rejection from all ecclesiastical privileges. And although persons are most clearly liable to this process, when they have actually renewed their baptismal covenant, and recognized their subjection to the government of our Lord in his church, and the children of the church are to be accordingly labored withal, that they may be brought hereunto, yet we do not think, that any of the said persons, refusing or neglecting thus to do, are thereby exempted from such a care of the church, to bring them to repentance.

CHAPTER XXI.

HALF WAY COVENANT.

§ 197. Members and engagements entered into.

The views to be contained in this work would not perhaps be complete without some notice of what has been termed the Half-Way Covenant. Although it cannot now be considered an authorized part of the Congregational system, the practice of half-way covenanting was followed many years. The plan, briefly stated, was this.

All persons, who had been baptized in infancy, or at some subsequent period, and who sustained a good moral character, were admitted, on requesting it to a cOVENANT. And on condition of their assuming such covenant, their infants and young children were admitted to baptism, although neither of the parents had been members of the church in full communion. The covenant, which they assented to, was not in the same terms in all churches, although of similar import.

Among other things, it was recommended to them to covenant, says Trumbull,* "That they would look well to their households, keep their children and servants in due subjection, instruct them in the principles of religion, and endeavour to restrain them from all profaneness and immorality; That, as much as in them lay, they would live peaceably with all men, carefully avoiding the unjustly giving or taking of offence; That they would be careful to maintain a chaste conversation, watching against all incentives to uncleanness, especially against keeping vain and disorderly company; That they would mind their own business, and strictly observe the rules of righteousness in commerce and dealings one with another; heedfully watching against all violations of it, by deceit, oppression, and all unjust and dishonest dealings whatsoever; That they would speak the truth one with another, avoiding all lying, slandering, backbiting, reviling and promise-breaking."

It was further recommended that they should covenant. "That they would mutually watch over one another, giving and receiving reproof, as became christians; That they would, in their several capacities, bear due witness against all profaneness and immorality; and that they would not withhold their testimony when it might be necessary for the conviction and punishment of offenders; That they would watch against the prevailing of a worldly and covetous spirit, against intemperance in the use of lawful things; particularly against excess in drinking; and that they would not allow themselves in frequenting either public or private drinking houses," &c.

Persons of a merely moral character, who had either been baptized in infancy or subsequently, were not only admitted to enter into a covenant of this kind, but great

* Records of the Second Church in Hartford, Conn., as quoted in Trumbull's History of Connecticut, vol. I. ch, xix.

exertions were sometimes made to bring them forward, and to induce them to do it. In the church of Hartford, in Connecticut, about the year 1711, one hundred persons appeared, and owned the covenant at one time. (See also for a form of Covenant, different from the above, Mather's RATIO DISCIPLINE, ART. IX.).

§ 198. Origin of the practice of half-way covenanting.

Although a number of very pious and excellent men approved this plan, when it was first proposed, it seems to have had its origin chiefly in worldly and irreligious feelings. To be a church member was in the early times of our country, not only very common, but was attended with a degree of respect and honor; and even those, whose souls, there is every reason to believe, were unconverted to God by his Holy Spirit, were unwilling to be excluded from the pale of the church. This unwillingness was very naturally increased by an injudicious plan, adopted in Connecticut and Massachusetts, the object of which was to exclude all, who were not church members, from civil offices. The regulation operated very decisively and strongly on the natural passions of the human heart, and many persons were found, who sought admission to the church, as a sort of stepping stone to worldly honors. But this desired admission was not easily realized by such persons, for it was a first principle with the Congregationalists, and one always adhered to by the great body of their churches, that no person can be admitted without giving credible evidence of piety. Excluded from the church for want of piety, and unjustly and unwisely excluded from civil offices in consequence of their exclusion from the church, these persons became restless and unhappy; and their dissatisfaction was increased by the consideration that their infant children could not be baptized. On this last point

we have reason to believe there was a strong and general feeling.

199. Further remarks on the same subject.

"The general state of the country, (says Dr. Trum bull, in his narration of certain ecclesiastical events of the years 1655-6,*) was greatly altered from what it was at its first settlement. The people then were generally church members, and eminently pious. They loved strict religion, and followed their ministers into the wilderness for its sake. But with many of their children, and with others, who had since emigrated into this country, it was not so. They had made no open profession of religion, and their children were not baptized. This created uneasiness in them, in their ministers and others. They wished for the honors and privileges of church members for themselves, and baptism for their children; but they were not persuaded, that they were regenerated and knew not how to comply with the rigid terms of the Congregational churches."

The consequence of this state of things was, that a sort of rush, if one may so speak, was made against the doors of the church; a strong and general interest was excited; the church were strenuous, (that is to say, the great body of them,) in defence of their principles; and those out of its pale were equally strenuous for breaking them down, and gaining admission. Unhappily the result of this state of things was a sort of compromise by means of the plan of a half-way covenant, to be entered into by persons of the character already described. They thus gained a name to live, in the spiritual sense of the word, whatever might be their real characters; for they could, at least in some sense, be said to be separated from the world, although they were not acknowledged to be fully

* History of Connecticut, Vol. 1. Ch. XIII.; see also Bogue's and Bennet's History of the Dissenters, Ch. ix. § 4.

united in church membership, so that they not only obtained the desired baptism for their children, besides certain objects more purely secular, but so managed as to soothe their own consciences and hide their own increasing danger.

200. Early opposition to the system of half-way covenanting.

But even this compromising, this half-way system, as it was aptly called, although unadvisedly supported by many conscientious and excellent men, as well as by the worldly-minded, was not adopted without much opposition. In consequence of the discussions on this subject, which had taken place in Connecticut, and particularly in consequence of a request from the magistrates of Connecticut, made to some of the ablest ministers of Massachusetts for their opinion, an assembly of ministers was held at Boston, on June 4th, 1657. In this assembly the subject was taken up, and after some examination the principle of the Half-way covenant was found to be approved by a majority of the members. But the plan, although recommended by this weight of authority, continued to be unacceptable to many religious persons, who foresaw in it serious evils. Such was the dissatisfaction, existing both with individuals and churches to some extent, that it became advisable to summon together another assembly, in which the laity should be included. "The practice of church care, (says the author of MAGNALIA, referring to the assembly of 1657,) thus directed and commended, was but gradually introduced; yea, it met with such opposition, that it could not be encountered with any thing less than a general Synod, of elders and messengers, [ministers and delegates,] from all the churches in Massachusetts colony."

§ 201. Doings of the Synod of 1662 on this subject.

Accordingly, the General Court, having the necessity