graves. He told me [that] he wondered the English should be almost thirty years in the country, and the Indians fools still; but he hoped the time of knowledge was now come, wherefore himself, with others, desired me to give them an Indian meeting, to make known the word of God to them in their own tongue. And when he came to me to accomplish his desire thereabout, he told me [that] I should be to them as one that stands by a running river filling [many] vessels, even so should I fill them with everlasting knowledge; so I undertook to give them a meeting once a month; but as soon as the first exercise was ended, they desired it oftener || [than] || I could well attend it, but once in a fortnight is our settled course. He hath also since told me the reason why he desired me to preach to them, as that he was greatly desirous to have the Indians grow more in goodness, to have their posterity inherit blessings when he was dead; and himself was desirous to put the Word of God to his heart, to repent and throw away his sins, and to be better, and after he was dead to inherit a life in Heaven. [Yours in the Lord to be commanded, THOMAS MAYHEW.'] [From Great Harbor By such ways and means hath it pleased God to convince sundry Indians of that Island, so as that in the year 1650 there were about forty families that had given up themselves to the profession of the Christian religion, and did attend upon the public means appointed by the care of Mr. Mayhew, to instruct them further therein; insomuch that now all the Island, in a manner, hath embraced our religion and follow our customs and manners in their husbandry and such like occasions, &c. As God had stirred up Mr. Eliot in the Massachusetts, and Mr. Mayhew at Martin's Vineyard, to take some pains with the Indians about them to instruct them in the Christian religion, in like manner was one Mr. Richard Bourne, of Sandwich, in the Colony of New Plymouth, inclined to the like endeavor with the Indians near that || if The letter from which the above is an extract was published (together with four from John Eliot,) by Whitfield, in London, in 1651, under the title of The Light appearing more and more towards the perfect Day," &c. &c., from which those words and passages in the text enclosed in brackets have been supplied.-H. place of his abode, so as, about the middle of July, 1666, the Governor of that jurisdiction, with some other gentlemen of that and the other Colony, gave a meeting to Mr. Bourne, to take notice of what proficiency the Indians had made in the knowledge of the true religion by an open confession thereof, in order to their joining together in church fellowship; who, it seems, gave such satisfaction to those honored and judicious persons, then assembled on that account, that they encouraged them to proceed on therein, insomuch that copies of what the Indians had expressed that way being exhibited to the neighboring churches, upon their further approbation they judged that they might be owned as a Christian society,' and these were looked upon as the first fruits of the jurisdiction of New Plymouth. Upon the publishing of these discoveries of the hopeful progress of the Indians in the knowledge of the Gospel, the Parliament of England were pleased so far to take notice thereof in the year 1649, that they passed an Act for the Promoting and Propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ amongst the Indians of New England, and in reference to the furtherance and advancement of so good a work a corporation was appointed, &c., to receive such sums of money as from time to time was or should be collected and raised by the liberal contribution of such whose hearts God had touched, and stirred up to so glorious a work. It was likewise enacted, that the Commissioners of the United Colonies of New England, for the time being, by themselves, or such as they shall appoint, shall have power and authority to receive and dispose of the said money, &c. This Act, with several particular orders and instructions relating thereunto, was published July 27, 1649.2 Since which time it hath pleased his Majesty, since his restitution to the crown and regal dignity, so far to countenance this work by a legal settlement, which before was wanting. One principal benefit obtained thereby, is the translating and printing the Holy Bible in the Indian language, whereby the glad tidings of the Mr. Bourne was ordained pastor by Eliot and Cotton, Aug. 17, 1670, and continued his labors until his death, in 1685.-H. 2 See the Act, dated July 19, 1649, in Hazard, i. 635-6; and a Breviate thereof in Hutchinson, i. 153-4. -H. 3 Charles II, who granted a new Charter in 1661, and appointed Robert Boyle Governor of the Company. Humphreys, Hist. Soc. Prop. Gospel, (8vo, Lond. 1730,) pp. 5-6.-н. Gospel, with the history of the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, may with the greater facility be communicated unto them; so as, in a sense, that of the Prophet Isaiah' may be said to be fulfilled as to the Indians of America; "the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." For before the breaking out of the late troubles amongst them, in sundry places there were schools, in which some were employed to teach the Indian children to read in the said Bibles; which practice, although it hath been much interrupted by the late wars, yet it is not wholly laid aside, so as the hopes of further and greater success in that behalf are again revived.2 This is the substance of what at the present can be said of the progress of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New England; and although the devil hath here, as he always