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 the Massachuset-colony.

7. As for the circumstances of admission into this Church, they left it very much unto the discretion and faithfulness of their elders, together with the condition of the persons to be admitted. Some were admitted by expressing their consent unto their confession and covenant; some were admitted after their first answering to questions about Religion, propounded unto them; some were admitted, when they had presented in writing such things as might give satisfaction unto the people of God concerning them; and some that were admitted, orally addressed the people of God in such terms, as they thought proper to ask their communion with; which diversity was perhaps more beautiful than would have been a more punctilious uniformity; but none were admitted without regard unto a blameless and holy conversation. They did all agree with their brethren of Plymouth in this point, "That the children of the faithful were Church-members, with their parents; and that their baptism was a seal of their being so;" only before their admission to fellowship in a particular Church, it was judged necessary that, being free from scandal, they should be examined by the elders of the Church, upon whose approbation of their fitness, they should publickly and personally own the covenant; so they were to be received unto the table of the Lord: and accordingly the eldest son of Mr. Higginson, being about fifteen years of age, and laudably answering all the characters expected in a communicant, was then so received.

§ 8. It is to be remembered, that some of the passengers, who came over with those of our first Salemites, observing that the ministers did not use the "Book of Common-Prayer" in their administrations; that they administered the baptism and the supper of the Lord, without any unscriptural ceremonies; that they resolved upon using discipline in the congregation against scandalous offenders, according to the word of God; and that some scandalous persons had been denied admission into the communion of the Church; they began (Frankford fashion) to raise a deal of trouble hereupon. Herodiana Malitia, nascentem persequi Religionem !* Of these there were especially two brothers; the one a lawyer, the other a merchant, both men of parts, estate and figure in the place. These gathered a company together, separate from the publick assembly; and there, the CommonPrayer-Worship was after a sort upheld among such as would resort unto them. The governour perceiving a disturbance to arise among the people on this occasion, sent for the brothers; who accused the ministers, as

* Herod-like malice, bent on crushing the infant Church.

departing from the orders of the Church of England; adding, "That they were Separatists, and would be shortly Anabaptists;" but for themselves, "They would hold unto the orders of the Church of England." The answer of the ministers to these accusations, was, "That they were neither Separatists nor Anabaptists; that they did not separate from the Church of England, nor from the ordinances of God there, but only from the corruptions and disorders of that Church: that they came away from the Common-Prayer and Ceremonies, and had suffered much for their nonconformity in their native land; and therefore being in a place where they might have their liberty, they neither could nor would use them; inasmuch as they judged the imposition of these things to be a sinful violation of the worship of God."-The governour, the council, the people, generally approved of the answer thus given by the ministers; but these persons returned into England with very furious threatnings against the Church thus established; however the threatned folks have lived so long, that the Church has out-lived the grand climacterical year of humane age; it is now flourishing, more than sixty-three years after its first gathering, under the pastoral care of a most reverend and ancient person, even Mr. John Higginson, the son of that excellent man who laid the foundations of that society.

CHAPTER V.

PEREGRINI DEO CURÆ;*

OR, THE PROGRESS OF THE NEW COLONY; WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PERSONS, THE METHODS, AND THE TROUBLES, BY WHICH IT CAME TO SOMETHING.

§ 1. THE Governour and Company of the Massachuset-Bay, then in London, did in the year 1629, after exact and mature debates, conclude, that it was most convenient for the government, with the charter of the plantation, to be transferred into the plantation it self; and an order of court being drawn up for that end, there was then chosen a new governour, and a new deputy-governour, that were willing to remove themselves with their families thither on the first occasion. The governour was John Winthrop, Esq., a gentleman of that wisdom and virtue, and those manifold accomplishments, that after-generations must reckon him no less a glory, than he was a patriot of the country. The deputy-governour was Thomas Dudley, Esq., a gentleman, whose natural and acquired abilities, joined with his excellent moral qualities, entitled him to all the great

• Strangers are peculiar objects of God's care.

respects with which his country on all opportunities treated him. Several most worthy assistants were at the same time chosen to be in this transportation; moreover, several other gentlemen of prime note, and several famous ministers of the gospel, now likewise embarked themselves with these honourable adventurers; who equipped a fleet consisting of ten or eleven ships, whereof the admiral was, The Arabella (so called in honour of the right honourable the Lady Arabella Johnson, at this time on board), a ship of three hundred and fifty tuns; and in some of the said ships there were two hundred passengers; all of which arrived before the middle of July, in the year 1630, safe in the harbours of New-England. There was a time when the British sea was by Clements, and the other ancients, called ὠκεαντος απέραντος, the unpassable ocean. What then was to be thought of the vast Atlantick sea, on the westward of Britain? But this ocean must now be passed! An heart of stone must have dissolved into tears at the affectionate farewel which the governour and other eminent persons took of their friends, at a feast which the governour made for them, a little before their going off; however, they were acted by principles that could carry them through tears and oceans; yea, through oceans of tears: principles that enabled them to leave, Dulcia Limina, atque amabilem Larem, quem et parentum memoria, atque ipsius (to use Stupius' words) Infamiæ Rudimenta Confirmant.* Some very late geographers do assure us, that the breadth of the Atlantick sea is commonly over-reckoned by six, by eight, by ten degrees. But let that sea be as narrow as they please, I can assure the reader the passing of it was no little trial unto those worthy people that were now to pass it.

§ 2. But the most notable circumstance in their farewel, was their composing and publishing of what they called, "The humble request of his Majesties loyal subjects, the Governour and Company lately gone for NewEngland, to the rest of their brethren in and of the Church of England; for the obtaining of their prayers, and the removal of suspicions and misconstructions of their intentions." In this address of theirs, notwithstanding the trouble they had undergone for desiring to see the Church of England reformed of several things, which they thought its deformities, yet they now called the Church of England their dear mother; acknowledging that such hope and part as they had obtained in the common salvation they had sucked from her breasts; therewithal entreating their many reverend fathers and brethren to recommend them unto the mercies of God, in their constant prayers, as a Church now springing out of their own bowels. "You are not ignorant (said they) that the Spirit of God stirred up the Apostle Paul, to make a continual mention of the Church at Philippi which was a colony from Rome; let the same spirit, we beseech you, put you in mind, that are the Lord's remembrancers, to pray for us, without ceasing,

* Their sweet native shores and cherished firesides; cherished the more for the sake of their parents' memories and the early lessons there imbibed in the very principles which now make them objects of persecution.