the bridling of our felves in the use of them. It is true Dominion, to be able to use them, and not to abuse ourselves by them.

Nafhope is our next Praying Town, a place of much Affliction; it was the chief place of Refidence, where Tahattawans lived, a Sachem of the Blood, a faithful and zealous Chriftian, a ftrict yet gentle Ruler; he was a Ruler of 50 in our Civil Order; and when God took him, a chief man in our Ifrael was taken away from us. His only Son was a while vain, but proved good, expert in the Scripture, was Elected to Rule in his Fathers place, but foon died, infomuch that this place is now deftitute of a Ruler. The Teacher of the place is John Thomas, a godly understanding Chriftian, well efteemed of by the English: his Father was killed by the Mauquaogs, hot to death as he was in [9] the River doing his Eele-wyers. This place lying in the Road-way which the Mauquaogs haunted, was much molested by them, and was one year wholly deserted; but this year the People have taken courage and dwell upon it again.

In this place after the great Earthquake, there was some eruption out of the Earth, which left a great Hiatus or Cleft a great way together, and out of fome Cavities under great Rocks, by a great Pond in that place, there was a great while after often heard an humming noise, as if there were frequent eruptions out of the Ground at that place : yet for Healthfulness the place is much as other places be. For Religion, there be amongst them fome Godly Chriftians, who are received into the Church, and baptized, and others looking that way.

Wamefut is our next Praying-Town; it lyeth at the bottom of the great Falls, on the great River Merymak, and at the falling-in of Concord River; the Sachem of this Place is named Nomphon, faid to be a Prince of the Bloud, a Man of a real Noble Spirit: A Brother of his was flain by the Mauquaogs as he was upon a Rock fishing in the great River. In revenge

whereof he went in the forementioned rash Expedition, but had such about him, and was fo circumfpect, that he came well off, though he loft one principal Man. This place is very much annoyed by the Mauquaogs, and have much ado to stand their ground.

In this Place Captain Gookins ordered a Garrifon to be kept the last year, which Order while they attended they were fafe; but when the Northern Sachems and Souldiers came, who ftirred up ours to go with them on their unsuccessful Expedition, the Town was for the most part scatter'd, and their Corn fpoyled.

The Teacher of this Place is named George: they have not much esteem for Religion, but I am hopefully perfwaded of fundry of them; I can go unto them but once in a year.

Panatuket is the upper part of Merimak-Falls; fo called, because of the noise which the Waters make. Thither the Penagwog-Indians are come, and have built a great Fort; Their Sachems refused to pray to God, fo fignally and finfully, that Captain Gookins and my self were very fenfible of it, and were not without fome expectation of fome interpofure of a DivineHand, which did eminently come to pass; for in the forenamed Expedition they joyned with the Northern Sachems, [10] and were all of them cut off; even all that had so signally refused to pray unto God were now as fignally rejected by God, and cut off. I hear not that it was ever known, that so many Sachems and Men of Note were killed in one imprudent Expedition, and that by a few scattered people; for the Mauquaogs were not imbodied to receive them, nor prepared, and few at home, which did much greaten the Overthrow of fo many great Men, and shews a divine over-ruling hand of God. But now, fince the Penaguog-Sachems are cut off, the People (fundry of them) dwelling at Panatuket-Fort do bow the Ear to hear, and fubmit to pray unto God; to whom Fethro, after he had confest Christ and was baptized, was fent to preach Chrift to them.

Magunkukquok is another of our Praying-Towns at the remotest Westerly borders of Natick; thefe are gathering together of fome Nipmuk Indians who left their own places, and fit together in this place, and have given up themselves to pray unto God. They have called Pomham to be their Ruler, and Simon to be their Teacher. This latter is accounted a good and lively Christian; he is the fecond man among the Indians that doth experience that afflicting disease of the Stone. The Ruler hath made his Preparatory Confeffion of Christ, and is approved of, and at the next opportunity is to be received and baptized.

I obtained of the General-Court a Grant of a Tract of Land, for the fettlement and encouragement of this People; which though as yet it be by fome obftructed, yet I hope we shall find some way to accomplish the same.

Quanatuffet is the laft of our Praying-Towns, whofe beginnings have received too much difcouragement; but yet the Seed is alive they are frequently with me; the work is at the birth, there doth only want strength to bring forth. The care of this People is committed joyntly to Monatunkanit, and Tuppunk

:

koowillin, the Teachers of Haffinemefut, as is abovefaid; and I hope if the Lord continue my life, I shall have a good account to give of that People.

Thus I have briefly touched fome of the chiefeft of our prefent Affairs, and commit them to your Prudence, to do [11] with them what you pleafe; committing your Selves, and all your weighty Affairs unto the Guidance and Bleffing of the Lord, I rest,

Your Worships to ferve you in the Service of our Lord Jefus.

Roxb. this 20th of the 7th month, 1670.

John Elliot.

LETTER FROM ELIOT TO HON. ROBERT BOYLE.

Roxbury, April 22, 1684.

RIGHT HONOURABLE AND INDEFATIGABLE BENEFACTORS:

This last gift of four hundred pounds for the reimpression of the Indian bible doth set a diadem of beauty upon all your former acts of pious charity, and commandeth us to return unto your honours all thankful acknowledgments, according to our abilities. It pleased the worshipful Mr. Stoughton to give me an intimation, that your honours desired to know the particular present estate of the praying Indians; and also, when Moses's Pentateuch is printed, to have some copies sent over, to evidence the real and good progress of the work.

