CONGBEG ATIO N ALISM. 286 CONGBEGATIONALISM. Though the majority of the Puritan party in England remaiuej Picsbylerian during the seventeenth century and controlled the West- minster Assembly, English Congregationalism had live sturdy champions in that convention; and in the anny, as weil as among the people as a whole, it grew in favor as the struggle against the King continued. Under the sym- pathetic rule of Cromwell it reached its widest extension in seventeenth-century England. After the Restoration it sullercd the disabilities im- posed on Dissenters in general, until partially relieved by the Toleration Act of 1689. Yet, in spite of tiie labors of such men as Isaac Watts and Philip Doddridge, and the founding of 'academics' for ministerial as well as general training, the course of English Congregation- alism in the eigliteenth century, like the religious life of England as a whole, was one of spiritual decline, until awakened by the new spiritual impulse that came forth from the great Wesleyan revival. Quickened thus, the Congregational churches of England grew in numbers through- out the latter half of the eighteenth century, awakened to fresh zeal for missionary service at home, and a new interest in missions al)road, and became increasingly conscious of their de- nominational unity and desirous that that unity should find expression. In America, the latter half of the seventeenth and the three opening decades of the eighteenth century saw a steady decline of the spiritual en- thusiasm in which the churches of New England had been planted. New England life grew pro- vincial in every respect. From this state of relative decadence the churches of New England were powerfiilly aroused by a series of 'revivals' beginning at Northampton, Mass., under the ministry of Jonathan Edwards in 1734 and ex- tending" throughout New England in 1740-42, in connection with a visit of Rev. George White- held. The movement, known as the 'Great Awak- ening,' stirred the spiritual life of the churches profoundly, but was so accompanied by physical demonstrations and other evidences of excitement as to lead to much division of judgment as to its merits. Partly owing to this division, and partly in consequence of the distraction accom- panying the struggle for the political possession of Canada and for American independence, the •Great Awakening' was followed by a period of comparative religious inactivity, lasting till about 1790. The second half of the eighteenth century, however, witnessed the rise of a native modifica- tion of the historic Calvinistie theology — the 'New England Theology' — under the leadership of Jonathan Edwards, father and son, of Samuel Hopkins, Joseph Bellamy, and Timothy Dwight. This theology won its way gradually, and by ISOO was doiiiinant in Connecticut and Vermont, and largeh' represented in the rest of New Eng- land. Parallel to this Edwardean development, though with much smaller following, there ran a 'Liberal' movement, represented especially in easteni Massachusetts, and corresponding to similar modifications of doctrine among the Dis- senters, especially those of Presbyterian lineage, in England. This 'Liberal' theologj', already manifest in the preaching of Jonathan Mayhew and Charles Chauncy before the American. Revolution, was little discussed during the ex- citement of that struggle; but when doctrinal debate again attracted attention and was stimu- lated by a great series of 'revivals,' begimiing about 1790, it was found that a considerable number of Congregational churches had drifted out of .sympatiiy with historic Christianity. Under the lead of men of ability like William EUery Chauning, the ' Liberal ' movement strengthened, while the cleavage between it and more conservative Congregationalism grew to separation. The year 1S15, when "Unitarian" became the popular designation of the new 'Liberal' denomination, may be assigned as the approximate date of the schism ; though Harvard College had come under the recognized dominance of the 'Liberal' pai'ty in 1805. The Unitarian division was almost strictly local, but wholly or partially involved about one-tenth of the Con- gregational churches then existing in the United States. The loss of Harvard College as an agency for ministerial training led the consei-vative majority of the churches to seek new methods of ministerial education. As a result, theological seminaries were opened at difTerent places and times. See section Tlicological Seminaries. Congregationalism entered Canada by way of Nova Scotia in 1753. There was a feeble church in Newfoundland as early as 1645, which died and was not revived, and Congregationalism did not reappear there until 1775. The beginning of the nineteenth century was marked by a rapid broadening and deepening of the activities of American Congregationalism. The rise of home and foreign missions has al- ready been indicated in speaking of the benevo- lent agencies of Congregationalism. With the settlement of the West, Congregationalism ceased to be confined to New England and the adjacent sections of New York. Its spread was at first slow, because of a distrust engendered by the Unitarian schism, as to its adaptability to meet frontier conditions, and a lack of denominational consciousness which led to ready alfiliation with Presbyterianism. But through the efforts of men like Rev. Dr. Leonard Bacon, of New Haven, denominational consciousness was awakened; and. from the fourth decade of the nineteenth century, the planting of distinctly Congrega- tional churches and colleges in the West has gone rapidly forward. This westward extension was greatly aided by the Albany Convention of 1852. After the Civil War, Congregationalism entered the Soutli, but has never had a relatively large following in that section of the United States. Congregationalism during the nineteenth cen- tury has witnessed a gradual theological de- velopment. The Edwardean school was ably car- ried on in somewhat divergent directions by Nathaniel W. Taylor at Y'ale, and by Edwards A. Park at Andover. By the middle of the century the influence of Horace Bushnell was becoming felt in a direction away from the Edwardeanism then dominant. And the last two decades liave seen increasing welcome given to what is iio]ni- iarly termed the 'New Theology.' This tendency has met with strenuous opposition; but the divi- sion of feeling has at no time been snilicient really to threaten the denomination with schism. Nineteenth-centui-y American Congregationalism has had its conspicuous preachers in abundance, of whom Lyman Beecher and his son, Henry Ward Beecher. Charles G. Einney, and Richard Salter Storrs may be mentioned as illustrations. It has been ready to adopt new methods of Chris-
