N01899:246
India Christiana. A discourse, delivered unto the Commissioners, for the Propagation of the Gospel among the American Indians : which is accompanied with several instruments relating to the glorious design of propagating our holy religion, in the Eastern as well as the Western, Indies. : An entertainment which they that are waiting for the kingdom of God will receive as good news from a far country. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. and F.R.S.
printed by B. Green, 1721
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
In the mean time, While these things are doing, and while Bartholomew Ziegenbalgh leaves Earth for Heaven, a Merciful GOD has remembered His Work of this Mission here in the midst of all its Troubles. For through His Governing Providence at the same time three Candidates for the Mission are sent unto us; who being endued with true Piety, industriously spend all their Time in Learning the Damulick Tongue. And so, as soon as they have attained a Competent Skill in this Malabarick Language, there will be Four of us who are principally employed in the ⟨p. 79⟩Conversion of the Nations, endeavouring to bring them out of Darkness into the True Worship of GOD. But since the Harvest of the Lord here is Great, and Four Missionaries are not enough, we have in this Year made known our Desires to the Curators of the Mission in Europe, about sending over Four Candidates more unto us; making in the mean time our most humble Supplication unto our GOD, that He would please anon to send yet more Labourers to us in this His so very large an Harvest.
In the mean time, While these things are doing, and while Bartholomew Ziegenbalgh leaves Earth for Heaven, a Merciful GOD has remembred His Work of this Mission here in the midst of all its Troubles. For through His Governing Providence at the same time three Candidates for the Mission are sent unto us; who being endued with true Piety, industriously spend all their Time in Learning the Damulick Tongue. And so, as soon as they have attained a Competent Skill in this Malabarick Language, there will be Four of us who are principally employed in the ⟨p. 79⟩Conversion of the Nations, endeavouring to bring them out of Darkness into the True Worship of GOD. But since the Harvestof the Lord here is Great, and Four Missionaries are not enough, we have in this Year made known our Desires to the Curators of the Mission in Europe, about sending over Four Candidates more unto us; making in the mean time our most humble Supplication unto our GOD, that He would please anon to send yet more Labourers to us in this His so very large an Harvost.
That Method of proceeding which you have been pleased to supply us withal, we have Entertained with the highest Satisfaction; Receiving in it, as a Testimony that JESUS CHRIST is Preached among you with all Sincerity; and indeed, which is to us the greatest pleasure that can be, in the very same Method, that we our selves make use of here, in treating with Men about the Salvation of their Souls; laying aside those things which are Matters of mere Opinion, and wholly applying our selves to This, That CHRIST alone, without any manner of Disguise, may be Propounded and Exhibited. That Method of ours in Proposing the Doctrine of the Gospel unto the Nations, does, to tell in short, consist in these things.
That Method of proceeding which you have been pleased to supply us withal, we have Entertained with the highest Satisfaction; Receiving in it, as a Testimony that JESUS CHRIST is Preached among you with all Sincerity; and indeed, which is to us the greatest pleasure that can be, in the very same Method, that we our selves make use of here, in treating with Men about the Salvation of their Souls; laying aside those things which are Matters of meer Opinion, and wholly applying our selves to This, That CHRIST alone, without any manner of Disguise, may be Propounded and Exhibited. That Method of ours in Proposing the Doctrine of the Gospel unto the Nations, does, to tell in short, consist in these things.
First, We Declare to these Heathens, One only True GOD, who has manifested Himself in Three Persons: Fairly Noting to them therewithal, what Blessings each Person has given forth to Men, & will bestow upon them.
Next, We treat of Man, considering him according to his Fourfold State; while we show, in how Blessed a State he was, while he yet shone with the Image of GOD which was Concreated with him: Then, How, or in what way, he lost that Image of GOD, and put on the Visage of Satan, and of his own Accord run headlong into wickedness.
