of the matter laid before them at their second session in the year 1661, expressed their desire and order for the convening of such a Synod at Boston, to be assembled in the spring of the year ensuing."

One of the propositions, adopted at the sessions of this Synod of 1662, was as follows, " Church members, who were admitted in minority, [i. e. who were baptized in infancy or childhood, and whose church membership was thus constituted and in no other way,] understanding the doctrine of faith, and publicly professing their assent thereto, not scandalous in life, and solemnly owning the covenant before the church, wherein they give up themselves and their children to the Lord, and subject themselves to the government of Christ in the church, their children are to be baptized."

The Synod went still further, and by another provision, although it is wrapped up in ambiguous phraseology, they seem to have thrown open the door completely. "Such church members, [that is, those, who are baptized, but still have never been admitted to the Lord's supper,] who either by death, or some other extraordinary providence, have been inevitably hindered from public acting as aforesaid, [that is, from solemnly owning the covenant before mentioned,] yet have given the church cause in judgment of charity, to look at them as so qualified, and such as, had they been called thereunto, would have so acted, their children are to be baptized.”

But after all, the Synod found themselves unable to adopt these measures, (or rather approve and enforce what had already been adopted,) without encountering very serious objections on the part of a learned and judicious, though small minority. This minority are stated to have been jealous, lest the sacred ordinance of Baptism should come to be applied unto unfit subjects, and thus diminish that character for purity, which the New Eng

land churches had hitherto maintained. Several works soon made their appearance in print against the doings of the Synod: viz. ANTISYNODALIA AMERICANA, by Mr. Charles Chauncey, president of Harvard College; and a publication, entitled, Another Essay for the Investigation of Truth, written by Mr. John Davenport of New Haven, Connecticut. To the last mentioned work was prefixed a distinct treatise, entitled, An Apologetical Preface, written by another hand. But while the objectors were decided and able, there was no want of zeal on the other side of the question, although the controversy seems to have been in general conducted with mutual regard and affection. The ANTISYNODALIA was answered by Allen, of Dedham; the Essay by Mather of Dorchester, who manifested an interest to the very close of his life in behalf of the system; while the task of replying to the Apologetical Preface fell to Mitchell of Cambridge.

§ 202. Views of the objectors to the Synod's Articles.

The objectors to the doings of the Synod maintained, that there was no warrant in Scripture to apply the seal of baptism to those children, whose parents are in a state of unfitness for the Lord's Supper. Nor did they seem to consider their mere assumption of a Covenant, as giving them a right, which they did not possess before. Except in the case of the children of persons in full communion, for whose baptism they conceded the existence of a scripture warrant, they maintained, that no person could be rightly baptized, without giving credible evidence of being a christian. They considered baptism a high and sacred ordinance, and thought that adults, who were fit for the application of water in baptism, were fit for admission to the Lord's Supper. They maintained also, that the granting of baptism to unregenerate persons and their children, and allowing the name of church membership,

although, of a modified and inferior kind, tends to harden them in their sinful and dangerous condition.

§ 203. Prevalence, results, and abandonment of the system.

Notwithstanding the arguments, used against it, the practice prevailed. For a time almost every church was burdened with this anomalous appendage of a half-way church of baptized covenanters; most of whom made no pretensions to any thing more than external decency of moral deportment. And the results, developed by a century of melancholy experience, were such as the objectors to the plan anticipated. The churches, loaded with the superincumbent mass, lost their strength of religious purpose, and spirit of holy enterprise. Although, through the goodness of God, they were not at any time wholly deserted, many seasons of declension followed the first bright and glorious days; but it was not until after years of sin, and depression, and inquiry, that they at last agreed in attributing one great cause of this unhappy state of things to the System under consideration. One church after another abandoned it; and it may now be regarded, both from general consent and general practice, as not longer a part of their ecclesiastical polity.-(See Trumbull's History of Connecticut, CHAPS. XIII. XIX.; Bogue's and Bennet's History of Dissenters, CH. IX. § 4; Cotton Mather's MAGNALIA, Bk. v. ; Dr. Increase Mather's Primitive Principles; the Publications already mentioned, occasioned by the Synod of 1662; Dwight's Theology, SERM. CLIX. Mass. Histor. Collections, 2d Ser. vol, vi, pp. 587, 8. &c.)

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CHAPTER XXII.

THE LORD'S SUPPER.

204. Origin and permanency of the Lord's Supper.

"Our Lord Jesus, (in the language of our Confession of Faith,) in the night, when he was betrayed, instituted the Sacrament of his body and his blood, called the Lord's Supper, to be observed in the churches to the end of the world for the perpetual remembrance and shewing forth of the sacrifice of himself in his death, the sealing of all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in him, their further engagement in and to all duties, which they owe unto him, and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other."

The sacrament of the Lord's Supper is regarded by these churches to be of perpetual obligation, in opposition to the opinion of its temporary nature, which has sometimes been advanced. There is a solemnity and a particularity, attending its institution, which may be supposed to intimate both the seriousness of its nature and its permanency. The disciples of the Savior were required to partake of bread and wine in remembrance of Him; and what reason can be given, why the Savior's memory should be cherished by his immediate disciples, more than by his disciples in later times? So serious is the import of this ordinance, and its observance so requisite, that the Savior after his ascension made it a matter of special revelation to the Apostle Paul. "For I have received of the Lord, (he says,) that, which also I deliv

ered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, this is my body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."-These last expressions, which require the observance of the ordinance till the coming of Christ, sufficiently show, that it was not intended to be a temporary institution, but to be contin ued down from generation to generation,

$ 205. Qualifications of those to be admitted.

By the constitution of the Congregational churches, no persons are admitted to the Lord's Supper, but such as have previously assented to the covenant of a particular church, and have assumed the responsibilities of such covenant. Without doubt, every sincere follower of Christ has a right to participate in the Lord's Supper; nor can that right be justly overlooked. But, on the other hand, the right of judging of the marks of that sincerity rests with the particular church; and its members are bound to exercise it with caution and faithfulness. Much evil has been found to result from the admision of persons, who have subsequently given no evidence of renewal of heart and holiness of life, to this solemn and distinctive ordinance. Greater evil has perhaps resulted from a defective application of the principles on this subject, than from a defect in the principles themselves; it having been ever established in the Usage of the churches, that those to be admitted must be required to give some evidence of a sense of personal sinfulness, of repentance for their sin, of faith in Christ, and also of the nature and obligation of the duties of a particular church state.(See §§ 11, 25, 26, 35.)