that they fhould have encouragement in their places, by our not grieving their fpirits through our irregularities. We refolve to approve ourfelves to the Lord in our particular callings; fhunning idleness, as the bane of any state; nor will we deal hardly or oppreflingly with any, wherein we are the Lord's ftewards. Promiag-alfo, unto our beft ability, to teach our children and fervants the knowledge of God, and of his will, that they may ferve him alfo; and all this not by any frength of our own, but by the Lord Chrift; whofe blood we defire may fprinkle this our covenant, made in

his name."

FORTY-SEVEN years after this, a Synod met at Bofton for the purpofe of Covenant-renovation. The tenor where of follows:

"WE, who through the exceeding riches of the grace and patience of God, do continue to be a church of Chrift, being now assembled in the holy prefence of God, in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, after humble confeflion of our manifold breaches of covenant before the Lord our God, and earneft fupplication of pardoning mercy through the blood of Chrift, -after deep acknowledgment of our great unworthinefs to be owned to be the Lord's cove

* MATHER'S History of New England, Book I. p. 18.

nant

grave of Truringie, and Marquis of Mifne, af well in our own name as in the name of the noble Prince JOHN ERNEST, likewife Duke of Saxonye, our most beloved Brother, PHILIPPE, ERNEST, FRANCIS, Brethren Dukes of Brunfwick and Lunenburg; ULRICH Duke of Wortenberg, and in Deck, Erle in Montbelyard; PHILIPP Lantgrave of Heffen, Erle of Catts in Dietz, Zigenham and Nyer; BERMINUS and PHILIP, Dukes of Stetin, Pomern, Caffaburn, Wenden, Princes of Rug, Erles in Gufkan ; WOLFGANG JOHN, GEORGE, and JOACHIM, Brethren Princes in Anhalt, Erles of Afcanion, and Lords in Bernburg; GEBHARD and ALBERT, Brethren, Erles and Lords in Mansfeld; the Confules, Decurions, Tribunes, Senate, and People of the within named Cities of the HighGermany, Saxon, and Hanfe, or on the See; that is to fay, Argentina, Augusta, Frankford, Conftantia, Ulme, Efling, Rentling, Memingia, Linde, Bibrac, Ifua, Magdeburgh, Breme, Brunfwick, Gollaria, Hamibria, Gottingia, Embeck, Hamburgha, Lubeck, and Myndia, do profefs, by these our Letters, in the name of us, our Heyres and Succeffors, and do fignifie to all men, that feen the state of this Seafon, is every where very perilloufe, and appereth fo, that many men are about and practise to disturbe fuch as do caufe, and fuffer the fyncere Doctrine of the Goffell to be preached and taught in their Dukedoms, Provinces, Cities, and Tertitories, (by the Grace of God) and which (abolishing

bolishing all abufes)'doc ftudie to bring in Ccremonies confenting to the Word of God: and efforce them felfs to divert them from Christs Doctrine; yea, by force and violence: and feen alfo, that the office of every Chriftian Mageftrate, is not only to fuffer that the fyncere Worde of God be preached to his fubjects; but also, with all his ftudye, care, and follitude, to provide (to his power), that the holefome Doctrine of the Gofpell and the Truth, onfe known and profeffed, be not violently extorted, and they deprived of the fame: For this caufe, we doe knowledg, that it is our moft Duetie and Neceffitie, of the offices of our Magiftrate, in cafe nowe or hereafter it fhuld happen, that any man wold attempt and affay to diverte us, or our fubjects, by force or lede, from the Worde of God, and the Truth known; and to bring in again, and refore the ungodlie ceremonies and abufes already abolithed (which God, by his good clemence woll forbyd, as we truft that no man woll attempt fuch thing) for to repreffe fuch violence and perill from the bodys and fouls of us, and our fubjects, by the Grace of God, and for to excufe and avoid the fame to the Praife of God, to the augmentation of the fyncere Doctrine of the Gofpell, and to the confervation of the Uniform Estate, Tranquillite, and Honefie Publick, in the Empire, for the love of the Nation of Alemayne; and alfo for the Commendation, Honour, and Good of our Dukedoms, Hhhh 2 Provinces,

Provinces, Lordships, and Cities, onely to provide for the caufe of our defence, and tuicion; the which is permitted to every man, not onely by the Lawe of Nature and of Men, but al fo by the Law Written. Therefore, we have affembled and concluded, to give and be bound eche to other of a Chriflian, Lawful and Friendly Leage and Confederation, and by the Vertue, Fource, and Reafon of this our Letters, we agree, conclude, and by nde our felfs eche to other upon a Confederation, with the Conditions that followeth: That is to fay, That all and every of us fhall be bound to favour eche other hartely and truely, and to warn eche other of all Imminent Danger, and to avoid it: And that noon of us, openly or fecretly, fhall willingly give Paffage to the Enemy, or Adverfaries of the other, nor to warn or fupport them.

AND becaufe this Confederation is onely made for cause of our Tuicion and Defenfe, and not to the entent that any of us fhall move warr, if ther fall happen any of us, whatfoever he be, to be violently affawted for the Word of God, the Doctrine of the Gospell and our Faith, or for fuch other caufes as do depend of the Word of God, the Doctrine of the Gofpell, or car Faith, or be annexed thereunto; or if, under any other pretext or colour, there fhuld be any Violence attempted against any of us, and that we the reft, which fuld not then be invaded myght thinke and judge that fuch

Werr,

Werr, or Violence, fuld be moved for the caufe of the Word of God, or of the Religion; and that he to whom the Werr, or Violence is Imminent, wold permitt it to our knowledge, arbitracion, and decifcou; that then we all the rest of this Confederacion, and every of us, that be comprehended in this Chriften Confederacion, fhall be bound to take no leffe to Herte, and take in hand as deligentely to provide for the fume, incontinently as fuch Perfons that be invaded fhall require our Help, or that we fhall know it, (with all our power) as tho' we fhuld be afhwted our felfs, and for our own proper caufe: And, therefore, without any delaye, and without any decepte or gyle, without taryeng for any other, with all our might and power, we fhall be bound to Succour, Defend, and Helpe him that fhall be affawted, after fuch Form and Manner, as for the Qualitie and Circumftances of the Thing, and the Tyme, it thall be adjudged molt util, and moft commodioufe to the reit of us; and like as, the Fidelite and Charite to be given and thewed to the Neighbors upon his Confcience and Salut fhall teach him; and that we fhall truely adminifter and deale oon with another. And that, in fuch cafe, never oon of us fhall agree, compound, or make any Tranfaction or Trewes, without the aflent and will of the reft.

ALSO, That this our Chriften Confederation, fhal be taken and understanden to be in no wife Prejudicial or Hurtful to the Emperors Majeftic,