Congregationalists

(-ga's hun-al-ists.) (Samederiv.] (Eccl. Hist.) A large Christian sect, which hold that every single congregation or church, when properly constituted with a pastor and deacons, forms an independent body, which has inherent within itself power to fix its own tenets and form of religious worship, and to exercise ecclesiastical government. However, without admitting any rights of churches to exercise authority and control over each other, any church may call a council by letters mi ive addre ed to neighboring churches, to give advice on a particular matter; and a council thus convened, consisting of a pastor and a delegate from each church invited, is regarded as a representation of all the churches. Denying the authority of any standing judicatory, C. recognize the nece ity and desirable ne of occasional synods, for the purpose of promoting harmony and unity by the preparation of a platform of church discipline and a formal confe ion of faith, or of inaugurating measures for the more rapid development of Christian power throughout the country. Four such synods have been held at Cambridge, Ma ., in 1637 and 1846, at Albany in 1852, and at Boston, Ma ., in 1865. Congregational churches are Pædo baptists, recognizing the rights of Christian parents to present their children for baptism, which is regarded as the counterpart of circumcision and the seal of God's covenant with Abraham. While the principles of C. allow them to recognize other local churches not conforming exactly to their faith and order, they do not hesitate to appeal to Scripture in support of their own customs, claiming that they reproduce the primitive and original church polity of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles, more nearly than any other denomination. The sect owes its origin, in 1586, to Robert Brown, q.v.; but their discipline to John Robinson, who was pastor of the church at Leyden, and is frequently regarded as the real founder of Congregationalism. They took then the name of Independents, and abo dy of them carried their tenets from Holland to America in 1620, where they founded the settlements of Plymouth and Ma achusetts Bay (1620-1628), and others in Connecticut. The C. of America differ from the Independents of England in that the latter have no fellowship with each other. In 1877, they numbered in the U. States 3,406 ministers, 3,564 churches, and 365,595 elected members. [s. 218]