N00446:174
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.
We are the sons of Adam; We and our Forefathers have a long time been Lost in our sins; but now the mercy of the Lord beginneth to find us out again; therefore the grace of Christ helping us, we do give our-selves and our Children, unto God, to be his people. He shall Rule us in all our Affairs; The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King; he will save us; and the wisdom which God has taught us in his Book shall guide us. Oh Jehovah, Teach us Wisdom; send thy Spirit into our hearts; take us to be thy people, and let us take thee to be our God.
We are the sons of Adam; We and our Forefathers have a long time been Lost in our sins; but now the mercy of the Lord beginneth to find us out again; therefore the grace of Christ helping us, we do give our-selves and our Children, unto God, to be his people. He shall Rule us in all our Affairs; The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King; he will save us; and the wisdome which God has taught us in his Book shall guide us. Oh Jehovah, Teach us Wisdome; send thy Spirit into our hearts; take us to be thy people, and lett us take thee to be our God.
Such an opinion about the perfection of the Scripture had he, that he thus expressed himself upon this occasion, God will being Nations into Distress and perpi•••ty, that so they may be forced unto the Scriptures; all Governments will be shaken, that men may be forced at length to Pitch upon that firm foundation, The Word of God. The Little Towns of these Indians being pitched upon this foundation, they utterly abandoned that Polygamy which had heretofore been Common among them; they made severe Laws ⟨p. 102⟩against Fornication, Drunkenness, and Sabbath, breaking, and other Immoralities; and they next began to Lament after the Establishment of a Church-order among them, and after the several Ordinances and Privileges of a Church-Communion. The Churches of New-England have usually been very strict, in their Admissions to Church-Fellowship, and required very signal demonstrations of a Repenting and a Believing Soul, before they thought men fit subjects to be entrusted with, The Rights of the Kingdom of Heaven. But the seemed rather to Augment than Abate their usual Strictness, when the examination of the Indians was to be performed. A Day was therefore set apart, which they called, Natootonth earksuk, or, a Day of Asking Questions, when the ministers of the Adjacent Churches, assisted with all the best Interpreters that could be had, publicly examined a good Number of these Indians, about their Attainments both in Knowledge and in Virtue. And notwithstanding the great satisfaction then received, our Churches being willing to proceed Surely, and therefore Slowly, in Raising them up to a ChurchState which might be Comprehended in our Consociations, the Indians were afterwards called in Considerable Assemblies convened for that purpose, to make open Confessions of their Faith in God and Christ, and of the Efficacy which his word had upon them for their Conversion to Him; which Confessions being taken in writing