Includes bibliographical references (pages 304-354) and index.
The European background -- The colonial charters of early New England -- The civil covenants of early New England -- The church covenants of early New England I: The standing order -- The church covenants of early New England II: The dissenters -- The covenantal confessions of early New England: The seeds of diversity -- Conclusion -- Appendix 1. A listing of Seventeenth-Century towns, churches, and Native American praying places in or related to New England, including a checklist of covenant and foundational activity, 1620-1708 -- Appendix 2. Typology of early New England local civil covenants, arranged chronologically