make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which was well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

This covenant provides for church elders as well as deacons, but there is no record that such officers were ever appointed. About one month after the settlement of a minister, John Longley and Hezekiah Sawtell were elected deacons, and not far from this time ten persons were united with the church.

The custom of "owning the covenant" was adopted . by the church in Shirley, that children might receive the seal of baptism whose parents were not in regular communion with the church. This custom-no longer in use. -has been the cause of much bitter controversy in New England. Yet it prevailed so extensively that most of the infants, in many towns, received the rite. In Shirley, a large portion of those born before the present century were presented for baptism.

Parents who were not church members in regular standing, before offering their children were required to own the following

COVENANT.

"You do now, in the presence of God and his people, own the covenant into which you were entered and given

up to God in baptism, and take upon yourself the obligation your baptism laid you under. You do now humbly beg of God, remission of all your sins [both actual and original,] and with all your heart you desire to accept of Jesus Christ as your only Savior, as he is offered to poor sinners in the Gospel; and you do now solemnly promise, to the best of your power, and as God shall enable you, that you will forsake the vanities of the world, and in all respects live as those with the great God and his people; and you do now particularly promise, as God shall enable you, to make it your prayer and endeavour that you may be prepared aright to attend to the ordinances and institutions of Christ, and meet him where his death is showed forth; and you likewise promise to submit yourself to the watch and discipline of the Church of Christ, and strive that your behavior be approved by both God and man. "Do you consent to this covenant?

"May God enable you to keep it."

It was also an established ecclesiastical rule, for parents who had recently united with the church and wished to bring their adult children to baptism, to require such children to own the following

"COVENANT.

"You do now solemnly give yourself to God in Jesus Christ, the mediator of a new covenant. You do sincerely beg of God the forgiveness of your sins, whether original or actual, through the blood of Jesus Christ; and with all your heart you desire to forsake every sin, and lead a new and holy life; and as you are about to receive the badge of Christianity—the initiatory seal of the covenant of grace-you do solemnly promise to the best of your power to live as a Christian, and to do your whole duty to God and to man, as far as you know it. You likewise submit yourself to the watch and discipline of the

*The sentence in brackets was erased from the covenant, at a period subsequent to its adoption.

church, and behave so as not to give just offence to any person whatever.

"Do you consent to this covenant?

"May God enable you to keep it."

As may be seen, the covenant which was adopted at the formation of the church contained few things that liberal Christians of this day would reject. But as the Arminian heresy began to gain ground, the conservatives of that day unwisely thought to suppress its progress by making church creeds speak more definitely the sentiments of the Synod of Dort, and of the Assembly of Westminster. Accordingly the "Cambridge Platform," which was established on the basis of the published deliberations of these two celebrated convocations of divines,-became a sort of model, by which was formed the creeds of local churches. Many churches, for the sake of peace, or from a fear that they might depart too far from the received standards, undoubtedly came into this measure without a deliberate conviction that it would be of any vital utility. Among such the Church in Shirley may be reckoned. Mr. Whitney, in the latter part of his life, told some of his friends that he was assisted in preparing his revised. Confession of Faith and Covenant, (which follow,) by Rev. Dr. Appleton of Cambridge, whose catholic mind revolted at that bigotry which attempted to limit mental research in its application to religious truth, and which would force adherence to tenets with which neither reason nor conviction could sympathize.*

"CONFESSION OF FAITH FOR THOSE WHO JOIN THE

CHURCH IN FULL COMMUNION.

You believe in one God, in three persons (or

characters,) Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

"2. You believe the sacred Scriptures are the word of God, and a perfect rule of faith and practice.

"3.

You believe that man is a fallen creature, and cannot be justified by the deeds of the law.

*See Appendix S.

"4. You believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and Savior of men, and that God will bestow salvation on all those who will repent and believe in his name, and live according to the precepts of his Gospel.

"5. You believe in a resurrection of the body, and a future state of rewards and punishments.

"6. You believe that baptism is an institution of Christ, and the Lord's Supper is a sacrament, by which his church should commemorate his dying love; to which church you believe it your duty to join yourself.

"Do you consent to this?

"COVENANT.

"You do now in everlasting covenant give yourself to God through Jesus Christ.

"You do humbly and penitently ask of God forgiveness of all your sins, whether original or actual, and with all your heart you desire to adopt Jesus Christ for your Savior and Redeemer, as he is offered to poor sinners in the Gospel. You likewise solemnly promise before God and the holy angels, and before this assembly, that being helped by the Holy Spirit, you will deny the vanities of this evil world, and approve yourself the true disciple of Jesus Christ, in all good carriage towards God and man. And particularly you promise, so long as God shall continue you among us, to walk in communion with the Church of Christ in this place, and carry it here according to the rules of the Gospel in all things agreeably to what you know, or shall hereafter know, to be your duty. "Do you consent to this covenant?

"I then, in the name of the great Head of the Church, do declare you to be a member in full communion with this church. I promise, being helped by the Holy Spirit, we will carry it towards you as towards a member of the same body with ourselves, watching over you with a spirit of meekness, love and tenderness, earnestly praying that God would delight to dwell among us, and that the divine blessing may be upon us, and his kingdom advanced by us. Amen."

I have introduced these several documents to exhibit to the present generation some of the ecclesiastical usages of a pious ancestry; and, also, that existing formulas of faith may be fairly compared with more ancient creeds. The difference between liberal congregationalists of the present time and those of the Arminian faith of a century ago is not so great as some have supposed. And a candid consideration of those extremes of profession, to which dogmatical Christianity has urged the ardent controversialist, may lead the mass of believers to that rational medium which is a safe basis of religious peace and progress.

I also have hoped, by their insertion in this volume, to save these formulas of our fathers from oblivion, to which-being long out of use-they are exposed while confined to single manuscript copies.

CHAPTER II.

Second Meeting-House-Events of Mr. Whitney's Ministry - Enlargement of Meeting-House-Settlement of a Colleague.

The first meeting-house-with all its inconveniences— remained the place of worship for about twenty years, during eleven of which the district had experienced the advantages of a settled ministry. It had become too small to accommodate its worshippers, and was too imperfect in its construction to admit any further repairs or enlarge

ment.

The proposal to have a new temple of worship seemed to accord with the wishes of the entire community; and to encourage the enterprise the pastor proposed to contribute £10 lawful money, "for the carrying on of