HALE] INTRODUCTION XI 



bull's diftioiuiry will be of the veiy tir.st value. Is it perhaps just 

 possible that the publication of this book ma}'- awaken such attention 

 to the subject that some of Eliot's lost manuscripts may still be 

 discovered? 



Of Eliot's place as a scholar and an educator Dv DeXormandie, 

 who now fills his pulpit in Roxbury, speaks in the highest terms. It 

 would seem that we owe to Eliot the establishment of the first proper 

 Sunday school in America, and perhajjs one may say in the English 

 realm. On October 0. 1674. the record of his church says: 



Tliis day we restored our primitive practice for tlae training of our youtli. Fiist 

 our male youth, in fitting season, stay every Sabbatli after tlie evening exercise in 

 the public meeting house, where the elders will examine their remembrance that day 

 of any fit poynt of catechise. Secondly, that our female youth should meet in one 

 place (on Monday) where the elders may examine them on their remembrance of 

 yesterday about catechise and what else may be convenient. 



"The care of the lambs," says Eliot, '" is one-third part of the, charge 

 over the works of God.'" 



Dr DeNormaudie ascribes to Eliot the general establishment of 

 ''grammar schools" among the institutions of Massachusetts. He 

 sa5's: '"One day all the neighboring churches were gathered in Boston 

 to ' consider bow the miscarriages which were among us might be jjre- 

 vented," Eliot exclaimed with great fei'vor, 'Lord, for our schools 

 everywhere among us! That our schools may flourish! That everj' 

 member of this assembly may go home and procure a good school to be 

 encouraged in the town where he lives! That before we die we may 

 be so happy as to .see a good school encouraged in every plantation in 

 the countr}'!'" Bj' "plantation" Eliot meant separate village. 



Cotton Mather says: "God so pleased his endeavors that Roxbury 

 could not live quietly without si free school in the town." Roxbury was 

 the town of which P^liot was the minister. ""And the issue of it has been 

 one thing which has made me almost put the title of ' ScJtoln Illusfj'is'' 

 upon that little nursery; that is, that Roxbury has afforded more 

 scholars, first for the college and then for the publick, than any town 

 of its bigness, or if I mistake not, of twice its liig-ness, in all New- 

 England." 



John Eliot was quite willing to accejjt the responsibilities of making 

 laws and even a constitution for his " praying Indians." As he found 

 the; Indian tribes, government among them seemed at best absolutely 

 minimum; he was unable to perceive that they had any government. 

 Eliot made for them a working constitution for a democracy, on prin- 

 ciples which are so absolutely democratic that they frightened even 

 the Puritan emigrants around him, the coadjutors of Cromwell and 

 Sidney. Poor Eliot was even obliged to recall his words in a public 

 recantation. The democratic constitution which he wrote for his 

 people is well worth the study of an\' faithful student of government 



