s of
America with the exception of six English, ten Irish, four Scotch and
six Germans. The majority were of Puritan stock and members of the
congregationalist churches of Massachusetts. Scarcely had they settled
themselves in their new possessions when they began the organization
of a church. Dr. James Hannay in his very interesting paper on the
Maugerville Settlement, published in the collections of the New
Brunswick Historical Society, gives a copy of the original church
covenant certified as correct by Humphrey Pickard, the church clerk.
The covenant is signed by Jonathan Burpee, Elisha Nevers, Richard
Estey, Daniel Palmer, Gervas Say, Edward Coy and Jonathan Smith. The
opening paragraph reads:

"We whose names are hereto subscribed, apprehending ourselves
called of God (for advancing of His Kingdom and edifying ourselves
and posterity) to combine and embody ourselves into a distinct
Church Society, and being for that end orderly dismissed from the
Churches to which we heretofore belonged; do (as we hope) with
some measure of seriousness and sincerity, take upon us the
following covenant, viz.:--

"As to matters of faith we cordially adhere to the principles of
religion (at least the substance of them) contained in the Shorter
Catechism of the Westminister Assembly of Divines wherewith also
the New England Confession of Faith harmonizeth, not as supposing
that there is any authority, much less infalibility, in these
human creeds or forms; but verily believing that these principles
are drawn from and agreeable to the Holy Scripture, which is the
foundation and standard of truth; hereby declaring our utter
dislike of the Pelagian Arminian principles, vulgarly so called.

"In a firm belief of the aforesaid doctrines from an earnest
desire that we and ours may receive the love of them and be saved
with hopes that what we are now doing may be a means of so great
an happiness; we do now (under a sense of our utter unworthiness
of the honour and privileges of God's Covenant people) in solemn
and yet free and cheerful manner give up ourselves and offspring
to God the Father, to the Son the Mediator, and the Holy Ghost the
instructor, sanctifier and comforter, to be henceforth the people
and servants of this God, to believe in all His revalations, to
accept of His method of reconciliation, to obey His commands, and
to keep all His ordinances, to look to and depend upo