Page:History of Gardner, Massachusetts (1860) - Glazier.djvu/142

138 After the exercises, upon a motion made in the presence of the Council, the Church chose the Rev. Mr. Rice as their standing Moderator, with all consenting that they should choose an occasional Moderator among themselves as they should need. The Council then dissolved.

Scribe.

At this early period, towns and parishes were identical, and a tax was levied by law for the support of the gospel.

The following was the covenant of that early church, there being no articles of faith.

"We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, apprehending ourselves called of God unto the church state of the gospel, do first of all confess ourselves unworthy to be so highly favored of the Lord, and admire that free, rich grace of his which triumphs over so great unworthiness. And thus with humble reliance on the aids of grace, therein promise for them that in a sense of their inability to do any good thereby, do humbly wait on him for all. Thankfully laying hold of his covenant, we would choose the things that please him. We declare our serious belief of the Christian religion as contained in the said scriptures, and with such a view thereof as the confessions of faith in other churches has exhibited, heartily resolving to conform our lives unto the rules of that holy religion, as long as we live in the world. We give up