HALFWAY COVENANT. The designation given to a, peculiar modification of church-mem bership which arose in early New England. Ac cording to the view prevalent in the Congrega tional churches of New England at their founda tion, the only proper members of a local church were men and women of personal Christian faith and experience, and their minor children. The growth to maturity of the children of the first settlers raised the question of the permanent ecclesiastical status of such children. Were they still members, though lacking a personal Chris tian experience? The question was adswered in the affirmative by many early New England min isters, by a ministerial convention which met at the request of Connecticut and summons of Mas sachusetts in 1657, and by a synod of the Massa chusetts churches in 1662. It was held by them that such as were members themselves in in fancy by reason of their parents' membership were still sufficiently members when of mature years, even if not of conscious Christian experi ence to transmit the same degree of membership in turn to their children, and to have their chil dren baptized. To bring their children for bap
tism they must enter into a 'covenant' with the church to submit to its discipline, and give an intellectual assent, at least, to the main truths of Christianity. In the absence, however, of a personal Christian experience they were not fit to partake of the communion. Hence the name 'halfway,' or halfway into full church member ship. The ascription of a political significance to the system (increased access to the franchise) is without foundation. The system was the occa sion of long controversy in New England; it was opposed by Jonathan Edwards and his disciples, and died out in the early part of the nineteenth century. Consult: Walker, Creeds and Platforms of Congregationalism (New York, 1893).