THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Jlost of the affairs of the churches in fellowship are transacted by local councils. But for sufficient reason a council of broader inclusiveness may be called. The first general council in America was that at Newtowne, now Cambridge, Mass., in 1637, to consider the Antinomian teachings of Rev. John Wheelwright and Mrs. Anne Hutchinson (see Antinomianism, and foot-note to Councils and Synods, § 10). The next was the Cambridge Synod in 1646-48. The third was the Albany Convention in 1852, and, to promote the better acquaintance and cooperation of all Congregational churches in the United States, a National Council was held in Boston in 1865. In 1871 the first Triennial National Council met at Oberlin, and similar gatherings have been held regularly ever since. The name of conference would be more appropriate for this body, however, as it is not strictly a council. It discusses important current topics of denominational interest and advises the churches, but has only a moral authority. In 1891 an International Council was held in London, composed of delegates from bodies of Congregational churches in all parts of the world, and a second such council met in Boston, U. S. A., in 1899. A third is to be held in Edinburgh in 1908. British and other foreign Congregational churches hitherto have made much less use of local councils than the churches of the United States, but have been zealous in promoting the International Councils.
Fellowship also is maintained by conferences of churches, local bodies, usually including the churches of a given county, or some 3. Confer- smaller, if well populated, district, ences and which meet semiannually for dis- Associa- cussion of religious and kindred topics, tions. In the United States the churches of each State also hold an annual Conference, or Association, for similar purposes. There are also Ministerial Associations, small local bodies of ministers, and until recently they have determined ministerial standing. But responsibility for this now is being transferred to the Conferences of churches.
All ministers and churches are equal, no one having any authority over others. But lately it has been urged that the Moderator of the Triennial National Council should exercise his representative function during his three years of office, giving something more than the merely nominal leadership which has been customary; and in some states also a tendency again is evident toward consociation of the churches, as in Massachusetts and Connecticut early in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and it is proposed to institute some formal, permanent organization, and perhaps to revive the Standing Council. These proposals liave been made only tentatively and their outcome is uncertain.
In the order of public worship there is variety in minor particulars, yet a general likeness ox'ists. Baptism customarily is administered by sprinkling, but pouring or immersion is used occasioii;illy. The form is considered immaterial. In the colonial days it was sometimes common to install certain minor churcli officers formally. This practise
disappeared during the eighteenth century, but lately has been revived by some churches. Apparently the early colonial churches 4. Worship held no mid-week meetings. But in and time they established the weekly lec- Practise- ture, and gatherings somewhat like the modern prayer-meeting began to be held about 1740 but did not become usual until after 1800. The First and the Brattle Street churches in Boston instituted the preparatory lecture before the Communion Sunday on Mar. 4, 1720. Sunday-schools were not estabUshed until after 1800. The modern institutional church, which supplements direct spiritual efforts by promoting the physical, intellectual, and social welfare of the community, has been exemplified conspicuously among Congregationalists.
V. Statistics: The English Year Book for 1908 gives the following figures:
Churches.
Ministers.
Churchmembers.
British Colonies and Mis- Total British
Continent of Europe . .
Total
4,928 1,142
3,197
498,953 Not reported.
6,070 Not reported.
3,703 Not reported.
498,953 + 100,000 -t-
6,070-H
3,703 -1-
598,953 -f-
The American Year Book for 1907 gives the current statistics of the denomination as follows:
Churches.
Ministers.
Churchmembers.
United States
Dependencies (1906). . .
Total
5,923
5,900
696,723 7,827
6,031
5,994
704,550
The world statistics for Congregationalism (1907) is given as 12,583 churches and 1,333,731 members.
Morton Dexter.
Bibliography: On Congregational origins and English Congregationalism consult: The works of Robert Browne (q.v.); J. Smyth, Principles and Inferences concerning the Visible Church, Amsterdam, 1607; Differences of the Churches of the Separation, etc., 1608; .1. Robinson, Works, ed. R. Ashton, 3 vols., London, 1851; R. Baxter, Reliquice Baxteriance, ib. 1696; Abridgement of Mr. Baxter's History of His Life, with Account of Ejected Ministers, by E. Calamy, in S. Parker's Nonconformist Memorial, 2 vols., ib. 1802; I). Neal, History of New England, 2 vols., ib. 1720; idem, History of Puritans, 4 vols., ib. 1732- :iS, ed. J. Toulmin, 5 vols., ib. 1822; B. Brook, Lives of Puritans, 3 vols., ib. 1813; J. Toulmin, Historical View of State of Protestant Dissenters in England, Bath, 1814; T. Price, History of Protestant Nonconformiti/ in England, 2 vols., London, 1836-38; B. Hanbury, Historical Memorials Relating to the Independents, 3 vols., ib. 1839-44; J. Fletcher, History of Revival and Progress of Independency in England, 4 vols., ib. 1847-49; R. Vaughan, English Nonconformity, 2 vols., ib. 1862; J. Stoughton, Church and State MO Years Ago, ib. 1862; J. Waddington, Congregational History, 5 vols., ib. 1869-78; R. W. Dale, Manual of Congregational Principles, ib. 18S4; idem. Hist, uf liiuilish Congregationalixm, ib. 1907; J. Brown, Pilgrim Pallurs of New England, New York, 1897.
On American Congregationalism consult: W. Brad-