plan, for he was Oliver Cromwell, who was a Protestant. This letter needs no further comment; let every American read it with attention. At this time images, saints, angels, crucifixes, altars, and lighted candles, became so common in the Church of England, that they called forth the following speech in this Parliament.

"I desire it may be considered, what new paintings have been laid upon the old face of the Whore of Babylon, to make her shew more lovely; I desire it may be considered, how the See of Rome doth eat into the bowels of our religion, and fret into the very banks and walls of it, the laws and statutes of this realm. I desire we may consider the increase of Armenianism, an error that makes the grace of God lackey after the will of man. I desire we may look into the belly and bowels of this Trojan Horse, and see if there be not men in it, ready to open the gates to Romish tyranny; for an Armenian is the spawn of a Papist; and if the warmth of favour come upon him, you shall see him turn into one of those frogs that rose out of the bottomless pit; these men having kindled a fire in our neighbouring country, are now endeavouring to set this into a flame."

Mr. Secretary Cook said-" The fathers of the church are asleep; but a little to awaken their attention and zeal, it is fit that they take notice of that Hierarchy that is already established, in competition with their lordships, for they (the Papists) have a bishop consecrated by the Pope; this bishop has his subaltern officers of all kinds, as vicars general, arch-deacons, rural-deans, apparitors, &c. neither are these nominal, or titular officers only; but they all execute their jurisdictions; and make their ordinary institutions throughout the kingdom, keep courts, and determine ecclesiastical causes; and which is an argument of more consequence, they keep ordinary intelligence by their agents in Rome, and hold correspondence with the Nuncios and Cardinals, both in Brussels and France; and even at this time, they intend to hold a concurrent assembly with this Parliament."

Freedom of speech had found its way into this Parliament, and called forth the following protestation or declaration, from the house.

"We the commons, in Parliament assembled do claim, protest, and avow for truth, the sense of the articles of religion, which were established by Parliament, in the thirteenth year of our late Queen Elizabeth, which by the public act, and by the general and current exposition of the writers of our church, have been delivered unto us. And we reject the sense of the Jesuits and Armenians, and all others that differ from us."

This fanned the fire; but God made use of the same means to build up his Puritan Church in England, that were used to increase and strengthen the church of the pilgrims in the Canaan of the west; they flourished and grew up together, in the midst of trials, persecutions, and sufferings, that their faith might be tried, and their hopes and strength, their confidence and love, might become strong, pure, and stedfast, through sufferings.

The king continued to raise money by arbitrary fines and imprisonments, and dissolved the Parliament.

CHAPTER II.

CAUSES THAT PROMOTED THE SETTLEMENT OF NEW-ENGLAND.HISTORY OF THE PILGRIMS CONTINUED.

In the year 1629, the Puritan Lecturers became so free and so popular in England, that they excited the indignation of the spiritual courts, and they were very generally silenced, and persecuted by fines and imprisonment, which opened the way for the advancement of the church in the wilderness. by sending out a colony, at this time, of these persecuted Puritans, with a Higginson, and a Skelton at their head, who sailed from England May 11th, and arrived at Naumkeag, now Salem, in New-England, June 24th, of the same year. This colony, as has been noticed, consisted of about three hundred and fifty

souls, well furnished with a fleet of six transports, and supplied with stock of all kinds, necessary for a new plantation, together with cannon, fire arms, and military stores, for the protection and defence of the colony.

Religion was the sole object of this colony; and upon their landing, they appointed the 6th of August as an early day on which they might keep a solemn fast, form themselves into a religious society, and dedicate themselves to God as a part of the church in the wilderness; accordingly on that day thirty persons covenanted with each other, and formed themselves into a church, and this was their covenant.

COVENANT OF THE CHURCH OF SALEM.

"We covenant with our Lord and oneanother, we bind ourselves in the presence of God, to walk together in all his ways, according as he is pleased to reveal himself to us in his blessed Word of Truth, and do profess to walk as follows, through the power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

"We give ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the Word of his Grace, for the teaching, ruling, and sanctifying us in matters of worship and conversation, resolving to reject all canons and constitutions of men in worship.

"We promise to walk with our brethren in all tenderness and watchfulness, avoiding jealousies, suspicions, provokings, and secret risings of spirit against them; but in all offences to follow the rule of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to bear and forbear, give and forgive, as he hath taught. In public or in private, we will willingly do nothing to the offence of the church; but will be willing to take advice for ourselves and ours, as occasion shall require.

"We will not in the congregation be forward, either to shew our own gifts and parts in speaking, or scrupling, or discovering the weaknesses or failings of our brethren; but attend an ordinary 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 ourselves to study the advancement of the gospel, in all truth and peace, both in regard to those that are within, as well as those that are without; no way slighting our sister churches; but using their counsel as need may be; not laying a stumbling block before any, no not even the Indians, whose good we desire to promote; and so to converse as that we may avoid the very appearance of evil.

We do hereby promise to carry ourselves, in all lawful obedience to those that are over us, in church or commonwealth, knowing how well pleasing it is to the Lord, that they should have encouragement in their places, by our not grieving their spirits by our irregularities.

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

"Promising also to teach our children, and servants, the knowledge of the true God, and of his will, that they may serve him also. 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."

Mr. Skelton was chosen their pastor, Mr. Higginson their teacher, and Mr. Haughton their ruling elder, and they were separated to the work, by the laying on of the hands of a select number of the brethren.

The

I have given this whole transaction at large, to shew the characters of the first churches of New-England, and the genius of their religion and church discipline. The history of these churches forms the highest encomium upon their sterling worth and virtue, that can be conveyed to the mind of man. two worthy clergymen who were at the head of this church, were both men of a public education, and had been distinguished preachers in England, until they were deprived of their churches and their livings, by the Court of High Commission, and thus driven into a voluntary banishment, where they might

enjoy their religion in peace, and build up the church in the wilderness.

In 1630, the governor of Massachusetts embarked for NewEngland with two hundred ministers, gentlemen, and others, who fled from the persecutions of Bishop Laud, to seek a retreat in the wilds of America. When they took leave of the land of their fathers, they left in the hands of their brethren the following request.

"The humble request of the Governor and Company, lately

gone for New-England, to the rest of their brethren in, and of the Church of England, for the obtaining of their prayers, and removal of suspicions and misconstructions of their in

tentions.

"We intreat you, Reverend Fathers and Brethren of the Church of England, that ye recommend us to the mercies of God, in your constant prayers, as a new church now sprung out of your own bowels; for ye are not ignorant that the Spirit of God stirred up the Apostle Paul, to make a continual mention of the Church of Philippi, which was a colony of Rome. Let the same spirit, we beseech you, put you in mind that are the Lord's remembrancers, to pray for us without ceasing; and what goodness you shall extend to us in this way, or any other christian kindness, we your brethren in Christ shall labour to repay in what duty we are, or shall be able to perform, promising, as far as God shall enable us, to give him no rest on your behalf, wishing our heads and hearts, may be fountains of tears for your everlasting welfare, when we shall be in our poor cottages in the wilderness, overshadowed with the spirit of supplication, through the manifold necessities and tribulations, which may not altogether, nor we trust unprofitably, befall us.

Here is a true sample of the religion which moved the hearts of the pilgrims to separate from the mother church, and flee into the wilderness, and God has crowned this spirit with his choicest blessings.