supper, we doe wholy and in all points agree with ye French reformed churches, according to their publick confession of faith. The oath of Supremacie we shall willingly take if it be required of us, and that convenient satisfaction be not given by our taking ye oath of Alleagence. Ye 2. was this. John Rob: Touching ye Ecclesiasticall ministrie, &c. as in ye former, we agree in all things with the French reformed churches, according to their publick confession of faith; though some small differences be to be found in our practices, not at all in ye substance of the things, but only in some accidentall circumstances. 1. As first, their ministers doe pray with their heads covered; ours uncovered. 2. We chose none for Governing Elders but such as are able to teach; which abilitie they doe not require. 3. Their elders & deacons are annuall, or at most for 2. or 3. years; our perpetuall. 4. Our elders doe administer their office in admonitions & excommunications for publick scandals, publickly & before ye congregation; theirs more privately, & in their consistories. 5. We doe administer baptisme only to such infants as whereof ye one parente, at ye least, is of some church, which some of ther churches doe not observe; though in it our practice accords with their publick confession and ye judgmente of ye most larned amongst them. Other differences, worthy mentioning, we know none in these points. Then aboute ye oath, as in ye former. The notable thing about all these confessions is that from first to last they say practically nothing about doctrine. We are entirely certain that none of the men who wrought these documents practiced or believed in creed tests as a method of separating one Christian body from another. II. LOCAL CHURCH CREEDS It has been said repeatedly that none of the older Congregational churches had creeds. That statement need not be recalled nor greatly qualified. Yet it is to be remembered that the covenant was not regarded as sacred by reason of the particular form of words which it contained, but was changed in many cases at the discretion of the minister. Among the many confessions employed at one time and another in local churches it would have been strange if some had not included matter which was more or less doctrinal. We have noted the temporary use in the Old South in Boston of a quasi credal test during the pastorate of Rev. Samuel Blair for a few months in 1769. There may have been a few other instances, but if so they were local and for the most part temporary. It has been noted, also, that Rev. Hugh Peter, coming from Rotterdam to the Church in Salem, renewed the covenant, and made it longer. We are informed in contemporary manuscripts that Mr. Peter was given to making covenants of his own sort, and Burrage notes some instances (The Covenant Idea, pp. 81-82). These covenants he imposed upon the members of his congregation as tests of admission to the Lord's Supper. We have two covenants of his church in Rotterdam, one of 1633, and the other of 1635 or thereabout; but while they were rigid, and were imposed as tests of fellowship at the Lord's table, they were not doctrinal. We give here the text of this covenant, which, while not doctrinal, was used as a test in a sense that the earlier covenants were not commonly employed: THE COVENANT OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH AT ROTERDAME The text is from “A Briefe Narration of Some Church Courses," etc., by William Rathband. London, 1644. Pp. 17, 18. Rathband states concerning this covenant that it is "The Covenant of the English Church at Roterdame (as is reported to us) renewed when Mr. H. P. was made their Pastour," which Burrage shows cannot well be correct as to date. This probably dates from about 1635, shortly before Mr. Peter came to America. We whose names are here-under written, having a long time found by sad experience how uncomfortable it is to walk in a disordered and unsettled condition, &c. 1. Doe renue our Covenant in Baptisme, and avouch God to be our God. 2. We resolve to cleave to the true and pure worship of God, opposing to our power all false wayes. 3. We will not allow our selves in any known sin, but will renounce it, so soon as it is manifested from Gods Word so to be: the Lord lending us power. 4. We resolve to carry our selves in our severall places of government and obedience with all good conscience, knewing we must give an account to God. 5. We will labour for further growth in grace, by hearing, reading, prayer, meditation, and all other wayes we can. 6. We meane not to overburthen our hearts with earthly cares, which are the bane of all holy duties, the breach of the Sabbath, and the other Commandments. 7. We will willingly and meekly submit to Christian Discipline, without murmuring, and shall labour so to continue, and will endevour to be more forward, zealous, faithfull, loving and wise in admonishing others. 