Next, How GOD sent His most Beloved and Only Son into the World, that he might bring us by Repentance out of that Cursed State, unto which every one is by Nature liable, into a State of Grace; that so being translated into a State of Grace, we may be willing to have the Image of GOD recovered in our Souls; seeking for our Righteousness in CHRIST alone, by Faith, which working by love, we may carefully walk on in a life pure from Vices, and in the daily Exercise of Godliness; and grow more and more into the Likeness and Resemblance of our SAVIOUR.
Lastly, We Inculcate this, That only they, who in this Life, do by CHRIST, pass into a State of Grace, with a True Change of Mind ⟨p. 81⟩upon them, and persevere in Faith to the End; These only may partake in the Hope of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light; which is our Eternal Blessedness.
We every where keep to this Order of Salvation; so that not only in the Damulick Tongue, when we speak to the Damuleans, but also in the Portuguese Tongue, when we tender the Word of GOD, unto such as are of a Portuguese Original, or to Slaves that have Christian Masters, yea, or unto Europeans in the High-Dutch Tongue, we for ever oblige our selves in this manner to deliver it. For which cause, whatever is done among us, in Preaching, or in Teaching, or in Examining, or in our most private Conferences, All still is Entirely Levelled at this Mark, that we may admonish and Excite and quicken Men, unto a True Repentance, unto a Living Faith, unto an Undissembled Piety; At the same time calling upon GOD with most ardent Prayers, that He would thrust forth such Missionaries, whose chief concern it shall be, that the Sheep may be led unto that best of Pastures, which is with JESUS CHRIST, and be refreshed from none but the pure Fountain of Israel.
We every where keep to this Order of Salvation; so that not only in the Damulick Tongue, when we speak to the Damuleans, but also in the Portuguese Tongue, when we tender the Word of GOD, unto such as are of a Portuguese Original, or to Slaves that have Christian Masters, yea, or unto Europeans in the High-Dutch Tongue, we for ever oblige our selves in this manner to deliver it. For which cause, whatever is done among us, in Preaching, or in Teaching, or in Examining, or in our most private Conferences, All still is Entirely Levell'd at this Mark, that we may admonish and Excite and quicken Men, unto a True Repentance, unto a Living Faith, unto an Undissembled Piety; At the same time calling upon GOD with most ardent Prayers, that He would thrust forth such Missionaries, whose chief concern it shall be, that the Sheep may be led unto that best of Pastures, which is with JESUS CHRIST, and be refreshed from none but the pure Fountain of Israel.
Daily Experience has hitherto taught us, that by the advantage of Catechists, we may ⟨p. 82⟩do very much Good, not only upon the Members of the Church themselves, but also upon those that are without. Wherefore upon the Observation of This, we do all we can, that by the Word of Truth we may prepare such Catechists for us, who having a Good Foundation laid in the Knowledge of JESUS CHRIST, may both arrive to a Spiritual Experience, and may be made fit from hence to teach others in the Doctrine of JESUS CHRIST, and give them a Lively Demonstration of it. We have Seven such Catechists, with whom we manage, a Biblical Exercise, an Exegetical, and a Theological.
For the Biblical Exercise, we take some whole Book, of the New Testament; wherein we show them, what Parts are in every Chapter; Afterwards we go through' the Parts; and the Catechists themselves fetch out from thence, certain Doctrines joined with some Application of them. But when they come to Declare things, they proceed after this manner. First, they Expound the Matters, and the Context. Then, This being done, they apply to the proper Edification of the Soul, those things that appear to be most Subservient unto it. But by this Method, that which is principally aimed at, is, partly that they may get a more Solid, and a Stable ⟨p. 83⟩Knowledge of the Truth, out of the Sacred Scriptures; and partly that they may get into a greater Ability for Preaching when they shall have Opportunity to Speak any where, yea, anon to propound the Truth of GOD among the Nations.
For the Biblical Exercise, we take some whole Book, of the New Testament; wherein we show them, what Parts are in every Chapter; Afterwards we go thro' the Parts; and the Catechists themselves fetch out from thence, certain Doctrines joyned with some Application of them. But when they come to Declare things, they proceed after this manner. First, they Expound the Matters, and the Context. Then, This being done, they apply to the proper Edification of the Soul, those things that appear to be most Subservient unto it. But by this Method, that which is principally aimed at, is, partly that they may get a more Solid, and a Stable ⟨p. 83⟩Knowledge of the Truth, out of the Sacred Scriptures; and partly that they may get into a greater Ability for Preaching when they shall have Opportunity to Speak any where, yea, anon to propound the Truth of GOD among the Nations.
