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The idea of covenant was at the heart of early New England society. In this singular book David Weir explores the origins and development of covenant thought in America by analyzing the town and church documents written and signed by seventeenth-century New Englanders. Unmatched in the breadth of its scope, this study takes into account all of the surviving covenants in all of the New England colonies. Weir's comprehensive survey of seventeenth-century covenants leads to a more complex picture of early New England than what emerges from looking at only a few famous civil covenants like the Mayflower Compact. His work shows covenant theology being transformed into a covenantal vision for society but also reveals the stress and strains on church-state relationships that eventually led to more secularized colonial governments in eighteenth-century New England. He concludes that New England colonial society was much more "English" and much less "American" than has often been thought, and that the New England colonies substantially mirrored religious and social change in Old England.

Excerpt from History of Swansea Massachusetts At the annual Town Meeting, held March 2, 1914, the Rev. Otis O. Wright, Elmer S. Sears, Edwin P. Kershaw, Leroy J. Chace, and Lorenzo P. Sturtevant were appointed a committee to have charge of the preparation of a history of the town, to be published previous to the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its incorporation, said committee to report at the next annual, or at a special meeting of the town, as to plans, expenses, etc. The committee met in the Frank S. Stevens Public Library Building, May 1, 1914, and organized by choosing O.O. Wright Chairman, and Elmer S. Sears Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. Wright was appointed editor and historian of the work. It was agreed that since so much has been published concerning the Town, the work should be largely that of editing and compiling such records and other material as may be available and adapted to the special purpose of the contemplated anniversary and its celebration. It was thought that the volume should be limited to about 250 pages. At the next Town meeting, March 1, 1915, the committee reported progress, and it was "Voted - To accept the report of the committee appointed at the last annual meeting relative to a town history, and to appropriate$200 for the purpose of carrying on the work." At the annual meeting held March 6th, 1916, the committee reported progress, and offered the following Resolutions: "Resolved, That the said Committee be authorized to complete, print and publish said history, of about 250 pages, on or before April 1, 1917, the expense of so doing not to exceed $1000 for 500 copies bound in cloth, and 100 copies in sheets." "Resolved, That the selectmen be authorized to make plans, appoint committees, and to have general charge of a celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Town, to be held on two successive days, between the first and fifteenth of September, 1917, as they may determine; and that all necessary expenses incurred by them for that purpose shall be paid by the Town upon their order." About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Beginning in 1924, Proceedings are incorporated into the Apr. number.