the light? Truth is more precious, than the light of the sun. Don't suffer your enemies to impose upon you."

In January, 1735, deputies from the several clans, which constituted the tribe of River Indians, met in council at Housatonic, to see whether they would approve the conduct of their Housatonic brethren in consenting to be taught the Christian religion. On the result of their deliberation every thing relative to the mission depended. The Rev. Mr. Williams and Mr. Hopkins of Springfield were therefore present. They found nearly two hundred Indians assembled, and among them Corlair, the chief sachem of the whole nation. Mr. Williams preached to" one of the gravest and most attentive auditories," that he ever addressed; and after repeated conferences the proceedings at Housatonic received the approbation of the council. They desired Mr. Woodbridge to continue in the school, and expressed a wish that Mr. Sergeant would return.

After business was finished, a "frolic" followed of course. "Their dancing, (says Mr. S.) is a most laborious exercise. They dance round a hot fire, till they are almost ready to faint, and are wet with sweat;

and then run out, and stripping themselves naked, expose their bodies to the cold air, and roll in the snow till they are cold, and then return to their dancing again. They repeat this four or five times in a night, concluding with excessive drinking. When they are drunk, they often fail asleep in the open air, perhaps buried in snow."

In May, Mr. S, made a short

visit to the Indians, and in July left New Haven intending to pass the remainder of his life at Housatonic.

As he found some of the Indians desirous of baptism, it was necessary that he should be ordained in order to adminis

It

ter that rite. Accordingly he was in August solemnly set apart to the service of the gospel. The ordination was performed at Deerfield, under circumstances calculated to add respectability to the mission. took place by the direction of Gov. Belcher, at a time when he was in that town, with a large committee of the Council and House of Representatives, holding a treaty with several of the Indian tribes. The Rev. Mr. Appleton of Cambridge preached the sermon, in the preface to which he observes that" many of the Indians were grave spectators of the solemnity, and the Housatonic Indians sat by themselves and attended throughout the whole service with great seriousness; and were much pleased to see one, whom they had such a love for, so solemnly separated to the service of their souls."

Very soon after Mr. S. had returned to the scene of his labours, he baptized the captain and lieutenant with their families, first unfolding to them the nature of the rite and "discoursing upon all the more important points of belief and practice in the Christian religion." "The lieutenant," he says in his journal, "is a clear-headed, smurt man, of a deep reach and pleasant humour, and is one of the best speakers we hear; is free in conversation, and talks excellently well. He has entirely left off drinking te excess, and declaims against it;

shews great compassion towards the rest of the Indians, and seems heartily to lament their miserable condition; wishes they were come to the knowledge of the gospel; is himself thoroughly convinced of the truth; and his knowledge does not puff him. up."

Mr. Sergeant's auditory on the Sabbath gradually increased; he was heard very attentively by strangers, who happened to be present, and such favourable impression was made upon their minds, that some of them sent their children to the school, and a few families were induced to reside permanently with their brethren at Housatonic. In a

few months after his ordination, he had baptized about forty persons, adults and children, and there was the same number of scholars in the school. He was cheered with much greater success, than he could anticipate in so short a time. He beheld the wolf dwelling peaceably with the tamb, and the lion eating straw like the ox. The interest, which good men at a distance took in his labours, will be seen in the following extracts from letters addressed to him.

Dr. Colman of Boston says, in a letter dated Nov. 18, 1735, It is not easy to tell you, how much we have rejoiced here in your ordination to the good and great work, into which you have entered. May the consolations of God refresh and enlarge your soul from time to time, in all your self-denials for the sake of his name, and of the dear souls, for whom you are labouring. I gave some account to the excellent Dr. Watts, of London, of the strange disposition of the Housa

tonic tribe to receive the gospel, and of the good Spirit on you to leave the college and go among them. He answers me, that he is always looking out to this quarter of the world for such appearances. May Jesus, says he, the head of the church and of nations, attend your young missionary with extraordinary assistance, and success. Methinks I love him, upon your report, for his courage and zeal. Let your heart, dear Sir, be encouraged, and your hands strengthened by the love and prayers of men of God at such a distance from you. They hear of you, and rejoice and bless, of whom you neither hear nor think."

Governor Belcher writes in a manner, which impresses one with the belief of his own undissembled piety and regard to the truth; "Set before you the example of the great apostle of the Gentiles for your imitation, that you may approve yourself a chosen vessel unto Christ, to bear his name to those, that are perishing for lack of vision. And may you, Sir, be honoured of God by being made an instrument of taking the scales from their eyes. May you be wise to win their souls, and be able to say to them, In Christ Jesus have I begotten you through the gospel. For these things will I bow my knees, and lift up my heart to Him, with whom is the residue of the Spirit."