8. We will labour by all our abilities for the furtherance of the Gospell as occasion shall be offered to us. 9. We promise to have our children, servants, and all our charge taught the wayes of God. 10. We will strive to give no offence to our brethren by censuring them rashly by suspitions, evill speakings, or any other way. 11. Lastly, we doe protest not onely against open and scandalous sins, as drunkennesse, swearing, &c., but also against evil companie, and all appearance of evill to the utmost of our power. Per me H. P. When Mr. Peter came to Salem, he enlarged the covenant, as we have already noted, from the simple form which had been adoptd in 1629, to that which we have given in the chapter on early covenants; and thereto added certain particulars. It is nothing less than remarkable that these were none of them doctrinal: PETER'S SALEM COVENANT, 1636 Gather by Saints together unto me, that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. Ps. 50: 5. 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 sitt loose to the Covenant wee make with our God: and how apt wee are to wander into by pathes, even to the looseing of our first aimes in entring into Church fellowship: Doe therefore solemnly in the presence of the Eternall God, both for our own comforts, and those which shall or maye be joyned unto us, renewe that Church Covenant we find this Church bound unto at theire first beginning, viz: That We Covenant with the Lord and with an other; and doe bynd our selves in the presence of God, to walke together in all his waies, according as he is pleased to reveale himself unto us in his Blessed word of truth. And doe more explicitely in the name and feare of God, profess and protest to walke as followeth through the power and grace of our Lord Jesus. 1 first wee avowe the Lord to be our God, and our selves his people in the truth and simplicitie of our spirits. 2 We give our selves to the Lord Jesus Christ, and the word of his grace, fore the teaching, ruleing and sanctifyeing of us in matters of worship, and Conversation, resolveing to cleave to him alone for life and glorie; and oppose all contrarie wayes, cannons and constitutions of men in his worship. 3 Wee promise to walke with our brethren and sisters in this Congregation with all watchfullnes and tendernes, avoyding all jelousies, suspitions, backbyteings, censurings, provoakings, secrete risings of spirite against them; but in all offences to follow the rule of the Lord Jesus, and to beare and forbeare, give and forgive as he hath taught us. 4 In publick or in private, we will willingly doe nothing to the ofence of the Church but will be willing to take advise for ourselves and ours as ocasion shalbe presented. 5 Wee will not in the Congregation be forward eyther to shew oure owne gifts or parts in speaking or scrupling, or there discover the fayling of oure brethren or sisters butt atend an orderly cale there unto; knowing how much the Lord may be dishonoured, and his Gospell in the prefession of it, sleighted, by our distempers, and weaknesses in publyck. 6 Wee bynd our selves to studdy the advancement of the Gospell in all truth and peace, both in regard of those that are within, or without, noe way sleighting our sister Churches, but useing theire Counsell as need shalbe: nor laying a stumbling block before any, noe not the Indians, whose good we desire to promote, and soe to converse, as we may avoyd the verrye appearance of evill. 7 We hearbye promise to carrye our selves in all lawful obdience, to those that are over us, in Church or Commonweale, knowing how well pleasing it will be to the Lord, that they should have incouragement in theire places, by our not greiveing theyre spirites through our Irregularities. 8 Wee resolve to approve our selves to the Lord in our perticular calings, shunning ydleness as the bane of any state, nor will wee deale hardly, or oppressingly with any, wherein we are the Lord's stewards: 9 alsoe promyseing to our best abilitie to teach our children and servants, the knowledg of God and his will, that they may serve him also; and all this, not by any strengh of our owne, but by the Lord Christ, whose bloud we desire may sprinckle this our Covenant made in his name.--Walker: "Creeds and Platforms," pp. 117-118. Something approaching a genuine creed arose, however, in Salem, in 1665, "whereby to express their common faith. and salvation, and not to be made use of as an imposition upon any." This notable reservation shows with what care the Puritan fathers gave their qualified assent to any form of creed. Walker points out that this was probably used in part as a half-way covenant.-Creeds and Platforms, p. 121. THE CONFESSION OF FAITH I do believe with my heart and confess with my mouth. Concerning God. That there is but one only true God in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, each of them God, and all of them one and the same Infinite, Eternal God, most Wise, Holy, Just, Mercifull and Blessed for ever. Concerning the Works of God. That this God is the Maker, Preserver, and Governour of all things according to the counsel of his own Will, and that God made man in his own Image, in Knowledge, Holiness and Righteousness. Concerning the Fall of Man. That Adam by transgressing the Command of God, fell from God and brought himself and his posterity into a state of Sin and death, under the Wrath and Curse of God, which I do believe to be my own condition by nature as well as any other. Concerning Jesus Christ. That God sent his Son into the World, who for our sakes became man, that he might redeem and save us by his Obedience unto death, and that he arose from the dead, ascended unto Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God, from whence he shall come to judge the World. |