down into the
Pit upon this mans head, brake his neather Chap
in two, and cracked his Skull, in&s;omuch that he
was taken up half dead, and almo&s;t &s;trangled with
blood; and being the la&s;t day of the week at night
I had no word until the Sabbath day, then I pre|&s;ently
&s;ent a Chyrurgion, who took a di&s;creet order
with him; and God &s;o ble&s;&s;ed his indeavors, as
that he is now well again, ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord:
and whereas I did fear that &s;uch a blow in their
Labor might di&s;courage them from Labor, I have
found it by Gods ble&s;sing otherwi&s;e; yea, this
man hath performed a great part of the &s;awing of
our Meeting-Hou&s;e, and is now fawing upon the
School-hou&s;e, and his recovery is an e&s;tabli&s;hment
of them to go on; yea, and God ble&s;&s;ed this blow,
to help on the Work of Grace in his &s;oul; as you
&s;hall &s;ee in his Confe&s;sion, which followeth.</HEAD>
<PB N="42" REF="40">
<P>BEfore I prayed to God I alwaies committed &s;in, but I do
not know all my &s;ins, I know but a little of the &s;ins I have
committed, therefore I thought I could not pray to God, be|cau&s;e
I knew not al my &s;ins before I prayed to God, and &s;ince I
heard of praying to God: formerly when the Engli&s;h did bid
me pray unto God I hated it, and would go out of their hou|&s;es,
when they &s;pake of &s;uch things to me. I had no delight
to hear any thing of Gods Word, but in every thing I &s;inned;
in my &s;peeches I &s;inned, and every day I broke the Commands
of God. After I heard of praying to God, that <HI>Waban</HI> and
my two brothers prayed to God, yet then I de&s;ired it not, but
did think of running away; yet I feared if I did run away &s;ome
wicked men would kill me, but I did not fear God. After
when you &s;aid unto me, pray, my heart thought, I will pray;
yet again I thought, I cannot pray with my heart, and no mat|ter
for praying with words only: but when I did pray, I &s;aw
more of my &s;ins; yet I did but only &s;ee them, I could not be a|ware
of them, but &s;till I did commit them: and after I prayed
to God, I was &s;till full of lu&s;t, and then a little I feared. Some|times
I was &s;ick, and then I thought God was angry, and then
I &s;aw that I did commit all &s;ins: then one of my brothers di|ed,
and then my heart was broken, and after him another
friend, and again my heart was broken: and yet after all this
I broke my praying to God, and put away God, and then I
thought I &s;hall never pray to God: but after this I was afraid
of the Lord, becau&s;e I alwaies broke my praying to God, and
then my heart &s;aid, God doth nor hear my prayer. When I
was &s;ick, and recovered again, I thought then that God was
merciful unto me. Hearing that word of God, <HI>If you hear
the Word of God, and be forgetful hearers, you &s;in again&s;t God;</HI>
then I thought God will not pardon &s;uch a &s;inner as I, who
dayly did &s;o, and broke my praying to God. When I heard the
<PB N="43" REF="40">
Commandements, I de&s;ired to learn them, and other points of
Catechi&s;m, but my desires were but &s;mall, and I &s;oon lo&s;t it,
becau&s;e I did not desire to beleeve: then &s;ometimes I feared
Gods anger becau&s;e of al my sins; I heard the Word and un|der&s;tood
only this word, <HI>All you that hear this day, it may be
you &s;hall quickly die,</HI> and then I quickly &s;aw that God was very
angry with me. Then God brake my head, and by that I &s;aw
Gods anger; and then I thought that the true God in Hea|ven
is angry with me for my sin, even for al my sins, which e|very
day I live, I do. When I was almo&s;t dead, &s;ome body
bid me now beleeve, becau&s;e it may be I &s;hal quickly die, and
I thought I did beleeve, but I did not know right beleeving in
Chri&s;t: then I prayed unto God to re&s;tore my health. Then
I beleeved that word, <HI>That we mu&s;t &s;hortly appear before Je&s;us
Chri&s;t;</HI> then I did greatly fear le&s;t if I beleeved not, I &s;hould
peri&s;h for ever. When I was neer death, I prayed unto God,
<HI>Oh Lord give me life, and I will pray to God &s;o long as I live,</HI> and I
&s;aid, <HI>I will give my &s;elf, &s;oul, and body to Chri&s;t:</HI> after this, God
gave me health, and then I thought, truly, God in Heaven is
merciful; then I much grieved, that I knew &s;o little of Gods
Word. And now &s;ometimes I am angry, and then I fear be|cau&s;e
