an interest in Calamy and others of the devout
ministers in London, that the needs of the Indians of New England were
brought before Parliament, and an ordinance was passed on the 27th of
July, 1649, for the advancement of civilization and Christianity among
them. Then a corporation was instituted, entitled the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in New England, of which Judge Street was the
first president, and Mr. Henry Ashurst the first treasurer, with powers
to receive the collections that the ministers in every parish were
exhorted to make by authority of Parliament, backed up by letters from
the two Universities.

There was a good deal of opposition; people fancied it a new plan of
getting money for Government, and were not at all interested about the
Indians, but money enough was collected to purchase lands worth about
500_l._ or 600_l._ a year, by way of foundation, at a time when the
property of Cavaliers was going cheap, and the Society was able to
undertake the cost of printing Eliot's Bible, as well as of building him
an Indian college, of paying his teachers, and of supplying the greatly
needed tools and other necessaries for his much-desired station.

Still there was a great deal of difficulty and opposition, from the
English dislike and contempt for the Indians, who were judged _en masse_
by the degraded ones who loitered about the settlements, begging and
drinking; as well as from the Powaws or medicine men who found their
dupes escaping, and tried to terrify them by every means by which it was
possible to work upon their superstition. The Sachems, likewise, were
finding out that Christians were less under their tyranny since they had
had a higher standard, and many opposed Eliot violently, trying to drive
him from their villages with threats and menacing gestures, but he calmly
answered, "I am engaged in the work of God, and God is with me. I fear
not all the Sachems in the country. I shall go on with my work. Touch
me if you dare;" nor did he ever fail to keep the most angry in check
while he was present, though they hated him greatly. Uncas, the chief of
the Mohicans, made a regular complaint to Government that Eliot and his
colleagues prayed by name for the conversion of the Mohicans and
Narragansets. Even Cutshamakin, when he heard of the project of an
Indian town, broke out against it with such fury, that all the men in
favour of it cowered and slunk away from his furious howls and
g