Compact Comparison

The other day, I reprinted the text of the Guilford Covenant on my blog (see Henry Whitfield State Museum). After reading it over several times, I wondered how similar it was to the Mayflower Compact and if the Guilford congregation had taken any clues from the Plimoth Plantation group in crafting an organizational document. That curiosity led me to investigate the question a bit. What I found was a tremendous difference between the two agreements (at least to my mind). I offer the text of both below. Read them for yourselves and see what you think. The text of the Guilford Covenant was copied from the Whitfield Museum website. The text of the Mayflower Compact was taken from Wikipedia and is the William Bradford version.

GUILFORD COVENANT
1639

We, whose names are hereunder written, intending by God’s gracious permission to plant ourselves in New England, and if it may be, in the southerly part, about Quinnipiac: We do faithfully promise, each to each for ourselves and families, and those that belong to us; that we will, the Lord assisting us, sit down and join ourselves together in on intire [entire] plantation: and to be helpful each to the other in every common work, according to every man’s ability and as need shall require; and we promise not to desert or leave each other or the plantation, but with the consent of the rest, or the greater part of the company who have entered into this engagement.

As for our gathering together in a church way, and the choice of officers and members to be joined together in that way, we do refer ourselves until such time as it shall please God to settle us in our plantation.

MAYFLOWER COMPACT
1620

In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord King James by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of the faith, &c.

Having undertaken, for the glorie of God, and advancemente of the Christian faith and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to plant the first colonie in the Northerne parts of Viriginia, doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick, for our better ordering & preservation & furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just & equall lawes, ordinances, Acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & convenient for the generall good of the Colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd ye 11 of November, in the year of the raigne of our soveraigne Lord King James, of England, France, & Ireland ye eighteenth, and of Scotland the fiftie fourth. Ano: Dom. 1620.