I know God &s;eeth it: and I fear, becau&s;e I promi&s;ed
God when I was almo&s;t dead, that if he giveth me life, I
will pray &s;o long as I live; I fear le&s;t I &s;hould break this pro|mi&s;e
to God. Now I de&s;ire the pardon of all my &s;ins, and I
beg faith in Chri&s;t, and I de&s;ire to live unto God, &s;o long as I
live; I cannot my &s;elf get pardon, but I dayly commit &s;in,
and break Gods Word, but I look to Chri&s;t for pardon.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>Another who made His Confe&s;&s;ion is named
<HI>Owu&s;&s;umag</HI>; which is as followeth:</HEAD>
<P>WHen I fir&s;t heard that <HI>Waban</HI> prayed to God, and
after that many more prayed. I fir&s;t feared praying
<PB N="44" REF="41">
to God, and in&s;truction, and I hated in&s;truction by the Word
of God, and alwaies I laughed at them who prayed to God;
and I alwaies thought I will yet more commit &s;in: and I went
into the Country, and there I acted much lu&s;t, adultry, and
the like, and all my Neighbors, we did together &s;eek after
wickedne&s;s, and every day I was proud, and of high or open
eyes. When &s;ome of my neighbors began to pray, I went a|way
into the Country, but I could find no place where I was
beloved. Then I heard, That when beleevers die, they go to
Heaven, when sinners die they go to Hel; and my heart consi|dered,
What good will it be if my &s;oul go to Heaven? But
two years ago, I began to think, I had &s;inned again&s;t God;
and then &s;omtimes I feared, yet again &s;inned; but my fear was
of man, not of God: Then ever my heart &s;aid I &s;hould be
better, if I would pray to God, and &s;omtimes I beleeved that
which I was taught, yet again, la&s;t year, I &s;ought to go
away afar off, but I could think of no place, but I &s;hould
be in danger to be killed. Then again I much remembred
my &s;ins: and again I thought, What will become of me, if
I die in my &s;ins? and then I thought it was good for me to
pray unto God &s;o long as I live; and then my heart turned
to praying unto God, and I did pray, and my heart feared
when I heard the word read and taught, and I was glad to
hear the Word of God; and then I purpo&s;ed to pray
as long as I live. Sometime I did dayly &s;ee my &s;ins, and
fear, for I cannot get pardon, only in Je&s;us Chri&s;t. Then I
heard that word, <HI>I thank thee oh Heavenly father, that thou
ha&s;t revealed the&s;e things to babes;</HI> and that word, <HI>that we mu&s;t
forgive each other:</HI> then I &s;aw that I beleeved not one word
from Chri&s;t, not any word of God; and dayly my heart
wept, that Chri&s;t might pardon all my &s;ins again&s;t God
and Chri&s;t: and now unto this day my heart &s;aith&punc; I desire
the good waies of praying to God, but I cannot know them
of my &s;elf, but Je&s;us Chri&s;t mu&s;t teach me them. When I
heard, That only Chri&s;t mu&s;t teach me them. When I
heard, That only Chri&s;t mu&s;t pardon our &s;ins, and that for
Chri&s;t God will pardon our &s;ins, this day I rejoyce to hear
that word of God, and all that Chri&s;t hath taught me: and
now I purpo&s;e, That while I live, I will pray unto God, and
<PB N="45" REF="41">
Je&s;us Chri&s;t only: and this day I &s;ee I cannot know how to
find good thoughts; but this day I de&s;ire pardon for all my
&s;ins, and to ca&s;t them away.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="preparatory confession">
<HEAD>Another who made Confe&s;&s;ion, is named <HI>Ephraim,</HI>
his Indian Name I have forgotten. It is as
followeth:</HEAD>
<P>ALL the daies I have lived, I have been in a poor fooli&s;h
condition, I cannot tell all my &s;ins, all my great &s;ins, I
do not &s;ee them. When I fir&s;t heard of praying to God, I
could not &s;leep quietly, I was &s;o troubled, ever I thought I
would for&s;ake the place becau&s;e of praying to God, my life
hath been like as if I had been a mad man. La&s;t yeer I
thought I would leave all my &s;ins, yet I &s;ee I do not leave off
&s;inning to this day; I now think I &s;hall never be able to for|&s;ake
my &s;ins. I think &s;ometimes the Word of God is fal&s;e,
yet I &s;ee there is no giving over that I might follow &s;in, I mu&s;t
pray to God; I do not truly in my heart repent, and I think
that God wil not forgive me my &s;ins; every day my heart &s;in|neth,
and how will Chri&s;t forgive &s;uch an one? I pray but
