The Creeds and Platforms of Congregationalism

1790 the minister at Bethlem, Conn. On him and the church under his charge the effect of Edwards's tracts was decisive. The Bethlem Church Records bear testimony that:'

"Upon the publishing of Mr. Edwards' Book on the Sacrament, this Practice [the Half-Way Covenant] was laid aside, as not warranted by the holy scriptures — there being no other scriptural owning the covenant, but what implies a profession of Godliness."

But, in spite of this vote, and in spite of a defense of Edwards which shows that Bellamy was fully in sympathy with the Northampton pastor's opposition to Stoddardeanism and could. logically hold no other position than that of hostility to the HalfWay Covenant, it was not till nearly twenty years after Edwards's dismission that Bellamy began his determined public attack on the system. In January 1769, he published his first dialogue. against the Half-Way Covenant.* Its homely but vigorous putting of the case had an immediate effect. Within the next few months three replies, two of which are of considerable ability, appeared. In April, Bellamy issued a second dialogue, and soon followed it by a third, with which he combined an attack upon a Stoddardean treatise on the Visible Church, in Covenant with God, which had just been put forth by Rev. Moses Mather of Darien, Conn. Answers followed from Mather and others, and the fight of pamphlets waxed hotter and more personal. A fourth dialogue and a reply to Mather came from Bellamy's pen. Meanwhile a second controversy on the same subject was in progress between Jacob Green, an Edwardean pastor at Hanover, New Jersey, and Rev. George Beckwith of Lyme, Conn. At the same time the question rose, apparently independently, to prominence in the church at Plymouth, Mass., of which Chandler Robbins, a pupil of Bellamy, was pastor.

settled there in April, 1740. He remained in Bethlem till he died, Mch. 6, 1790. He was a prolific writer and a keen, if not always very generous, controversialist. His home was a Theological School, in which a number of New England theologians were trained, e. g., the younger Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Spring, and Joseph Eckley. His works were published in 3 vols., New York, 1811, and 2 vols., Boston, 1850. A valuable biographical sketch, with a list of authorities, is that of F. B. Dexter, Biog. Sketches Grad. Yale, pp. 523-529. Lives in Sprague, Annals Am. Pulpit, I: 404412; and by Prof. Park, Schaff-Herzog Religious Encyclopædia, may be mentioned.

1 In Cothren, Hist. Ancient Woodbury, p. 244.

2 Dialogue on the Christian Saeraments, Boston, 1762, but apparently written not long after Edwards's dismission.

3 For the treatises in this controversy, see ante, pp. 241-244.
* See ante, p. 243.

* Ibid., pp. 243, 244.

The controversy thus begun continued, though with less frequency of publication, throughout the rest of the century. After Bellamy had laid down his pen forever, the battle was waged with most vigor by Rev. Cyprian Strong of Portland, Conn., who attacked the system as early as 1780, but whose most powerful work dates from 1793.1 Strong went so far as to deny that the children of believers are personally in covenant. Their baptism is not a right, but an act of dedication and a pledge of parental faithfulness. At the same time, Rev. Nathanael Emmons, of Franklin, Mass., and Rev. Stephen West of Stockbridge, Mass., two of the leaders of the school of so-called "New Divinity" of which Jonathan Edwards was the founder, engaged in the attack. From the representatives of the Edwardean theology and its later modifications came the overthrow of the system. Able supporters of the older type of New England theology, like Rev. Messrs. Joseph Lathrop of West Springfield, Mass., and Moses Hemmenway of Wells, Maine, defended the Half-Way Covenant, and even Stoddardeanism, with vigor during the last decade of the eighteenth century; but the gradual dominance of the idea of conversion held by the representatives of the "New Divinity" throughout the Trinitarian body of the churches, emphasized by the remarkable series of revivals which began in the closing years of the last century and lasted well into the present, brought the system to an end. In most of the New England churches the change of feeling caused it to be quietly laid aside. At the Old South Church, Boston, it has never been formally voted out, though last administered in 1818," and there is reason to believe that this tacit disuse of the system was not unusual. At Windsor, Conn., it was in use as late as 1822, in Essex County, Mass., it lasted till about 1825, while the church at Charlestown, Mass., continued the practice till 1828.1

1 Sec ante, p. 242.

• See H. A. Hill, Hist. Old South CA., II: 335.

New Englander, XLIII: 614. See also Stiles, Ancient Windsor, p. 173. A prominent member of the Conn. Hist. Society at the present time, 1893, Dea. Jabez H. Hayden, was baptized under the Half-Way Covenant at Windsor. Mr. Hayden informs me that about the beginning of this century there was a general understanding among the ministers of central Connecticut not to practice the system except in families in which it had already been begun,

■ Cont. Eccles. Hist. Essex Co., p. 279.

New Englander, Ivid.

THE DECISIONS OF 1657 AND 1662

Result Of The Assembly Of 1657 (extracts)

[ii blank] [iii]

To the READER.1

T is justly accounted one of the glories of the English Nation, that God hath honoured them with special light in some momentous Truths, above what he hath other Protestant Churches round about them. The morality of the Christian Sabbath, deep and spiriiual insight into those seeret transactions between the Lord and the soules of his elect at their first conversion, & also in their after walking in communion with God, are usually observed as instances hereof. And of the same kind, though perhaps in a lower rank, are those Truths about [t]he instituted Worship of God, which have been now for some years a considerable part of those disquisitions, which do also at this day exercise the most searching thoughts and ablest pens that are amongst us. [iii line 13-v line 26] It is true indeed the Civil Magistrates of that Jurisdiction of the English in New-England that lies upon the River Connectiquot, sent these Questions to the Magistrates of the Massachusets, and they mutually called together sundry of the ablest Ministers of each Colony, and recommended to their search and considerations these enquiries thus stated, thus framed: And this was the happy rise of this Disputation;