Rev. Mr. Appleton, of Cambridge, expresses himself thus ; "Give my hearty respects to Mr. Woodbridge. I heartily commend you both to the grace of God, earnestly praying, that the great Lord of the harvest, who has sent you forth, would

continue to strengthen your hands and encourage your heart by increasing the fruit of your labours ; and that these poor, neglected, perishing people may be your joy for the present, and your crown in the day of Christ's appearing."

Some parts of Mr. Sergeant's answer to the Rev. Dr. Colman may not be unacceptable to the reader. "Next to the blessing of God on my endeavours, the prayers and good wishes of men of God yield me the greatest satisfaction. In their favour I seem to enjoy the pleasure of society in the deepest solitude. I wish I were worthy of the love of so excellent a man as Dr. Watts, whom all love and admire. And if I may be thought in any measure to deserve the good opinion of my fellow men, it is not a little owing to the Doctor's ingenious writings, which have the force to charm the mind to the love of virtue and piety, and to infuse his own spirit into his readers.

"Those who have been bap tized, have behaved very well, though they have several times been tempted to exceed the rules of temperance by the offers of strong drink, which used to be their beloved destruction. They seemed to be surprised with the change they find in themselves, expressing the difference between their former state and the present, by infancy and manhood, dreaming and being awake, darkness and light, and the like metaphors. I pray God, the day star that seems to be arisen in their hearts, may shine more and more to the perfect day."

(To be continued.)

For the Panoplist.

SKETCH OF REV. WILLIAM BATES, D. D.

Introductory Remarks.

Messrs. Editors,

If the character of that body of men, of which the first settlers of New England were a part, were more generally known at the present day, the cause of truth might be better secured against the injurious impression of epithets, which had their origin in prejudice and party spirit. During the reign of the Stewarts, the high church party, headed by archbishop Laud, Sheldon, and other tyrannical prelates, branded all Protestants, whose consciences resisted their unscriptural impositions, with the ironical epithet of Puritans, and Precisians. Sometimes indeed, from their attachment to civil liberty, they were charged with sedition and rebellion. But their common appellation was Puritans; an epithet, intended to denote no difference in the doctrinal articles of their faith (for in these both parties agreed) but that the Nonconformists or Dissenters were a set of weak, narrow, ignorant and superstitious fanatics, who through pride and obstinacy opposed the government and ceremonies of the establishment, and the subscriptions required by law. The same epithet is still retained and applied by some, as a term of oppro brious distinction; but not so much to designate Dissenters from the ceremonies of the church, as adherents to its doctrines. This application of the term may be well calculated to stigmatize the commonly receiv

vine eloquence in pleading at the throne of grace; raising and melting the affections of their hearers, and being happily instrumental in transfusing into their souls the same spirit and heavenly gift. And this was the ground of all their other qualifications; they were excellent men, because excellent, 'instant and fervent in prayer. Such were the fathers, the first formers of the Dissenting interest. Those who knew them not, might despise them; but your forefathers, wiser and less prejudiced, esteemed them highly in love for their work's sake. The presence and blessing of God appeared in their assemblies, and attended their labours. -Let my soul forever be with the souls of these men !”

To this may be added the testimony of the great Mr. Locke, who was well acquainted with several of them. Speaking of the Act of uniformity he says, "That BARTHOLOMEW DAY was fatal to our church and religion, by throwing out a very great number of wORTHY, LEARNED, PIOUS, and ORTHODOX divines, who could not come up to this, and other things in that act."

SKETCH OF WILLIAM BATES, D.D.

DR. BATES was born in 1625. He was educated in the University of Cambridge, where he took the degree of B. A. 1647, and of D. D. 1660. His graceful mien and comely person were adapted to command respect in that public station, for which Providence designed him. His concern lay not only with mean men; he was to stand before kings. It is well known in what relation he stood

to one, as long as was convenient for certain purposes; and how frequent occasion he had of appearing (never unacceptably) before another.t His grave and amiable aspect commanded both reverence and love. A constant serenity reigned in his countenance; a visible sign of the divine calm in his breast. His natural endowments were much beyond the common rate. His apprehension was quick and clear; his reasoning faculty acute and ready; his judgment penetrating and solid; his wit never light or vain, though facetious and pleasant. His memory was admirable; nor was it impaired to the last. He delivered his sermons memoriter, which, as he said, he continued to do, when in years, partly to teach some, who were younger, to preach without notes. He was reputed one of the best orators of the age. His voice was charming; his language always elegant; his style inimitably polite, yet easy, and to himself the most natural.

His learning was a vast treasure, and his knowledge of books so extensive, that one of the brightest ornaments of the establishment said, "were he to collect a library, he would as soon consult Dr. Bates, as any man he knew." He was well versed in the politer parts of learning, which rendered his conversation highly entertaining to the more

Charles II. to whom he was chaplain. •

King WILLIAM III. To whom, at his accession to the throne, he presented the congratulatory address of the dissenting ministers. He also presented their address of condolence on the death of the Queen.