In Great Britain, as in Ameriea, theological education has long commanded the attention of Congregationalists. Soon after the passage of the Toleration Act by the English Parliament, Congregational and Presbyterian Dissenters about London established a 'fund' to aid feeble ehurches and to educate candidates for the pas toral office (July 1, 1690). The union of repre sentatives of the two polities proved hut tempo rary, and in 1695 the 'fund' was divided, and a 'Congregational Fund Board' organized. This board still exists. By its influence, and that of eminent Congregationalists like Philip Dodd ridge, many 'academies' and 'colleges' were or ganized in the eighteenth century. These had. at first, the twofold object of training an edu cated ministry and of providing a general educa tion for lay students who were debarred from university privileges by their 'dissent' from the Establishment. To some extent these two aims are still sought by the Congregational 'colleges' of Great Britain: but with the removal of dis abilities from the pathway of Nonconformists who are seeking a general education these `colleges' are laying increasing and in some in stances exclusive emphasis on ministerial train ing. They correspond to the 'theological sem inaries' of the United States.
The Congregational 'colleges' of Great Britain. at the present time, are the following: (1) New College, London, tracing its origin to 1696, and now affiliated with the University of Lon don. (2) Western College, Bristol. founded as the Western Academy, in 1752. (3) Yorkshire United Independent College, Bradford, dating from 1756. (4) Cheshunt College, Cheshunt. founded by the Countess of Huntingdon at Tal garth in 1768, and now affiliated with the Uni versity of London. (5) Hackney College, founded by Rev. Matthew \Vilks and Rev. George C'ollison at Hackney in 1803. and now at Hamp stead. It is affiliated with the University of London. (6) Lancashire Independent College, Manchester, founded at Blackburn in 1816. (7) Mansfield College, Oxford, founded as Spring Hill College at Birmingham in 183S, and greatly strengthened by its significant reestablishment at Oxford in 1886. (8) The Congregational In stitute, Nottingham, opened in 1S61. (9) The Congregational Memorial College, Brecon. Com bining a number of institutions, the oldest of which dates from 1755, and giving special atten tion to Welsh students. (10) Bala-Bangor In dependent College, Bangor. dating from IS43 and largely Welsh in its constituency. (11) The Theological hall of the Congregational Churches in Scotland., Edinburgh. tracing its origin to the Congregational Academy founded at Glasgow in 1811. Congregational students are also sup ported by separate funds in the Presbyterian College at Carmarthen. In 1901-02 the students in the various institutions numbered 361.
History.—Modern Congregationalism had its rise in the discussions consequent upon the Eng lish Reformation. Its earliest advocates may properly he described as forming the radical wing of English Puritan Protestantism. But, besides the characteristics which they shared with the Puritan party, they showed several non-Puritan peculiarities. They denied the existence of a
National Church; they denied that ehureh-mem bership belonged to all baptized inhabitants of the kingdom: they held each church competent to regulate its own affairs. These peculiarities are so similar to those of the Continental Ana baptists, that some influence from Anabaptist sources in Congregational beginnings seems prob able: but the dissimilarities existing between Anabaptists and Congregationalism are so con siderable that this influence must ha we been indirect and unconscious. The founders of Co''1 gregationalism thought they were simply re producing the system of the New Testament, Though a church essentially Congregational in organization existed in London as early as 1567, Congregationalism first came to significance in the work and especially in the writings of an erratic but earnestly reformatory young graduate of Cambridge, Robert Browne. Convinced that reforms such as lie desired were unattainable within the Establishment, Browne organized a Congregational church at Norwich in 1580 or 1581. Compelled to seek refuge in Holland, Browne put forth several tracts in 1582, in which be urged the duty of immediate separation from the Church of England =a characteristic that gave the name 'Separatists' to these early Con gregationalists. He also set forth Congrega tional principles with great distinctness. By 1587 Congregational preaching by Henry Bar rowe, a London lawyer, and John Greenwood, like Barrowe a Cambridge graduate, had gath ered a following in London and brought upon its teachers and disciples the hostility of the Gov ernment. The organization of a Congregational church in London, in 1592, was followed by the martyrdom. by banging, of Barrowe, Greenwood. and John Penry, in 1593, and the exile of the greater portion of its membership, who found a home in Amsterdam with Francis Johnson as their 'pastor' and Henry Ainsworth as their 'teacher.' Meanwhile a movement to secure earnest Puri tan preaching was begun. about 1590, in the country region of their residence some 150 miles north of London, by Richard Clyfton, rector of Babworth, and William Brewster, a layman of Scrooby. Ecclesiastical opposition deepened the movement into Separation, and it was stimulated by the coming of Rev. John Robinson. in 1604, and Rev. John Smyth, apparently the following year. Churches were formed on the Congrega tional model at Serooby and Gainesborough, probably in 1606, though the year is uncertain. Governmental opposition compelled both to seek refuge in Holland, and that of Scrooby. with Robinson as its 'pastor' and Brewster as its 'ruling elder,' found a home at Leyden in 1009. Thence a minority of its membership emigrated to New England in 1620, founding Plymouth, now in Massachusetts, in December of that year. Here the Separatist colony passed through severe struggles successfully under the leadership of Brewster, and with William Bradford, Edward Winslow, and Myles Standish as its foremast men in civil affairs.