The second half of the eighteenth century, however, witnessed the rise of a native modifica tion of the historic Calvinistic 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 1800 was dominant in Connecticut and Vermont. and largely represented in the rest of New Eng Inad. Parallel to this Edwardean development. though with much smaller following, there ran a `Liberal' movement, represented especially in eastern Massachusetts, and corresponding to similar modifications of doctrine among the Dis senters, especially those of Presbyterian lineage, in England. This `Liberal' theology, 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,' beginning about 1790, it was found that a considerable number of Congregational churches had drifted out of sympathy with historic Christianity. Under the lead of men of ability like William Ellery Channing, the ' Liberal ' movement strengthened, while the cleavage between it and more conservative Congregationalism grew to separation. The year 1815, 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 conic under the recognized dominance of the 'Liberal' party 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 eonservative majority of the churches to seek new methods of ministerial edueation. As a result, theological seminaries were opened at different places and times. See section Theological AYowvraries.
Congregationalism entered Canada by way of Nova Scotia in 1753. There was a feeble church in Newfoundland as early as 1045, 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 creased 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 affiliation 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 1S52. After the Civil War, Congregationalism entered the South, but has never had a relatively large following in that section of the United States.
Congrationalism 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 Yale, 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 Ed•ardeanism then dominant. And the last two decades have seen increasing welcome given to what is popu larly termed the 'New Theology.' This tendency has met with strenuous opposition: but the divi sion of feeling has at no time been sufficient really to threaten the denomination with schism. Nineteenth-century American Congregationalism has had its eonspicuons preachers in abundance, of whom Lyman Beecher and his son, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles G. Finney, and Richard Salter Storrs may be mentioned as illustrations. It has been ready to adopt new methods of Chris tian wo•k—its most successful recent contribu tion being the 'Young People's Society of Chris tian Endeavor,' founded by Rev. Francis E. Clark in 1881. Its spirit is warmly missionary, and it desires to codperato broadly with all who arc trying to advance the Redeemer's Kingdom.
English Congregationalism during the last century has been marked by much the same traits; but its existence in the face of an eccle siastical establishment has led it to emphasize the charaeteristic principle of independence more proportionately than American Congrega tionalism. Its struggle has been largely one for equality of privilege in education and exemption from disabilities. Its most important recent educational foundation is Cansfield College, Ox ford, of which Rev. Dr. A. M. Fairbairn has been principal since its opening in 18SG. The same tendencies to express denominational in organizations for mutual helpfulness have been manifest in England as in America, though in less marked degree. Their illustration in county associations and in larger unions has already been mentioned.
Statisfics.—The total number of Congrega tional churches in America in 1645 appears to have been 53. About 120 English Congregational churches were represented in the Savoy Conven tion of 165S. In 1760 Rev. Dr. Ezra Stiles enumerated the churches of this order in New England, to which region they were then almost exclusively eonfined. as 530. By 1816 American Congregationalism numbered about 1020 churches and not far from 100,000 communicants. The most recent statistics available (1901, in the Year Book of 1902) give the churches of the United States as 5753, their ministers as 5717, their members as 645,904, and their Sunday school enrollment as 658.403. Their benevo lent contributions were $2.233.722, and their home expenditures $7,580,655. The seven Con gregational seminaries in the United States re ported an attendance in 1901-02 of 379 theolog ical students. The churches and preaching sta tions of Great Britain numbered 4873, their ministers 3121, and their church members 436, 279. Canada and Newfoundland reported 1:37 churches and preaching stations, with 9119 members. Congregationalism in Australia and New Zealand counts 3 4 9 ()touches nod preach ing stations, with 14,176 members.