Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to John Thornton, 1770 January 8
Date8 January, 1770
Call Number770108.1
abstractWheelock writes to deny reports of his having neglected Kirtland. He mentions Thornton's kindness to Occom and the fact that John Wheatley has been drawn upon for 40 pounds towards Occom's support.
handwritingInformal handwriting is small, crowded and occasionally difficult to decipher. Letter case is occasionally difficult to discern, particularly with regard to the letters W and S.
paperSingle sheet is in good-to-fair condition, with light-to-moderate staining and creasing. Wear at the edges results in a minor loss of text.
inkBlack-brown.
noteworthyThis document is likely a draft.
Modernized Version Deletions removed; additions added in; modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.
My dear and Honoured Sir.
August 26. 1769. And I bless God on Your Behalf, who has given
you ability and largeness of Heart to relieve the Needy, and especially
that he has made you Studious to dispose your Charity So
that the Kingdom of the Redeemer May be advanced thereby
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.
deals with you, and by whom he Supposed he might most naturally
receive your Beneficence) desiring him to pay Mr. Occom £40.
Sterling and draw for it on you. I Suppose Mr. Occom has wrote you
fully of the Affair.
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
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.
Eleazar Wheelock