The Salem Covenant of 1629
We Covenant with the Lord and one with
another; and doe bynd our selves in the presence of God, to walke
together in all his waies, according as he is pleased to reveale
himselfe unto us in his Blessed word of truth.
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The Enlarged Salem Covenant of 1636
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 conversion, 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 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 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 stake; 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 Jesus Christ; whose blood we desire may sprinkle this
our Covenant made in his name.
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The Covenant of the Charles-Boston Church (1630)
In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and in Obedience to his holy Will and Divine Ordinance, We whose
Names are here under written, being by his most wise and good
providence brought together into this part of America in the Bay
of Massachusetts, and desirous to unite ourselves into one
Congregation or Church under the Lord Jesus Christ our Head, in
such sort as becometh all those whom he hath redeemed, and
sanctified to himself, DO hereby solemnly and religiously (as in
his most holy Presence) promise and bind ourselves, to walk in
all our ways according to the Rule of the Gospel, and in all
sincere Conformity to his holy Ordinances, and in mutual Love and
Respect each to other, so near as God shall give us Grace.
John Winthrop | Thomas Dudley | Isaac Johnson | John Wilson |
&c | &c
In: Donald Lutz: A Covenanted People. Religious Tradition and the
Origin of American Constitutionalism(The John Carter Brown
Library: Providence, RI, 1987), p. 12.
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The Watertown Covenant
July 30, 1630
We whose Names are hereto subscribed, having through God's Mercy
escaped out of Pollutions of the World, and been taken into the
Societe of his People, with all Thankfulness do hereby both with
Heart and Hand acknowledge, That his Gracious Goodness, and
Fatherly Care, towards us: And for further and more full
Declaration thereof, to the present and future Ages, have
undertaken (for the promoting of his Glory and the Churches Good,
and the Honour of our Blessed Jesus, in our more full and free
subjecting of our selves and ours, under his Gracious Government,
in the practice of, and Obedience unto all his Holy Ordinances
and Orders, which he Hath pleased to Prescribe and impose upon
us) a long and hazardous Voyage from East to West, from Old
England in Europe, to New England in America that we may walk
before him, and serve him, without Fear in Holiness and
Righteousness, all the Days of our Lives: And being safely
arrived here, and thus far onwards peaceably preserved by his
special Providence, that we bring forth our Intentions into
Actions, and perfect our Resolutions, in the Beginnings of some
Just and Meet Executions; We have separated the Day above written
from all other Services, and Dedicated it wholly to the Lord in
Divine employments, for a Day of Afflicting our Souls, and
humbling our selves before the Lord, to seek him, and at his
Hands, a Way to walk in, by Fasting and Prayer, that we might
know what was Good in his Sight: And the Lord was intreated of
us.
For in the End of the Day, after the finishing of our Publick
Duties, we do all, before we depart, solemnly and with all our
Hearts, personally, Man by Man for our selves and others
(charging them before Christ and his Elect Angels, even them that
are not here with us this Day, or are yet unborn, That they keep
the Promise unblameably and faithfully unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus) Promise, and enter into a sure Covenant with the Lord
our God, and before him with one another, by Oath and serious
Protestation made, to renounce all Idolatry and Superstition,
Will-Worship, all Humane Traditions and Inventions whatsoever, in
the Worship of God; and forsaking all Evil Ways, do give
ourselves wholly unto the Lord Jesus, to do him faithful Service,
observing and keeping all his Statutes, Commands, and Ordinances,
in all Matters concerning our Reformation; his Worship,
Administrations, Ministry, and Government; and in the Carriage of
our selves among our selves, and one another towards another, as
he hath prescribed in his Holy Word. Further swearing to cleave
unto that alone, and the true Sense and meaning thereof to the
utmost of our Power, as unto the most clear Light and infallible
Rule, and All-sufficient Canon, in all things that concern us in
this our Way. In Witness of all, we do ex Animo, and in the
presence of God, hereto set our Names, or Marks, in the Day and
Year above written.
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The Dedham Covenant
1636
One: We whose names are here unto
subscribed do, in the fear and reverence of our Almighty God,
mutually and severally promise amongst ourselves and each to
profess and practice one truth according to that most perfect
rule, the foundation whereof is ever lasting love.
Two: That we shall by all means labor to keep off from us all
such as are contrary minded, and receive only such unto us as may
be probably of one heart with us, [and such] as that we either
know or may well and truly be informed to walk in a peacable
conversation with all meekness of spirit, [this] for the
edification of each other in the knowledge and faith of the Lord
Jesus, and the mutual encouragement unto all temporal comforts in
all things, seeking the good of each other out of which may be
derived true peace.
Three: That if at any time differences shall rise between parties
of our said town, that then such party or parties shall presently
refer all such differences unto some one, two, or three others of
our said society to be fully accorded and determined without any
further delay, if it possibly may be.
Four: That every man that... shall have lots [and]* in our said
town shall pay his share in all such... charges as shall be
imposed on him..., as also become freely subject unto all such
orders and constitutions as shall be... made now or at any time
hereafter from this day forward, as well for loving and
comfortable society in our said town as also for the prosperous
and thriving condition of our said fellowship, especially
respecting the fear of God, in which we desire to begin and
continue whatsoever we shall by his loving favor take into hand.
Five: And for the better manifestation of our true resolution
herein, every man so received into the town is to subscribe
hereunto his name, thereby obliging both himself and his
successors after him forever, as we have done.
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Covenant of Exeter, New Hampshire
July 5, 1639
Whereas it hath pleased the Lord to
Moue the heart of our Dread Soveraigne Charles, by the grace of
God, King of England, Scotland, France & Ireland, to grant
license & liberty to sundry of his subjects to plant
themselves in the westerne partes of America: Wee, his loyall
subjects, brethren of the church of Exeter, situate & lying
upon Piscataquacke, wth other inhabitants there, considering wth
ourselves the holy will of god and our owne necessity, that we
should not live whout wholesome lawes & government amongst
us, of wch we are altogether destitute; doe in the name of Christ
& in the sight of God combine ourselves together, to erect
& set up amongst us such government as shall be to our best
discerning, agreeable to the will of god, professing ourselves
subjects to our Sovereign Lord King Charles, according to the
Libertys of our English Colony of the Massachusetts & binding
ouselves solemnly by the grace & helpe of Christ & in his
name & fear to submit ourselves to such godly & christian
laws as are established in the realme of England to our best
knowledge, & to all other such lawes wch shall upon good
grounds, be made & inacted amongst us according to God, yt we
may live quietly & peaceablely together, in all godliness and
honesty.
Mon., 5th d., 4th, 1639.
[Signed by John Whelewright and thirty-four others.]
THE ELDERS OR RULERS OATH
You shall swear by the great and dreadful Name of the High God,
Maker and Governor of Heaven and earth and by the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Prince of the Kings and rulers of the earth
This page last updated August 9, 2000.