In the Exegetical Exercise, we hitherto handle only particular Sentences of the Bible; wherein supplying them with an Exposition according to the Rules of Interpretation, we fetch out certain Positions which are to the point in hand; and when we have in some orderly manner opened such a Sentence; they taking Notes hereof in writing, we leave them to their own Meditations. Whence it commonly comes to pass, that the Things which they have thus Meditated by themselves, they recite by Heart on the Lord's day, and offer them as a Sermon for the Public.
In the Exegetical Exercise, we hitherto handle only particular Sentences of the Bible; wherein supplying them with an Exposition according to the Rules of Interpretation, we fetch out certain Positions which are to the point in hand; and when we have in some orderly manner opened such a Sentence; they taking Notes hereof in writing, we leave them to their own Meditations. Whence it commonly comes to pass, that the Things which they have thus Meditated by themselves, they recite by Heart on the Lordsday, and offer them as a Sermon for the Publick.
In the Theological Exercise, we show them first the Fundamental Theses, in all the Articles of our Faith: And then we bring the strongest Proofs for them, from Sentences of the Scripture. And that we may serve this End the better, we have written a certain Compendium of Divinity, of an Octavo form, in the Tongue of this Damulic Nation.
May our most Gracious GOD, the Father of Mercies, Grant that these Catechists may in this way be so prepared, that even from These there may be chosen those, who may hereafter in the quality of Missionaries, take the work of this Mission into their management.
Our Main Study is of this Tendency; That the Number of these may increase more and more; Upon which we enter into a most certain Hope, that in the Church, and among the Nations, by their Means, we shall one day see much Advantage and a mighty Harvest.
Of these, there is One already placed as a Ruler to a little Church in a certain Village. To Others we have given the Denomination of Elders; to others that of Exhorters; whose Office 'tis often to Visit the Members of the Church from House to House; Instruct them, Advise them, and join in Prayers with them; And finally, the Office of others, is, That upon such as are to be Converted, and upon the Catechumens, they may Viva Voce, inculcate the most Substantial Foundations of Christianity; and so, having first laid those Foundations, then strive to get up higher with them.
Of these, there is One already placed as a Ruler to a little Church in a certain Village. To Others we have given the Denomination of Elders; to others that of Exhorters; whose Office 'tis often to Visit the Members of the Church from House to House; Instruct them, Advise them, and joyn in Prayers with them; And finally, the Office of others, is, That upon such as are to be Converted, and upon the Catechumens, they may Viva Voce, inculcate the most Substantial Foundations of Christianity; and so, having first laid those Foundations, then strive to get up higher with them.
If GOD please to Smile upon it, we have a Mind also, to make a Dictionary, in the Damulick Tongue, which may be of use to the Europeans as well as to this Nation. Every Page is to be divided into three Sections. In the first Plot, we place the Damulick words; the Primitive, and what is to be appendiced unto them. In the second, over against the Malabarian words, we place the Pronunciation of them in Latin Characters close by their side. In the third, we Express the signification thereof in Latin.
If GOD please to Smile upon it, we have a Mind also, to make a Dictionary, in the Damulick Tongue, which may be of use to the Europeans as well as to this Nation. Every Page is to be divided into three Sections. In the first Plat, we place the Damulick words; the Primitive, and what is to be appendiced unto them. In the second, over against the Malabarian words, we place the Pronunciation of them in Latin Characters close by their side. In the third, we Express the signification thereof in Latin.
In our Schools, where all things are dispensed upon free-cost, there are fourscore Children daily fed; Enjoying such Victuals and Garments as may be necessary for them. Unto the rest, there is most willingly allowed the Benefit of Instruction, and such Books as they may want, without their paying of any thing for it.
