provinces both of South and North America, Indian commonwealths have been founded by the Jesuits with great efforts, and guarded with laws similar to those of the Europeans; and the access of all Europeans to them has nearly been cut off, to prevent their being corrupted by European vices; while the Jesuits sustain the rank both of teachers and of magistrates among them. But while the Jesuits highly extol the merits and zeal of their order in this thing, others deny their claims; and maintain that they are more eager after public honours, wealth, and power, than the advancement of christianity; and say they have collected immense quantities of gold from Paraguay, which is subject to their sole authority, and from other countries, which they have transmitted to their society in Europe 3. 3 Jo. Bapt. Labat, when asked by Tamburini, the general of the order of the Jesuits, what progress christianity was making among the Americans, boldly and frankly said: "Either none or very little; that he had not met with one adult, among those tribes, who was truly a christian; that the preachers among them were useful, only by baptizing occasionally infants that were at the point of death." Voyage du P. Labat en Espagne et en Italie, tom. viii. p. 7. "Je lui répondu qu'on n'y avoit fait jusqu'à présent d'autres progrès que de baptizer quelques enfans moribons, sans avoir pû convertir véritablement aucun adulte." He added, that to make the Americans christians, they must first be made MER: "Qu'il en falloit faire des hommes, avant que d'en faire des chrêtiens." This resolute Dominican, who had been a missionary in the American islands, wished to give the father of the Jesuits some salutary counsels respecting the immense possessions and wealth of his sons in the American islands but the cautious old man dexterously avoided the subject: "Je voulus le mettre sur les biens que la Compagnie possède aux Isles: il éluda délicatement cet Article." With no less spirit, the same Labat checked the supreme pontiff himself, Clement XI., who commended the activity of the Spaniards and Portuguese in furthering the salvation of the Americans, but taxed the French with negligence in this very important matter: the Spaniards and the Portuguese, said Labat, have no cause to boast of the success of their labours: they only induce the Indians to feign themselves christians, through fear of tortures and death. "Les Missionaires Espagnols et Portugais n'avoient pas sujet de se vanter des prétendues conversions des Indiens, puisqu'il étoit constant qu'ils n'avoient fait que des hypocrites, que la crainte de la mort ou des tourmens avoit forcez à recevoir de baptême, et qui étoient demeurez après l'avoir reçû, aussi idolatres qu'auparavant." loc. cit. p. 12. To this testimony, so very recent and of so high authority, so many more ancient might be added, that it would be difficult to recount them. See also, respecting the American Jesuits, the Mémoire touchant l'Etablissement considérable des Pères Jésuits dans les Indes d'Espagne; which is added to Frezier's Relation du Voyage de la Mer du Sud, p. 577, &c. Franc. Coreal, Voyages aux Indes Occidentales, tom. ii. p. 67. 43, &c. See also, Mammachius, Origines et Antiquit. Christianæ, tom. ii. p. 377, &c. Respecting the Jesuits occupying the province of Paraquaria or Paraguay, see Ulloa, Voyage d'Amérique, tom. i. p. 540, &c. and Ludov. Anton. Muratori's tract, published in 1743, in which he pleads their cause against their accusers. [A full history of the Jesuits' § 20. In the American provinces occupied by the British in this century, the cause of christianity was more wisely and therefore more successfully urged in opposition to the stupidity and amazing listlessness of the Indians. The glory of commencing this most important work is justly claimed by those Independents, as they are called, who had to forsake their country on account of their dissent from the religion established by law. Some families of this sect, that they might transmit uncontaminated to their children the religious principles they embraced, removed in the year 1620 from Holland to New England, and there laid the foundation of a new commonwealth. As these first adventurers were not unsuccessful, they were followed, in 1629, by very many of those called Puritans in England; who were impatient of the evils they suffered from the persecution of the bishops, and of the court which favoured those bishops'. But these emigrants, at first, had to encounter so many hardships and difficulties in the dreary and uncultivated wilderness, that they could pay but little attention to the instruction of the Indians. More courage and more leisure for such enterprises were enjoyed by the new Puritan exiles from England, who went to America in 1623 [1633] and subsequently, Thomas Mayhew, Thomas Shepherd, John Eliot, and many others. All these merited high praise by their efforts for the salvation of the Americans; but none more than Eliot, who by translating the holy Scriptures and other religious books into the Indian language, and by collecting and instructing properly no small number of christian converts republic of Paraguay, in which their proceedings are described in the most favourable manner, is Fr. Xav. Charlevoix, Histoire du Paraguay, 6 tomes, 12mo, Paris, 1757; and in English, 2 vols. 8vo, Lond. 1769. This republic maintained a war against the united forces of Spain and Portugal, in 1752; which proved ruinous to the Jesuits, by inflaming sovereign princes against them, and causing their character and proceedings to be more closely scrutinized. See La République des Jésuites au Paraguay renversée, Amsterd. 