the Records of Connecticut. Under the item Ecclesiastical Affairs, three-fourths of the references are to divisions of towns into two or more parishes, because of the need of additional churches.

The General Court would not consent to make these divisions unless a strong case was presented. Many petitions for permission to build a second church were denied. In 1712 the people of Newbury, Massachusetts, decided to move their meeting house two miles further westward. Those who were at the time living near the old church opposed the plan. They were, however, compelled to submit to the wish of the majority. The minority now petitioned the General Court for permission to organize a second church in the vicinity of the old one. Their petition was denied. They were, therefore, obliged to attend and support the town church. There was, however, a way out of the difficulty. The dissatisfied minority became members of the Church of England, and under the law of 1708 organized an Episcopal church. Episcopalians they were compelled to support the church established by law. But exemption laws were not far distant. Fifteen years after the Newbury Episcopal church was organized, all Episcopalians were exempted from contributing to the support of the state church. The break between church and town in Newbury as in many other towns was now complete. This gave opportunity to bring in all denominations. on a nearly equal footing.

As

In addition to these petitions from parts of a town, there were often applications from individuals requesting privilege to attend the church of their favorite minister and contribute their taxes to his support. These requests, too, were often granted. Thus the Congregationalists themselves found their laws unsatisfactory. They petitioned for relief. They were continually requesting the General Court for permission to attend and support the church of their choice. Is it a wonder, then, that the Baptists and Episcopalians follow their example? The way was open. As soon as dissenters were able to bring

sufficient pressure to bear upon the General Court, the same privileges would be granted to them.

The colonization of New England was not to be left entirely to the Puritan Congregationalists. Baptists, Quakers and Episcopalians were early upon the territory and were not to be rooted out by hostile legislation. They continued to increase because of persecution and in spite of it. Their numbers, however, were not so large that they could command the indulgence of an unfriendly state church. But at a time when that church had lost much of its religion, when its character was weakened, when commerce and trade were enlarging men's intellectual horizon, when the old system had begun to break up, at such a time the dissenters, with strong men as leaders, were able to win a few favors.

By the year 1700 there were nine Baptist churches in New England. One century later this little band of Baptists had grown to three hundred and twelve churches and twenty-three thousand six hundred members. They were comparatively few but their vigorous blows struck at the state church, made them a power for religious liberty.

The Episcopalians were for a long time unable to get a foothold in New England. During the time of Andros, efforts had been made to impose the church by force upon the people. This did not succeed. A few individuals in Western Connecticut, still fewer in Massachusetts were strengthened in the faith, and kept it alive during the latter part of the seventeenth century. It was not until the organization of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in 1701, that the Episcopal church took root and became firmly established in New England. Under the auspices of this society missionaries were sent to America, and wherever a little band of Episcopalians could be gathered, there a minister would go to baptize and encourage the people to hold fast and hope for better things. Here and there, there were enough Episcopalians to petition

the society to send over a minister. "The want of a minister is the greatest of our afflictions," wrote the Episcopalians of Stratford in 1711 to Queen Anne.' By 1708 Connecticut had passed her Toleration Act, granting liberty of conscience to all dissenters. By 1722 a society was firmly established and provision made for employing a regular pastor. In 1724 the first Episcopal church edifice in Connecticut was built."

In the eighteenth century Quakers, Baptists, Episcopalians were no longer regarded as social outlaws as in former years. Their cause had been dignified by the men of high character among their number. Dunster, a Baptist, was for some time President of Harvard College. Rector Cutler of Yale College had identified himself with the Episcopalians. A Quaker had several times been governor of Rhode Island.

