Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1767 September 3

Author Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America

Date3 September, 1767

ms number767503.3

abstractThe commissioners of the Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America refuse to send Wheelock a copy of the letter he requested because they do not credit his account of Occom’s education. They also admonish Wheelock for luring away one of the Company's interpreters.

handwritingFormal handwriting is bold, clear and legible.

paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is in fair condition, with moderate staining, creasing and wear that results in a minor loss of text.

inkBlack.

signatureThe signature is abbreviated.

noteworthyThe letter is signed by Andrew Oliver on behalf of the Company.

EventsOccom’s Ordination, Occom leaves his studies

Persistent Identifier
Rev:d Sir
M:r Oliver communicated to the Board of Commiſs:rs your letter of the 10 Aug:t desiring a Copy of Our's to M:r Mauduit, Gov:r of the Company in England of 2:d Oct:r 1765. We have no Objection to your having a Copy, but as the Letter was wrote to our Conſti= =tuents and is now in their hands, we think there is an impropriety in our delivering out a Copy of it. M:r Oliver informs us that he read it to you, and both he and Mr Pemberton (with whom you convers'd on the Subject) inform Us, that your exceptions to it all relate to mere circumstances; For we apprehend it to be quite immeterial whether M:r Occum was put under your Care at first, by some well disposed persons, or by his Mother only. Whether he was ordained on Long Iſland, or on this side the Sound in Connecticut: Or Whether the weakneſs of his Eyes came upon him while actually under your education, or after he came out from it? The main thing, and the only thing of any importance in the Letter is — Whether "he was a Mohawk Indian lately converted from Heathenism, and in a short space of time fitted for the Ministry by M:r Wheelock"? We did undertake to inform our Constituents that he was not a Mohawk, but "that he was born at Mohegan an Indian Settlement lying be= =tween New London & Norwick, two of the principal Towns in the Colony of Connecticut"; and in this We think we
are not mistaken. We are also per[gap: tear][guess: swa]ded that his early youth was spent there (tho' we said nothing of this in the Letter) and if so, We think it highly improbable that he should have lived in a state of heathenism, while Lecturers and Schoolmasters were then supported among them. And as you say this Mother brought him to you for Education, this renders it highly probable that she knew something of Chriſtianity herself, and was so far "well dis= =posed" as in some poor manner to have inform'd her son of the Saviours name at least; and that he must therefore be mistaken in giving out, as you say he did, that he had never so much as heard it till he was 17 years of Age. But we shall add no more on this head— We cannot however help taking notice to you of a Fact which has but this day come to our knowledge — w:ch is this — that after we have been at the expence of fitting James Dean for an Interpreter to the Western Indians, and have now actually employed him as Such in our Service, You should attempt to take him away from us, by promising to take him into your School, and to give him a liberal Education. We thought We had before given him an ample allowance; but we cannot now retain him in our Service without greatly augment= ­ing it: So that instead of drawing together with Us in our Schemes for propagating the Gospel, you seem to be rendering it more difficult, at least more expensive
to Us. .. [gap: tear][guess: we wou]ld have been glad to have gone hand in hand with you in this great and important Cause, had you ever shown the least inclination to have allow'd Us a share in the conduct of it: We shall however rejoice in your Succeſs, without envying you the honour or the Satisfaction of advancing the interests of Christianity more effectually, than they ever have been advanced under our Management.
I write this in the name and by order of the Board of Commiſsioners and am
Rev.d Sir  Your most humle Serv:t Andw Oliver
And.w Oliver, Esq.r in the Name of ye Board.  Sep.tr 3. 1767 To The Rev.d M:r Eleazer Wheelock at Lebanon
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