N00213:143
A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherein…A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherin…
A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherein is showed, I. That the children of godly parents are under special advantages and encouragements to seek the Lord. : II. The exceeding danger of apostasy, especially as to those that are the children and posterity of such as have been eminent for God in their generation. : III. That young men ought to remember God their creator. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Nine lines of quotations]A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherin is shewed, I. That the children of godly parents are under special advantages and encouragements to seek the Lord. : II. The exceeding danger of apostasie, especially as to those that are the children and posterity of such as have been eminent for God in their generation. : III. That young men ought to remember God their creator. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Nine lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1679
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Further, I entreat you, let it be your care, that none but faithful ones (as far as men can judge) be employed as public Preachers: Though the just liberties of Churches should not be infringed, yet that every Plantation in the Country should have allowance to choose, whom they please to labour in the public dispensation of the word, may be in time a ⟨p. 75⟩great inlet to ignorance, error and profaneness. Therefore let me humbly propound to you, that you would think of some expedient, respecting the approbation of such, as shall be under a constant improvement as public Teachers. Yea, and that there be not any place settled without such. No doubt but one reason why the Lord hath let loose the Heathen against us, hath been, because some Plantations have been erected, and yet no public acknowledgement of God amongst them, but they have lived like Heathen, without Sa•••ths, without the word and Prayer, which are moral duties that all are bound to attend: and it is therefore incumbent on the Magistrates to see that they do so. People are ready to run wild into the woods again, and to be as heathenish as ever, if you do not prevent it: Take care also I beseech you, for the propagation of the Gospel amongst these poor Indians. You know it is expressed in the Patent, as one main end proposed by our Fathers in their coming into this Wilderness, that so they might endeavour the Conversion of the Natives, and set up the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus amongst them. God by the late War hath made way for the Gospel to be entertained amongst them, more then formerly; should not this be considered!
Further, I entreat you, let it be your care, that none but faithfull ones (as far as men can judge) be employed as publick Preachers: Though the just liberties of Churches should not be infringed, yet that every Plantation in the Country should have allowance to chuse, whom they please to labour in the publick dispensation of the word, may be in time a ⟨p. 75⟩great inlet to ignorance, error and profaness. Therefore let me humbly propound to you, that you would think of some expedient, respecting the approbation of such, as shall be under a constant improvement as publick Teachers. Yea, and that there be not any place setled without such. No doubt but one reason why the Lord hath let loose the Heathen against us, hath been, because some Plantations have been erected, and yet no publick acknowledgement of God amongst them, but they have lived like Heathen, without Saths, without the word and Prayer, which are moral duties that all are bound to attend: and it is therefore incument on the Magistrates to see that they do so. People are ready to run wild into the woods again, and to be as heathenish as ever, if you doe not prevent it: Take care also I beseech you, for the propagation of the Gospel amongst these poor Indians. You know it is expressed in the Pátent, as one main end proposed by our Fathers in their coming into this Wilderness, that so they might endeavour the Conversion of the Natives, and set up the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus amongst them. God by the late War hath made way for the Gospel to be entertained amongst them, more then formerly; should not this be considered!