Pursuant to the vote of the
Honourable
Commissioners
November 12. 1746. we sent to
Samson Occom, who was detained after he received our
letter by a breeding
sore on his Thigh, 'till about Wheat harvest
when he came and agreeably as we understood
the
desire of
the
Honourable
Commissioners we desired
the
neighboring
ministers of the County of Windham viz the Rev. Messrs.
Solomon Williams of
Lebanon,
Stephen White of
Windham
and
Nathan Strong of
Co
ventry to meet and accordingly we
[illegible][guess: five]
examined
and approved
said
Occom as a Preacher of the
Gospel to his
[illegible][guess: Nation] but in
order to his being ordained with particular preference
to the parties of Indians upon the Main, as we thought it
probably best he should be, we thought it expedient to get a more full and
certain Knowledge of their state
and
especially of the Affection towards him
and that a Journey for that Purpose was necessary. Accordingly
Mr. Pomeroy and I visited
and
preached at
Mohegan
and
Nehantic
but it happened
at a Time of the year when most of the men were gone Abroad to
Labour and could not be together till the
Sabbath, wherefore we thought
best,
having communicated the affair to the Rev. Messrs.
Griswold
and
Jewett to have a more full inquiry into it
with them, Who since inform us that
the Indians at
Nihantuk
unanimously desire
Mr. Occom may be
ordained and to Enjoy as large a share of his Labours as may be
The Indians at
Mohegan
through the Influence of separate Teachers
are divided however they were pretty unanimous to desire he might
come among them that
they might have more Knowledge of him and his gifts etc.
where upon I sent to
Mr. Occom informing him of the state of the affair
and that it seemed best he should make them a visit and pray and preach some
time with them but my letter
failed
and he is not yet come, I have wrote
again and Expect, if he be well, he will
come soon
Please sir to inform us by
Capt. Cushman if we have in anything mis
taken
the mind of the
Honourable
Commissioners and whether they Expect we will proceed
to ordain him without
further Directions and
instructions from them
I am with much respect, Honoured
sir