were individuals in most of the churches who had long watched the progress of this apostacy with deep concern, and who came at last to feel that a new standard in favor of evangelical religion must be raised in the metropolis, though they foresaw it would be at the expense of breaking many of their most cherished associations, and of accumulating upon themselves a mighty amount of obloquy. Having thoroughly counted the cost of the enterprise, they resolved upon the formation of a new church, and on the 27th of February, 1809, agreed to adopt the following articles of Faith.

We the subscribers, having agreed to unite in the establishment of a new Congregational Church in Boston, by the name of Park-street Church, think it proper to make a declaration of that faith which is the bond of our ecclesiastical union, and which we shall expect to find in all those who shall hereafter participate in our religious privileges and com

munion.

by any body-i. e. after the decease of Drs. Sewall, Prince, Foxcroft, Webb, &c. Soon after that race of ministers passed away, the war came on; the order of society was deranged; general laxity increased; and it so happened that some of the most erroneous ministers were high whigs and greatly popular, and of course well adapted to secure a ready reception for their errors. Only let any set of pastors in the world forbear for fifteen or twenty years to preach the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel, and the way will be prepared at the end of that time to receive any sentiments which artful and popular men may be disposed to recommend.

"Another source of the mischief was this:-In the early periods of the administration of our Puritan fathers, there was a close connexion between the church and the state. All the conspicuous leaders in civil society were church-members. Nobody was thought of for any important civil station, but a professor of religion. As vital piety declined, while the leading men wished still to be professors of religion, without which they could scarcely expect the popular suffrage, they felt that they could not make a profession excepting on some more lax and indulgent system than that which was taught by the Puritan fathers. Calvinism, its consequences and its discipline, were thought too strict; and a more indulgent system was sought in its place. The evils to which this led may easily be imagined."

1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, and the only perfect rule of christian faith and practice.

2. We profess our decided attachment to that system of the christian religion which is distinguishingly denominated evangelical; more particularly to those doctrines which in a proper sense, are styled the Doctrines of Grace, viz. "That there is one, and but one living and true God, subsisting in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and that these Three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; that God from all eternity, according to the counsel of His own will, and for his own glory, fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass; that God in his most holy, wise and powerful providence, preserves and governs all his creatures and all their actions; that by the Fall, all mankind lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever; that God, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity elected some to everlasting life, entered into a covenant of grace, to deliver them from a state of sin and misery, and introduce them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer; that this Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who became man, and continues to be God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever; that the effectual calling of sinners is the work of God's Spirit; that their justification is only for the sake of Christ's righteousness by faith." And though we deem no man or body of men infallible, yet we believe that those divines that were eminently distinguished in the time of the Reformation, possessed the spirit, and maintained in great purity, the peculiar doctrines of our holy religion: and that these doctrines are in general clearly and happily expressed in the Westminster Assembly's Shorter Catechism, and in the Confession of Faith owned and consented unto by the Elders and Messengers of the Churches, assembled at Boston, (N. E.) May 12th, A. D. 1680.

3. In regard to our ecclesiastical government and discipline,

were individuals in most of the churches who had long watched the progress of this apostacy with deep concern, and who came at last to feel that a new standard in favor of evangelical religion must be raised in the metropolis, though they foresaw it would be at the expense of breaking many of their most cherished associations, and of accumulating upon themselves a mighty amount of obloquy. Having thoroughly counted the cost of the enterprise, they resolved upon the formation of a new church, and on the 27th of February, 1809, agreed to adopt the following articles of Faith.

We the subscribers, having agreed to unite in the establishment of a new Congregational Church in Boston, by the name of Park-street Church, think it proper to make a declaration of that faith which is the bond of our ecclesiastical union, and which we shall expect to find in all those who shall hereafter participate in our religious privileges and communion.

by any body-i. e. after the decease of Drs. Sewall, Prince, Foxcroft, Webb, &c. Soon after that race of ministers passed away, the war came on; the order of society was deranged; general laxity increased; and it so happened that some of the most erroneous ministers were high whigs and greatly popular, and of course well adapted to secure a ready reception for their errors. Only let any set of pastors in the world forbear for fifteen or twenty years to preach the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel, and the way will be prepared at the end of that time to receive any sentiments which artful and popular men may be disposed to recommend.

"Another source of the mischief was this:-In the early periods of the administration of our Puritan fathers, there was a close connexion between the church and the state. All the conspicuous leaders in civil society were church-members. Nobody was thought of for any important civil station, but a professor of religion. As vital piety declined, while the leading men wished still to be professors of religion, without which they could scarcely expect the popular suffrage, they felt that they could not make a profession excepting on some more lax and indulgent system than that which was taught by the Puritan fathers. Calvinism, its consequences and its discipline, were thought too strict; and a more indulgent system was sought in its place. The evils to which this led may easily be imagined."

1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, and the only perfect rule of christian faith and practice.

2. We profess our decided attachment to that system of the christian religion which is distinguishingly denominated evangelical; more particularly to those doctrines which in a proper sense, are styled the Doctrines of Grace, viz. "That there is one, and but one living and true God, subsisting in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and that these Three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; that God from all eternity, according to the counsel of His own will, and for his own glory, fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass; that God in his most holy, wise and powerful providence, preserves and governs all his creatures and all their actions; that by the Fall, all mankind lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever; that God, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity elected some to everlasting life, entered into a covenant of grace, to deliver them from a state of sin and misery, and introduce them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer; that this Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who became man, and continues to be God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever; that the effectual calling of sinners is the work of God's Spirit; that their justification is only for the sake of Christ's righteousness by faith." And though we deem no man or body of men infallible, yet we believe that those divines that were eminently distinguished in the time of the Reformation, possessed the spirit, and maintained in great purity, the peculiar doctrines of our holy religion: and that these doctrines are in general clearly and happily expressed in the Westminster Assembly's Shorter Catechism, and in the Confession of Faith owned and consented unto by the Elders and Messengers of the Churches, assembled at Boston, (N. E.) May 12th, A. D. 1680.

3. In regard to our ecclesiastical government and discipline,

with our sister churches in this Commonwealth, we adopt the congregational form, as contained in the Platform of Church Discipline, gathered out of the word of God, and agreed upon by the Elders and Messengers of the Churches, assembled in the Synod at Cambridge, (N. E.) A. D. 1648.

4. In order to admission to membership in this Church, it is understood that every candidate shall be previously examined, and give credible evidence of a ground of the comfortable hope of a personal condition of grace, through the renovation of the soul, by the special influences of the Holy Spirit, implying repentance for sin and faith in Jesus Christ the Redeemer.

5. We hereby covenant and engage, as fellow christians of one faith, and partakers of the same hope and joy, to give up ourselves unto the Lord, for the observing the ordinances of Christ together in the same society, and to unite together into one body for the public worship of God, and the inutual edification one of another in the fellowship of the Lord Jesus; exhorting, reproving, comforting, and watching over each other, for mutual edification;-looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

The following is the Form of admission to the church, written by Doctor GRIFFIN.

You have presented yourselves in this public manner before God, to dedicate yourselves to His service, and to incorporate yourselves with His visible people. You are about to profess supreme love to Him, sincere contrition for all your sins, and faith unfeigned in the Lord Jesus Christ; to enter into a solemn covenant to receive the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as they are offered in the Gospel, and to walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. We trust you have well considered the nature of these professions and engagements. The transaction is solemn, and will be attend