outwardly with my mouth, not with my heart; I cannot of
my &s;elf obtain pardon of my &s;ins&punc; I cannot tell all the &s;ins that
I have done if I &s;hould tell you an whol day together: I do
every morning de&s;ire that my &s;ins may be pardoned by Je&s;us
Chri&s;t; this my heart &s;aith, but yet I fear I cannot for&s;ake
my &s;ins, becau&s;e I cannot &s;ee all my &s;ins: I hear, That if we
repent and beleeve in Chri&s;t, all our &s;ins &s;hall be pardoned,
therefore I de&s;ire to leave off my &s;ins.</P>
<P REND="indent">This poor Publican was the l<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t which made his Confe&s;&s;ion
before I read them unto the Elders, and the la&s;t of them
I &s;hall now publi&s;h. I will &s;hut up the&s;e Confe&s;&s;ions
with the Confe&s;&s;ion (if I may &s;o call it) or rather with
the Expre&s;&s;ion, and manife&s;tation of &s;aith, by two little
<PB N="46" REF="42">
Infants, of two yeers old, and upward, under three
yeers of age when the died and departed out of this
world.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="closing thoughts">
<P>The Story is this,</P>
<P>THis Spring, in the beginning of the yeer, 1652. the Lord
was plea&s;ed to afflict &s;undry of our praying Indians with
that grievous di&s;ea&s;e of the Bloody-Flux, whereof &s;ome with
great torments in their bowels died; among which were two
little Children of the age above-&s;aid, and at that time both in
one hou&s;e, being together taken with that di&s;ea&s;e. The fir&s;t
of the&s;e Children in the extremities of its torments, lay crying
to God in the&s;e words, <HI>God and Je&s;us Chri&s;t, God and Je&s;us
Chri&s;t help me;</HI> and when they gave it any thing to eat, it
would greedily take it (as it is u&s;ual at the approach of death)
but fir&s;t it would cry to God, <HI>Oh God and Je&s;us Chri&s;t, ble&s;s it,</HI>
and then it would take it: and in this manner it lay calling
upon God and Je&s;us Chri&s;t untill it died: The mother of this
Child al&s;o died of that di&s;ea&s;e, at that time. The Father of
the Child told me this &s;tory, with great wonderment at the
grace of God, in teaching his Child &s;o to call upon God. The
name of the Father is <HI>Ni&s;hohkou,</HI> who&s;e Confe&s;&s;ion you have
before.</P>
<P>Three or four daies after, another Child in the &s;ame hou&s;e,
&s;ick of the &s;ame di&s;ea&s;e, was (by a divine hand doubtle&s;s) &s;en|&s;ible
of the approach of death, (an unu&s;ual thing at that age)
and called to its Father, and &s;aid, <HI>Father, I am going to God,</HI>
&s;everal times repeating it, <HI>I am going to God&punc;</HI> The mother (as
other mothers u&s;e to do) had made for the Child a little Ba&s;|ket,
a little Spoon, and a little Tray: the&s;e things the child
was wont to be greatly delighted withal (as all children will)
therefore in the extremity of the torments, they &s;et tho&s;e
things before it, a little to divert the mind, and cheer the &s;pi|rit:
but now, the child takes the Basket, and puts it away, and
&s;aid, <HI>I will leave my Basket behind me, for I am going to God, I
will leave my Spoon and Tray behind me</HI> (putting them away)
<HI>for I am going to God:</HI> and with the&s;e kind of expre&s;&s;ions, the
&s;ame night, fini&s;hed its cour&s;e, and died.</P>
<P>The Father of this child is named <HI>Robin Speen,</HI> who&s;e Con|fe&s;&s;ions
<PB N="47" REF="42">
you have before, and in one of them he maketh men|tion
of this child that died in faith. When he related this
&s;tory to me, he &s;aid, He could not tell whether the &s;orrow for
the death of his child, or the joy for its faith were greater,
when it died.</P>
<P>The&s;e Examples are a te&s;timony, That they teach their chil|dren
the knowledg and fear of God, whom they now call up|on;
and al&s;o that the Spirit of God co-worketh with their
in&s;tructions, who teacheth by man, more than man is able to
do.</P>
<P>I have now fini&s;hed all that I purpo&s;e to publi&s;h at this
time; the Lord give them Acceptance in the hearts of his
Saints, to engage them the more to pray for them; and Oh!
that their judgings of them&s;elves, and breathings after Chri&s;t,
might move others (that have more means than they have, but
as yet regard it not) to do the like, and much more abun|dantly.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
