DORCHESTER COVENANT. 31 



tice for them until a more modern theology 

 introduced the bigotry which has been so 

 falsely laid to their charge. 



*' Dorchester, 



'^ Ye 23d day of ye 6th month (1630). 

 '* We, whose names are subscribed, being 

 called of God to join ourselves together in 

 Church communion, from our hearts acknowl- 

 edging our own unworthiness of such a privi- 

 lege or of the least of God's mercies, and like- 

 wise acknowledging our disability to keep cov- 

 enant with God or to perform any spiritual 

 duty which God calleth us unto, unless the 

 Lord do enable us thereunto by his spirit 

 dwelHng in us, do, in the name of Christ Jesus, 

 our Lord, and in trust and confidence of his 

 free grace assisting us, freely covenant and 

 bind ourselves solemnly, in the presence of 

 God himself, his holy angels, and all his ser- 

 vants here present, that we will, by his grace 

 assisting us, endeavor constantly to walk to- 

 gether as a right ordered congregation or 

 church, according to all the holy rules of a 

 church body, rightly established, so far as we 

 do already know it to be our duty, or shall fur- 

 ther understand it out of God's Holy Word, 

 promising first, and above all, to cleave unto 

 him as our chief and only good, and to our 

 Lord Jesus Christ as our only spiritual hus- 

 band and Lord, and our only High Priest and 

 Prophet and King. And for the furthering of 