1758, printed in accordance with the views of the Portuguese court; and various works, both for and against the Jesuits, published about that time. Tr.] Dan. Neal's Hist. of the Puritans, vol. ii. 128. Ant. Wilh. Böhm's Englische Reformations-historie, b. vi. ch. v. p. 807, &c. [Cotton Mather's Eccles. Hist. of New England, b. i. ch. ii, &c. Prince's New England Chronology; Holmes' American Annals, vol. i. and the other histories of the first planting of colonies in New England. Tr.] 5 Increase Mather's History of New England, p. 126, &c. Dan. Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. ii. p. 208, &c. [Cotton Mather's Eccles. History of New England, b. i. ch. iv, &c. and the other writers mentioned in the preceding note. Tr.] 31 among the barbarians, obtained after his death the honourable title of the Apostle of the Indians. These happy begin Jo. Hornbeck, de Conversione Indor. et Gentil. lib. ii. cap. xv. p. 260. Increase Mather's Epistola de Successu Evangelii apud Indos Occidentales ad Joh. Leusdenium, Utrecht, 1699. 8vo. [published also in English, in Cotton Mather's Eccl. Hist. of New Eng. b. iii. p. 508, &c. ed. Hartf. 1820; and in the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, vol. iv. for 1803. p. 164, &c.-The Rev. John Eliot was born in England A. D. 1604. After leaving the university, he taught school a few years, and then removed to New England in 1631, in order to preach the Gospel without molestation. The church in Boston would have settled him as a colleague with Mr. Wilson; but he had promised several friends in England, that, if they removed to America, he would become their pastor. Accordingly, on their arrival and settlement in Dorchester, he was ordained over them, in November 1632; and served them 58 years, or till his death in 1690. He early turned his attention to the Indians around him; learned their language in 1644; and two years after commenced a regular weekly lecture to them at Natic. It was in this year that the general court of Massachusetts passed an act, or order, to encourage the propagation of the Gospel among the Indians. Eliot was countenanced and aided by the ministers around him; who frequently supplied his pulpit in his absence, and were always ready to afford him counsel, and also to aid him occasionally, so far as their ignorance of the Indian tongue would permit, in imparting religious instruction to the Indians. He not only preached regular weekly lectures at Natic, but likewise occasionally to the Indian congregations at Concord, Dorchester-mills, Watertown, and some other places. In the year 1670, he visited twelve towns or villages of christian Indians under his care in Massachusetts and along the Merimack ; in all of which there were Indian preachers regularly stationed, to serve them on Sundays, and be their constant spiritual guides. At Natic, there were two such teachers, and between forty and fifty communicants. For these natives he translated into the Indian language, primers, cate- nings induced the parliament and people of England, after a few years, to resolve on extending the enterprise by public now formed into a regular church, and the work of conversion went on rapidly. In 1658 or 1659, Mr. Mayhew found the harvest so great and the labourers so few, that he determined to go to England and solicit aid. The vessel in which he sailed was never heard from after she left the port. Thomas Mayhew, senior, after the death of his son, took on himself the labours of an evangelist, in addition to those of chief magistrate. In 1670, two Indian preachers, Hiacoomes and John Tackanash, were ordained to the office of regular pastors and teachers of the Indian church, while governor Mayhew continued the evangelist or overseer of all the Indians. In 1674, of the 360 Indian families on Martha's Vineyard two-thirds, or about 1500 persons, were professed believers in christianity; and 50 persons were in full communion. There were then ten Indian preachers, and six different meetings on Sundays. At Nantucket, where the families were about 300, there were about thirty Indian communicants, and 300 professed believers in christianity, three places of worship, and four Indian teachers. On the death of Thomas Mayhew, senior, in 1681, his grandson, John Mayhew, son of Thomas Mayhew, junior, having been some time minister to the English at Tisbury, in the middle of the island; took charge of the Indian congregations till his death in 1689. His son, Experience Mayhew, when arrived at the age of 21, succeeded him in the year 1694; and laboured among the Indians successfully for sixty years, or till about 1754. He was master of the Indian language, and translated into it various works for the use of his charge. He also composed a volume containing the lives of a large number of pious Indians, preachers, and others. See the Connecticut Erang. Mag. vol. ii. p. 281. 