Your honour's intimation hath the force of a command upon me, and therefore I shall briefly relate the religious walking and ways of the praying Indians. They do diligently observe and keep the sabbath, in all the places of their publick meetings to worship God. The example of the English churches, and the authority of the English laws, which major Gookin doth declare unto them, together with such mulcts, as are inflicted upon transgressors; as also and especially, the clear and express command of God, which they and their children learn and rehearse daily in their catechisms; these all together have fully possessed and convinced them of their duty, to keep holy the sabbath day. So that the sanctifying of the sabbath is a great and eminent part of their religion. And though some of the vain and carnal sort among them are not so girt to it, as were to be desired, yet the grave and religious sort do constantly worship God, every sabbath day, both morning and evening, as the English do. The acts of worship, which they perform in their publick meetings, are as followeth.

The officer beginneth with prayer, and prayeth for all men, rulers, ministers, people, young, old, sick, well, English or Indians, &c. according to that word, I Tim. ii. 12. I will that first of all prayers

be made, &c. I say, the officer beginneth with prayer, viz. where they have an officer ordained, as it is almost in all the churches. But we have more publick assemblies, that meet every Lord's day, to worship God, than we have churches. There is not yet a church gathered in every place, where they meet to worship God and keep the sabbath; but where it is so, they choose some able godly man (the best they can) to manage the worship among them: him they call their teacher, and he beginneth with prayer, &c. When prayer is ended, they call forth such as are to answer the catechism; and though this is sometimes omitted in some places, yet that is the way they walk in, and it is often practised. When catechism is ended, a chapter is read, sometimes in the old testament, and sometimes in the new; and sundry of the young men are trained up, and called forth to this service, sometimes one, sometimes another.

When the chapter is read, a psalm is sung, which service sundry are able to manage well.

That finished, the preacher first prayeth, then preacheth, and then prayeth again. If it be the day for the Lord's supper to be celebrated, the church address themselves unto it, and the minister doth exactly perform it, according to the scriptures. When that service is done, they sing a psalm, according to the pattern of Christ; then he blesseth the church, and so finisheth the morning service.

In the afternoon they meet again, and perform all the parts of worship, as they did in the morning; which done, if there be any infant to be baptised, they perform that service according to the scriptures; which done, the deacon calleth for contributions; which done, if there be any act of publick discipline (as divers times there is, there being many failures among us) then the offender is called forth (being with care and diligence prepared) and is exhorted to give glory to God, and confess his sin; which being penitent, they gladly accept him, forgive him, and receive him. If it be not a satisfactory confession, they shew him his defect, they admonish and exhort him to a more full confession; and so he is left to some other time. This finished, he blesseth the church, and so dismisseth the assembly.

Moreover, Major Gookin hath dedicated his eldest son, Mr. Daniel Gookin, unto this service of Christ; he is a pious and learned young man, about thirty-three years old, hath been eight years a fellow of the college; he hath taught and trained up two classes of our young scholars unto their commencement; he is a man, whose abilities are above exception, though not above envy. His father, with his inclination, advised him to Sherburne, a small village near Natick, whose meeting-house is about three miles, more or less, from Natick meeting-house. Mr. Gookin holdeth a lecture in Natick meeting-house once a month; which lecture, many English, especially of Sherburne, do frequent. He first preacheth in English, to the English audience, and then the same matter is delivered to the Indians, by an interpreter, whom, with much pains, Mr. Gookin hath fore-prepared. We apprehend, that this will (by God's blessing) be a

means to enable the Indians to understand religion preached in the English tongue, and will much further Mr. Gookin in learning the Indian tongue. Likewise Major Gookin holdeth and manageth his courts in the English tongue; which doth greatly further the Indians in learning law and government in the English tongue; which is a point of wisdom in civilizing them, that your honours have manifested your desires, that it might be attended.

The places, where the Indians meet to worship God, and sanctify the sabbath, are many; the most are stated places, others are occasional. The stated places, in the Massachusetts, since the wars, are contracted into four, Natick, Ponkipog, Wameset, and Chachaubunkkakowok. The occasional meetings are at places of fishing, hunting, gathering chestnuts, in their seasons. Also since the wars, the Mauquaoys, making incursions upon the praying Indians, did cause them to make divers forts, to live safely in, and then they did there meet to worship God, and keep the sabbath.

In Plymouth Patent, there are about ten places, where they meet to worship God.

An intelligent person, of Martyn's Vineyard, reckoned up unto me ten places, where God is worshipped every Lord's day in that island.

At Nantucket there be about five places of prayer and keeping

sabbaths.

The reason of this dispersion of places of publick meeting to worship God, is this; there is but here and there a spot of good land, fit for planting corn, with accommodation of fishing; these spots of good land lie at a great distance from each other; some four or five miles, some eight or nine miles: some ten or twelve miles, so that it is impossible for them, especially with women and children, to meet at one place; therefore all, that live together at one place, meet to worship God on the sabbath day. . . .

As for the sending any numbers of Moses's Pentateuch, I beseech your honours to spare us in that; because so many as we send, so many bibles are maimed, and made incomplete, because they want the five books of Moses. We present your honours with one book, so far as we have gone in the work, and humbly beseech, that it may be acceptable, until the whole be finished; and then the whole impression (which is two thousand) is at your honours command. Our slow progress needeth an apology. We have been much hindered by the sickness this year. Our workmen have been all sick, and we have but few hands, one Englishman, and a boy, and one Indian; and many interruptions and diversions do befal us; and we could do but little this very hard winter. But I shall give your honours no further trouble at this time, only requesting the continuance of your prayers and protection. So I remain,

Your honour's to serve you in our Lord Jesus,

JOHN ELIOT.