What shows the changed sentiment towards dissenters, particularly the Baptists, is the ordination at Boston in 1717. Dr. Mather, his son and Mr. John Webb were invited to assist in the ordination of Mr. Ellis Callender as pastor of the Baptist church in Boston. In his account of this ordination Mr. Backus says: "Dr. Increase Mather wrote a preface to the ordination sermon, in which he said, 'It was a grateful surprise to me when several brethren of the Antipaedobaptist persuasion came to me, desiring that I would give them the right hand of fellowship in ordaining one whom they had chosen to be their pastor.' Dr. Cotton Mather preached the ordination sermon, in which he spake much against cruelties which had often been exercised against dissenters from the ruling powers, both in this and other countries, and then said, 'If the brethren in whose house we are now convened, met with anything too unbrotherly, they with satisfaction hear us expressing our dislike of everything that looked like persecution in the days that have passed over us.

1 Beardsley's History of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Vol. I, p. 26. 2 Beardsley, Vol, I. p. 52.

3 Backus, New England Church History, p. 137.

The crowning triumph of the dissenters was the victory at Yale College in 1722, when Rector Cutler and several of his associates becoming convinced "of the invalidity of the Presbyterian ordination, in opposition to the Episcopal," resigned their positions to take up work in the interests of the Episcopal church. It gave prestige to the Episcopalians and humiliated the Congregationalists. In a letter to Cotton Mather, Joseph Webb, of Fairfield, said of this event: "They are, the most of them, reputed men of considerable learning, and all of them of a virtuous and blameless conversation. I apprehend the axe is hereby laid to the root of our civil and sacred enjoyments, and a doleful gap opened for trouble and confusion in our churches. The churchmen among us are wonderfully encouraged and lifted up by the appearance of these gentlemen on their side; and how many more will, by their example, be encouraged to go off from us to them, God only knows. It is a very dark day with us; and we need pity, prayers, and counsel." President Woolsey said of the same event, "I suppose that greater alarm would scarcely be awakened now, if the theological faculty of the college were to declare for the Church of Rome, avow their belief in Transubstantiation, and pray to the Virgin Mary." "

2

The minor sects were just beginning to manifest their strength early in the eighteenth century. They grew rapidly, and at the close of the century their opposition is the strongest force operating against the Standing Order in behalf of religious liberty.

The condition of religion in New England at the beginning of the eighteenth century favored the development of freedom. The pioneer Puritans were fresh from the struggles of the great Reformation in Europe. Provisions for religion were the important features of their legislation. It was asked, in all seriousness, of the candidate for citizenship, is he orthodox and sound in the fundamentals of Christian religion. That

'Beardsley, Vol. I,

p.

39.

2 Beardsley, Vol. I, p. 29.

question is not asked in the eighteenth century; and when asked of candidates for church membership, it is a mere form. The state church had become degenerate. It was brought about largely by the Half-way covenant.

One of the chief arguments advanced by the opposers of the Half-way covenant, was that its adoption would bring into the church a large number of unregenerate persons; that the moral standing of the members would be lowered and the church would be secularized. Exactly such were its results. Those who had been baptized in infancy, and were not "scandalous in life," could come into the church by owning the covenant. Church membership became very common. It was difficult to say just what was meant "by scandalous in life." Some ministers put a very liberal construction upon the words. The line of demarcation between the worthy and unworthy was very indistinct. It was not long before there were found among church members some whose moral character was questionable, and others who were known to be guilty of serious crimes.

The Half-way covenant was a compromise on the part of the church. It was intended to bring the people into the church though not in full communion. It was designed to be merely the initial step to church membership. But one compromise prepared the way for another and deviations from the original intent of the covenant became common. For a few years the distinction between the members in full communion and those in the Half-way relation was kept up. The former only were permitted the privileges of the communion table. In the beginning of the eighteenth century, however, Stoddard began to preach the doctrine that the communion table was a means of regeneration, and that the unregenerate were specially invited to come to it. This doctrine 'spread through New England. It practically gave full membership to all who had come in, in the Half-way relation, and thus secularized the church. Its history is briefly summed up by the Rev. Isaac Backus, in the following words: "The first fathers of New