Parentator. Memoirs of remarkables in the life and the death of the ever-memorable Dr.…

It was in this Time, that among other Acts of Special Service which he continued still to do for the Churches of GOD, he signed with much wise ⟨p. 203⟩Deliberation upon them, several Instruments of Consequence, which were to be transmitted unto London; whereof one was an Address from the United Ministers of Boston, unto our Lawful and Rightful Sovereign King GEORGE, expressing the Just Abhorrence in Them, and All their People, for the Conspiracy then lately Discovered.

But that which his Heart was most of all set upon, was, To bear his Part, with A Faithful Testimony to the CAUSE and WORK of GOD, in the Churches of New-England; Left by the Memorable Mitchel, the Venerable Higginson, and the Honourable Stoughton; and now Published under the Title of, Elijahs Mantle. Dr. Mather having Perused and Pondered the Testimony of those Three Worthies, did with much Alacrity direct the Addition of his own unto it: And Express a deep concern upon his Mind, at the Attempts to introduce, A Lifeless Religion, and an Irreligious Life, into a Country that had been once famous for Better Things. It shall be here inserted; In perpetuam Rei Memoriam.

I am now in the Eighty-fourth Year of my Age, and under a Feebleness in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, wherein the Lord is yet a light unto me, and makes it but a Shadow of Death; and I am every Hour waiting and longing for my Dismission to a Better World. In these very singular Circumstances, I am willing to add my TESTIMONY; and I do Declare, That the PRINCIPAL DESIGN upon which these Colonies were at first Planted was to Profess and Practise, and Enjoy, with. Undisturbed ⟨p. 204⟩Liberty the Holy RELIGION of GOD our SAVIOUR, Exhibited in the Sacred Scriptures, and Rescued from the Inventions and Abuses which the Man of Sin has introduced; And, more particularly, To set up CHURCHES, [even of the Aboriginal Natives, as well as of English Christians,] for our Lord JESUS CHRIST, that shall keep themselves Loyal to Him, their Glorious KING, in His Word giving Law unto them; and faithful to the Religion of the SECOND COMMANDMENT; and free from those Offensive Things, from which our UNITED BRETHREN, of the Presbyterian and Congregational Denomination in the English Nation have withdrawn themselves; and which our Honoured and Beloved BRETHREN in the Renowned Church of Scotland, have abolished and abandoned. It was equally designed by those Followers of the Lord into the Wilderness, when it was a Land not Sown, That the Pure and Undefiled Religion delivered unto us in the Sacred Scriptures, (and exhibited afterwards in our Confession of Faith,) should be continually Preached, and our Doctrines of Grace particularly asserted; by MINISTERS of Good Abilities, and exemplary Godliness and Watchfulness, freely and fairly Chosen by the Churches whereof they are to be the Pastors. And it also belongs unto the Glory of these Churches, to be so Constituted, as Livelily to exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven unto the World; Both Debarring from their Communion, such