sented; and to have established by this national court a set of church-boards to conduct the various charitable enterprises of the church, by its authority, and to serve, in various ways, as a bond of union and agreement between the widely-separated branches of this body, in order for it to commence a new era of prosperity and usefulness in this country.

Till the recent revival of denominational interest in this body, since 1840, the Congregationalists have done very little for the extension of their polity, out of New England, but have been content, for the most part, that Presbyterianism should have undivided control of the west and south. But recently a better spirit has prevailed, and the extension of the Congregational polity everywhere is deemed a matter of vital interest to the general cause of liberty and religion. Efforts are accordingly made everywhere for this purpose, and they have generally been crowned with remarkable success.

It used to be thought that Congregationalism was only adapted to New England, and that its success there was owing to causes that could not be put in operation elsewhere; but this is found to be a mistake. The success of the system anywhere is owing, under God, to the principles on which it is founded; and they are equally operative in all places, and among all people.

The greatest calamity that has befallen American Congregationalism has been the defection of the Unitarians. This has not been confined to the Congregational churches of New England; it commenced in the Presbyterian church of Switzerland, as early as 1757. The catechism of Calvin was superseded by a Unitarian catechism, in Switzerland, in 1788; other changes were made in favor of Unitarianism in 1807; and in 1830, of twenty-seven pastors, all but two or three held Unitarian senti

ments.

Similar defections have occurred among the Presbyterians in France and England. The adoption of Unitarian views began in New England, simultaneously with their prevalence in Switzerland, France and England. Books and articles began to be

written in New England, favorable to Unitarianism, as early as 1756. One of the Episcopal churches of Boston became Unitarian in 1785; in 1805, the subject of the divinity of Christ was extensively debated, and many clergymen and churches in the Congregational connection took sides against it. This revolution in favor of Unitarianism continued till about 1816, since which time it has been arrested. But, in the course of this defection, Cambridge university was taken over to the Unitarians, with a large number of ministers and churches.

This defection in New England operated for a time to prejudice the public mind against Congregationalism as a system of church polity. It was imputed to some defect or internal weakness in the church; and this notwithstanding that the same thing had taken place among Presbyterians in Switzerland, France, and England. This impression is undoubtedly a prejudice, with no valid foundation in fact, and, as such, is passing away.

The great liberty of opinion allowed by Congregationalism to its ministry and membership undoubtedly exposes it to defections of this kind; but its thorough study of the Bible, and free discussion of all its principles, in the meetings of its members and ministers, with its scriptural discipline, are adequate principles of conservation and recovery from error. With an open Bible for its rule of faith, with a learned, earnest and eminently pious ministry, devoting their lives to the study and exposition of the Bible, beseeching God continually for his grace to guide their judgments, and his spirit to purify their hearts, the Congregational order, with all its progressiveness, is believed to be not inferior to any other order, in capacity to hold the truth, and resist the aggression of dangerous errors and delusions.

The Congregationalist Unitarians, having deviated widely from the sublime faith of their fathers, on the subject of the nature and work of Christ, and the authority of the Scriptures as a supreme rule of faith, are. believed to be on their return, if not to their former system of Christian theology, to one which has much greater affinities with it than that which they have for a time embraced.

No denomination has done better service to the cause of Christian theology, within the last hundred years, than the Congregational. Edwards, Hopkins, Dwight, Emmons, and others, occupy places in the highest rank of Christian ministers and theologians.

Nathaniel W. Taylor, of New Haven, Connecticut, follows Dr. Dwight and Emmons in the line of theological progress, calling the entire Congregational order, and all Calvinistic orders generally, to more profound and just views of Christian theology, in some of its most recondite doctrines, than had ever before been attained in these connections. In future ages, the men that refer with approbation to the names of Edwards and Dwight, as the great ministers of Congregationalism, of the progress of theology, and of the progress of the human race, will not omit from the same high place in men's estimates and regards the equally worthy name of Nathaniel W. Taylor.

The American Temperance reformation had its origin in the Congregational churches, and this not by a fortunate accident, but as a natural offspring of Congregational principles and measures. It could not have originated among Episcopalians. It has, indeed, met but a moderate degree of favor with that order. It could hardly have had its origin among Presbyterians, although this order has coöperated vigorously in carrying it forward.

The aggressive character of Congregationalism, and its general principles of associated and combined action in the church, led naturally to the idea of combining and concentrating the action of members against the use of alcoholic liquors at first, and then against all traffic in them as drinks.

The Congregational churches of New England were the original proposers of the American system of common schools for the whole people. Congregationalism demands general intelligence, and has been a powerful promoter of general and classical learning.

34*

CHAPTER VIII.

CONGREGATIONAL CONSTITUTIONS AND CONFESSIONS OF FAITH.

ALL societies must have constitutions or systems of union and coöperation. The Christian church had such from the beginning, although they do not appear at first to have been reduced to writing. All the revolutionary churches of modern times have bestowed considerable attention on their constitutions. These relate chiefly to government and faith. The fundamental organic law of church government is usually denominated its constitution, and comprehends its confession of faith or declaration of Christian doctrines. Each church makes its own.

The primitive creeds of Christianity appear to have been very brief and simple. They comprehended a belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour of men; in the Holy Scriptures as the word of God; in the Holy Spirit as the sanctifier of men through the truth; and in the doctrines of the Scriptures as generally understood and taught in those times. As new opinions came to be proposed and discussed, new articles were added to the primitive creed of Christianity, to embrace what was supposed to be true and important, and to exclude what was supposed to be erroneous. Numerous canons of faith, as well as of church order, were added in successive centuries by the general councils, till the decrees of the council of Trent, settling the faith of Catholic Christendom, in 1545-1563, constituted a considerable volume, prescribing, among other things, the celibacy of the clergy, the equal authority of the Scriptures and tradition, the canonical authority of the Apocrypha, auricular confession and absolution, communion in our kind only,

the cup being withheld from the laity, the continuance of miracles, the worship of images and relics, the intercession of saints, and assenting to the adoration and immaculate conception of the virgin Mary, purgatory, and transubstantiation, or the conversion of the bread of the Eucharist into the actual body of Christ, by consecration.

The Lutherans embodied their faith in the Augsburg confession, in 1530; the German Presbyterians theirs, in the Heidelburg catechism, and other formularies; the Westminster confession of faith and discipline are the platform of Anglo-American and Scotch Presbyterianism, and the supreme organic law of the churches adopting them. Congregationalism is built less on human constitutions and confessions, and more on the Bible, than any other systems. Its earliest confession of faith is that which was drawn up by John Robinson, and published at Leyden, 1619. Next follows the Savoy confession, adopted by the ministers and delegates of the Congregational churches of England, more than one hundred in number, at their meeting at the Savoy, London, Oct. 12, 1658. The Savoy confession was copied, with slight alterations, from that of the Westminster assembly. This has generally been received as expressing the faith of Congregationalists, since the time of its adoption. With some slight alterations, it was adopted by the New England synod, at Boston, in 1680, and has ever been regarded as one of the standards of New England theology. It is not, however, imposed by authority, and cannot be, without an entire abandonment of the principles of Congregationalism. Each church frames and adopts its own confession of faith and system of pòlity, and changes and modifies both according to its own sovereign will and judgment of scriptural truth and Christian expediency. Nor is there any earthly power, to say, authoritatively, Why do ye so? or to command differently.

The Bible is the Congregationalist confession of faith and constitution. It is the highest and sole supreme organic church law of Congregationalism; and has no other enforcement than what