Question

Church membership among the Puritans was the result of religious conversion. Everyone in the community was expected to attend services, but only those who had been converted ('born again,' in present-day terminology) were entitled to membership in the congregation and the power and privileges that went with membership (Proctor refers to the ability to vote). Before 1662, only the children of church members were baptized and admitted to the church. However, as church membership fell, Boston Puritans began to adopt the Halfway Covenant, which opened baptism and church membership to children of those who were virtuous Christians but not church members. Conservative congregations were violently opposed to this relaxation of standards, and some churches adopted the Halfway Covenant only after the Salem trials.

Answer 1

Church membership in Puritan communities required spiritual conversion, leading to a membership decline. In response, the Puritans established the Halfway Covenant in 1662 to allow for a broader membership, causing controversy among conservative members.

Step-by-step explanation:

The practice of church membership among the Puritans was closely tied to the concept of religious conversion and attaining a state of being 'born again'. Initially, only those who had undergone a spiritual conversion could join the congregation and access its associated privileges, such as voting rights, a concept referenced by Proctor. This restrictive membership led to a decline in church membership, pushing the Boston Puritans to implement the Halfway Covenant in 1662, which allowed baptism and partial membership for the children of virtuous Christians who were not full church members.

This covenant, however, was met with controversy, signifying the beginning of a period of trials and conflicts within the New England colonies that included events like the Salem witch trials and political upheaval following the Glorious Revolution of 1688.