ELIOT, JOHN, often called the' Apostle of the Indians: was a native of England, barn in 1604. He was educated at the University of Cambridge, and distinguished himself by proficiency in theology and in ancient languages. Having seceded from the established church and embraced the ministry, be emigrated, like many other sufferers for conscience, to New England, and arrived at Boston in 1631. In the following year he married, and finally established his abode at Roxbury, only a mile distant, as minister of a small congregation, composed chiefly of friends to whose religious service he had previously engaged himself, in case they should follow him across the Atlantic. In discharging the duties of his function he was zealous and efficient ; and he was also earnest in spreading the blessings of education, by promoting the establishment of schools. One of his occupations was the preparing, in conjunction with Richard Mather and another minis ter named Wilde, a new metrical version of the Psalms for congrega tional use.
Having qualified himself, by learning their language, to become a preacher to the Indians, he commenced his missionary labours on the 28th of October 1646, before a large assemblage collected by his invita tion on the site of what is now the town of Newton, a few miles from Roxbnry. Many, it is said, on this and on a subsequent occasion seemed deeply touched ; and it is evident, by the questions asked of the preacher, that the understandings as well as the feelings of his audience, were roused. From the chiefs and priests, or medicine-men, both of whom felt interested in maintaining ancient manners and superstitions, he usually met with opposition. Still no small number were converted : and these, abandoning their savage life, united in communities, to which lands were granted by the provincial govern ment. In 1674 there were seven Indian praying-towns,' containing
near 500 persons, thus settled in Massachusetts, under the care of Eliot, besides a still greater number of converts, to whom land had not been thus assigned. • In travelling among the woods Eliot underwent great physical labour and hardship, and his mental labour was unremitting. He translated the Old end New Testament, and several religious treatises, into the Indian tongue, which were printed for distribution chiefly at the expense of the Society for Propagating the Gospel ; he composed an Indian grammar, and several treatises on subjects not directly religious, for the use of his converts and pupils, and also wrote a number of English works. Nevertheless, he lived to the age of eighty six, and resigned his pastoral charge at Roxbury only two years before his death, which took place on the 20th of May 1690. A colleague had been appointed to assist him in 1650, in consequence of his neces sary and frequent absence. His private character appears to have been very beautiful : he was not only disinterested aud zealous, but benevolent, self-denying, and humble. Baxter says, iu one of his letters, "There was no man on earth whom I honoured above him." A handsome memorial to the 'Apostle of the Indians, and the pastor for fifty-eight years of the first church in Roxbury,' has been erected in the picturesque 'Forest Hills Cemetery,' Roxbury.
(Cotton Mather, Ecc. Nisi., b. and Life of John Eliot. A modern Life of John Eliot, Edinburgh, 12mo, 1828, contains a good deal of information coueeroing the early attempts to convert the Indians.)