propounded a month, no exception coming against them, they making their profession of faith and repentence in their own. way, some by speech, others by writing, which was read for them, they were admitted to membership in this church, by consent of the brethren, they engaging in the covenant.”

Thus appeared the entire agreement of authentic history and church records with the principles of the founders in proving the freedom of candidates for church membership in making confession of their own faith in their own way. The Cambridge Platform, of 1648, showed the spirit in which such confessions were to be met on the part of the church; inculcating “such charity and tenderness to be used as the weakest christian, if sincere, might not be excluded nor discouraged."

It might be asked, as it sometimes had been, "what possible difference," whether such candidates were required to subscribe to "" a written confession," or to make in some other satisfactory mode a profession of their faith? The difference in the two modes was self evident and manifestly essential. One accorded with the right of private judgment and the acknowledged sufficiency of the Scriptures; the other contravened these fundamental principles of protestantism. The one was in harmony with the spirit of congregationalism; the other adverse to it. The one in its tendency was beneficent; the other, pernicious. The one led to increasing knowledge and love of Christian truth 1; the other tended to stifle the spirit of free inquiry. The one, in short, was a delightful privilege, the other an odious imposition.

Our forefathers, of the first generation, were, indeed, "noble Bereans" in settling their principles of church polity,-searching the scriptures daily for divine guidance. We all venerated their principles, though in following them out we might now be led to different conclusions and reject some of their opinions. So too, we all admired the spirit which actuated them, and blessed God for its glorious results, while we felt obliged to disapprove some parts of their conduct; for where on earth was to be found human perfection! Charity would gladly throw

her mantle over errors, which our fathers might have committed in common with other great and good men of their day, while gratitude delighted to indulge her warmest admiration of the wisdom, energy, and fidelity to principle, which raised them above the spirit of their age, above all sectarian influence, and even above the bias of their own darling opinions, in their steadfast adherence to the scriptures as their only guide and standard in the constitution of their churches.

Here is presented a transcript of the two first pages of the old Church book; all in italics excepting the original Covenant of 1629.

Gather my Saints together unto me that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifyce. Psa. 50: 5:

6. of 6th Month, 1629,

This Covenant was publickly Signed and Declared, as may

in this Book.

Wee whose names are under written, members of the present Church of Christ in Salem, having found by sad experience how appear from page 85, dangerous it is to sitt loose to the Covenant wee make with our God: and how apt wee are to wander into by pathes, even to the loosing of our first aimes in entring into Church fellowship: Doe therefore, solemnly in the presence of the Eternall God, both for our own comforts, and those which shall or maye be joyned unto us, renewe that Church Covenant we find this Church bound unto at theire first be inning, viz: That we covenant with the Lord and one with an other; and doe bynd ourselves in the presence of God, to walke together in all his waies, according as

he is pleased to reveale himself unto us in his Blessed word of truth. And doe more explicitely in the name and feare of God, profess and protest to walke as followeth through the power and grace of our Lord Jesus.

1. First wee avowe the Lord to be our God, and ourselves his people, in the truth and simplicitie of our spirits.

2. Wee give ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the word of his grace, for the teaching, ruleing and sanctifyeing of us in matters of worship, and conversation; resolveing to cleave to him alone for life and glorie; and oppose all contrarie wayes, cannons and constitutions of men in his worship.

3. Wee promise to walke with our brethren and sisters in this Congregation with all watchfullness and tendernes, avoyding all jelousies, suspitions, backbyteings, censurings, provoakings, secrete risings of spirit against them; but in all offences to follow the rule of the Lord Jesus, and to beare and forbeare, give and forgive as he hath taught us.

4. In publick or private we will willingly doe nothing to the ofence of the Church, but will be willing to take advise for ovrselves and ours as occasion shalbe presented.

5. Wee will not in the Congregation be forward eyther to shew oure owne gifts or parts in speaking or scrupling, or there discover the fayling of oure brethren or sisters, butt atend an orderly cale there unto; knowing how much the Lord may be dishonoured, and his Gospell in the profession of it, sleighted, by our distempers, and weaknesses in publyck.

