N00446:142
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
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.
I confess, there was one, I cannot call it so much guess as wish, wherein he was willing a little to indulge himself; and that was, That our Indians are the posterity of the dispersed and rejected Israelites, concerning whom our God has promised that they shall yet be saved, by the Deliverer coming to turn away ungodliness from them He saw the Indians using many Parables in their Discourses; much given to Anointing of their Heads; much delighted in Dancing, especially after Victories; computing their Times by Nights and Months; giving Dowries for Wives and causing their Women to dwell by themselves at certain seasons, for secret causes; and accustoming ⟨p. 84⟩themselves to grievous Mournings […] Yellings for the Dead; all which were, usual things among the Israelites. They have too a great unkindness for our Swine; but I suppose that is because our Hogs devour the Clams which are a Dainty with them. He also saw some learned men, looking for the lost Israelites among the Indians in America, and counting that they had Through-good reasons for doing so. And a few small Arguments, or indeed but Conjectures, meeting with a savourable Disposition in the Hearer, will carry some conviction with them; especially, if a Report of a Manasseh ben Israel be to back them. He saw likewise the Judgments threatened unto the Israelites of old, strangely fulfilled upon our Indians; particularly that, Ye shall ••t the flesh of your Sons, which is done with exquisite Cruelties upon the Prisoners that they take from one another in their Battles. Moreover, 'tis a Prophesy in Deut. 28 68. The Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with Ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shall see it no more again; and there shall ye be sold unto▪ your Enemies, and no man shall buy you. This did our Eliot imagine accomplished, when the Captives taken by us in our late wars upon them, were sent to be sold, in the Coasts lying not very remote from Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea, and scarce any Chapmen would offer to take them off. Being upon such as these accounts not unwilling, if it were possible, to ⟨p. 85⟩five, the Indians found Israelites, they were, you may be sure, not a whit the less, Beloved for their (supposed) Fathers sake; and the Fatigues of his Fravails went on the more cheerfully, or at least, the more hopefully, because of such possibilities.