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Life of John Eliot: the Apostle to the Indians

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Life of John Eliot: the Apostle to the Indians Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians LIFE OF JOHN ELIOT: THE APOSTLE TO THE INDIANS. BY CONVERS FRANCIS. BOSTON: BILLIARD, GRAY, A.ND CO. LONDON: RICHARD JAMES, 1836. Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians Entered according to the act of Congress in the year 1886, by JARED SPARKS, in the Clerk's office of the District Cowt of the District of Massachusetts. CAMBRIDGE: CHARLES FOLSOM, Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians PREFACE. IN preparing the following account of the Apostle Eliot, it has been my object to con- fine the narrative as strictly as possible within the limits of his personal biography, and of the circumstances necessarily connected with it. The story obviously furnishes many points, at which a writer would desire to avail himself of the opportunities presented for discussion and general remarks. Among these topics, the condition and fate of the American Indians, and the character of mis- sionary enterprises among them since Eliot's time, would open a large field for inquiry and reflection, in connexion with the history of a man, who labored so strenuously for that interesting race. It would likewise be desir- able to take a somewhat ample notice of Mr. Eliot's fellow-laborers in the same benevo- lent work. But my limits have necessarily Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians vi. PREFACE. precluded these and similar digressions. The object of a work like the present is to give a distinct and faithful picture of the life, doings, opinions, and habits of the individual; and the reader must be left to derive from the account such materials for speculation as may be suggested to his own mind. Of the sources, from which I have drawn the facts for this biographical sketch, some are obvious, and have been before used; to others access has hitherto been had either not at all, or only at second hand. The “Col- lections of the Massachusetts Historical So- ciety,” which are full of useful materials for the student of American history, have af- forded important aid. These volumes, be- sides the account of the apostle Eliot pre- pared by his highly respected namesake, the Reverend Dr. John Eliot of Boston, contain scattered facts and documents connected with the subject of this work. I have con- sulted the Colony Records, and in a few in- stances they have furnished me with facts, which I was glad to obtain. Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians PREFACE. vii. I have been reluctantly compelled, by want of room, to omit many of the most in- teresting questions proposed by the Indian converts to their teacher, and some details of Mr. Eliot's proceedings. But I hope the book will be found to present a fair representation of his deeds and character, and to consti- tute a memorial not altogether unworthy of one belonging to the venerable class of “the righteous who shall he in everlasting remem- brance.” The record of the wise and good will never he forgotten by a community, who understand what they owe to themselves; and it may be refreshing briefly to withdraw from the heating excitements, which daily crowd upon the public mind, to the con- templation of a man, whose long life was a life of moral labor, whose active spirit was a spirit of self-sacrifice and of pure be- nevolence. Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Eliot's Birth. -- Education. -- Connexion with Page Mr. Hooker.-- Arrival and Ministry in Bos- ton. -- Marriage. -- Settlement at Roxbury. 3 CHAPTER II. Eliot’s Animadversions on the Pequot Treaty.-- His Connexion with the Trial of Mrs. Hutch- inson. -- His Agency in the New England Version of the Psalms. 14 CHAPTER III. General Remarks on the Indians. -- Interest in their Conversion to Christianity.-- Mr. Eliot's Preparation for the Work by learning the In- dian Language. 30 CHAPTER IV. Eliot's First Visits to the Indians at Nonantum. 46 CHAPTER V. The Nonantum Establishment. – Meetings and Eliot’s Preaching at Neponset. – Cutshama- kin. -- Questions and Difficulties proposed by the Indians.--Eliot at Concord. 67 Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians X CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. Visit of Shephard and Others to Nonantum. -- A Court established for the “Praying Indians.” -- Their Appearance before a Synod. -- Their Questions. -- Their Observance of the Sabbath. -- Funeral of a Child. 86 CHAPTER VII. Eliot’s Visits to Passaconaway at Pautucket. -- Kindness experienced by Him from the Nasha- way Sachem, and his Exposure and Suffering. -- His Agency with Regard to Murders com- mitted among the Indians. --Excursion to Yarmouth. 