6. Wee bynd our selves to studdy the advancement of the Gospell in all truth and peace, both in regard of those that are within, or without, noe waye sleighting our sister Churches, but useing theire counsell as need shalbe: nor laying a stumbling block before any, noe not the Indians, whose good we desire to promote, and soe to converse, as wee may avoyd the verrye appearance of evill.

7. Wee hearby promise to carrye our selves in all lawful obedience, to those that are over us, in church or commonweale, knowing how well pleasing it will be to the Lord, that they should have incouragement in theire places, by our not greiveing theryre spirites through our iregularities.

8. Wee resolve to approve our selves to the Lord in onr perticular calings, shunning ydlenes as the bane of any state,

nor will wee deale hardly, or opressingly with any, wherein we are the Lord's stewards: alsoe promysing to our best abilitie

9. to teach our children and servants, the knowledg of God and his will, that they may serve him also; and all this, not by any strength of our owne, but by the Lord Christ, whose bloud we desire may sprinckle this our covenant made in his

name.

This Covenant was renewed by the Church on a sollemne day of Humiliation 6 of 1 moneth 1660. When also considering the power of Temptation amongst us by reason of ye Quakers doctrine to the leavening of some in the place where we are and endangering of others, doe see cause to remember the Admonition of our Saviour Christ to his disciples, Math. 16. Take heed and beware of ye leaven of the doctrine of the Pharisees, and doe judge soe farre as we understand it yt ye Quakers doctrine is as bad or worse than that of ye Pharisees: Therefore we doe covenant by the help of Jesus Christ to take heed and beware of the leaven of the doctrine of the Quakers.

After a single blank leave in the Church book comes the 66 Catalogue" of Church Members extending to 1659. The names of the first thirty only are here given :

A Catalogue of the Names of those that are joined in full

Samuel Sharp,
John Endecott,
Phillip Veren,

Hugh Larkin,
Roger Conant.
Lawrence Leach,
William Auger,
Francis Johnson,
Thomas Eborne,
George Williams,
George Norton,

Henry Herricke,
Peter Palfrye,
Roger Maurye,

Thomas Gardener,

communion.

John Sibly,

John Baulch,
Samuel Moore,
John Holgrove,
Ralph Fogge,
John Horne,
John Woodberye,
William Traske,
Townsend Bishop,
Thomas Read,
Richard Rayment,
Jeffry Massy,
Edmond Batter,
Elias Stileman,
Edmond Giles.

NOTES.

Cotton Mather, in his Magnalia, says, "Mr. J. Higginson and Mr. W. Hubbard have assisted me and much obliged me with information for many parts of our history."

In his "Attestation," prefixed to Mather's Magnalia, or "Church History of New England," dated "Salem, 25th of the first month, 1697," Mr Higginson says," As for myself, having been by the mercy of God, now above sixty-eight years in New England, and served the Lord and his people in my weak measure, sixty years in the ministry of the Gospel, I may now say in my old age, I have seen all that the Lord has done for his people in New England, and have known the beginning and progress of these churches unto this day, and having read over much of this history, I cannot but in the love and fear of God bear witness to the truth of it." "JOHN HIGGINSON."

Dr. Mather, having given the original covenant, here printed in Roman letters, immediately subjoins the following remarks:

"By this instrument was the covenant of grace explained, received, and recognized by the First Church in this colony, and applied unto the evangelical designs of a church-estate before the Lord. This instrument they afterwards often read over, and renewed the consent of their souls unto every article in it; especially when their days of humiliation invited them to lay hold on particular opportunities for doing so.

"So you have seen the nativity of the First Church in Massachusetts Colony.

"As for the circumstances of admission into this church, they left it very much unto the discretion and faithfulness of the Elders, together with the condition of the persons to be admitted. Some were admitted by expressing their consent unto their confession and covenant;" &c., as before quoted on the 6th page.

As Morton's Memorial, first published in 1669, also bears the sanction of the venerable Higginson as to its "truth of matter," we here continue the passage, commenced on page 5th, marking in italics the words which prove that the confession of faith and covenant was