The expressions of Your kindness towards
Mr. Occom, were pe‐
culiarly
welcome
and
refreshing to him, as they were at a Time When
his circumstances
called for help. He preaches Steadily to his own
and to Neighbouring Tribes, but
they are all under the care and
Patronage of the
Boston
Commissioners, Who Suppose they have otherwise
provided for them, and therefore Mr.
Occom has no pension, nor
anything
publicly allowed him for his Labour among them, nor
can I do anything
publicly for his Support in his present Service with
out giving offence, and exposing myself to be censured as a Meddler
in that which belongs to others.
As to
Mr. Kirtland's Supply in everything within my Power, he
has never been neglected one Day, when his necessities have been
known to me, and I have generally exceeded what he has desired, and have
never gave below. And Since the Collections in
England I have always told him there
was enough,
and it was only for him to let me know what he
wanted and it was at his Service. nor
am I conscious that I have
ever wanted the Heart or Hand of a Father towards him in one instance
since I first took him under my Patronage, and especially since his first going
into the wilderness. However I have had a Scene of Trials of late of such
a Nature and So grievous as I never expected from that Quarter, and which
I hope I Shall never have occasion fully to disclose to you. I suppose
they have originated in part from, and been greatly encouraged by a Sect of
people in these parts Who are commonly known by the Name of
Separates and especially by several in Connection with them, who, it is said, are desirous
of being Preachers, and of being Introduced as missionaries Among the Indians
It has been reported far round that
Mr. Kirtland has been treated with
Neglect etc.—that he designs to leave me and break off his Connection with
my School and put himself under the
Boston
Commissioners —that my
School is coming down—and these Reports though
they have no
credit near home have gained credit with many Gentlemen of
worth at a distance—but it has perspired from some of that party
that Mr.
Kirtland
's Character and influence is So great with the honourable
Trust in England that he has power to undermine me, and turn the
Channe
[gap: worn_edge][guess: l] of those
Collections in their Hands as he pleases
etc. how far Mr.
Kirtland
has been knowing to these Reports, or what he has done to discount
[illegible][guess: them]
and
discredit
them I cant Say. before he wrote begging Letters without any Knowle
[gap: worn_edge][guess: dge] which were read in
Several of the most
respectable Congregations in
New Hampshire at above a hundred miles distance from me,
where collections wer
[gap: worn_edge][guess: e] publicly made for the Supply of his necessities. When he had the
fullest
assurance that I could give him that there was money
enough for him if he would only
let it be known that he stood in
need, and also that my Heart and the Hearts of
the honourable
Trust were
always open to Supply him. I have reproved this Conduct as
carrying
in it an unreasonable reflection on me &.
the Trust, as well as exposing himself and
the cause to the Reproaches of the Enemy it being about the Time in which large disbursements had been publicly made for his use
etc. but whether this was
more than an inadvertence, and whether there has been a clanning
for a Revolution, I am not fully
able to Say. however there have
been Several things that have been unintelligible if there be no
design forming which is yet industriously
concealed.
I Should not have hinted these things to you (which are not yet known
by a Soul in my parish further than they have the Reports from abroad)
had not your repeating
the Important Caution to take Care for
his Support, raised a Strong suspicion in my mind that Something of
the kind has been transmitted.— you may expose
what I here write if you think best to my honoured
Patrons, but I have confidence in you
and in them
that
there will be no ill improvement made of it—
I am sensible the powers of darkness are combined
against the
progress of the great design before us, but I have found it is not in
vain to hope and
trust in the Lord. I have obtained an ample incorporation
for
my School
and am now waiting for the Return of Col.
Phelps my Agent
from
New Hampshire whom
I have employed to take the Deeds and Secure the Donations made to the
School in that Province, and than I Shall endeavour to write my
honoured Patrons fully of the gracious dealings of Heaven, and I trust
I Shall offer that which will excite them to join in praises to God who has
not forsaken this cause, but is more and more abundant in his mercies
towards it. I am my honoured Friend with high Esteem
and
Respect.