361. 441. vol. iii. p. 5. 161. 249. and Brown's Hist. of the Propag. of Christianity, vol. i. p. 47, &c.-In the colony of Plymouth, Mr. Richard Bourne preached to the Indians in and about Sandwich in their own language. About the year 1660, he procured for them a permanent grant of the lands at Mashpee; formed an Indian settlement there, and a church, over which he was ordained by J. Eliot and others, in 1666. In 1674, his Indian charge embraced about 500 souls, of whom 90 were baptized, and twenty-seven communicants. He laboured among them about 40 years. Brown, loc. cit. p. 59. Mr. John Cotton, minister of Plymouth, understanding the Indian language, preached to the natives, south of Plymouth, in fire different places, on weekdays; and aided their Indian teachers to preach to them regularly. In the year 1693 he had about 500 Indians under his care.-About the same time, Mr. Samuel Treat of Eastham preached in four Indian villages near cape Cod, to about 500 Indians; who had their native teachers for their regular preachers on the Lord's Day.-At Sandwich also, Mr. Thomas Tapper preached regularly toabout 180 Indians. In Connecticut, something was done in this century for the religious instruction of the Indians. The Rev. Mr. Fitch of Norwich was particularly desired to teach Uncas, a sachem, and his family christianity. Mr. Stone and Mr. Newton were employed, at the desire of the colony, to teach the Indians in Hartford, Windsor, Farmington and that vicinity. Rev. Mr. Pearson of Killingworth, who had learned their language, seems to have preached to some of them. And the ministers of the several towns, where Indians lived, instructed them as they had opportunity. But no Indian church was ever former in this colony. Trumbull's Hist. of Connect, vol. i. ch. xix. p. 494, &c.-The state of christianity among the Indians of New England in 1687, was thus described by Increase Mather, in his letter to Leusden: "There are six churches of baptized Indians in New England, and eighteen assemblies of catechumens professing the name of Christ. Of the Indians, there are four-and-twenty, who are preachers of the Word of God: and besides these, there are four English ministers, who preach the Gospel in the Indian tongue."-Tr.] measures and public contributions. Hence originated that noble society, which derives its name from its object, the propagation of the Gospel; and which, in its progress, having increased in numbers, dignity, privileges, and advantages of every kind, has gradually enlarged and extended its efforts for the salvation of the nations estranged from Christ, and especially in America. Immensely more, as all must admit, remains still to be done yet any one must be uncandid, or ignorant of such things, who can deny that much has been done, and with greater success than was to be anticipated. We shall hereafter have occasion to speak of Pennsylvania, in which people of all sects and religions now live, and worship God in the manner they see fit. The Hollanders began to diffuse the knowledge of christianity with great success in those provinces of Portuguese America, which they had conquered under the conduct of Maurice, prince of Orange' but all these prospects were intercepted when the Portuguese recovered the possessions they had lost subsequently to the year 1644. Nor did the Dutch, so far as I know, expend much labour and effort in improving the minds of the Indians that inhabited Surinam and the adjacent regions. § 21. The opposers of all religion, and especially of christianity, in this century, are represented by some as more numerous, and by others as less so, according to the party and the views which they embraced. The English complain, that from the times of Charles II. their nation was contaminated with the grossest of vices and profligacy; that this state of things gave rise to unbridled licentiousness of speculation, and disputation on religious subjects; and that both united, produced a multitude of persons who prostituted their talents and ingenuity to extinguish all sense of religion and piety. And that these complaints were not groundless, appears both from the numerous examples of Englishmen of this period, who either declared war against all religion, or who maintained that the religion of nature and reason was alone to be followed; and also from the many excellent treatises, by which the most 7 Jo. Henr. Hottinger's Topographia Ecclesiastica, p. 47. Fran. Mich. Janisson's Etat présent des Provinces unies, VOL. IV. tom. i. p. 396, &c. He also treats of Surinam, and the state of religion there, in cap. xiv. p. 407. D |