One
Sam.l
Aſhpo, a
Mohegan,
^who
[illegible]Once a ^poor^ Drunken
Creature^ was Supposd to become
a real Chriſtian
about 19
^ſome^ Years ago,
& was
^I^ admitted him
into this Ch-h he behaved very well Several Years till he
got
[illegible]into
^the^ Company
with of
illegible
ſaylors at
N London, & got
Drunk, he ſoon after came
to me and with Tears inform
d me of his Fall and ſeemd very much afflicted and I thought
gave ſatiſfying Evidence of
[illegible][guess: true] Repentance. deſired to
make a publick
Confeſsion
^&c^ and I ſuppose has nevertaſted
of any ſpiritous Liquor of any Sort ſince. Some Years
ago under the Influence
of ſome lay Exhort
rs he was ſeducd
and
at length received Ordination in their way
by the
Hands
of Such [illegible][guess: Creatures] Yet he has not Appeard to be one of
the moſt
Bitter
^Bitter^
Conſorious, furious & uncharitable ſort.
andNor
I could
^I^ never find but that his
^religious^ Principles except what
relate to his Ordination
are Good. but he has very thorough
ly imbibed ſuch
independ.
t and Browniſtic Principles
which
^as^ I find many good ſort of pp in your Province are
^zealous to defend^
ſadly in and he has gone on to exerciſe the Power thus rec.
d from y
e
Ch-h. laſt year he went to
onohoquage.
iOn his return
he was
^lodgd^ at my House.
^&^
informd me of a great
^spl^ concern among
the Indians in those parts eſpecially at
Jeningo which I was
the more inclind to give cred.
t to bec. I had heard of it otherways.
This year he has made them another viſit. &
lodgd again at
my House
ion his Return
^this week
and^. informs me that there are about 20
at
Jeningo which he thinks to be really converted. and a
Gen.
l Concern among Others. that they are very unwill
g
y
t y
e
Engliſh
ſhould get footing among them leſt by & by
they root them out as they have done in
New England. that
they have had a meeting and voted to have him, for
their Mini
er and deſired him to make Application to the
Com̅iſsrs for his Support and for the Support of
an
^Some^ Indian
Schoolmaſter. as a Schoolmaſter. as to this acco.
t I
Suppose it is credible
and that there has been a great
and
uncommon
^religious^ Concern among them, and Some thing like
Converſion, & perhaps ſome real
ones
Inſtances of it. —
Aſhpo
^[illegible: [guess: Said he moſt]] is [illegible]determined to ſee the Commiſsrs
&^
earneſtly
deſired me to
write
ym
^you in^ his Fav.
r
to them
Com̅iſsrs I told him I could write no more than a plain
honeſt Narrative of the Truth.
[gap: blotted_out]
^&^
y.
t the
Com̅iſsrs were
heartily ingagd to do any thing in y
r Power to further
y.
e Great Deſign of Spread
g the Gospel among the
m
^Indians^ but they knew what miſcheifs
ſuch Principles as he held ha
dve
done in the Ch-h, and I was perſwaded
they would take
utmoſt care y.
t
[illegible][guess: [a ſack]
ſhould not be laid in y.
e very
Bottom among the Pagans. I have taken
[illegible]
ofMuch pains to convince him of his miſtake.
^&^ have told him
there is a probability y.
t he might do
[illegible][guess: a great deal of]
much good among them if he were delivered from those
Errors, and would
take pains to furniſh
himſelf with useful
knowledge
and would act only in his proper Sphere.
I [illegible] him [illegible: [guess: ſilent]]
&, he ſeemd more inclind to hear &, I hope to ſsuſpect
himſelf
than he did. This
^ſhort^ Narrative, dear ſir, gives you
the moſt an
affecting View of their Case.
Aſhpo's Intereſt in their Aff
rs is Such as that th
iere is danger of the ſaddeſt
Conſeq
ces
unleſs
y.
e Affair be conducted with utmoſt Prudence,
[illegible] and Diſcretion. and
^by Reaſon of y.r Acquant.e with and Intereſt in them.^ I ſuppose no man ſo likely as you to
prevent the Miſchiefs which are threatned, and to nouriſh, Cheriſh,
and further any good Beginings there,
by Reaſon of your accq
quaintance with them and intereſt in their Affections. by all acco
ts they have a hearing Ear. and it looks as tho' the
Gospel might have free courſe among them, and who Reconds
what a Glorious Harveſt you may have, and what Bleſsings
of periſh
g Souls come upon you.
as I ſuppose
Aſhpo will Viſit them again whether
he be encouragd by the
Com̅iſsrs or not ſo perhaps it will
not be
^prudent or^
beſt he ſhould be at once thrown into Deſpair of
Fav.
r & Countenance
by
^[illegible]from them or^ you
or
the Honle
Com̅iſsrs but rather
^tenderly be put in your arms &^ held upon trial
& Probation &
^if he will act be^ encouraged to act under
your Direction and
Conduct. and if he ſhould be ductile
& Teachable, I dont conclude y
t
^[illegible]^ he will not ſerve
y.
e
Cauſe.
^as I can but entertain in Charitable hope concerning his
[illegible]
& the Honeſty of his Intentions^. however the caſe appears to me very Dangerous
and Difficult. and when we conſider what infinite
miſcheifs Satan has done when tranſformd into an Angil
of Light &
Eſpec
ly at y
e
firſt
Sitting planting the Gospel
in places
^and by the Inſtrumentality of good men too^ it may Justly awaken our Fear
and I hope will
[illegible][guess: perſwa^de^]
^[illegible]
[illegible][guess: to accompany
& introduce dear M.r
Thompſon
accordg to ye Comrs
deſire]^[left]# and I hope y.e
Conſider.n will Effectivelly perſwade you to comply with y.e
Deſ.r of y.e
Hon.le Com̅rs, at leaſt
ſo far as to
accompy & introduce dear M.r
Thompſon, if he ſhall accept the
Miſsion.
M.r Occom
ſeems to have a good Underſtanding of
[illegible][guess: Satans] Devices
^of y.t
ſort^ and has ſome
thots he ſhall make
[illegible][guess: them] a viſit to
Jeningo before he returns from his Miſsion. If you
ſhould chance to meet him there
^&
[illegible]
y.r
[illegible] it will [illegible]^
it may be very happy
^look like a very favourable Providence.^
and pleaſe
ſir to favour [illegible]
[illegible][guess: with] your a
[illegible][guess: viſit] whenever
you have occaſion to paſs
thro'
Connecticut I wiſh you
Divine directive,
^in^
&
Bleſsing upon all your pious End
rs to
build up the Kingdom of the Great Redeemer I am Rev
d
& dear
^ſr^ and with Kindeſt Salutations to you and
your [illegible][guess: dear]
ſpouse
am Rev.d
& dear ſir