hath done in former times, raised up persecution against them that preach and profess the Gospel, yet are not the Christian Indians discouraged thereby, [so] as to lay aside their profession; but have, with the peril of their lives, many of them, endeavored to maintain and defend it against the enemies thereof." CHAP. LXXVII.3 A continuation of the History of New Plymouth, from the year 1633 until the year 1678. THE inhabitants of New Plymouth found so great advantage for divers years in the wisdom and gravity of Mr. Bradford, that they never durst attempt to make any change in their Governor, notwithstanding the like testimony of respect was deservedly due to some other of the company, (like mariners in a storm or dangerous channel, that, having experience of a skilful and able pilot, are loath to change the helm till that storm be over, or the haven obtained,) till this year, 1633, when, encouraged by the approach of another Colony in the next neighborhood, they called Mr. Edward Winslow to take 1ix. 2.-H. In 1661 Eliot's translation of the New Testament was printed at Cambridge; and in 1663 that monument of patient industry and self-sacrificing toil-the whole Bible in the Indian lan uage-made its appearance. See also "A further Accompt," &c., pp. 2–5.—н. 3 LXXVI in the MS.-H. that place upon him. He had done many good offices for that Colony, and adventured his life far for them, both by sea and land, therefore was this testimony of respect accounted but his just desert. This year Plymouth was visited with an infectious fever, which put an end to the lives of many of their chiefest friends, amongst whom was Mr. Samuel Fuller, that had been their great comfort and help in matters of physic and chirurgery heretofore. It proved a pestilential fever amongst the Indians next adjoining, and swept away many of them.' In the spring of the same year was observed great swarms of black flies, like wasps, that were as the harbingers, sounding the alarum of some solemn judgment approaching that place. The next year they adventured to call Mr. Thomas Prince to the place of Governor, a serious and prudent man. In the year 1635 Mr. Winslow took another voyage into England, where he had another opportunity to stand up in behalf of the Colonies of New England, and to answer the accusations which Morton and Gardner made at the Council Table against them. He put up a petition to the Lords of the said Council, which put a check to the design which some had against the country, although he could not put an issue to some trouble, that was occasioned thereby.2 In the year 1636 Mr. Winslow took his turn again in the Governor's place of New Plymouth, and managed the affairs thereof during that year, to great satisfaction. This year the town of Plymouth, being straitened for room, sallied out into a new Plantation near by, which they called Duxbury, and whither the people invited Mr. Partridge, a learned and judicious divine, that came over into those parts the same year, to exercise the ministry of the Gospel amongst them; who proved a notable champion for the truth against Samuel Gorton, who the next year came thither, and began to leaven that jurisdiction with his Familistical, or rather atheistical, opinions; but by his seditious and tumultuous carriage before the Court, (at which he was complained of for injury 1 This sickness was in June, July, and August. See page 194. -H. 2 Winslow would seem, from page 179, to have returned before September, 1635 See Sav. Win. i. 137, 172; Davis's Morton, pp. 178-9; Bradford, in Hutchinson, ii. 409-10.-H. 'See Baylies's Memoir of Plymouth Colony, Part I, pp. 276-8.-H. done to Mr. Smith, the minister at Plymouth town,) gave them occasion to put him upon seeking sureties for his good behavior, which being not able to do, he removed to Rhode Island, where he behaved himself so insolently, that they were forced to condemn him to the whipping-post, as was mentioned before, and then to banishinent. In the year 1638 there was a necessary and exemplary piece of justice done in Plymouth upon three men that were executed for robbing a poor Indian near Providence, according to that ancient law of divine institution; Gen. ix. [6,] "He that sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed;" for they murdered the poor Indian whom they robbed." Thus went on the affairs of this small Colony of New Plymouth, not by wealth, nor by might or strength of man, but by the special presence and blessing of Almighty God, in some convenient measure of prosperity till the year 1643, at which time they were furnished with many worthy ministers in their several townships, as namely: Mr. Charles Chauncey,' Mr. William Leveridge,7 Mr. Marmaduke Matthews, [Mr. Samuel Newman.]" These were dispersed over the whole colony in several plantations, as at Plymouth town, Duxbury, Taunton, Scituate, Barnstable, Sandwich, Eastham, Yarmouth, Rehoboth, all that were erected before the year 1645. But the inhabitants being but few, and the encouragement but small, and the difficulties wherewith. they were to conflict in the first setting up of new plantations very great, they, many of them, were removed, some back into old England, others into the neighboring Colonies, and some into their eternal rest, not long after. But the sorest loss that hitherto befell them, was in the year 1643 12 by the death of Mr. Brewster, one that did (if any other in his age,) deserve the name of a * Lothrop.-ED. -H. At Gloucester.-H. 10 At Plymouth.-H. 3 At Taunton.-H. 6 At Marshfield.- 9 At Yarmouth.-H. "At Rehoboth.-H. 12 And so Morton; Ply mouth Ch. Records say April 16, 1644. Davis's Morton, p. 219.—н. |