260 



original covenant as given by Dr. Mather, under tiie sanction 

 of Mr. Higginson, with the preamble of its renewal in 163G, 

 and the postscript, or Quaker clause, added in 1660 by Mr. 

 Higginson, and a marginal note in the hand writing of Mr. 

 Fisk ;* also, the names of the first thirty members of the church, 

 and those afterwards added before the settlement of Mr. Hig- 

 ginson, together with an account of baptisms from 1636 to 1650. 



As regarded the present question the records might be con- 

 sidered complete. It sufficiently appeared from the proceedings 

 of the church, at its first meeting, after Mr. Higginson's settle- 

 ment, Sept. 10, 1660, that all important matters must have 

 been copied from the former book. A committee, then appointed 

 " to review the church book," &c., consisting of " Major Haw- 

 thorn, Mr. Battis, Mr. Price, the two deacons, together with 

 the pastor," — represented, " That they conceived the book 

 itself and the paper of it being old, not well bound, and in some 

 places having been wet and torn and not legible, is not like to 

 continue long to be of use for posterity ; therefore they thought 

 it best if it were kept in safety by the elders, by that means it 

 may be of good use so long as it will last. Only some few 

 passages in it which do reflect upon particular persons, or upon 

 the whole church without any church vote, and without due 

 proof, they did mark in the book as thinking they should be 

 struck out." 



Mr. Higginson thus had possession of the whole former book 

 as well as the transcripts from it. He was very exact in his 

 church records, especially in what related to the admission of 

 members. But no intimation was to be found in the Avhole 

 church book of any test creed, or prescribed articles of faith, 

 having ever been adopted, or used, in the First Church, 



A single instance from his records of admission was enough 

 to show the spirit of the whole. " 1678, at a church meeting, 

 March 9, (after naming eight persons) — these eight having been 



* See Appendix. 



