Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to Samson Occom, 1757 January 7

Author Wheelock, Eleazar

Date7 January, 1757

ms number757107

abstractWheelock notifies Occom of a communication with the Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America, in which the Commission recommends Occom for ordination. Wheelock feels it is more proper for the local presbytery to examine Occom for ordination, and requests that they provide testimonials of his character as soon as possible.

handwritingHandwriting is not Wheelock's; it is tidy, with a heavy upward slant.

paperHeavy creasing, with wear along middle crease resulting in minor loss of text.

inkInk is dark, and darker on the verso.

noteworthyLetter is marked as a copy.

signatureSigned "Eleazar Wheelock," but not by Wheelock.

EventsOccom’s Ordination

Persistent Identifier
Son Samſon
A few Days ago I receved from the Honarable Andrew Oliver Esq:r the following votes of The Hon.le Comiſs:rs [illegible] At a Meeting of The Comiſs..rs
 Boſton 12 Nov:r 1756
Whereas Samſon Occom Who Some years Since was Enployed at Long Iſland in The Government of New york by Sum of The Inhabitants there to Keep an Indian School and afterward, to Preach the Gospel to Them and who upon applycation Made to The Comiſs:rs after he had Engaged in S..d Service was allowed by Them Twenty Pound, p.r annum is Notwithſtanding his Several allowances fallen in Debt & Thereby brought Into Difficulties —
Voted as a further Encouragement To Said Samſon To Continue in The Indian Service There be allowed him Twenty Pounds in order To Enable him To Diſcharge his [worn_edge: [guess: Debts]]; The Comiſs..rs Expecting That Those who originally Employed him afford him There aſsiſtsance Likewiſe for This Purpose — and in as much as Said Samſon is Repreſented To be a Perſon of a Virtuous Life and Usefull as a Preacher To the Indians; The Comiſs.rs Would recommend it to The Revd M:r Eleazer Wheelock & M.r Pomeroy and other Miniſters of The Same aſsociation to Conſider of the Expediency of ^his^ being ordained To The Paſtoral office and to Proceed to Do it if They Shall Think Best. and That there be allowed To S.d Samſon a common Pace Book to the Bible and Cruden’s Concordence
 Copy atteſt  A Oliver
you observe That They Direct M.r Pomeroy and Myſelf To Call in other Miniſters to Examine you and Conſult of The [illegible: [guess: Expeeding]] of your bing Ordained We are in Doubt of The Propriety of our Doing it, Thinking it Rather The Right of The Rev:d Preſby:ty on The Island unleſs you Should take the Pastrol Charge of the Indians on The main but at this Diſtance we are not able to judge of That Matter not knowing either the Number or Dispoſition of Those Indians among whome you are, & have been Labouring, We have underſtood that there is a conſiderable on Number on This Side The water who Desire To have you for There Miniſter and we have Conſidered The Distance and Difficulty of Crosing the Sound &c,
and have Therefore agreed [illegible] To adviſe, That you Deſire ſome Neighbouring Miniſter To Viſit, and Try The Minds of your People and Send us a [illegible: [guess: True]] Repreſentation of There number and Diſposision Towards you and then that you Viſit The Rev.d Miniſters of That Preſbytery Shew This To Them and alſo Represent to Them The State of The indians at Muntauck and Deſire Said Miniſters to Manyfest to us wheather They approve of our Proseeding according to The foregoing Vote of Comiſs:rs &c, and if So That They Give us Proper Testimonials of your Moral and Chriſatian Character, And That you accomplish This as Soon as may be. and you Must Consider That it will be Some Time after your are Examined before The Matter Can be accomplished if we Shall have To Viſit The Sevarals Tribes of Indians upon the Main in order To your ordination. The Lord be with ^your^ your Sperit Derct your ^ways^ and Keepe you from Fawling into the Condemnatio^n^ of The Divel upon Such an occation. Give Mine and M.r Pomeroys Love to your Spouse. and Except The Same f your Self From him, as well as, I
Your Affectionate Friend  and Servante Eleazar Wheelock
PS Mr Oliver in his To me has This Paſsage which becauſe it Concerns you I Transcribe here viz “Capt Shaw of New London has usu^a^lley Supplyd Samſon and taken his orders upon me for it, and where ^were^ you Do send ^to ſend^ him Copy of what Relates To him would I Doubt not To Do it Still Not be G^l^ad to Do it Still.”  Copy.
Lett.r to Sampſon occom. Jany. 1757.
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