N00446:13
The triumphs of the reformed religion, in America. The life of the renowned John…
The triumphs of the reformed religion, in America. The life of the renowned John Eliot; a person justly famous in the church of God, not only as an eminent Christian, and an excellent Minister, among the English, but also, as a memorable evangelist among the Indians, of New-England; with some account concerning the late and strange success of the Gospel, in those parts of the world, which for many ages have lain buried in pagan ignorance. / Written by Cotton Mather. ; [Two lines from Luke]
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris for Joseph Brunning i.e, 1691
Dedication: To the Right Honourable PHILIP Lord WHARTON. A no less Noble than Aged PATRON of LEARNI…
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.
But that which has procured unto Young Lordship, the Trouble of this Dedication, is, My Desire to Give You the Picture of One Aged Saint, Lately gone to that General Assembly, which the Eternal King of Heaven, by the Advances of Your Own Age in the way of Righteousness does quickly Summon Your Self unto The Profound Respect which Our ELIOT had for Your Honour, will doubtless be answered and requited with Your own Value for the Memory of such a memorable Christian, Ministers and Evangelist; inasmuch as, Your Affections like his, take nor their Measures from these or those matters of Doubtful Disputation, but from such an universal Pie••, and Charity, and Holiness, as he was an Instance of▪
No man ever complained of it that in the works of Chrysostom, we find seven Orations not ⟨image ?⟩far asunder, in Commendation of Paul; nor is it any fault that I have now wri••en Out, in Commendation of a man whom a Pauline Spirit, had made Illustrious. In describing him, I have made but little Touches upon his Parentage, and Family, because as the truly Great Basil excuses his Omission of those things, in his Oration upon Gordius the Martyr, Ecclesia hac tanquam supervacua dimi•• it. But I have related those things of him, which cannot but create a good Esteem for him, in the Breast of your Lordship, who are a Faithful and Ancient Witness against those Distempers of the world, whereby (as the blessed S alvian Lamented it) Cogimur esse Viles, ut Nobises habeamur; and Raise the sweetness of your Thoughts upon Your Approaches, which may our God make both slow and sure, unto that State, wherein, The Least is Greater than this JOHN. But if I may more ingenuously, Confess the whole Ground and Cause of this Dedication, I must own, 'Tis to pay a part of a Debt; a Debt under which You have laid my Country, when You did with Your Own Honourable Hand, Present unto His Majesty the same Account, which I have here again Published Concerning the Success of the Gospel among the Indians in New-England.