be feared that the like judgments are coming upon us; and who knows but God hath provided this place to be a refuge for many, whom he means to save out of the General Destruction. "Thirdly, The land grows weary of her inhabitants, insomuch that man, which is the most precious of all creatures, is here more vile and base than the earth he treads upon: children, neighbours and friends, especially the poor, are counted the greatest burdens, which if things were right would be the chiefest earthly blessings.

"Fourthly, We are grown to that intemperance in all excess of riot, as no mean estate almost will suffice a man to keep sail with his equals, and he that fails in it, must live in scorn and contempt: hence it comes to pass, that all arts and trades are carried in that deceitful manner, and unrighteous course, as it is almost impossible for a good, upright man to maintain his constant charge, and live comfortably in them.

"Fifthly, The schools of learning and religion are so corrupted, as (besides the unsupportable charge of education) most children, even the best, wittiest, and of the fairest hopes, are perverted, corrupted, and utterly overthrown, by the multitude of evil examples and licentious behaviours in these seminaries.

Sixthly, The whole earth is the Lord's garden, and he hath given it to the sons of Adam, to be tilled and improved by them: why then should we stand starving here for places of habitation, and in the mean time suffer whole countries, as profitable for the use of man, to lye waste without any improvement?

"Seventhly, What can be a better or nobler work, and more worthy of a Christian, than to erect and support a reformed particular Church in its infancy, and unite our forces with such a company of faithful people, as by a timely assistance may grow stronger and prosper; but for want of it, may be put to great hazards, if not be wholly ruined?

"Eighthly, If any such as are known to be godly, and live in wealth and prosperity here, shall forsake all this to join with this reformed church, and with it run the hazard of an hard and mean condition, it will be an example of great use, both for the removing of scandal, and to give more life unto the faith of God's people in their prayers for the plantation, and also to encourage others to join the more willingly in it."

§ 6. Mr. Higginson, and Mr. Skelton, and other good people that arrived at Salem, in the year 1629, resolved, like their father Abraham, to begin their plantation with "calling on the name of the Lord." The great Mr. Hildersham had advised our first planters to agree fully upon their form of church government, before their coming into New-England; but they had indeed agreed little further than in this general principle, "that the reformation of the church was to be endeavoured according to the written word of God." Accordingly ours, now arrived at Salem, consulted with their brethren at Plymouth, what steps to take for the more exact acquainting of themselves with, and conforming themselves to, that written word; and the Plymotheans, to their great satisfaction, laid before them what warrant, they judged, that they had in the laws of our Lord Jesus Christ, for every particular in their Church-order.

Whereupon having the concurrence and countenance of their deputygovernour, the worshipful John Endicott, Esq., and the approving presence of the messengers from the church of Plymouth, they set apart the sixth day of August, after their arrival, for fasting and prayer, for the settling of a Church State among them, and for their making a Confession of their Faith, and entering into an holy Covenant, whereby that Church State was formed.

Mr. Higginson then became the teacher, and Mr. Skelton the pastor, of the church thus constituted at Salem; and they lived very peaceably in Salem together, till the death of Mr. Higginson, which was about a twelvemonth after, and then of Mr. Skelton, who did not long survive him. Now, the Covenant whereto these Christians engaged themselves, which was about seven years after solemnly renewed among them, I shall here lay before all the Churches of God, as it was then expressed and inforced:

"We covenant with our Lord, and one with another; and we do bind our selves in the presence of God, to walk together in all his ways, according as he is pleased to reveal himself unto us in his blessed word of truth; and do explicitly, in the name and fear of God, profess and protest to walk as followeth, through the power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"We avouch the Lord to be our God, and our selves to be his people, in the truth and simplicity of our spirits.

"We give our selves to the Lord Jesus Christ, and the word of his grace for the teaching, ruling and sanctifying of us in matters of worship and conversation, resolving to cleave unto him alone for life and glory, and to reject all contrary ways, canons, and constitutions of men in his worship.

"We promise to walk with our brethren, with all watchfulness and tenderness, avoiding jealousies and suspicions, back-bitings, censurings, provokings, secret risings of spirit against them; but in all offences to follow the rule of our Lord Jesus, and to bear and forbear, give and forgive, as he hath taught us.

"In public or private, we will willingly do nothing to the offence of the church; but willing to take advice for our selves and ours, as occasion shall be presented. “We will not in the congregation be forward either to show our own gifts and parts in speaking or scrupling, or there discover the weakness or failings of our brethren; but attend an orderly call thereunto, knowing how much the Lord may be dishonoured, and his gospel, and the profession of it, slighted by our distempers and weaknesses in public.

"We bind our selves to study the advancement of the gospel in all truth and peate; both in regard of those that are within or without; no way slighting our sister churches, but using their counsel, as need shall be; not laying a stumbungblock before any, no, not the Indians, whose good we desire to promote; and so to converse, as we may avoid the very appearance of evil.

"We do hereby promise to carry our selves in all lawful obedience to those that are over us, in Church or Commonwealth, knowing how well pleasing it will be to the Lord, that they should have encouragement in their places, by our not grieving their spirits through our irregularities.

"We resolve to approve our selves to the Lord in our particular callings; shunning idleness as the bane of any state; nor will we deal hardly or oppressingly with any, wherein we are the Lord's stewards.

"Promising also unto our best ability to teach our children and servants the knowledge of God, and of His Will, that they may serve Him also; and all this not by any strength of our own, but by the Lord Christ: whose blood we desire may sprinkle this our Covenant made in his name."

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 Common

Prayer-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.