104 CHAPTER VIII. Eliot's Care of Nonantum. -- Questions. -- Eli- ot’s Endeavors to interest Others in the Cause. -- His Need of Assistance. -- Society for Pro- pagating the Gospel among the Indians estab- lished in England. 124 CHAPTER IX. Further Labors of Eliot among the Natives. -- His Letters to Winslow. -- Questions of the Indians. -- Eliot's Converts troubled by Gor- ton's Doctrines. -- Desire of the Indians for a Town and School. -- Opposition from the Pow- aws and Sachems. 138 Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER X. The settlement at Natick. -- Labors of the In- dians at that Place. -- Form of Polity devised for them by Eliot. – Their Civil Covenant. -- Visit of Governor Endicot and Mr. Wilson to Natick, and their; Account. -- Eliot's Endeav- ors to form Indian Preachers. -- Further Par- ticulars of Natick. 160 CHAPTER XI. Proposed Organization of a Church at Natick. -- Examination and Confessions of the In- dians. -- Delays. -- Intemperance among the In- dians. -- Further Examinations. -- A Church established. -- Affectionate Regards and Kind Services of the Christian Natives. – Misrepre- sentations as to Eliot and his Work. -- Ap- pointment of English Magistrates for the “Praying Indians.” 183 CHAPTER XII. Eliot's “Christian Commonwealth.” -- His Trans- lation of the Scriptures into the Indian Lan- guage. -- Second Edition of the Translation. -- Remarks on the Work. 210 CHAPTER XIII. Further Translations and other Books for the Christian Indians by Mr. Eliot. -- His Indian Grammar. -- His “Communion of Churches,” &c.-- Indians at Harvard University. -- In- dian College. -- Towns of “Praying Indians.” 243 Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. Letter from Eliot to Governor Prince. -- Suffer- ings and Conduct of the Christian Indians during Philip's War, and Eliot’s Solicitude on their Behalf. 266 CHAPTER XV. Eliot's “Harmony of the Gospels.” – Informa- tion gathered from his Letters to Robert Boyle. -- Notice of him by John Dunton and Increase Mather. -- Indian Teacher ordained at Natick. -- Remarks on Eliot's Labors among the In- dians. 288 CHAPTER XVI. The Studies, Preaching, Charity, and General Habits of Mr. Eliot, during his Ministry at Roxbury.-- His Family 306 CHAPTER XVII. Eliot's Old Age and Death. – Concluding Re- marks 328 APPENDIX. 345 Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians 3 JOHN ELIOT. CHAPTER I. Eliot's Birth. -- Education. -- Connexion with Mr. Hooker. -- Arrival and Ministry in Bos- ton. -- Marriage. -- Settlement at Roxbury. THE distinguished man, whose life consti- tutes the subject of the following narrative, is familiarly known in New England history as the APOSTLE TO THE INDIANS, a title as richly de- served, as it is significant and honorable. JOHN ELIOT was born at Nasing,* Essex County, Eng- land, in 1604, and, as Prince supposes,† in No- vember of that year. At this distance of time, little information can be had concerning that * I state this on the authority of Mr. Moore (Memoirs of Eliot), and of President Allen (Biographical Dictionary, second edition), who, however, both make a slight mis- take of orthography in calling the place Nasin. The older writers do not give the birth-place of Eliot. Cotton Mather, who was his contemporary, says, “It was a town in England, the name whereof I cannot presently recover.” Nasing is in Essex, near Waltham, and between Epping and Harlow. † Annals, Part II. Sec. 2. Convers Francis, Life of John Eliot: The Apostle to the Indians 4 4 AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY. part of his life, which was passed in his native country. All that we know of it is scanty in amount, and of a general character. We learn that Mr. Eliot's parents were persons of re- markable piety, and that they sought, with conscientious solicitude, to give the feelings of their son a spiritual direction, and a devout cast, even in the earliest days of childhood. In his own expressive language, his “first years were seasoned with the fear of God, the word, and prayer." Their pious care was not lost. It laid the foundation of a character well fitted for extraordinary tasks in the service of God. They cast good seed on the young mind; but they knew not, that, across the ocean in the far distant wilderness, it was destined to produce fruit for the nourishment of spiritual life in the church, and in the cabins of the benighted chil- dren of the forest. Mr. Eliot was educated at one of the English Universities, probably at Cambridge, though we know not at which of the numerous halls in that seat of learning. To his character as a scholar, during this forming period of life, there is merely a general, but an honorable testimony. He acquired a sound, thorough, and discrim- inating knowledge of the original languages of the Scriptures, became well versed in the general course of liberal studies, and was par- ticularly skilful in theological learning.
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