There was a Church Covenant agreed upon and con­sented to by the Church of Salem at their first beginning in the Year, 1629, Aug. 6.

This following Covenant was propounded by the Pastor agreed upon and consented to by the Bre­thren of the Church, in the Year, 1636.

WE whose Names are here under writ­ten, Members of the present Church of Christ in Salem, having found by sad experi­ence how dangerous it is to sit loose from the Covenant we make with our God, and how apt we are to wander into by paths, even to the losing of our first aims in entring into Church Fellow­ship; Do therefore solemnly in the presence of the eternal God, both for our own comforts, and those who shall or may be joyned unto us, renew that Church Covenant we find this Church bound unto at their first beginning, viz. That we cove­nant with the Lord, and one with another, and doe bind our selves in the presence of God to walk together in all his wayes, according as he is pleased to reveal himself unto us in his blessed [Page 2] word of truth, & do more 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 to him a­lone for life and glory, and to oppose all contrary wayes, Cannons and constitutions of men in his worship.

We promise to walk with our Brethren and Sisters with all watchfulness and tenderness, a­voiding Jealousies and suspitions, backbitings, censurings, provokings, secret risings of spirit a­gainst them; but in all offences to follow the rule of the Lord Jesus, and to bear and forbear, give and forgive as he hath taught us.

In publick or private we will willingly doe no­thing to the offence of the Church; but will be willing to take advice for our selves and ours, as occasion shall be presented.

We will not in the Congregation be forward either to shew our own gifts and parts, in speak­ing and scrupling or there discover the weaknes­ses and failings of our Brethren, but attend an orderly call thereunto, knowing how much the [Page 3] Lord may be dishonoured, and his Gospel & the profession of it slighted by our distempers and weaknesses in publick.

We bind ourselves to study the advancement of the Gospel in all truth and peace, 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 stumbling block 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 doe hereby promise to carry our selves in all lawfull 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 not grieving their spirits through our irregularityes.

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 Lords Stewards.

Also promising to our best ability to teach our Children and Servants the knowledge of God and 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.

[Page 4] This forementioned Covenant was often read and Renewed by the Church at the end of dayes of Hu­miliation, especially in the year 1660, on the sixth of the first moneth; when also considering the hour of Temptation amongst us by reason of the Quakers Doctrine, to the levening of some in the place where we are, and endangering of others, we doe see cause to remember the admonition of our Saviour Christ unto his Disciples, Math. 16. Take heed and be­ware of the leven of the doctrine of the Phari­sees. And doe judge (so far as we understand it) that the Quakers doctrine is as bad or worse then that of the Pharisees. Therefore,

We doe Covenant by the help of Jesus Christ, to take heed and beware of the leven of the do­ctrine of the Quakers.

Also this following Covenant was in seve­ral Church Meetings in the beginning of this year 1680. considered of, agreed upon, and consented to by the generality of the Church, to be used as a di­rection for the Renewing of our Church Covenant, as being more accommodated to the present times, and state of things amongst us.

Accordingly it was made use of in that way at the conclusion of the publick F [...], Apr. 15. 1680. viz.

[Page 5]We, who (through the mercy of God) are Members of this Church of Salem, being now as­sembled in the presence of God, and in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, after humble confessi­on of our manifold breaches of Covenant with the Lord our God, and earnest supplication for his pardoning mercy through the blood of Christ and deep acknowledgment of our own unworthi­ness to be owned as the Lords Covenant People; also acknowledging our inability to keep Cove­nant with God, or to perform any spiritual duty unless the Lord enable us thereunto by the Grace of his Spirit, and yet being awfully sensible that in these times by the loud voice of his judgements both felt and feared, the Lord is calling us all to Repentance and Reformation; we doe therefore in humble confidence of his gracious assistance, through Christ, Renew our Covenant with God, and one with another in the manner following.

1. We doe give up our selves to that God whose name alone is Jehovah, Father, Son and Spirit, as the only true and living God, and unto our Lord Jesus Christ, as our only Redeemer and Saviour, as the only Prophet, Priest & King over our Souls, and only Mediator of the Covenant of Grace, engaging our hearts unto this God in Christ by the help of his Spirit of Grace, to cleave unto him as our God and chief good, and unto Jesus Christ as our Mediator by Faith, in a [Page 6] way of Gospel Obedience, as becometh his Cove­nant People for ever.

2 We doe also give up our Offspring unto God in Jesus Christ, avouching the Lord to be our God and the God of our Children, and our selves with our Children to be his People, humbly ado­ring the Grace of God in Christ Jesus, that we & our Children may be looked upon as the Lords.

3. We do also give up our selves one to ano­ther in the Lord according to the will of God, to walk together as a Church of Christ in all the wayes of his worship and service, according to the Rules of the Word of God, promising in bro­therly love faithfully to watch over one anothers Souls, and to submit our selves to the discipline and government of Christ in his Church, and du­ly to attend the Seals and Censures, and whate­ver Ordinances Christ hath commanded to be observed by his people according to the order of the Gospel, so far as the Lord hath, or shall re­veal unto us.

And whereas the Elders and Messengers of these Churches have met together in the late Sy­nod to enquire into the Reasons of the Lords Controversy with his people, have taken notice of many provoking Evils as the procuring causes of the Judgements of God upon New-England, so far as we or any of us have been guilty of those Evils, or any of them, (according to any light held forth by them from Scripture) we desire from [Page 7] our hearts to bewail it before the Lord; and humbly to entreat for pardoning mercy for the sake of the blood of the everlasting Covenant. And as an expedient unto Reformation of those Evils, or whatever else have provoked the Eyes of Gods glory amongst us, we do promise and engage our selves in the presence of God.

1. That we will (by the help of Christ) en­deavour every one to reform his own heart and life, by seeking to mortify all our sins, and to walk more close with God then ever we have done, and to uphold the power of godliness, and that we will continue to worship God, in publick, private and secret, and this (as God shall help us) without formality and hypocrisie, and more fully and faithfully then heretofore, to discharge all Covenant duties one towards another in a way of Church Communion.

2 We promise by the help of Christ, to re­form our Families, and to walk before God in our houses with a perfect heart, and that we will up­hold the Worship of God therein continually, as he in his Word doth require both in respect of prayer, and reading of the Scriptures, and that we will do what lyes in us to bring up our Chil­dren for God, and therefore will (so far as there shall be need of it) Catechize them, and exhort and charge them to fear and serve the Lord, and endeavour to set an holy Example before them, and be much in prayer for their Conver­sion and Salvation.

[Page 8]3. We do further engage (the Lord helping of us) to endeavour to keep our selves pure from the sins of the Times, and what lyes in us to help for­ward the Reformation of the same in the places where we live, denying all ungodliness and world­ly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, making Conscience to walk so as to give no offence nor to give occasion to others to sin or to speak evil of our holy Pro­fession.

Finally, giving glory to the Lord our God, that He is the faithful God, keeping Covenant & mercy with his people for ever, but confessing that we are a weak and sinful people, and subject many wayes to break our Covenant with him; therefore that we may observe and keep these and all other Covenant duties required of us in the word of God; We desire to deny our selves, and to depend wholly upon the grace of God in Christ Jesus for the constant presence and assi­stance of his holy Spirit to enable us thereunto, and wherein we shall fail, we shall humbly wait upon his grace in Christ for pardon, for Accep­tance, and for healing, or his Names sake. Amen.