1 whe reader thould te derned that this Preface is no part of the official result of the Assembly of 1657. It is simply a private explanation written by Nathanael Mather. On its authorship, see Increase Mather, The Life and Death of . Mr. Richard Mather, Cambridge, 1670, p. 32. Nathanael Mather was the third son of Richard Mather, born 1630, graduated at Harvard, 1647, went to England about 1650, and received a living at Harberton in 1655. In 1656 Cromwell gave him a living at Barnstaple, which he held till 1662, when, debarred from preaching in England, he became minister at Rotterdam, Holland. In 1671 he became Congregational pastor at Dublin, Ireland, and in 1688 went to London, where he preached till he died, July 26, 1697. See Sibley, Biog. Sketches Graduates Harvard, I: 157-161, where a list of biographical sources will be found.

what is here thus tendered to the world, being the result and product of the consultations and debates on this occasion had, which was by the Elders met together agreed to, and accordingly presented, to the Magistrates of the aforesaid Jurisdictions respectively. But neverthelesse, it was especially and nextly for the service of the Churches, the pious and careful Magistrates being herein indeed nursing Fathers to them, for they finding doubts, and [vi] perhaps some differences about these points, likely to arise and disquiet the Churches, took this prudent and happy course, timely to bring forth such light, as might be to universal satisfaction, before darknesse had brought forth difference in judgment and perhaps practise also, and that contentions, and they such animosities and paroxysmes as would afterwards more hardly be healed, than [then]' prevented.

These Papers came some moneths ago to England, and it was then in his thoughts that had them in his hands, to have made them publick; but for some reasons which then prevailed wiih him he forbore, yet hath since given way thereto, partly expecting, according to some intimation which he had from New-England, that the Magistrates there would have ordered the printing of them. But, not hearing since that it is there done, he hath given way to the desires of some Friends here, who were acquainted with them, and with his having of them, that they should now thus be made publick; hoping withall, that what is done herein, will not be unacceptable to those Reverend persons, that were the authors of this Disputation. Especially considering, that God who formes the Spirit of man within him, and in an especial manner guides the hearts and studies of his servants, hath of late set awork some of them in Old England also, to search into these Questions, and communicate the issue of their enquiries to the world in print; whence likaoise many more, are awakened to desire and long, for further light in these points about which the main part of this disputation is. [vi line 24-vii line. 6] And these Papers with the truths therein, having in themselves a tendency to this happy end, the midwifeing of them by the press into the publick and common light, in compliance with the aforesaid providence (they being likely othenvise to have lien hid in a private hand or two) cannot be lookt upon as at all injurious to those honoured and reverend Elders that were the Authors of them, much lesse to any others; for 'tis here done, (saving the Errata of the press) with such faithfulnesse as cannot be impeached.

So it

And this is the rather said, because perhaps the Reader may have been deceived in some other Treatises, which have gone abroad, and generally been look't upon, as the compilement of the Elders in New-England; whereas they had but one private person for their Author. is indeed in the 32 Questions, the Answerer whereof was Mr. Richard Mather, and not any other Elder or Elders in New-England, who likewise is the Author of the discourse concerning Church-Covenant printed therewith, which latter he wrote for his private use in his own Study, never intending, nor indeed consenting to its publication, nor so much as knowing unto this day how the copy of it came abroad into those hands by

1 MS. addition (by Increase Mather?).

whom Jt is made publick, save that he conjectures some procured a copy of it from Mr. Cotton, to whom (such was their intimacy in his life time) he communicated it, as he writes in a late Letter to a Son of his now in England who it seems had enquired of him concerning those Treatises ; and much lesse is there any truth in that which is said in the Title page prefixed to the Discourse of Church-Covenant, as if it were sent over to Mr. Barnard Anno 1639; Mr. Mather having neither acquaintance nor any intercourse by Letters with Mr. Barnard.

Nor indeed, are these Papers, now in thy hands, the declared judgment of all the Elders in New-England, there being but about twenty called together by the Magistrates to consul/ of these things, and declare their judgments in them, and of those twenty, two or three met not with the rest. They are neverthelesse the genuine product of that [viiij Meeting of Elders which on the forementioned occasion was held in the 4th Moneth 1657 at Boston in New-England.

What entertainment they will meet with now they are abroad it is not for me to say. They must now run the same hazard with other writings of this kind. Some passages there are which I fear will be wrested by one kind of men or other to serve their own hypothesis. lt was in my thoughts, having some special advantages for it, here to have inserted somthing as to those particulars for the prevention of such an abuse. But I shall only say this, let but such passages in this short tract as seem most to vary from what the Elders and Churches of New-England have been accounted to professe and practise, receive an interpretation as they will bear, from their mvn declared judgment, either in their platform of Church Discipline, or in other writings of their own, and I doubt not but it will be found, they are not warped from their former Faith and Order: Whatever some may think from this Treatise, or whatever Mr. Giles Firmin1 hath born the world in hand, in any of his late misrepresentations of them; whom I rather chuse to instance in, for that his reports of New-England have perhaps therefore found the more eredit, because he abore others is not without advantages to know NewEngland, and the waies of the Churches there, better than it seems he doth.

1G1les Firmin (1614-1697) was a Puritan of much mark both as a preacher and as a physician. He came to Boston in 1632, practiced medicine and was a deacon of the First Church, In 1647 he returned to England and became pastor at Shalford, Essex, an office which he held till 1662. His views on church-government were substantially those of Baxter, and led him to critise the Congregational system. See Diet. National Biog., xix* 45, 46.

2 The 18 concluding lines of the Preface are omitted.

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